Losing Control at Amazon.com

I've been a happy Amazon customer for years. But only for books. Despite the fact that Amazon has so many product categories they had to give up on giving each one a separate tab at the top of the screen, I've continued to think of them as a bookstore, that also happened to sell the occasional lawnmower, trombone, or laptop.

But today I decided to buy something from Amazon, and it's not a book. It's a TV tuner card for my PC. Specifically a Hauppauge WinTV Go Plus Model 1033. I researched TV tuner cards for about 7 1/2 minutes and decided to go with a Hauppauge WinTV Go Model 190. Read some good reviews from people who appeared to know what they were talking about. The price was right. I was all set. I'd already decided I was going to buy it at Amazon, because I've got some gift certificates that I need to use. Sure enough, they sell 'em, but just before I add it to my shopping cart, I see the "Other products by Hauppauge" link. Can't hurt to just have a quick look. Right?

And that's when I see the WinTV Go Plus. Plus what? A remote control. Otherwise, I don't know that there's any difference between the two cards. If there is, it's probably something too technical for me to have an opinion on anyway. So for a bit extra, I can get the one with the remote.

Now keep in mind I've got a TV. Several. And they all have remotes. As do the various VCRs and DVD players connected to them. But none of them are in the family room, or even visible from the family room, so I can't watch TV and use the computer at the same time. This was the unfortunate and unsatisfactory situation that led to the decision to buy a TV tuner card. So I could sit on my butt in front of the computer and watch (or more likely listen to) TV. But I can't for the life of me work out why I need a remote control to do that.

According to the product info, the remote works up to 30 ft. away from the PC. That would put me sitting in my neighbor's family room. And hell, he's probably got a TV in his family room, so I could just watch his TV. Or I could watch one of my TVs if I wanted to watch TV and not be sitting in front of the computer. I know all this logically. I have absolutely no need for the remote control for a TV tuner card for my PC.

But I'm going to buy it anyway. It has me in it's power.

Help me.

Categories: Amazon.com, shopping, gadgets, TV