There goes the "macs are expensive" argument

Post #189,800 by tuberculosis 1/11/05 3:55:12 PM Reply	There goes the "macs are expensive" argument Cheap cheap cheap. Brilliant. How long before people realize that this replaces their VCR and CD Player? "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." --Albert Einstein "This is still a dangerous world. It's a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mental losses." --George W. Bush
Post #189,802 by Another Scott 1/11/05 3:58:43 PM Reply	Tell me how one records TV shows with it. I'm all ears. :-)
Post #189,804 by SpiceWare 1/11/05 4:10:27 PM Reply	Via USB or FireWire tuner Examples I know of: ElGato's [link\|http://www.elgato.com/eyeTV/\|EyeTV] (firewire) Eskape's [link\|http://www.eskapelabs.com/myvideo.html\|MyVideo] (USB). Darrell Spice, Jr. [link\|http://spiceware.org/gallery/ArtisticOverpass\|Artistic Overpass]\n[link\|http://www.spiceware.org/\|SpiceWare] - We don't do Windows, it's too much of a chore
Post #189,807 by Another Scott 1/11/05 4:18:48 PM Reply	Very interesting.I'll check into this more carefully.Thanks!
Post #189,809 by altmann 1/11/05 4:23:21 PM Reply	Look into 5.1 USB audio adapters too. -- Chris Altmann
Post #189,889 by SpiceWare 1/11/05 11:53:44 PM Reply	newly announced $149 USB 2.0 Tuner [link\|http://www.macworld.com/news/2005/01/11/eyetvwonder/index.php\|MWSF: Elgato, ATI bring EyeTV Wonder to Mac] also includes S-Video & composite inputs and stereo sound input. Darrell Spice, Jr. [link\|http://spiceware.org/gallery/ArtisticOverpass\|Artistic Overpass]\n[link\|http://www.spiceware.org/\|SpiceWare] - We don't do Windows, it's too much of a chore
Post #189,816 by tuberculosis 1/11/05 4:39:39 PM Reply	I have no idea I've banished the medium from my home. "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." --Albert Einstein "This is still a dangerous world. It's a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mental losses." --George W. Bush
Post #189,917 by Another Scott 1/12/05 10:56:38 AM Reply	Slashdot on Linux PVRs. How to make a PVR for $200. [Dumping some information here for future reference] Some potentially useful information [link\|http://linux.slashdot.org/linux/05/01/12/027210.shtml?tid=129&tid=137&tid=106\|here] at Slashdot. As usually, you'll have to filter out a lot of crap and "funny" posts to find something useful. Last night I found a little how-to - [link\|http://www.byopvr.com/Sections+index-req-printpage-artid-10.html\|Building a PVR in 3 Or So Steps for About $200] to build a Win-based PVR using [link\|http://www.gbpvr.com/\|GB-PVR] that uses a PVR 250 and a MediaMVP from Hauppauge. Linux software to drive the latter is under development.... The software requires the .NET v1.1 runtime, MDAC 2.6 and DirectX 9.0b is recommended. A potential gotcha with this stuff is I don't yet know how well it works with digital cable (if at all). If there were a similar how-to for similar functionality on the Mac side, it would make the Mac Mini very appealing. Similarly, if the Linux stuff were as easy to get up and running with similar functionailty it would make it much more appealing. Cheers, Scott.
Post #189,919 by inthane-chan 1/12/05 11:31:38 AM Reply	If you ever want to do HDTV under Linux... ...get one of [link\|http://www.pchdtv.com/\|these] cards before June, if you live in the United States. After that, it's illegal to sell them here. "Here at Ortillery Command we have at our disposal hundred megawatt laser beams, mach 20 titanium rods and guided thermonuclear bombs. Some people say we think that we're God. We're not God. We just borrowed his 'SMITE' button for our fire control system."
Post #189,921 by Another Scott 1/12/05 11:52:12 AM Reply	Thanks for the heads-up. I wasn't aware of the [link\|http://www.eff.org/broadcastflag/\|broadcast flag] issue. It's certainly something to think about over the next few months. Cheers, Scott.
Post #190,015 by folkert 1/12/05 11:02:51 PM Reply	My order from today... for this card shipped today. I should have it Friday or Monday/Tuesday -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* [link\|http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=134485&cid=11233230\|"Microsoft Security" is an even better oxymoron than "Miltary Intelligence"] No matter how much Microsoft supporters whine about how Linux and other operating systems have just as many bugs as their operating systems do, the bottom line is that the serious, gut-wrenching problems happen on Windows, not on Linux, not on Mac OS. -- [link\|http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1622086,00.asp\|source]
Post #190,307 by Another Scott 1/15/05 6:03:55 PM Reply	Let us know how you like it. [link\|http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=128856&cid=10753869\|These] comments on /. make it sound a bit dodgey. The card only works with over-the-air HDTV. While that's understandable, there are only 8 or so HD local stations around here, and much of their stuff isn't worth watching. Please let us know whether you think the card and software are usable and worth the trouble. If not, as an AC there says, just sending the money directly to the EFF might make more sense. Thanks. Cheers, Scott.
