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Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
11/06/09
You're paying extra for the fancy user friendly interface. You can build an atom based htpc cheaper but you'd have to load software and configure, this is just plug and play. #mykaion
10/31/09
If all you're doing is recording shows to watch later then it's not any more illegal than using a VCR.
Legal issues only become a problem if you want to start building a long term/permanent library of shows and/or start sharing them with your friends and family.
That's not to say recording off the TV is legal. Strictly speaking it's not. You're still making a copy you don't have permission to make.
Similarly if we interpreted the license that comes with CDs/MP3s and DVDs in the strictest sense. Then loaning a DVD you have bought is illegal and leakage from your MP3 player headphones can pass for a public performance.
Personally I stopped worrying about these legal issues a long time ago. When I can no longer enjoy the music, TV and movies I watch because of draconian DRM or legal restrictions I'll simply find something else to fill my time. Which is what everybody else should do.
So in the end the only people that lose out are the idiots trying to shake every single penny from our pockets. #htpcs
10/31/09
A representative for the RIAA appeared at my cousin's school a few years ago to talk about illegal downloading, copying music and the like. Someone brought up fair-use, and an additional question was asked - "I can make one backup copy, and if my archive is destroyed can I legally use my backup?" To which the answer was yes. "If my archive is destroyed, but I still own it, can I copy someone else's CD as my backup?", Of course the answer is No, even though the end result is the same - A license and media is purchased, a copy is made, the archive is destroyed, user plays copy instead. The fact is, you are buying a package of license and media, and agreeing to the rules before you even read them.
Basic Point: Record TV shows all you like. No one's gonna bust you for it, but if you want to follow the letter of the law, you're prolly gonna need a lawyer. #htpcs
10/31/09
10/31/09
IR adapter upstairs, External USB Drive, External USB LCD display all in a small extruded aluminum project box which sits on a shelf under my TV. I have a Harmony remote programmed for Windows Media Center.
Completely quiet experience. no fan noise, etc. No restrictions on processor type, HD size, # of DVD drives, etc. Running Vista, hasn't crashed once. The only issue are the mandatory big updates sometimes hangs the system on reboot. I use it as a DVR box, but mostly don't see the frontend - I use it through the Xbox Media Extender more in both the living room and the bedroom. #htpcs
10/31/09
10/31/09
10/31/09
The Aeon skin is really nice, here's the url; [xbmc.org] #htpcs
10/31/09
10/27/09
Revision3 has already been announced. Pandora and Flickr were leaked in the process.
TWiT via MediaFly has also been announced.
Until the usability of the USB port is defined, it's hard to justify $30 for WiFi-N. #rokuhdxr
10/27/09
First of all, I see no market for the Roku SD model. Composite video is OK for folks still using old CRT monitors -- but then again, how many of those folks would have any idea what a Roku was anyway. And by saving $20 now, anyone would be locking themselves out of being able to upgrade the to HD if they upgrade their TV in the future.
As for the HD-XR, $30 is way too much extra to charge for just the wireless-N card. In fact, this should have been the minimal replacement for the original Roku HD at the same price point. I don't know if Roku intends to keep the HD and the HD-XR on the market simultaneously for long, but it seems like the HD should be dis-continued now. I'll have to wait until the firmware upgrade to see what the HD-XR is really bringing to the table, but right now I feel silly for anxiously awaiting this upgrade.
What would really seal the deal for me would be access to streaming media from a NAS or home server. Maybe then I could finally replace my aging XBOX (original) running XBMC (but probably not!)
10/27/09
There's something to be said for simplicity and hardware that doesn't aim over the heads of the populace. The $20 saved on buying an SD model (for an SD TV owner) is a little over two months of Netflix membership.
The Roku fills a sweet spot for people who want more content but may not have the knowledge, or need, for HTPCs, NASs, extensive codec support, etc. Even a lot of SD content via the Roku is better than a pile of confusing equipment and acronyms for someone who, like my mom, just wants to enjoy episodes of British comedies, Law & Order and a few movies now and then. She is among those that might eventually have to buy an HDTV, but actually couldn't care less about 720 or 1080, and just wants to enjoy the content. I strongly suspect that there are a lot of folks out there in that demographic who are capable of setting up a Roku, and who would not scoff at a selection of SD content. #rokuhdxr
10/27/09
However, it seems silly to me for Roku to devote resources to create a crippled version of their standard device for such a small cost savings. One of the great things I though Roku did was to release a single device with known abilities rather than sectioning up the market, causing confusion. Now, instead of just talking to someone about the 'Roku box', they will have to specify which box. I would have prefered a direct replacement upgrade of the Roku HD with the HD-XR rather than expanding it to a series.
As far as cost goes, $20 is a minimal savings. But what you loose is the ability to integrate the box into an HD or fully-digital system in the future. Instead, you would have to spend a fresh $100 (or $130). Right now, I can easily integrate the $100 Roku box into my home theatre with analog inputs, with the knowledge that when I upgrade my TV next year to HDMI, I won't have to buy a new box to go with it. Perhaps the Roku SD makes sense at ~$50, but not at $80. #rokuhdxr
10/27/09
10/24/09
Making it not free would obviously defeat the point. #hulu
10/23/09
10/23/09
10/23/09
Premium packages can cost $.
Simple as that.
Otherwise Hulu is a gonner. #hulu
10/23/09
I don't think that's unreasonable. #hulu
10/23/09
10/23/09
10/23/09
Full a la carte.
$.10-$.15/episode no commercials (watch once)
$.25-$.50/episode no commercials (own DRM free)
<$1.00 out of market sports and live events
I won't pay if I have to see a commercial.
More content.
No delay. #hulu
10/23/09
10/25/09
I'd pay if it let me replcae my cable. I'm fine with commercials as long as it is liveish and I can watch football in HD. #hulu
10/28/09
10/28/09
Live events, a commercial every once and a while is fine. There are far too many currently, and it is the single largest contributor to games lasting too long. Special programming, or first run stuff, I'd let you stick in a commercial as an intermission halfway through. Anything more than that is crap that I won't sit through. #hulu
10/23/09