dvdbackup for MacOS

Our library has a reserve system.  If an item has been checked out, you can reserve it which adds your name to a list.  When your name comes to the top, you're notified so you can pick it up at the local branch.  And the cool thing is it works for any item in the entire system, and can be done online.  So we use it as a kind of delayed gratification free Netflix.  We put movies (or TV series, i.e. Game of Thrones) on reserve then eventually get watch them.

For Game of Thrones I take the extra step of copying them to an external hard drive so we don't have to try to watch an entire season before they are due.  Previously I used DVDFab, but I was never really happy with it's nagging to purchase the "full" version.

What I wanted was something close to the original DeCSS program - copy the files from the DVD to the external drive while removing the CSS copy protection.  I didn't want to recompress the video to H.264 or anything else.  Seemingly an easier task, but one which many of the popular free programs (like Handbrake) didn't appear to include.

But after a bit of digging, I found a reference to an old Linux tool, dvdbackup, which would do exactly what I wanted.  But was there a MacOS version?  With a little more research I learned dvdbackup (and the required libdvdread and libdvdcss libraries) are part of the MacPorts Project, which brings Linux applications to MacOS.

Fortunately, I already had XCode installed, so it was a (relatively) simple matter to install the MacPorts package and use it to download, compile, and install dvdbackup.  With it I can make a copy of a DVD with a single command:

dvdbackup -v -M -o /Volumes/RED\ SEAGATE/Game\ of\ Thrones/ -p -i /dev/disk3 -n "Season 7 Disc 2.dvdmedia"

RED SEAGATE is the name of the external drive

/dev/disk3 is from the mount command

the dvdmedia extension opens automatically in DVD Player

Village Nissan - a less than ideal sale

Yesterday we bought a new Nissan Versa Note to replace our 2002 Camry.  I should be giddy - a new car at a decent price.  But instead I'm grumbling because it seemed like the dealer kept adding on charges.

Conventional wisdom for buying a car is you first negotiate the price of the new vehicle, then negotiate the financing, then negotiate the price of your trade-in.  But given the availability of zero interest financing, I had a different idea - just negotiate the 60 month payment.  Whether that meant they were giving me more on the trade-in or taking a cut off the MSRP didn't matter to me.

But it turned out the dealer was having some kind of special sale on the model we were interested in - only we had to take it in black.  At 0% financing, the monthly payment was below my target - which made it tough to say no.  Unfortunately, we later learned that the given price was the cash price so wasn't available with 0% financing.  (And while the salesperson said it was his mistake, I'm not sure that was true as he was a had been with the dealer for over a decade so should have known.)  However, even with interest the difference between the monthly cost on the sale car and the 0% MSRP was more than I would likely be able to negotiate - and all we'd be getting was a choice of color.

But then things started going downhill.  Part of the problem was I didn't have a solid handle on what was included in the various "purchase prices".  But my big complaint was with the dealer's $398 "platinum program" which I would have rather had done without - but seemingly couldn't avoid unless I was prepared to walk away.  And I really didn't want to do that, both because of "sunk cost" psychology and because I though we were still getting a good deal.

And now that I'm home and can go through the purchase agreement and can compare it to both the MSRP & "invoice price" I got off the web, I know we got a good deal.

DIY feline fountain

For various reasons cats don't drink as much water as they really should.  This can cause urinary tract issues, especially in males.  Chaisy (the white cap & saddle) recently had to undergo costly surgery to remove a blockage.  So in addition to changing their diet (more wet food, different dry for self-feeding), I put together a simple DIY fountain as moving water encourages cats to drink more.

The fountain is three parts:
1. A small combination filter & pump for a fish tank.  These are inexpensive and market forces means they should be better quality than the innards of a fancy "cat fountain".
2. A square garbage pail from the dollar store.  This needs to be deep & wide enough to fit the pump.
3. A small cleaning sponge to keep the pump vertical.

I suspect the cats would prefer if the pail were a little shorter & the water was closer to the top, but this is controlled by the pump (in particular the long intake tube).  I might see if I can modify it and get a different pail.

DIY speaker stands

While they might look simple, they took a remarkable number of tools to create.  I cut the top & bottom from a pine shelf I had using a circular saw.  The legs and cross braces I cut with a compound miter saw.  I cut notches in the cross braces using a hand miter saw & box, hammer & chisel & router table.  Then I screwed it together with 2" screws using a drill and a socket set.

Musings on PVRs

Back in 2005 I bought a used series 1 TiVo and started enjoying the ability to record TV without tapes.  Later I added a series 2 dual-tuner TiVo, a Mythbuntu server (for recording OTA HDTV) and finally two cableco HDTV PVRs (one SD and one HD, free after I complained to the cableco that moving analog channels to digital reduced the functionality of my TiVos).  So one could say I've experienced the gamut of PVRs.

And yet, after the fire I'm now considering whether there's any value in selling my Mythbuntu server & antenna (which I never got around to mounting outside).  Which is in direct contrast with the "cut the cable" movement which seems so popular in news media.

It comes down to content, with a side dish of convenience and bytes.

If you want to watch sports broadcasts (i.e. NASCAR), especially in HDTV, then cable is the way to go.  (Particularly in Canada where CableCard isn't legislated and thus isn't available - so no TiVo.)  While it's great that I can get a dozen or more OTA HDTV stations, I have to have cable (or satellite - ick) if I want stations like TSN2.  Once that decision is made then the question is what benefit do the other options provide.

Sure, I might be able to get the content which isn't available OTA via the Internet, but at what cost, quality & effort?  Plus, if I go over my usage limits the extra charges start to pile up.  (I've done that once with a MAME torrent, and it doesn't take long.)

And, you know what?  The cableco PVR isn't all bad.  Yes, I miss the ability to set up wishlists for future shows or favorite actors.  But for basic series recording it does a decent job.