An example of why convergence and copy protection can screw you in ways not imagined.

Apparently there is a copy-protection scheme in certain (lots of) DVDs that screws up the picture when you try to play them with your VCR hooked up between your DVD player and TV. Okay, that's kind of annoying, but I have no desire to record the DVDs I rent on VHS, so that wouldn't be so much of problem. Except, what happens when, as in my case, you have one of those stupid TV-VCR combo things? Well, what happens is, you're screwed. There is no other way to hook it up. So, to be able to use my new DVD player with these movies (which has been about half of the ones I've gotten from NetFlix lately), I not only would need buy a new television, but also a new VCR if I ever wanted to watch VHS. Even though they both work perfectly fine. (This is one of those posts where I'm ranting without a terribly lot of knowledge about the topic and am hoping someone will tell me I'm wrong and present an easy solution to the problem. Anyone?)