| |
Bloody Buggering uni computers |
| |
This is a long thread. Click here to view the threaded list. |
| |
|
John Hoare |
Message #22700, posted by moss at 11:10, 5/11/2002 |
Posts: 9348
|
I'm trying to play the new Red Dwarf DVD. It's excellent 
But I can't find a computer in the library that has the sound wired up correctly - so I can't hear it. It won't even work if I plug the headphones directly into the DVD player 
Grrrrrrr  |
| |
 [ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
James Shaw |
Message #22701, posted by Hertzsprung at 11:11, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22700 |
 Ghost-like
Posts: 1746
|
Tsk. |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Andrew Poole |
Message #22703, posted by andypoole at 11:13, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22701 |
Posts: 5558
|
Tsk. /me has a DVD drive in his computer in his room so I can watch things there.
Now if only I had a DVD to watch.. (seriously.. I don't own any DVDs)
 |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Phil Mellor |
Message #22710, posted by monkeyson2 at 11:30, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22703 |
 Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler
Posts: 12380
|
I don't buy videos/DVDs because I never get around to watching them, and if I did, it wouldn't be often enough to justify the price.
You don't have one of those Risc PCs with DVD drives in them, do you? How very useful they are!  |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
John Hoare |
Message #22711, posted by moss at 11:36, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22710 |
Posts: 9348
|
Do headphones that work when attached to TVs work with computers? Or are they different? |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Phil Mellor |
Message #22712, posted by monkeyson2 at 11:38, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22711 |
Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler
Posts: 12380
|
Do headphones that work when attached to TVs work with computers? Or are they different? I've successfully plugged my walkman headphones into both.
Don't some DVD players have special features so that you can't connect devices (eg. minidisc recorders) to record the output? |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
John Hoare |
Message #22714, posted by moss at 11:40, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22712 |
Posts: 9348
|
Don't some DVD players have special features so that you can't connect devices (eg. minidisc recorders) to record the output? Could well be that.
I can't watch the DVD now  Well, technically I can *watch* it |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Phil Mellor |
Message #22715, posted by monkeyson2 at 11:43, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22714 |
Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler
Posts: 12380
|
I can't watch the DVD now Well, technically I can *watch* it Watch it, and do all the voices yourself:
http://www.cwhite.freeserve.co.uk/reddwarf/rdscripts.htm
Or, if it's possible, switch the subtitles on. |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
John Hoare |
Message #22717, posted by moss at 11:50, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22715 |
Posts: 9348
|
Or, if it's possible, switch the subtitles on. I'm trying to do that. It's just crashed |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Phil Mellor |
Message #22718, posted by monkeyson2 at 11:52, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22717 |
Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler
Posts: 12380
|
Or, if it's possible, switch the subtitles on. I'm trying to do that. It's just crashed
Thanks to you I now have the Red Dwarf theme tune going through my head. |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
John Hoare |
Message #22723, posted by moss at 12:23, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22718 |
Posts: 9348
|
/me has it working I found a computer I could get round the back of and fiddled
And it's bloody brilliant. The music cues alone are worth it... |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
James Shaw |
Message #22724, posted by Hertzsprung at 12:31, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22723 |
Ghost-like
Posts: 1746
|
/me gives  a good flogging |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Richard Goodwin |
Message #22753, posted by rich at 13:21, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22724 |
 Dictator for life
Posts: 6828
|
/me uses his PS2 to watch DVDs, removing the need for a fourth SCART-outputting device.
________
 Cheers,
Rich.
|
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Jeffrey Lee |
Message #22755, posted by Phlamethrower at 13:31, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22753 |
 Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot stuff
Posts: 15100
|
/me uses his PS2 to watch DVDs, removing the need for a fourth SCART-outputting device. What I'd like to know is what manufacturers are planning for when digital TV takes over - will devices output digital or analogue signals? If digital, would this involve the device MPEG encode its usual output (Leading to lots of crappy pictures), or send the raw MPEG from disc plus a seperate overlay for any on screen stuff? Is there a high enough frequency available for sending uncompressed digital data? Or maybe a new type of SCART lead, leading to extra leads all over the place? Would you still need to fiddle around tuning devices in to each other? Would there be a special digital frequency reserved for devices, to ensure they don't conflict with the frequencies in use by TV signals?
