The majority of the PVR projects I've seen use a separate program to actually do the commercial detection. For instance, I use SageTV (a commercial product), and while it doesn't have commercial skip built right in, simply adding the commercial skip plugin will use the txt files created by nearly any commercial skip product to skip commercials.
The one I use (CommSkip), simply runs in the background and creates.txt files with the same name of the video file. SageTV then uses these text files (which include time markers of when a commercial starts and stops) to emulate the commercial skipping. The commercials are still recorded, the time markers just tell the software what to skip when playing it back.
Now, the reason I ask if MythTV actually does the Commercial Skip is because I seem to recall in the directions of CommSkip how to install it into MythTV. This leads me to beleive that Myth isn't actually *doing* the commercial skip, they are utilizing most of the same tools the other PVR software packages are. Perhaps this is an incorrect assumption, but perhaps MythTV is one of the few packages that actually include "a" commercial skip solution with their software, but I don't beleive it is their own (I may be mistaken, so please correct me if I'm wrong).
*** DISCLAIMER: I would read the article if I could (/.ed), so please take that into consideration before retorting with RTFA ***
I was quite disappointed with how short of a game Prey was. It was way too easy and short (in my opinion). I would much rather have a game that is a bit more difficult and takes longer to complete.
And as always, if you get stuck, you can generally find a ton of hint sites that will help you along the way (or even purchase a strategy guide).
All in all... I wish more games included more content or undersold their playable time.
The other side of the coin in the situatin is to simply beleive what people say or written. I've seen some Computer Science graduates that I would never hire, and others that I would hire in a heartbeat based on what I've seen them be able to perform. The same would not necessarily be said if I had those same individuals describe to me their capabilities.
I have seen countless people who can "talk a good game", but when it comes right down to performing, they are unable to do so. In my opinion, performing speaks infinitely more than describing. I encourage problemsovling to be a portion of the interview process. A the very least, it will give an idea as to whether the individual is full of talk or can do what they say they can.
"You can read more of the exciting details on this incredible box below, but first, as a TiVo subscriber who currently owns a TiVo box with Product Lifetime service, we want to thank you for your loyalty with a very special offer--an exception to a rule when you buy the NEW TiVo Series3 HD box. For a limited time, transfer your Product Lifetime service from a Series1 or Series2 box to the new Series3 HD for only $199. As an added bonus, we'll keep TiVo service activated on your old box for another 12 months for no additional charge"
Looks like you can transfer your lifetime subscription over to it.
Your comcast DVR may cost you only $3.95 / month, but you're completely neglecting the +$60 / month you're most likely paying for comcast to begin with to get that digital cable. And chances are, you're paying a lot more that $60 / month.
If I can get free over the air HDTV and pay $12.95 / month to get nearly all the features supplied by digitial cable, sounds like the $12.95 / month is quite a deal to me.
Oh, and if someone can't live without cable/satelite because of non-local channels, you can get analog cable for $35 / month (in our area, it's only $25 / month) and you're still paying less than you would be with digitial cable and the DVR. Not to mention, if you get multiple TiVo's you can watch shows off of other TiVo's in your house.
So, in summary...
Digital Cable ($60) + DVR ($4) = $64 / month
Over the air HDTV (free) + TiVo ($14) = $14 / month
OTA HDTV (free) + TiVo ($14) + Analog Cable ($35) = $49 / month
I certainly know which of these three would fall on the bottom of my list.
We switched all of our major lights in the house over the the CFL bulbs. We instantly noticed our electric bill go from around $100 / month to $60 / month. That, in and of itself, practically paid for all of the lights (because as the parent post describes, they were *much* more expensive)
We did run into a couple of the snags the parent post described as well. Our lamps that have the shades that clamp onto the lightbulbs couldn't be replaced. You do notice a very slight delay from when you turn the lightswitch on and the lights actually come on. They do cost more, but the bulbs we got were guaranteed for 5 years (unlike replacing our other bulbs every other year or so). And although the color temperature was a bit different, we found that when the CFLs warm up, it felt brighter. My wife especially liked them in the bathroom better than the old lightbulbs.
