Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: Connecting the Box

Paul Campbell

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:19:18 +1300

Well given their current claims of "broadcasting to all the pacific including NZ" so they can get around the advertising blue laws I can imagine they are doing this – certainly they have to have an unencrypted signal up there now for freeview – last time I checked (many months…

Russell Brown

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 17:36:01 +1300

Everyone knows that the most authoritative comments on the interwebs come from real experts correcting bloggers :-D

Ouch!

Ben Gracewood

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:15:43 +1300

Cunning plan: I make minor technical errors, thus forcing geeks to register with my website and correct me.

Everyone knows that the most authoritative comments on the interwebs come from real experts correcting bloggers :-D

merc

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:09:42 +1300

Now those ads going to look purdy on Sunday.

Russell Brown

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:06:59 +1300

This just in ...

Seems the rugby really does look better on Freeview.

TV3 is using its own satellite capacity to deliver the signal via Freeview — pretty much all of it.

Meanwhile, Sky's stream of TV3 is its usual squeezed-up self.

You are Paul Campbell, and I claim my…

stephen clover

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:40:42 +1300

Oh, while fans wait for the album to drop, here's a list of live versions of nearly all the album tracks available

Hmmm.. listening now, and not too wowed. Might flag that LP/CD box order I was planning for this afternoon.

Much more fun is this, especially for folk --…

Chockasunday

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 21:19:21 +1300

Huh, those amazon mp3s sure don't work anymore!

I also use and happily recommend
7digital
a UK store which sells MP3s. They have about as big a range as Amazon.
They would be a bit more expensive though; usually 99p per track which is more expensive than US$0.99
They take…

Tony Kennedy

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 20:29:44 +1300

I notice PA is an hour out as well – I post now, 9:09, post says 8:09. I speak to you from teh futurz.

PA is obviously not hosted in hamiltron then :-)

Jeremy Andrew

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 20:09:42 +1300

I notice PA is an hour out as well – I post now, 9:09, post says 8:09. I speak to you from teh futurz.

slarty

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:56:07 +1300

Oh, and on the NZDS thing... a little bird tells me a number of large public sector organisations were one hour out this week... poor suckers are still using GroupWise. So if you turn up for gummint appointment and there's nobody there... :)

slarty

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:50:58 +1300

"But do you know what the service entry for bigger jobs is on the new iMacs? You take the screen off! Retailers have been issued with big suction-cup thingies as part of the service kit."

Brought a tear to my eye. I still have my extra long Torx drive, case…

Paul Campbell

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:47:24 +1300

"will Freeview boxes have to have HDMI" – short of a law I can't see how they can insist on it – remember that an HDMI box will refuse to display on a non-complying TV .... but HDMI TVs should still display for a box that doesn;t have all the…

Craig Ranapia

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:31:40 +1300

Sorry, but you have to do it manually: ie, don't watch it.

My only excuse, M'Lud, is that it was an experiment – the kind you can't perform on bunnies without all kinds of legal and moral hassles. I'm sincerely remorseful and will never do it again. Three's effort is…

Russell Brown

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:50:14 +1300

BTW, just procrastinating my way through a few MP3 blogs. They're almost all featuring the Radiohead release news, with the choose-your-own-price graphic. So the "getting a buzz" part would seem to be working ...

Oh, while fans wait for the album to drop, here's a list of [[http://djmonstermo.blogspot.com/2007/09/new-radiohead-album-in-rainbows.html|live versions of…

Russell Brown

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:48:56 +1300

OK, Russell, time to answer the hard question: Do Freeview boxes have a special chip to make breakfast television less humiliating for everyone concerned? Hate to say this, but at least the Aussies can treat you like a moron with some style...

Sorry, but you have to do it manually:…

Craig Ranapia

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:24:36 +1300

OK, Russell, time to answer the hard question: Do Freeview boxes have a special chip to make breakfast television less humiliating for everyone concerned? Hate to say this, but at least the Aussies can treat you like a moron with some style...

robbery

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:45:46 +1300

I wonder if record labels will start releasing fancy CD packaging as a more expensive alternative to buying the music digitally.

I think the thrust of the idea is to remove the digital copy altogether making it harder for anyone to distribute pirated versions of it easily cos it means…

Tom Ackroyd

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:34:04 +1300

So I should re-list the component-HD-input-only HD tube TV that I bought off TradeMe two days ago.