Plus what are we meant to do with all these hundreds of devices with built in batteries which need recharging all the time? All the sockets in our houses will be full of chargers for phones, PDAs, hoovers, electric drills, etc. Why can't they just come up with a universal charging system? And what happened to those liquid fuel cell batteries that were on Tommorrow's World a year or so ago, that can power a mobile phone for six months before needing charging?
/me worries about these things  |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Phil Mellor |
Message #22756, posted by monkeyson2 at 13:32, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22755 |
Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler
Posts: 12380
|
Plus what are we meant to do with all these hundreds of devices with built in batteries which need recharging all the time? \me likes the idea of a wind up phone. |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Jeffrey Lee |
Message #22758, posted by Phlamethrower at 13:42, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22756 |
Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot stuff
Posts: 15100
|
A quick search on yahoo reveals loads of news reports about the liquid batteries, ranging from about one to two years old. But searching for 'buy methanol battery' doesn't appear to reveal anywhere which is actually selling them yet
*slaps research people for not manufacturing the batteries*
or alternatively
*slaps shops for not selling them* |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Richard Goodwin |
Message #22772, posted by rich at 16:53, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22755 |
Dictator for life
Posts: 6828
|
/me uses his PS2 to watch DVDs, removing the need for a fourth SCART-outputting device. What I'd like to know is what manufacturers are planning for when digital TV takes over - will devices output digital or analogue signals?
I would have thought digital TV broadcasts has nothing to do with devices like the PS2 - unless you're using an RF adapter instead of a SCART lead?
________
Cheers,
Rich.
|
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Jeffrey Lee |
Message #22784, posted by Phlamethrower at 18:02, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22772 |
Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot stuff
Posts: 15100
|
I would have thought digital TV broadcasts has nothing to do with devices like the PS2 - unless you're using an RF adapter instead of a SCART lead? *makes several attempts to explain what he is talking about*
Geh, perhaps some examples will help.
Currently, you might have a setup as follows (If you were very rich  ):
+------+
| TV |SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
+------+AAAAAA S S S S S
A S S S S S
+------+AAAAAA S S S S S
| VHS |SSSSSSSS S S S S
+------+AAAAAAAA S S S S
A S S S S
+------+AAAAAAAA S S S S
| DVD |SSSSSSSSSS S S S
+------+AAAAAAAAAA S S S
A S S S
+-------------+AAA S S S
| Sky digibox |SSSSS S S
+-------------+AAAAAASAS
SAS
+-------+ SAS
|Console|SSSSSSSSSSSSSAS
+-------+ AS
AS
+------------------+AAAS
| Free to view DVB |SSSS
+------------------+DAD
A
+------+ D
|Aerial|ADADADADADADADA
+------+
Where A is an RF aerial cable, S is a SCART cable, and AD is the aerial cable with the analogue and digital signals. As you can see this is a bit of an exaggerated case, but it highlights how many cables there are and how everything is linked - chances are you won't be able to find a TV with 5 SCART sockets, and the diagram also ignores situations such as the SCART inputs on the VHS. The layout presents problems such as not being able to watch one DVB program and record another.
Now when DVB takes over, what will happen? People will be pretty pissed if they can't watch one program and record another. Multi-output DVB->Analogue decoders are one option, which will attempt to decode all the channels and stick them on analogue frequencies. However this defeats the object of having DVB (noiseless transmission (Apart from Evil MPEG ), lots more channels, and interactive stuff), so isn't a good option. This would leave adding DVB decoders to each device that needs an input signal. But what happens about output signals?
