It completely burned up miles above the surface. That quote is like saying "Drakin020 had a birthday party with cake! No deaths have been reported yet." In other words, it's purely sensationalism. Though it is a true statement, no deaths will *ever* be reported due to this event, because none occurred.
Any technological advance will not arrive until at least an amount of time greater than or equal to the square of the precision of the rough estimate has passed.
He probably should have added: "... but will let decent people who have had their civil liberties violated rot if the rights they were trying to exercise aren't in line with their agenda."
The ACLU is a wonderful organization in theory. In reality, it often seems like they have their "real" agenda, that they pursue by selectively fighting civil liberties battles. They're "civil libertarians" in the same way that Greenpeace is an organization of "environmentalists".
I've had it. It gives me a hangover like crazy, even after only a small amount. It's something that straight up Jim Beam or Knob Creek never does to me.
I wonder if the port barrels are the reason. I can't drink port, or many red wines without the same effect.
Said regulations don't disallow disabling the output for flagged content. My experience with Firewire output on cable boxes while I was playing with MythTV were that the older boxes worked, but the newer ones would provide a blank screen for some shows... And you didn't find out until you went to watch it hours later.
The problem was that the older boxes didn't work with switched video.
I also tried hacked DirecTV boxes with firewire out (DirecTV isn't bound by the regulation), and they were flaky at best. The proprietary software required to get video from them (they aren't standards compliant) was also a hassle.
I had a DirecTV tivo for a while that I had hacked to run a MythTV back end, and store data on my main back end over NFS... It worked really well, but it didn't support HD.
This whole conversation has gotten silly. You jumped into a thread to attack a solution using a bogus list of limitations, the only one of which was accurate was that that data isn't stored in an open, unencumbered format, and for what? I certainly don't know.
I'm done mudslinging for the day. Thanks for the pointer to the 1212. I didn't know about it, and I'm glad I do now.
What part of "open" and "client-server" did you not get previously?
There is nothing in Tivo-land that approximates a Media Server Extender.
End of story.
Why should there be? Another TiVo dies everything an extender does, plus more, for less money than any pure extender on the market. (Unless you know of some HD extender for less than $149? I didn't think so.) If you want a software extender, a TiVo comes with one for free.
If you don't think the TiVo->TiVo or TiVo->Tivo Desktop architecture is "Client-server" then I don't know what else to say about it.
The only sticking point is "open", which again, is only a sticking point if the closed architecture doesn't support some device that you absolutely must use, in which case build your own, by all means.
While you're splitting hairs, (elsewhere in the thread) I'm watching HD content off FiOS, using less storage to do it, and not dealing with re-encoding artifacts.:)
It'll also be three years before my service fees add up to the cost of the those encoders had I purchased enough of them for a four tuner setup equivalent to what I have now...
"Extra requirements" is fine. It's just hard to discuss something with somebody if they're always moving the goalposts.
It does what I said it does... not the extra stuff you added on. If it doesn't work for you, so be it. I have a feeling it *would* work for you though, 'cause there's a big difference between "any device I like" when the list is made up of what you'd actually use and "any device I like" when the list is made up of any device you can think of such that you can say "See! It sucks! It doesn't support [blah]".
Seriously, you've spent all that time and effort and money to make yourself a pile of plastic discs you won't ever use... And that time was wort what exactly? Plus you don't have access to the encrypted HD digital content you'd get over cable.
If you don't mind watching broadcast content exclusively, or you don't care about HD (you're using DVD, right?), absolutely... A PC DVR is the way to go... But that's an apples/oranges comparison.
But it doesn't record encrypted digital content. It records analog content. You have to re-encode. It's misleading to describe that as recording encrypted content, because it assumes you have another device that is willing to do the decryption and conversion to analog without lowering the resolution or quality.
1) My PC based DVR can record encrypted content. Tivo's edge here is gone now.
What hardware/software do you use for this? Something new must have come out recently... As recently as a year ago I was unable to find a legal device that would allow me to record encrypted QAM from my cable connection. Even the devices that claimed to be able to do it, but were bundled with Windows media center couldn't actually get the job done as expected (could only decrypt when saving to DRM encumbered WMV).
