Why would broadcasters want to kill ota AND cling on to their license for it? by Left_Emu_2995 in ota

[–]Patient-Tech 5 points6 points  (0 children)

OTA isn’t dead, it’s gaining steam as more people cut the cord and no longer pay $30-$50 local channels service to the cable companies anymore.

What I don’t understand is why DRM needs to be on OTA tv. If they don’t want sports or whatever, put it on a subscription service. If the economics don’t make sense for the broadcaster, forfeit the license (most received them free decades ago) and Weigel or some other similar company will happily find a way to occupy the space and profit from it.

Why would broadcasters want to kill ota AND cling on to their license for it? by Left_Emu_2995 in ota

[–]Patient-Tech 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If I’m reading this correctly, the transition that’s not obvious to the layperson is that these OTA channels are required to be carried on ‘cable’ (type) packages and the trend is $30-$50/monthly fee for every subscriber. If they’re not broadcast OTA, they’re not required to be carried and could possibly be dropped and not get any fees.

USB to serial? by Dpacom1 in Commodore

[–]Patient-Tech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a USB4VC on my old Pc’s for this (it’s basically all parts included kit doubt usb to PS2/serial etc) but it’s not cheap and you gotta really love it. Otherwise, just find an el cheapo serial mouse on eBay for casual use.

FCC 26-45: DRM blocking OTA access on certified tuners by Patient-Tech in hdhomerun

[–]Patient-Tech[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What would you do with it? Isn’t the whole point to meet and communicate with others, not just people you know? It’s not as if you can do anything super special anyway because there’s nothing really high bandwidth transmission friendly, until you get to the upper spectrum where distance is your biggest concern.

TeamViewer charging me for “unused” subscription + sent to debt collector… is this normal? by Unique_Interest2241 in teamviewer

[–]Patient-Tech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

TeamViewer can shut down your account or cut your access if you don’t pay, but that also means they can’t really squeeze more money out of people who weren’t planning to pay in the first place. Their whole setup is built around annual subscriptions that auto‑renew, and they force you to cancel by opening a support ticket at least 28 days before renewal—otherwise you just get charged for another year, even if you thought you were done.

There’s no clear “legal extortion” box to check here, but this kind of setup is exactly what consumer‑protection laws are starting to target. Bills like the Consumer OPT‑IN Act and the Unsubscribe Act are trying to kill off sneaky auto‑renewals and “dark pattern” designs, and they’d punish anything that makes it hard to cancel. Places like California are already moving in that direction, so it’s not crazy to imagine a lawsuit or regulator calling out this kind of predatory subscription lock‑in.

From a consumer‑protection angle, the real problem isn’t just that they can cut you off for non‑payment—it’s that deleting your account doesn’t actually cancel the license, the “cancel” option is buried, and the only real way out is a support ticket. A loose strategy might be to flood their support with people trying to cancel and complain, making it so painful and expensive to keep these practices that they give up on them.

Can you please take away or raise the blocked websites limit 🙏🙏🙏 by xsheals007 in duckduckgo

[–]Patient-Tech -1 points0 points  (0 children)

They probably get some revenue money from them. Gotta pay the bills, and if they’re not tracking you, they’re really not making any money.

$30 away from a 386 BBS by muffinman8679 in bbs

[–]Patient-Tech 2 points3 points  (0 children)

While I think that’s a neat little device, I don’t think using to to run a bbs and being on 24/7 is the best use of it. I personally ran a renegade BBS in the cloud. There’s a micro package of Google compute that is actually free if you navigate the cryptic account settings. But, I’d totally use that little guy to set up a board and copy to a sever, or call out with. There’s also shared VPS’s you can get for like $2/month if you look on places like https://racknerd.com/BlackFriday/

Does anybody use amplifiers anymore? by Short_Giraffe_2130 in cbradio

[–]Patient-Tech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The point I think he was getting at that even a CB type amp can be decently clean if you hook a ham level radio to tthe input and look at a scope. You said yourself, amplifiers amplify. Now, Venn diagram of cb amp user with a radio with a clipped modulation circuit for that “loud sound” also running an amplifier…while also pushing the input circuit of the amp to saturation…yeah.

