This is not some hi-falutin’ discourse on how the “art” of videogame design has moved forward over the years. It is, very simply a record of the videogames I have currently “on-the-go” i.e. bought, started but not completed. It is supposed to be a stick to make me adhere to my 2011 New Years’ Resolution – to leave less games unfinished.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii) completed 24/4/11
Lost Winds 2: Winter In Melodias (Wii) completed 25/4/11
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
Paper Mario (Wii virtual console)
Bioshock (PC)
Bioshock 2 (PS3)
Secret of Monkey Island 2 (iPhone)
Resident Evil 4 (Wii)
The next list is the scary one – games I want to buy
Of course the situation in general in the wake of the terrible earthquake and subsequent tsunami the situation is horrific, but the ensuing problems at the nuclear plants seems to be a nightmare waiting to happen. But the reports in the media are often vague confusing contradictory and sometimes downright scaremongering.
I’ve seen a couple of decent blogposts and articles which to me seem to give a more realistic and balanced assessment. Of course there are a few caveats and if you read through the comments in the articles as well you will see some of them raised. Make up your own mind.
(I’ll update as I see more relevant info, please add any more tips in comments)
BBC Material World podcast (MP3 link for episode 17th March 2011) – Quentin Cooper discusses the current situation and tries to dispel some of the wilder misconceptions.
One of my New Year’s resolutions was to extricate myself from the clutches of Rupert Murdoch and ditch Sky. One of the reasons for this was I want to move to having HD input. My long term strategy is to get a bigger TV but I can’t do it all at once, and it makes sense to upgrade the source first and the display later.
So, my previous set up was: Standard Sky, via old-style UK TiVo (Series 1) box, into a 28″ Phillips LCD TV. The Sky is the most basic package. Even with this I don’t really get the time to watch much TV. So my goal is less but better quality TV.
The first part of my strategy was achieved by buying a PS3. This means I have Blu-Ray option for HD movies. I have now executed part two of the strategy and taken delivery of a Humax Foxsat HDR (500GB model, £280).
Set Up
This was incredibly easy. I already had a satellite dish for my previous Sky, and I had two inputs (the previous owners of my house had Sky multiroom). After plugging in the two satellite feeds and powering up, it was a few simple setup screens for language preference, postcode etc, and then a short scan for channels and that was it.
Picture Quality
To me it looks pretty good. Even the standard def channels seem clear and I realise now that my prevous picture was likely being degraded by having SD going through the TiVo (some compression). The HD channels (currently BBC1 HD, BBC HD, ITV1 HD, and from April Ch4 HD) look very nice, especially compared to what I was used to. Of course with my relatively small TV I don’t think I am getting the full benefit of the HD, but as I explained earlier this is a future proofing strategy and hopefully I will eventually upgrade to a larger TV.
User Interface/Programme Guide
The Freesat system has a 7-day programme guide. The UI is neat and tidy and professional looking. I don’t know if it is specific to the Humax box or is standard for Freesat in general. I suspect the former. It is pretty easy to change channels, either direct type channel number, use up/down or via guide. The guide is a little cramped. You have a list of channels down the left colums, and programmes on right. There is only enough room for about 2 hours worth horizontally so it is a little clunky to scan forwards in time to see what is on later in the evening. You can see about 7 channels at once vertically. The extra space at the top is used to display programme info. Overall roughly half the screen real estate is used to display actual guide data. It looks neat and clear, but you have to scroll a lot.
There is an alternate view called “List” that instead lets you focus on one channel at a time. It lists schedule for one channel vertically and you can see 7 programmes at a time which is a useful amount. You can scroll up and down one programme at a time, a page at a time, or one full day at at time. These options mean you can quite quickly see what you are looking for.
The “Schedule” screen lists the programmes you have lined up to record. Seven programmes are listed vertically and you can page up/down with the channel up/down buttons.
Finally a “Search” page is one of the ways to find programmes to record. This is reasonably functional, but is a long long way behind Tivo search. You can do a basic keyword/title search which will probably find what you are looking for. Once found you can click and choose to record individual instances of a programmes, or a whole series. The concept of setting up a season pass (as on Tivo) is not quite the same and you can easily list and edit all your season passes. Also you cannot set up a search for programmes that are not yet in the guide and then relax in the knowledge that they will be picked up later and recorded. This, combined with similar keyword/title/actor Wishlists was a major advantage of Tivo, and one I greatly miss.
