My video options.

[Livin PA]

Hello, I searched the forums for more information on viewing TV Shows/Movies on a Motorola Droid. I just wanted to get more details on my options. Ideally I would like to just go to Hulu or some of the streaming video websites and watch whatever TV show I feel like at the moment. However from what I have read watching video over the 3G connection might not be so easy. So what are my other options?

I know some websites allow you to download streaming video off their site using Real Player. I am thinking of doing this for some of the TV shows I want to watch. Another option is to rip video off of DVD's but due to lack of funds I don't really have a DVD collection yet. I used to have my TV Turner card hooked up to the TV and used it to record TV. It's been disconnected for a few years since I got a DVR from my cable company but I might be able to record stuff from my DVR to my computer if I ever get it hooked up again.

So please if you can provide some idea's I would be grateful. Feel free to provide some links to instructions/software. Also if possible please recommend some of the websites you guys use for streaming video/downloads. Thanks.

 

[Mojo]

Okay... first you can download TV.com from the android market, its free. That app has some TV shows on it. ( I think mainly stuff from CBS)
Second... Download JetFlicks from the Android Market. It is not free, I think it is 10 or 13 bucks... and you will get 3 months free with it. JetFlicks will start having a subscription after Jan 1. But if you pay for a year it averages out to like $4.00 per month. It works great on the Droid. Quality is pretty good. And Title selection is pretty large.
Third... Go to WebsitefPSP|Movie Downloads and download movies to your PC and then drop them on your SD card.
And oh yeah, m.nbc.com will let you stream tv too.
Hope that helps...

 

[dvdcatalyst]

Hello, I searched the forums for more information on viewing TV Shows/Movies on a Motorola Droid. I just wanted to get more details on my options. Ideally I would like to just go to Hulu or some of the streaming video websites and watch whatever TV show I feel like at the moment. However from what I have read watching video over the 3G connection might not be so easy. So what are my other options?

I know some websites allow you to download streaming video off their site using Real Player. I am thinking of doing this for some of the TV shows I want to watch. Another option is to rip video off of DVD's but due to lack of funds I don't really have a DVD collection yet. I used to have my TV Turner card hooked up to the TV and used it to record TV. It's been disconnected for a few years since I got a DVR from my cable company but I might be able to record stuff from my DVR to my computer if I ever get it hooked up again.

So please if you can provide some idea's I would be grateful. Feel free to provide some links to instructions/software. Also if possible please recommend some of the websites you guys use for streaming video/downloads. Thanks.

The TV Tuner would be a good and cheap way to get started. Depending on the DVR, you might be able to pull shows off of that as well. I have a Tivo, and they have an app called tivo desktop that you install on your computer to automatically pull shows off your Tivo.

 

[Livin PA]

Okay... first you can download TV.com from the android market, its free. That app has some TV shows on it. ( I think mainly stuff from CBS)
Second... Download JetFlicks from the Android Market. It is not free, I think it is 10 or 13 bucks... and you will get 3 months free with it. JetFlicks will start having a subscription after Jan 1. But if you pay for a year it averages out to like $4.00 per month. It works great on the Droid. Quality is pretty good. And Title selection is pretty large.
Third... Go to WebsitefPSP|Movie Downloads and download movies to your PC and then drop them on your SD card.
And oh yeah, m.nbc.com will let you stream tv too.
Hope that helps...

Yeah I heard about the TV.com app, it's nice but does it work over 3G? It's too bad I don't really watch anything on CBS. I think JetFlicks might be a worthy investment if they have all the major TV shows available. Thanks for the link, now I need to find a website that has TV shows.

The TV Tuner would be a good and cheap way to get started. Depending on the DVR, you might be able to pull shows off of that as well. I have a Tivo, and they have an app called tivo desktop that you install on your computer to automatically pull shows off your Tivo.

I wish I could do that. I have a DVR from my cable company so I doubt it will have that kind of functionality. I was thinking I could just plug my TV Turner card into the coaxial connector, re-play the episodes, and let my PC record them.

 

[Mojo]

Yeah TV.com works over 3G... there is a few shows on there that require WiFi. JetFlicks will be your best bet on TV shows.... There is tons of stuff on there. Everything from Grays Anatomy to SouthPark to TrueBlood.. to the Soprano's. And it is only about a week behind on current programming. It is really awesome! I love it...

 

[dvdcatalyst]

I was thinking I could just plug my TV Turner card into the coaxial connector, re-play the episodes, and let my PC record them.

That should work. Connect the input of the tv tunrer to the output of your DVR, play the episodes on your DVR, and then record them. Sort of like a VCR dubbing setup.
Depending on your TV Tuner, it might have a IR Blaster with it. A little thingy that has kinda like a headphone jack on one end, and a plastic block on the other. If it does, you can acxtually use your PC, depending on the software you use, to control the DVR.

For software to record, there are a few choices.

Windows Media Center, a special version of Windows XP, or found in Windows Vista/WIndows 7 Premium and Ultimate Editions.
Windows Media Center | Get started - Do I have it?

