Watching TV.

[prospero]

I like watching TV. Don't we all?

Recently I discovered the joys of playing .MP4 files off a memory stick plugged into the USB sockets at the back (I wondered what they did. )
Anyroadup, I have got a little gizmo set up that outputs an signal from an analogue source (VHS player) to the PC and effectively 're-masters' all
my old recordings that I want to keep. I've three VCRs that are that still play but you can only get them second-hand and they are getting hard to find.
So I'm cherry-picking my way though about 1000+ tapes. You can get a LOT on a memory stick.

I can't get a straight answer to this question: You play one file. When it ends you have to manually select the next.
How do you make it play ALL the files in sequence? I can set it to repeat, but not to play the next.

My TV is a Panasonic. Do any technophiles here know the secret? Interested to hear any gen.

btw. I suspect the answer is, "You can't".

[prospero]

Got some replies from a techy forum. What I thought - you can't.

I won't be defeated though.....

[poliopete]

I saw a telly programme years ago about the bloke that invented the "cats eyes" installed in the middle of the road. His invention obviously made him a fortune and he spent some of it on his first love, watching TV

The programme showed him lounging in his home, eating crisps and watching three TV's at once (only three channels then) all with the sound down Imagine how many TV's he would require these days

[prospero]

.... And if the cat had been facing the other way he could have invented the pencil sharpener.

[poliopete]

We had a cat once and thought it only had one eye we soon realized it walked backward a lot

[StevenG]

I'm not sure about the spec on your TV but the playback software is probably a little limited. You're best going on Ebay or the like and picking up a little media player for a few pounds and using that instead i.e. put your media on your storage device as per usual, attach that to the media player and hook the player up to the TV. Or invest in an Android based player for a tenner extra and you've have an entire multimedia suite at your fingertips.

[prospero]

I have come to the same conclusion.

[cleaver]

Best bit of tech kit I EVER bought is a combined DVD/Hard Disc player.

I believe it's the same as a Sky Box (though I've never had one of those): you can record stuff at the touch of a button & time-shift like a video recorder, but there's no searching for tapes (& cueing up the tape) or DVD discs.....as it goes onto the hard disc You also get little thumbnails of the programmes you have recorded, rather than just a text list.

It holds about 200 hours of content, and if you want to archive/save things, it's a piece of cake to transfer them onto DVD discs (on the same machine).

Sorry, I know this is VERY basic stuff (though not to an old sod like me!), but maybe someone would find this useful.

[prospero]

Funny thing.....

I was talking initially about my number 2 TV which is Panasonic but is un-smart.

I didn't try my no.1 TV, which is also Panasonic but is smart, because it's on the wall and thus tricky to reach the USB sockets.
I now have plugged in extension USB leads so I can swap memory sticks easily. Lo and Behold the media player app in this set is
a different kettle of fish. It shows preview thumbnails and also plays in sequence. This despite it being older than set no.2.

DVDs seem to be going the way of VHS tapes. Got a piece of software kit now that copies DVDs to mp4 format to save them to your PC.
Takes a while, but not as long as playing the DVD. (about 1/2 hour for a movie). It even copies Regions other than 2 (Europe) which most
DVD players won't play. A lot of new PCs come without a DVD drive. I got one fortunately....

I have also just got a standalone media player which I haven't tried out because I'm short of a lead.

[cleaver]

I'm such a Luddite with tech. I only got a smartphone a couple of years ago.

BTW, have you noticed there is a direct correlation between how useful tech is, with how screwed we are when it fails?

[prospero]

I got a smartphone only a few years back. Previously I had A succession of little Nokia ones.

I always used to keep the phone on me, in my pocket. The smartphone is a fair lump though and it's in a little case to
protect the screen. Result? I don't keep it with me as I am afraid the screen will crack while leaning against the bench.
If I go out it's still uncomfortable. And when I do get a call, by the time I've fished it out my pocket, opened it up and
tapped the screen, I've generally missed the call. I'm genuinely considering reverting to a little flip-phone.
It is handy for photos though. I can upload them to One-Drive and then they are accessible on my PC.
Trouble is, I hardly use it for photos. I never think to.