Keep in mind that while the transfer rate of a modem is capable of 56k, the latency is what makes it so bad. That is, of course, IF you can connect at 56k.
Therefore 85k will be a monster step up from a telephone line modem.
Not to mention, things are always better when they're free;-)
Quoted: "... into the matter of who exactly authorized the illegal actions to take place.
Ahem, sorry to get "technical", but the actions haven't been proven to be illegal yet. They are "allegedly" illegal, since no one has been convicted of a crime (if that will ever happen). "
Similar to how if someone robs a bank and doesn't get convicted, the bank was never robbed...
Or if someone is murdered, and the killer is never convicted, the murder never took place...
Or if someone runs a stop sign, and no police are present to ticket them, then what they did wasn't illegal...
[sarcasm]It's quite obvious... Nothing illegal is ever done unless someone is convicted of it.[/sarcasm]
"The prototype chip contains numerous water-filled micro-channels, grooves about 100 microns wide, or about the width of a human hair."
Being that I live in the north, I am a bit skeptical about water being inside of the chip. They didn't mention anything about how it can handle cold temperatures.
If you were to transport an item with one of these cooling mechanisms in the winter time (perhaps to a repair location) is there the potential that the water in the channels could freeze? Would it be capable of withstanding that amount of expansion when the water becomes ice?
The first point is the horrible usage of certain terms used in a derogatory fashion (ie. Gay, Retarted, etc..). This has gotten bad in today's society and is an unfortunate reality in the world today. Not just the World of Warcraft.
The second point is that the person starting the guild is upset because blizzard pointed out the fact that they are discriminating. Having a group that only allows members that are not gay, bi, or lesbian is equally as discriminating as having a group that explicitly denies members that are gay, bi, or lesbian. By restricting a set of members based solely on sexual preference, it is in fact being discriminating. I'm surpised someone who claims to be a member of an organization such as the GBLT would be so hypocritical and create a guild built on discirmination.
A better action for the person to take would have been to create a guild that was GBLT friendly. That way they will most likely avoid the actions of the first point, while avoiding the hypocracy/discrimination of the second point.
Re:Damned if they do, damned if they don't
on
Office Delayed, Too
·
· Score: 1
"And there's no contradiction. A release can be both "too early" because it is full of bugs and "too late" because a release date has been advertised that wasn't met. Remember that "Longhorn" should've been released for 4th quarter 2005."
Granted, it is possible. However, as nearly all software developers are aware, there are always issues that can potentially creep up and set back an *estimated" release date.
I do agree that this particular release is taking forever. But as I stated before, I would rather seem them release it correctly the first time as opposed to release it and fix it later just to satisfy a few people who invested too heavily on an *estimated* release date.
Damned if they do, damned if they don't
on
Office Delayed, Too
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
It's a catch 22. Microsoft has been blasted in the past for releasing software "too early" in people's opinions. Now, they want to make sure it's completely ready before releasing, and people are complaining that it's "too late".
What is it people want? I always thought that people were asking for robust applications that are fully ready for prime time. I actually commend Microsoft for taking this approach as opposed to their old "get it out there and we'll fixe it later" approach.
Oddly enough they refer to comparing it with an overclocked FX. However, in their benchmark graphs, they refer to it being compared to an X2. I think the article was trying to confuse us!
What about a television show? They broadcast it publically, but anyone *could* copy it. Would this fall under the same pretense?
What happened to treating the crime as a crime, not the capability of performing a crime as a crime. Shouldn't it involve action or intent and not capability?
When you buy a product, where do you go? Do you buy it from the local mom and pop store? Do you buy it from the large local retailer? Do you buy a retail card or an OEM card? Do you search on the internet for the cheapest place to get it and buy it half-way across the country?
While I do not like outsourcing, I find that it is us (as a country) that needs to change our ways. Many of us (not all) are hippocritical in terms of outsourcing. We'll buy a product online from across the country when we could support our local community by purchasing it from a local store. Sure we save a few bucks, but we are "outsourcing" our consuming.
