What did I miss? (5 Jul, 2018)

[aardvark_admin]

This column is archived at: https://aardvark.co.nz/daily/2018/0705.shtml

Woohoo... I'm on the mend (touch wood).

After a full 14-hours of sleep (a huge sleep debt had to be paid back) I'm on deck and ready to annoy you again with a regular daily dose!

Did Sony leak that movie to YouTube on purpose as a cynical marketing ploy?

Have you given third parties (and their staff) the right to browse your GMail?

And do you even care that FreeView is now available "on demand" via the Net?

Just what format will our TV entertainment and information take by the end of the decade? Is FTA dying in favour of cheap ad-free VOD services such as Netflix?

[hagfish]

Welcome back!

I hope this new 'Freeview' app doesn't spell the end for the TVNZ on-demand app. Shows that would be painful to watch via broadcast are much more compelling when the ad breaks are only 30 seconds long. I do worry, tho, when all they manage to sell for a big show like Survivor NZ is a couple of house ads for other TV shows. An ad-supported service needs its ads, afterall.

The new Freeview app (like the new LightBox app) won't work on our ancient Smartish telly. I won't be upgrading that TV until I can get a 32" 1080p OLED, so it might be a while...

As for LightBox, it runs okay on our old PS3, but invariably drops the stream after about 40 minutes, so it's 'Kodi to the rescue'. It means we are less 'tied' to Spark, I suppose. Good luck to em next year with streaming the Rubby Whirl Carp - let's hope they do better than Optus did over the ditch. Having broken Sky's back, it's important that it goes well or lovers of live sports will be stuck.

I hope all the Balkanized streaming services will be integrated into one offering - maybe by a behemoth like Apple or Amazon. People say they want competition and choice, but I just want one bill, one remote, one app to rule them all. If it gets too expensive, invasive, or annoying, there's plenty of other stuff I can be getting on with in the evenings. Reading, gaming, or - as with last night - Scrabble.

[phill]

i used to worry about what permissions i granted apps
i even shopped for others in the same field if i thought they wanted stuff they didnt need
then i went to installing any app without worrying what permissions they wanted granted
after installing another app i could trust that controlled permissions on all installed apps ( usually set to none )

ohh and you can do the same on droid 6+ under settings menu

[mad]

Urban broadcast TV is an endangered species, especially with Chorus closely examining digital streaming (using a distinct carrier and second port on the ONT) as opposed to being "regular" data
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/102583 ... re-network

This takes away the "bandwidth" and "congestion" issues that often trip up regular streaming services ( esp for major events)

The GPON fibre network is a much cheaper and easier way to distribute HD video rather than making people continue to buy new TVs or STBs,- for the 4K step and then again the 8K step the will undoubtedly come 5-10 years after that...)

Rural and non fibre served houses will likely continue to use come form of Satellite distribution...

[greven]

All the UHF freeview transmitter sites would likely make brilliant sites for wireless broadband towers

[phill]

ohh joy
great for the city
but rural gets nothing again

[Mike23545]

Hi,
As a frequent, registered recipient of notifications from the "techrepublic dot com",
this item may be helpful to those that use Gmail & may not be sure how to disable it...
ref; > https://www.techrepublic.com/article/wo ... nt-secure/

HTH.

As for local FTA TV...You're correct that most of the "new" channels, here in Oz as well, are mainly chucking out advert after advert ad infinitum.
PITB to find anything viewable.

Regs, Laurie..

[aardvark_admin]

Hi,
As a frequent, registered recipient of notifications from the "techrepublic dot com",
this item may be helpful to those that use Gmail & may not be sure how to disable it...
ref; > https://www.techrepublic.com/article/wo ... nt-secure/

HTH.

As for local FTA TV...You're correct that most of the "new" channels, here in Oz as well, are mainly chucking out advert after advert ad infinitum.
PITB to find anything viewable.

Regs, Laurie..

You're up late mate!

[Mike23545]

Hi Bruce,
I should explain why I am always up late...
I moderate on the mozillaZine fora & seeing as all of the other mods are in the Northern hemisphere & are either asleep or at work, etc., I am left to administer the board as best I can.
Just trying to keep the idiot spammers etc, out & help out where/when I can with Firefox etc.
My "normal" hours are from evening to early morning.

Keeps the old grey cells functioning.

Stay well mate & all the best.

Regs, Laurie..

[Perry]

I wonder if the 'new generation' gmail was/is like the 'new generation' windoze 10.
Includes - gratis - pre-loaded spyware and malware with malice aforethought?