How XMPlay Improves My Life

[kamnet]

Okay, I suppose that this involves more than XMPlay, but if it wasn't for me being fed up with FreeAmp's slow development and looking for a new alternative to the always-crashing and ever-bloated WinAmp, I never would have found it.

Being in the middle of eastern Kentucky with no cable or satellite (yes, I could easily get both without paying for it, but I refuse to), all I get for news is CBS, ABC and NBC. I'm very conscious of the current war effort in Iraq, because my brother may be over there (he was called up from his base in Italy on Tuesday, with no notice of where he would be going). Unfortunately none of the above networks give continous coverage in my area, and I'm not really interested in anything else.

So, I'm forced to strike out on the Internet, via dial-up no less! (yes I can get that too, but I don't have the discretionary income for it *lol* ... cheap bastich aren't I? ) ... NBC's Web site only offers streaming video during the daytime hours, which doesn't do me a bit of good when I can watch that live on TV ... ABC and CNN want you to pay for it ... CBS offers video for free but you much watch it through their javascript pop-up windows. Ick. And I don't trust FOX News anymore *sigh* ...
 
But along comes the BBC! 24/7 commercial-free news coverage, available via RealPlayer. Since I started using XMPlay about 8 months ago, I discovered the Tara WinAmp plug-in for RealAudio ... I didn't know it could do RealVideo as well! Much surprised when I clicked on the link and XMPlay and Tara loaded up and started playing.

And to boot, this is all being done on an Intel Pentium 233 MMX system and a 4MB ATI Rage+ video card at 56kbps. The video is smooth for the most part, the audio doesn't clip, I'm not dealing with the problems of the G2 codec downgrading because th stream hits a small hiccup. Full screen looks like crap, but I don't expect great quality considering what I've got.

I just watched, in real time, coalition forces taking Umm Qasr. For the most part the BBC stepped out of the way and just let the video feed and sounds speak for itself. Absolutely amazing. There's just nothing else that one can say about how the Internet and real-time collaboration and delivery revolutionizes how we interact with our world outside of its physical boundaries, short of calling it a true innovation.

And XMPlay helped to make that all happen. Thanks, guys!

[Olego]

You can get free cable and satellite?  Do share your secrets, I won't mind leaning them!  :-)

~Olego~

[kamnet]

Oh it is quite easy if you have no ethical qualms about stealing copyrighted materials and robbing companies who are trying to build infastructure of the funds needed to continus to build that infrastructure ... even if they are heathen, empty-souled bastards

But there isn't really much to tell. The secret is in paying for all the tools to do it. For satellites it is investing in blank cards, bootstraps, computer hardware (all of which is illegal because it violateds DMCA and copyright laws). For cable you just need a ladder, a terminator tool and/or a set of cable box lugnut keys.

But that is all I'll say on that.

[Ralesk]

Urk, don't tell me a personal parabola dish is against law...  Well, I mean when you buy it and you set it up and don't ask Imperium d'AOL for stuff.

Hell, I could really set up my own dish and plug it in an appropriate indoor decoder any time, given I have the dough...