Transcoding Topfield .rec files to DVD
I’ve read too many complicated guides about how to convert Topfield .rec recordings into DVDs. Many of them even re-encode the video. Recently I realized that mplayer nowadays supports .rec files, because they are simply mpeg transport streams dumped in a file. Now, how could I make mencoder transcode those into something DVD authoring software understands.
After some thinking, I came up with the following quick guide to encoding .rec files for DVD. No, I haven’t thought about how to handle subtitles (yet).
mencoder -oac copy -ovc copy -of mpeg -mpegopts format=dvd:tsaf -o foo.mpg foo.rec- Take your favorite DVD authoring software, and burn away
Quite simple, wouldn’t you say? Yes, it will break if the frame size is not correct. Yes, it will probably break in other ways as well. But it works for me.
2006-08-04Pluses and Minuses for my Treo 650
I have now used a Treo 650 for about a month. Time to sum up my experiences sofar.
Showstoppers
None sofar. This really is a Smartphone!
Things that I really want to get fixed
- Voice dialling using BT handsfree does not exist
- Sending and receiving business cards and calendar entries over messaging is not supported
- Entering scandinavian characters is way too tricky
Annoying things I can live with
- Versamail still doesn’t grok UTF-8 properly
- Landline phone numbers are not recognized when calls arrive
- Radio part is sub-par compared to other GSM phones, I know a few locations where the phone keeps losing network connectivity.
- Mixing WAP and Internet doesn’t work well, network settings must be changed every bloody time. Partially an operator issue.
- Voice quality occasionally sucks badly
- No receipts for SMS messages (only for MMS messages)
Cool things
- SMS chains are grouped into “chats”—Very Cool
- GPRS signon takes almost no time at all
- Datebook supports “Location”
- Photos of contacts sync with Outlook
- Personal ringtones (for favorites only)
- Browser works surprisingly well
- WAP works well, once you switch network settings
- Screen is very bright and sharp
- Fast! Fast! Fast! in use
Requirements for a smartphone
I am forced to upgrade my company-provided GSM phone, and decided it was time to go for a smartphone. Until now, I have used a Palm PDA and a basic Nokia GSM phone, but carrying around two devices kind of gets on my nerves. I first thought I’d get the new Nokia E70, but decided to list my requirements first.
I mostly use my Palm for
- Calendar, categorized
- GTD lists, i.e. categorized large todo lists
- Contacts, categorized
- Notes, categorized
- Outlook synchronization
- Encrypted password storage
- Occasional web surfing
- Occasional email reading
- Rare ssh connections
I use my GSM for
- Calls
- Contacts
- GPRS over Bluetooth
- Car Bluetooth Handsfree set
- SMS messaging (a lot)
- GPRS Internet connectivity over Bluetooth
The only really particular requirement is the ability to categorize items. I have over 220 items on various GTD lists. The lists are disjoint—viewing them together makes very little sense. Not to mention that browsing such a list would be infeasible.
I have also gotten accustomed to using the Nokia 6820 qwerty keyboard for SMS messaging, so a keyboard comes in high on my requirements list.
So, essentially, what I need is simply a device for a mobile professional with a decent qwerty keyboard. Can’t be too difficult?
Nokia E70 is not a GTD phone
I tried out a Nokia E70 today, to see if it fit my needs. At least it comes with a lot of bells and whistles, including an mp3 player and a feedreader.
Unfortunately, the E70 falls short of satisfying my smartphone requirements. The todo list is essentially the same simple thing that I had in my old 6820, and it just does not cut it. No categories—No GTD. The same goes for the rest of the basic data types—no categories. To put it frankly, I don’t see how any professional would be satisfied with that. With hundreds of contacts, appointments, todos, and notes, not having support for categories simply makes things impossible to manage.
Another thing I noted about the E70 was that despite its very nice form factor, the screen would be hard on my eyes in daily use. Not much fun carrying around a magnifying glass, is there?
Palm Treo 650 or 700p?
After the dismal failure of the Nokia E70 to meet my professional requirements, I decided to look beyond the familiar form factor. Much to my joy, I almost immediately encountered the Treo 650 and the newly released Treo 700p.
The “killer” application for the Treo is the fact that my Palm Tungsten T2 has a very established track record for supporting GTD well. As a matter of fact, I am quite satisfied with my T2 in general.
The downside is the internationalization issues. The T2 just doesn’t grok utf-8, neither in email nor in web pages. Unless that’s fixed in the Treo, the usefulness of the device is reduced significantly. But that’s not a major use case for me, so no showstopper. And of course, there is a chance that Palm got their act together…
Another slight drawback is the large size of the Treo. Or rather, large compared to my GSM phone. It’s not that much bigger than my T2.
There is no information yet about a European version of the Treo 700p. The major advantages of the 700p versus the 650 appears to be significantly increased memory, 3G networking, and better camera. Neither includes WiFi by default. If I could get a 700p “EU” version, I would be very happy, but my schedule for switching phones may just force me to go for the 650. Not ideal, but it would probably match my needs just fine.
2005-06-22Light, Sight and Photochromics
It’s that time again. When I read stuff on a PC, or a book, or a magazine, or do anything that requires focused vision, I get the feeling that my eyes aren’t quite up to the task. Time to get a vision check.
Turns out, I’m not getting younger. For the first time, my vision has actually improved. It has actually changed so much that my old glasses don’t cut it anymore. Which means that my prescription made sun glasses have the same problem. With my fairly high astigmatism, getting two new pairs of prescription lenses would cost a small fortune. Living in Finland doesn’t help either, as prices are just ridiculous.
Enter photochromic lenses. I spent a while reading up on them, and the technology really seems to have matured. There is even a fairly decent paper called Light, Sight and Photochromics which makes a good case for chosing photochromics. Not surprising, as it is sponsored by the most visible brand of photocromic lenses. The paper tells you anything you need to know about vision, protecting your eyes, and photochromics. Actually, it tells you a lot more than you’d like to know, including some “nice” photos of cancers.
My optician gave me a two year satisfaction guarantee on a set of photochromic lenses, so now I’m waiting for my new glasses to be delivered. Let’s see how they turn out.
2005-04-06Topfield TF5100CoC
I just recived my ProCaster PVR5101C, which essentially is a rebranded Topfield PVR. After just a couple of evenings’ use, I am pretty sure it will change the way I watch television. In addition to “just recording” programs like I did with my VCR, the PVR actually keeps recording everything I watch. This means that I can instantly jump back if I happen to miss something – which happens a lot because of our two kids. No hassle with changing tapes or figuring out where I have space left on a tape. No winding and rewiding tapes. And if I by chance want to archive someting, I can copy the stuff to my PC using USB and burn a DVD for my archives.
2005-02-23Article: Display Technology Shoot-Out
I found a link to an interesting article on ExtremeTech. The article, or really series of four articles, compares CRT, LCD, plasma and DLP display technologies.
I own an LCD TV, so I have made my choice, but the article does present a lot of interesting details about the different technologies. After reading it, I am still convinced that an LCD TV is the best choice in the ~32" range.