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Vanity: 1.high speed internet, 2.storing/playing dvds on hard drives 3.boosting cell phone
Vanity | 6/1/2011 | Jabba The Nutt

Posted on 06/01/2011 4:23:05 PM PDT by Jabba the Nutt

I have various tech needs that I'm looking for solutions for. Ideas? Bueller....Bueller....Bueller....


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: cellphone; dvd; internet
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I live in a rural area where I have limited choices for access to internet. The local rural phone company has an exclusive on the Verizon-owned trunk line in my neighborhood. I pay $50+ a month for DSL for their fasted package. I cannot stream, say a YouTube video. I let it download, then play it.

I'm looking for true high-speed internet, which is like 300 times as fast as DSL. What are the options out there? Satellite? Wireless Internet? Some kind of super duper DSL? Cell phone internet?

I'd like to boost my Cell Phone reception at home. Someone I talked to suggested that you can get an antenna to mount on your house to boost reception. Anyone know about this? Could I use this for internet access? Who has the best or fastest network?

My wife buys dvd's. It's a pain to find a dvd and with my 5 dvd player, it's slow to load a dvd and to play the right one. Years ago I looked into DVD players that could store 300 dvd's. Recently I saw at Sam's Club a 2TB hard drive for ~$90. Whoa! Why not copy the dvd onto the hard drive, then play the dvd's from there. How should I go about this? Get a dvr and had the hard drive to it? Play dvd's from the computer? I'd like to be able to load all the dvd's, search by actor, title, genre, etc., then play the dvd. I've had problems copying dvd's to the computer before. Any ideas?

1 posted on 06/01/2011 4:23:10 PM PDT by Jabba the Nutt
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To: Jabba the Nutt

I can answer all your questions, but you should really take them to the relevant Internet forums. Perhaps I can say a prayer for your rabbit...?


2 posted on 06/01/2011 4:39:37 PM PDT by lefty-lie-spy (Stay metal. For the Horde \m/("_")\m/ - via iPhone from Tokyo.)
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To: Jabba the Nutt

You have DSL?! Then you aren’t that rural, my FRiend. : )
We’ll be able to bump the dial-up maybe around 2024 where I’m at.

Those antenna for cell phones DO work, but they are a bundle, start at around 300+ bucks, depending on what kind of cell service you have. My neighbor has one and is tickled to death that he can access hi speed net now via the cell phone. Most Radio Shacks carry stuff like that. I think that’s where he got his. They are all over the innernettubes, too.

If you’re griping about 50 bucks for pokey DSL, then skip satellite internet, it ain’t worth the bucks.


3 posted on 06/01/2011 4:42:57 PM PDT by ozark hilljilly (It's not so much where, but to whom.)
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To: Jabba the Nutt

1. FIOS or a fiber based cable Internet provider will be your fastest choices. I don’t have any experience with Sat Internet, but my understanding is that it is slower than DSL with the average download rate being about 1Mbps. Hughes.Net has a 2.0 Mbps/300 Kbps plan for 89 bucks a month, which may or may not be faster then your DSL.

2. Your best bet for boosting cell reception around the house is to get a mini cell site from your cellular provider (I know Verizon, and T-Mobile offer them) they use a little of your internet bandwidth when you are are on the phone. My experience with boosters is that they suck.

3. Rip DVD’s with DVD Decrupter http://www.dvddecrypter.org.uk/ Rip them in ISO format. (Mode/ISO/Read) This will rip them to one big file which you can mount with a virtual DVD drive like Daemon Tools lite. Both programs are free. Once you mount the image with Daemon tools lite you can watch it normally with Windows Media Player or your favorite DVD player.

Of course you will need to hook your computer up your TV if you want to watch them on a TV.


4 posted on 06/01/2011 5:01:31 PM PDT by Smogger
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To: Jabba the Nutt

DSL - http://www.dslreports.com/

Cell Phone Boosters -
http://cellphoneboosterstore.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Extenders-YX500-Cel-Booster-Coverage/dp/B000E14G7S

DVD - put Itunes on your computer. Load all DVDs on your hard drive. Shouldn’t take more than 35gb for 5000 songs. Got more than that?