On Tivo for example you could set up a wish list for “cricket” and all programmes that had that in the title or description would automatically be recorded as and when they came up. Or one for “Hopkins” (the actor) or “french” if you were interested in learning the language (although you get a lot of French language films and programmes with French settings or actors as well…) With Humax Freesat your searches and recording options are a bit more limited.
Your store of recorded programmes is in a separate menu that also can show other files (recorded radio programmes are separately listed – quite useful, and music and photos which you can upload from USB are also available). The recorded programmes can be listed in alphabetical order by date, and the box automatically groups episodes from the same programme in separate folders, again a useful feature.
One final point about the guide. When you call it up, it refreshes with latest data. This is good but slow and it means the currently playing programme is silenced for up to a minute. There is also a slight delay before you can start navigating the guide which can be annoying. These “bugs” are rumoured to be on the list to be fixed in the next software release.
Recording
Apart from searching through the programme guide and picking future programmes to record, you can also record “instantly” while watching a programme by pressing the record button. The big drawback (and really unforgivable flaw in my opinion) is that even if the live buffer contains the start of the current programme, when you press record you can only capture from that moment onwards. What is the point of the buffer? I hear that this may be fixed in a future software release, but this really is a fundemental flaw. Another annoying thing is that the live buffer (which is otherwise a very useful 2 hours) automatically resets not only when you change channel (understandable) but also whenever you view a previously recorded programme, or even view the guide. A bit annoying to say the least.
Playback/Navigation
Playback is pretty standard for PVRs. Pressing play displays a time bar across the bottom. You can fast forward and back at variable speeds (2x – 64x) with multiple presses of the FF/RWD buttons. The jump back and forward buttons are also definable to an extent (back: 7, 15, 30s; forward: 30, 60, 120, 240s) This gives a good way of skipping easily through ad breaks, and of replaying incidents (e.g. goals?) you might just miss. If you need to navigate more quickly through a long programme the left/right cursor keys drag a cursor through the timeline very quickly. Also there is a bookmark function. You can set multiple bookmarks throughout a recorded programme and then jump through them with left/right keys. Each bookmark gets a image-captured thumbnail to remind you of what it is. Overall the navigation features are very good.
Other Features
Channels can be locked via a PIN, or restricted to certain times (using rating data so that 15 certificate programmes for example will only show after 8pm)
Subtitles and audio description are displayed where available.
Sound is reproduced with Dolby Digital where available.
You can set an on-off time for the machine.
Power saving mode. Auto-switch off after period of inactivity (does not affect recordings).
IP programming: If you connect to you broadband via ethernet (e.g. using a Homeplug network) you can watch BBC iPlayer and ITV Player as channels on the programme guide. I haven’t set this up so can’t comment on this implementation. I use my PS3 to watch iPlayer/4OD/ITV player.
Summary
This is a very good machine, though not perfect. It does most of the core features required of a PVR and does them well. It is marred by a couple of software design flaws (the handling of the live buffer is poor, and the responsiveness of the guide is a slow). There are idiosyncracies of the UI but only the most picky people would find them unacceptable. In most cases it is just a matter of becoming used to how to achieve a task with this particular machine. The search/season pass functionality is adequate, but not a patch on how TiVo did it. However navigation and playback options are particularly good.
500GB is plenty for SD recording, however if you record and store a lot of HD content you might find it a little tight. There is a new 1TB model coming out for the horders amongst you.
For many people the overall choice of whether to go with Freesat will be determined by which channels they particularly want to watch. (I have made a separate post in more detail about the channels). There is no doubt that the range of channels on Freesat is quite limited. However rememebr this is not a subscription service. If like me you find that 80% of your viewing is BBC and the rest is Ch4/more4/Film4 then this is a good deal. I used to have the basic Sky package (Variety & Knowledge pack) so I lose a few channels that I liked particularly FX (The Walking Dead, True Blood), SyFy and the Discovery channels (Mythbusters and a few interesting shows from time to time) and occasionally Dave (where the new series of Red Dwarf will eventually come). Also the upcoming new Sky Atlantic channel looks interesting. [FULL CHANNEL LIST]
However I have come to realise that I couldn’t even keep up with this degree of choice and I think I can live with the smaller range. The money I will save will let me buy boxed sets of those series I really wish to see if they don’t come to BBC/Ch4 eventually.