Dang.

Russell Brown

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:26:38 +1300

Wait, Russell – are you saying the terrestrial Freeview box will only have HDMI as the HD output? Not HD component as well (like the Apple TV)?

Hard to tell, but it looks like the copyright owners will insist that the only actual HD output available on either Sky or…

Tom Ackroyd

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:19:11 +1300

Wait, Russell – are you saying the terrestrial Freeview box will only have HDMI as the HD output? Not HD component as well (like the Apple TV)?

James Green

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:05:57 +1300

It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one with a stack of vinyl that hasn't seen a lot action lately. Hard to get rid of, so one of the hard solutions has to be found... I've got a reasonable set-up for digitising and I can borrow a turntable from…

Bart Janssen

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:38:37 +1300

Rob

Taking out the crackles and pops: a lot of me old vinyl is a tad scratched as well...

Audacity is nice. Opensource as well :). Actually the documentation was really helpful. As for getting rid of scratches – well a couple of my albums had some "issues" that I…

Robyn Gallagher

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:01:50 +1300

interestingly many indie labels are turning back to vinyl as a way to combat ripping.

I wonder if record labels will start releasing fancy CD packaging as a more expensive alternative to buying the music digitally.

It's like what Radiohead are doing – sell the digital version relatively cheaply, but…

Michael Fitzgerald

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 11:05:14 +1300

Ian
The BBC is right & so are you, (although "Army" of Maori hmm where is the BBC coming from).
Just get the glasses updated. Things are getting better but Maori are still at the worst of it.
Turia of the Maori Party says it best.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0710/S00002.htm

Rob Stowell

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 10:21:49 +1300

It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one with a stack of vinyl that hasn't seen a lot action lately. Hard to get rid of, so one of the hard solutions has to be found... I've got a reasonable set-up for digitising and I can borrow a turntable from…

Bob Munro

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 10:20:04 +1300

I've digitised a few of my records (including Little Feat!).

As good a reason for digitising as you can get!

Paul Campbell

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 09:27:29 +1300

Russell – definitely all the colour info is being converted to PAL colour modulation (and worse mixed back into and stomping on the black and white [Y] signal if you use the plain yellow cable rather than S-video) – component is the way to go

But really modulating your nice…

AndrewD

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 09:04:30 +1300

Vinyl ripping is great for all that rare stuff sitting around on plastic in your attic.

I used a Dick Smith turntable and Audiograbber freeware and ripped Tuxedo Moon and their piece of genius, "Desire".

It's worth the $100 alone.

Bart Janssen

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 08:44:23 +1300

Hi James

I have a lovely turntable, and I still haven't digitised anything. And it might even have the deep base richness in a digital file that the CD format allegedly is missing.

I've digitised a few of my records (including Little Feat!). Sadly at home, with the equipment I…

robbery

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 08:15:46 +1300

I don't want to go out and buy a turntable.

interestingly many indie labels are turning back to vinyl as a way to combat ripping.
yes you can play your disc into your computer in real time but results will be variable and its a lot more of a hassle…

Russell Brown

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 08:06:05 +1300

BTW a lot of people make the mistake of connecting their wonderfull new TV with a crappy old cable – I don't mean go buy an expensive gold cable, those are a ripoff – what I mean is don't use one of the yellow/red/white composite cables – at the very…

merc

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 07:10:12 +1300

Better Radiohead link http://boingboing.net/ scroll down, bookmark BB. Also on things gadget http://gadgets.boingboing.net/ especiallt article on DVD – DVD recorders http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9787239-1.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Crave
Of course Giz is good, http://www.gizmodo.com/
NZ consumers please read these sites regularly to avoid tech purchase disappointment, especially with DS, HN, B&B et al.

merc

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 06:59:17 +1300

Paul, thanks for that, good stuff explained well.
On the travel thing, Maori TV was great last night with an interview with the Minister of Maori Affairs, Hon Parekura Horomia, from Sydney. Would TVNZ do this?
Also on tech and music, Radiohead are offering their latest for offers (digital busking?)…

Ian Hickling

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 03:13:39 +1300

Apparently Maori living in Australia living in Australia are being targeted by the NZ govt to return. Interestingly,

