New Tool for our AS! Apple TV

[worksology]

Yep, RipIt. Beautiful application. And then I hand the .dvdmedia files over to Handbrake to convert into iTunes friendly mp4s. That functionality is supposedly coming to RipIt soon. (Well, it already does this from the DVD, but soon it'll do it from the ripped .dvdmedia file as well).

I have a Drobo with 2 2TB drives and 2 1TB drives, partitioned into two volumes: one for TimeMachine and one for all of this video content. At home, that's on all the time, but on-the-road, I suspect I'll just kick it on when necessary (to sync with our devices or run a backup).

[2airishuman]

played with h/brake just never needed what it provides.

been using ripit since almost week one, it's scary how great that app is and has been.

timemachine is WAY better than most interval data backup apps and so easy2 turn on...

but the 3 times i have REALLY NEEDED a backup, superduper! saved my arse big time...

catastrophic internal drive failure that interrupted work for a grand total of 10 minutes...

since the duper! clone took over all function of the internal drive

by simply pluggin it in and REstarting in T disc mode.

until the internal was replaced and then RESTORED the blank internal to a pure clone state.

it is another beautiful one trick tool for mac.
__________

at home 3.5 inch drives with external power supplies are great for backups and movies and data and so on...

but OUT THERE the 2.5 firewire or usb powered drives mean even while BOONDOCKING or without a generator...

backups, downloads, and viewing media can happen.

i take the big G-tech drive when traveling

but PRIMARILY use the OTC or diy enclosures or lacie stuff with 400/800 firewire or usb or esata.

and even these smaller footprint drives have become 7200 rpm spinners and larger and cheaper.

fast is good, and UNtethered from AC power is sometimes critical.

of course a small bag of portable external drives soon takes on the look and bulk of an 8 track tape box..

only smaller and with a WHOLE lot more stuff in the box.

cheers
2air'

[worksology]

I've thought a LOT about getting another enclosure to SuperDuper our boot disk to. I'm afraid the road vibrations will get to the iMac eventually. Not as big a deal with a laptop, I suspect the iMac will get a heavier dose of those bounces, and like you, I'm not keen on a many-hour restoration from TimeMachine. (In over a year of TM backups, I've yet to use it).

You're definitely right about the portability of a self-powered enclosure. But we (tentatively?) don't have plans for a laptop (dueling iPads maybe), so we'll need AC power for our iMac regardless... (inverter/genset powered?), and there's nothing really mission-critical on anything besides the internal 1 TB boot disk, anyway.

If we do get another enclosure for SuperDuper backups (and I think we will), it'd be easy to have another disk(s) that we queue up our next months' worth of video content to watch, and just leave the Drobo in the closet for long-term storage.

If I'd have known about this full-timing phase of my life when I'd bought the Drobo, I doubt I'd have bought it.

Geez, this is getting preeeeetty geeky in here.

[2airishuman]

u will be one of the few to actually TRY using an imac full time on the road.

i considered it for the stream but didn't want to LEAVE a larger puter in the trailer when not personally IN the trailer...

with the laptops, they can be carried into the truck or tucked quickly into a closet.

so with the need for AC power using 3.5 drives is reasonable and they are clearly less money than 2.5s.

i carry 2 sd! drives and alternate clone updates...

it will be interesting to read how the imac holds up and not just the hard drive...

recently i helped a friend set up 5 imac in his business enterprise out in the flint hills.

(in fact they were purchased at the new Bbuy in your hood)

2 of 5 were declared defective after multiple kernel panics RIGHT OUT of the box...

bad ram OR bad ram connections was the apple diagnosis.

now that the 2 defective machines have been replaced we ((he and the nut case who convinced him to go mac))...

will get to see how WELL they hold up in a rural noisey, dusty, machinery driven ranchers life...

time will tell, but this old rancher ALready likes OSx better than his previous XP stuff that still actually works fine.

he's a rancher turn'n geeky...

cheers
2air'

[silverback]

We have the original version and use it in the trailer at the AZ Airstream Park (Ponderosa Shadows). We have reasonably robust WiFi coverage there (>2Mbit). I think I will convert/modify the original ATV to Boxee and dedicate the new one to the Airstream. We also use a 2010 Verizon MiFi and it frequently performed better then RV campground WiFi. Not sure I would want to stream TV over it though. Pretty good Apple TV opinion piece on ars technica. Worth reading. And Josh is correct, only buy cables from monoprice.
-Ken

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

the verizon stuff is at ~850 mhz? while the att/sprint and tmobile is 18-1900 mhz?

Not necessarily. It varies by market, and while most of Verizon's data is in the 800 Mhz band, they have moved some of it to 1.9 Ghz to allow more bandwidth for the voice services, which are still their bread and butter.