Why is it when a company looks for ways to save some money (think purchasing OEM online vs. purchasing retail locally) they are scolded when many of us (as consumers) do the exact same thing? Again, I am in no way advocating outsourcing. However, I have a hard time blaming companies for doing it.
Since "I don't know" equals "I don't know", the conclusion is that the operating systems have equal TCOs, at least in the eyes of the business managers
Being that landlines are required to be able to dial 911 (regardless if you have service or not), why can't the VoIP boxes have an adapter for a telephone line?
That way, the system can redirect 911 calls to the landline, thus resolving the issue of dialing and location.
I didn't need a scientific survey to tell me I am addicted to the Internet (even through MMORPGs)
However, since it is now "scientifically proven", I wonder if I can get sick leave for my illness.
Actually, Tivo can come back with HDTV
on
Can TiVo be Saved?
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
One of the greatest things about HDTV is that it is sent over the air. Why pay for a cable service at all if you can get the shows you want via antenna and get the highest quality available. Not to mention, you can search shows and get a guide of what's on through your Tivo.
I think *because* of HDTV that Tivo will come back.
Cable/Satelite $65 per month with DVR functionality
Over the Air HDTV $14 per month with Tivo service
I'll save the extra $50 a day gladly.
Re:Star Trek Enterprise, Arrested Development, etc
on
Can TiVo be Saved?
·
· Score: 1
I like this concept. Ever since I got a Tivo, I only watch things I've recorded previously. I no longer sit and just see what's on.
So rather than pay for all the shows on all of the channels, why not let me pick the SHOWS a la carte? I have about 4-5 shows a week I watch on a regular basis, and my wife has about the same. At $5 a month per show, we would actually pay less than what our monthly cable costs.
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The majority of the PVR projects I've seen use a separate program to actually do the commercial detection. For instance, I use SageTV (a commercial product), and while it doesn't have commercial skip built right in, simply adding the commercial skip plugin will use the txt files created by nearly any commercial skip product to skip commercials.
.txt files with the same name of the video file. SageTV then uses these text files (which include time markers of when a commercial starts and stops) to emulate the commercial skipping. The commercials are still recorded, the time markers just tell the software what to skip when playing it back.
The one I use (CommSkip), simply runs in the background and creates
Now, the reason I ask if MythTV actually does the Commercial Skip is because I seem to recall in the directions of CommSkip how to install it into MythTV. This leads me to beleive that Myth isn't actually *doing* the commercial skip, they are utilizing most of the same tools the other PVR software packages are. Perhaps this is an incorrect assumption, but perhaps MythTV is one of the few packages that actually include "a" commercial skip solution with their software, but I don't beleive it is their own (I may be mistaken, so please correct me if I'm wrong).
*** DISCLAIMER: I would read the article if I could (/.ed), so please take that into consideration before retorting with RTFA ***
I was quite disappointed with how short of a game Prey was. It was way too easy and short (in my opinion). I would much rather have a game that is a bit more difficult and takes longer to complete.
And as always, if you get stuck, you can generally find a ton of hint sites that will help you along the way (or even purchase a strategy guide).
All in all... I wish more games included more content or undersold their playable time.
The other side of the coin in the situatin is to simply beleive what people say or written. I've seen some Computer Science graduates that I would never hire, and others that I would hire in a heartbeat based on what I've seen them be able to perform. The same would not necessarily be said if I had those same individuals describe to me their capabilities.
I have seen countless people who can "talk a good game", but when it comes right down to performing, they are unable to do so. In my opinion, performing speaks infinitely more than describing. I encourage problemsovling to be a portion of the interview process. A the very least, it will give an idea as to whether the individual is full of talk or can do what they say they can.
According to an email I recieved from TiVo...
