The Virtual Pub

Come Inside... => The Computer Room => Topic started by: Snoopy on November 13, 2007, 11:41:40 AM

Title: HELP!
Post by: Snoopy on November 13, 2007, 11:41:40 AM
WTF is a MP4?

I gather it plays video as well as music and my kids all want one but how does the video get in there? Am I doomed to a life of downloading (at huge expense) DVDs from the web and surely they take up so much space that they will only be able to have one or two films on the machine or are we just talking Video Clips of Those singing(?) the music(?)
ie a sort of storage device for YouTube type crap?

Your collective opinion would be welcomed.
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Nick on November 13, 2007, 11:50:19 AM
Never heard of them, but a quick Google reveals

http://www.computersupermarket.com/ProductDetails.php/308/733 (http://www.computersupermarket.com/ProductDetails.php/308/733)

But why a player. If you can download films to DVD watch em on a DVD player!
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Snoopy on November 13, 2007, 12:05:26 PM
Thanks ~ I had looked at Google but I'm looking for advice from anyone who has used one 'cos I don't quite believe the claims made by the retailers/makers. I also foresee a lifetime of buying AAA batteries by the container load.  scared2:
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Nick on November 13, 2007, 12:08:34 PM
Rechargeables?
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Snoopy on November 13, 2007, 12:19:22 PM
Tried that ~ both kids and Mrs S threw them away when they ran out of charge!  evil:
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Nick on November 13, 2007, 12:21:17 PM
 Banghead Banghead Banghead Banghead Banghead Banghead Banghead Banghead Banghead Banghead spider:
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Grumpmeister on November 13, 2007, 12:22:33 PM
I havent got a media player per se but my XDA has that functionality since I installed a movie player on it and I've used it regularly since. My only advice is that if you are going to get them one try and find one that can also use memory cards as this would give you much more leeway with storing media on it.

Depending on how much memory the player has its easy enough to convers DVD's to a media format that the player can use. I've been using PQDVD to convert my collevtion so that I can watch it on my PDA when I'm travelling anywhere and the quality is brilliant. You would be looking at an average of 190mb for a 4:3 format full screen TV program lasting 50 minutes and as far as I can remember Spartacus, 300 and Apocalypse now are around the 600mb mark. Obvously you can reduce the quality to make the files smaller.

http://rn.pqdvd.com/ (http://rn.pqdvd.com/)
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Nick on November 13, 2007, 12:31:23 PM
Quote
XDA has that functionality


Quote
I've been using PQDVD to convert my collevtion so that I can watch it on my PDA


Quote
You would be looking at an average of 190mb for a 4:3 format full screen


Quote
as far as I can remember Spartacus, 300 and Apocalypse now are around the 600mb mark

 noooo:

Is there a Blockbusters near you?

Geeks!
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Snoopy on November 13, 2007, 12:32:35 PM
There is no accounting for the stupidity of ones nearest and dearest is there ~ nor the expense that one goes to in an attempt to get things the way they want them to be ~ and all to no avail.
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Snoopy on November 13, 2007, 12:34:30 PM
I havent got a media player per se but my XDA has that functionality since I installed a movie player on it and I've used it regularly since. My only advice is that if you are going to get them one try and find one that can also use memory cards as this would give you much more leeway with storing media on it.

Depending on how much memory the player has its easy enough to convers DVD's to a media format that the player can use. I've been using PQDVD to convert my collevtion so that I can watch it on my PDA when I'm travelling anywhere and the quality is brilliant. You would be looking at an average of 190mb for a 4:3 format full screen TV program lasting 50 minutes and as far as I can remember Spartacus, 300 and Apocalypse now are around the 600mb mark. Obvously you can reduce the quality to make the files smaller.

http://rn.pqdvd.com/ (http://rn.pqdvd.com/)


Lost me at XDA but thanks ~ I think I got the gist of it. With three kids I either spend a fortune buying the biggest and bestest or forget it?
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Nick on November 13, 2007, 12:35:12 PM
I favour Betamax!
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Grumpmeister on November 13, 2007, 12:37:36 PM
No wonder that format died a death then Nick  point:

Just a thought Snoop but do they have PSP's?
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Snoopy on November 13, 2007, 12:45:05 PM
Each has a Gameboy Micro

http://micro.gameboy.com/
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Grumpmeister on November 13, 2007, 12:51:27 PM
Wouldnt work for that unfortunately, you can get media players for the DS and the PSP. If they had them I'd have suggested getting them as an easy option.
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Snoopy on November 13, 2007, 12:58:41 PM
When considering which personal game player to purchase the following criteria were applied:

(i) Price (Gameboys are not grossly expensive to buy nor are the various games)
(ii) All three had to be the same but different (Gameboys come in a variety of colours)
(iii) I had no idea what they were nor what was likely to be on the market the week after I made the purchase.
(iv) Wife thought I was mad to indulge the children with such things ("A Stick and hoop were good enough for me etc")
(v) The Gameboy seemed to me to be the most robust and thus least likely to be broken by Boxing day.
(vi) The girl in Toys R Us was prettier than the spotted yoof in Currys.

Thus are the fates of nations decided.
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Nick on November 13, 2007, 01:02:12 PM
I see Christmas is a -coming!

The Boy confided the other day that some children in his class do not believe in Santa "but they pretend for the benefit of their younger brothers".

I said that sounded unlikely.
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Snoopy on November 13, 2007, 01:08:03 PM
All of mine profess to believe ~ more I suspect out of fear that if they don't their stockings may be empty on the day than any real belief. The eldest confided, when she was about 6, that she knew there was no such person but she didn't want to tell Mummy 'cos "Mummy thinks there is".

Bless 'em ...... let them believe as long as possible ~ it's a bloody miserable enough world as it is and they grow up all too soon.
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Grumpmeister on November 13, 2007, 01:11:38 PM
(vi) The girl in Toys R Us was prettier than the spotted yoof in Currys.

Some things never change  cloud9:
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Nick on November 13, 2007, 01:14:22 PM
I spent my teenage Saturdays hanging around Habitat. The sales girls were classy! With tight black trousers cloud9:
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Barman on November 13, 2007, 01:29:35 PM
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,

http://rn.pqdvd.com/ (http://rn.pqdvd.com/)
eeek:
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Darwins Selection on November 13, 2007, 02:13:43 PM
you can get media players for the DS

Eh?????  rubschin:
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Grumpmeister on November 13, 2007, 02:38:26 PM
The Nintendo DS Darwin, its a dual screen hand held gaming console, web browser and media player.  whistle:
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Grumpmeister on November 13, 2007, 02:48:28 PM
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,

http://rn.pqdvd.com/ (http://rn.pqdvd.com/)
eeek:

 evil: I was answering Snoopy's question, if you want though I can prepare a dummies version for you  eveilgrin:
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Darwins Selection on November 13, 2007, 03:14:36 PM
The Nintendo DS Darwin, its a dual screen hand held gaming console, web browser and media player.  whistle:

 redface: