If so, you're a bad person and should be ashamed of yourself. That show is freaking great ... Discovery Channel on Sundays. Don't know what time because TiVo saves me from caring. Which reminds me, if you don't have a TiVo you're also a bad person for that too

ms

>if you don't have a TiVo you're also a bad person for that too

Or not a USA-ian or Britt..

Cheers

im not watching it. never even heard of it. nor do i have a tivo. it would go unused. i dont watch tv.

Oh man are you missing out ... 99% of channels justify your choice, but Discovery Channel/Learning Channel/etc are great. Not to mention HBO series are all great .. But then, that's not TV, that's HBO

OK, I grant this allowance ... If you aren't able to use TiVo, then you are not a bad person for not having it

I agree that Mythbusters is an excellent show. I have a season pass for it.

Thanks for reminding me.

*opens DVArchive and downloads the show from the ReplayTV to watch tomorrow at work*

Ok I'm recording it tonight. Tivo says it's the Alcatraz Escape episode.

*opens DVArchive and downloads the show...*

Ditto. And um... what's a TiVo?

Agreed. Fantastic show. I can't count how many people I know still think that cell phones cause gas station fires. Even when I tell them about the Mythbusters episode, they still don't believe me. "But it was in that email from so and so!" They even showed the fire department videos proving that static electricity was the cause. Yet I still see warnings about cell phone usage at gas stations.

So it's kind of like Snopes, then? I thought there was going to be a specific Snopes TV show at one point. Or is it more like Penn and Teller's Bullshit?

/me makes note to set up a season pass...

Or not a USA-ian or Britt..

That's "Brit" or "Briton". Unless you mean the actress?

And TiVo don't sell to the UK any more. We've now got Sky+, though, which looks pretty cool.

Sky+ is cool, I've had a box for a couple of years nearly now. It got even cooler when they added the ability to record two channels while you are watching a another recording last month.

However, it is not like TiVo really. It has pretty much zero intelligence. It is a bit more like a very clever VCR that can record two things at once while it is playing back a third.

You choose something from a channel to record, Sky+ records it. You select a recording and add a series link, as long as the broadcaster tells the box what the next programme in the series its AND it is within 14 days then it will record it.

That is the limit of it's TiVo-ness. It doesn't have all the nice "record everthing with X" in and "record any instance of Buffy that I haven't got forever". Series links only match a single channel. If there is a clash it won't keep searching for a repeat of the show. There is little hope that we will ever be able to get the unencrypted MPEG streams off of the box.

So if you get one you will love it, but probably not so much if you have actually lived with TiVo. Thankfully I have never lived with TiVo, so I can pretend to myself that all the TiVo features I would love don't exist

The basic premise is sort of like a snopes TV show, except that the two guys that try to setup the scenarios are both veteren special effects guys. So the more interesting part of the show, to me, is seeing these guys come up with really clever ways to rig up the scenarios. And there are always two parts -- first is to see if it's true, and if it's not, the second part is to see what would have to be done to MAKE it true.

For instance, last night they were trying to prove or disprove that a puncture hole in an airplane would cause "explosive decompression", so they went out to the Mojave (sp?) Desert where there is apparently an airplane graveyard, rig up a remote firing handgun using the part from a drink machine that pushes the drink out, put highspeed cameras in the plane, and put their crash test dummy that they use in tons of their "experiements" in a seat. They had earlier calculated the PSI difference when the plane is in the air and they bring in this massive pump to pressurize the entire plane to 8 PSI (they had to seal everything in the plane also). So they then proceed to see what happens when the fire a gun through the side of the plane, then a window, then they bring in a pyro expert to see what it would take to cause the scenario to /really/ happen. The guys are hilarious too -- they blow stuff up, set stuff on fire, break stuff, all in the name of science.

Great show

ms

There is little hope that we will ever be able to get the unencrypted MPEG streams off of the box.

Andy you well know that I'm about as low tech. as it comes on this BBS, but if they've told me that they're scheduling a network connection, won't it do that?

I agree. Any show that has the ultimate goal of making crap explode is cool in my book. Most TV sucks, but TLC, the National Geographic Channel, The History Channel and TLC are the only redeeming channels out there right now.

Except for one show on Spike. Most Extreme Elimination Challenge is farking hilarious. Basically they've taken an old Japanese game show and dubbed American voices over the announcers and contestants. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. The stunts on the game show are only half of the hilarity, the other half is the made up dialog that is dubbed in.