Post #190,320 by folkert 1/15/05 9:43:53 PM Reply	Nope... that would be the only because they... Lack the skill. The card only works with over-the-air HDTV That would be the HD2000. The HDTV over cable onlyhas to get through the Line Filter at the Splice-in at the street. The HDTV is held back There. Now, if I were to "order" HDTV from the Cable CO, no problems. It'll still work with traditional signals. -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* [link\|http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=134485&cid=11233230\|"Microsoft Security" is an even better oxymoron than "Miltary Intelligence"] No matter how much Microsoft supporters whine about how Linux and other operating systems have just as many bugs as their operating systems do, the bottom line is that the serious, gut-wrenching problems happen on Windows, not on Linux, not on Mac OS. -- [link\|http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1622086,00.asp\|source]
Post #195,867 by Another Scott 2/21/05 11:47:07 PM Reply	Ed Felten on the Broadcast Flag. [link\|http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/archives/000771.html\|Here], (via a post on [link\|http://dangillmor.typepad.com/dan_gillmor_on_grassroots/2005/02/a_biased_headli.html\|Dan Gillmor's blog]): The [[link\|http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/21/technology/21flag.html?ex=1266642000&en=e286e1f936539c08&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland\|NYTimes]] article starts by describing Mike Godwin downloading an episode of the Showtime series "Huff." After some scene-setting, we read this: The M.P.A.A. has argued that without the broadcast flag rule, content creators would have no incentive to provide digital content over the airwaves, because people could simply pluck video streams out of the air and redistribute them to millions of viewers over the Internet. "It's very simple," said Fritz Attaway, a vice president and Washington general counsel for the M.P.A.A. "Without the broadcast flag, high-value content would migrate to where it could be protected." In practical terms, such "protected" places would be cable and satellite systems where digital content can be more easily scrambled, encrypted or otherwise controlled, leaving broadcast networks at a distinct disadvantage in the new digital marketplace. The fallacy here should be pretty obvious. "Huff" is already distributed only in a "protected" place -- a premium cable channel -- and it's available for infringing downloaders. (Other cable and satellite offerings are similarly available on P2P.) This is not evidence that cable-like protection is needed for broadcast. To the contrary, it's evidence that the "protection" of cable-like DRM is illusory. Similarly, the article repeats without comment the MPAA argument that they will be forced to withhold high-resolution broadcast service unless the Broadcast Flag is imposed. This argument couldn't be more wrong in its view of broadcasters' incentives. In fact, P2P infringement gives broadcasters a powerful incentive to offer higher-quality, higher-resolution content. High-res content makes legitimate broadcast service more attractive to viewers. P2P versions can't match these increases in resolution because doing so would make P2P files much bigger, clogging P2P systems with enormous files and making downloads much slower. If broadcasters have to "compete against free" their best hope is to actually compete, by improving their product -- especially when the competitor can't match the improvement. He's got a very good point. Newer technologies (e.g., optical fiber to every home) will mitigate some of the pain of trying to download everything (like the old geezer who went to a roadside motel with every movie and every TV show ever produced in the old Qwest commercials), but some pain will always exist. If the producers of shows were interested in competing on quality and convenience they would be in a very strong position for a long time even without the broadcast flag. Cheers, Scott.
Post #189,962 by admin 1/12/05 5:37:42 PM Reply	Re: Slashdot on Linux PVRs. How to make a PVR for $200. Similarly, if the Linux stuff were as easy to get up and running with similar functionailty it would make it much more appealing. [link\|http://www.mysettopbox.tv/knoppmyth.html\|http://www.mysettopbox.tv/knoppmyth.html] I'm using a PVR250 under Linux right now. There are some gotchas still, but the drivers are getting steadily better. Many people have created Linux PVRs with other cards, though. I have a friend here at work who uses one daily. The nice thing about MythTV, and KnoppMyth in particular, is that you can turn any computer into a client for the main MythTV video repository. Stick the KnoppMyth CD in a machine, reboot it, tell it where the repository lives, and start watching recorded shows. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #189,976 by Another Scott 1/12/05 7:54:32 PM Reply	Thanks. I will have to check it out carefully. I've got a couple of Compaq Presario machines (1.2 GHz Athlon, 768 MB; 1.67 GHz AthlonXP, 512 MB) that I will probably consolidate onto a new Athlon64 box in the spring. So I'd have some hardware to play with. We've got Cox digital cable and consequently a (Scientific Atlanta) cable box. I assume that any FOSS PVR software would only work with the analog channels. That's OK, but not ideal. Cox offers a DVR for $13.49/mo (service+box, plus the various taxes). Cox [link\|http://www.cox.com/fairfax/digitalcable/dvrfaqs.asp\|says] "existing DVRs" can be used with their service, but it might be "confusing" as you'd see 2 channel guides. I assume they mean TiVo and not something like MythTV. Do you use yours with a digital cable service? I'll check into this some more in the coming weeks. Be prepared for questions. :-) I doubt that I'll worry about the HDTV issues yet (though I might buy a card just in case...). Thanks again. Cheers, Scott.
