manually running mythfilldatabase needs new options for Mythtv 0.25

I download my French TV listings from a great website called Kazer.

I download these using wget then insert the listings manually using mythfilldatabase run using cron ever few days.

With Mythtv 0.25 this has changed and there are new options for Mythfilldatabase:

$ mythfilldatabase --file --sourceid  --xmlfile belgium.xml

Previously it was:

$ mythfilldatabase --file  belgium.xml

I strongly recommend Kazer if you need French listings. It’s free although every other year I donate 20 Euros or so.

Video iPod

I watched the first episode of Doctor Who S2, on a plane with a video iPod. I am very impressed!!! What with my new Etymotic ER6i headphones (writeup to follow), it was a very pleasant experience.

The decent resolution really makes a difference from the much larger screen of the plane’s crappy in seat display.  Much nicer to view.

Lady Vengeance

Saw Lady Vengeance On Sunday. It’s the final film of a trilogy of seprate films linked only by a common theme of vengeance. I’ve previously seen Oldboy on DVD, and I was very impressed. Lady Vengeance is quite different. Longer, more complicated, and much less violent. It also has a degree of symbolism, which I-did-not-quite-get, that is absent in the 2nd film It’s quite an impressive film, and the impressions you get from the film are not instantaneous. I dwelt on the film for quite a while, and feel quite different about it now,, rathern than when i left teh cinema. It’s the type of film that needs repeated viewing to get the most from it I feel. Unlike Western films of this genre, ther are no cliches. Unlike say Kill Bill, which seemed to glorify in it’s cliched stereotypes (not a criticism), this film does not. The characters do not do what they are expected, nor react to events in the way that would be expected. For example the lead does have various degrees of justifiable provocation and reason to behave the way she does. Except it seems that she does not use these as reasons to do what she does, making you empathise with her less.
I would strongly recommend a viewing. If you’ve not seen either of the other two, then don;t worry. You do get the feeling that this is the final film, as it leaves a definite ending to the question that vengeance is not a wise path to take. Oldboy does the same, although the person taking vengeance is not the person you expect.

King Kong

Wow. A real piece if old fashioned crash-bang-wallop entertainment. Well enjoyed it.

BUT, did the maggot really have to suck Andy Serkis’s head off!!!

Suprisingly, I’ve never actually seen the original. I’ve seen, and like, Dino de Laurentis’s remake. I must make it a task to see the original.

MythTV

Well I finally got MythTV working.

It’s pretty cool. A proper hard disc recorder on your computer. It’s really meant to be used as a standalone unit, but mine has just been setup on my workstation, since I have a dammed cool 2405fpw Dell24″ monitor 🙂

The Gentoo Wiki page was very useful in getting this set up. Especialyl the bit in getting ALSA and especially an ALSA mixer device to work.

Restless Natives

Well I got a copy of Restless Natives on DVD. It’s still good. When looking at films that you have last saw quite a few yrs ago (in this case 20), it’s generally dissapointing. However, this was excellent. It’s obviousyl dated, and very very 80’s. But not 80’s in the same way that a film like Purple rain or especially The Breakfast club are (both excellent films). It was a little twee like an update Railway children. But nonetheless it is still a great film. …and the music. What a superb soundtrack by Big Country.

One thing that did suprise me is the quality of the DVD. It was pretty dammed good. Not a sign of pixelation at all. Too often DVDs are poor quality nowadays. Even recent “blockblusters” are poor. Watching on a TV is OK, watch on a projector or anything approaching HD, and the quality is pretty shite. A unforgivable shame in my view. Sometimes I’ve even downloaded a far better quality film, than the equivalent copy on DVD. My DVD of the Matrix is rubbish and stays in its box, and I watch the one I downloaded instead. Now if only you could get DolbyDigital downloads!! 🙂