5 posted on 06/01/2011 5:04:44 PM PDT by cowtowney
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To: Jabba the Nutt
Verizon's DSL install software sucks. Search around online for how to set it up without the 75 clicks and all their crapware, it will be lots faster.

As for needing to load the full video before it will play, that is likely a setting or codec problem.

Depending on the model cellphone you have, you may be able to get an external antenna for it. This will work the best, the boosters are more expensive and performance leaves much to be desired.

DVD ripping to your hard drive requires software to remove the encryption, or a capture device that doesn't care, or can be fooled.

6 posted on 06/01/2011 5:24:54 PM PDT by PeaceBeWithYou (De Oppresso Liber! (50 million and counting in Afghanistan and Iraq))
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To: lefty-lie-spy
Perhaps I can say a prayer for your rabbit...?

LOL. I got my hand slapped on that thread.
7 posted on 06/01/2011 5:25:58 PM PDT by WackySam (Obama got Osama just like Nixon landed on the moon.)
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To: Jabba the Nutt
My two cents:

1. FIOS as previously mentioned - fastest but not always available. (of course the laser option that Cisco tested recently in Europe transferring 700 DVDs in a few minutes would be nice, but I digress)

2. Depending on your carrier, i.e., AT&T, ask them for 'MicroCell' - they'll send it free but it's $20/month. Basically connects to your internet and it is what it is named - becomes a micro cell tower in your house.

3. Having gone through all of the pain of ripping DVDs for the past 10 years (or whenever the kid in Holland was busted for the deCSS 2600 code) - just go to Slysoft.com - AnyDVD and CloneDVD (or CloneDVDMobile) are the most painless. Although DVDDecrypter has gotten pretty painless too. (For all of your previously-purchased DVDs that you want to archive in a library). Then - depending on your funds - either build a $300 computer with decent HDMI-out video card networked and near your TV or, buy AppleTV (Swordmaker might know better on this one) - $99 device that shares your computer libraries and connects to your TV or finally - just saw more of them in the local stores - buy a network-ready media player - about $99-$200.

Again - just my humble opinion....
8 posted on 06/01/2011 5:29:50 PM PDT by time4good
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To: Jabba the Nutt

re: DVD’s

Several companies have media boxex that can connect to your TV (assuming it has appropriate plug-ins for components or HDMI). The box can also connect to a USB hard drive.

I have an older WDHD TV box from Western Digital. It reads most of the common video formats and has the appropriate codecs onboard. The DVD format is actually an mpeg format, which is a common video format.

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/homeentertainment/mediaplayers/

Also Google “media box for tv” for additional brands.

You can also connect a laptop to the tv, if the tv has the appropriate video connector and supports being the ‘monitor’ for the laptop.


9 posted on 06/01/2011 5:40:23 PM PDT by TomGuy
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To: Jabba the Nutt
Sounds to me like you have some sort of technical problem.
Either the the line is degraded or equipment is misconfigured or bad. Try using the link speedtest.net to compare against what download speed your paying for.
10 posted on 06/01/2011 5:42:49 PM PDT by EVO X
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To: Jabba the Nutt

I’m in the same boat so I’ll check back to see if anyone has a solution.
Seems cell phone internet should be possible...

FWIW what I do is download movies after I go to bed.
Using ‘orbit downloader’ (there are several free downloaders, I like orbit) I select 4 or 5 movies- when I’m in the mood- from the sites below and let them download overnight.

http://www.archive.org/details/movies click movies, click feature films; clixk television, click classic tv.

These have lots of ads so I assume they’re legit:
http://www.movie2k.to/movies-all.html

http://watchseries.eu/letters/A

http://watch-movies.ro/


11 posted on 06/01/2011 5:48:09 PM PDT by mrsmith
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To: mrsmith

Cell phone/satellite providers tend to ‘cap’ monthly downloads at 5gb. That is small for downloading video. Cable companies typically allow around 250gb per month, for comparison.