1) DVB output signals are provided. This would seem the most sensible choice, as TVs and such would no longer need any analogue receiving equipment. However problems would be what transmission format to use - repeatedly uncompressing and recompressing MPEG is going to be bad for quality (e.g. playing a DVD or watching TV through a VHS/DVD RAM). There are two ways I can see of avoiding this - the firt is to transmit unmodified MPEG data wherever possible (e.g. send DVD MPEG data straight through to the DVB output), and provide any extra on screen data through MHEG overlays (MHEG is the system used for digital teletext). The second approach is to provide an uncompressed DVB format; I've got no idea whether one exists already, or how much bandwidth it would take up. One option might be to transmit it on a frequency outside the DVB transmitter frequencies, but I've got no idea what effect this would have on signal quality etc. Transmitting uncompressed images would provide more flexibility, e.g. consoles (Or computers if the resolution is high enough) where compression could cause some nasty artifacts, or DVD players which have zoom features and stuff. Of course there is no reason why both systems couldn't be used.
2) Analogue output signals are provided. This would require all devices to support DVB and analogue signals, and would pose the problems of signal quality, fiddling round tuning in devices, etc. Plus analogue signals aren't as flexible as digital ones, e.g. different resolutions, surround sound techniques, etc.
3) Another signal is provided, e.g. SCART. This would probably be an uncompressed digital signal, and would provide the option for communication between devices (e.g. channel allocations, recorders telling satellite receivers to change channels, etc.) Ideally this should be via a single cable which is sent from device to device (i.e. how aerials are sent now), rather than the SCART system of one cable holding one signal (Unless the connector is made smaller and TVs come with a good number of inputs). If a single cable is opted for, then there is the option of integrating it with the aerial cable - either by just strapping the two cables together, or making a new connector which contains the aerial and digital connections.
Of course this shouldn't be a problem for the next 5/10 years, because it will take that long for DVB to fully take over, and the hardware requied to encode/decode DVB signals should fall in price quite a bit (Not that I've got any idea of how much it costs at the moment).
Ideally there should also be a channel allocation channel, similar to that on Sky - so when you get a new device it knows within a few seconds where all the channels are, instead of waiting ages for the thing to scan the frequencies. Obviously this would need support for devices adding their own channels (If options 1/3 are taken).
Anyway, that's my, erm, 10 pages
[Edit - added <pre> tags to the diagram]
[Edit #2 - fiddled the smileys a bit]
[Edited by Phlamethrower at 00:53, 6/11/2002] |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Phil Mellor |
Message #22787, posted by monkeyson2 at 18:23, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22784 |
Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler
Posts: 12380
|
Currently, you might have a setup as follows (If you were very rich ): <snip!>
Methinks that diagram needs a <pre> tag...
How long did that take to write?!!! |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Jeffrey Lee |
Message #22788, posted by Phlamethrower at 18:29, 5/11/2002, in reply to message #22787 |
Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot stuff
Posts: 15100
|
Methinks that diagram needs a <pre> tag... Doh!
*slaps HTML and its white space-eating ways*
How long did that take to write?!!! Dunno, quite a while |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Andrew Poole |
Message #22799, posted by andypoole at 00:27, 6/11/2002, in reply to message #22788 |
Posts: 5558
|
Methinks that diagram needs a <pre> tag... Doh!
*slaps HTML and its white space-eating ways*
How long did that take to write?!!! Dunno, quite a while
It also needs a satellite dish or that sky digibox won't work |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Richard Goodwin |
Message #22803, posted by rich at 10:19, 6/11/2002, in reply to message #22784 |
Dictator for life
Posts: 6828
|
All very well, but what the hell has that got to do with Playstations?!
Don't forget that some Sky boxes now come with the ability to watch one channel and record another built in; although that's not something I'm interested in right now, it'll probably come down in price before the end of analogue TV in several years. Seeing as there's no stable terrestrial digital platform ATM (just a BBC beta) I'm guessing the timetable for this will be even further off now.
