Fintan Ramblings

Been trying out BBC Iplayer last few days .
I can understand why people cant see the point of it when most programmes are repeated.
But I like the idea that you can watch programmes at a time that’s convenient for me so I thought I try it out.

I am not going to detail here how its a bit of a palaver to get it going (search on Google and you will see) but in all it took 15min to set up.
Found a good set up guide here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayerbeta/install_part_1.shtml (us Linux users cant understand why almost 10 step install the damn thing)

For some reason the video doesn’t show up, if I took a screen shot but here is one that I found showing programme (with subtitles) called Two pints of lager and a packet of crisp to give an example of what it would look like

In order to watch programmes with subtitles that’s the size you get in the screenshot

I understand that resolution is lower, so full-screen viewing is less than satisfactory, also in full screen mode it does not show subtitles so how very frustrating is this in order to watch this I have to sit close to my monitor.

(Click on thumbnails to enlarge)

At a glance its does not show which programmes carry subtitles

When selecting briefings it does not contain subtitles (no surprise there)

No option to show just subtitles listings and the only way to find out is by selecting each programme to find out if it contains subtitles

Interestingly if you see picture below

There is a drop down section to which gives you an option to watch it with subtitles and BSL (British sign language)
It’s a pity that How to be the perfect housewife contain BSL (who watches that shit?)

While watching it I though the interpreter is small but selecting full screen is better, how ever quality is not that good.

I understand it’s at beta stage so I am watching how it develops with interest and I think that the subtitles should be bigger and any programmes that contain BSL should be a higher resolution so watch out if you don’t have unlimited download package from your ISP other wise you will fall foul of broadband fair Use Policy
It’s a bit of a shame that it is built on Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player – especially as it comes complete with all the security errors, warning messages that seem to plague Microsoft programs

I think I will only use BBC iplayer to watch one programme called See Hear as from October because it’s being moved from Saturday 12pm slot to weekdays!
They say to increases viewing figures but they are competing with loose women on ITV.
Bad enough showing it on Saturday but even worst mid week when I am at work also getting it cut from 45 min to 30 min and yes you get repeats only one repeat at 2 am in the morning compared to programmes like Eastenders showing at 8pm repeated at 10 pm plus you get another chance to watch it on Sunday afternoon

Only half hour Deaf program per week shown at 2 ridiculous times and that’s what the only reason I will be using the iplayer for.

There seem to be an increase on VOD (Video on Demand) in the UK
such as
ITV
4oD
Five
Blueyonder TV
Sky Anytime
BT Vision
Freeview
Top Up TV
Tiscali TV
Virgin Media

I have tried out 4oD on father in laws PC (Does not work on Linux) none of the programmes I downloaded contain subtitles.
Also he is subscribed to virgin media and we sat down to watch Dr Who just to test it out and guess what.. No subtitles!

I doubt other VOD will contain subtitles and wouldn’t it be great to find out the information before hand rather than download and test it out?
Should I bother emailing to ask when or will any of the programmes contain subtitles
Will I get some sort of brush off like Optimum Releasing standard email we are looking into it tripe!

I have emailed sky and I got a response (Optimum Releasing please take note) within impressive 40 minutes

Thank you for contacting the accessible customer service team via email on the 3rd July 2007.
At present subtitles are not available on Sky Anytime via the PC however this is something we are currently working on and will hopefully have a release date in due course.
Gayle Olszok
Customer Advisor
Sky Accessible Customer Service

But wait the BBC iplayer release date on 27th July it will contain subtitles… and should I be excited grateful? Yes I am … but hang on websites such as this and this one says

“Despite the long time in development, the ambitious BBC iPlayer initiative will be missing several features. At launch there will be some support for the visually impaired and some sign language for the hard-of-hearing. Subtitles and audio description will be rolled out in the coming months.”

Now why does that not surprise me?

So how long much longer do we have to wait?
Will it be a few selected programmes that contain subtitles like we suffered in the 1980’s on TV?

We have never had it so good in keeping in touch with friends, especially when you’re deaf and unable to use the telephone.

1988 to year 2000 (picked 1988 as I was 18 then)
In the past, we all met at deaf clubs. We had to remember or write down where we would meet next in pubs and the likes..
We also could keep in contact via the post, but I hardly ever wrote a letter, apart from sending birthday cards.
When I was living at home and I needed to contact my friend, I had to ask my mum to ring my friend’s mum to find out the date or time to meet, then our mums would be chatting for ages talking about the weather and gawd knows what. A call that should last 5 min ended up being an hour!