A typical video (1-hour) is roughly 1gb. HD videos can be much much larger.


12 posted on 06/01/2011 5:51:47 PM PDT by TomGuy
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To: TomGuy

Ah!
Thank you, maybe some provider will come up with a business plan that profits by providing internet in rural areas... some day.


13 posted on 06/01/2011 6:00:07 PM PDT by mrsmith
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To: Jabba the Nutt
I pay $50+ a month for DSL for their fasted package.

That's not an uncommon price. But you don't say what the actual speed is (use dslreports.com.) If you are getting above 1 Mbps down you are OK.

I'm looking for true high-speed internet, which is like 300 times as fast as DSL.

That is not so. The fastest Internet available to a common man (cable) is about 25 Mbps, and a slowest common DSL is about 1 Mbps. The difference is not 300x.

I'd like to boost my Cell Phone reception at home. Someone I talked to suggested that you can get an antenna to mount on your house to boost reception. Anyone know about this?

I have the Wi-Ex extender (which I don't use currently) and I have an AT&T microcell. The latter is pretty good. It requires semi-decent Internet link, but any DSL will do. Wi-Ex may also work for you; it requires some physical distance between the two antennas (otherwise it will oscillate.)

Why not copy the dvd onto the hard drive, then play the dvd's from there. How should I go about this?

DVD publishers don't want you to do it, so this is kind of an underground activity. DMCA is not helping here. But there are tools on the Net that help you to rip DVDs. Note that BlueRay disks have better encryption, and it had been broken only recently. But I'm not very familiar with these issues because I don't watch movies (I read books instead.)

14 posted on 06/01/2011 6:10:23 PM PDT by Greysard
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To: Jabba the Nutt

We tried the Hughes Net satellite because I was ticked at our local cable company and the phone company over their high speeds and what we paid.

Hughes Net was as slow as molasses, similar to dialup although a little faster. And of course when I called Hughes Net with questions before ordering I was told it was awesome. Well yes, for ‘awesome’ speed it was $350 per month and I wasn’t willing to pay that.

So Hughes Net was a big mistake here.


15 posted on 06/01/2011 6:28:12 PM PDT by leapfrog0202 ("the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of personal discovery" Sarah Palin)
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To: mrsmith

Seems cell phone internet should be possible...
____________________

I can tether with my cell phone to allow it to power the internet on my laptop but it is very slow. Now maybe it’s my provider, but I don’t think so. I have Verizon.


16 posted on 06/01/2011 6:30:27 PM PDT by leapfrog0202 ("the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of personal discovery" Sarah Palin)
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To: WackySam

And it’s also a pain to write a proper reply on the iPhone on the train. Seems like your getting some good advice nonetheless. That Femtocell from your mobile carrier is the best solution regarding the cell reception.


17 posted on 06/01/2011 6:33:55 PM PDT by lefty-lie-spy (Stay metal. For the Horde \m/("_")\m/ - via iPhone from Tokyo.)
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To: leapfrog0202

Wow, Internet is crazy in the U.S. I was depressed when I was in the UK in 2003 and found out that my house wouldnt have 256k internet for another 8 months. I pay $60.00 / month for 160 Mbps in Tokyo.


18 posted on 06/01/2011 6:38:54 PM PDT by lefty-lie-spy (Stay metal. For the Horde \m/("_")\m/ - via iPhone from Tokyo.)
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To: lefty-lie-spy

I’m paying for Qwest’s highest speed now and it’s about $60 per month.

But yes I know how you felt cuz when we lived in MT and finally got something besides dial up I was the 3rd person on the list for it! LMAO


19 posted on 06/01/2011 6:53:59 PM PDT by leapfrog0202 ("the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of personal discovery" Sarah Palin)
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To: lefty-lie-spy

I have limited internet time. What are the appropriate internet forums? I trust FReepers. Can I trust strangers on these other forums?


20 posted on 06/01/2011 7:52:25 PM PDT by Jabba the Nutt (.Are they stupid, malicious or evil?)
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