"One in seven Maoris now lives in Australia. Many cross the Tasman Sea for better job prospects and to escape social problems and racism."

and just to belabour the…

Paul Campbell

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:22:37 +1300

so last time I checked (6 months agoish) Sky and TVNZ are really using the same satellite – and in fact the same streams – when you tune to TV1 on Sky your sky decoder gets the same bits you get when you tune to it on freeview (well…

Michael Fitzgerald

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:13:17 +1300

Emma my IT help won't do it when they're paid to.
My offsider used to be super-tech and knows that broken stuff can't be rebooted especially after I it fixed it, just like the cat.
We bring in our own kit cause the form/billing structure/revenue drive... mean this is the…

James Green

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:50:29 +1300

Dick Smith, $99, comes with a built-in pre-amp because your new-fangled stereo doesn't even have a phono input ...
I keep meaning to rip some of my vinyl faves to digital.

I thought the idea of the new laser vinyl readers sounded amazing. Unfortunately, they're bastard expensive, but it seems…

Jackie Clark

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:42:36 +1300

Emma, I would most happily happily pay a great deal of money for a lovely person to come and install a freeview box thing, I really would. A home visit, if you will. I just have to convince the male person in my life that it's okay for other people…

merc

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:37:50 +1300

Don't be afraid of the tech, don't befriend the tech, dominate the tech and if necessary, if only to quash entropy, destroy the tech.

Emma Hart

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:28:01 +1300

Bugger me days, but it's hard being a luddite these days. Have any of you thought of hiring yourselves out a la hire-a-hubby?

Oh, Jackie. People don't want to PAY for geek expertise, they want it for free. At parties. In the supermarket. Over the phone during dinner. I'm beginning…

MikeE

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 18:03:06 +1300

Jackie, you aren't the only one, I returned 2 boxes before I could get them to work (and 2 dehumidiers too! I was having a bad appliance week!)

kmont

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:55:00 +1300

Cheers.

That makes some sense

Russell Brown

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:47:17 +1300

Personally I'll take a week of my computer thinking it's a bit early to be awake for the pretty shiny and ridiculously grunty machine that just works.

Yes. OTOH, I'd be bloody annoyed if Apple was to sacrifice my user experience to the copyright lobby the way MS has with…

Jackie Clark

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:46:43 +1300

Oh god, it just gets worse. Not only am I the first person in NZ probably to have paid for one of these box things, when we try to install it, it don't work, so we take it back and I am back where I started with crap TV One…

Russell Brown

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:39:21 +1300

Darn it, now you've made me sign up.

Cunning plan: I make minor technical errors, thus forcing geeks to register with my website and correct me.

Minor quibble: Freeview over satellite (DVB-S) uses MPEG2, not MPEG4. The terrestrial version (DVB-T) will use MPEG4. The difference in quality between Sky and…

Russell Brown

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:36:39 +1300

Oh, alright ... DVB-T is the terrestrial flavour of the digital broadcast standard, and DVB-S is the satellite one. Kordia has also run a trial with DVB-H, which is the mobile one.

DTT stands for Digital Terrestrial Transmission.

And HD does indeed stand for "high definition". But to view it…

Russell Brown

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:31:13 +1300

What is HD? Something Digital? DVBT? Help a sister out.

DVBT? DVBS! MHEG! DTT!? OMG! BZZZT!

Simon Grigg

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:28:17 +1300

And my problem aggravated by the fact that when I see something I want, I'll buy the vinyl before the CD

Simon Grigg

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:26:53 +1300

What have y'all done? Sold 'em and saved the space? Storage in an airtight warehouse? Frisbees? Hours of home-made cd-making?

about 15,000 of the bloody things (70% 12 singes, 30% albums) in a storage space in Auckland city...its a bind, and a millstone, but getting ridding of them is not…

Russell Brown

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:04:33 +1300

But no turntable now. I'm trying to face up to reality: I don't want to go out and buy a turntable. And I dunno what to do with this stack of records.