Around the turn of the year I tweeted my New Year’s Resolutions. Briefly, they were
Quit Sky (the satellite TV provider, and part of the Murdoch evil empire)
Try to not leave so many videogames unfinished
Try and read a bit more (a general one that features every year)
Quit Sky
Well on the Sky front, I haven’t really done anything. My reason (over and above a general dislike for Murdoch) is the increasing cost (currently £20.50 pcm), a realisation that I actually only occasionally watch TV, and most of that is on the standard BBC channels (occasionally the digital channels), and a desire to upgrade to an HD source (I certainly won’t be paying the premium to get Sky HD).
My masterplan was to switch to Freesat HD. I already have the satellite dish and although the selection of channels on Freesat compared with even the basic Sky package is much smaller, it mostly covers the things I like to watch. The only things I would miss are very occasional shows on FX and maybe SyFy or Sky1, but this is rare. I wanted to get a Freesat HD recorder and the Humax 500GB model was the one I had my eye on. It costs £300 but this would pay it self off by just over a year of Sky subscriptions. I would lose a few channels, and gain BBC HD, BBC 1 HD, ITV HD and any other future channels which launch in HD on Freesat (hopefully). So, I will probably execute this plan soon.
The imminent launch of Sky Atlantic almost put a spanner in the works of my plan. Dustin Hoffman is quite persuasive, and HBO is a purveyor many quality shows. However having considered it carefully, I know I don’t have enough time to watch all those shows anyway so I should just forget about it. If there is a series on there that I really must have, I’ll just have to buy the box set DVD/BD.
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Videogame completion
This one is not looking so good. Here is my list of games currently uncompleted.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii) - enjoying it, but still only about 1/5 of way through.
Resident Evil 4 (Wii) – Not played it for ages, but I never actually got right to the end. I’m sure I could polish it off in a weekend though if I really tried.
Monkey Island 2 (SE) (iPhone) – only recently purchased, after I actually completed MI 1, but I have only got a little way into it, so this will take some time.
Bioshock (PC) – Bought ages ago. Really enjoyed but got distracted about half way through. Will be quite a struggle to finish I think.
Bioshock 2 (PS3) – Recently bought when I got the PS3 as it was cheap. A very good game, but I’ve only scratched the surface…
Blade Runner (PC) – This is a classic point-and-click adventure from 1997, which I bought off Ebay after it was featured in Edge Magazine. It really is a game ahead of it’s time in terms of atmosphere and style.
The real problem is when you consider the next list: games I really am tempted to buy
Mass Effect 2 (PS3) – This has just been released and I don’t know how long I will hold out. I downloaded the demo and it’s really, really good.
F1 2010 (PS3) – This is actually one of the reasons I was tempted into getting a PS3 in the first place. There’s only a couple of months to the start of the new F1 season and so I think this will be bought pretty soon….
Uncharted 2 (PS3) – Generally agreed to be one of the best PS3 games. Ever.
Red Dead Redemption (PS) – Another really well reviewed game which is now just old enough to be pretty cheap too.
Resident Evil 5 Move edition (PS3) – OK, I really should at least complete RE:4 before I buy this.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PS3) – this is not out yet, but it’s not long. A sequel to a classic game which looks good and which fans of Blade Runner-esque settings will find hard to resist.
Beyond Good & Evil HD (re-make) (PS3) BG&E is an old game that was released on GameCube and PS2 and is another contender for “best Zelda game that is not actually a Zelda game” (other contenders for this title include Okami). Now it’s being spruced up with fancy new graphics and re-released for PS3…
Shadow Of The Colossus & Ico (remake) (PS3) Underrated, but much acclaimed PS2 games, now coming to PS3 with spiffy HD visuals. 91% and 90% respectively on Metacritic.
Portal 2 (PS3) – Luckily this is not due for some time. But Valve’s new found love affair with Sony means this might be the definitive version, and Jonathan Coulton has recently confirmed that he will again be providing a song. (Could it ever live up to the classic that was Still Alive)
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Read more
Well, so far I have read precisely “zero” books. On the plus side I have listened to 1 audiobook and am about halfway though another so that’s something. The one I completed was a disappointment however. (The Michael Moorcock Doctor Who title “Coming Of The Terraphiles”).
