Another stupid question

PlainBill@yawhoo.com wrote:

I really wouldn't know, I've been using DirecTV for over a decade and
the last cable box I had didn't have a USB port. I CAN make several
intelligent guesses, however.

A possible use is it allows the cable company to provide (and charge
for) a 'premium' service that allows recording shows onto an extenal
hard drive.
Click to expand...
I doubt this one, even the non-dvr models have it.

A less likely one is that it is to allow a firmware upgrade,
diagnostic, or similar function that the cable provider does not want
to perform over the cable.
Click to expand...
This is more likely to me though.

Actually it's probably how it was loaded with the firmware from the factory.

The original Apple TV had one (well so does the newer ATV2 but a micro one)
that was disabled. That model had an internal drive and ones logic would be
that the port was for external storage, but after it was jailbroken, there
wasn't anything in the os at all relating to the usb function.

Later on it was discovered the port was polled at boot and one could use a
common usb thumb drive to boot from.

My impression is, those things were made blank as a fart off the assembly
line and somewhere before it was put into a box, a usb cable was jacked in
and gave it life, the firmware, the os image on the hard drive, then
probably a quick self-test.

So I'm saying it was a real time saver with manufacturing the thing, after
that, was intended to become a unused port.

I think the non-dvr Motorola cable boxes are the same, the usb port was used
to load the initial firmware/configuration and that was it.

-bruce
bje@ripco.com
 
myfathersson wrote:
I note that no one has answered the question about what on earth those
USB ports on (eg) Motorola cable boxes in the States can be used for?
Are they really disabled?
Click to expand...

No, they are not disabled. They are a slow, USB 1.0 port for
computers without Ethernet. You had to install the driver software on
the computer, and it could only be used by a single PC. It was a royal
pain in the ass. I still have the CD-ROMs for the eary Toshiba and the
current Webstar cable modems. They tell you right up front that the USB
inteface is nearly useless.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.
 
On Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:58:06 -0800, "William Sommerwerck"
<grizzledgeezer@comcast.net> wrote:

America is almost certainly the most stupid, parochial, unsophisticated, and
just-plain-brainless Western society. What else is new?
Click to expand...
No way, both the (run by plumbers mates) UK and France outdoes the US in
all arenas of idiocy except corruption. Even the nutters in Bressles have
a hard time keepin' up with the US is corruption.

?-)
 
On Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:21:40 -0800, "William Sommerwerck"
<grizzledgeezer@comcast.net> wrote:

"JW" <none@dev.null> wrote in message
news:und6f7de0egb158ukrrekpkqht30n5uuc1@4ax.com...
On Thu, 22 Dec 2011 07:24:53 -0600 "Mark Zacharias"
mark_zacharias@labolgcbs.net> wrote in Message id:
4ef32fa6$0$16555$a8266bb1@newsreader.readnews.com>:
"JW" <none@dev.null> wrote in message
news:av76f711s9la6dualrbjmc5l9h5jscqk6j@4ax.com...
On Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:58:06 -0800 "William Sommerwerck"
grizzledgeezer@comcast.net> wrote in Message id:
jcv2g7$45t$1@dont-email.me>:

America is almost certainly the most stupid, parochial,
unsophisticated,
and just-plain-brainless Western society. What else is new?

Hey Will, Go Fuck Yourself with a splintered fence post.

Wow. That was even worse.

Yup, it sure was. But deserving. I'm tired of idiots Like Will
dumping on my country.

It's my country, too. I have a right to complain. I'm not an idiot, just a
semi-detached observer.

Find an "average" American who reads non-fiction books, * who knows anything
Click to expand...
Hot damn, you found non-fiction books published in 'merica? What is the
titles? Who are the authors? What are the publishing houses? The last i
found was an old ARRL handbook.

about anything that hasn't been presented to him or her via mass
communication or mass "culture". Find one who'd willing to consider points
of view other than his or her own.

You won't find many.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately you may not be on that list, not that i consistently
qualify.
By the way, I don't believe in "one-world government". By the time human
beings progress to the point where it would workable without Fascist
coercion, there would be no need for it.

The problem with the world is people. And I'm not the first to say it.
Tarzan even said it in a movie.