All four carriers have a patchwork of spectrum, the result of many acquisitions over the course of two decades. Some of att/sprint/tmobile is at 800 mHz. And, the newer wiMAX cards mostly run at 2.5Ghz, though they can in theory run in 700/800/900 MHz as well.

anyway the LOWER wavelength does a better job of PENETRATING walls...isn't that correct?

Semantics first. LOWER wavelength = HIGHER frequency. 800, 900, 1900, 2500 ... all frequencies. For corresponding waveLENGTHs, see this handy chart.

After many years of working with this stuff in the lab and in cell sites, I can tell you that none of these wavelengths will go THROUGH the walls in a 'stream.

They will all go through the windows and skylights, and then BOUNCE around inside. Much of the art and voodoo of receiver design for these technologies involves identifying and coalescing the waveforms that took paths of different lengths... therefore arriving at different times... so that they all line up and provide a useful signal. A difference in path length of several INCHES is enough to make the signal interfere with itSELF. Good receiver design can overcome this to a degree, but it's not as good as having a dish on a 15' pole attached to the A frame.

In general there isn't a huge difference between 800 Mhz and 1900 Mhz in this regard. It's still a problem either way. The differences in sophistication between, say, EVDO, LTE, and WiMax, and the power levels, and especially, the distance to the tower, make more of a difference. The main difference between 800 Mhz and 1900 Mhz is the extent to which VEGETATION attenuates the signal, especially in the rain... Wet windy days are a particularly severe problem because they lead to rapid variations in PATH LENGTH... as the tree limbs move to and fro and the reflection patterns change.

So it all comes down to... $money. Because the solution to all this is more cell sites. Which means.... more capital equipment costs. More engineering. More tower rental fees. More spectrum acquisition costs. More maintenance. Verizon spends more $money on their network. So they have better coverage.

[silverback]

This is what I'll be using to install Boxee on the ATV when the new one arrives (just ordered it). Also the Virgin MiFi deal is very tempting. We have no contract with Verizon (bought ours outright) and I can turn it off/on as needed, but $40 is way better then $60 a month, and the $60 is only for 5GB. Verizon will surely charge me for every on/off change too.
-Ken

[newroswell]

Originally Posted by Jammer

They will all go through the windows and skylights, and then BOUNCE around inside.

I'm wanting an external antenna. I'm thinking along the lines of mounting something light on the batwing mast that doesn't interfere with it's reception or it's raising/lower mechanics. I haven't gave it too much thought yet though.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Jammer

not necessarily...

excellent info jammer thanks for the clarifications...

cheers
2air'

[RichHog]

Am on my second ATv and I love a lot of it's features. The new one not having a hard drive bothers me. Like that the old one stores my music, photos, videos so if my mac is out of the house it works. Can't believe Apple didn't step up to 1080P. Yes I know that most of the HD TV shows are only 720 but it sucks.

I hope the movie trailers, music videos and other items on ATV don't go away, but again since it is a rental box they will probably disappear from the menu. It's clear that the future universe with Apple is to rent things.

On the plus side my iPad will be able to stream to the ATV and if it has 3G signal then life could be good watching Netflix or renting movies, even if Wifi isn't available. I really don't want to set up my MacbookPro (17") and take up what little counter space my Tradwind has just to watch something.

I'll buy one of the $99 units after I buy another 1st Gen units now on sale. I wish Apple would have kept a hard drive unit as an upscaled option.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by RichHog

.... Yes I know that most of the HD TV shows are only 720 but it sucks.

...

Almost everything I get is 1080. 1080i with special movies in 1080p on Dish. Over the air via the old Skyliner is 1080p.

The only thing that is not 1080 is programing from the local channels, like news. The network channels that they carry are 1080p, they just don't have 1080 equipment in their studios. Even then they produce the occasional 1080p story, but they make a big deal about it.

720 was and is a bad joke. Not really HD, but a stopgap measure. Looks bad too.

Additionally, my Mac Mini is 1080p. For that matter, the old G4 tower the Mini replaces put out 1080p, but it wasn't the original video card. The card was so old, though, that I could only find one on Ebay. I know that the G4 was built in 1998. The card might be from this century, but maybe not either. It is for the old puter.

[nomader]

This is my first time on this site since I got my epic 4g. It solves all of my problems, since I don't have a problem pirating movies.
I found and app to let me get internet on my laptop and it's the fastest internet I've ever seen, granted I'm a mile from down town Nashville for the next month.
I plan on finding a few cheap terabyte hard drives, for when I'm out of coverage. I can definitely see myself staying at rest-stops more. Coverage follows the roads.

Coverage does drop in the stream. When 3g is weak, turning 4g on seams to up the 3g even though 4g won't stay connected. It could just be in my head.
I was seriously thinking of getting the thing that just plugs into the computer. I wanted to get a powered usb extension cord and rig the device on the front of an old dish on top of an old antenna pole. with power rotate
I might just put my phone up there in some kind of waterproof case. It would be a docking station for when I get desperate. I have and old powered adjusted antenna base and that's the expensive part.