Dick Smith, $99, comes with a built-in pre-amp because your new-fangled stereo doesn't even have a phono input…

Rob Stowell

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:57:39 +1300

Found a copy of Luxury Length going through the old record collection. Damn fine it was too. Flipping through was an odd experience: gems I'd forgotten (like the Blams, and Direen's Conch3) and things I was absolutely sure were there that somehow weren't (like the Dunedin Double ep and Double…

Bart Janssen

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:49:38 +1300

Hi Matthew

MS even provided instructions for people to update versions of Windows that are no longer supported, which is far beyond what Apple has given us.
I'm disappointed, Russell, that you are so easily swayed by "Pretty, shiny, ooooh" over "We can't be bothered supporting our terribly expensive product".

…

Jarno van der Linden

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:47:07 +1300

Darn it, now you've made me sign up.

Minor quibble: Freeview over satellite (DVB-S) uses MPEG2, not MPEG4. The terrestrial version (DVB-T) will use MPEG4. The difference in quality between Sky and Freeview is down to Sky using a lower bitrate, so that they can squeeze in more channels.

kmont

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:45:48 +1300

What is HD? Something Digital? DVBT? Help a sister out.

Russell Brown

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:44:29 +1300

Yes, I read that article. What is this UHF Freeview that you speak of? Is it possible to get Freeview without a satellite?

March next year.

It's DTT, but they're going market it as Freeview Aerial. That'll also be the only way you'll be able to get HDTV service.

Russell Brown

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:43:02 +1300

I'm disappointed, Russell, that you are so easily swayed by "Pretty, shiny, ooooh" over "We can't be bothered supporting our terribly expensive product".

Aw c'mon. I've made my views pretty clear on the NZDST issue — Apple's conduct has been plain shabby over that — but that doesn't change the…

MikeE

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:40:58 +1300

Yes, I read that article. What is this UHF Freeview that you
speak of? Is it possible to get Freeview without a satellite?

Next year you will, when DVBT freeview starts, this will be the one with HD content, untill then you have to do with make do with poorer…

stephen clover

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:40:21 +1300

Is it possible to get Freeview without a satellite?

Oh, please please please let it be so.

kmont

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:17:29 +1300

It was disappointing to see that a feature by Greer McDonald in Saturday's Dom Post made no mention of UHF Freeview as I think it will be the carrot that will attract the non-Sky-subscribing viewer (with the added attraction of HDTV broadcasts as well)

Yes, I read that article. What…

Matthew Poole

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:02:27 +1300

I must confess to being most disappointed by Apple's response to the NZDT change. "Change your system time manually" is an utterly unacceptable "solution", especially since they've had more than sufficient time to develop a patch – a third party got one done in time, after all.

Given what one…

Gabor Toth

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:56:40 +1300

I’m (as are many others I know) holding off for UHF Digital Freeview to start broadcasting next year before investing in a set-top box. Unless you already have a satellite dish on your roof, installation can be pricey where as (as long as reception is ok) almost anyone who can…

Simon Grigg

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:25:20 +1300

Because Blam Blam Blam really are a very promising outfit.
yep, I thought so......
You always were ahead of the pack, Simon ...

but all silliness aside, it always pleases me just how good the Blams sound every time I hear them. They played a private gig a couple of…

Russell Brown

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:04:18 +1300

Because Blam Blam Blam really are a very promising outfit.
yep, I thought so......

You always were ahead of the pack, Simon ...

Bart Janssen

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:43:35 +1300

But Brent mate, I'm trying to send you a bottle of whisky! You won the Whisky Galore ad copy comp for last week. Feel free to get in touch with your delivery address ...

Russell just send it to me and I'll pass it on to Brent tomorrow at pub…

Simon Grigg

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:39:20 +1300

Because Blam Blam Blam really are a very promising outfit.

yep, I thought so......

Russell Brown

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:55:09 +1300

Dunno if it's perhaps a coincidence...I had to reboot for that latest firmware update for the Core2 Duo Macs....and that seem to push the clock forward.
Yep, a reboot fixed it.

Oh — me too! I turned the machine off to rearrange the power leads under the desk and hadn't…

Russell Brown

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:49:51 +1300

Figured you'd be there Russell. My wife and I had a sweepstake on which of us would spot you first – but neither of us did :-(.
Saw several other PA denizens though.

Yeah, I saw Robyn, but I wasn't around beforehand and only briefly afterwards.

But Brent mate, I'm…

Jake Pollock

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:38:18 +1300

Dunno if it's perhaps a coincidence...I had to reboot for that latest firmware update for the Core2 Duo Macs....and that seem to push the clock forward.