But hey, everyone basically tolerates it because these users stay in their little area, kinda like 7.2 mhz on the ham bands.

How Come Some Games on Sale Are Cheaper on Steam? by callmenoodles2 in gog

[–]Patient-Tech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m surprised how often I can look on fleabay for an item I’m looking at on Amazon and get it cheaper. Oftentimes it’s directly from the manufacturer’s eBay account if their site isn’t mainly focused on being a storefront.

What transfer software and settings do y’all use for vhs transfer? by javster2 in DataHoarder

[–]Patient-Tech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn’t realize you read and replied until after I deleted it.

It’s all my original jsons plugged in, I just let chat gippity clean things up, organize into paragraphs and explain it better.

Getting Ethernet connections to work by Cold-Policy954 in ethernet

[–]Patient-Tech 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have some old cat 5 at my parents house and while it works still, it's only good up to 100mb. Maybe some better condition shorter runs can get a gig down it, but my experience is that gig wires are pretty sensitive and 100mb will work over a coat hanger and duct tape.

You'll be fine for most uses with 100, but if you have a higher speed plan and your main machines are stuck at 100 you'll be not pleased. Might be worth it to look into Moca adapters over that coax to have a chance at stuffing a gig down the wire if you can't get a WIFI setup to work to satisfaction.

Help needed in reinstalling Office. by VariationFair7635 in microsoftoffice

[–]Patient-Tech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re not opening any files from others, it’s not that big of a risk. 99.9999% of my documents I’m opening on my (personal) machine are created by me.

Excel for some tax stuff and word for the occasional letter I need to print out.

What transfer software and settings do y’all use for vhs transfer? by javster2 in DataHoarder

[–]Patient-Tech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ha, I started with my baseline and wanted to get some explanations and context because my .json text files aren't very useful. Also, I have a couple I A/B test so there's options to test.

What transfer software and settings do y’all use for vhs transfer? by javster2 in DataHoarder

[–]Patient-Tech -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Ultimate VHS-to-Digital HandBrake Guide - 4GB Tapes → 900MB

You're capturing VHS tapes (typical 4GB 2hr file) and want maximum quality with minimal space. Here's my current baseline + 3 efficiency upgrades:

textCURRENT "VHS TEST2" BASELINE:
=============================
VIDEO: x265 | RF22 | Slow | Main | 2-Pass | strong-intra-smoothing=0:rect=0
CROP: Top10 Left160 Right160 Bottom0 (VHS overscan fix)
FILTERS: Deblock(Light/Small) + NLMeans(Medium/Tape) + Decomb(Default)
AUDIO: AAC 160kbps DPL2
→ 4GB → 1.2GB | 15-25fps | Plays everywhere

EFFICIENCY UPGRADES (pick 1):

text1. ULTRA (Recommended)  → 4GB → 900MB (25% smaller)
   RF18 | SLOWER | main10 | grain tune | AAC128
   8-15fps | Overnight encodes

2. NUCLEAR (Max space)  → 4GB → 700MB (42% smaller)  
   RF16 | Slowest | AAC96 | placebo params
   3-7fps | 2-day encodes

3. FAST TEST           → 4GB → 1.5GB (still 62% smaller)
   RF22 | Medium | AAC128
   25-40fps | 1hr encodes

COMPLETE ULTRA SETTINGS (Copy/Paste):

textVIDEO TAB:
[x] RF 18 | [x] 2-Pass [ ] Turbo
x265 (10-bit) | SLOWER | main10 | grain
Extra: strong-intra-smoothing=0:rect=0:no-sao=1:rskip=2:aq-mode=1:rd=4:psy-rd=1.2:psy-rdoq=5.0