* I think this is what Howard Beale means when he says "Only 3% of you read
books".
Click to expand...
A gross overestimate.
 
On Dec 11 2011, 2:47 pm, klem kedidelhopper
<captainvideo462...@gmail.com> wrote:
I used to run my cable and antenna through my VCR and record my
programs and then watch them on my old TV. Well now since the recent
digital transition I can no longer do that, so I was wondering if
anyone knows if it's possible or has ever managed to get a composite
video signal out of a flat screen TV? It seems as though I recall that
this was available on some of the older tube sets but I've never seen
it on a flat screen. Obviously I really don't give a damn about HD. I
would just like to record my programs on my VCR. I realize that
building ground, and live chassis issues would have to be dealt with
but aside from that can it be done? I just fixed up a Visio VP322 that
a customer left here and I plan on using this set in our living room.
Click to expand...
I still record on videotape (a proven medium after all) - picture
quality can be perfectly satisfactory for recording off tv. I don't
want everything on a hard drive that is likely to fail and I lose
everything. I've seen so many portable HDDs fail it's not even funny,
so I'd avoid that route if you want to capture important things.

You will need any cheap set top digital box, just plug the antenna
into it and use the box's AV out to connect to the line in of the
video (often called A1, A2, EXT, E1, E2, etc). Then connect the video
to the telly in the normal way. Your antenna might need upgrading as
the digital signal is far more demanding than good ol' analogue. see
here for some info:
http://www.aerialsandtv.com/digitaltv.html#digitalmyths

And if your vcr has a choice of speeds, always try to use SP (unless,
say, you want a few films on the one cassette). The other speeds tend
to be incompatible when exchanging tapes between decks and any
misalignment of the tape path or dropouts in the tape are magnified.
With used VHS tapes freeely available, it makes no sense to skimp by
using some stupid low speed .
HTH.
- B
 
On Jan 5, 7:00 am, b <reverend_rog...@yahoo.com> wrote:
On Dec 11 2011, 2:47 pm, klem kedidelhopper

captainvideo462...@gmail.com> wrote:
I used to run my cable and antenna through my VCR and record my
programs and then watch them on my old TV. Well now since the recent
digital transition I can no longer do that, so I was wondering if
anyone knows if it's possible or has ever managed to get a composite
video signal out of a flat screen TV? It seems as though I recall that
this was available on some of the older tube sets but I've never seen
it on a flat screen. Obviously I really don't give a damn about HD. I
would just like to record my programs on my VCR. I realize that
building ground, and live chassis issues would have to be dealt with
but aside from that can it be done? I just fixed up a Visio VP322 that
a customer left here and I plan on using this set in our living room.

I still record on videotape (a proven medium after all) - picture
quality can be perfectly satisfactory for recording off tv. I don't
want everything on a hard drive that is likely to fail and I lose
everything. I've seen so many portable HDDs fail it's not even funny,
so I'd avoid that route if you want to capture important things.

You will need any cheap set top digital box, just plug the antenna
into it and use the box's AV out to connect to the line in of the
video (often called A1, A2, EXT, E1, E2, etc). Then connect the video
to the telly in the normal way. Your antenna might need upgrading as
the digital signal is far more demanding than good ol' analogue. see
here for some info:http://www.aerialsandtv.com/digitaltv.html#digitalmyths

And if your vcr has a choice of speeds, always try to use SP (unless,
say, you want a few films on the one cassette). The other speeds tend
to be incompatible when exchanging tapes between decks and any
misalignment of the tape path or dropouts in the tape are magnified.
With used VHS tapes freeely available, it makes no sense to skimp by
using some stupid low speed .
HTH.
- B
Click to expand...
You may be right but I started this thread because I have a smallish
apartment and cant stand all those huge cassettes cluttering up the
place. We have piles and piles of them and the whole apartment is
overrun with VHS tapes either in layers or separately but all looking
the same! Especially the kids ones which are PAL and which the kids
seem to prefer watching on an Archos 5, especially in a car. not only
that, but if you want to skip to a bit of the tape where your primary
film is or some 30 minute TV show is, it takes an age to do this. Not
to mention find the right tape to do it!!

