CRT, What's Your Theory?
Jul. 29th, 2024 07:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
muchtooarrogantLJI Week 4: Uncanny Valley
Lately, I've been thinking about those old televisions with Cathode Ray Tubes. You know, the box shaped ones before screens got flat and everybody started hanging them on walls. In the U.S. at least, they stayed popular until around 2008 or so, presumably when the price of flat screens dropped low enough for people to think of them as a viable option.
Why, you may wonder, is a blind guy taking a trip down TV memory lane?
Funny thing about those old box sets, when they were powered on, they made a really high pitched noise that most people couldn't hear. I could, but no one else in my family or group of friends was able to, and most of them didn't even believe it was a real thing.
One day, I was in a department store with my sister, and happened to mention the noise.
"You're completely full of shit," she challenged. "Can you hear this noise of yours now?"
I smiled and nodded, having a pretty good idea of what she'd demand next.
"Well," she said, "I can't even see the TV section from where we are. If you have such super hearing, why don't you show me where they're at?"
I did.
At which point, she announced, "You're a freak!"
Freak or not, it was kind of fun to be able to do something no one else could do. Although, as far as super powers went, it was pretty useless. And, of course, it wasn't even a real super power, just rare.
The thing is, I've started hearing something like that high pitched whining sound again. At first I thought, "Oh crap! All those years of listening to loud music with headphones on has finally screwed up my hearing for good."
That's not it though. Most of the time my hearing's fine. I started noticing the sound when I was traveling out of town for business a couple of weeks ago. I was at the airport, and the gate agent had just scanned the boarding pass bar code from my phone.
"You're good to go, Mr. Brown," she told me. "Would you like to walk down with this pilot? He's part of the flight crew for your flight and just got here."
"Sure," I agreed, "that would be great."
So, I started walking down the jet way with the pilot making small talk, and that's when I noticed it. That high pitched whining sound I hadn't heard for years.
Okay, yes, it was a Southwest flight, and we all know now that they use antiquated technology, but CRT screens in the jet ways leading to their planes? Somehow I don't think so.
The next time I heard the noise was at my work meeting. This time it started when one of our senior vice presidents sat down next to me.
"Holy shit," I thought, "is the sound coming from people?"
It was confirmed later that day when the VP left, she had another customer meeting she had to attend in a different state. As soon as she got up and exited the room, the whining sound was gone.
Since then, I've had some time to consider all the possibilities, and think I might know what's going on. Ask yourself, other than crime and political bullshit, what's in the news every single day? AI! Initially, it wasn't any big deal, just stuff like AI generating computer code on demand. I mean, they ARE computer code, big whoop! Now though, they're faking voices of celebrities, creating images of events that never happened, and writing songs that are better than the ones sung by the original artist.
I'm telling you my friend, the time has come. They are walking among us!
Author's Note
Believe it or not, I really could hear the high pitched sound CRT TV's made when they were around. I even had an experience like the department store story I told here, but I was with one of my teachers instead, and although she didn't say I was completely full of shit, I sorta suspect she was thinking something close to it. At least, she was until I took her to the TV section.
Dan
Lately, I've been thinking about those old televisions with Cathode Ray Tubes. You know, the box shaped ones before screens got flat and everybody started hanging them on walls. In the U.S. at least, they stayed popular until around 2008 or so, presumably when the price of flat screens dropped low enough for people to think of them as a viable option.
Why, you may wonder, is a blind guy taking a trip down TV memory lane?
Funny thing about those old box sets, when they were powered on, they made a really high pitched noise that most people couldn't hear. I could, but no one else in my family or group of friends was able to, and most of them didn't even believe it was a real thing.
One day, I was in a department store with my sister, and happened to mention the noise.
"You're completely full of shit," she challenged. "Can you hear this noise of yours now?"
I smiled and nodded, having a pretty good idea of what she'd demand next.
"Well," she said, "I can't even see the TV section from where we are. If you have such super hearing, why don't you show me where they're at?"
I did.
At which point, she announced, "You're a freak!"
Freak or not, it was kind of fun to be able to do something no one else could do. Although, as far as super powers went, it was pretty useless. And, of course, it wasn't even a real super power, just rare.
The high-pitched sound that old box TVs make when they are turned on and while they are running is often referred to as TV "whine" or "coil whine." This sound is typically produced by the electrical components inside the TV, such as the flyback transformer or other components in the power supply circuitry.
Why do old box TVs make a high pitched sound when they turn on and while they are running?
The thing is, I've started hearing something like that high pitched whining sound again. At first I thought, "Oh crap! All those years of listening to loud music with headphones on has finally screwed up my hearing for good."
That's not it though. Most of the time my hearing's fine. I started noticing the sound when I was traveling out of town for business a couple of weeks ago. I was at the airport, and the gate agent had just scanned the boarding pass bar code from my phone.
"You're good to go, Mr. Brown," she told me. "Would you like to walk down with this pilot? He's part of the flight crew for your flight and just got here."
"Sure," I agreed, "that would be great."
So, I started walking down the jet way with the pilot making small talk, and that's when I noticed it. That high pitched whining sound I hadn't heard for years.
Okay, yes, it was a Southwest flight, and we all know now that they use antiquated technology, but CRT screens in the jet ways leading to their planes? Somehow I don't think so.
The next time I heard the noise was at my work meeting. This time it started when one of our senior vice presidents sat down next to me.
"Holy shit," I thought, "is the sound coming from people?"
It was confirmed later that day when the VP left, she had another customer meeting she had to attend in a different state. As soon as she got up and exited the room, the whining sound was gone.
Since then, I've had some time to consider all the possibilities, and think I might know what's going on. Ask yourself, other than crime and political bullshit, what's in the news every single day? AI! Initially, it wasn't any big deal, just stuff like AI generating computer code on demand. I mean, they ARE computer code, big whoop! Now though, they're faking voices of celebrities, creating images of events that never happened, and writing songs that are better than the ones sung by the original artist.
I'm telling you my friend, the time has come. They are walking among us!
Author's Note
Believe it or not, I really could hear the high pitched sound CRT TV's made when they were around. I even had an experience like the department store story I told here, but I was with one of my teachers instead, and although she didn't say I was completely full of shit, I sorta suspect she was thinking something close to it. At least, she was until I took her to the TV section.
Dan
