Freevo

Tobiasly · 07-02-2003, 09:16 AM

UT, you posted a link about Freevo in another thread.. do you actually use this (or does anyone else)? It looks rather intriguing, and I probably have the hardware lying around at home to put most of it together.

I looked at the FAQ's but didn't do much digging besides that. Does it support multiple TV's with different content on each?

Undertoad · 07-02-2003, 09:26 AM

I don't know anything about the project. I try to stay just aware enough of these things to know they're happening...

I have a TiVo and I'd still recommend going that way. They've done a remarkable job with it. And I really doubt Freevo can duplicate the TiVo data services, even with the monthly fee involved. Hacker-types should get the cheapest current version TiVo and upgrade it with a larger (or second) hard drive.

07-02-2003, 09:30 AM

(My dad did this, and said it was insanely easy. Even Tony did it!)

juju · 07-02-2003, 10:07 AM

I use my Linux machine to record tv shows. I use a combination of vcr, cron, and a few shell scripts. It's defininitely not as good as Tivo, as I have to manually set each program to record. But it's as good as I can get for free.

Tobiasly · 07-02-2003, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Undertoad
Hacker-types should get the cheapest current version TiVo and upgrade it with a larger (or second) hard drive.

You see, that's one of the biggest issues for me. With insanely cheap hard drives, I refuse to pay ridiculous markup for one in a brand-name box. I haven't looked much into hacking them, but I thought Tivo was trying to fight this. Since you have to subscribe to their service, I can just see them updating the firmware someday behind my back and all of the sudden the larger hard drive doesn't work.

That, and paying a monthly fee for something free goes against my grain. Of course, since I <I>am</I> a hacker type, Freevo sounds like a fun toy to set up.

Quote:

(My dad did this, and said it was insanely easy. Even Tony did it!)

By "did this" do you mean upgrade the hard drive?

07-02-2003, 01:46 PM

Ja.

Tobiasly · 07-02-2003, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by juju
I use my Linux machine to record tv shows. I use a combination of vcr, cron, and a few shell scripts. It's defininitely not as good as Tivo, as I have to manually set each program to record.

What capture card do you use? Any snags?

Quote:

But it's as good as I can get for free.

It looks like you can pretty easily set Freevo up to download listings for your area automatically; have you looked into it?

Undertoad · 07-02-2003, 02:21 PM

Well, apparently as a current TiVo owner, I can send any of you all a "help-a-friend" electronic postcard, which allows you to get a 40-hour TiVo for $199. (Regularly $249) (through 7/31) (I don't get anything out of this offer) A 40-hour TiVo is a fine thing all by itself, but with the instructions on this page, a few tools, and a $100 hard drive from New Egg, you can turn it into a 160-hour TiVo.

Then the monthly fee to TiVo is $12.95.

TiVo doesn't want it to screw up their warranty service, so they insist that warranty service only comes with original unmodified equipment. But series 2 TiVos don't have anything like a "warranty void if sticker removed" sticker. And TiVo has allowed its engineers to give out technical information. And TiVo doesn't sic its lawyers after third-party sellers who upgrade their boxes and re-sell.

The folks at tivocommunity.com seem to feel that TiVo has a decent relationship with their hacker community. I haven't seen a lot of righteous bitching. I think TiVo just wants to restrict certain types of hacking. They don't want people to get around their subscription service.

The other thing is that TiVo is engineered to be a consumer device, and so it has a nice quiet low-power approach with a pleasant-looking case and a sexy remote control.

juju · 07-03-2003, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tobiasly
It looks like you can pretty easily set Freevo up to download listings for your area automatically; have you looked into it?

I haven't tried it. I did try a similar program, I think it was called WebVCR. I found it to be incredibly complicated to set up, and I never could get it to work. For all I know, Freevo could be much simpler, though.

I believe my card is a Happauge WinTV card.

Tobiasly · 07-03-2003, 07:47 AM

Thanks for the info UT; I just naturally assume these days that most consumer electronics companies these days, especially those dealing with digital media, are virulently anti-hacker.

13 bucks a months seems pretty reasonable, but I still don't like the idea of a device that is a paperweight unless I keep paying for it, especially when the information you pay for is so easy to get for free.

I don't see me being back in the States before 7/31, but I'll definitely look into it when I get back!

juju · 07-03-2003, 10:04 AM

I've heard that if you don't pay for the service, you just have to tell it what times you want your programs recorded at.

Undertoad · 07-03-2003, 11:47 AM

That's true. They also have a reduced-price version now, I think it's $4.95/month, where you only get program guide information for the next three days (as opposed to two weeks).

Undertoad · 07-03-2003, 11:56 AM

Having said that, I'll post again instead of editing. The real value of the TiVo is in its software. If you subscribe, you get the program titles and schedule information, which is what makes the software useful.

TiVo users never have to think about the time of the recording. You just ask it to record all first-runs of "Enterprise" (geek alert) and it does it. If there are already shows scheduled for repeat taping, and your new request overlaps one of them, it'll ask whether you really want to tape "Enterprise" rather than "Trading Spaces" which the wife has requested. And then you can say "sure", and it goes and re-arranges its priorities all automatically.

And when "Enterprise" goes into re-runs, it'll stop taping them and start taping the "Trading Spaces" in that time slot instead.

