Ya, it was another one of my DUH! moments.

I did change my mind again though. I tried running the wires so that my USB hub, headset, Macbook and game pad would all be in the two cubbies facing the couch but it was just too cluttered with all the wires and the devices. I would never be able to avoid a tangle even with using wire ties to compact the wires. I opted for the USB hub hiding under my easy chair with my Eeyore, Claude, holding the headset and game pad. The only wires that will go under the floor wire covers are the USB cable from my main system to the hub across my carpet under the brown wire cover and the USB power cord for the table lights and the charging cable for the Macbook under the black wire cover on the area rug. This was my original plan but I didn't think the cords for the lights and Macbook would reach but they do with plenty to spare. The chair seldom gets used so having Claude, the headset and game pad on it isn't an issue. If I need to use the chair it's no big deal to put Claude on the floor. Besides Claude was REALLY upset about losing his headset and game pad.

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And you may change your mind again when everything arrives.

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

LOL! I guess I can't really fault you on that but I think I'm done.

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DANG! I now totally hate my new entertainment center... Just kidding but DANG! Sort of looking for an end table that would match and go next to my easy chair and they don't do end tables. I have been working with them about this and they are quite receptive. If they had end tables they could sell 'room groups' at like 5-10% discount over buying individual items. They would easily make up the discount by selling more units.

Anyway their support is really nice and they requested images of what I have to see if they can find an end table that would fit. That is REALLY good support!

Here is the 'DANG' aspect. They do things weird with having their main store page, an Amazon store page and a New Egg store page. That is fine but they sell different items on each store when they should be selling everything on all three. The following entertainment is a modified version of the one I got but 'DANG!'. It is only sold through their Amazon store which is dumb. I still really like the entertainment center I got but, if I had known about this it would be in my living room right now. The fire place is some sort of LED/laser system but is also a space heater rated to cover 400 square feet. Fire place lighting and heat are under different controls and I doubt that I'd ever use the heater but still, DANG!

Mayhaps their not duplicating products on their different stores is a cultural thing, I really don't know but just realized yesterday that they are a Chinese company.

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Interesting "clock" on that thing!

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

I don't know why the clock display but it is actually a TV.

Been an interesting morning. My new Canon Rebel T7 camera died a few days ago after just around 6 weeks. The camera was bought through B&H and they refused to do anything as it was bought over 30 days ago. Now directly dealing with Canon they were good even wavering the consumer being responsible for shipping to them and willing to generate a pre-paid shipping label for me to return the thing for repair. Thing is that I don't want a repair, I want a replacement which Canon won't do as I didn't buy directly through them so it goes back to B&H...

Sent a rather hostile email to the B&H support saying that I would never purchase through them again and would retract any and all recommendations I have given in the past.

Amazing in how refusing to take crap works. All of a sudden B&H is willing to exchange the camera as long as I have the original manufacturer's box which I do.

Moral of all this is to not let these outfits have control as they need you more than you need them. In most cases, if you challenge them, they will cave in to avoid negative reviews.

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LOL! Just received a PDF file from B&H Photo including a pre-paid shipping label to print for me to return the camera. They are doing a full replacement of the entire camera package including lens, battery and charger.

Don't let these outfits mess with you. They try with me but I mess right back and normally win.

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I figured that it was a TV.
Good for you in holding B&H to account!

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

I just don't let these places mess with me as they need the customer more than the customer needs them. Technically B&H was in the right on the 30 day thing but I wasn't buying it. A new camera dies within 6 weeks it needs replaced, not fixed. As a b backup in cases didn't go my way I was also dealing with Canon on the possibility of a repair. They were perfectly willing to do a repair under warranty but said that I'd have to pay to ship it to them. I didn't like that either. In the end they would have sent me a shipping label at their expense. They said they would cover the shipping as a 'curtsy' but I'm sure that it was actually due to my giving them grief.

Got my wire covers today but haven't installed yet as they come in a roll and I want them to flatten out first. Since they are anchored to the floor with adhesive strips and I have carpet I want them flat so the adhesive isn't fighting them trying to bend.

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Go figure??? Suddenly the broken camera is working just fine.

I printed out the prepaid shipping label to return for replacement and started packaging but decided to try once more. Mounted a lens and inserted a battery and powered up. The back display actually lit up saying that there was no memory card. Put in my normal card and the issue was back.

Started to think in lines of computer, not camera, and put the memory card in a USB card reader and formatted to exFAT on my main system. Put back in the camera and everything came up fine and it even agreed to take photos. Went further and did a low level format on the card through the camera to allow it to do its folder setup and such. All still fine. Did the same with another card and all was again fine.

It would seem, and Canon agrees, that there was a fault while saving a file and it screwed up the card. Putting in another card would also fail as it would try to finish the save but the original attempted save was not there so it could still not finish the save corrupting the new card the same as the original became corrupted.

I still have 6-7 days before the shipping label from B&H Photo expires and will put the camera through heavy use during that time.

After all this I did a medium firmware update on the camera that went without issue. I think that it is actually OK.

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Fascinating that the card would cause the camera to go haywire. I've had a few MicroSD cards fail but never to the point of causing a problem with the device holding it other than "no card detected" or similar.

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Here's my theory Steve, and Canon agrees.

This all started when I was playing around with the camera's video functions. A problem happened while saving the video and caused the card to become corrupted. When I tried different cards the camera would try to continue the save but what had already been written wasn't there causing a corruption of the other cards.

