I'm Back!
DOOManiac
Worst. Critic. Ever. Join Date: 2002-04-17 Member: 462Members, NS1 Playtester
Worst. Critic. Ever. Join Date: 2002-04-17 Member: 462Members, NS1 Playtester
<div class="IPBDescription">And I've got some new toys!</div>Hey guys. Doubt anyone noticed, but I've been gone since Thursday.
Well, not really gone, as I didn't go anywhere, but I haven't been online. And there's a reason! I've bought some new toys with my tax refund combined with 18 months no interest deals. :D
- <a href='http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=KV27HS420&Dept=tvvideo&CategoryName=tv_27%22to32%22TVs' target='_blank'>Sony 27" HD Monitor</a> HDTV
- Vaio <a href='http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/default.mspx' target='_blank'>Windows Media Center</a> PC, solely for said HDTV.
- A spiffy <a href='http://www.gyration.com/ultragt-compact.htm' target='_blank'>wireless keyboard and mouse you can use in the air</a> (it has a gyroscope)!
- HD DVR box from Cox Cable ($7 extra a month, box is free, woohoo).
- Misc. cables to hook it all up.
First off, let me tell you, X-Box games in 1080i... mm... they look good. Especially Ninja Gaiden.
And HDTV...
The reason for the Windows Media PC you ask? Mainly, its a DVD player. From everyone I talk to, the upsampling (and thus, visual quality) that a PC can do when playing DVDs is loads better than even high end DVD players, and I can say that yes, it does look quite good. Of course a major bonus is it can play any divx/xvid/mpeg4/etc too. And MAME stuff. One unexpected bonus that I didn't even think about was web browsing from the couch, its strangely different and relaxing...
Why the Vaio? I loved the case. It looks like a piece of home electronics that belongs in the living room, and not just a PC. Its also insanely quiet most of the time. Only when you're doing something very CPU intensive does the fan have to rev up enough for you to even hear it. And since I didn't have the parts laying around that I actually needed, it was CHEAPER to buy it off the shelf than to build it piece by piece. And god damn I love that case.
So, why was I gone for four days?
Well, all is not well in paradise; at least it wasn't right from the start.
While the PC works fine as it is now, its stuck in 640x480, and that's disappointing because I really should be able to do hi-res stuff. It still looks better any other time I've ever hooked a PC up to a TV though. I've still got a few things left to try in regards to that though...
Right now I'm also wrestling w/ an annoying buzzing sound coming from the TV whenever I'm using the DVR box or the PC, a buzzing which I have now come to know as <a href='http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/avhardware/groundloopcableTV.php' target='_blank'>Ground Loop</a>. I tried to go to Radio Shack today to acquire the parts necessary to remedy this problem, however the store was closed due to the celebration of drinking the chocolate blood of Jesus eggs or something. I'm sure I'll fix it.
Pics coming soon, after the living room is cleaned up and all components are hooked up and etc.
[edit]
On a side note... You stop checking your email for 3 days, you come back and there's 14 mails in your inbox from your mom... ugh...
[/edit]
Well, not really gone, as I didn't go anywhere, but I haven't been online. And there's a reason! I've bought some new toys with my tax refund combined with 18 months no interest deals. :D
- <a href='http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=KV27HS420&Dept=tvvideo&CategoryName=tv_27%22to32%22TVs' target='_blank'>Sony 27" HD Monitor</a> HDTV
- Vaio <a href='http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/default.mspx' target='_blank'>Windows Media Center</a> PC, solely for said HDTV.
- A spiffy <a href='http://www.gyration.com/ultragt-compact.htm' target='_blank'>wireless keyboard and mouse you can use in the air</a> (it has a gyroscope)!
- HD DVR box from Cox Cable ($7 extra a month, box is free, woohoo).
- Misc. cables to hook it all up.
First off, let me tell you, X-Box games in 1080i... mm... they look good. Especially Ninja Gaiden.
And HDTV...
