Engadget HD Podcast 111 - 11.12.2008
by Trent Wolbe 
posted Nov 12th 2008 at 11:00AM
We spend some time digressing on listener feedback before diving into a double-header of Windows 7 news -- evidence of DirecTV USB tuner support and native support for DivX and on-the-fly transcoding. Our story about the digital transition video gets us talking about the fast-approaching date, and we suspect that after CES in January we'll be seeing a torrent of more news on the topic. It's hard to believe the election was only a week ago, but we spend a little time talking about the coverage we took in to watch the results come in. Our newly-elected officials definitely will have to contend with getting consumer confidence back up, and we saw a reflection of this in our poll where about a third of you said the economy has made you diall down your HD purchasing frenzy. But even in a downturn, you've got to have some content to watch, and this week's "Ask Endgadget HD" feature saw a lot of you chime in on your preferred movie rental source. With Vudu claiming the HD title lead, the little box that could might be a contender for some of you; but unfortunately for us, disposable income (specifically, lack thereof) has put the Vudu in the "not right now" category.Get the podcast
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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim
Producer: Trent Wolbe
00:49 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 110 - 11.05.2008
19:05 - Windows 7 includes a driver for the DirecTV HDCP-20 USB tuner
22:01 - Windows 7 to natively support DivX and transcoding?
25:43 - Digital TV transition spoof video is both informative and hilarious
32:52 - A look at Election Night ratings: ABC gains, others lose
39:04 - Poll: Has "the economy" shaken your HD purchase plans?
40:34 - Ask Engadget HD: What's the best movie rental service?
41:47 - VUDU now home to 1,100 HD titles: "largest HD library in existence"
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John @ Nov 12th 2008 2:16PM
Got any guides or links to those RSS torrent feeds you were mentioning in the show?
Ben @ Nov 12th 2008 2:16PM
http://tvrss.net/search/
PaulF @ Nov 12th 2008 1:46PM
Ben,
Re: SageTV & Blu-ray: I just launch Total Media Theater from Sage...just like you do. My install of TMT plays the disc in about 10 seconds. I do use AnyDVD HD, but not for ripping, just to make Blu-ray friendly on the HTPC...maybe that's the difference.
S4Rs @ Nov 12th 2008 2:14PM
Hey Steve. If you install Tversity as a UPNP client, it will automatically transcode files that the PS3 doesn't support natively. I haven't tried it because I still have an 866 PIII PC at the moment, damn economy. But it can use directshow decode or FFdShow. It also gives you access to some online tv sites as well as similar access to your youtube account, and a bunch of other stuff. The nice thing is if your PC has enough horsepower, it will transcode on the fly any movie format you throw at it.
Anywho, Tversity and Playon when it gets netflix HD will be all you need with your PS3. I love sports though so I dont know how I could get rid of live TV. I will have to check out Dish or DirectTV for a sports only pack.
I will be spending most of tonight setting up RSS tv feeds.... Great podcast.
beagan @ Dec 5th 2008 1:15PM
Hey S4R, I know you stated that you haven't tried the method you suggested, but you seem to have the knowledge/confidence of how to do this. I'm a newbie to the podcast and only 6-months in with my HDTV and PS3. I'd very much like to learn more about getting shows from torrent sites on my PS3. Can you provide or direct me to a walk-thru process of how to get all of this working? Thank you!
Alton @ Nov 12th 2008 2:28PM
Ben check out Tvitty
Alton Marschall @ Nov 12th 2008 2:29PM
Tvitty = RSS TV feeds + Media Center you have to add your own rss source but it workswell for a alpha.
Alton Marschall @ Nov 12th 2008 2:30PM
Sorry forgot..
http://tvitty.com/
Keith @ Nov 12th 2008 3:17PM
Ben:
I don't care what you say, I still think the HTPC is the best all around device for viewing, streaming, & watching content both HD & SDT. While there is still some issues with Blu-ray (to some degree)on a HTPC, I never have a format problem using it. I still use my HD-DVD & PS3 for HD Discs.
You'll probably argue that its too much of a pain to navigate & use, but you can always customize windows (as well as Media Center) to a degree. Yes it could be much simpler. But the one thing I know vs every box out there is the the PC will be around a lot longer than any device.
Finally, for those that think Blu-Ray won't make it, the gift this christmas will be the cheap blu-Ray players. I know I am picking up at least 3 of them. 2 for relatives and another for myself for the master bedroom. And those I know who currently have HD TV's, a lot of them will be buying players or hoping that they get one.
Keith in Palm Beach Gardens
John @ Nov 12th 2008 4:36PM
Question for Ben when he's at MS in Redmond. What going on with MC and SDV and cablecard. Is there a new tuner coming out for "tru-2-way" or a tuner which can use the multiple decoding of the M-Card?
