h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Gosh, when I bought my dvd player a couple of years ago I didn't even think of what format it had (maybe there were less options then?). These days I see players on sale for about 60 euros - mine cost three times as much! Anyhow, whatever format mine is it seems to work just fine.

Some bad news. We went to book our tickets this morning only to find out that the original flights we had looked at for 100 euros return are now sold out and the cheapest we can get is for about 220 euros. So we are now thinking that we aren't going to make the meet this time unless we can get a cheap last-minute flight.

The other thing is that we are now going to have to start saving our pennies because Noggin and I are thinking of starting a biz together that will take some initial investment (and some time before we see any return on it). It will also mean taking a trip to Madrid in February, so we are thinking our money would be better spent on that trip than one to London right now.

Kelly, it sounds like you need a couple of oxen and heavy chains. Or else a friend with an SUV. I don't suppose they have rent-an-ox there . . .

Anyhow, am feeling quite excited about this new biz idea - will fill you in on it a bit more later.


az

Ah, yes, DVD players are all of the same format but there are at least five formats for DVD recorders: DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW and something called DVD RAM (which might just be DVD+RW under another name). Many machines offer more than one recording format and, as far as I am aware, will play any format.

There are other things to consider too: some machines offer a useful facility called 'timeslip' which allows you to start watching a program while it is being recorded. That is, you can watch the programme from the beginning even though the recording is only halfway through. A few expensive ones have a hard drive and can record 130 hours of programmes onto the hard disc as well as onto DVD. This makes it easy to compile your own discs of TV series or of particular categories. Most offer the facility to delete the commercials and some come with a built-in VCR.

It's all very confusing at the moment. They range in price from about £250 (€400) to £600 (€1000) and it's not always easy to see why one is more expensive than another. We'll have to decide what functions we really want and then look for a DVD recorder that fits our requirements.

F


F

or alternatively use computer instead ,download what you want when.

I'd need a TV tuner for the computer to do that and in any case I like to use the computer for other things. Don't tell my wife such a thing is possible or she'll be downloading TV programmes all the time.

I think a purpose built DVD recorder is a better idea really. I'll just have to do the research.

F

by that i meant put the dvd through the computer, and down load the plug ins as required,

Morning all,



I saw this...

http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/mencken.asp

...and thought of you.

F

Sad but true, Fathom.

So, what is happening this weekend? We had a nice lunch with my friend L yesterday (an 'az paella'!) and today we did a bit of Saturday morning errandy stuff. Now I am about to cheese Noggin again at scrabble!

Hey! Got my first ever seven letter word the other day! Which of course led to a total cheesing.

Noggin is just telling me it was a 'fairly marginal cheesing', but basically, who are ya gonna believe?


az

*off to make some scrabble snacks . . .*

Very exciting Sunday morning CLEANING the flat. Well, it's gotta get done sometime!

Did cheese the man again yesterday! Really, it's beyond a joke at this point. It's like I have a wee scrabble fairy sitting on my shoulder because there is no way I have *more vocabulary* than Noggin.

Anyhow, off for a nice tapa lunch with friend L (who leaves again for London on Tuesday) and then maybe to the cinema to see the latest Bridget Jones film.

Gotta

az

Morning all,



It's a pity we can't play Scrabble on-line then we would find out how good you really are. There are a number of games on Hootoo but Scrabble isn't one of them. Perhaps we could work out a suitable format?

Do any of you know anything about downloading movies? There are a handful of file-sharing sites that offer thousands of movies but most of these have a subscription or one-time fee of some sort. While I don't mind paying a fee if I can download a few films I'd like to know more about what I'm getting into. Does anyone have any experience, good or bad, of any of these sites? How long does it take to download a movie? I'm on 512 Kbs broadband (usually running at about 570) so an 800Mb file (which I think is about right for a two hour movie) should take no more than 1600 seconds: about half an hour. Is this realistic?

We're thinking of going to see the latest Bridget Jones film too, since we enjoyed the first one. Did you see it? Is it as good as the first? Popular opinion is that it is at least as good, if not better.

F

Fathom you might find depending on viewing format you can watch while downloading from some sites.
download speed at times is relative to time of day and place of download, also where info ia comeing from ,
collective might be good place to start, BBC and other channel web pages
should be another place, mvc i think used to offer trials,
(most msn is/are slow in downloading clips though)
think some games servers do have scrabble online on some pogo (aol)
think tiscali games had it as well, i would also imagine you could play
a very interesting game in real time with web cams and personal invites
ect must get on playing aroun here at moment
http://www.freewebs.com/harrysheard/

<>

Well yesterday I got ANOTHER seven-letter word, this time on a triple word space!!!

I don't know anything about downloading films except that most people I know leave their computers on all night to download.

And we didn't make it to see Bridget Jones the other day but a friend of mine told me that it is much the same as the first one. We saw the first one on video a few days ago as Noggin had never seen it, just in case it was 'required pre-sequel viewing'. One thing I'm curious about is how they get around Bridget interviewing Colin Firth as himself when he is also playing the Mark D'arcy character. Maybe they just leave that bit out from the second book.


az

Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again; proper Miss Smartypants aren't you? What was your seven letter word then?

"Bridget interviewing Colin Firth as himself.."? Is this in the book or something? I haven't read the book but I suppose that could be a witty touch if it's in the movie too.

Oops, have to go.

F

fathom two of them being "another","cleaning" and dont blame nog for denying knowledge of those words

Cleaning?

Any ideas on a good HTML/text editor and where I can get one?

Noggin

The one yesterday was "sinuated" but - weird - neither of us can remember what the first one was. Though the both did end up in 'another creaming' (not cleaning!).

Yeah, in the first BJ book there is much fuss made about the actor Colin Firth who played D'arcy in the film Pride and Prejudice and in the second book Bridget gets to interview him. Except, obviously not expected at the time of writing, Colin Firth ended up playing Mark D'arcy in the BJ movies. Hmmm.


az

You can edit HTML in any text editing application like Word. A desktop publishing package like Pagemaker may be better and I think there are some freeware versions around if you do a search. I've got MS Frontpage which allows you to edit the page but shows it as it will appear on the net.

If you go to view and select source in IE it will open the page you are viewing in Notepad and show the source code. I expect you already knew this. You can edit the source and save it to a file. IE will open the file and show what it looks like as a web page. There are some dedicated editors for web pages too I think: try a search on 'editing HTML' perhaps.

F

Thanks Fathom. Just been looking at FrontPage (didn't realise it was a text editor ).

Off out to meet az when she finishes work in a couple of minutes for a snack of something. Catch you all again later.

Noggin

noggin this is usefull

*with all balcony windows in the flat open *

Luckily it's about 23º outside.

The reason for this is that I have a new American (USian) tenant next door who decided he would make a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner for his flatmates (since today is US Thanksgiving). And they wanted to use my oven.

Fine.

But they put together a totally makeshift pan to hold this bird that appears to be leaking all over the oven tray, so TONS of grease smoke happening and I am also thinking that they are doubling my next electricity bill by having my oven on for five hours . In the past two years I think I have used my oven *maybe* half a dozen times, and never for longer than about 15 minutes.

The good thing is that later this evening when I finish work (about 9pm) we will have a nice turkey snack to munch on.

Well, time for lunchtime scrabble. Noggin won by five points yesterday. I was having a bad luck streak of continous one-point letters and multiple vowels - at one point three E's and three I's.

Anyhow, gotta - the paella is almost ready . . .


az

Mmmm... Roast turkey. You should be alright for a couple of days of sandwiches too.

F