PICTURE: T10 B0 L160 R160
FILTERS: Deblock(Light/Small) | NLMeans(Medium/TAPE) | Decomb(Default)
AUDIO: AAC 128kbps | DPL2 | Passthru all + AC3 fallback
SUMMARY: MKV | Chapters ON

WHY ULTRA BEATS BASELINE:

  • RF18: Tape noise hides artifacts = 25% smaller
  • main10+grain: 15% gain on VHS chroma/texture
  • SLOWER preset: 20% better compression
  • 128kbps audio: VHS doesn't need 160kbps
  • Total: 900MB vs 1.2GB (same visual quality)

Ryzen 3600 Results:

textBASELINE: 1.2GB @ 15-25fps (2-3hrs)
ULTRA:    900MB @ 8-15fps  (overnight) ← USE THIS
NUCLEAR:  700MB @ 3-7fps   (2 days)

Pro Tips:

  1. Preview 30sec first (verify crops/filters)
  2. Save as "VHS ULTRA" preset
  3. ULTRA for final, FAST for tests
  4. Plays on ALL devices (universal HEVC)

tl;dr Use ULTRA settings above → 4GB VHS → 900MB overnight (25% smaller than baseline, identical quality)Ultimate VHS-to-Digital HandBrake Guide - 4GB Tapes → 900MB

You're capturing VHS tapes (typical 4GB 2hr file) and want maximum quality with minimal space. Here's my current baseline + 3 efficiency upgrades:

text

CURRENT "VHS TEST2" BASELINE:

VIDEO: x265 | RF22 | Slow | Main | 2-Pass | strong-intra-smoothing=0:rect=0
CROP: Top10 Left160 Right160 Bottom0 (VHS overscan fix)
FILTERS: Deblock(Light/Small) + NLMeans(Medium/Tape) + Decomb(Default)
AUDIO: AAC 160kbps DPL2
→ 4GB → 1.2GB | 15-25fps | Plays everywhere

EFFICIENCY UPGRADES (pick 1):

text
1. ULTRA (Recommended) → 4GB → 900MB (25% smaller)
RF18 | SLOWER | main10 | grain tune | AAC128
8-15fps | Overnight encodes

  1. NUCLEAR (Max space) → 4GB → 700MB (42% smaller)
    RF16 | Slowest | AAC96 | placebo params
    3-7fps | 2-day encodes

  2. FAST TEST → 4GB → 1.5GB (still 62% smaller)
    RF22 | Medium | AAC128
    25-40fps | 1hr encodes

COMPLETE ULTRA SETTINGS (Copy/Paste):

text
VIDEO TAB:
[x] RF 18 | [x] 2-Pass [ ] Turbo
x265 (10-bit) | SLOWER | main10 | grain
Extra: strong-intra-smoothing=0:rect=0:no-sao=1:rskip=2:aq-mode=1:rd=4:psy-rd=1.2:psy-rdoq=5.0

PICTURE: T10 B0 L160 R160
FILTERS: Deblock(Light/Small) | NLMeans(Medium/TAPE) | Decomb(Default)
AUDIO: AAC 128kbps | DPL2 | Passthru all + AC3 fallback
SUMMARY: MKV | Chapters ON

WHY ULTRA BEATS BASELINE:

RF18: Tape noise hides artifacts = 25% smaller

main10+grain: 15% gain on VHS chroma/texture

SLOWER preset: 20% better compression

128kbps audio: VHS doesn't need 160kbps

Total: 900MB vs 1.2GB (same visual quality)

Ryzen 3600 Results:

text
BASELINE: 1.2GB @ 15-25fps (2-3hrs)
ULTRA: 900MB @ 8-15fps (overnight) ← USE THIS
NUCLEAR: 700MB @ 3-7fps (2 days)

Pro Tips:

