Things Smackie Thinks You Need to Know...

[vansmack]

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
  smackie, i've been wondering what channels we get in hd on dtv that are not available on (say) comcast? i got dtv and hd tvs pretty much at the same time

DirecTV HD vs. Dish Network HD vs. Comcast HD vs. Time Warner HD:
   http://www.amrax.com/hd.htm

[godsshoeshine]

wow, no espn2 hd? that sucks

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
  wow, no espn2 hd? that sucks

a brief look at that page shows either that comcast varies locally or the page is very outdated
 
 i have comcast and i get ESPN2 HD (as well as TBS, TNT, versus, dc comcast sportsnet, NBA, NHL, NFL, tons of regional sports channels and premium movie channels)

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Hoya Paranoia:
     

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
  wow, no espn2 hd? that sucks

a brief look at that page shows either that comcast varies locally or the page is very outdated
 
 i have comcast and i get ESPN2 HD (as well as TBS, TNT, versus, dc comcast sportsnet, NBA, NHL, NFL, tons of regional sports channels and premium movie channels) [/b]

Comcast varies per franchise (as does Time Warner).  If the channel is not offered in more than some percentage of the market, it was not included (I'm not certain what the percentage is).  For example, my relatives have a channel on Time Warner that serves as an HD a la carte - if a  game is being broadcast in HD on one of the channels you mentioned, you can find it there, but there is no fulltime ESPN2HD or TNT, TBS, NHL, NFL etc.  As a matter of fact, there is no NFL or NHL network at all.  
 
 But fine, give yourself 20 instead of 9 - it really doesn't matter.

[vansmack]

Windows XP SP3 has leaked to the public.  If you're an early adopter, here you go.
 
 I've had it since last week and really haven't noticed a difference (except on a laptop that uses wifi - it does identify Black Hole networks).  And no, IE8 is not included.

[sweetcell]

you can also get HDTV free over the air:  check availability/reception for your location (give your real address, but use a bogus e-mail unless you want HDTV-related spam).  urban locations like DC would get all the major networks.  i'm considering buying a PCI card that allow you to get HDTV on your computer monitor, from an antenna.

[godsshoeshine]

Originally posted by vansmack:
   

Originally posted by Hoya Paranoia:
     

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
  wow, no espn2 hd? that sucks

a brief look at that page shows either that comcast varies locally or the page is very outdated
 
 i have comcast and i get ESPN2 HD (as well as TBS, TNT, versus, dc comcast sportsnet, NBA, NHL, NFL, tons of regional sports channels and premium movie channels) [/b]

Comcast varies per franchise (as does Time Warner).  If the channel is not offered in more than some percentage of the market, it was not included (I'm not certain what the percentage is).  For example, my relatives have a channel on Time Warner that serves as an HD a la carte - if a  game is being broadcast in HD on one of the channels you mentioned, you can find it there, but there is no fulltime ESPN2HD or TNT, TBS, NHL, NFL etc.  As a matter of fact, there is no NFL or NHL network at all.  
 
 But fine, give yourself 20 instead of 9 - it really doesn't matter. [/b]

the only thing that matters is i can watch every steelers game in hd on dtv

[vansmack]

Originally posted by sweetcell:
  you can also get HDTV free over the air:  check availability/reception for your location (give your real address, but use a bogus e-mail unless you want HDTV-related spam).  urban locations like DC would get all the major networks.  i'm considering buying a PCI card that allow you to get HDTV on your computer monitor, from an antenna.

Look, Smackie doesn't predict things that happened in the 90's.

[sweetcell]

wasn't a prediction, t'was a reminder     i was recently reminded of how few people know that you can get HD over the air.  but maybe i'm living in a cave.

[vansmack]

A quick Russia update before I go back to wokring on my last tech prediction...
 
 By now you've likely heard that Vladmir Putin has chosen the next President of Russia, Dmitri Nedvedev.  And just today Dmitri returned the favor by announcing that Putin would be named Nedvedev's Premiere.  
 
 Nedvedev is a weak leader and it can be assumed that Putin will still be calling the shots.  One thing that's underscored in his credentials is his Chairmanship of Gazprom (appointed there by Putin) - Gazprom calls the shots for Russian energy policy, the main source of Russia's recent resurgence.  Putin has been calling the shots for Nedvedev in Gazprom for some time now.  I expect little will be different in Russia between the Premiere and the President.
 
 Expect one of two things to happen in the first half of 2008:
 
 (1) That Putin, as Premiere will begin to assume the roles of President by changes in the Constitution, most notably the Defense and Intelligence units.  Or...
 
 (2) Nevedev gets drafted by the Red Wings, leaves his post as President, and a non-elected Putin assumes the role, circumventing the Constitution.  While the Red Wings thing is obviously a joke, I'm not ruling this scenario out.

[ratioci nation]

Originally posted by vansmack:
  Windows XP SP3 has leaked to the public.  If you're an early adopter, here you go.
 
 I've had it since last week and really haven't noticed a difference (except on a laptop that uses wifi - it does identify Black Hole networks).  And no, IE8 is not included.

IE8 is nowhere close to being out

[sweetcell]

Originally posted by pdx pollard:
  IE8 is nowhere close to being out

once it is, don't be caught dead using IE7 on this bboard lest you be ridiculed   :roll:

[ratioci nation]

Originally posted by sweetcell:
  once it is, don't be caught dead using IE7 on this bboard lest you be ridiculed    :roll:  

I would never be caught dead using IE7 for anything other than testing, actually more people still use IE6 than IE7, it may be a rolleyes for you but in my field it is a big deal

[sweetcell]

Originally posted by pdx pollard:
 I would never be caught dead using IE7 for anything other than testing, actually more people still use IE6 than IE7, it may be a rolleyes for you but in my field it is a big deal

i wasn't rolling my eyes at IE6 or 7 at all, it was for the smug know-it-alls on this board.  i was supposedly pwned by smakie  who pointed out  that i was using IE6, as if that was something abhorent.  in fact, IE6 is still the  most common browser.
 
 makes me question your "tech predictions", smacks, if you don't even know what browsers are being used   :p

[6949]

Originally posted by vansmack:
  Are there any boardies currently over in England?  I thought there was one.
 
 I need a copy of Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten on DVD and will pay hansomely (and I'm not just talking about the exchange rate).

I ordered mine off of amazon.co.uk.