Stuck in lockdown, what else is there to do other than rewatching old sitcoms ad nauseam? When I was a kid, Frasier seemed to be the epitome of sophistication and wit. It is still, mostly, hilarious. The farce is sublime, the puns intricate, and the pomposity is cringe-worthy. But, naturally, large parts of it have not aged well. Originally I was planning on writing an episode-by-episode critique - but who has time for that? Whiteness and White Fragility There's an almost complete absence…
Continue reading →
This book demonstrates how popular culture can be successfully incorporated into medical and health science curriculums, capitalising on the opportunity fictional media presents to humanise case studies. Studies show that the vast majority of medical and nursing students watch popular medical television dramas and comedies such as Grey’s Anatomy, ER, House M.D. and Scrubs. This book is currently free on the Springer website - and it's a brilliant read. I thought this was going to be an "…
Continue reading →
Here's a quick guide to hacking investigating your TV's engineering menu. This works on all Vestel TVs - including modern Toshiba screens. I've also written about Telnet control of Toshiba Smart TVs. If you manage to break your TV using this forbidden knowledge, please don't come crying to me for help. Turn on your TV. Switch to an HDMI source. You must not be on a TV menu. Hold down the 0 button until you see the message "Remote controller will control TV" Press the blue 'Home' button on…
Continue reading →
I decided to treat myself to an upgraded home cinema experience. But mandatory copy-protection has meant I've spend the weekend trying and failing to get things working, rather than watching glorious 4K HDR 10 bit movies. Here's the problem: Why am I getting the error "This content can not be displayed because your TV does not support HDCP 2.2."? I have four pieces of kit in the mix, all of which claim to support HDCP's Digital Restrictions Management: Amazon Fire TV Stick - the new 4K…
Continue reading →
Here's how to control the Toshiba 49U6863 - and other similar models - using Telnet. Quickstart At the command prompt, type telnet 192.168.0.123 4660 then type 1012 and your TV will turn on. MAGIC! Background After six years of use, I decided to upgrade my old 37 inch Panasonic TV. I know Toshiba aren't the coolest brand around, but the 49 inch monster was half the price of the old TV. Yay Moore's Law! BUT! It turns out that Toshiba don't actually manufacture their own TVs. They just…
Continue reading →
To celebrate the upcoming series Doctor Who staring Jodie Whittaker, I'm attempting to chronicle all the mobile phones used in previous shows. If you think you've spotted something that's not listed here, or think I've made a mistake, drop it in the comments. You can follow along with all 10 series. Rose From the start of "New Who" mobile phones are integral to the plot. Rose Tyler has the ultra zeitgeisty Nokia 3200. With its distinctive double-button design and gorgeous holographic…
Continue reading →
I loved the latest episode of Doctor Who. What made it even better was the fantastic use of 3D. It had just enough "wow" moments to make the use of technology worthwhile - without totally overdoing it. I watched the episode live at home on my Panasonic TX-L37ET5B. After the broadcast, I wanted to watch it again. That's where the problems started. First, a quick lesson on how 3D TV broadcasts work. Generally speaking, most 3D TV is Half-Side-By-Side. That means the left and right image…
Continue reading →
After a crappy experience with an LG, I decided to go for a slightly more reputable manufacturer - Panasonic. I went for the cumbersomely named Panasonic TX-L37ET5B 37-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p 3D LED TV with Freeview HD. Looking at the TX-L37ET5B's specs it's a close to perfect TV. Four HDMI ports Enough miscellaneous ports (PC, scart, component, composite) to be able to plug in just about anything. Freeview HD Passive 3D I'll start with the negative points -…
Continue reading →
The "Wiki Loves Monuments" project in Russia has been featured on Russian TV. Check out the QRpedia codes! You can see all the articles (and their QRpedia codes) - there is also a list of articles which need translating. QRpedia's Name There is some confusion about QRpedia's name. Торчковій музонъ@dslraveReplying to @QRpedia@QRpedia please answer me, QRpedia = QR + wikipedia or QR + encyclopedia? I need it as a prooflink for [[ru:QRpedia]].❤️ 0💬 2🔁 020:32 - Wed 02 November 2011 The answe…
Continue reading →
Edit! I've uploaded the clip as it's no longer available on iPlayer https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/I-am-the-Cheese-Lord.mp4 A few weeks ago, I blogged about seeing Russell Howard's Good News. I was (only slightly) gutted not to have appeared on the broadcast version of the show. Then, this morning, one of my colleagues stopped me in the lift... Hey! Saw you on TV last night talking about Dorset Blue Vinney. And so he did! You can watch the full episode for the…
Continue reading →
There are many reasons to love the BBC. In my opinion, one of the truly great things they do is offer free tickets to show recordings. Through the BBC tickets site and TVRecordings.com I've seen - for free - The Now Show, HIGNFY, The News Quiz, Mitchell and Webb as well as assorted TV and Radio pilots. Brilliant. An evening of watching some of the biggest names in comedy without paying a penny. The only thing they ask for is patience as they re-record all the bits which went wrong the…
Continue reading →
· tv · 5 comments · 850 words · read ~795 times.