[NCLUG] MythTV Questions

[Brian Wood]

Paul Hummer wrote:
> 
>>>
>>>
>>> The big pisser if people are going to be replacing their TVs is the 
>>> waste of all those tubes.  Though I guess they're going to go 
>>> sometime.  Hopefully after someone figures out something nice to do 
>>> with all that leaded glass.
>>
>> The lead is the least of the problems. Phosphorous and various rare 
>> earths make a color CRT one of the most toxic things at the landfill. 
>> It's already illegal most places for a *business* to dispose of CRTs 
>> except by sending them to an EPA-certified facility (individuals may 
>> continue to do what they wish with them).
>>
> Just FYI, in Fort Collins, there is an  aggressive environmental law 
> that says it is illegal for anyone to throw away a TV, computer, or 
> other "large electronics."

Interesting, but not surprising. In California a recycling fee is added 
to all consumer electronics sold in the State, so that when it comes 
time to recycle it is already paid for, and will be accepted free at any 
authorized recycling site.

Does Ft. Collins have some authorized place to take such items? If not I 
would think that law would just encourage illegal dumping in neighbor's 
yards or on the steps of City Hall.

> 
> Hasn't Europe been on the digital only thing for a while now?  Isn't 
> that why the DVR-type add on for the PS3 is only available in Europe?  I 
> can't imagine having to get my TV AND hi-def fixes so bad that I call 
> the cable company and scream that I can only see "Desperate Housewives" 
> (or some other equally stupid show) in /only/ 720i.

Actually Europe has been "digital" for quite a while, but not HD. The 
BBC is operating an "experimental" HD transmitter using h264. Japan was 
the first to go HD, and close to 20 years later less than 15% of the 
population has elected to buy a receiver. I think this demonstrates that 
consumers, at least Japanese ones, don't really want HD, and I believe 
the Japanese are more gizmo-oriented than Americans.

The equipment most consumers use for NTSC comes nowhere close to what 
the system is actually capable of, but a good 700-line NTSC monitor 
costs thousands, and the signal has already been mutilated by a 
transmitter, which cuts off video bandwidth at about 4.2 Mhz.

Face it, most consumers were quite satisfied with VHS quality. Hogan's 
Heroes is no funnier in HD on HDNET than it was in NTSC (though the 
uniform detail is incredible).

Fox transmits most of their digital as 720p, they want the extra channel 
capability they get by reducing their main channel resolution. Other 
networks have gone with 1080i.

The Disparate Housewives are not funny at any resolution.

beww