Also, you might not have a TV with 5 SCART inputs, but it's pretty easy to find a TV with two SCARTs and a 4-way SCART switchbox, including some nice models with IR remotes.
However, with the PS2 doubling as my DVD, a VCR with two SCARTs and a TV with 3 inputs, I've already got a pretty schweet setup that includes digital TV (Sky).
________
Cheers,
Rich.
|
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Jeffrey Lee |
Message #22805, posted by Phlamethrower at 11:03, 6/11/2002, in reply to message #22803 |
Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot stuff
Posts: 15100
|
All very well, but what the hell has that got to do with Playstations?! Nothing, unless Sony has a Playstation 5 planned
Also, you might not have a TV with 5 SCART inputs, but it's pretty easy to find a TV with two SCARTs and a 4-way SCART switchbox, including some nice models with IR remotes. Oh goody! Another remote to add to the pile
/me thinks someone should invent an affordable touch screen programmable remote - press a button to switch to another device, and the screen changes to show the functions available. Plus you should be able to mix and match the functions available, make macros to do stuff like turn everything off at once, etc. I'm not sure, but I think someone might have made one of these using a LART...
Ideally it should be an industry standard though so that whenver you buy a new device you can upload all the functions to the remote.
However, with the PS2 doubling as my DVD, a VCR with two SCARTs and a TV with 3 inputs, I've already got a pretty schweet setup that includes digital TV (Sky). Just wait a few years for when DVD RAM takes off (In all its hundreds of formats ), and then someone comes up with a replacement for it |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Phil Mellor |
Message #22812, posted by monkeyson2 at 12:39, 6/11/2002, in reply to message #22805 |
Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler
Posts: 12380
|
/me thinks someone should invent an affordable touch screen programmable remote - press a button to switch to another device, and the screen changes to show the functions available. Plus you should be able to mix and match the functions available, make macros to do stuff like turn everything off at once, etc. I'm not sure, but I think someone might have made one of these using a LART... A bit like one of these?
http://www.richersounds.sv01.net/index.php?f=itemlist.php&c=1603 |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
John Hoare |
Message #22819, posted by moss at 13:18, 6/11/2002, in reply to message #22803 |
Posts: 9348
|
Seeing as there's no stable terrestrial digital platform ATM (just a BBC beta) I'm guessing the timetable for this will be even further off now. Freeview is stable, though, isn't it? It's just not very good channel-wise |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Richard Goodwin |
Message #22830, posted by rich at 14:36, 6/11/2002, in reply to message #22812 |
Dictator for life
Posts: 6828
|
/me thinks someone should invent an affordable touch screen programmable remote A bit like one of these?
http://www.richersounds.sv01.net/index.php?f=itemlist.php&c=1603
Or a cheap-ass Palm device using remote software. They only cost about 80 quid these days.
________
Cheers,
Rich.
|
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Richard Goodwin |
Message #22831, posted by rich at 14:37, 6/11/2002, in reply to message #22819 |
Dictator for life
Posts: 6828
|
Seeing as there's no stable terrestrial digital platform ATM (just a BBC beta) I'm guessing the timetable for this will be even further off now. Freeview is stable, though, isn't it? It's just not very good channel-wise
It's only just started back up properly, so even if I hadn't been burnt last time I wouldn't really consider it for a while.
________
Cheers,
Rich.
|
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Richard Goodwin |
Message #22832, posted by rich at 14:44, 6/11/2002, in reply to message #22805 |
Dictator for life
Posts: 6828
|
Also, you might not have a TV with 5 SCART inputs, but it's pretty easy to find a TV with two SCARTs and a 4-way SCART switchbox, including some nice models with IR remotes. Oh goody! Another remote to add to the pile
So don't get the one with the remote.