Post #189,982 by admin 1/12/05 9:12:06 PM Reply	Depends. If you get a card with svideo input, that might work. You can't come straight off the digital coax, though. Something needs to convert it to analog. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #189,988 by drewk 1/12/05 10:02:48 PM Reply	Seems stupid I'm not saying there's any other way with the current tools, but to convert a digital signal to analog, only to re-encode back to digital to store it ... Does this seem like a good ida to anobody? === Purveyor of Doc Hope's [link\|http://DocHope.com\|fresh-baked dog biscuits and pet treats]. [link\|http://DocHope.com\|http://DocHope.com]
Post #189,996 by Another Scott 1/12/05 10:29:31 PM Reply	Sure. but to convert a digital signal to analog, only to re-encode back to digital to store it ... It comes off the wire as digital, but most TVs are analog (that's why a cable box is needed for digital cable). So you must have a D/A conversion in there somewhere. The storage is digital because that's the best way to preserve fidelity while minimizing storage space. I do get your point - it would be good to be able to feed digital cable into a PC, do the processing/storage magic, then send digital to the TV. Those days are coming, but will likely be encumbered with DRM baggage. To get digital video from cable into the PC, you'd need something similar to the cable box. If it could have been put on a PCI card for a reasonable amount of money, it might have been done already. But with the DRM stuff coming, I doubt that unencumbered stuff will be easily available in time. Since nonHD TV is rather low resolution anyway, the D->A->D->A conversion train shouldn't really cause much of a problem (if the PC can keep up). Once HD takes over, then digital inputs to the PC will probably be required. So you'd go: HD receiver/cable-box -> digital PC input -> digital PC output -> HDTV. My guess, anyway. Cheers, Scott.
Post #189,999 by admin 1/12/05 10:36:41 PM Reply	Re: Sure. That d->a->d->a train is what a PVR card helps with, since the conversion is done in hardware. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #189,989 by Another Scott 1/12/05 10:11:00 PM Reply	At least around here, digital and analog are the same wire. The digital signal rides "on top of" the analog signal (for lack of a better term for it). We only get the digital channels at sets that have a digital set-top box; we get analog cable at the other sets. From browsing around [link\|http://losdos.dyndns.org:8080/public/mythtv-info/MythTV_DISH_IR_LED_TX_via_Modified_LIRC.html\|here], it sounds like the issue is having an appropriate connection from the PC to the set-top box. Thus, one would select the appropriate channel with the IR remote controlled by the PC, the analog signal from the cable-box would to to the MPEG-2 card, the PC would do its magic and display the result on the TV (from a video card with TV out). Similarly with a satellite-box, etc. I'm thinking that a PVR-350 card would be a better choice than the 250 as it has the MPEG-2 decoder. Is that not necessary? I see mention of nVidia (especially GeForce4 mx440) cards a lot. Is that the best choice for MythTV as far as the drivers go? Do you have 2 capture cards? What hardware are you using? Thanks. Cheers, Scott. (Who several times has thought about moving this to Hardware or somewhere else, but figured it would be best to keep it in one place.)
Post #189,995 by admin 1/12/05 10:28:51 PM Reply	I have a 350 The decoder essentially lets you display video without taking much CPU. However, the drivers weren't entirely there back in February or so. They've come a long way and I'm going to try them again. I had bought a NVidia card to do the display out in the meantime. I think the PVR's display is cleaner. I only have the one capture card. PVRs are really the only way to go if you want more than one capture card and want to watch TV as well, as the CPU usage will be minimal. Just be aware that there can be stability issues. Don't use a VIA chipset mobo either. I don't know about NVidia chipset mobos. Be warned: this is NOT an easy project. If you're not comfortable fiddling kernel and module settings, endlessly recompiling things, and generally mucking about with the innards, you won't like doing this at all. That said, KnoppMyth is supposed to solve all of that. I Haven't Tried KnoppMyth (I rolled my own with Debian). I'll let you know in a month or so when I get the time, though. :-) Start reading the mailing list for a while to get a feel for what the better configurations are. I haven't been keeping up; it's very high traffic. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."

Welcome to IWETHEY!