Media Portal, free/opensource, which will turn your PC into a Media Center as well
MEDIAPORTAL - free media center - Home

Orb, (somewhere on these forums is a topic on that) which will even enable live-streaming
MyCast your digital media with Orb 2.0 remote pc access software

Beyond TV, a Media Center system as well, not free, but has a build-in conversion engine.
SnapStream Beyond TV: PC DVR software

With Netflix, while I love it, the problem is that not all the newly aired shows are on there. I believe they have deals with tv companies for some shows, but mostly it's only when they hit the stores. If you want the freedom of watching your own recordings, your TV tuner would be the best way.

 

[Mojo]

dvdcatalyst,

Now they need to sticky this thread.... LOL I think we covered it all lol

 

[dvdcatalyst]

dvdcatalyst,

Now they need to sticky this thread.... LOL I think we covered it all lol

Nah, there are a few more options left that I can not bring up.

 

[Mojo]

dvdcatalyst,

Now they need to sticky this thread.... LOL I think we covered it all lol

Nah, there are a few more options left that I can not bring up.

Ummm... will you bring them up to me in a PM Please... I would like to know

 

[sillyrabbitt123]

I have TV Tuner card as well. Hauppauge Wintv. Will the output from that card play on the Droid? or what do i need to set it too?

I am in the same boat where I dont have the card hooked up to cable at the moment but i want too so i can watch stuff on the Droid but... if the Wintv card isnt going to record in a format that wont jive with the Droid I wont bother.

thank you

 

[dvdcatalyst]

I have TV Tuner card as well. Hauppauge Wintv. Will the output from that card play on the Droid? or what do i need to set it too?

I am in the same boat where I dont have the card hooked up to cable at the moment but i want too so i can watch stuff on the Droid but... if the Wintv card isnt going to record in a format that wont jive with the Droid I wont bother.

thank you

Not sure, I dont have a Droid myself, I'm just sharing knowledge on these forums, but the Hauppauge cards all record in MPEG (MPEG2) format. I dont think that the Droid can play these directly, unless you use a commercial video player app. It might though.
Anyway, regardless of the format the shows are recorded in, you can always convert them to a format that plays on it. There are a few posts on converting video files to Droid on these forums. The main thing to focus on is to get them to your computer. Once you have that, the rest is pretty straightforward.

 

[sillyrabbitt123]

I have TV Tuner card as well. Hauppauge Wintv. Will the output from that card play on the Droid? or what do i need to set it too?

I am in the same boat where I dont have the card hooked up to cable at the moment but i want too so i can watch stuff on the Droid but... if the Wintv card isnt going to record in a format that wont jive with the Droid I wont bother.

thank you

Not sure, I dont have a Droid myself, I'm just sharing knowledge on these forums, but the Hauppauge cards all record in MPEG (MPEG2) format. I dont think that the Droid can play these directly, unless you use a commercial video player app. It might though.
Anyway, regardless of the format the shows are recorded in, you can always convert them to a format that plays on it. There are a few posts on converting video files to Droid on these forums. The main thing to focus on is to get them to your computer. Once you have that, the rest is pretty straightforward.

thanks! I am trying to KISS (keep it simple stupid )

I would love to record and then go straight to droid without converting. maybe vlc will make an app.

thanks for the information.

 

[Livin PA]

Yeah TV.com works over 3G... there is a few shows on there that require WiFi. JetFlicks will be your best bet on TV shows.... There is tons of stuff on there. Everything from Grays Anatomy to SouthPark to TrueBlood.. to the Soprano's. And it is only about a week behind on current programming. It is really awesome! I love it...

I think I am going to invest in that app. I will probably put some video's on the SD card but it will lack the variety I would get from this service. I am big on the SciFi channel I hope they have their programming.

That should work. Connect the input of the tv tunrer to the output of your DVR, play the episodes on your DVR, and then record them. Sort of like a VCR dubbing setup.
Depending on your TV Tuner, it might have a IR Blaster with it. A little thingy that has kinda like a headphone jack on one end, and a plastic block on the other. If it does, you can acxtually use your PC, depending on the software you use, to control the DVR.

For software to record, there are a few choices.

Windows Media Center, a special version of Windows XP, or found in Windows Vista/WIndows 7 Premium and Ultimate Editions.
Windows Media Center | Get started - Do I have it?

Media Portal, free/opensource, which will turn your PC into a Media Center as well
MEDIAPORTAL - free media center - Home

Orb, (somewhere on these forums is a topic on that) which will even enable live-streaming
MyCast your digital media with Orb 2.0 remote pc access software

Beyond TV, a Media Center system as well, not free, but has a build-in conversion engine.
SnapStream Beyond TV: PC DVR software

With Netflix, while I love it, the problem is that not all the newly aired shows are on there. I believe they have deals with tv companies for some shows, but mostly it's only when they hit the stores. If you want the freedom of watching your own recordings, your TV tuner would be the best way.

Yeah I have a media center computer. It has a TV Turner card with the IR blaster. However it's too far from my TV. So until I retire this computer I probably won't get a chance to use it in that way. However I might be retiring another desktop in the near future, if I decided on it which would be the best external TV Turner card to get for it? It's only USB 1.1 so I don't know how many options I have. I just want something simple that I can capture video off my box with, convert into the proper format, and upload to my Droid.

So for now I will need to find some websites with streaming video that I can download and take that route.

dvdcatalyst,

Now they need to sticky this thread.... LOL I think we covered it all lol

Nah, there are a few more options left that I can not bring up.

Please feel free to discuss all options, I would love to know. :icon_ banana: