Home Upgrades
Today was a busy one .. I got 2 things for home. Though they might seem very insignificant, but I honestly think they will change the way we significantly do things around the house.
Deep Freezer.
I've been crunching some numbers lately. With the cost of food rising in this place (and everywhere else for that matter), it may only seem reasonable to look at stockpiling and storage. So, i went to Carrefour the other day and bought me one of them Small deep freezers. Now, instead of me buying 1 or 2 chickens every time i visit the mall. I'll go to the wholesaler and get me a 12 piece cartoon. And instead of buying lamb or beef by the kilo, i'll head straight to the Abattoir, and get me a half a lamb or something like that. It’ll be fresh and will definitely cost less.
With Ramadan being one month away, I think its the perfect time for this. If you know anything about Ramadan, food prices tend to go up like CRAZY here. The freezer cost was about Dhs 500. But i know it will save me loads of money and, most important, time.
New DVD player.
For some odd reason, i've been noticing, when it is very late at night and things are really really quiet, that my DVD player makes an annoying hissing, humming sound. Odd thing about this, it only does that when the machine is switched off! The sound disappears when I switch it on.
So, today, I though of buying another one. I didn't want anything fancy, because I already watch everything on the laptop. Just wanted something quiet and would play my daughter’s Dora, Barney and Winnie the Poo DVDs.
By pure luck, I found a DVD player that actually plays Divix files. Not only that, it has a USB port at the front panel. I wasn't sure it would play the AVI files that i have, but it was for about Dhs 200. And i wanted a new DVD player anyways. I just bought it and tried it the first thing i came home, and guess what. It worked. Now, i can watch movies on my 42" without having to burn stuff, it just plays anything I download straight off any USB stick. Yay.
Oh, and remember this? Well, they actually came and fixed the ceiling light fixture today.
Pretty productive.. don't u think? :)
Deep Freezer.
I've been crunching some numbers lately. With the cost of food rising in this place (and everywhere else for that matter), it may only seem reasonable to look at stockpiling and storage. So, i went to Carrefour the other day and bought me one of them Small deep freezers. Now, instead of me buying 1 or 2 chickens every time i visit the mall. I'll go to the wholesaler and get me a 12 piece cartoon. And instead of buying lamb or beef by the kilo, i'll head straight to the Abattoir, and get me a half a lamb or something like that. It’ll be fresh and will definitely cost less.
With Ramadan being one month away, I think its the perfect time for this. If you know anything about Ramadan, food prices tend to go up like CRAZY here. The freezer cost was about Dhs 500. But i know it will save me loads of money and, most important, time.
New DVD player.
For some odd reason, i've been noticing, when it is very late at night and things are really really quiet, that my DVD player makes an annoying hissing, humming sound. Odd thing about this, it only does that when the machine is switched off! The sound disappears when I switch it on.
So, today, I though of buying another one. I didn't want anything fancy, because I already watch everything on the laptop. Just wanted something quiet and would play my daughter’s Dora, Barney and Winnie the Poo DVDs.
By pure luck, I found a DVD player that actually plays Divix files. Not only that, it has a USB port at the front panel. I wasn't sure it would play the AVI files that i have, but it was for about Dhs 200. And i wanted a new DVD player anyways. I just bought it and tried it the first thing i came home, and guess what. It worked. Now, i can watch movies on my 42" without having to burn stuff, it just plays anything I download straight off any USB stick. Yay.
Oh, and remember this? Well, they actually came and fixed the ceiling light fixture today.
Pretty productive.. don't u think? :)
posted by moryarti at
8/03/2008 09:03:00 PM
16 Comments:
Oh man, that's awesome! If only I could pick up on cooking - seriously I just lost all interest in making food even though I love eating food!
I guess this Ramadan will be spent eating canned stuff.
By
Anonymous, at August 3, 2008 at 11:02 PM
Mabrook, that DVD player thing sounds pretty cool.
By
Magnus Nystedt, at August 4, 2008 at 5:51 AM
KJ - e7na 7adreen ya basha.. 3azeez we ghali
Mac - thanks buddy. What’s cool about it is that it was really cheap and simple. It was for about Dhs 200.. and once you plug in the USB, the MAIN MENU turns into a folder browser you can flip through with the remote.
So far played AVI files I download from EZTV or any torrent uploader like AXXO, FXG or any of the good ones. No encoding, no converting ..nothing.
Before that, my options were:
1. Get a really expensive "media centre", (I already have a great Harmon Kardon Home Theater system. 2. Connect the laptop directly to the screen - which is annoying with all the wiring and cables
3. Burn stuff - waste of money and DVDs
4. Watch the vids individually on laptops.
By
moryarti, at August 4, 2008 at 10:34 AM
I want one of those DVD players. what brand and model is it?
By
Kay, at August 4, 2008 at 1:26 PM
hey...what make is that DVD player? Sound like a super deal for the price.
By
Dubai Photo Story, at August 4, 2008 at 8:33 PM
GREAT idea!
By
Susan , at August 4, 2008 at 10:04 PM
I bought mine with the USB for 79AED from carrefour 1 year ago and still works fine !
By
Anonymous, at August 5, 2008 at 1:23 AM
Awesome!!
I want one!
prob with watching stuff on the laptop is.. you can mostly watch it alone :o(
I always wondered why they dint have DVD players with USB ports but knew they'd come up with one.
Just like I hoped I could simply plug in a flash Disc/my MP3 player into my car about 2 years ago.. now I can!!
By
Harsha, at August 5, 2008 at 10:58 AM
Its an LG DV 387...
http://ae.lge.com/products/model/detail/dv387.jhtml
Though the player couldn't handle my large WD 160GB, it reads/plays AVI files from a 1GB USB stick just fine.
By
moryarti, at August 5, 2008 at 12:17 PM
Mabrook the new DVD and freezer. May you enjoy watching DVDs while eating fresh stuff from the freezer (after it's been cooked of course!)
By
Dubai Jazz, at August 6, 2008 at 11:33 PM
I think this is spledid. And to save more money I am spending ramadan with Professoré and family.
HAHAHHAHAHA!
The Doovday player sound so HIFI, aah but the real test of the Doovday, the proof of the pudding as they say.
Does it defrost?
Aaah! Got you stumped have I not.
By
*, at August 7, 2008 at 3:40 PM
Woooow, a DVD player that plays DIVX...welcome to 2003, dude.
/supreme sarcasm off
By
marwan, at August 12, 2008 at 11:17 AM
You should buy an DVD player which upscales, youd be amazed at the pic quality on your 42". They don't come cheap though!
By
archer14, at August 13, 2008 at 8:24 PM
hmmmm... home cookin @ Ramadan/Eid.
yum yum
:)
By
rosh, at August 18, 2008 at 5:31 PM
Do you know of a blog where Dubai consumers can share there experiences with products they buy on the market and the services they obtain. I just bought from Carefour Samsung LCD that costed me 7300 AED for it but it does not work and having problem to get it serviced
By
Sid, at August 22, 2008 at 6:46 AM
DJ - thanks man... its working fine wallah.
Kaya the great - no doovdays are required, all on USB.. and yes, it defrosts ;)
Marwan ... and where have you been since 2003?
archer - i will look into that. I have an Xbox 360 Elite and somone told me that it does that as well. Another person told that my Harmon/Kardon home theater should do so as well (Man, i really need to hit those user manuals!) - thanks for the advice though ;)
Rosh - yallah, if you are here in town, you are welcome to drop in for a home cooked meal :)
Sid - Sorry to hear that about ur LCD .. if you have a story to tell, you can email it to me and i will post it here if you wish.
By
moryarti, at August 25, 2008 at 8:09 AM
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