Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[bd139]

In Related News...

While attempting to connect to Amazon Video Canada has been a complete dog's breakfast... The XBox has already justified it's existence in that it has provided access to Season 12 of Dr Who for me; something none of my other streaming devices was willing to put out.   

Definitely worth the $34 just for that, even if I do have to navigate the player with a game controller. 

mnem
*goes to lie down before I fall down*

That reminds me. I was going to ask here. Does anyone know of a decent bit of kit that can stream Netflix and Amazon prime video? A colleague has a fire stick and says it’s a piece of shit and I don’t want Alexa in the house. Nearest thing I can find which is sane is the Apple TV which would work as this is an iOS cult but it’s pretty damn expensive if you get the 4K one and the HD one is near EOL.

TL/DR: Roku Ultra with JBL Headphones. I just ordered my second one for The Dark Lord Regza.

The problem is not that simple... in order to do 4K (or even plain old 1080P before long) with any of the popular streaming services your player needs to be properly certified for Widevine DRM. Most of your cheap Android players simply do not have this; it costs money and they're just pushing "race to the bottom quick cash grab" tinkertoy POS gear that barely streams anything unless you're willing to put up with the constant updating circle-jerk of KODI.   

NetFlix uses the same or similar DRM, but they require in-house certification for 2K & 4K streaming. That list is even shorter.

So... to answer your question: NVIDIA ShieldTV or my choice, Roku Ultra with JBL Headphones. I just ordered my second one for The Dark Lord Regza. 

The headphones (while nice enough for earbuds) are not what's important; it's the large ROM size needed for future DRM firmware updates and especially the bluetooth remote with audio. You can hide the Roku behind the TV, and when you want to watch something inappropriate or very loudly, you can plug in your favorite headphones and not disturb anyone else. Best part, it plays quite nicely with NiMH rechargeables.  Also, it is the last one that still has hardline & TOSlink ports.  Correction: only 2016 & earlier models still have the TOSlink; they've omitted it in later versions. A-HOLES. You'll have to shop carefully and look for that specifically if you need it.  The Roku Wiki has a rubrik that breaks down all the features.

You CAN have a Roku account without CC info tied to it. This is how I did my account.

Realize that the problems I'm having with getting Dr Who have NOTHING to do with the device... it's the BEEB's fault. Those assholes signed an exclusive contract with fucking HBO's new HBO Max streaming service here in North America... you pretty much can't get ANYTHING BBC anywhere else over here once HBO Max goes balls-deep on deployment. I don't know how in the hell I was still able to get Season 12 through XBOX Live; I don't hold out a lot of hope for anything after that.

mnem

Big thanks for this. I hadn’t looked at Roku. Will do some research  . Think it’s regionally different as well so there’s content differences here as well. Grr.

[med6753]

Just by coincidence I had this delivered yesterday for the bedroom. Yea, it's only 720P and by a brand I never heard of.

To these tried old eyes it has an outstanding picture and there's no stalling or buffering on my 2.4GHz wireless which is crowded here too in my complex. I do have a wired port available if I need it.

It took about 20 minutes of applying updates upon first power up and so far it's been great. And Alexa is mute.

And the price was right. 

[bd139]

Interesting product. Price is pretty amazing.  I’m not sure I like built in functionality like that though. Also conversely I paid £0.99 for my Samsung 32” dumb 1080p TV because it was bust and buyer collects. All that was up was an SMPS cap was short (£3 from RS and only because I had to buy a 2 pack) 

[mnementh]

INSIGNIA is Best Buy's house brand. Their stuff is mostly rebranded "Chinese domestic" stuff you never heard of in the West.

Fuck smart TVs. They're ALWAYS made with the bare minimum ROM capacity needed to function at the time of deployment, and they ALL stripmine all your personal information... even identity and location... for resale. Even big names like Vizio. Within a few years you'll be looking for a streaming box anyways, as the built-in apps drop off one by one because not enough ROM or MFR sucks balls and refuses to pay someone to update the apps so they remain compliant *coughSAMSUCKcough*. 