Then Typetalk came along, but not all of us had Typetalk. (I got it for free, because I was working.) However, my male friends were lazy, and they were quite happy for their mums to do all the phone calls etc. And when I did use Typetalk, my parents could hear someone at the other end saying,
“Hello, hello? Who is it? Maureen, it sounds like a fax machine. I will hang up as we can’t talk to a fax machine. We haven’t got a fax machine, have we?….”

Pagers came along, and what an excellent device it was. The only downside at that time was that you had to ring and leave a message and then relay it onto a pager.
I had software where you could type in a message on your home pc. The modem would dial the pager’s server and leave the message. The only trouble was, at that time, none of my friends had a pager and my mum only used it to tell me that dinner was on the table!!

Then, along came mobile phones. Most of my friends took a long time to get a mobile. It was great to get in contact via sms, but it took a long time coming. I don’t need to tell you how useful this device was and still is today.

Between 1988 and now, the PC came along. Now I don’t need to tell you how useful it is, do I?

Today – 2007
Just to remind you that I have taken names from the Deaf-uk-chat mailing list. I don’t know where they live ( I could have asked, but then I’d never get this blog written) so I have inserted some random area .

I announced on Deaf-uk-chat that we meet in Chester in a pub. Name of street and postcode of pub provided for sat-nav users.

Alison is leaving London with Kyle after staying with some friends.
Rob, who was in area, got his mobile out and texted “ping me” using buddyping that he found on his mobile. Alison and Kyle were nearby, and he asked for a lift to save train fare.

After travelling so far, they decided to have a break and found a pub. Meanwhile, in another car, Nellie and Pauline requested a message from their TomTom sat-nav to see how far others travelled and discovered that Alison Jen were nearby and that Rob was in the pub. Their TomTom directed them to the pub so that they could join them..
(This is very useful if you are in a convoy of cars and you don’t want to lose each other.)

Meanwhile, Tony flew from Aussie land and had sent a message through Twitter on his laptop that he will be at the Manchester airport and will be taking a train to Chester.
Jones responded on his mobile via text to twitter that he is in area and tells him not to waste money on train fare, because he is in the area and can pick him up.

I text onto twitter that there is change of venue and that the pub can be found within the roman walls…..and so on, As you can see, be it mobiles or laptops, we are able to never lose touch with each other

So why aren’t us deafies using all the software that’s provided on the internet??
I have only tested Buddyping with Kyle, and so few of us are using twitter. Why are people afraid to test things out??

Oh, and if you want to know how the story ends …

We all arrive at the pub having a good time and MM was sitting at the bar only drinking coke thinking that there is some conspiracy going on regarding the change of venue and watching anyone walking in the pub with a longbow.

Charlotte asked why MM looked worried, to which I replied,
“Apparently it’s legal to kill a Welshman within the roman walls with a longbow.”
At that point, Tony’s eyes lit up……

Nothing makes me happier than seeing Senior Citizens happy to see their computer fixed.

Quite often I have fixed computers for people who bought a top of the range computer (their words not mine) just for surfing the Internet when a cheaper one will do.

A few weeks ago I was asked if I could sort one of my wife’s friends neighbour’s computer.  She was a retired head teacher. There I was checking over her computer and turned out that the monitor wire was loose. I fixed it and said to her that her XP needed updating to service pack 2.
Updating on dial up would take forever so I suggested that I took it to my house and bring it all up to date as I have broadband.
When it was all updated I was looking at the computer and noticed it had DVD RW TV cards.  I was thinking ‘she was conned to buy the latest computer from a well know big PC store when all she probably uses it for is surfing the internet and typing on word.’
Boy how wrong was I?
When I returned the computer next day she said;
“My friend sent me a DVD of her daughters wedding and I can’t wait to see it.”
She also uses her computer to download patterns and connect her sewing machine to the computer.
She used to type basic on computers years ago, so she isn’t an old fuddy duddy that knows nothing about computers.
She said she knows her way round XP but when it comes to hardware faults she hasn’t a clue.
I asked her why she didn’t upgrade to service pack 2, her computer has the right tools to stay more secure and up to date.  She was told not to as the software that runs her sewing machine wouldn’t work.

I tested this and happily it does work