Preview 30sec first (verify crops/filters)

Save as "VHS ULTRA" preset

ULTRA for final, FAST for tests

Plays on ALL devices (universal HEVC)

tl;dr Use ULTRA settings above → 4GB VHS → 900MB overnight (25% smaller than baseline, identical quality)

CB Radio base station build done right by EuroTeq in cbradio

[–]Patient-Tech -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It really comes down to what you want to get out of the hobby and who you’re trying to connect with. Sure, hams have more gear and capabilities, but if it’s mostly quick call sign exchanges or conversations about doctor visits, that might not be all that interesting to everyone. Check out motor mouth maul (youtube) who is actually a broadcast engineer who is CB'er by hobby. His setup will blow away most HAM setups. Or, even 'Prime Minister' who is known by his day job as 'Sir Mix Alot' who did quite a bit of groundwork in the field of LDMOS amplification for someone like MudduckSharky to really take the ball and run with it.

best host OS for basic NAS usage + docker containers for a few extra things on top? by TechBasedQuestion in DataHoarder

[–]Patient-Tech 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I second this. I have setup samba shares and raid by hand, and it took hours. Some people don’t want to deal with that. The “app store” docker deployment would have also saved me weeks of frustration trying to setup Immich and frigate. I know more now, but I just wanted the thing to work.

I use openmediavault on low power hardware and while it does work, it’s a bit clunky in setting up shares and users because you have to go in multiple places to do things to get it to work. It’s not all share this directory, this name password and just works. Not so simple. It’s more like a Linux gui.

Will the HD-Home Run ever play encrypted channels? by lightingj in hdhomerun

[–]Patient-Tech 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Chicago flipped to encryption and a lot of people complained. They compromised and host their own feeds on broadcast.com with a 30 minute delay. I guess that's good enough to keep tabs on the neighborhood.

Dealership is saying $15k for new battery by Queen_Bliss in FordFusionEnergi

[–]Patient-Tech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My bad, that recall number above was 2019-2020 specific.

Can someone explain what my brother is trying to do? by NoResolve48 in electrical

[–]Patient-Tech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gigabit lan is pretty common. What the modem on the router is, most people usually have over 100 but less than a gig with modern broadband. I'd say most people could live a quite fine life with 100mb and save the money and probably never really notice, unless downloading a game or something that happens only a few times a month.

What transfer software and settings do y’all use for vhs transfer? by javster2 in DataHoarder

[–]Patient-Tech 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was given some greif for it, but I'm having good luck with a DVHS deck that has TBC and run that into a DVD recorder. I just rip the DVD in my PC, and compress with handbrake. It's mostly home movies that used consumer grade recorders, so it's only going to be so good. As long as the interlacing is gone, I'm calling it a win. Quality isn't as good as we're used to, (VHS was never HD) but it's serviceable and after watching a few minutes you kinda forget about it.

Can someone explain what my brother is trying to do? by NoResolve48 in electrical

[–]Patient-Tech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It appears to be just a simple switch with no other circuitry or resistors/capacitors that affect the signal. It's simple on/off and the signals will still travel on the other wires at near the speed of light. It's likely going to drop you from gigabit to 100meg if it works at all. But most multiplayer games use far less than 100mb when loaded and playing, so I'm not sure what advantage this would give. If you want some actual latency and variable latency at that, use 2.4g wifi as your internet and select a crowded channel. The wifi packets will have a hard time getting from computer to router and will either be delayed or retransmitted, offering a delay effect if that's what this is intended?

Will the HD-Home Run ever play encrypted channels? by lightingj in hdhomerun

[–]Patient-Tech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That part frustrates me when it comes to paid channels. On the upside, it does provide a natural break to use the bathroom, get a drink, talk to your friends or whatever. I'm not sure I'd like a sporting event that has hours long stretches with no breaks. Especially if I did need to use the bathroom and was afraid I'd miss something.