Btw. If anyone is interested I got the .mp4 file thing sorted. And I got a cute little gizmo that records the output from
my Sky box in full HD if necessary. I can now archive 1000s of hours of video and also edit out any adverts.

[cleaver]

I have a Samsung J5. It cost about £130, and the Mrs says it's not far off the performance of her S7 (£600, RRP).

Case-wise, it's in a 'book' cover that offers a fair chance of closing if dropped (touchwood, not tested yet!).

I know what you mean about the faff.....I took off the security thing where you have to trace a pattern on the screen to get the phone unlocked. Like you say, by the time you've done all the necessaries, the caller has hung up

Another good thing about the cover is it automatically turns the screen on or off when it's opened / closed.

They are so handy, but the whole battery thing is painful.....it's like I'm nursing a Tamagotchi!!

[prospero]

I started off with a Motorola flip phone which had two batteries - a big one and a little one. Both external. So you
could have one on charge. It was a fair old lump with the big one on. No texting, just a phone and on a good day you
could actually make a call. A mate of mine had one of the old car phones that you carried like a small suitcase with a
curly-corded handset.
That was '92 when mobile phones were 'flash' It was all analogue in them there days...... I had a hands-free kit
in the car and got some funny looks sat there talking to myself.

[cleaver]

I remember when I first used a mobile phone: to call home from a pub, on a mate's phone. I couldn't believe it was possible, and thought I'd be hung as a witch!

Equal thrills with tech in my lifetime: 1st time I saw colour telly in person (1970 World Cup), and the 1st time I used a Walkman (well, a Sanyo personal stereo).

Game-changers!

[cleaver]

Anyone noticed that fairly recent channel 'Talking Pictures' way down the Freeview listings?

There's a lot of old rubbish, but some gems: saw a few episodes of Callan a while ago, and I was amazed at how well they stood up. Edward Woodward was a very under-rated actor, IMO.

[prospero]

I'm a big Talking Pictures fan. They show films that have not seen the light of day for yonks. Also a lot
of interesting 'shorts'. The ads are a bit annoying, obviously aimed at old farts such as me. Life insurance, funeral
plans, mattresses..... What that Peleton woman is doing there is a mystery. The bike costs >£2K and then you
pay a subscription to have some git shouting at you as you sweat your guts out.
It's great channel for the "What does he reckon to be in?" factor. You see many actors who became more familiar in
their later years, as youngsters (usually with more hair).

The channel has an unofficial FB group. Madeline Smith is a regular contributor.

[cleaver]

Oh, Mr P....Madeline Smith ; she was a teenage crush of mine! The woman off the High Karate TV ad (Valerie Leon?), James Heriot's Wife of All Creatures Great & Small, Lesley-Anne Down. They were all tens!! Maybe this thread should merge with 'You know you're old when....'

Really pleased that channel has a following - I thought I was on my own there! I find their marketing clever too: sort of positioning themselves like the BFI (as opposed to 'we just show old crap'!)

Don't start me on the BBC....unwatchable. We watch far more 5 USA (Law & Order etc.) and I like a lot of Quest stuff,too: Wheeler Dealers, and Salvage Hunters (though the little baldy guy does grate on me).

Current treat is taping House (Hugh Laurie) on Paramount every day.

[prospero]

Just watching Wheeler Dealers.

I agree that there is nowt worth watching on BBC. Or ITV for that matter.

[cleaver]

Oh Gawd...the Triumph Stag yet again!

Have you seen the later series, where Edd was relegated to a bit-part, and spivvy Mike was taking on fixing jobs? That led to Edd legging it - and I don't blame him.

Surprised if the Beeb didn't consider them (or at least Ed) for Top Gear after Clarkson and his merry men got their marching orders.

Gettin into 'Abandoned Engineering' recently....did you see the one where they featured the city Ford built, so they could produce rubber for their tyres? Gob-smacking in its scale (talking of which, it must be time for another Christmas big 'un from you, Mr.P!)

[prospero]

I like Abandoned Engineering. Got about 30 eps digitized on my PC. Quite fascinating.

No big'un planned for this Christmas.