Internet on the TV

[deereman63]

For sometime I have been able to stream internet radio through my HIFI system, but this weekend, with the help of my geeky son we managed to get the internet on the television. It was actually not that difficult, a quick trip down to Radio Shack and the purchase of some S-video cables and a switching box. A couple of holes in the floor to hide the cabling and a video card that supports TV out and we were done. The computer we are hooked upto is connected to the internet via wifi and surprisingly we are able to get streaming video. Freedom at last from cable TV /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[getut]

Next step for you. Buy a TV Tuner card for the PC and start using it as your VCR/DVR/Time Shifting unit.

In other words.. turn your PC into a home built version of a TIVO (http://www.tivo.com).

I record many of my shows into DIVX/XVID format. I can get near DVD quality onto a standard CD as opposed to an actual much larger DVD.

I also have a DIVX / XVID / MPEG4 capable DVD player... in my case a Philips DVP642. It plays standard DVD, which is MPEG2 as well as CD's and DVD's containing MPEG4.

Watching TV when the show is actually airing is so old schoo. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I can provide you with lots of links for software/hardware to grow your setup if you want.

 

[RayCo]

I have to speak out against the build-your-own-TiVo thing. With as cheap as a TiVo is, it is neither cost effective nor pleasure-effective to build a TiVo like device. The interfaces that exist in the PC products for such things cannot come anywhere near the extreme user-friendliness of a TiVo. And by the time you buy hard drives, tuner cards, etc. etc. etc., you could have purchased a 80 hour TiVo for half the cost.

I've done the do-it-yourself TiVo. And, while maybe if I lived alone, I'd use that, but when you have a wife who used the TV as well, the real TiVo is a must. We fell in love with TiVo as soon as we got it, and we now have six of them. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[frank_f15]

HUH? i am still trying to figure out how to progam the VCR, mabey i will ask my grandson, at 4 years old he should be able to do it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Yea, but you gotta pay $15/mo or whatever for TIVO where a homebrew PC solution is Free.

 

[Bird]

Frank, we've got an old VCR on one TV and a VCR/DVD player on the other and other than sticking a cassette or disk in one to play it, I'd have to get the manuals out to do anything else. We just almost never use them. And TIVO is something I've only heard of. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

And everything keeps changing. We may be moving in a couple of weeks, and if so, we'll probably be going from broadband cable TV and Internet service to DSL Internet and Dish Network TV. The telephone company provides all of it and they tell me even the TV reception comes through the phone line instead of a coax cable. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[gsxr1100]

I agree. Just get a sweet video card with RCA inputs for PC, a good DVD+/- burner, direct TV and be done with it....

I know people that have been doing this for years...

 

[gsxr1100]

once you go braodband, you will not go "back in time" to DSL or even dialup... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I am used to T3 at work and broadband, only 4.0 to 8.0 Mbps, at home is slowwww.

 

[frank_f15]

I know what you mean BIRD! we have a Vcr in living rm. and one in the bedroom, finally put a DVD player in living rm, then decided i needed one in the bedroom( almost imposible to rent movies on tape) but i was smart enough to buy the exact same model (easier that way) /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Think we are showing our Gereration gap? But at least we can use a computer /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[getut]

</font><font color="blueclass=small">( I have to speak out against the build-your-own-TiVo thing. With as cheap as a TiVo is, it is neither cost effective nor pleasure-effective to build a TiVo like device. The interfaces that exist in the PC products for such things cannot come anywhere near the extreme user-friendliness of a TiVo. And by the time you buy hard drives, tuner cards, etc. etc. etc., you could have purchased a 80 hour TiVo for half the cost.)</font>

Well.. there are other things to take into account that tin foil types like myself have to involve in the decision. Some of you may be coming to expect nothing less out of me TIVO spies on you and sends VERY specific viewing information back to them that is none of their business.. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I hate that. TIVO is also in the process of sticking their OWN interstial ads in your face (that is in addition to the regular commercials and the new bottom banners that many stations are now showing). I hate that too. With TIVO the system is also locked down unless you want to spend tons of time hacking the device to get at the shows you recorded for uses such as space shifting or moving over to mobile video players.

I record most everything to DIVX or XVID format and burn to CD. Never have to worry about my hard drive failing and losing all my shows. Especially ones I specifically paid for like PPV shows that I recorded (DVR'd).

It also works the other way around... if I miss one of my favorite sci-fi shows (read Battlestar Galactica) for one reason or another (like a thunderstorm taking out power during the recording time). Then I can download the show in DIVX format from someone else and play it back over my rig to my television.

You can't do that stuff (short of some major geek hacking) with any retail DVR of any type.. TIVO or ReplayTV included.

EDIT: and you can't even hack any of the systems provided by services like Time Warner, Comcast, Adelphia, or Dish Networks home brewed DVR machine to get to the content in ANY form or fashion.