dan_shahin  07-14-2002
03:05 AM ET (US)
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The big question really is : do you have to pay subscription fees for the program listing info? If you do need an internet connection to use it, what are they doing with the einfo they collect about my viewing habits? Either way, it looks cool, I want to get Mac again.
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Sakusha 07-11-2002
06:31 PM ET (US)
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There was some interest in Mac circles a few months back, when the MacCapty was released in Japan. I checked it out, it's a USB-based video digitizer, so it does basically the same thing as a DV converter, but more highly compressed. IIRC DV is 6:1 and this USB gadget is more like 16:1. So it's much worse than DVD quality, and remember you're usually recompressing stuff like DirecTV that's already compressed. The advantage of the MacCapty is that it can access online TV listings, so you can use it to select programs like the TiVo. But you still need the DirecTV tuner, cable box, whatever. It just redigitizes the content. It looks like the target is VCDs of stored content, in which case the poor quality from compression is not so big a factor.
But I was inspired by the MacCapty, I bought a DV converter and just hooked it up between my Mac and my TiVo. I can use the regular TiVo programming, and just dump it into the Mac with iMovie or Final Cut Pro, then burn DVDs. It works great. Now I can dump all my old VHS tapes to DVDs.. I'm waiting for the new dual-1.4ghz machines to ship, then I can start archiving everything. My friends dual-1ghz Mac can capture, compress, and burn DVDs faster than realtime, I expect the new DDR RAM machines to do it at 2x realtime.
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ernie 07-11-2002
05:40 PM ET (US)
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this has to be a PCI card. I guess it would be better as a Firewire device (for powerbook action) but it sounds like a video capture card with software.
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Nic Wolff 07-11-2002
04:53 PM ET (US)
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And can we easily run the video back out to the TV? If this will run on a Cube I'll buy one just to put next to the TV.
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Craniac 07-11-2002
02:48 PM ET (US)
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Is this going to be a USB tv tooner card with sofware? How will the mac get the tv signal? And will it remain undisturbed by the Jobsian reality distortion field?
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machaus 07-11-2002
02:41 PM ET (US)
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more info here.
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Thor Henrikson 07-11-2002
01:31 PM ET (US)
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What a nice July 17 birthday present for you Cory; and me too!
This would absolutely rock. One more item that gets checked off on my geektech fantasy list. Now if Apple would only release a new iPod that has a small color screen for playing the MPEGs that you have recorded on your PVR, and they sync up through iView or something. (insert strong "Get a Life" comment here.)
Does posting this revoke your press privs for MWNY?
<privatehint> honey, if you're reading this, remember July 17 is our anniversary too. We don't want to make the tech gods angry, remember what happened last time? </privatehint>
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Reid Ellis 07-11-2002
12:24 PM ET (US)
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Wow. I want one!! :-)
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Cory Doctorow 07-11-2002
12:19 PM ET (US)
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Hey Reid -- I got a reliable tip that it's a PVR.
It is a small world!
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Reid Ellis 07-11-2002
12:14 PM ET (US)
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Hey Cory, how do you know it's a PVR? It doesn't say anything about it on their site. The bizarre thing about this story is that (a) I know you personally, and (b) I know the El Gato guys personally (they work on Roxio's Toast, and I work for Roxio Canada, eh? I hung with them at the last WWDC in May). So you have, what, *two* degrees of separation from this story? Small-world-itis strikes again. But then again it often does in the Mac community because we is so damnably small. Edited 07-11-2002 12:14 PM
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Cory Doctorow 07-11-2002
10:30 AM ET (US)
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Glen, you're not clueless, I'm just a little fuzzy-headed this morning. I've expanded the acronyms...
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Thor Henrikson 07-11-2002
10:29 AM ET (US)
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Sorry, I've just woken up from the strangest dream. It's a Personal Video Recorder, like the Tivo.
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Thor Henrikson 07-11-2002
10:27 AM ET (US)
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PVR = "Portable Vaginal Realisticator"
Unfortunately someone has beat them to it, no mention of OSX support though.
http://www.pe2002.com/fleshlightp1.html
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Glen Engel-Cox 07-11-2002
10:20 AM ET (US)
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Er, I hate to be a clueless newbie, but when you are you are.
What's PVR? Personal Voice Recognition? Pot Void Receptacle? Plain Vote Recorder? Poet, Vogon, Rerun?
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