At least with the big name purpose-built streaming boxes you get enough ROM for several years of FW upgrades (Roku is the best... they JUST NOW stopped updating the oldest generations as the ROM is too small for current AV & DRM provisions) and you can be reasonably sure the data they collect is anonymized.

mnem
*I lick Lara Croft very much*

[med6753]

I set my countdown timer to when you would post and puke all over it. You did not disappoint. 

[BU508A]

And now for something very unusual here: TEA-time!   

I've bought on ebay a so-called USB-meter, because I've learned during my last "Reparier-Bar" engagement in January that I need one of these nice buggers.

I've bought it here, it is called a "USB colour display tester":
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303026038488

It arrived this week and since I know how curious you lot are, here are the pictures:
(sorry, they are a little bit dark, I really need a better camera than the one from my Xperia Z3)

It comes in a nice box, so the plastic surface of the device is well protected in my tool-box:


This is the top plastic cover removed, not so much to see besides the display:


This is the bottom cover removed. It falled apart in two modules: the controller board and the Bluetooth module


This is the Bluetooth module in detail:


Here we have the controller board with the master brain on it:


The controller itself:


And this is how it looks like when it is operating.
I've connected my wireless mouse (Logitech MX anywhere 2) to it (charging mode):

screen 1:
This is the main screen which displays voltage and current drawn,
together with the temperature, charge, internal resistance of the target, energy and power


screen 2:
not sure about this one. It shows again voltage and current but additionally some USB differential(?) voltages
and a Mode thing


screen 3:
This screen shows the charge and energy and the uptime:


screen 4:
not sure about this one, too. Some "Port" information:


screen 5:
This is a nice y/t display which shows voltage and current over time. I like this one.


screen 6:
This is the place for the settings / configurations stuff:


And this is the help screen:


Hope you enjoyed this little teardown.

Cheers!

[BU508A]

We’re all abominations in our own special way 

Amen to that.   

[mnementh]

TL/DR: Roku Ultra with JBL Headphones. I just ordered my second one for The Dark Lord Regza.

The problem is not that simple... in order to do 4K (or even plain old 1080P before long) with any of the popular streaming services your player needs to be properly certified for Widevine DRM. Most of your cheap Android players simply do not have this; it costs money and they're just pushing "race to the bottom quick cash grab" tinkertoy POS gear that barely streams anything unless you're willing to put up with the constant updating circle-jerk of KODI.   

NetFlix uses the same or similar DRM, but they require in-house certification for 2K & 4K streaming. That list is even shorter.

So... to answer your question: NVIDIA ShieldTV or my choice, Roku Ultra with JBL Headphones. I just ordered my second one for The Dark Lord Regza. 

The headphones (while nice enough for earbuds) are not what's important; it's the large ROM size needed for future DRM firmware updates and especially the bluetooth remote with audio. You can hide the Roku behind the TV, and when you want to watch something inappropriate or very loudly, you can plug in your favorite headphones and not disturb anyone else. Best part, it plays quite nicely with NiMH rechargeables.  Also, it is the last one that still has hardline & TOSlink ports.  Correction: only 2016 & earlier models still have the TOSlink; they've omitted it in later versions. A-HOLES. You'll have to shop carefully and look for that specifically if you need it.  The Roku Wiki has a rubrik that breaks down all the features.

You CAN have a Roku account without CC info tied to it. This is how I did my account.

Realize that the problems I'm having with getting Dr Who have NOTHING to do with the device... it's the BEEB's fault. Those assholes signed an exclusive contract with fucking HBO's new HBO Max streaming service here in North America... you pretty much can't get ANYTHING BBC anywhere else over here once HBO Max goes balls-deep on deployment. I don't know how in the hell I was still able to get Season 12 through XBOX Live; I don't hold out a lot of hope for anything after that.

mnem

Big thanks for this. I hadn’t looked at Roku. Will do some research  . Think it’s regionally different as well so there’s content differences here as well. Grr.

