Re: Apple II: Second Best Tech Product of All Time!

["Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com>]

Mark McDougall wrote:
> Anthony Lawther wrote:
>
>
> > The situation might be different for analog TV but with digital TV
> > there is a wide selection of PVRs available for use, with an
> > Electronic Program Guide (machine-consumable television programming
> > information) as part of the package. There is a dashboard widget for
> > OS X that gives access to the TV guide for basically all stations in
> > the major cities (another example of machine-consumable television
> > programming information).
>
>
> I'm not intimately familiar with the details, but I have heard that
> Channel 9, for example, did succeed in getting their program guide
> removed from at least one web site some time ago.
>
> Why they are so interested in controlling their guide is beyond me - I
> naively assumed that the more people know about what's on their channel,
> the better for them?!?

But all the media types are control freaks.  They will cut their
own throats to keep control (in fact, note that they are doing so!).

> I think you'll find the bulk of the program information is actually
> entered manually by like-minded individuals.
>
> What annoys me is that even the EPG information transmitted on the
> digital channels is not accurate. I was recording a show one night on my
> PC, when I checked to see if it had finished. The EPG indicated that it
> was "now showing" the next show, so I stopped recording. About 10s later
> I realised that the 'previous' show hadn't finished at all!!!

This happens a lot in the US, too, because the "show" data either is
not carried as a part of the "show", or because that data is not used
properly by the DVR (or both).  The guide data is provided (under
license) by third parties, and so is rarely adaptive to the real-time
extension of some shows (particularly sporting events).

The usual work-around is to manually extend the end time by an
amount appropriate to the event.

> > If this wasn't legal then surely they wouldn't be
> > available for sale ?!?!
>
>
> Of course they're not illegal. I think the 'underground' reference is
> the import/hacking scene...

Sounds right.  There are lots of interesting things that a DVR
*could* do that they are not yet *permitted* to do.

> > With analog transmission ending within the next decade (at the
> > latest) any analog solution is a waste of resources IMHO.
>
>
> Well, the next 2 decades anyway. Maybe. ;)

Over-the-air analog broadcasts stop in less than two years in the
US, but cable providers will continue to use analog until it's a
non-issue.

> > > The geek (and even non-geek) crowd in Australia is skipping over
> > > PVR, since actual content is *very* limited and most of it is
> > > imported from the US or UK, so the better model for us is to
> > > torrent our content via the net.
>
>
> The geek crowd are more likely setting up 4 tuners in their linux boxes
> which are also connected to the net, and buying $250 remote controllers
> which can interface to MythTV.
>
> But yes, _hypothetically_ downloading a 350MB HD AVI of "Heroes" without
> ads is a rather attractive alternative to having to remember to set the
> VCR - and you can watch episodes that haven't aired yet, even if they do
> sometimes have Spanish subtitles... ;)

The US networks themselves either already are or soon will be offering
internet viewing of their flagship shows.

-michael

NadaNet networking for Apple II computers!
Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/

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