I have finally got Freeview working nicely with VLC on Linux with a cheap little USB stick.

Is it made by Hauppauge or AverMedia?

It is quite noticeable that some channels (TV1, TV2., TV3) require enough grunt to decode that my poor old laptop can't quite keep up, and there are artifacts and tearing in the picture.…

If I felt a need to record my own rather than buy DVDs or torrent someone else's recording, I'd go the MythTV route.

I think it's working now if you have serious geek cred, but the New Zealand Freeview HD wouldn't work with for the longest time. It was to…

An excellent Media 7 last night--especially the discussion on the future of advertising.

Watched the Freeview repeat last night by candlelight. Loved the comment re Obama's misspeak about Special Olympics (that has led to spirited web discussions in the US and Obama forever karmically indebted to improving the lives of…

Something that has just occurred to me (on account of being very slow witted): would this TiVo thing work with the Sky channels, correct? I imagine that if the freeview channels land on the sky platform then the MySky would work with those too.

Sorry: it's a digital terrestrial decoder.…

Sorry, what I am trying to say is that some form of truly free plug and play television broadcast needs to remain a while yet, because some people don't get caught up with sreen size/resolution.

Freeview channels are free to receive.

The Freeview HD decoders have been as low as…

And as such not worth getting into reasonable hock for.

Sorry, what I am trying to say is that some form of truly free plug and play television broadcast needs to remain a while yet, because some people don't get caught up with sreen size/resolution.

when are they turning analog off? Prime will have to jump eventually

Don't get me wrong, I love gadgets and technology as much as the next person. But to me it is starting to look like watching the old idiot box will soon be a thing of the past for…

The other nerdery related note, will be interesting to see if the tivo box is capable of recording just the H.264 stream. Currently, it seems with PCs recording freeview, its preserved in the transport stream (which includes some error correction), and makes for pretty big files (~5GB/hour). I'm buying a…

It also means that if TVNZ tires of Tivo the
box you paid $500 for wont continue to work
with the freeview on-air feed.

what do you mean by this paul?

well standard DVB EPG is something used the world over, freeview use their own non-standard format, Tivos get their…

The icing on the cake is that one can't just plug in any external hard drive to increase capacity – one will have to buy the Tivo-branded WD model, at some premium

Depends how brave you are :)

I reckon a grand on this (plugged into my Ethernet) will do…

I too am fairly excited that Tivo is making it to NZ, however I don't think it's quite a rosy a picture as you paint in your post, Russell.

Fair enough; it may not be. But, as I said, the TVNZ management and the Hybrid Television CEO Robbee Minicola, had…

I am sure PA readers can come up with some appropriate suggestions

Kerr & Brash's Lonely Hearts Club Band

The Circle of Business Jerks?

Sold! To the gentleperson from Japan.

I am sure PA readers can come up with some appropriate suggestions

CADET

(Council for the Advancement of Discredited Economic Theories)

I am sure PA readers can come up with some appropriate suggestions.

Trickle down table?

For a start, it's AU$699 not $599 as you say. By the time the NZ version retails here, it'll…

The Zinwell allows you to record two, and watch another live, if two of the channels are on the same feed. E.g. you can record TV3 and C4, and watch TVOne, or you can record TV2, and Maori TV, and watch TVNZ7.

In a PC with the right software, you…

when are they turning analog off? Prime will have to jump eventually

2012 is target I believe. Wouldn't shock me if that got pushed though...

it also means that if TVNZ tires of Tivo the box you paid $500 for wont continue to work with the freeview on-air feed.

what do you mean by this paul?

AverMedia do some decent internal desktop tuners, although they have a few hoops to jump thru when used in Linux or MythTV etc:

AverMedia Satellite PCI
AverMedia Terrestrial HD PCI
AverMedia DVB-S/DVB-T HDAnalogue PCI-E

And regarding the Virender Singh…

Can I just say I didn't have a problem with the police's decision to bring charges against liquor store owner Virender Singh?

What, so you don't think difficult cases should be determined by the Herald's Your Views?

Yes, you record one and watch one, or record two at a time — while you play back another, if you desire.

The Zinwell allows you to record two, and watch another live, if two of the channels are on the same feed. E.g. you can record TV3 and C4,…

I am a bit worried that there will be yet another private-format EPG feed

Yeah. It's frustrating enough the M$ already doesn't play nicely with the existing EPG freeview feed.

The other nerdery related note, will be interesting to see if the tivo box is capable of recording just the…

I mean, who on earth still has a landline? I've got wireless radio broadband and a cellphone, haven't had a phone for years...