Yeah, I've used a lot of streaming devices; ANY streamer that comes built into anything else is good for 5 years or less before it becomes abandonware. I was STILL using my first Roku until we left Houston; it was used when I bought it at a thrift shop in San Antonio 10 years ago and dates back to 2008. I believe it is one of the ones that Roku just now discontinued updating.

I know the Roku Ultra I linked you to to is frightfully expensive; similar prices here in Canada. However, I shopped around and found a refurb 2018 model on Amazon.com (US) that even with import fees was only US$79. A lot of similar deals on eBay as well; just well... with Amazon you get Amazon no-quibble returns and it actually gets to you when they say it will most of the time. Don't be afraid to shop the US site for grins... Last Christmas I bought a pedal car from the UK site because even with international buggery it was still a LOT cheaper than Amazon US.

Also, if hardwired is not a must-have (it SHOULD be if you're streaming anything above 720P) there are a number of other models that have the BT remote with headphones; just make sure against the rubrik.

Something else I just noticed... it appears Roku is now also offering both AppleTV and Playstation Vue channels on the Ultra at least; not sure which other models have enough ROM for those bloated islands of dubious content feature-rich channels, but if the fApple ecology is important in your home, the Roku Ultra seems to be your best choice again.

mnem
*abominable teddydwagon*

[tggzzz]

Fuck smart TVs. They're ALWAYS made with the bare minimum ROM capacity needed to function at the time of deployment, and they ALL stripmine all your personal information... even identity and location... for resale.

I have a Samsung smart TV. I do not have an associated account at Samsung, so it would be non-trivial (although possible) for them to correlate activity with me.

I've tried to delete numerous "fog of daytime TV channels that I'm never going to watch" from the channel list. It works, only for them to reappear when I turn the TV off and on again.

Naturally nobody at Samsung had a clue as to why that might happen. I suspect the "sometimes worthwhile" channel list is stored on Samsung's servers

[kj7e]

The classic gear/radio rack re-arranged.  Left room for an amp to the left of the radio.

[Specmaster]

That reminds me. I was going to ask here. Does anyone know of a decent bit of kit that can stream Netflix and Amazon prime video? A colleague has a fire stick and says it’s a piece of shit and I don’t want Alexa in the house. Nearest thing I can find which is sane is the Apple TV which would work as this is an iOS cult but it’s pretty damn expensive if you get the 4K one and the HD one is near EOL.

I have a fire stick and it works great, both wireless or wired. It's on my "non-smart" 32 inch Samsung. I DON'T use Alexa at all and it won't interfere with operation if you don't activate it. So I wonder what's wrong with his?

I only 2 alternatives that I'm aware of is either buy a smart TV with Amazon Fire built in....or.....a PC and connect a large screen monitor.

Edit....possible 3rd alternative is a smart TV without Amazon Fire and go thru a web browser.

It's more the kids will use it and I don't want Alexa. I've got a non smart TV as well. I don't want to use a smart TV. We bought a Sony smart TV a few years ago and all the useful features were slowly discontinued. It's now a dumb TV for the kids and their Xbox one. Totally useless piece of shit and slow as well.

PC is an option. Gives me an excuse to build a media PC then. Hadn't though of that  . Then again that's probably more expensive than an Apple TV 

It's looking like Apple TV. Plus that has ethernet hole in it so you don't have to rely on the slightly crammed 2.4GHz band around here.

Have you already got an Alexa speaker? If not then the Alexa part of the fire stick will not be activated and in any case, it has no microphone etc in the fire stick, it communicates with the smart speaker which also has the internet connection and the interface with Amazon in it, so no worries about it spying on you.

[Specmaster]

And now for something very unusual here: TEA-time!   

I've bought on ebay a so-called USB-meter, because I've learned during my last "Reparier-Bar" engagement in January that I need one of these nice buggers.

