2002-06-09 The use of inches is standard as that is the practice the US set up and everyone else seems they have to follow it, even to the point of introducing it in markets that never used it before. It may be that the producers of such product na�vely feel that the unit is understood and used world-wide in the sale of Televisions. Since it seems to be accepted in the sale of Computer monitors, and TVs are a form of monitors, then the use of the inch for selling TVs seems normal. Though, I would think that TV marketing "experts" would want to use centimetres, especially in the metric world. A screen size in centimetres appears bigger than one in inches. Not knowing what an inch is, a person might think the screen is 42 cm instead of 110 cm and thus think the cost is high for such a small screen.
The possible reason inches were used in ads in the Netherlands and not in Germany was because someone in Samsong's marketing department for Germany most likely said the use of inches would scare customers away as they have no concept of what an inch is. And Samsung complied. The marketing experts for Netherlands most likely didn't seem to think using inches would be a problem or an alarm didn't go off in their head that using inches may cause problems. Thus inches are used. One way to ban the inch in the Netherlands that might work is to bring the issue to some higher authority. First of all, from your Dutch language message, you have used the English word inch and not the Dutch word duim. This implies the use of English/US inches. You must now determine if the "English inch" of 25.4 mm is actually legal in the Netherlands, even as a trade name. If the "inch" is allowed as a trade name, does the law specify what the definition of said inch must be? Maybe it defines the inch according to an old Dutch duim that does not equal the English/US inch. IF so, obtain a "legal" duimstock calibrated in Dutch duim and go to a shop that is selling these sets and measure the screen size. Note the size in du im and compare it to the advertised size. If the duim come up short, such as 40 duim instead of 42 that are advertised then contact your local Department of Consumer Affairs and complain of fraud. If you also find in your research that the English inch is not a legal unit, then also contact your Department of Consumer Affairs and indicate that a non-legal unit is being used in trade and that this is an attempt to commit fraud. Fight them, or they will take over. Don't let inches sneak into your market by claiming the unit is a trade name. That is the first step to getting inches in the door. If you don't fight it, the cause will be lost. And, if you know others who feel like you about the issue, enlist their support. Victory can only be won with numbers. One complainer is a nuisance, a group is a threat. John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Han Maenen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, 2002-06-09 04:29 Subject: [USMA:20367] Samsung flat TV screens > The electronics industry is still engaged in a global anti-metric crusade. > Although the size of TV screens has always been expressed in centimeters, > Samsung from Korea (a metric country!) is now pushing the inch in Dutch > language TV-ads for plasma, TFT or any other flat TV screens. In other > words, the new screen technologies are openly being used to push ifp further > into the world. These new technologies would have been a splendid > opportunity to banish the inch from that area. To me this shows the > persisting deep hostility of that industry to SI. I sent this message to > Samsung Nederland. Translation below. > > Ik zou u willen vragen om op te houden in TV-reclames de afmetingen van een > plasma of ander plat TV-scherm als 42 inch aan te prijzen, en de afmeting > daarvan in centimeters aan te geven. TV schermen zijn hier altijd in > centimeters, nooit in inches uitgedrukt. Dat laatste is hier alleen maar > door marketing trucs van de (nog steeds) anti-metrieke electronische > industrie doorgedrukt voor computerschermen. Niet dat ik ook maar inzie waar > dat ooit goed voor was. > Ik kan maar niet begrijpen waarom de electronische industrie, en ook > Samsung, er nog steeds op uit is het Amerikaanse eenhedenstelsel aan de hele > wereld op te dringen. Wat is zo verkeerd aan het metrieke stelsel dat uw > industrie actief de vernietiging ervan nastreeft? Wat is zo fantastisch aan > die inches en aan al die andere Amerikaanse eenheden? > Voor mij is het invoeren van Amerikaanse eenheden als de inch hetzelfde als > het vervangen van intercitytreinen door postkoetsen en trekschuiten. > Ik heb dezelfde reclame ook op de Duitse televise gezoen en daar werd de > afmeting van het scherm in centimeter uitgedrukt. Dat moet ook hier kunnen. > Wij zijn, net als Duitsland, een metrieke natie. > Voor Amerikaanse eenheden voel ik niets dan walging en afschuw. > > Translated: > > I have this request: please stop expressing the sizes of flat TV screens in > TV-ads as 42 inch, and to express it in centimeters. The size of TV screens > has always been expressed in centimeters, not in inches. The latter thing > was just pushed by marketing trucks of the still anti-metric electronics > industry for computer screens. I still don't understand what good purpose > this served. > It is impossible for me to understand why the electronics industry, Samsung > being a party in this, is still attempting to impose USC units on the world. > What is wrong about the metric system, seeing how your industry is still > actively working towards its destruction? What is so marvelous about these > inches and all those other USC units? > To me, the introduction of USC units like the inch is comparable with > reverting from intercity trains to stage coaches and horse-drawn river > barges. > I have seen the same ad on German TV, but there the screen size was > expressed in centimeters. That should be possible here too. We are, just > like Germany, a metric nation. For USC units I feel nothing but the deepest > possible aversion. > > >
