PROGRAM PLAYS REPLAYTV ON YOUR COMPUTER
Digital video recorders (DVR) such as TiVO and ReplayTV really do
change the way you watch television. With features that let you pause
live TV and record shows without video tape, they download over a
week's worth of broadcasting schedules for both cable and satellite
programming. You can easily select what you want to view or record
from an on-screen menu and grid. But I want to tell you about a free
computer program I've discovered that lets you download any program
you've recorded from the ReplayTV to your computer. It will also let
you stream any recorded program from the ReplayTV so that you can view
it over your computer network as well.
The program is called DVArchive and it works with any of the
ReplayTV 4000 or 5000 models. Using their high-speed Ethernet
connection, you connect the ReplayTV to your computer via a network or
direct connection. Since DVArchive is written entirely in Java, it is
available for most platforms including Windows, Macintosh, Linux,
Solaris and others. When at the DVArchive web site, make sure you
download the proper version for your computer as each one takes
advantage of specific computer system features.
After you download DVArchive, you have mostly what you need. You do
need to make sure you have an application that will display MPEG-4
videos since that's the format in which the video files are stored on
the ReplayTV. On the Macintosh for example, the Quicktime player will
do but you need to purchase the optional MPEG-4 plug-in available from
Apple at their web site (www.apple.com) for $19.95. If not, a free
MPEG-4 player for Mac and Windows is available from VideoLAN entitled
"VLC" at http://www.videolan.org.
Once you've acquired a player and DVArchive, you're set to go. When
you run DVArchive, it will automatically search for your connected
ReplayTV unit. Once found, it will display all of the recorded files
stored on the unit. Selection and operation is fairly intuitive. You
select any of the ReplayTV's files and drag it to your computer's name
on the network. You can choose to watch the streaming video as it
plays from the ReplayTV on your computer's screen, or you can elect to
download the entire file. Once captured, you can play it whenever you
like or even burn it to a DVD. DVArchive is a wonderful way to archive
shows you want to keep. Once downloaded you can erase them from your
ReplayTV to free up its precious hard disk space.
One warning. DVArchive says you must view or download recorded
files no faster than the real time it took to record a show. If it
took an hour to record it, it must take an hour for you to download
it. The program warns that if you try and exceed this speed, you could
possibly delete or even damage your ReplayTV unit. Other than this one
caveat, you'll find DVArchive to be a useful tool that lets you add to
your ever-growing video collection.
http://dvarchive.sourceforge.net
Microsoft keyboard and mouse goes silver
 Every
once and a while, the folks in the Microsoft Hardware division decide
to add a touch of class to an existing product. No where is that more
evident than with their latest revision to their cordless keyboard and
mouse. The Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop "Special Edition" is a
release of their cordless keyboard and mouse combination with both an
ergonomic and visually pleasing design.
Personally, my tastes go high tech. My home's decor is one of those
clean-lined abodes done in basic white, with grey and chrome accents.
And so is Microsoft's Desktop. Both the keyboard and mouse are a
milky, translucent white with touches of grey. The special feature
keys along with parts of the mouse are accented in silver. It's one of
the best looking combos I've seen so far.
Aesthetics aside, the Desktop is no slouch. I found both components
to be as responsive as any wired mouse and keyboard I've used. The
ambidextrous mouse's scroll wheel is wider making it easier to move
through pages. The single transceiver plugs into any available USB
port. Don't worry if you have more than one computer in the same room
and want a Desktop setup for each system. Each transceiver can
discriminate between different cordless Desktops within the same
range. The system is plug and play and works right out of the box on
any Windows system. The included software drivers give the special
keys and mouse buttons additional functionality. The system also works
on the Macintosh but you will need to install the included drivers
before the Mac can see that it's attached. OS 9 and OS X are
supported.
If you're looking for a great looking keyboard and mouse, this
one's for you.
$84.95.
www.microsoft.com/hardware |