The reason for the Windows Media PC you ask? Mainly, its a DVD player. From everyone I talk to, the upsampling (and thus, visual quality) that a PC can do when playing DVDs is loads better than even high end DVD players, and I can say that yes, it does look quite good. Of course a major bonus is it can play any divx/xvid/mpeg4/etc too. And MAME stuff. One unexpected bonus that I didn't even think about was web browsing from the couch, its strangely different and relaxing...
Why the Vaio? I loved the case. It looks like a piece of home electronics that belongs in the living room, and not just a PC. Its also insanely quiet most of the time. Only when you're doing something very CPU intensive does the fan have to rev up enough for you to even hear it. And since I didn't have the parts laying around that I actually needed, it was CHEAPER to buy it off the shelf than to build it piece by piece. And god damn I love that case.
So, why was I gone for four days?
Well, all is not well in paradise; at least it wasn't right from the start.
While the PC works fine as it is now, its stuck in 640x480, and that's disappointing because I really should be able to do hi-res stuff. It still looks better any other time I've ever hooked a PC up to a TV though. I've still got a few things left to try in regards to that though...
Right now I'm also wrestling w/ an annoying buzzing sound coming from the TV whenever I'm using the DVR box or the PC, a buzzing which I have now come to know as <a href='http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/avhardware/groundloopcableTV.php' target='_blank'>Ground Loop</a>. I tried to go to Radio Shack today to acquire the parts necessary to remedy this problem, however the store was closed due to the celebration of drinking the chocolate blood of Jesus eggs or something. I'm sure I'll fix it.
Pics coming soon, after the living room is cleaned up and all components are hooked up and etc.
[edit]
On a side note... You stop checking your email for 3 days, you come back and there's 14 mails in your inbox from your mom... ugh...
[/edit]
Comments
On a side note... You stop checking your email for 3 days, you come back and there's 14 mails in your inbox from your mom... ugh...
[/edit] <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
dude, gimme my mom back!
Guess what else I got?
Jury duty. :X
On a side note... You stop checking your email for 3 days, you come back and there's 14 mails in your inbox from your mom... ugh...
[/edit] <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
dude, gimme my mom back! <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
So that's who they cloned mine from!
the rest of it rocks.
how is the spify gyroscopic mouse?<!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--><!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
and my god, radio shack closing <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> (my shack never closes, god it sucks)
pft, mine didn't.
Guess what else I got?
Jury duty. :X <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It sucks but there are some pretty easy ways to get disqualified for it if you really wanted to.
Thansal... do you WANT to be out of a job?
Guess what else I got?
Jury duty. :X <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It sucks but there are some pretty easy ways to get disqualified for it if you really wanted to.
Thansal... do you WANT to be out of a job? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
yah, like stating that you think being an idiot should be punishable by hanging.
And no, I just wana have a different one <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> (preferably not one in retail)
And I am working on it, slowely...
Jury duty. :X <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It sucks but there are some pretty easy ways to get disqualified for it if you really wanted to.
Thansal... do you WANT to be out of a job? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
yah, like stating that you think being an idiot should be punishable by hanging.
And no, I just wana have a different one <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> (preferably not one in retail)
And I am working on it, slowely... <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
There was a jury in florida that still was allowed to stay. Even though it was possibly the worst jury ever. A crackhead, a fundamentalist, a redneck and several other bad characters. I can't find the link though.
As for getting out of retail. Whatever dost thou speak of, o Thansal? Is not retail the most delighting of occupations? Are customers not the most pleasant of people?
Far far spiffier than I ever imagined. I highly recommend it (and the keyboard) to anyone who has a PC hooked up as a home theatre device. It also has a laser in it to act as a traditional mouse when not being used in the air, and my couch is a suprisingly good mousing surface. The only downside to the thing is that you have to put the reciever (its radio based) far from the PC, your tv, and well, anything electronic, otherwise your reception goes to crap.
<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
ooh! i noticed!
welcome back enjoy your new toys!