To back this up the camera was never totally dead as the view finder display worked, it would focus and pop up the flash if needed. During this the rear display was dead with neither the display or menu buttons working and it would not actually take a photo. Now, through the view finder,
the camera did flash a 'busy' display which backs up the thing trying to finish a save.

When the camera sat for a couple of days with no battery it cleared out everything sort of like removing all power from a computer and hitting the power button a few times. Doing an exFAT format on the cards using my main system cleared out the corruptions which then allowed the camera to do its own format and establish its folder structure.

I'm just happy that I decided to give it one more chance as I was in the middle of packing it up to send back to B&H.

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BBack to shopping mode again.

Need some figurines for the glass topped sections of my new coffee table and an end table. I THINK that I have found glass figurines for one of the 2 glass topped sections of the coffee table and mayhaps an end table.

Dimensions for one of the figurines are in the image. The other figurine is 4.5 inches tall. The height of the class topped sections of the coffee table is 8 inches so I think the sizes are pretty good. I'm just having a bit of a problem picturing how the two will match up together. Keep in mind that the figurines will be lit with the table lighting; usually a blue or purple.

The end table has black to match a lot and the wood is a pretty close match to the wood top and trim on the entertainment center.

Any thoughts?

Humming bird glass:


Glass flower ring:


End table:

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I like the bird a whole lot. I'm meh on the flower cube, but if you like it, the match with the bird piece is good. The end table is a good match to the entertainment center piece. The drawer looks like a good size to hide a bunch of stuff away nicely.

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Thanks Steve.

Ya, I think the end table is a good match but it is really small. I hadn't really measured things and was just about ready to order but, of course, went back for dimensions and a closer look at reviews. The thing is tiny with a height of only 15.5 inches which would put the top about even with the seat cushion of my easy chair, just too low. I would consider a proper height to be just a bit lower than the arm rest on the chair. Also it has 7% 1-stare reviews including size, packaging and damage. Just too high of a 1-star rating and only 60% 5-stars. Size complaints are the fault of the consumers as the dimensions are clearly stated but the other complaints are valid. LOL! Back to the hunt. Sorry, should have finished my homework before posting about the table.

Ya, I like the bird a lot also and just may go ahead and order just it. Let myself see the thing in place and then go from there. I also like the 'flower thing' but... I don't know... I think another bird figurine may do better. We'll see. I DO like the flower ring and MAY end up getting but, if so, it would probably go in the other section of the coffee table with a matching piece,

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Oh, yes, that's way too low for an end table. Perhaps it is designed to be a nightstand for low bed.

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Got the new light strip today and love the results. To me it is an extreme difference in the balance of the entertainment wall. Like I've often said it is about balance. Previously the left side of the wall was just black but there is now balance. Still have wires to tuck and hide but that is minor.

Not the same ambient lighting but here is what was...


With darker ambient lighting here is the same with the added light strip. I LOVE it!

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Oh, I've been so involved in the lower wall I sort of ignored the upper part. The effect isn't as dominant as in the following image but is there. Don't know why I can't get an accurate image but it gives the idea. It is all there but just not as intense as in the image.

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It looks pretty cool, Jay.

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Thanks.

And I think my figurines are supposed to be here Friday.

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Did some more playing and shopping today.

The playing is all about the lighting on my new coffee table and entertainment center. I really didn't think it likely that I'd ever use the red lighting but it has its place. With a video of a fireplace on the smaller display the red lighting actually makes for a bit of a romantic setting. Below are a still image of this along with a link to a very short video.

As to the shopping I just ordered my end table. The base is black steel with an 'X' pattern that will match the black steel 'X' pattern on my coffee table base. The height of the table is good and the wood top and shelves should do well in matching the wood top and trim on my entertainment center.

I still am going to need some figurines and stuff to fill shelves but I think that I'm really close to done.

Here is the short video of the entertainment center with a fireplace displayed and red lighting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFWLECbg6P4

If you don't want to view the video here is a still.



And last but not least, here is the end table. The surface area is on the small side at 16x16 inches but that fits the space as it is really just for someone to be able to place a drink or whatever.

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It's coming together very nicely. The red lighting certainly goes well with the fireplace video.

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Thank God I'm finally done assembling my new furniture.  The new end table arrived today and is done.  Especially considering that the end table is from a different company than the coffee table and entertainment center I'm kind of amazed by how well it fits in.

The brown wire cover is just to hold a USB cable going from my main system to a powered USB hub under the easy chair.  While the brown wire cover works it stands out a lot.  I MAY change to one that is more of a beige or tan color to fit in better with the carpet.

All in all I'm very pleased.

This is the new end table but turned 90 degrees to show how well the metal frame goes with the coffee table with the 'X' patterns.


This is how the end table actually sits


Could not ask for a better match on the wood on the end table and entertainment center.

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It really is looking good. Yes, a tan cable cover is a good idea if you can't route it along the baseboard...

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Hmmmm.... Never thought about running the USB cable along the baseboard. I would need to add another USB extension cable but I already have a 3 foot extension that is not in use and would probably give enough length. Going to have to check that out. If it works I could still use the wire cover along the baseboard and also hide a power cord along the wall that feeds my printer, visual door bell and micro computer. It would make things pretty totally clean and the brown cover being along the wall instead of across the carpet would be much less noticeable.

Thanks Steve!

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