The Glory of Resolution

Today we got our HD-capable receiver back. We gave it (and the wonderful pictures and images) up some time ago in favor of going the PVR route. We'd rather time-shift and actually see the few TV programs we watch than catch the occasional HD image if we happened to be there at the right time. We keep waiting for an HD-PVR to come out -- but thanks to DRM and other insanity the one we want (known as the Dish Network PVR921) keeps being delayed.

An interim solution is now in place. revar and I ran three coax lines to the room, doing the Home Improvement thing for a few hours. Revar took a properly perverse satisfaction in staplegunning cables to death while I bored holes in the house using a masonry bit and a hammerdrill. Tooooooools. When it was all done it looks pretty darn professional and is far cheaper than paying the local satellite-jocks to come do it for us.

We've still got the 2-tuner PVR and it's happily recording our shows so we don't miss them... but now the HD receiver is alit in the same rack, letting us swap to it when we wish. Why do this? Two quick reasons:

1. TV is pretty again. Perfect example: Discovery HD Theater. If you like nature shows, outdoor exploration or other Discovery programming, seeing it in HD is just stunning. One show about the critters living in japanese rice farming land was awash with long, beautiful shots of rain over the fields and simple huts. The show about religious architecture in Tibet had colors that you normally can't see on TV. This sure beats the heck out of 'reality TV' as the networks define it.

2. Having dustykat and other sport-liking friends over for fun TV-watching parties again. HDNet just added 65 NHL games to their lineup this season. The other HD channels we get have soccer and a few other sports that are much more fun to watch hi-def. Even Revar, the anti-sportswatching among us, enjoys a few sports when things are this pretty.


So, Dusty... the new codec for the sport channel ships in next week (yes, our hardware needed an upgrade). Ready to come over and have hockey nights? :)

( sorry for the acronym spam... )

Wherever you go...

...there you can be found.

Yeah, I'm in a gadget-and-traveltech mood today. The more I end up having to sit still at the work-desk the more I daydream about going far off and interesting places. Friday afternoon I read a trip-report with the most amazing pictures over on my rider's board -- a multi-week jaunt through Syria and Jordan. Images of riding through desert sands through roman-era ruins had me lost in imagination a for good part of the weekend. What makes me a geek more than an adventurer is the fact the daydreams always include equipment and infrastructure bits. Yeah, I know that's weird. At least it's not "pay a quarter to get in the tent" kind of weird, though. :)

In any case, I felt compelled to shop for ( PLBs this weekend. )

A true adventure ride.

One of the world-travellers on the riderboard I frequent just got back from a ride through Jordan and Syria. The images he put in his ride report are stunningly cool.

This is definitely on the list of "things to do before I die". There are just so many amazing places to see...

Take a look at his ride report if you want to see some very pretty images. Be sure to click through to the other pages; it's spread out a bit through that thread. One of the things I find pretty cool is that he's got his bike set up in a way remarkably similar to mine. I just have the cheaper plastic bags intead of metal ones like his.

Someday... someday soon.