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Post by Ratae on Jan 13, 2014 23:23:44 GMT
So yesterday, I finally made the decision to carry out a reshuffle of my entertainment layout. TV set............sacked!  Yup, my 3yr old tv has been given it's P45, and is in the spare bedroom in a box waiting a decision on it's fate. Where my tv once lived, now resides my A-in-1 desktop, and my lappy occupies the spot where that once lived. From now on, my little upstairs 'office' is only to be used when I need to connect my printer or any other peripherals. So, as this desktop came with a built in freeview tuner, I decided to set it up. The only problem was, that like much Acer stuff, there is very little in the way of 'user' manuals. Same for my lappy.  Search online, and all you find is a PDF file with the basic info about the product. The remote for this tuner was still in bubble wrap until yesterday, I could find no user instructions for this model at all, in fact there isn't even a name or model number on the damned thing, so I assume it's an Acer own brand. But, your intrepid doorman, not to be deterred, decided to smash on.  I connected the tv aerial to the socket and switched off the puter, then I started pressing buttons on the remote.  Unsurprisingly, the little red button switched the puter back on..........first success! More buttons were pressed, nowt happened. Then I pressed that button that looks the same as the 'windows' key on a puter. Bingo!....the screen started flashing and 'Windows Media Center' opened, this is a pre-installed program that I've never opened or used! In this program is a 'tab' for 'watch live tv'. Click on this tab, and it finds the tuner, checks the signal and asks if I want to search for programs. Yes please!.....then it took about 40mins to find and set up 91 freeview programs. From there on, it was fairly straight forward. Much to my surprise, the picture on this puter is far superior to the one I got on the tv, and I thought that one was good. Also pleasantly surprised to find that actually there are two tuners, this enables me to watch one live program and simultaneously record another program to the hard drive. I haven't tested it out yet though. Still trying to get used to this remote too. So many buttons, so little time!  Sod's law of course has kicked in, within a few hours of setting this up, I'm given a link to a site that live streams all of the freeview channels to the puter. Works blindingly well too. For how long however, is anyone's guess!  |
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Post by Craig72 on Jan 14, 2014 1:55:14 GMT
Well done Ratarse. Next you'll discover something called a CD.  Craig. |
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Post by Geoff on Jan 14, 2014 5:38:38 GMT
CD what are they |
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Post by nob on Jan 14, 2014 9:06:19 GMT
Talking of TVs, I got myself a soundbar for the LG telly, its an LG 3530A 2.1 with subwoofer that connects wirelessly to it. It connects to the telly with a fibre cable but the new lG tellies nave a wireless connection. Great bit of kit and a great sound. Just need a smart TV now.  |
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Post by Ratae on Jan 14, 2014 10:06:14 GMT
Sounds just the biz Nob. One of my problems is space. This being a 1930s built house, they weren't designed with modern gadgets in mind. This place has very wide chimney breasts that reduces the space of the alcoves, which are the obvious places to site a tv etc .... and I don't intend to start knocking the place about just for the sakes of a huge screen. Yesterday I also ordered from Amazon a small foldaway stool so that I can operate this desktop, without sitting on the arm of an armchair. Found exactly what I was looking for at £29. One more bonus of this reshuffle, is that I now have my desktop puter connected via a network cable. My download speed has increased from 48mb/s to >  (stop crying Nob) 
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Post by nob on Jan 14, 2014 11:43:45 GMT
Dave do you have FTTP or FTTC, They going to put fibre in round here by 2015 or so we are promised. The council have had the funds from the Government for a few years now and have signed BT to contract the work. I thought Openreach did all the installation anyway. I would guess it will ne FTTC when they eventually get round to it but given the option FTTP would work as this router has a fibre port. |
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Post by Ratae on Jan 14, 2014 14:11:00 GMT
Dave do you have FTTP or FTTC, They going to put fibre in round here by 2015 or so we are promised. The council have had the funds from the Government for a few years now and have signed BT to contract the work. I thought Openreach did all the installation anyway. I would guess it will ne FTTC when they eventually get round to it but given the option FTTP would work as this router has a fibre port. I assume that it's FTTC Nob, as there is one about 50yds along the street. I think that in urban areas this is the norm! |
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Post by Ratae on Jan 14, 2014 14:22:29 GMT
Well done Ratarse. Next you'll discover something called a CD. Craig. Memo to self. Remember to cross this dopey Taff, off the donor card list of recipients for one of my prime turbo charged kidneys, and replace him with some poorly (but deserving) Taliban suicide bomber! |
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Post by uncleub on Jan 14, 2014 14:24:57 GMT
 If its Virgin cable its more than certain it will be FTTP.Fibre cable comes directly into your home.Usually there are small access covers outside each property,then if you decide you want Virgin cable they run a cable from the access point directly into your house. That was the way it was done at my previous address.That part of Sheffield had cable from around 1993.Sadly this part does not 
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Post by nob on Jan 14, 2014 14:46:40 GMT
Ive seen those cable access points outside blocks of terraced houses, im assuming its done in one go for all the properties then they connect as and when. They ware done years ago like you say Unc.