I've bought it here, it is called a "USB colour display tester":
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303026038488

snip:

Cheers!

Yep, I got in those about 6 months ago, very useful tool to have.

[med6753]

My streaming is limited to Netflix, Prime, and YouTube. I refuse to pay additional for stuff like HBO, Starrs, etc so if they go obsolete on my device it's a don't care. I think it's unlikely over the next few years that the same would happen with the services I do watch. But it's a bet, of course. 

[med6753]

And now for something very unusual here: TEA-time!   

I've bought on ebay a so-called USB-meter, because I've learned during my last "Reparier-Bar" engagement in January that I need one of these nice buggers.

I've bought it here, it is called a "USB colour display tester":
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303026038488

snip:

Cheers!

Yep, I got in those about 6 months ago, very useful tool to have.

Interesting device. First I've heard of it. 

[Specmaster]

And now for something very unusual here: TEA-time!   

I've bought on ebay a so-called USB-meter, because I've learned during my last "Reparier-Bar" engagement in January that I need one of these nice buggers.

I've bought it here, it is called a "USB colour display tester":
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303026038488

snip:

Cheers!

Yep, I got in those about 6 months ago, very useful tool to have.

Interesting device. First I've heard of it. 

There you go, fixed it for ya.

[mnementh]

I set my countdown timer to when you would post and puke all over it. You did not disappoint. 

LOL... It's not the INSIGNIA brand  I was on; I used to buy a lot of their stuff open-box and customer-return pallets at auction. I spent a lot of hours elbows-deep in a lot of their consumer electronics gear; I rate the brand overall a solid B- or better. I even kept and used one of their car stereos and one of their surround sound receivers for many years.     Most is better-than-average Chinese import goods; like I said, they usually rebrand stuff made for the Chinese domestic market and it is better quality. Of course in your case, with an internet-connected device, that means you have no idea whom in the Chinese government the TV is reporting to... 

My problem is the built-in streaming device... it will work a for a few years from date of manufacture and that's it; it may not work right out of the box if it is old enough.

My streaming is limited to Netflix, Prime, and YouTube. I refuse to pay additional for stuff like HBO, Starrs, etc so if they go obsolete on my device it's a don't care. I think it's unlikely over the next few years that the same would happen with the services I do watch. But it's a bet, of course. 

Those are EXACTLY the services that go tits-up first because they are top names and their DRM schemes require large sandboxes to work in (lots of RAM) and large chunks of ROM inside the device. Has happened to me several times with several devices. Yours will be no different.

Myself I wouldn't own anything smaller than 42" for the bedroom; I want to relax and watch from in my bed, not be constantly wanting to sit on the end of it.  That was what I had in mind when I rescued the Dark Lord Regza from the curb in front of a neighbor's house a few months ago; it just took several skirmishes on the bench and resultant several rounds of waiting for the slow boat from China for parts, as I was not willing to gamble more than $40 in parts to resurrect it. Came in just under the wire with a $27 LOW-B board this last round to bring it back online. Here's hoping His Lugubriousness is done tormenting me for a while... *knocks on wood*

New Roku Ultra will be here Friday. In the meantime, I'll just have to suffer with Netflix and XBox Live TV. Oh how will I manage. 

mnem
*juicy*

[mnementh]

Fuck smart TVs. They're ALWAYS made with the bare minimum ROM capacity needed to function at the time of deployment, and they ALL stripmine all your personal information... even identity and location... for resale.

I have a Samsung smart TV. I do not have an associated account at Samsung, so it would be non-trivial (although possible) for them to correlate activity with me.

I've tried to delete numerous "fog of daytime TV channels that I'm never going to watch" from the channel list. It works, only for them to reappear when I turn the TV off and on again.

Naturally nobody at Samsung had a clue as to why that might happen. I suspect the "sometimes worthwhile" channel list is stored on Samsung's servers

Unless you TOR everything on the router level or use some VPN service, there are packet sniffer bots trawling every backbone router and switch in the US that can locate you within a block at least using IP and known public WiFi triangulation. If you've ever bought any programming with anything but a randomized gift card, again some server in China could have your complete identity.