...so I can put "extenders" in as many rooms as I like and they will all see the same content? That's certainly news to me. Any random PC in the house can be another "extender"? News to me.
Yup. As long as the "random PC" is running Windows, MacOS, or Wine. I watch the shows that are on my TiVo from the road by connecting to my home network via VPN from my laptop.
Any platform can access the data as a simple file? News to me.
Now you're adding extra requirements. You have to use Tivo Desktop to view it. However, you can burn to DVD and re-rip... To me, and most people though, this is a non-issue. As long as the video plays, and the quality and speed are good, who cares? Now if you want to modify the TiVo, then you can get them as simple files... Even FTP them straight off the device... It's not very hard to do, but that defeats the purpose of having an off-the-shelf DVR. (I used to run a hacked TiVo before I switched to MythTV, before I switched back to straight TiVo)
If you are already accustomed to the more powerful features of PC PVR software then a PC running Tivo software is not going to be that compelling.
You're right. I don't see the appeal of running TiVo's software on a PC. Just give me the box.
Could I go back to my PC based DVR which lacked recording encrypted HD, and neded to be reconfigured when the "free" data sources changed/went away, or when my channel lineup changes? What features am I missing? I can record my shows to DVD if I want... I can watch in multiple rooms... I can watch on the road...
The only reason TiVo is being left behind is that the less-featured cable company DVRs are "good enough" for almost everybody. PC DVRs are a speck in TiVo's rear view mirror.
The subscription to TiVo is worth every penny just for the lack of having to fiddle with it all the time.... Getting the updates installed with no time investment, etc...
And that's before you take into account its ability to record encrypted QAM, since it's cableCARD certified.
I used to use a home-built DVR, but TV just doesn't matter enough to me to invest the time. I'd rather throw (much) less than a day's pay at it once a year and not have to think about it.
The parent to my post implied a strawman. It would have been a textbook strawman argument had he not chosen to use a condescending tone.
Now, head on over to wikipedia and look up the definition of a strawman argument... Nevermind, I'll just paste for you and save you the time.
A straw man argument is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position.
That is neither a logical fallacy, or a misrepresentation of my opponents position. In fact it neither is nor was is intended to be a "representation of my opponents position" at all. It's an accurate representation of my position from the post my "opponent" in that scenario was responding to. I merely re-stated the part he missed.
Rockstar founder Sam Houser explained the decision: 'They paid us. Cash. A big green pile of the stuff. We had our own code for it, but nobody was paying us to use it. They said we have to spew some bullshit about how great it is without making it sound like it's about the money. Whatever. I can do that.'
You missed part though. Republican's don't like it when someone else is receiving it. Democrats don't like it when they're the ones that have to give it away.
Any guesses as to causation on my part would be mere speculation. I only provided the anecdote to imply that the parent's anecdotal data is likely situational.
I'm still amused by guys like this who chose to read more into it though.
My point was that if your work environment is sub-satisfactory, you're a technology worker, and you're good at your job, you can go find a new job with conditions you approve of without too much trouble. Not that you need to work insane hours and give up your family life.
Unions are great if you're in an industry where geography or market dynamics mean that you don't have a choice as to who your employer is, and said employer can take advantage of that monopoly. As software developers, we don't have anythin even close to that situation. If you can't find a job that fits your lifestyle, chances are you're either lazy, or not very good.
In my experience, the big companies have a lot more employees that lean democratic, while startups have a larger republican population than would be expected when compared to local demographics.
I work in the Boston area, which is pretty blue... My experiences at IBM, Compaq/HP and EMC were that the rank and file were almost exclusively of the democratic persuasion. At the last three startups I've worked for, though, the employees have been 80+% republican.
If you don't suck, the job market for developers is still beyond fantastic, even with the economy how it is right now. The only reason to start a union is if you're too lazy to go find a new job, or your skills are too poor to think you can get one. Those two types of people are why most people in the industry want nothing to do with unions. Why should we protect your lazy/sorry ass while we're working hard? Hmm?
Slashdot Mirror
Over.
It completely burned up miles above the surface. That quote is like saying "Drakin020 had a birthday party with cake! No deaths have been reported yet." In other words, it's purely sensationalism. Though it is a true statement, no deaths will *ever* be reported due to this event, because none occurred.
You *are* missing something.