And I am working on it, slowely... <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Not to derail too far, but you need the job of this girl at the mall up here in Madison. She works most of the time at one of the little kiosks that no one ever visits. And sits there with a notebook and wireless adapter playing World of Warcraft. On top of that, she also works at GameStop (software etc., technically, but same company) and thus gets discounted games there.
I on the other hand don't get paid to play WoW and only get discounted (though uberly so, at least, heh) games from one publisher. I told our lead designer the other day on the way to lunch that I'm putting in my two weeks and going for those jobs <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
does that count?
These forums look like crap in 640x480, heh.
Heh, it's hard not to miss those random off topic threads you re-post from slashdot and so forth <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> Welcome back all the same, and remind your mom that you have a cellphone she can call, saves reading 14 messages.
Somethings wrong here. <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Like people paying $11k for a pair of headphones.
Did you get the spiffy Microsoft Media Centre remote thingy?
EDIT: ONE THOUSANDTH POST I THINK!!!! I'M FINALLY NOT A NOBODY! I'M A SOMEBODY!
Anyways, I am torn between being angry that more entertainment equimpent means less espionage development... yet the media PC means doom no longer has to get up when he is on fire since his tv thing is recording all his shows anyways...
SO TORN!
Though, damn, the whole package looks like a blast.
Capitalism lives on!
But the little people in my magical picture box tell me that saving is bad and spending is good! SPENDING HELPS THE ECONOMY RIGHT? RIGHT?
That is the only feeling I feel right now. :X
I took the media center PC back, because I found out that when its playing in 640x480 its really no better than a regular old 480p (regular progressive scan) player. A $1500 480p player is no good deal, so I decided to part ways with it and just get a really nice upsampling (to 720p or 1080i) player. I hadn't realized how much money I had spent on the thing either until the cashier finished giving me a refund. So yeah, its better (financially anyway) that I returned it, even though it does leave me a little sad.
But now onto the frustration part...
The new DVD player, which has HDMI output (the current highest OMG quality you can get), isn't working too great either. I dunno if its my TV, or the player, or the HDMI standards, or what, but when I go into 720p or 1080i mode the tv goes to 16:9 mode even though its a 4:3 tv. What's worse is that when it plays a widescreen dvd, it widescreens the already widescreen video. Meaning Kill Bill and The Matrix look almost like a 2:1 ratio. Just... ugh.
So now I'm thinking I may have to bite the bullet and just get a better, bigger, 16:9 TV. That or live with 480p, but really we can't do that now can we? I mean hell that's barely even HD. But the thing is so god damn heavy, I can't lift it, and my friend (who can) is going to Texas for 5 days, but I only have 14 days to return it... :X ugh.
Note: I'll repost the penny arcade comic that Elven posted when I get home and can look at my IRC logs
<a href='http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2002-11-25&res=l' target='_blank'>Post Sniped</a>!
Anyways, on to an update...
I have since learned that it turns out 720p and 1080i are widescreen-only modes. That is why using those modes caused my tv to act as if it was 16:9. And then when I told the DVD player I had a 4:3, it thought "oh, well you need these bars then" and it 32:9'ed my 4:3 tv. Ratios suck.
So, now that I'm all fine and **** now that I've realized:
1) I won't be able to use the high res mode of my dvd player
2) i won't be able to use the high res mode of my digital cable box and
3) I will never ever get a pc to hook up to the monitor successfully
The solution? Returning the TV.
In fact, I've already bought another TV. And since I returned the media center PC, my budget was much more than it was the first time I was TV shopping. And I've also learned the hard way that you get what you pay for.
Say hello to my <a href='http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/product/b2c_product_detail.jsp?eUser=&prod_id=HLP5063WX%2fXAA' target='_blank'>new little baby</a>.
- HDMI Input (DVD player)
- DVI Input (Cable Box, after I get a dvi cable)
- VGA input (if I ever hook a PC up to it)
- 2x Component Input (PS2 and X-Box)
- 3x S-Video Input (Gamecube, NES, SNES)
<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/style_images/TSA_Skin-975/icon12.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
It arrives on Thursday. I can't wait! :D