Nah, I'll stick with the landline, and use the exit point to the street to convert to fibre in the next 2-5 years as well.

Biggest thing…

By the way, I do wonder at the size and nature of this round table that Kerr sits at...Roger, for the love of God, can you change your organisation's name? I am sure PA readers can come up with some appropriate suggestions.

If it refers to what they sit around…

If it has that function, at some point someone's going to introduce a 'can't fast forward through ads on programmes you have recorded your own self' function, is what I'm thinking.

They can't really control that, and if they did, it would make their product extremely unattractive.

Maybe all that…

Maybe all that pot I smoked made me 'noid. :)

I dunno. You know what the word on the street is – guess who REALLY owns TVNZ?
.
.
.
.
THE GOVERNMENT! ZOMG!

-what are the disadvantages of Tivo vs a Zinwell (or similiar) PVR?

The TiVo is about twice the size (like an old-school VHS). Apart from that, nothing I can think of.

-does tivo record HD programs in HD so when I watch them they will be in HD still?

Yes.…

So I can't quite grasp why Danielle's got the fear over the ads in on-demand programming that she never has to look at if she doesn't wanna.

If it has that function, at some point someone's going to introduce a 'can't fast forward through ads on programmes you have recorded…

We dont yet have freeview, but were going to get it when a PVR + freeview combo…

But I'd like to make a more general comment – when you watch…

Joke's over methinks... ;-)

I mean, who on earth still has a landline?

You are joking, aren't you?

Of course, there is seldom complete agreement among economists just as there is rarely complete agreement in other scientific fields, but the degree of consensus on many issues provides a sound basis for much public policy.

from an article linked to from the Business Roundtable homepage.…

I mean, who on earth still has a landline? I've got wireless radio broadband and a cellphone, haven't had a phone for years...

I have to admit, my heart sank a little when I heard that Media 7 was going to…

Not really the impression I…

Russell, I think the key definition here is "fast forward",

Most PVRs allow you to jump forward a certain fixed period. (mine is 30 sec, so hit it 8 times and I'm over a 4 min ad break)

I worry that TIVO may drag us back…

Exactly the justification that Tim Groser needs to resist a panicked rush into economic dire straits.

Jesus, controls on carbon emissions were first signed up to by the Clinton administration in 1993 (rejected by Congress). Where the hell does the idea…

I do wish we didn't have to go through the by-now familiar cause-celebre set-piece in the media.

I was under the impression that it was the Harold's 'your views' column wot won it.

GOTCHA! The PEOPLE have SPOKEN! We asked YOU! if you thought he should be charged. And a…

Sean Plunkett? I usually think 'Sean…

It doesn't sound onerous.

That depends on your ad tolerance. Mine is veddy, veddy low.

Are they going to call this one the FreeVo?

However this TIVO sounds good. What will I be missing out on if I go the mysky route? Just the on…

I shall, therefore, keep my boring old MySky. It is now my god-given right to fastforward through all ads, dammit!

Which you will be able to just like MySky — it's only the separate, on-demand-via-broadband service where you won't, but you're talking about three ads per programme — beginning, middle…

Yes

Cool, it sounds neato.
If, of course, the bloody aerial network in our building didn't filter out most of the Freeview UHF channels. =|

several of my old friends have taken to scanning fading photographs filled with people who look like us, only much thinner.

And with more hair?

There are many things that I like about being a woman of a certain age, but my changing dimensions are not among them. Sigh.

Action could be ramped up over time if the evolving science confirms the likelihood of dangerous warming and lower-cost ways of reducing emissions emerge with advances in technology. Alternatively, it could be ramped down if neither occurs.

So now we know where the Prime Minister is taking his…

So I presume this means you can do the old Sky+ trick of starting watching a standard broadcast program late (by recording it at the start) and fast forward through ads? Just not in the downloaded movies?

Yes. The DVR function is quite separate from the on-demand programming.

Yes, but on-demand is the stuff you forgot to record or extra content not otherwise broadcast on the telly, right?

I still think it's a dangerous precedent.

The lawyer was very calm…

I shall, therefore, keep my boring old MySky. It is now my god-given right to fastforward through all ads, dammit!

Yes, but on-demand is the stuff you forgot to record or extra content not otherwise broadcast on the telly, right? I'm a bit unclear on this point.

You will not be able to fast-forward through the ads in on-demand programmes

I shall, therefore, keep my boring old MySky. It is now my god-given right to fastforward through all ads, dammit!

You will not be able to fast-forward through the ads in on-demand programmes, but there will be far fewer of them
...
There are no buttons to jump either forward or back, just fast-forward and reverse.

So I presume this means you can do the old Sky+ trick of starting…