(Back in the good old days when VCRs were sophisticated, you used to
be able to mark a bit of the tape and go straight to it in a mere five
minutes).

In the 21st Century it seems to be impossible to get a child to put a
tape in a VCR and wind to the relevant bit rather than open a screen
and see a few dozen films on it and touch-flo to the one they want.

This was why I was musing why no one except the cable companies had
brought out lines of sophisticated HDD VCRs
 
On Jan 6, 6:58 pm, myfathersson <licensedtoqu...@gmail.com> wrote:
..  not only
that, but if you want to skip to a bit of the tape where your primary
film is or some 30 minute TV show is, it takes an age to do this.  Not
to mention find the right tape to do it!!

(Back in the good old days when VCRs were sophisticated, you used to
be able to mark a bit of the tape and go straight to it in a mere five
minutes).
Click to expand...
the trick is to use a vcr with real time counter (nearly all made
since about 1990 have this). write a note on the tape box of the start
point time of key sections. Then all you have to do is insert the
tape, rewind if need be, then use the 'goto' or 'time search'
function, or just keep an eye on the counter in ff. sounds complicated
compared to dvd, but if you've done it a few times it gets to be
second nature.

Another wise move might be to dub a compilation tape (or a few) of the
most common programme material, to save hunting thru countless
casettes.
-B
 
On Jan 6, 3:39 pm, b <reverend_rog...@yahoo.com> wrote:
On Jan 6, 6:58 pm, myfathersson <licensedtoqu...@gmail.com> wrote:
.  not only

that, but if you want to skip to a bit of the tape where your primary
film is or some 30 minute TV show is, it takes an age to do this.  Not
to mention find the right tape to do it!!

(Back in the good old days when VCRs were sophisticated, you used to
be able to mark a bit of the tape and go straight to it in a mere five
minutes).

the trick is to use a vcr with real time counter (nearly all made
since about 1990 have this). write a note on the tape box of the start
point time of key sections. Then all you have to do is insert the
tape, rewind if need be, then use the 'goto' or 'time search'
function, or just keep an eye on the counter in ff. sounds complicated
compared to dvd, but if you've done it a few times it gets to be
second nature.

Another wise move might be to dub a compilation tape (or a few) of the
most common programme material, to save hunting thru countless
casettes.
-B
Click to expand...
Aint dat da truth!! I still remember my first tape remaining indicator
back in the mid 1990s and wondering why anyone would want to use a
tape counter after using it for more than 5 minutes! And in truth,
another reason for keeoing on using my Iomega Ditto drives is that no
one is likely ever to be able to steal anything off them
 
On Jan 5, 4:00 am, b <reverend_rog...@yahoo.com> wrote:
On Dec 11 2011, 2:47 pm, klem kedidelhopper

captainvideo462...@gmail.com> wrote:
I used to run my cable and antenna through my VCR and record my
programs and then watch them on my old TV. Well now since the recent
digital transition I can no longer do that, so I was wondering if
anyone knows if it's possible or has ever managed to get a composite
video signal out of a flat screen TV? It seems as though I recall that
this was available on some of the older tube sets but I've never seen
it on a flat screen. Obviously I really don't give a damn about HD. I
would just like to record my programs on my VCR. I realize that
building ground, and live chassis issues would have to be dealt with
but aside from that can it be done? I just fixed up a Visio VP322 that
a customer left here and I plan on using this set in our living room.

I still record on videotape (a proven medium after all) - picture
quality can be perfectly satisfactory for recording off tv. I don't
want everything on a hard drive that is likely to fail and I lose
everything. I've seen so many portable HDDs fail it's not even funny,
so I'd avoid that route if you want to capture important things.

