new videos every day!

Onyx · 10-09-2003, 06:39 PM

For those of you that have access to a broadband connection in your car when it's parked. Take a look at http://www.tvtonic.com

Basically this software runs in the background and downloads decent quality video content to your hard drive for you to watch when you're "offline". There are 3 free channels you can "subscribe" to: movie trailers, music videos, and the news. I've downloaded their software on my box at work and I think it's pretty slick. No carpc to try it out on yet, but I was thinking it *might* work to provide offline video in the car that updates itself when online. It would be nice to have new movie trailers, music videos, and news on tap when stuck in the car. Then when you park for the night it updates itself and has a bunch of new stuff for you to watch the next day. Kinda like having 3 TV stations. Their software is a little buggy and takes some time to get it installed and used to. It downloaded 2 gigs of video the first night I had it

haha, I'm sure the IT guys loved that. You might want to change the software's cache settings if you actually pay for your bandwidth. If anyone tries it in the car, I'd like to know how well it works.

Anybody know of any other free services like this that would be cool in the car that could update at night?

frodobaggins · 10-10-2003, 08:48 PM

First off, this thing is awesome. But it can't be used in the car. It downloads stuff to be viewed offline BUT to connect to the player app(which is on your computer) the app has to connect to a special web address which launches the player. So you need to be on the internet for it to open the player. stupid stupid !!

The reason I find it awesome is twofold, one is I got to watch some pretty cool music videos, the second is a bit more involved.

The player installs a file system object that prevents you from direct browsing or searching in the cache folder, ugh. On top of it, if you get the videos out, the videos are encrypted, ugh. BUT ...the AUDIO in the videos is NOT encrypted. Using freely available tools I was able to rip out about 36 pretty good songs out of the music videos I downloaded last night !

quick version of instructions:
use winrar, set it to store not compress, and to only grab *.wmv files,don't store directory tree, then run winrar on the cache folder.

Inside the rar will be the wmv files,extract, then run wma2wav (from doom9.org) on the wmv files. It is SUPPOSED to extract the audio into wavs, but on these files for some reason it extracts the wma audio and just adds a wav header. Media player plays these files fine, have had some trouble with winamp, but it's probably just me.

I got 36 songs for free today...

bgoodman · 10-10-2003, 09:18 PM

this better be worth the trouble i'm going through

Onyx · 10-14-2003, 09:40 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by frodobaggins

First off, this thing is awesome.

But it can't be used in the car. It downloads stuff to be viewed offline BUT to connect to the player app(which is on your computer) the app has to connect to a special web address which launches the player. So you need to be on the internet for it to open the player. stupid stupid !!

I got 36 songs for free today...

It works fine when not connected to the net. It creates an icon in my computer. Goto My Computer and open "Waveexpress Cache". I was able to access the player and content here just fine while not connected to the net. I'm using XP, but I assume it's the same for other supported OSes.

cproaudio · 10-14-2003, 10:02 PM

how's the audio quality? how close is it to CD quality?

Onyx · 10-14-2003, 10:15 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by cproaudio

how's the audio quality? how close is it to CD quality?

to my ears the audio quality is no worse than a 128kbit MP3. Frodo might be able to speak to the actual encoded bitrate.

Video is MPEG4.

frodobaggins · 10-14-2003, 11:01 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Onyx

It works fine when not connected to the net. It creates an icon in my computer. Goto My Computer and open "Waveexpress Cache". I was able to access the player and content here just fine while not connected to the net. I'm using XP, but I assume it's the same for other supported OSes.

I found it after I opened my big mouth

, just forgot to post again

frodobaggins · 10-14-2003, 11:02 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Onyx

to my ears the audio quality is no worse than a 128kbit MP3. Frodo might be able to speak to the actual encoded bitrate.

Video is MPEG4.

the ones I checked were 128kbps wma2

cproaudio · 10-15-2003, 01:48 AM

Im interested in this too. have you guys figured out a way to save the video files for later viewing with out going through the TVTonic?

frodobaggins · 10-15-2003, 02:37 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by cproaudio

Im interested in this too. have you guys figured out a way to save the video files for later viewing with out going through the TVTonic?

Unless you can crack encryption you aren't going to.

Bbrian · 10-15-2003, 01:04 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by frodobaggins

Unless you can crack encryption you aren't going to.

This what I do when I do when I want to capture a streaming video/audio file. There are a few free streaming audio recorders out there. Use them if you just want to record an audio that is streaming over the net. I have a SBLive card that came with LiveWare and has a nice recorder. I just tell it to record sound coming out of my speakers. For video I played around with a software that allows you to record your desktop screen for purposes of teaching people how to navigate around windows and such (just do search for screen recorder). It basically does captures but it can be set to do 30frames/sec captures of any sized window or a whole screen but you'll need a fast cpu to do large captures at 30frames/sec. I've used one, can't remember the name, to do video of songs that I recorded off of www.digitallyimported.com . I recorded the visualizations off of winamp, sonique or media player. It saves as an AVI file so you can convert to whatever format you want with the right converter.

Edit: I oh forgot, I did try to record a streaming video file and it didn't work. It just recorded a blank picture.

frodobaggins · 10-15-2003, 02:02 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Bbrian

This what I do when I do when I want to capture a streaming video/audio file. There are a few free streaming audio recorders out there. Use them if you just want to record an audio that is streaming over the net. I have a SBLive card that came with LiveWare and has a nice recorder. I just tell it to record sound coming out of my speakers. For video I played around with a software that allows you to record your desktop screen for purposes of teaching people how to navigate around windows and such (just do search for screen recorder). It basically does captures but it can be set to do 30frames/sec captures of any sized window or a whole screen but you'll need a fast cpu to do large captures at 30frames/sec. I've used one, can't remember the name, to do video of songs that I recorded off of www.digitallyimported.com . I recorded the visualizations off of winamp, sonique or media player. It saves as an AVI file so you can convert to whatever format you want with the right converter.

Edit: I oh forgot, I did try to record a streaming video file and it didn't work. It just recorded a blank picture.

This isn't streamed and there is no url, the file will only play with the proprietary media player included.

Confused · 10-16-2003, 06:34 AM

Anybody tried using Fraps to record? It just suddenly hit me while I'm sitting here at work, and not got access to my home PC with it installed

I must say, it's got some good taste!

Installed it yesterday morning, and it's already downloaded Electric Six - Dance Commander, brilliant tune, and funny video! It reminds me so much of exactly what one of my friends would do! I was watching it with my GF this morning and said "that is so Sam" and she could only agree!!

Garry

Rireal · 10-16-2003, 11:14 AM

Anyone else having a problem with it hanging on the "The TVTonic Guide Is Loading.." page? The progress bar (periods in the status bar) get almost 2/3's of the way then stop. I've left it two different time for hours and still nothing.

Onyx · 10-16-2003, 04:42 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Rireal

Anyone else having a problem with it hanging on the "The TVTonic Guide Is Loading.." page? The progress bar (periods in the status bar) get almost 2/3's of the way then stop. I've left it two different time for hours and still nothing.

I also have that problem sometimes. Like I said, the software is a little buggy. Sometimes I get script errors or entire screens of pink instead of video (overlay problem). Ok, so it's a LOT buggy

Sometimes part of the Wavexpress software doesn't completely initiate after you reboot or login. To fix: right click the wavexpress icon in the systray and then start any "service" that hasn't started. I usually find the last 2 need to be manually started like this. I don't complain cause it's free, but I deffinately would if I were paying for a subscription.

Anybody tried it in the car yet???

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