[geeks] tablets?

[gsm at mendelson.com]

On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 06:19:37PM -0400, Jonathan J. M. Katz wrote:
>However, one thing you can do is setup a home media server that does
>uPnP. I have one (just a Linux box with a bunch of disks) that runs
>MediaTomb uPnP server. It also runs Samba and NFS and I can copy
>anything to/from it that I need to. It's our repository of digital
>photos, MP3s, etc. There are then uPnP players/browsers available from
>the Apple App Store (as well as the Android Shoppe if you go that
>route) which can play what's on the server on your iPad & iPhone. The
>uPnP server streams the content for you, so it can play whatever you
>throw at it.

Thanks,

I did not think about that. Actually I'm running the PS3 media server
( a simple UPNP server) on two computers, but I don't think either is 
fast enough to convert videos. However a cheap computer (using existing
disks) might do it. I tried media tomb but could never get it configured.

 From what I can see from the PS3 media server is that it streams 
files unchanged if the destination can play them, and reformats them as
needed. This may require convervsion or rescaling which is CPU intensive.

I also may just have some problems with configuration, I could never get
the PS3 server to convert MP4 audio files to MP3 so that my internet
radio would play them. :-(


>Since you're not leaving the house (much) this may make sense, as you
>don't need all your videos to be local to the device, just local to
>your network.

Not (much), currently and for the foresable future at all. I'll 
explain more offline, but it's a choice between taking a chance on a $500
(plus import duty) device off of eBay, or buy a $3800 US made (probably the
same device OEM'ed) one for 18,500 NIS ($5,300) from a local vendor.

It's priced that high because medicare/medicaid pays for them in the US,
no one can seem to tell me if anyone pays for them (HMO, National Health, 
Disability, etc) here, not even the vendor. My HMO provided everything I
need for $25 for 6 months, but it's not portable. 

It's even more complicated because there is a local charity that buys these
things and then rents them out at a low price, but they don't have any,
their answer is extremely low-tech, high price and lots of consumeables.

Geoff.



-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson N3OWJ/4X1GM
Making your enemy reliant on software you support is the best revenge.