"You can read more of the exciting details on this incredible box below, but first, as a TiVo subscriber who currently owns a TiVo box with Product Lifetime service, we want to thank you for your loyalty with a very special offer--an exception to a rule when you buy the NEW TiVo Series3 HD box. For a limited time, transfer your Product Lifetime service from a Series1 or Series2 box to the new Series3 HD for only $199. As an added bonus, we'll keep TiVo service activated on your old box for another 12 months for no additional charge"
Looks like you can transfer your lifetime subscription over to it.
Your comcast DVR may cost you only $3.95 / month, but you're completely neglecting the +$60 / month you're most likely paying for comcast to begin with to get that digital cable. And chances are, you're paying a lot more that $60 / month.
If I can get free over the air HDTV and pay $12.95 / month to get nearly all the features supplied by digitial cable, sounds like the $12.95 / month is quite a deal to me.
Oh, and if someone can't live without cable/satelite because of non-local channels, you can get analog cable for $35 / month (in our area, it's only $25 / month) and you're still paying less than you would be with digitial cable and the DVR. Not to mention, if you get multiple TiVo's you can watch shows off of other TiVo's in your house.
So, in summary...
Digital Cable ($60) + DVR ($4)
= $64 / month
Over the air HDTV (free) + TiVo ($14)
= $14 / month
OTA HDTV (free) + TiVo ($14) + Analog Cable ($35)
= $49 / month
I certainly know which of these three would fall on the bottom of my list.
We switched all of our major lights in the house over the the CFL bulbs. We instantly noticed our electric bill go from around $100 / month to $60 / month. That, in and of itself, practically paid for all of the lights (because as the parent post describes, they were *much* more expensive)
We did run into a couple of the snags the parent post described as well. Our lamps that have the shades that clamp onto the lightbulbs couldn't be replaced. You do notice a very slight delay from when you turn the lightswitch on and the lights actually come on. They do cost more, but the bulbs we got were guaranteed for 5 years (unlike replacing our other bulbs every other year or so). And although the color temperature was a bit different, we found that when the CFLs warm up, it felt brighter. My wife especially liked them in the bathroom better than the old lightbulbs.
Overall, we are very pleased with the CFLs!
What we need are bigger trucks to dump our data on...
Whoops, I forgot the lesson Senator Stevens taught us. The Internet isn't made up of a bunch of trucks, it's made up of a bunch of tubes.
What we need are bigger tubes to dump our data in.
Keep in mind that while the transfer rate of a modem is capable of 56k, the latency is what makes it so bad. That is, of course, IF you can connect at 56k.
;-)
Therefore 85k will be a monster step up from a telephone line modem.
Not to mention, things are always better when they're free
Quoted: " ... into the matter of who exactly authorized the illegal actions to take place.
Ahem, sorry to get "technical", but the actions haven't been proven to be illegal yet. They are "allegedly" illegal, since no one has been convicted of a crime (if that will ever happen).
"
Similar to how if someone robs a bank and doesn't get convicted, the bank was never robbed...
Or if someone is murdered, and the killer is never convicted, the murder never took place...
Or if someone runs a stop sign, and no police are present to ticket them, then what they did wasn't illegal...
[sarcasm]It's quite obvious... Nothing illegal is ever done unless someone is convicted of it.[/sarcasm]
Perhaps a game where all of the content is shown to you when you press a single button. You could even make the button look like "|>"
"The prototype chip contains numerous water-filled micro-channels, grooves about 100 microns wide, or about the width of a human hair."
Being that I live in the north, I am a bit skeptical about water being inside of the chip. They didn't mention anything about how it can handle cold temperatures.
If you were to transport an item with one of these cooling mechanisms in the winter time (perhaps to a repair location) is there the potential that the water in the channels could freeze? Would it be capable of withstanding that amount of expansion when the water becomes ice?
The first point is the horrible usage of certain terms used in a derogatory fashion (ie. Gay, Retarted, etc..). This has gotten bad in today's society and is an unfortunate reality in the world today. Not just the World of Warcraft.
The second point is that the person starting the guild is upset because blizzard pointed out the fact that they are discriminating. Having a group that only allows members that are not gay, bi, or lesbian is equally as discriminating as having a group that explicitly denies members that are gay, bi, or lesbian. By restricting a set of members based solely on sexual preference, it is in fact being discriminating. I'm surpised someone who claims to be a member of an organization such as the GBLT would be so hypocritical and create a guild built on discirmination.