Your 4-4-4-12 RAM isn't labeled "Dominator".
Overclocking used to be a way to save money. Now it's an X-Game or something. Marketing rules the world.
Required reading on this subject...
New theorem:
Any technological advance will not arrive until at least an amount of time greater than or equal to the square of the precision of the rough estimate has passed.
The parent was more abrasive than eloquent....
He probably should have added: "... but will let decent people who have had their civil liberties violated rot if the rights they were trying to exercise aren't in line with their agenda."
The ACLU is a wonderful organization in theory. In reality, it often seems like they have their "real" agenda, that they pursue by selectively fighting civil liberties battles. They're "civil libertarians" in the same way that Greenpeace is an organization of "environmentalists".
I've had it. It gives me a hangover like crazy, even after only a small amount. It's something that straight up Jim Beam or Knob Creek never does to me.
I wonder if the port barrels are the reason. I can't drink port, or many red wines without the same effect.
This is why I don't play poker online.
Doing exactly this is so easy that you have to assume at least half the table is doing it.
At least at a casino you have a chance of noticing a cheater.
Said regulations don't disallow disabling the output for flagged content. My experience with Firewire output on cable boxes while I was playing with MythTV were that the older boxes worked, but the newer ones would provide a blank screen for some shows... And you didn't find out until you went to watch it hours later.
The problem was that the older boxes didn't work with switched video.
I also tried hacked DirecTV boxes with firewire out (DirecTV isn't bound by the regulation), and they were flaky at best. The proprietary software required to get video from them (they aren't standards compliant) was also a hassle.
I had a DirecTV tivo for a while that I had hacked to run a MythTV back end, and store data on my main back end over NFS... It worked really well, but it didn't support HD.
This whole conversation has gotten silly. You jumped into a thread to attack a solution using a bogus list of limitations, the only one of which was accurate was that that data isn't stored in an open, unencumbered format, and for what? I certainly don't know.
I'm done mudslinging for the day. Thanks for the pointer to the 1212. I didn't know about it, and I'm glad I do now.
What part of "open" and "client-server" did you not get previously?
There is nothing in Tivo-land that approximates a Media Server Extender.
End of story.
Why should there be? Another TiVo dies everything an extender does, plus more, for less money than any pure extender on the market. (Unless you know of some HD extender for less than $149? I didn't think so.) If you want a software extender, a TiVo comes with one for free.
If you don't think the TiVo->TiVo or TiVo->Tivo Desktop architecture is "Client-server" then I don't know what else to say about it.
The only sticking point is "open", which again, is only a sticking point if the closed architecture doesn't support some device that you absolutely must use, in which case build your own, by all means.
While you're splitting hairs, (elsewhere in the thread) I'm watching HD content off FiOS, using less storage to do it, and not dealing with re-encoding artifacts. :)
It'll also be three years before my service fees add up to the cost of the those encoders had I purchased enough of them for a four tuner setup equivalent to what I have now...
"Extra requirements" is fine. It's just hard to discuss something with somebody if they're always moving the goalposts.
It does what I said it does... not the extra stuff you added on. If it doesn't work for you, so be it. I have a feeling it *would* work for you though, 'cause there's a big difference between "any device I like" when the list is made up of what you'd actually use and "any device I like" when the list is made up of any device you can think of such that you can say "See! It sucks! It doesn't support [blah]".
You burn it? What for?
Seriously, you've spent all that time and effort and money to make yourself a pile of plastic discs you won't ever use... And that time was wort what exactly? Plus you don't have access to the encrypted HD digital content you'd get over cable.
If you don't mind watching broadcast content exclusively, or you don't care about HD (you're using DVD, right?), absolutely... A PC DVR is the way to go... But that's an apples/oranges comparison.
That's a nice device.
But it doesn't record encrypted digital content. It records analog content. You have to re-encode. It's misleading to describe that as recording encrypted content, because it assumes you have another device that is willing to do the decryption and conversion to analog without lowering the resolution or quality.
1) My PC based DVR can record encrypted content. Tivo's edge here is gone now.