You will need any cheap set top digital box, just plug the antenna
into it and use the box's AV out to connect to the line in of the
video (often called A1, A2, EXT, E1, E2, etc). Then connect the video
to the telly in the normal way. Your antenna might need upgrading as
the digital signal is far more demanding than good ol' analogue. see
here for some info:http://www.aerialsandtv.com/digitaltv.html#digitalmyths

And if your vcr has a choice of speeds, always try to use SP (unless,
say, you want a few films on the one cassette). The other speeds tend
to be incompatible when exchanging tapes between decks and any
misalignment of the tape path or dropouts in the tape are magnified.
With used VHS tapes freeely available, it makes no sense to skimp by
using some stupid low speed .
HTH.
- B
Click to expand...
On January 1 KTLA TV reran the 1982 Rose Parade. I recorded it and
took it to work so we could 'appreciate' the cameras which were indeed
as good as possible in the day. KTLA has a well deserved reputation of
doing the best engineering on the parade. The 2012 parade the next day
was so massively better it's hard to believe. If you think a VCR is
satisfactory it's obviously your choice but the DVR kicks its butt on
ANY parameter you care to measure. I've had more lost video from
tape / machine failures than loss from bad disk drives - zero lost on
drives in 7 years. As for disk drive failures, DON"T BANG THEM when
they're running. I 'share' HD OTA recordings with some guys at work.
They like the shows with no commercials. Oh yeah, impossible to do
with tape and no generation loss. Tape is a proven medium? So is a
typewriter - and an 8 track - who cares?

G˛
 
On Jan 6, 9:58 am, myfathersson <licensedtoqu...@gmail.com> wrote:
On Jan 5, 7:00 am, b <reverend_rog...@yahoo.com> wrote:





On Dec 11 2011, 2:47 pm, klem kedidelhopper

captainvideo462...@gmail.com> wrote:
I used to run my cable and antenna through my VCR and record my
programs and then watch them on my old TV. Well now since the recent
digital transition I can no longer do that, so I was wondering if
anyone knows if it's possible or has ever managed to get a composite
video signal out of a flat screen TV? It seems as though I recall that
this was available on some of the older tube sets but I've never seen
it on a flat screen. Obviously I really don't give a damn about HD. I
would just like to record my programs on my VCR. I realize that
building ground, and live chassis issues would have to be dealt with
but aside from that can it be done? I just fixed up a Visio VP322 that
a customer left here and I plan on using this set in our living room.

I still record on videotape (a proven medium after all) - picture
quality can be perfectly satisfactory for recording off tv. I don't
want everything on a hard drive that is likely to fail and I lose
everything. I've seen so many portable HDDs fail it's not even funny,
so I'd avoid that route if you want to capture important things.

You will need any cheap set top digital box, just plug the antenna
into it and use the box's AV out to connect to the line in of the
video (often called A1, A2, EXT, E1, E2, etc). Then connect the video
to the telly in the normal way. Your antenna might need upgrading as
the digital signal is far more demanding than good ol' analogue. see
here for some info:http://www.aerialsandtv.com/digitaltv.html#digitalmyths

And if your vcr has a choice of speeds, always try to use SP (unless,
say, you want a few films on the one cassette). The other speeds tend
to be incompatible when exchanging tapes between decks and any
misalignment of the tape path or dropouts in the tape are magnified.
With used VHS tapes freeely available, it makes no sense to skimp by
using some stupid low speed .
HTH.
- B

You may be right but I started this thread because I have a smallish
apartment and cant stand all those huge cassettes cluttering up the
place.  We have piles and piles of them and the whole apartment is
overrun with VHS tapes either in layers or separately but all looking
the same! Especially the kids ones which are PAL and which the kids
seem to prefer watching on an Archos 5, especially in a car.  not only
that, but if you want to skip to a bit of the tape where your primary
film is or some 30 minute TV show is, it takes an age to do this.  Not
to mention find the right tape to do it!!

(Back in the good old days when VCRs were sophisticated, you used to
be able to mark a bit of the tape and go straight to it in a mere five
minutes).

In the 21st Century it seems to be impossible to get a child to put a
tape in a VCR and wind to the relevant bit rather than open a screen
and see a few dozen films on it and touch-flo to the one they want.

This was why I was musing why no one except the cable companies had
brought out lines of sophisticated HDD VCRs
Click to expand...
Just as an FYI, one 3 TB USB drive can hold 700+ 1 hour HD TV shows OR
2000+ HOURS of std def. That is a LOT of cassette storage. And the
picture is DVD quality (if you captured good material) in SD and
BluRay for the HD. If you keep your file names orderly you can find
things much more easily than with tapes.

G˛
 
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