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Post by Ratae on Jan 14, 2014 15:22:15 GMT
If its Virgin cable its more than certain it will be FTTP.Fibre cable comes directly into your home.Usually there are small access covers outside each property,then if you decide you want Virgin cable they run a cable from the access point directly into your house. That was the way it was done at my previous address.That part of Sheffield had cable from around 1993.Sadly this part does not Then I bow to your superior knowledge Phil, 'cos I have one of those access points outside my property. Not that I really give a toss, as long as I'm getting the speeds and service that I signed up for, then it can come by carrier pigeon for all I care! |
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Post by Ratae on Jan 14, 2014 15:40:39 GMT
Talking of TVs, I got myself a soundbar for the LG telly, its an LG 3530A 2.1 with subwoofer that connects wirelessly to it. It connects to the telly with a fibre cable but the new lG tellies nave a wireless connection. Great bit of kit and a great sound. Just need a smart TV now. BTW Nob, earlier today I was in J.Lewis and I saw one of those LG soundbars, w'less too I think it was, thick end of £200 iirc. Also looked at a 32" Toshy smart TV. It had HD screen,USB,HDMI etc, built in freeview and wi-fi and it's internet enabled.....£300 I think it was. Amazing what clout you get for your quids these days. Looking at that Toshy tho' got me to thinking. I have almost exactly the same set up, but just arrived at it from the opposite direction. I have an Acer desktop with an HD screen, USB,HDMI etc, built in freeview and wi-fi and it's tv enabled. There's several ways to skin a wabbit innit? |
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Post by nob on Jan 14, 2014 16:05:26 GMT
Dave, It was over £200 on ebuyer but £28 cheaper on Amazon so that's where it came from, ebuyer wouldn't price match it so that was a sale they lost. I was having problems understanding Chalky White on Boardwalk empire but I don't now with this soundbar. It will also bluetooth music off a device that's paired with it.
FIL has a smart telly, surf the tinternet if you want on it. Like you say you have the same setup.
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Post by Ratae on Jan 14, 2014 16:38:46 GMT
Dave, It was over £200 on ebuyer but £28 cheaper on Amazon so that's where it came from, ebuyer wouldn't price match it so that was a sale they lost. I was having problems understanding Chalky White on Boardwalk empire but I don't now with this soundbar. It will also bluetooth music off a device that's paired with it. FIL has a smart telly, surf the tinternet if you want on it. Like you say you have the same setup. Nice saving pal, very nice. The fella who plays Chalky White, was also Omar Little in 'The Wire'..... He's difficult to understand in that, cracking character actor though! Hmmmmm......I might have a look at on of those soundbars, a smaller one, but it needs to be wireless! My new 'Smart Puter' (snigger)  |
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Post by uncleub on Jan 14, 2014 18:31:16 GMT
Ive seen those cable access points outside blocks of terraced houses, im assuming its done in one go for all the properties then they connect as and when. They ware done years ago like you say Unc. I remember when they connected ours they just buried the cable in the flower border and then nearer the house took up paving slabs,ran the cable underneath and then replaced the slabs.They then just drill the wall and brought the cable in and connected it to a small white box. As we were the first area in Sheffield to get it everyone got the job lot free for 6 months,sports,movies etc.Of course then the internet was just starting out for consumers. |
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Illegitimi non carborundum