These things are still true with the large name brand products; especially where the streaming device is an afterthought tacked on as a sales gimmick, so IP bought absolutely as cheaply as possible and often dropped in as a mystery jellybean SOIC. This is much less likely with purpose-built streaming boxes as they now have pretty clearly defined TOS that specifically promise otherwise.

mnem
*time to go lick Lara's... wounds.*

[AVGresponding]

Anyone has any ideas about what to do when windoze (8.1 pro) decides your password isn't your password?

Edit: This is on a clean install, and before you ask, no I didn't make any typos entering the pw

[WastelandTek]

Yesterday I visited a local CAL LAB in my town that I had not been to in a couple of years.
They had been in their building for 30 some years and moved last summer to a new location.

When they moved, they did not know what to do with 20 m^3 of old test instruments and parts
and took it all to the recycling service.

What a TEA party that could have been.

cretins

[grizewald]

I have an older "semi smart" Samsung TV, but I never use the smart stuff as it all runs at the speed of cold treacle. When I noticed that the TV would sometimes power up all on its own for a while, I sussed that it was trying to talk to the mothership and tell Samsung everything it could about my viewing habits. That was easily fixed by blocking all Internet access for the TV's IP address in my router. It still does its little 30 second power up once in a while, but its entire world view is my local network and that's it.

As I don't use the smart stuff on the TV, I connected a RPi3 to one of the HDMI inputs on my receiver and run LibreELEC and Kodi on the Pi. That can be controlled with the Kodi remote app on my smartphone. All my various films, series and music live on my NAS where the Emby plugin makes it available to other devices and to Kodi on the Pi.

I don't use any streaming services as I find it much simpler and faster to download anything I want to watch from The Pirate Bay. The Bay is (of course) accessed via my VPN connection without any noticeable loss of download speed. Most Netflix stuff is up on the Bay within 48 hours of it coming out on Netflix.

[grizewald]

Anyone has any ideas about what to do when windoze (8.1 pro) decides your password isn't your password?

Edit: This is on a clean install, and before you ask, no I didn't make any typos entering the pw

Insert a USB key containing the installer for Linux Mint. Boot from it. Install it.

Pour yourself a cold beer and enjoy an operating system which isn't reporting everything you do back to Microsoft so that they can monetise you.

[PA0PBZ]

Anyone has any ideas about what to do when windoze (8.1 pro) decides your password isn't your password?

This has saved me, so proven to work: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-reset-a-windows-8-password-2626230

[AVGresponding]

Unfortunately I really can't get along with linux, and some of the software I use doesn't like it either.

EDIT: The bizarre thing is, I didn't forget or mistype the pw. Further, if I restart the pc, the pw works. Also I have some resolution issues, some apps recognise the 1920x1080, some don't, which causes some odd results...

I had this issue before, and decided to use a fresh SSD and a clean install to try and get rid of it, but it's back right away. I really want to throw the whole fkking lot out the window at this point...

Right now I really don't know what to try next; this issue has followed me across motherboards, HDD/SSDs, video cards. Am I cursed?
 

[bd139]

Anyone has any ideas about what to do when windoze (8.1 pro) decides your password isn't your password?

Edit: This is on a clean install, and before you ask, no I didn't make any typos entering the pw

Insert a USB key containing the installer for Linux Mint. Boot from it. Install it.

Pour yourself a cold beer and enjoy an operating system which isn't reporting everything you do back to Microsoft so that they can monetise you.

My job is almost entirely Linux based. I am certified RHCA. I still use Windows 10. Go figure 

[Specmaster]

Anyone has any ideas about what to do when windoze (8.1 pro) decides your password isn't your password?

Edit: This is on a clean install, and before you ask, no I didn't make any typos entering the pw

Just a thought, but if its a clean install then surely it won't have a password set just yet unless you have set it already