What hardware/software do you use for this? Something new must have come out recently... As recently as a year ago I was unable to find a legal device that would allow me to record encrypted QAM from my cable connection. Even the devices that claimed to be able to do it, but were bundled with Windows media center couldn't actually get the job done as expected (could only decrypt when saving to DRM encumbered WMV).
will all see the same content? That's certainly news to me. Any
random PC in the house can be another "extender"? News to me.
Yup. As long as the "random PC" is running Windows, MacOS, or Wine. I watch the shows that are on my TiVo from the road by connecting to my home network via VPN from my laptop.
Any platform can access the data as a simple file? News to me.
Now you're adding extra requirements. You have to use Tivo Desktop to view it. However, you can burn to DVD and re-rip... To me, and most people though, this is a non-issue. As long as the video plays, and the quality and speed are good, who cares? Now if you want to modify the TiVo, then you can get them as simple files... Even FTP them straight off the device... It's not very hard to do, but that defeats the purpose of having an off-the-shelf DVR. (I used to run a hacked TiVo before I switched to MythTV, before I switched back to straight TiVo)
If you are already accustomed to the more powerful features of PC PVR software
then a PC running Tivo software is not going to be that compelling.
You're right. I don't see the appeal of running TiVo's software on a PC. Just give me the box.
Could I go back to my PC based DVR which lacked recording encrypted HD, and neded to be reconfigured when the "free" data sources changed/went away, or when my channel lineup changes? What features am I missing? I can record my shows to DVD if I want... I can watch in multiple rooms... I can watch on the road...
The only reason TiVo is being left behind is that the less-featured cable company DVRs are "good enough" for almost everybody. PC DVRs are a speck in TiVo's rear view mirror.
Me too.
I pay $100 a year for the subscription.
The subscription to TiVo is worth every penny just for the lack of having to fiddle with it all the time.... Getting the updates installed with no time investment, etc...
And that's before you take into account its ability to record encrypted QAM, since it's cableCARD certified.
I used to use a home-built DVR, but TV just doesn't matter enough to me to invest the time. I'd rather throw (much) less than a day's pay at it once a year and not have to think about it.
The parent to my post implied a strawman. It would have been a textbook strawman argument had he not chosen to use a condescending tone.
Now, head on over to wikipedia and look up the definition of a strawman argument... Nevermind, I'll just paste for you and save you the time.
A straw man argument is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position.
That is neither a logical fallacy, or a misrepresentation of my opponents position. In fact it neither is nor was is intended to be a "representation of my opponents position" at all. It's an accurate representation of my position from the post my "opponent" in that scenario was responding to. I merely re-stated the part he missed.
Rockstar founder Sam Houser explained the decision: 'They paid us. Cash. A big green pile of the stuff. We had our own code for it, but nobody was paying us to use it. They said we have to spew some bullshit about how great it is without making it sound like it's about the money. Whatever. I can do that.'
There. Fixed that for him.
We have a winner.
You missed part though. Republican's don't like it when someone else is receiving it. Democrats don't like it when they're the ones that have to give it away.
Pot, meet kettle.
Any guesses as to causation on my part would be mere speculation. I only provided the anecdote to imply that the parent's anecdotal data is likely situational.
I'm still amused by guys like this who chose to read more into it though.
Take your strawman and go home please.
My point was that if your work environment is sub-satisfactory, you're a technology worker, and you're good at your job, you can go find a new job with conditions you approve of without too much trouble. Not that you need to work insane hours and give up your family life.
Unions are great if you're in an industry where geography or market dynamics mean that you don't have a choice as to who your employer is, and said employer can take advantage of that monopoly. As software developers, we don't have anythin even close to that situation. If you can't find a job that fits your lifestyle, chances are you're either lazy, or not very good.
In my experience, the big companies have a lot more employees that lean democratic, while startups have a larger republican population than would be expected when compared to local demographics.
I work in the Boston area, which is pretty blue... My experiences at IBM, Compaq/HP and EMC were that the rank and file were almost exclusively of the democratic persuasion. At the last three startups I've worked for, though, the employees have been 80+% republican.
If you don't suck, the job market for developers is still beyond fantastic, even with the economy how it is right now. The only reason to start a union is if you're too lazy to go find a new job, or your skills are too poor to think you can get one. Those two types of people are why most people in the industry want nothing to do with unions. Why should we protect your lazy/sorry ass while we're working hard? Hmm?