Yep, a reboot fixed it.

Brent Jackson

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:34:14 +1300

Figured you'd be there Russell. My wife and I had a sweepstake on which of us would spot you first – but neither of us did :-(.

Saw several other PA denizens though.

Had a great night – these reunion gigs are bloody brilliant : Newmatics, Hello Sailor, The Blams.…

Russell Brown

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:18:57 +1300

Rookie move buying Apple RAM. It is far cheaper and quicker to buy the box as is and then get some RAM from one of the local PC shops for about $150GB. There are even videos to show you how to change the RAM. So simple even n00bs can do…

Michael Melville

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:59:31 +1300

Hey Russell,

yeah I had the same wee curious thing as Jake with my MacBook and the clock on Sunday morning.

Dunno if it's perhaps a coincidence...I had to reboot for that latest firmware update for the Core2 Duo Macs....and that seem to push the clock forward.

Don't see it…

barnaclebarnes

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:36:35 +1300

(actually, retail is $3049 if you take 2GB of RAM, which you'd be silly not to, even though that makes it a build-to-order spec, which means you have to wait up to two weeks for your computer).

Rookie move buying Apple RAM. It is far cheaper and quicker to buy…

B Jones

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 10:59:57 +1300

The time on the Freeview Electronic Programme Guide was an hour off yesterday, which is a pain when you want to know what's on now as opposed to an hour ago. I don't know whether that's something the Freeview people need to sort, or we can do that on our…

Jake Pollock

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 10:41:51 +1300

That patch updated the time on the actual clock in the system preferences on my MacBook, but the clock in the display in the top right hand corner is still on the old time.

Russell Brown

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 10:35:38 +1300

Experiences with certified freeview boxes:

Interesting. We've got a smaller Zinwell box (Freeview sent it to me a little while ago), and it performed its software upgrade flawlessly. But yes, when the "approved" decoders are so iffy, it rather undermines the quality control argument for being so tight on approvals.

MikeE

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 10:07:35 +1300

I'm suprised you got it to work with either the Zinwell or Hills boxes – neither worked for me and I ended up with an unofficial "Kaon" one.
What happened? Just no signal?

Russ:

Experiences with certified freeview boxes:
http://mikeenz.blogspot.com/2007/07/freeview-zinwell-shit.html

New Channels:
http://mikeenz.blogspot.com/2007/09/2-new-channels-now-available-on.html

Bart Janssen

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 09:58:43 +1300

actually, retail is $3049 if you take 2GB of RAM, which you'd be silly not to, even though that makes it a build-to-order spec, which means you have to wait up to two weeks for your computer

Just buy your machine from the nice folks at Ubertec, they were happy…

B Jones

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:28:59 +1300

I was also pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to get Freeview going. Just plug everything into the right sockets and it launched.

It's a shame that the manual (the DSE version of the Zinwell) was so dense – it could have done with a one-page simple setup guide…

Danielle

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:24:47 +1300

You are killing me with the Blam Blam Blam reports, people. What was I thinking, staying at home and drinking margaritas?

Robyn Gallagher

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:13:07 +1300

I didn't feel like going out on Saturday night. It was cold, I was tired, but I had this Blam Blam Blam ticket, so I hauled arse to the King's Arse and I'm so glad I did.

The lads put on a great show. It didn't feel like some guys…

Ben Gracewood

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:09:20 +1300

I can happily say I had no issue setting up a $199 Dick Smith box (same as a Zinwell apparently). And yes, well pleased with the quality of the signal and the EPG.

PVR-wise, there appears to be at least one cheap and cheerful Freeview box with PVR listed on…

Russell Brown

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 07:42:03 +1300

I'm suprised you got it to work with either the Zinwell or Hills boxes – neither worked for me and I ended up with an unofficial "Kaon" one.

What happened? Just no signal?

MikeE

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 07:37:47 +1300

Also, woke up to the flatmate watching fraggle rock on TVNZ 6. He's well pleased with the new channel :-)

MikeE

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 07:37:11 +1300

I'm suprised you got it to work with either the Zinwell or Hills boxes – neither worked for me and I ended up with an unofficial "Kaon" one.

Good to see that TVNZ 6 is working, as is the preview of Stratos which is cool. Have it working through Media…

Public Address

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 07:37:11 +1300

Discussion from blog post.