Things Smackie Thinks You Need to Know...

[kosmo vinyl]

Originally posted by raebyddet:
   

Originally posted by kosmo:
 personally, with amazon, lala, rhapsody, emusic and many other selling DRM free better quality and often checker MP3s... why anyone would use iTMS as their primary source for digital content.  most of them even provide downloader software that will place the files directly into the iTunes library.

Isn't amazon the only one that you don't have to have a subscription to though?
 
 I'm not a fan of subscription services, I only want to pay for what I use and I only want to pay when I want it.
 
 And yes Amazon does sell DRM free songs, and to a lesser extent Apple does as well (although I am not sure how true that is anymore, I know Apple started the DRM free thing as well, I'm just not sure how the two compare these days). [/b]

of those mentioned eMusic is  the only subscription based model for the purchase of MP3s...

[ratioci nation]

Originally posted by Ever Circling Skeletal Family:
 Can someone explain to me how much better Blue Ray is than a regular DVD player using a HDTV? Keep in mind I'm no movie buff but watch one now and again on a Sunday evening if there's nothing better to do.

what I actually meant to say was one with Blue Tooth, not Blue Ray, as for Blue Ray vs DVD I dont think the difference is that great

[Frank Gallagher]

Originally posted by pdx pollard:
   

Originally posted by Ever Circling Skeletal Family:
 Can someone explain to me how much better Blue Ray is than a regular DVD player using a HDTV? Keep in mind I'm no movie buff but watch one now and again on a Sunday evening if there's nothing better to do.

what I actually meant to say was one with Blue Tooth, not Blue Ray, as for Blue Ray vs DVD I dont think the difference is that great [/b]

Thank you....I'll keep my money in my wallet then.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by pdx pollard:
  I have the harmony 520... What extra features does yours have over mine?

Doesn't look like much except for colored one touch activity buttons across the top dedicated to "Watch TV", "Watch Movie", and "Listen to Music" in addition to the screen that you would use to the same.

[vansmack]

DIGITAL REVOLUTION: If only money fell from trees�?�
 
 Easy for you to build, Smackie, but I�??m still working my up the management structure of that non-profit I work for.  I won�??t give up my beliefs just to join your Digital Revolution!
 
 Good for you and neither did I.  
 
 I�??ll even assume I didn�??t get the 360 as a gift�?�
 
 HOME SERVER: $400
 
 But that was a bit of a stretch to build my own, so let�??s say $550 for the HP Pre-Build model.
 
 XBOX 360: $350
 
 Since I use it in this case primarily as a media extender, here are other more inexpensive options for non-gamers:
     </font>

• <font size="2" face="Arial, Veranda">Linksys DMA2100 - $250</font></li>
• <font size="2" face="Arial, Veranda">D-Link - $275</font></li>
• <font size="2" face="Arial, Veranda">HP MediaSmart Connect - $315</font></li>

<font size="2" face="Arial, Veranda">
  GIGABIT SWITCH: DLink DGS-2208 - $20
 
 If you want to go wireless, you can get a combined Gig Switch and N router for ~$50.
 
 REMOTE: Harmony 767 - $50
 
 Buy all your cables and adapters from monoprice, no more than $30.
 
 So what are we talking about?  I spent $470 ($625 really if you count my ISP change, but most won�??t have to do that) to organize all of my music, photos and movies in one location, provide solid backup of my collection, have access to it in any room in the house from a range of devices, provide a personal web site where I can access it at work, on the road, on vacation, anywhere I want, and made it easy for Smackette to use (if only MS would play along I could make it REALLY easy for Smackette to use), but starting from nothing, you could do the same for about $900.
 
 Now look at that CD collection over there collecting dust.  When was the last time you took something off the shelf to listen to?  Sure I�??ve put lots of CDs on top of the pile, but I hadn�??t pulled a CD off in months.  I sold off a large portion of my CD collection for $1100, mostly 90�??s crap that I rarely listened to (hell, you saw that list) and still have money to play with (remember that Flash based mini-laptop I want�?�just waiting.  It will be perfect to log into the server).  And when I done ripping the DVD collection, that�??s next to be sold off.  I wonder what I�??ll buy with that?

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
 also, i would call out the u.n. a bit more (who, amongst other things, allows mugabe to violate all sorts of e.u. sanctions against him, in addition to allowing mbeki to dictate the conversation), but that's probably expected of me. . .

Do you call out the UN on this or do you simply blame China and Russia?
 
 U. N. Resolution on Zimbabwe Fails In Security Council
 
 By REUTERS
 Published: July 11, 2008Filed at 5:28 p.m. ET
 
 UNITED NATIONS, July 11 (Reuters) - A U.N. resolution to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe for holding a violent June 27 presidential poll boycotted by the opposition candidate was vetoed in the Security Council on Friday by Russia and China.
 
 The resolution would have imposed an arms embargo on the southern African country and financial and travel restrictions on President Robert Mugabe and 13 other officials. It would also have called for a U.N. special envoy for Zimbabwe to be appointed.
 
 Nine countries voted for the resolution, five -- including veto-holding Russia and China -- opposed it and one abstained.
 
 (the others were Libya, Vietnam and.....you guessed it: South Africa)

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by vansmack:
 Now look at that CD collection over there collecting dust.  When was the last time you took something off the shelf to listen to?  Sure I�??ve put lots of CDs on top of the pile, but I hadn�??t pulled a CD off in months.  I sold off a large portion of my CD collection for $1100, mostly 90�??s crap that I rarely listened to (hell, you saw that list) and still have money to play with (remember that Flash based mini-laptop I want�?�just waiting.  It will be perfect to log into the server).  And when I done ripping the DVD collection, that�??s next to be sold off.  I wonder what I�??ll buy with that?

i gotta admit, selling all my CDs was scary, but oddly liberating

[vansmack]

Anybody else recently check their purchased list in Itunes and find stuff you don't remember?
 