A better action for the person to take would have been to create a guild that was GBLT friendly. That way they will most likely avoid the actions of the first point, while avoiding the hypocracy/discrimination of the second point.
"And there's no contradiction. A release can be both "too early" because it is full of bugs and "too late" because a release date has been advertised that wasn't met. Remember that "Longhorn" should've been released for 4th quarter 2005."
Granted, it is possible. However, as nearly all software developers are aware, there are always issues that can potentially creep up and set back an *estimated" release date.
I do agree that this particular release is taking forever. But as I stated before, I would rather seem them release it correctly the first time as opposed to release it and fix it later just to satisfy a few people who invested too heavily on an *estimated* release date.
It's a catch 22. Microsoft has been blasted in the past for releasing software "too early" in people's opinions. Now, they want to make sure it's completely ready before releasing, and people are complaining that it's "too late".
What is it people want? I always thought that people were asking for robust applications that are fully ready for prime time. I actually commend Microsoft for taking this approach as opposed to their old "get it out there and we'll fixe it later" approach.
Corrrection:
Oddly enough they refer to comparing it with an overclocked FX. However, in their benchmark graphs, they refer to it being compared to an X2. I think the article was trying to confuse us!
The article compared a AMD Athlon 64 X2 *NOT* a FX.
FX is known to be better in gaming than the X2.
Northern Michigan University has been doing something like this since 2000: http://www.nmu.edu/academics/tlc.htm
In fact, they even reference adapting the idea from similar programs in Wake Forest University and University of Minnesota-Crookston.
What about a television show? They broadcast it publically, but anyone *could* copy it. Would this fall under the same pretense?
What happened to treating the crime as a crime, not the capability of performing a crime as a crime. Shouldn't it involve action or intent and not capability?
When you buy a product, where do you go? Do you buy it from the local mom and pop store? Do you buy it from the large local retailer? Do you buy a retail card or an OEM card? Do you search on the internet for the cheapest place to get it and buy it half-way across the country?
While I do not like outsourcing, I find that it is us (as a country) that needs to change our ways. Many of us (not all) are hippocritical in terms of outsourcing. We'll buy a product online from across the country when we could support our local community by purchasing it from a local store. Sure we save a few bucks, but we are "outsourcing" our consuming.
Why is it when a company looks for ways to save some money (think purchasing OEM online vs. purchasing retail locally) they are scolded when many of us (as consumers) do the exact same thing? Again, I am in no way advocating outsourcing. However, I have a hard time blaming companies for doing it.
If you were resetting the computers to flush the dns entries in the local cache, there is an easier way...
/flushdns
ipconfig
Actually, null != null
Just as "I dont' know" != "I don't know"
Being that landlines are required to be able to dial 911 (regardless if you have service or not), why can't the VoIP boxes have an adapter for a telephone line?
That way, the system can redirect 911 calls to the landline, thus resolving the issue of dialing and location.
I didn't need a scientific survey to tell me I am addicted to the Internet (even through MMORPGs)
However, since it is now "scientifically proven", I wonder if I can get sick leave for my illness.
One of the greatest things about HDTV is that it is sent over the air. Why pay for a cable service at all if you can get the shows you want via antenna and get the highest quality available. Not to mention, you can search shows and get a guide of what's on through your Tivo.
I think *because* of HDTV that Tivo will come back.
Cable/Satelite $65 per month with DVR functionality
Over the Air HDTV $14 per month with Tivo service
I'll save the extra $50 a day gladly.
I like this concept. Ever since I got a Tivo, I only watch things I've recorded previously. I no longer sit and just see what's on. So rather than pay for all the shows on all of the channels, why not let me pick the SHOWS a la carte? I have about 4-5 shows a week I watch on a regular basis, and my wife has about the same. At $5 a month per show, we would actually pay less than what our monthly cable costs.