#Cheaper Net?'
24 messages in this thread
John,
Yes, I'd LOVE to see an electronic publication of the local "TV Guide".
I'd even settle for an electronic version of the one which shows up in
the Sunday paper. Hmmmmm, with that an my AIR link, I could whomp up
something even easier than VCR+.
Yes, a combo of VCR+, Airlink, and a cable modem would be a potent combo,
no? I think you could make the hardware and sell it, like the cable modem,
at about $120. But you'd really need a computer of some kind to drive
it… say a CDTV. Now why didn't they put an IR-out on that thing? Make a
CD-ROM with a movie database on it to supplement the daily listings… I
can imagine people who'd pay $800 for that. But a plain CDTV – no way.
Hmmmm, IR-out on the CDTV….now THAT's an interesting ides
Gets you thinking, doesn't it? How hard would it be to make it a
universal, trainable remote? Tap button "A" three times quickly, it
"mutes" every device in the room. Memorize the five channels you're
skipping between at the moment, and truly skim instead of video surfing. Or
a timer/alarm to help remember which show you wanted to watch later on. Or
VCR-Plus, as you said. Or a universal "how to program your VCR" program,
with a unified interface for anything in the room. I'm sure we've not even
scraped the surface of the potential…
John,
Right, we haven't even scraped the surface, but for a 10 minute
(participation, not wall clock time) brainstorm session, we're not doing
badly.
How about a warning that your favo(u)rite show ("xxx", or "ST:TNG") is
airing at a NEW time this week notice which shows up automagically.
Or for the real fanatics, a computer-assisted database of which episodes
you've seen – and a warning when one you haven't is coming up…
_NOW_ you're really thinkin'!!
It makes me wonder why some people have put forward a wire-based consumer
electronics bus – when most of it could be done by IR.
John,
Welllllllllllll, IR works for a single room pretty well, but it's
difficult to get it reliably throughout a house. I always thought the
carrier on top of the electrical was a neat method myself.
Vic,
Check out the IR extenders in the Damark catalog. They work rather well
for under $50. It converts IR to radio and then retransmits as IR in a
remote location. Great fun with an airlink.
-Richard
John,
PLC (Power Line Carrier) technology is great for most applications, but try
running a carrier through a surge suppressor… Becomes a little difficult
then. Also sometimes if you and the house next door are close and using PLC
devices, they will interfere with each other…
Also IR technology has come quite away in the last few years. For about
$150 you can have 2-way infrared control in 4 rooms of your house…
–Shawn
The "CEBus" (Consumer Electronics Bus) interface has _both_ a wire and an
IR standard, with IR <–> wire translation built into the interface. Too
bad very few people use this system……
Articles on the CEBus can be found in back issued of Circuit Cellar
ink…..
// Brian — Cruising on AutoPilot…..
\X/ AMIGA Hopefully sparing the wallet some bruising…:^)
There are alot of reasons for a wire based CEB, but this probably isn't the
place to talk about it… My entire house and business is ran by my amiga,
and 98% of it is hardwired…
–Shawn
I'd love to hear how your Amiga controls your house!
John,
Well you probably will pretty soon as my HC1 Home Control system for the
amiga is not to far off the horizon… Been working on it in my spare time
for 3 years now…
–Shawn
Why _isn't_ this the place to talk about it? I'm interested.
Sorry Vic, just got back from an electronics convention in Illinois, what
were we talking about???
–Shawn
Shawn, This is as good a place as any and I'd really be interested in your
house/business net.
Autopiloting/Dunedin, Fl
Ok guys, HC1 is a home control product for the amiga that I have been
developing on a spare time basis for my own use, mainly because I have
worked with/used/installed many IBM based systems and thought that they
were all much too hard to use/install. My system rather than using a text
based programming language, like the other guys, uses an icon programming
enviroment similar to the amiga vision concept, PLUS with the amiga
controlling the place you can still use the amiga as a computer, unlike 99%
of the IBM based systems. My system uses and external control bus for
hardwired control of anything, and I have pretty well modified all of my
existing Audio/Video equipment to work ok with this type of setup. The
system can control X-10 devices via the Power Line Carrier controller built
in and can also control Infrared devices via it's 2-way infrared
emitter/receiver combo. Most of my equipment is hardwired into an A/D
converter setup, so my amiga knows the inside and outside weather
condidtions and makes intelligent decisions based on that… I am currently
trying to integrate LON networking and the GVP phone pak VFX into the
system, but have yet to recieve either products, so I guess that will be a
little longer…
–Shawn
Actually, I'm suprised there is no electronic TV Guide. I know there is a
service some cable companies provide that give you programming a few hours
in advance but a REAL guide shouldn't be hard to do.
I concur, and I'd MUCH rather search with my computer than wade through
the 30+ pages each week.
There are actually quite a few TV Guides that are ELECTRONIC… Stop in to
your local satellite system dealer and ask to see their Uniden 4800 Super
satellite receiver system! It's so smart it even turns your VCR on and off
and sends the record command when it's time for your show! Also Zenith
purchased a company a few years ago that had created an online TV Guide
type of service and the technology should be incorporated into Zenith TV
Sets in 1993, with boxes to hook to any TV shortly thereafter…
BUT for the MOST impressive electronic TV GUIDE demonstration, there is no
need to look any further than the FROX Audio/Video system, where EVERYTHING
including your VCR and 100 Disk CD changer is all controlled through your
TV set…
100 disk CD changer (tho we'd need a 250 changer here in the office)????
price please!!
Ok Vic,
I'll call FROX tommarow and get you a price on that puppy…
–Shawn