 Mine has a very long list of songs I don't remember purchasing, but apparently have played.  I went to check my purcahse history and they're not listed so they must be free.
 
 Their definitely on my computer (protected .aac).
 
 I wonder if I signed up for some free DL of the week or something and it's been happening automatically?
 
 Here's the first half of my purchased list that I don't recognize.  Apparently they vast majority have been there since 11/13/2006 so I'm not very observant (I love combining music colletions...).  I must have agreed to something that day.
 
 For the record, most of it is crap.

[vansmack]

<img src="http://www.dewmocracy.com/images/image_overview-default_bott.jpg" alt=" - " />
 
 The second installment in everybody's least favorite ongoing smackie diatribe - it's so hard to choose these days with all of my rambling...
 
 VOLTAGE
 
 �??Dew Infused with Raspberry Cirtus Fruit Flavor and Ginseng�?�
 
 First, I'm not an expert but I don't think a Raspberry is a Citrus Fruit, but I'm happy to be corrected.  
 
 Anyhow, this one is definitely sweeter than Revolution, but not as sweet as I feared.  I think I put too much emphasis in the fact that all three come in bright, nearly flourescent colors.  Something about the color screams childish too me (yes, I see the irony in not noticing the bright green bottle that comes with the original).  Like other new Dew varietals,  the same aftertaste is in Voltage.  Weird.  This taste isn't as light as the Revolution was, and combined with the fact that I don't really care for Raspberries, this one could disappear and I would miss it.  I'm not saying I spittooned it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get one, and it wouldn't be hard to pull something off the shelf that was more appealing.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by raebyddet:
   

Originally posted by vansmack:
   
 
 But Microsoft thinking that I have to turn on a computer to stream to the 360 is a complete waste of resources.  The 360 is more than powerful enough to decode the Netflix movie file on it's own.

I keep waiting for this. I don't really want to spend $100 on the roku player if the xbox is going to do this, there really is no reason that it can't. [/b]

This is supposed to be announced today or tomorrow at E3.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by vansmack:
  Eee PC (8G) over the weekend:
 
   I don't like the price point of the 900 and 1000 models, but I think they'll come down in a few months as the competition heats up.  That's when I think I'll make a move.
 
 

So this weekend I noticed ASUS was offering $100 off the 900 series laptops as the 901s were about to be released.  The 900 series now sells for $400 and $449, as I suspected.  The $400 model is a new one, with only one 16GB SSD drive, rather than the other 12GB and 20GB models that have a split drive (4GB soldered to the motherboard, 12GB or 8GB extra card stuck in the slot).
 
 While it seems better to have one drive, most folks are saying the performance on the single drive that is NOT soldered on the board is terrible for running the OS (linux or Xp), so they suggest the split model and store the OS on the 4GB drive and put the programs on the second drive.
 
 The 901 features an Intel Atom chip which uses less power dramatcially extending the battery life to 5-6 hours vs 2-3 on the 900 (Intel Celeron mobile).  Supposedly the 901 also has a graphics chip that will support Vista.
 
 I think I'm getting closer to grabbing a 900 with the dual drives.  It's either that or wait until September.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by vansmack:
  This is supposed to be announced today or tomorrow at E3.

It was today:
 
 Update 11:15 a.m.: Xbox Live head John Schappert has come out on stage and announced that Xbox Live is getting a full re-design this fall.
 
 Schappert said the new Xbox Live will be tantamount to giving Xbox a full update, all via software. This will be, he explained, based on the new My Xbox channel, which will have a new look and feel and tabs for photos, videos, music and games.
 
 ...
 
 Schappert also said that Xbox Live will also have a new partnership with Netflix, allowing users to access movies and TV shows from their Netflix queues via Xbox Live. Further, users will be able to share those shows and movies with their Xbox Live partners.

[vansmack]

With this news I will move away from blockbuster and back to netflix if two things happen:
 
 (1) The quality is good (does anybody know if the stream is Dolby 5.1, for example?).
 
 and
 
 (2) The library is solid.
 
 Great move by netflix.

[raebyddet]

Originally posted by vansmack:
  With this news I will move away from blockbuster and back to netflix if two things happen:
 
 (1) The quality is good (does anybody know if the stream is Dolby 5.1, for example?).
 
 and
 
 (2) The library is solid.
 
 Great move by netflix.

(1) The video quality supposedly depends on your internet connection, they say if you have 3.0mbps or better its dvd quality.
 
 "Video quality depends on your Internet connection speed: The faster your connection, the better the quality. Slower connections are comparable to watching a VHS tape, while faster connections can provide DVD-quality playback."
 
 Re 5.1:
 "The Netflix Player by Roku outputs standard stereo audio on the red and white composite audio cables or 5.1 channel surround sound using the HDMI or optical audio cables. Keep in the mind that the movie or show must also contain 5.1 channel audio for surround sound to work."
 
 I would be willing to be that if 5.1 works in the roku box it will work on the xBox.
 
 (2) The movies available for instant watching are generally older back titles, there really aren't any new releases available for on demand. There are  TV shows however (i.e. Weeds Season 2 is avilable for instant view.)

[kosmo vinyl]

Originally posted by vansmack:
 
 Schappert also said that Xbox Live will also have a new partnership with Netflix, allowing users to access movies and TV shows from their Netflix queues via Xbox Live. Further, users will be able to share those shows and movies with their Xbox Live partners.

grumble grumble grumble... i had hoped this one would have been heading the way of the ps3, which i am still considering getting.  didn't really want to  load XP on the MacBook in order to watch stuff via Netflix.