twoplustwoequalsblog

or, “time shifting is amazing”

While I was away at college first semester, my brother set up what is colloquially known as “tivo.” In actuality, his implementation of a PVR is based on a Linux application called MythTV. Basically, with some special hardware that lets us plug a coaxial cable into the back of our computer, and some other not-as-special hardware that lets us hook our computer up to the TV, we have created the “poor man’s tivo”, by which I mean the set-up’s retail value is a least twice as much. Luckily, we have more spare computers than most (sane) people.

However, the experience is really amazing. We have a wireless keyboard and mouse so we can do normal computer-y stuff, but it’s really the TV recording functionality that is the best. I just finished watching all 4 episodes of 24 that have aired this season, which is pretty cool because I didn’t even think to watch them when they were first on. Chris has his shows lying around, and I have mine, and we can both dabble. So there is this entire new wealth of content, and I don’t need to watch TV at college: I can come home and catch up.

The absolute best thing though, is automatic commercial detection and skipping. Watching 4 episodes of an hour long TV show normally takes 4 hours. I did it in a bit over three. The system will automatically go through the video files, decide where they are blank frames, and mark those as “commercials”. It then automatically jumps from the start of the commercials right to the end, usually without me even having to tell it that commercials began. Each time it does, it displays how much time ahead it jumped in the video file. The “3:31″ that displays gives me a particularly satisfying feeling, because it means that I have an extra three minutes and thirty one seconds in my life (times for or five commercial breaks per episode). Imagine what I can do with all the time that I am saving by not watching commercials! I could learn how to knit, or study a foreign language, or write blog entries!

Basically, if you have to choose between eating lots of trans fat and watching commercials, watch the commercials. But if you have the choice between eating lots of trans fat and not watching commercials, don’t watch the commercials.