Tag: tv (Page 1 of 2)

XiaoMi Mi Box

April 25, 2014 / David Yin / 0 Comments

It is my first Set-Top-Box from mainland China. I ordered it from the official site of Xiaomi. The price is CNY299.00, including tax, shipping and handling. It is sent to my parents’ home, then my mom brought it when she came here.

It is a good deal. CNY299 is about $50.

First of all, loot at the content in the package.

105mm x 105mm device. Black.
power adapter
IR remote control
HDMI cable
instructions
warranty papers

Then, Look at the specification below. It worth.

Resolution1920×1080(1080p)
Processor, GPU,
Memory, Storage,
WirelessCortex-A9, dual-core 1.5GHzMali-400, dual0core 400MHz

1GB DDR3

4GB eMMC

Bluetooth 4.0
OSGoogle CTS certified MIUI TV based on Android 4.2
Video FormatsH.264, VC-1, WMV-HD, MPEG1/2/4 up to 1080P@30FPS; real7/8/9 up to 720P@30FPSRM, FLV, MOV, VOB, AVI, MKV, TS, WMV, MP4
3D display capable
Audio FormatsMP3 64kbps~320kbps, WMA 64kbps~320kbps, APE/Flac≤1500KbpMP3, WMA, APE, Flac
Dolby Digital Plus, DTS
Picture FormatsJPG,BMP,GIF,PNG
LanguageChinese

IR Universal Remote Control User Guide for Telus HD Box

January 22, 2013 / David Yin / 0 Comments

I just start to use Telus TV service since 2012. I have a HD Box without PVR function. The remote control looks like the one below.

For reference only, I put the User Guide here. If, you have same module, you can use the guide to programe it. It will work with your TV, DVD player, STB (Telus box), and one AUX.

The first time to make the Raspberry Pi work

September 16, 2012 / David Yin / 0 Comments

I power on the Raspberry Pi this morning. See pictures below.
The first look of the screen in text mode. Raspberry Pi is located on the lower right corner.

After the loading, I can enter startx to load a window.

Because it is the first time, I want to record the steps clearly.
First of all, I need the five important parts for make the bare board work.
USB keyboard and mouse.
Logitech USB mouse, M-BJ69

Microsoft Wired Keyboard 400v1.0
Prepared SD card. At least class4, 4GB.
Kingston sd4/4GB, class 4

HDMI or composite television, OR a monitor with DVI or HDMI input, and an HDMI/composite cable.
HDMI cable to connect my 42 inches TV
Micro USB power supply – make sure you use a good quality one, capable of providing at least 1A at 5V.
I use HTC cellphone power adapter. It is 5V 1A.
Ethernet LAN cable.
Normal LAN cable.

Program Shaw Remote Control by Code

August 4, 2012 / David Yin / 0 Comments

If you have a Shaw remote control as below, you can use the code I provided below to program your device.

This is Atlas PVR Universal Remote Control, which is preprogrammed to operate the Shaw cable box.
To control devices other than the Shaw digital box, do the following steps.
1) Turn on a device and, if applicable, insert video media,(eg, DVD.)
2)On the remote control, press a device key once (i.e. AUX, DVD, AUD, TV or CBL); it will blink once. Then press and hold SETUP until the selected mode key blinks twice.
3) Use the “Manufacture’s Codes” to locate the type of device and brand name and then enter the first four-digit code for your device. If performed correctly, the selected mode key will blink twice.
If the selected mode key emits a long blink, the entry is invalid. Repeat steps 2 through 3 and try entering the same code again.
4) Aim the remote control at the device and press PWR once. The device should turn off. If it does not, repeat steps 2 through 3, trying each code for your brand until you find one that works. If it still does not respond, try searching for the code.
Now Let us go through the Manufacturer’s Codes.

Switch from Shaw to Telus

August 2, 2012 / David Yin / 1 Comment

From this month, I switch from Shaw to Telus. I am just using Internet and Basic TV. When I am with Shaw, I have to pay $89.49 a month including tax. Which is including Personal TV package and High-Speed Internet.
Now I am using Telus. Including Optik High Speed and Optik TV Essentials. The deal is $19.95 per month plus tax. Total is about $22.35.
It is one year contract.
Let me see the speed first. I am heavily user of Internet. There are 3 Desktops, 2 Laptops, and a lot of wifi devices.

Essential TV package has about 30 English TV channels. Which also include Free HD channels.

Viewers Guide for 2012 Olympics in Canada

July 26, 2012 / David Yin / 0 Comments

The new London Olympics will begin tomorrow.
The Opening Ceremony will be started 1:00PM PST July 27.
This Olympics Game is from July 27 2012 to August 12, 2012.
We can watch the games through CTV, TSN, TSN2, etc.

Got a Haupauge WINTV-USB2-FM Analog NTSC TV Stick

May 25, 2012 / David Yin / 1 Comment

Got a new toy, USB TV tuner, from NCIX.com.
Hauppauge WINTV-USB2-FM Analog TV Stick.
I plugged it into one USB port. Installed the software from the CD.
And connect the TV cable with the usb stick. Run the program to scan the channels. I got 50+ with shaw cable.

Shaw and Telus service comparation v.2010

August 11, 2010 / David Yin / 5 Comments

Here, in Vancouver, most of the people use Shaw or Telus for their TV, Internet and Telephone.
Actually, Shaw is a Cable TV company. Telus is a telephone company. Now they provide the service crossover.
I do my third compare during last 6 years. I did it every two year.
The information based on the location of Burnaby, British Columbia.
The price or cost does not include device purchase, or some special promotion for new customer.

Upgrade O!Play to 1.21N

March 5, 2010 / David Yin / 0 Comments

Today, I upgrade O!Play firmware from 1.17N to 1.21N. There are so many new features I would like to show.
On v1.18
Update Item:
1.Improve subtitle font support for the missing characters
2.Add in txt subtitle format support
3.Add in file and folder management function. Press left key to delete or rename it.
4.Add in 0.9x zoom out option
5.Add in sleep timer function
On v1.21
Internet service:
1. Over 20,000 internet radio stations
2. Over 100 internet TV channels
3. Flickr
4. Picasa
5. Weather
New functions:
1. Add BD iso navigation and subtitle identification
2. Add BD/DVD direct play by folder
3. Add hue and saturation tuning in video setup menu
4. Add Brazil language support
5. Add power saving function in system setup menu
6. Add My shortcut edit function
Fixed bugs:
1. Fix UPnP bug: wrong data information
2. Fix Timezone setting bug: can’t stop issue
3. Fix Clear key does not work when key in encrypted string
4. Improve JiPin 8042 HDMI compatibility

Shaw Cable Bundles price and features

July 29, 2009 / David Yin / 3 Comments

I use Shaw Cable’s services for TV and Internet.
They still have some other service I do not use, say telephone.
Let us go through the full bundle of three.
TV Basic Cable $33.95
35 Channels, including The Knowledge Network, A-Channel, CITY TV Vancouver, KIRO – CBS Seattle, KING – NBC Seattle, TSC, W Network West, KOMO – ABC Seattle, KCTS – PBS Seattle, KCPQ – FOX Seattle, MTV, CBC Newsworld