John
Mehar @ Nov 12th 2008 5:10PM
Here you go:
http://www.direct2drive.com/buy-movies-download
Mehar @ Nov 12th 2008 5:10PM
Here you go:
http://www.direct2drive.com/buy-movies-download
Mehar @ Nov 12th 2008 5:12PM
Whoops, that wasn't supposed to happen!
Bit Torrent:
http://www.bittorrent.com/search?q=HD&category=All
A bit hard to find unless you know what your looking for
Direct2Drive:
http://www.direct2drive.com/buy-movies-download
Dennis @ Nov 12th 2008 5:51PM
Question for the boys in Redmond: I use two monitors for Media Center. One connects to my plasma via DVI and the second one to a VGA monitor. When I run MC on the plasma it locks my cursor to that monitor in full screen mode. Will Win7 allow me to move the mouse between the 2 monitors. I use Crestron e-control executables and use the VGA monitor for that purpose and to do so in Visa I have to switch MC to windowed mode, yuck.
Mitchell @ Nov 12th 2008 9:46PM
Ben,
So let me get this straight....
You went and purchased a Dell XPS with CC. You paid a high premium for for this system. We all know a Quad core PC is not required to play 2D video! lol. Im guessing you pry paid $1200.00 for your XPS. When you were buying it you said you HAD TO HAVE a direct digital copy of your HD. Thats why you played of the HD-PVR because what you got on your HTPC was a second gen copy (Digital -> analog(component) -> Digital H.264). I would prefer the HD-PVR as I can commercial flag the h.264 from the HD-PVR but not from CC.
Now, your going to cancel FIOS TV and go OTA (I agree best way to go) and supplement with RSS torrent because the h.264 rips are "as good as the broadcast".
You are contradicting yourself! How is the H.264 torrent good enough but the HD-PVR isnt? You could of built or bought a Dell and used VMC, Sage, Beyond, or Myth and gotten the same thing. Many of those rippers are pry using the HD-PVR.
So are you just bitting the bullet of the money you wasted or am i missing something?
###############
Zoran, I have the 50' HDMI cable driving my projector from the HTPC (MythTV) from monoprice, Works great. I have added a switch from monoprice as well and it still works. Maybe my nVidia 6150 (DVI->HDMI) has more power than your PS3.
Mitchell
AndyS @ Nov 13th 2008 12:05AM
Thanks for bringing up my question RE: DVD streaming. Just to clarify, I meant streaming ripped DVDs (and/or Blu-Rays). I know MS will most not directly support this, but the linked file hacks available today are not worth the effort right now to me, plus you lose a lot of the functionality of the disc doing it this way (menus, options, etc).
I'll suspect I'll just end up building another HTPC just to be able to do this instead of using extenders.
Starkenator @ Nov 14th 2008 9:49AM
Hey Ben, did that update for the TV pack not fix any of your issues? Also some feature requests for the guys at Redmond for W7MC:
1. Have the ability to send to Zune/iPod/PSP/other device etc. from within MC (go to recorded TV, select show, send to Zune)
2. Have a burn to Blu-ray/AVCHD option from within MC
3. Hulu and Netflix HD streaming in MC
timwprice @ Nov 16th 2008 7:41AM
USAToday ran an article "A Christmas Miracle?" on Friday. It was about a big Blu-ray meeting with movie producers and hardware manufacturers trying to put a good spin on holiday sales.
This quote surprised me a little:
"Executives agreed it is still the early days of Blu-ray because it was only February when the high-definition format beat out Toshiba Corp.-backed HD DVD. Last week, the consortium kicked off a $25 million TV ad campaign to push Blu-ray, acknowledging in part that half the people it polled in a recent survey didn't know the format war was over."
I guess it depends on who they polled. But assuming they polled people who might have at least a passing interest in HD, 50% seems really high! If the people they polled knew there was a "war", how could they not know it was over???
How do we get a copy of that survey?
Chris @ Nov 15th 2008 9:23PM
Hey Ben,
This holiday season I want to add an additional Blu-Ray player and move my present 1.1 to the bedroom. I have a great Denon receiver but is does not handle the new codecs so I need the player to do the decoding. I was around $300 but the best sound and video quality. What do you suggest Sony Playstation (I really do not care about the games), Panasonic DMP-BD55 or Sony BDP-S550? Or are these any other to look at?
joek112 @ Nov 19th 2008 8:35PM
Okay Ben, I'll bite.. and listen to your podcast this week to get the details of your trip.... Please spill the beans and give us the details of 7MC and DirecTV intergration!!
......And I though the HDPC-20 was dead.... silly me.