The show is great, but no TiVo here. One of these days I'll talk the wife into it.

Andy you well know that I'm about as low tech. as it comes on this BBS, but if they've told me that they're scheduling a network connection, won't it do that?

Ignoring the practical side of things for a moment. It seems very unlikely that given the functionality of the boxes is tightly controlled by Sky (the broadcaster of much of the material) that we will ever be allowed to archive off digital, unencrypted, copies of the programmes we have recorded. They would get them in so much trouble with the rights owners.

If we ignore the commerical channels, even the BBC would have major problems with people doing that.

With Sky+ you can't even view a recorded programme if there is no satellite signal. It is the raw encrypted MPEG stream that is saved to the disk and your viewing card and a satellite signal both have to be present to watch non free-to-air material.

I guess it all depends on what the network functionality would do. If it just allowed you to swap recordings between different Sky+ boxes, but you still needed a card and signal to view them then they would be in the clear. I really can see you being able to do what you can do with TiVo or ReplayTV boxes (i.e. record a show and send it to someone who hasn't paid to be able to view that show).

I'm not sure it is practical with the current hardware to provide this functionality. There is some sort of PCMCIA card slot on the box, so I perhaps they could plug something in there.

Who is the "they" that you talk about ? Is it operators in the Sky+ call centre ? If so they are woefully inaccurate in the info that they give out.

I tell you what, Kirsten (my wife) didn't "get it" originally (I didn't either really), but she commented yesterday that she couldn't imagine not having it now ...

If so they are woefully inaccurate in the info that they give out.

Tell me about it, my box is down 'till wednesday when the engineer is coming, but they couldn't find details of my subscription and warranty in a half hour phone call last night.
I think I may have a copy of the e-mail at home, but I e-mailed them saying that I'd heard that an update to record two programmes was coming and when could I expect it, and tagged on the piece about network connection, to which the answer was keep an eye for developments in the magazine, I'll see if I've got a job title.
However, your point on copyright is a good one, well made.

OK -- You got me, I meant "PVR" really, not specifically TiVo. I actually don't know enough about ReplayTV to like it or dislike it.

I agree. Any show that has the ultimate goal of making crap explode is cool in my book.

Agreed. That show will get a high spot in my Season Pass Manager.

Don't forget about Monster Garage and American Chopper. Very cool stuff. I think they should do a "Monster PC" show where they do PC and Game console mods. Sorta like New Yankee Workshop for geeks.

I can see it now:
"You want to make sure your beveled joint on your Xbox case is flush before adding the extra hard drive"

Most TV sucks, but TLC, the National Geographic Channel, The History Channel and TLC are the only redeeming channels out there right now.

Except for one show on Spike

Sweet Jesus, did anyone see the "Video Game Awards"?? Holy crap what a terrible event that was. Hell, I play video games and watch TV waaay too much, and that show assaulted my senses.

And don't forget the most important safety rule -- to wear these: safety pocket protectors.

This was great. At work today I was talking about how tonight on Monster Garage they are making a jet car, and my boss goes off on "some guy stealing an engine from a F-16, strapping it to his car..." You know the one. I just thought about MythBusters, and had to chuckle to myself as how everyone at the table believed the myth (which I did too until I saw that MythBusters episode, I mean it got a Darwin Award..) And although I mentioned the episode and how the myth was busted, they went on how this guy blah blah blah....

Mythbusters is sheer genius.
Love it.

Its replaced the hole in my heart where junkyard wars used to live.

Sky+ is cool, I've had a box for a couple of years nearly now.

I would get Sky+ but you need a subscription, and being tight we have one downstairs (the Family Pack) and two boxes on FTV only. I believe you need a Premium channel to get Sky+ (or pay £10/month, which you would have ot be mad to do) which is a but expensive.

The other option is the Pace Twin, but our digital terrestrial reception is a little dodgy here:

http://www.pacefreetoview.co.uk/02twin.asp

Gareth

To get Sky+ "free" you actually need two premium channels (and Film4 doesn't count as a premium channel). I am one of the "mad" people paying a tenner a month for access to Sky+.

I can't imagine going back to a non-Sky+ box now, almost everything I watch is recorded. I rarely watch live TV anymore, can't remember the last time I watched an advert

The other option is the Pace Twin

Apparently, you can get digital terrestrial "tuner" cards for the PC, in which case I'm going to look at building a MythTV box later in the year.