An actual 4g antenna, if they exist, would take the fun out of it.

Speaking of technology being very cool. lol
I installed a piece of very high technology. It's called a macerating pump.
As far as technology improving your quality of life, this does it.

[nomader]

Speaking of the genius of science, Rino enzymes is the best gray/black tank treatment money can buy.

[RichHog]

You may think you're getting 1080i or P over the air but in reality there are about 5 flavors of HD signals out there that broadcast stations use. Cable Systems and Sat results vary. That is why when you change channels on a TV the screen goes to black for a second so the electronics can switch to the new incoming frequency. Plus a lot of the content itself is up-converted from analog SD. My ATV can output 1080i but the signal and movies internal are just 720P. Smoke and mirrors.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by RichHog

You may think you're getting 1080i or P over the air but in reality there are about 5 flavors of HD signals out there that broadcast stations use. Cable Systems and Sat results vary. That is why when you change channels on a TV the screen goes to black for a second so the electronics can switch to the new incoming frequency. Plus a lot of the content itself is up-converted from analog SD. My ATV can output 1080i but the signal and movies internal are just 720P. Smoke and mirrors.

My TV identifies the signal when you switch sources. When I switch to my Dish receiver, is shows 1080i. To my Mini or the antenna, 1080p.

There is some 720 material, mostly poorly produced commercials, but you really can see the difference. Maybe not on a 20" screen, but on a 37 for sure. I've seen 23" computer monitors that do 1920 x 1080 and you can see the difference between lower resolutions. Its the same. The difference between 1080i and 1080p, I'll admit that the difference is just about impossible to detect.

[RichHog]

When the FCC handed out the digital channel space only a few years back they handed each broadcast affiliate a package of bandwidth. They left it up to the station affiliates to decide how they wanted o use it. Some chose 1080i, some 720P at about 5 different flavors. It a station wanted to create 3 different channels or 5 in some case they could broadcast a lower grade HD signal but with more channels they could sell more adds or infomercials on all the channels. The PBS affiliates all chose 1080i which gave them a great picture. At first it didn't matter that much but as the displays have now increased to 1080P resolution and newer technology is out then the differences are noticable. And gone are most of the "tube- CRT displays.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

My TV identifies the signal when you switch sources. When I switch to my Dish receiver, is shows 1080i. To my Mini or the antenna, 1080p.

There is some 720 material, mostly poorly produced commercials, but you really can see the difference. Maybe not on a 20" screen, but on a 37 for sure. I've seen 23" computer monitors that do 1920 x 1080 and you can see the difference between lower resolutions. Its the same. The difference between 1080i and 1080p, I'll admit that the difference is just about impossible to detect.

Most of the difference you see between good 720p content and good 1080i content is YOUR issue, it's the way your set is upconverting to display on the 1080-line panel. Good 720p content is definitely HD and still looks very, very good but some 1080p-capable sets don't upconvert well, so you see processing artifacts, etc.

There is VERY little 1080p content OTA. Your set identifies an OTA 1080 signal as 1080p, but that doesn't mean the content is actually progressive-scan. The Mini will provide a 1080p signal to your set, but that doesn't mean that all content it displays is truly 1080p, just that the signal format transmitted through the cable is 1080p.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by KIMILI

anyway it seems to me this is going beyond 'sharing' information...so back to where I started:

Just wanted to share with my fellow Airstreamers a new product (it's new features) I believe will come in handy on our silver trips.
Have fun!

You can't control where a thread goes sometimes…

Away for a few days and this thread has gone super-geeky. I wish I understood what you guys are talking about. I expect manufacturers would sell a lot more equipment if they made it understandable.

As for increasing wifi reception with a computer, I found this external antenna (external to the computer, internal to the trailer), MacWizard has this little unit that plugs into a USB port. They claim signal boost works for down- and upload; the cheaper ones don't mention upload. So approaching it from a "no mess, no fuss" outlook (no wires through roof or side of trailer), this might be the answer for a problem, i.e., wifi at campgrounds. MacWizards Store

Gene

[2airishuman]

there are a variety of antenna for laptops...

functional versions for mac start at ~30$...

and like many accessories, often work better on OLDER puters.

but the issue with signals at most rv parks is on the broadcast side...

with positioning, barriers and set up, just some of the problems...

relays or broadcast boosters help some with this...

but only a few of those gizmos can be used from the camper end of the equation...

cheers
2air'

[Gene]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

the issue with signals at most rv parks is on the broadcast side...

only a few of those gizmos can be used from the camper end of the equation...

Since the CG router broadcasts and the computer broadcasts, which do you mean, or both?

The second sentence quoted is incomprehensible to me—do you mean only a few of the antennas are worth it, or something else?

Gene