Cost of a PDVR
That's a personal digital video recorder for all you non-geeks.
See, I have a laptop. I have a portable storage device capable of holding 320GB (I think) worth of data. I don't have a PDVR. I want a PDVR so that I can watch TV on my nice new TV, and record another show at the same time if there's a conflict in TV schedules.
So, what do I do?
Answer:
Step 1: Google "how do I use my laptop as a DVD recorder?"
Step 2: Find the cheapest USB DVBT tuner I can get on ebay.
Step 3: Bid, win, receive said cheapest USB DVBT tuner from ebay seller.
Step 4: Panic over the fact that the antenna port on the USB device is a mini-port, and my regular coaxial cable won't fit, and hence I can't use my rooftop antenna. The mini-antenna supplied is complete shite.
Step 5: Search discount shops for an adaptor to change that mini RF port into a normal coaxial port. Failed, no go.
Step 6: Search ebay for said adaptor. $2.99 (incl. postage).
Step 7: Bid, win, receive said adaptor.
Step 8: Buy antenna splitter.
Step 9: Panic over the fact that my wall socket does not match the splitter's ports.
Step 10: Head to electronics shop to buy antenna adaptor.
Step 11: Realised that I needed the adaptor pack instead of just an adaptor (just the way the wall outlet is set up, that requires 2 adaptors, $4.85 for one & $3.98 for another vs $6.99 for an adaptor pack which includes 5 adaptors).
Step 12: Return adaptor and exchanged for adaptor pack.
Viola! All the makings of a PDVR at my hands, all I had to do was install everything and test. SUCCESS!*
* I didn't actually carry out the steps in that order, it was really more like 1 - 6, first half of 7 (bid & win), 8 - 11, second half of 7 (receive), 12.
Cost of a DVD recorder that might not contain a digital tuner: $103.13 (bought one previously, only has an analogue tuner)
Cost of a setting up a PDVR with existing laptop & external storage: $21.97 + heaps of time waiting for arrival of different parts
Other costs (required, no matter which I option I chose. I.e. antenna splitter + adaptor pack): $13.98
I definitely think I did the right thing. Although I've realised that I can't receive HD channels too well (audio doesn't seem to work), I CAN receive digital channels, and that's good enough :)
_____________________________________________________________________________
In other news, I don't think I've ever felt worse at work than today. I might have, just that the memory probably has dimmed with time. But today, I almost tendered my resignation there and then.
Apparently I was told off for going for my medical appointment (she said that I went home, but she didn't bother checking, did she?) at close of business hours because I was given inaccurate information about a crisis. From the information I was given, I decided it wasn't urgent, but the person giving the information did not have the entire story/details straight to begin with. And after I got the full story today, it's not even my problem to deal with anyway, but it was MY FAULT because I knew about the issue but didn't follow up.
Again. WTF.
Just in case you don't get the tags (I know you aren't idiots, but just in case!), it's a techno squee and work rant. :P
See, I have a laptop. I have a portable storage device capable of holding 320GB (I think) worth of data. I don't have a PDVR. I want a PDVR so that I can watch TV on my nice new TV, and record another show at the same time if there's a conflict in TV schedules.
So, what do I do?
Answer:
Step 1: Google "how do I use my laptop as a DVD recorder?"
Step 2: Find the cheapest USB DVBT tuner I can get on ebay.
Step 3: Bid, win, receive said cheapest USB DVBT tuner from ebay seller.
Step 4: Panic over the fact that the antenna port on the USB device is a mini-port, and my regular coaxial cable won't fit, and hence I can't use my rooftop antenna. The mini-antenna supplied is complete shite.
Step 5: Search discount shops for an adaptor to change that mini RF port into a normal coaxial port. Failed, no go.
Step 6: Search ebay for said adaptor. $2.99 (incl. postage).
Step 7: Bid, win, receive said adaptor.
Step 8: Buy antenna splitter.
Step 9: Panic over the fact that my wall socket does not match the splitter's ports.
Step 10: Head to electronics shop to buy antenna adaptor.
Step 11: Realised that I needed the adaptor pack instead of just an adaptor (just the way the wall outlet is set up, that requires 2 adaptors, $4.85 for one & $3.98 for another vs $6.99 for an adaptor pack which includes 5 adaptors).
Step 12: Return adaptor and exchanged for adaptor pack.
Viola! All the makings of a PDVR at my hands, all I had to do was install everything and test. SUCCESS!*
* I didn't actually carry out the steps in that order, it was really more like 1 - 6, first half of 7 (bid & win), 8 - 11, second half of 7 (receive), 12.
Cost of a DVD recorder that might not contain a digital tuner: $103.13 (bought one previously, only has an analogue tuner)
Cost of a setting up a PDVR with existing laptop & external storage: $21.97 + heaps of time waiting for arrival of different parts
Other costs (required, no matter which I option I chose. I.e. antenna splitter + adaptor pack): $13.98
I definitely think I did the right thing. Although I've realised that I can't receive HD channels too well (audio doesn't seem to work), I CAN receive digital channels, and that's good enough :)
_____________________________________________________________________________
In other news, I don't think I've ever felt worse at work than today. I might have, just that the memory probably has dimmed with time. But today, I almost tendered my resignation there and then.
Apparently I was told off for going for my medical appointment (she said that I went home, but she didn't bother checking, did she?) at close of business hours because I was given inaccurate information about a crisis. From the information I was given, I decided it wasn't urgent, but the person giving the information did not have the entire story/details straight to begin with. And after I got the full story today, it's not even my problem to deal with anyway, but it was MY FAULT because I knew about the issue but didn't follow up.
Again. WTF.
Just in case you don't get the tags (I know you aren't idiots, but just in case!), it's a techno squee and work rant. :P