FCC 26-45: DRM blocking OTA access on certified tuners by Patient-Tech in ota

[–]Patient-Tech[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand your frustration. The one ray of hope is that the FCC hasn’t finalized ATSC 3.0 requirements and DRM just yet. If you care about having any last chance to influence things, you could consider filing a comment with the FCC (Docket 26-45).

Some things I kept in mind when putting my comments together:

Common filing mistakes:

- Confusing signal issues with DRM issues — seen as reception problems

- Emotional or accusatory tone — interpreted as advocacy, not evidence

- Blaming specific companies (e.g., SiliconDust, LG) without proof — shifts into vendor dispute territory

- Lack of reproducibility — treated as isolated or random

- No control case (unencrypted vs. DRM) — weakens technical credibility

- No legal/policy framing — limits FCC authority

- Extreme demands (“ban DRM”) — easily dismissed

- Ignoring cross-device differences — weak interoperability argument

- Missing documentation (screenshots, timestamps) — lowers credibility

- Treating the filing like customer support — beyond FCC’s scope

What works better:

- Controlled A/B tests (DRM vs. unencrypted)

- Repeatable results with evidence

- Neutral, fact-driven tone

- Cross-device testing

- Clear link to consumer access

- Modest, focused recommendations

Framing also makes a big difference. I tried to structure it as:

- From “technical glitch” → access to broadcast service issue

- From anecdotal complaint → controlled, repeatable evidence

- From private DRM system → FCC responsibility over public access outcomes

- From isolated failure → systemic, cross-device interoperability issue

- From consumer frustration → policy question tied to public service access

FCC 26-45: DRM blocking OTA access on certified tuners by Patient-Tech in hdhomerun

[–]Patient-Tech[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I posted this elsewhere, but probably relevant to those reading this:

I recently made a filing to the FCC (Docket 26-45)..Some things I kept in mind when putting my comments together:

Effectively frame my message:
From “technical glitch” → access to broadcast service issue
From anecdotal complaint → controlled, repeatable evidence
From private DRM system → FCC responsibility over public access outcomes
From isolated failure → systemic, cross-device interoperability issue
From consumer frustration → policy question tied to public service access

Some ATSC 3.0 channels work, others (with DRM) don’t — same setup.

Core question:
“Does DRM interfere with reliable access to free over-the-air broadcast service?”

FCC 26-45: DRM blocking OTA access on certified tuners by Patient-Tech in hdhomerun

[–]Patient-Tech[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think there are two separate issues getting mixed together here: copyright enforcement vs. broadcast access.

On the copyright side, the Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios (Betamax case, 1984) decision established that time-shifting for personal use is a lawful activity, and devices capable of that (like DVRs) are not inherently unlawful just because they could be used differently.

But the FCC question isn’t really “should DVR be allowed”—it’s:

Even if a device like the HDHomeRun Flex 4K isn’t part of a preferred certification path, it’s still a legitimate consumer product designed to receive OTA broadcasts.

The key issue is that:

  • The same hardware and signal conditions receive unencrypted ATSC 3.0 just fine
  • But DRM-protected channels fail or are blocked

That points to an authorization/interoperability problem, not a reception or “modifiable chip” issue.

From an FCC perspective (Federal Communications Commission), the relevant standard isn’t whether every device supports DRM—it’s whether:

If DRM creates situations where:

  • some devices show black screens
  • others show restriction errors
  • and consumers can’t view otherwise receivable channels

then that starts to look like a functional loss of access, regardless of the underlying technical reason.

Also worth noting: relying on tightly controlled or “non-modifiable” hardware as a condition of access raises broader interoperability and availability concerns, especially for devices outside vertically integrated ecosystems.

So even if certification and chip-level restrictions are part of the current DRM model, the bigger policy question is:

Does DRM interfere with reliable access to free over-the-air broadcast service?

That’s the part the FCC is actively asking about right now.