Posts by Aidan
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Hard News: U: It's about the combos, in reply to Damian Christie,
I have MySky, have had since it first launched. But I make a reasonable amount of use of the +1 channels. Quite often, it’s the Sky +1 channels for 1 or 3 (501, 503), which I then use to MySky record something that I missed the start of, so that confuses the model somewhat I guess…
Don't quite understand, are you saying you have recordings which would overlap start and end, so you record them separately on +1 channels?
Or that you run out of tuners so record something on a later slot?
I ask because the first problem can be solved, but most PVRs don't manage to do it gracefully, unfortunately. The second problem is pretty much solved already as there exist PVRs with more physical tuners, or PVRs that have dual tuners but can record 2 streams from each. The tuner can only tune one "MUX" at a time, so the 2 streams have to be on the same MUX. Not sure how that works in NZ but in Aus that means 2 streams from a single "station", e.g. 2 ABC programs and 2 SBS programs can be recorded simultaneously.
As B Jones pointed out above, +1 can simply be handy, to catch something you don’t necessarily bother with enough to record but wouldn’t mind watching rather than whatever is on an hour later.
Apart from sport we just don't watch live TV for 5 years or so. Apart from live sport, and even then we sometimes chaseplay what little rugby they show on Aus free to air TV so we can skip through half time. And it's not to avoid ads, as we mostly watch ABC which doesn't have ads in the middle of programs.
PVRs can hoover up so much good content, often from times we wouldn't be able to watch anyway, that there is always something we choose to view waiting to be viewed.
Also, we don’t have Sky in our bedroom, which is where Harry watches a bit of morning kids’ telly while we have our coffee and try to cope with the fact it’s 6am.
There are some PVRs that can share pre-recorded content between them, or run as a server for a media player.
ABC2 is used to replay some popular content from ABC1 during the following week. I quite often record something at that later slot if I forget to set a timer the first time round. But this is curated, for popular shows. And of course there is always the catch up service which is brilliant.
A +1 channel is lazy and suits the TV station down to the ground. They provide a useful enough service, it is cheap as chips and they don't fracture their audience so their ad revenue suffers. Win for the TV station, loss for the consumer.
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The devil is in the detail. Another good article from arstechnica
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Hard News: The Real Threat, in reply to Sacha,
a safeguard not available with warrantless mass surveillance
Yep. Which was my point, but poorly made.
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Cripes. Makes Aus Freeview look pretty good
ABC1, ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24, SBS One (& HD version), SBS2, NITV, Seven, 7two, 7mate (HD), Nine, GEM (HD), GO!, Ten, One, 11.
Go here to get a feel for the content:
http://www.yourtv.com.au/guide/tonight/
The rationale for a +1 channel is dead in the water now that we have PVRs, and have done for many years. Of course the Freeview EPG licensing has very effectively hobbled PVR uptake by having few cheap models on the market.
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Hard News: The Real Threat, in reply to Keir Leslie,
Actually one of the striking things about the NoTW etc scandals was that the tabloids did partake of large chunks of nation state-ness (the government-tabloid complex.)
Yes, you're right. I'd argue this is what made it more pernicious, in that the security organs of the state were compromised and so failed to prosecute wrong-doing by the newspapers.
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Hard News: The Real Threat, in reply to Bart Janssen,
I’m sorry but I disagree. I think we’ve seen ample evidence of the harm, personal and political, that can be done by a tabloid newspaper. It’s worth noting that some of the media empires have revenues that are equivalent to nation states.
You don't have to be sorry, but you're wrong. Nation States charge people with offences and put them in jail. They issue arrest warrants and deny people their freedom. They act illegally and even when this illegality is discovered there are rarely consequences.
I think it is telling that corporations that thought Kim Dotcom might be infringing their copyright would choose to pursue him via the US Government rather than use civil proceedings. I am sure those companies do not lack financial resources.
Sure tabloids can ruin individuals lives, and have done so in the past. Some have even taken their own life. This is tragic and should not happen. But the power of the state is in a different league to shrill tabloids.
We are all happy that Jon Stephenson was not a genuine threat to the NZDF – but how can you expect them to be certain?
Honestly? I'd ask him. I'd take his word, and if he did something wrong, then I would seek to prosecute him. It seems to be a given that we need "Minority Report" style government, predicting bad outcomes and preventing them from occurring. In this case the cure is worse than the illness.
The point I’m making is that it is difficult to distinguish when it is appropriate, except after the fact. So how do we (the public) want it policed? What do we want to happen if they get it wrong, as in this case?
For the most part I don't see a problem. Journalists are currently not allowed to spy on people illegally. This is appropriate. If a source comes to them with information then they can act on that.
The Police can legally conduct surveillance on suspected criminals if they have sufficient evidence to convince a Judge that it is appropriate. Where is the problem?
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Hard News: The Real Threat, in reply to Bart Janssen,
Instead it’s the intent that makes the difference.
And power. There is literally no comparison to be made between a Nation State and tabloid newspaper.
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Hard News: The Real Threat, in reply to Sacha,
and which the GCSB’s stooge Inspector-General regards as “arguably” legal
This is an important point. For an agency whose oversight is secret, how can a counter-argument be made? In this case an Inspector-General has a duty to ensure that all actions are scrupulously legal. We should all have a pony too btw.
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Hard News: The Real Threat, in reply to Richard Aston,
Could we flood the GCSB with a withering array of minutia , recipes , what toothpaste we used this morning, how the asparagus is doing, what the cat bought in and yes how many sheets of dunny paper used per day.
There was a chap in the US who did this very thing. He was being watched by the authorities, but he didn't think it was justified, so he published ALL details of his existence online. Can't find it now.
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War Boner.
Who wouldn't be tempted ...