– Added check for surround/quadraphonic sample rates above 4800 (Vista only)
– Added universal audio driver recording mode for Vista
– Added option to open IE from within Replay Video Capture. This helps UAD to initialize the audio capture.
– Improved Top Window feature (windows larger than 1/2 of the screen are not topped).
– Added embedded manifest eliminating the need to set admin rights or disable UAC.
Replay Video Capture 4.0
Replay Music 3.60
– Added ability to try tagging again, tracks that were not tagged during the recording session. After a recording session is stopped, Replay Music will try to tag all songs that were not tagged the first time.
– “Tag Song” option in right-click menu to re-try tagging an individual track or tracks.
– Fixed bug regarding moving tracks up and down the list.
Replay Converter 3.37
– Fixed bug where special characters in file name would cause DVD authoring error.
Replay Converter 3.35
– Added audio alerts for successful and failed conversions. Settings has option to turn audio alerts on or off.
– Added FFMPEG credit in About box.
– Better error handling and messaging.
– Progress bar now displays percentage of conversion completed.
Ask & Record Toolbar 4.0
Out of beta. Ask & Record Toolbar is a major update to Freecorder Toolbar.
Replay Video Capture 3.2
– Added “top window” option
– Fixed problem with the Settings window going off the screen on lower resolution displays.
Replay Converter 3.32
– Added new audio alert option in settings.
Ask & Record Toolbar Public Beta 1.0
Public Beta
Comcasttown: Webkinz for Adults. No lie.
If you’re interested in seeing one of the dumbest business ideas ever, have a look at the new Comcasttown.com web site. I heard an ad for it on the radio, and was thinking “Cool. Now I can stream those Comcast TV shows to my PC.” I am a subscriber, so I figured they had finally worked out some content deals to get me the TV I already pay for onto my PC.
What I got looks suspiciously like the Webkinz kids site. (My kids play on it constantly, so I know it well. And it’s great – for them.) Basically, you’re given a “room”, and you can buy virtual furniture for it with virtual cash, and there’s a Facebook connect thing where you can invite your friends to come over to your virtual room and do god knows what. The irony is that this is a wrapper over Fancast.com. Why shouldn’t I go to Fancast (or Hulu) to watch TV on my PC. Why should I be bothered with this nonsense? Worse, it appears you only get the top 5 shows on Fancast – unless you hunt for more I guess. I ran out of patience before investigating further.
What are they going to do next – come out with a line of Comcast stuffed toys? “Commies”? I’d buy one if it was a likeness of the idiot who came up with this idea so I could stick pins in it.
Let me watch the Cable TV I pay for on my laptop so I can ditch my SlingBox! That’s what I want.
On the plus side, the ad jingle was really, really catchy. And… no, that’s it.
At Applian, we’re really good at designing cool products and marketing them well. If there’s a marketing angle here I don’t see, I’d love to be enlightened. Especially by anyone from Comcast. So, if you’re from Comcast, come defend yourself in the comments!
The “TV Everywhere” initiative
As online video grows in popularity, some people are considering disconnecting their Cable or Satellite TV services and consuming everything online. Services like Hulu, although owned by the big networks, are showing the promise of an online-only world of programming.
Others want a la carte Cable. They ask “why should I pay for channels I don’t watch?” KInda, sorta makes sense at first.
Most experts think this pay-as-you-go model is unlikely to happen in the near future. The NY Times had a good explanation of the economics and social benefit of bundling cable service. Mark Cuban also breaks this down nicely.
What will happen is that if you have a Cable or Satellite subscription, you will also be able to consume the same media online. Time Warner is already working towards this.
The Cable and Satellite and the Networks aren’t going to kill a very profitable business. But by enhancing it by making the content you already pay for available online, they will get more viewership and be able to serve more ads.
This seems like the best possible solution that balances the interests of consumers and the media companies.