Christmas is coming up and we’ve just had “Black Friday” supposedly the busiest shopping day of the year. No doubt there are going to be millions of gifts purchased online over the coming weeks. So, internet online shopping is booming. It’s easy to compare prices, and quick to make a purchase. But, in our busy lives, and particularly for those living alone, there is one problem. When ordering items that are bigger than you letter box how is the delivery going to be received?
Assuming you don’t have a spouse who is a “homemaker”, and you work full time, you have a few options.
Take time off work. Difficult, sometimes impossible to arrange with colleagues. Left with uncertainty if package will actually be delivered on day you take off. If you choose specified day delivery, often much more expensive.
Go to Royal Mail office and pick up after the postman leaves you the little “you were not in” card. But not all e-tailers use Royal Mail, or it’s difficult to find out. Do you know where the closest DHL or City Link, UPS etc depot is? Also sometimes it’s almost as inconvenient to get to the Royal Mail office. For me there is no local free parking, and about only hours I can make it are at weekend.
Hope you neighbour will be in and can take package for you. Obviously depends on your relationship with you neighbour, and for most people it is a bit too much to ask them to stay in especially. Also how do you communicate to the e-tailer to get them to leave it with the neighbour.
There is another solution. What if you could arrange delivery to a mailbox near you that you could access easily and at a time convenient to you? The principle sounds plain common sense, but it has taken a while for someone to get this type of service off the ground. This is my experience with such a service, from a company called ByBox.
You can read about their story in this article by the Daily Telegraph, and this is their website where you can sign up to have a free trial.
So I signed up for a free 14 day trial. You are given a unique address that you put as your delivery address when you shop online e.g. at Amazon. Once ByBox receives your parcel it forwards it to your local ByBox (there is a network of about 1300 secure boxes throughout the UK, mine was at my local Tescos about 10 minute drive from my home)
You can track the progress of your package from when ByBox receive it to the time it is delivered to you local ByBox. Additionally they have incredibly friendly and attentive Customer relations on Twitter (@ByBox). I was able to get confirmation of when my package would arrive via tweets. On delivery, formal notification is made to you via email and text (SMS) message giving you a code to type into the panel at the box location. On entering the code the door clicks open, you remove your package and shut the door. That’s all there is to it.
My Experience
24th Nov (about 2030hr) - Ordered from Amazon
25th Nov (0000hr) – dispatched from Amazon
26th Nov (0118hr) – arrived at ByBox (Coventry)
27th Nov (0400hr) – delivered to the local ByBox
27th Nov (0730hr) – SMS and email received with codes to open box
27th Nov (1000hr) – I did my weekly shop at Tescos, and then picked up the parcel!
I really can’t fault the experience I had. I would certainly use it again, under the right circumstances.
This was all free as I was using the 14 day trial. However in future you of course have to pay. You can either pay-as-you-go currently £5 per package. Or you can subscribe with various options (e.g. £30/3 months, £40/6 months, £50/ 12 months). For me since I don’t purchase large items too frequently (CDs DVDs and books usually fit through my letterbox) I would use the PAYG option. Is £5 worth it? You have to make that judgement for yourself. For me if I was buying a “big ticket” item i.e. costing £100 or more then probably I would. The service is good and the convenience is great.
I think ByBox could consider developing it’s service by perhaps partnering with other firms (if Amazon had this as a standard option I bet the take up would be large. ByBox would have to cut Amazon a good deal of course, but the volume of traffic might make it worthwhile). Also they could tweak their PAYG cost. £5 I would think about it, £2-3 I would probably use almost every time. Only ByBox knows whether this makes financial sense for them.
In summary, in terms of the service and how it works I give top marks. It’s great to have this as an option to solve that tricky waiting in problem. Would I use it frequently? – all depends on the price/convenience ratio!
Amazingly Rush are topping the music charts here in the UK. Or, at least topping A music chart. On a recent visit to my local Tesco supermarket I saw them at the top of the budget CD chart! A bit of an insult in some ways, but look at the competition.