That's what the subscription really buys you, arguments with the wife. No I mean it manages all the timing of all this recording, and when you finally sit down with the tube, at WHATEVER time, you watch WHATEVER the thing has caught for you.

juju · 07-03-2003, 12:44 PM

My wife watches Trading Spaces and all those other design shows. I'll come home, and she'll be crying over some room they've done on the show. I really just don't get it. Also, I feel that TLC betrayed me. It used to be a cool channel with science stuff on it. Now it's just a chick's channel!

wolf · 07-03-2003, 01:09 PM

They still have enough dead bodies to go around on TLC, but I admit I don't watch it as often as I used to when they had the Paramedic on the Street type shows in power rotation. Most of this stuff is on after 8pm. It's just not worthwhile to turn the channel on during daylight hours.

I don't get the attraction of "Trading Spaces." I would appreciate it if someone would explain it to me ... Also, I thought it was "The Learning Channel" ... what's educational about ugly-ass redecorating?

07-02-2003, 09:16 AM	#1
Tobiasly hot Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Jeffersonville, IN (near Louisville) Posts: 892	Freevo UT, you posted a link about Freevo in another thread.. do you actually use this (or does anyone else)? It looks rather intriguing, and I probably have the hardware lying around at home to put most of it together. I looked at the FAQ's but didn't do much digging besides that. Does it support multiple TV's with different content on each?

07-03-2003, 01:09 PM	#15
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	They still have enough dead bodies to go around on TLC, but I admit I don't watch it as often as I used to when they had the Paramedic on the Street type shows in power rotation. Most of this stuff is on after 8pm. It's just not worthwhile to turn the channel on during daylight hours. I don't get the attraction of "Trading Spaces." I would appreciate it if someone would explain it to me ... Also, I thought it was "The Learning Channel" ... what's educational about ugly-ass redecorating? __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

07-02-2003, 09:26 AM	#2
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	I don't know anything about the project. I try to stay just aware enough of these things to know they're happening... I have a TiVo and I'd still recommend going that way. They've done a remarkable job with it. And I really doubt Freevo can duplicate the TiVo data services, even with the monthly fee involved. Hacker-types should get the cheapest current version TiVo and upgrade it with a larger (or second) hard drive.

07-02-2003, 09:30 AM	#3
dave Guest Posts: n/a	(My dad did this, and said it was insanely easy. Even Tony did it!)

07-02-2003, 10:07 AM	#4
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	I use my Linux machine to record tv shows. I use a combination of vcr, cron, and a few shell scripts. It's defininitely not as good as Tivo, as I have to manually set each program to record. But it's as good as I can get for free.

07-02-2003, 02:21 PM	#8
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Well, apparently as a current TiVo owner, I can send any of you all a "help-a-friend" electronic postcard, which allows you to get a 40-hour TiVo for $199. (Regularly $249) (through 7/31) (I don't get anything out of this offer) A 40-hour TiVo is a fine thing all by itself, but with the instructions on this page, a few tools, and a $100 hard drive from New Egg, you can turn it into a 160-hour TiVo. Then the monthly fee to TiVo is $12.95. TiVo doesn't want it to screw up their warranty service, so they insist that warranty service only comes with original unmodified equipment. But series 2 TiVos don't have anything like a "warranty void if sticker removed" sticker. And TiVo has allowed its engineers to give out technical information. And TiVo doesn't sic its lawyers after third-party sellers who upgrade their boxes and re-sell. The folks at tivocommunity.com seem to feel that TiVo has a decent relationship with their hacker community. I haven't seen a lot of righteous bitching. I think TiVo just wants to restrict certain types of hacking. They don't want people to get around their subscription service. The other thing is that TiVo is engineered to be a consumer device, and so it has a nice quiet low-power approach with a pleasant-looking case and a sexy remote control.

07-03-2003, 07:47 AM	#10
Tobiasly hot Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Jeffersonville, IN (near Louisville) Posts: 892	Thanks for the info UT; I just naturally assume these days that most consumer electronics companies these days, especially those dealing with digital media, are virulently anti-hacker. 13 bucks a months seems pretty reasonable, but I still don't like the idea of a device that is a paperweight unless I keep paying for it, especially when the information you pay for is so easy to get for free. I don't see me being back in the States before 7/31, but I'll definitely look into it when I get back!

07-03-2003, 10:04 AM	#11
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	I've heard that if you don't pay for the service, you just have to tell it what times you want your programs recorded at.

07-03-2003, 11:47 AM	#12
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	That's true. They also have a reduced-price version now, I think it's $4.95/month, where you only get program guide information for the next three days (as opposed to two weeks).

07-03-2003, 11:56 AM	#13
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Having said that, I'll post again instead of editing. The real value of the TiVo is in its software. If you subscribe, you get the program titles and schedule information, which is what makes the software useful. TiVo users never have to think about the time of the recording. You just ask it to record all first-runs of "Enterprise" (geek alert) and it does it. If there are already shows scheduled for repeat taping, and your new request overlaps one of them, it'll ask whether you really want to tape "Enterprise" rather than "Trading Spaces" which the wife has requested. And then you can say "sure", and it goes and re-arranges its priorities all automatically. And when "Enterprise" goes into re-runs, it'll stop taping them and start taping the "Trading Spaces" in that time slot instead. That's what the subscription really buys you, arguments with the wife. No I mean it manages all the timing of all this recording, and when you finally sit down with the tube, at WHATEVER time, you watch WHATEVER the thing has caught for you.

07-03-2003, 12:44 PM	#14
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	My wife watches Trading Spaces and all those other design shows. I'll come home, and she'll be crying over some room they've done on the show. I really just don't get it. Also, I feel that TLC betrayed me. It used to be a cool channel with science stuff on it. Now it's just a chick's channel!

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