Ideally it should be an industry standard though so that whenver you buy a new device you can upload all the functions to the remote. Er, that's already commonplace. Both the universal remote and the Sky remote I have both have numbers you tap in, which then clone the functions of the proper handsets. My equipment didn't work out like that, so I had to do a scan. And I have remote software on my Palm where I draw and label buttons as I want on the touchscreen, then clone the functions I want from the proper handset. It's pretty easy to clone the functions of existing remotes, and an industry standard for the numbering system.
Just wait a few years for when DVD RAM takes off (In all its hundreds of formats ), and then someone comes up with a replacement for it That really doesn't make sense. No-one sells pre-recorded DVD RAM media - there's one DVD medium, and it plays back in any number of devices. As to the record-it-yourself stuff, you'd have the device you recorded it with to play it back, so you wouldn't need to have the PS2 playing your DVDs in the first place. And as for taking off, one of the prerequesites is usually just one format - Betamax vs. VHS anyone? Waiting for something I don't want, then waiting for it to be replaced, isn't on the horizon for me I'm afraid.
________
Cheers,
Rich.
|
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Jeffrey Lee |
Message #22861, posted by Phlamethrower at 22:37, 6/11/2002, in reply to message #22812 |
Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot stuff
Posts: 15100
|
/me thinks someone should invent an affordable touch screen programmable remote - press a button to switch to another device, and the screen changes to show the functions available. Plus you should be able to mix and match the functions available, make macros to do stuff like turn everything off at once, etc. I'm not sure, but I think someone might have made one of these using a LART... A bit like one of these?
http://www.richersounds.sv01.net/index.php?f=itemlist.php&c=1603
Yes, but without the £80 price tag
Ideally it should be an industry standard though so that whenver you buy a new device you can upload all the functions to the remote. Er, that's already commonplace. Both the universal remote and the Sky remote I have both have numbers you tap in, which then clone the functions of the proper handsets.
By automatic I mean fully automatic - i.e. press a button on the device and you're ready to go. Not fiddling round typing in hundreds of codes until you find the right one (Which even then will probably only support half the functions you need), or even worse programming each button seperately. Or at least that's the situation I'm stuck with
That really doesn't make sense. No-one sells pre-recorded DVD RAM media - there's one DVD medium, and it plays back in any number of devices. There are about five or six DVD writeable formats, not all of which will work with all players - http://news.com.com/2100-1040-276148.html?tag=rn I'm hoping that one will turn out on top, and that it will be a decent one to let you write what you want when you want.
As to the record-it-yourself stuff, you'd have the device you recorded it with to play it back, so you wouldn't need to have the PS2 playing your DVDs in the first place. I haven't been talking about using a PS2 to play DVDs, you have |
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
|
Richard Goodwin |
Message #22864, posted by rich at 23:04, 6/11/2002, in reply to message #22861 |
Dictator for life
Posts: 6828
|
By automatic I mean fully automatic - i.e. press a button on the device and you're ready to go.
Good god, you only need to do it once. Are you really so lazy that you can't read the two or three (not hundreds at all) numbers for your make of equipment? Perhaps you'd like someone to come round your house and set it all up for you? Or maybe someone to watch it all for you and just tell you the interesting bits?
That really doesn't make sense. No-one sells pre-recorded DVD RAM media - there's one DVD medium, and it plays back in any number of devices. There are about five or six DVD writeable formats
But still only one *pre-recorded* format. I know that if you roll your own there are *two* main formats that are already finding dominance (both of which are supported in the latest Panasonic drives), but in reality who does this in their own home? There's no problem with formats when you're just viewing something from your local Blockbuster.
As to the record-it-yourself stuff, you'd have the device you recorded it with to play it back, so you wouldn't need to have the PS2 playing your DVDs in the first place. I haven't been talking about using a PS2 to play DVDs, you have
That's funny, I thought you were replying to my post. Oh yes, look at the pretty thread list...
________
Cheers,
Rich.
|
| |
[ Log in to reply ] |
| |
| Pages (2): 1
> >|
|
