Mazingo Adds Classic Television Shows

[Brad Adrian]

<a href="http://www.mazingo.net/news/06-24-02%20TechTV.htm">http://www.mazingo.net/news/06-24-02%20TechTV.htm</a><br /><br />Man, I just LOVE how more exciting content is being developed for the Pocket PC! A few weeks ago we announced an <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1309&highlight=films">arrangement between Pocket PC Films and Lions Gate Films</a>, and now Carmine Gallo at Mazingo tells us that plans are under way to make classic TV shows available for viewing on your favorite device.<br /><br />"Mazingo.net and Pocket PC Films have joined forces to debut a new subscription service for fans of classic television. The new channel, "Pocket PC Films-TV," will draw upon the extensive library of Pocket PC Films, the worldwide leader in multimedia distribution for handheld computers. The new channel launches today, and will update daily with fresh episodes of more than 5 classic television shows including Dragnet, Andy Griffith, Beverly Hillbillies, Dick Van Dyke and One Step Beyond...With this new service, fans of classic TV shows can now watch their favorite episodes on their PDA's - delivered daily to enjoy anytime, anywhere. Each weekday, subscribers will receive a new show on the Pocket PC Films-TV channel. Once subscribed, fresh episodes will appear automatically every day when the user synchronizes their handheld device."<br /><br />This is great news! (I still crack up every time I see my hero, Dick Van Dyke, trip over that ottoman.) I don't necessarily watch movies every day on my Pocket PC, but I really love having some ready just in case I get stuck at an airport or take a long bus ride with one of my daughter's school field trips. I'm going to give this new service a try right away and let you know what I (and my daughter) think of it.<br /><br />Here's the entire press release...&lt;!><br /><br />MAZINGO MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT LAUNCHES CLASSIC TV CHANNEL WITH POCKET PC FILMS<br /><br />San Francisco, CA (June 20, 2002)-Mazingo.net and Pocket PC Films have joined forces to debut a new subscription service for fans of classic television. The new channel, "Pocket PC Films-TV," will draw upon the extensive library of Pocket PC Films, the worldwide leader in multimedia distribution for handheld computers. The new channel launches today, and will update daily with fresh episodes of more than 5 classic television<br />shows including Dragnet, Andy Griffith, Beverly Hillbillies, Dick Van Dyke and One Step Beyond. New episodes of each show will rotate daily.<br /><br />With this new service, fans of classic TV shows can now watch their favorite episodes on their PDA's - delivered daily to enjoy anytime, anywhere. Each weekday, subscribers will receive a new show on the Pocket PC Films-TV channel. Once subscribed, fresh episodes will appear automatically every day when the user synchronizes their handheld device.<br /><br />"It's like TV Land for your PDA," remarked Darrell Griffin, President, TuneIn Entertainment/Pocket PC Films. "Using Mazingo.net is the fastest way to put entertainment onto the palm of your hand, allowing you to watch what you want to watch, when you want to watch it."<br /><br />"Whether you're in an airplane, on a train, waiting for the dentist-whatever it may be-if you have about 20 minutes to spare, an episode from the golden age of television is a very entertaining way to spend your time, " says Mazingo CEO, Brooks Haden. "We're pleased Pocket PC Films has chosen Mazingo to help distribute its content."<br /><br />Consumers who sign up for Mazingo's exclusive mobile delivery system have access to more than 1,400 "channels" of fresh multimedia and video content delivered to their devices every time they synchronize. Subscription fees are as low as $7.91 a month for unlimited content. Mazingo is currently available for a variety of devices including both Pocket PC and Palm OS systems. Users can download a free software application at <a href="www.mazingo.net">www.mazingo.net</a>. After installation, users can sign up for the channels of their choice; Pocket PC Films TV, full-length classic movies, short films, radio shows from publishers like The Wall Street Journal and Sporting News Radio, audio books, video newscasts from publishers like USATODAY.com, The Weather Channel and much, much more.

[BillG]

:D
Get a WinTV tuner for your desktop computer http://www.hauppauge.com/
Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/wm7/encoder.asp and download the free Windows Media Encoder. Install it.
Get the Pocket PC profiles http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/software/pocket/create.asp
Install them.
Start the WinTV software and tune to the station you want to record.
Exit the WinTV software.
Run Windows Media Encoder and set it to “Capture Audio or Video from an attached device”. Select the Compaq Ipaq template as the output format.
You will see a preview window playing your TV station.
When you click the Start Encoding button it will capture the broadcast to a wmv file in real time.
Copy the wmv file to your Pocket PC and enjoy.

[Bob S]

so how big a file is one of these tv shows? don't want to fill up my storage card for one show.

[BillG]

so how big a file is one of these tv shows? don't want to fill up my storage card for one show.

A 30 minute recording is just under 50mb using the Ipaq template. I can back off the bitrate to 100bps and use a single audio channel and get the same file down to 20mb but of course the picture quality is not as good. There is also a template for Casio which gives decent quality and will fit most movies on a 128mb CF card. :)

[Tom Eichers]

Would love to do this, but you would not believe the trouble I have had getting a Capture card that works. Which one do you use BillG ?

[BillG]

Would love to do this, but you would not believe the trouble I have had getting a Capture card that works. Which one do you use BillG ?

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=260799 :)

[Tom Eichers]

I will give that one a shot. Of course I have been trying the 300.00 + units. :(

[Bob S]

how big are the mazingo 30 min TV show Files?

[Don't Panic!]

how big are the mazingo 30 min TV show Files?The Dick Van Dyke show I downloaded today comes in at 35.90MB according to WIMR. That's for a 25 minute show the original commercials have been removed. I think a half hour show today without commercials is about 20 minutes.

Bobby