Anyone watch the free TV shows on AOL yet? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

scottdvd · 03-16-2006, 04:08 PM

Watched a few the other day, some not currently being shown anywhere else. Not too bad for free. Here is a link if you want to check it out

http://television.aol.com/in2tv

JMas493 · 03-16-2006, 08:44 PM

I've downloaded a couple. They took about 4 hours each with my DSL connection.

It appears they will stay on my computer until June 1, then disappear. There doesn't seem to be a way to burn them to DVD.

John

BeefyBoyGod · 03-16-2006, 09:44 PM

I only checked out the Freddy episodes. High Quality they ain't. My original airing tapes look better, as do the PAl tapes. Either they've treated the master tapes poorly, or the codec they're using leaves alot to be desired. Or both.

TVFactFan · 03-17-2006, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMas493

I've downloaded a couple. They took about 4 hours each with my DSL connection.

It appears they will stay on my computer until June 1, then disappear. There doesn't seem to be a way to burn them to DVD.

John

Well that makes the Tvshows on AOL pointless to TV collectors if you can;t burn them to DVD.

cooltvshows · 03-18-2006, 06:12 PM

I haven't downloaded any of these shows yet, but safe to say they've been compressed, probably using divx or some other digital video format.
Highly compressed videos can be improved by running digital video filters on them. The shows can be depixelated, smoothed, desaturated, and otherwise improved in video quality.
As for the resolution, it's probably 320 x 240, but a lot of sets use mpeg-2 320 x 240 and they look pretty good. 320 x 240 looks fine on a standard TV set if it's encoded correctly.
As for burning the shows to DVD, it _can_ be done. All that's necessary is to convert the compressed .avi file to some other video format, like Type 2 DVD or Huffyuv, and then re-encode it to mpeg-2 and author and burn a DVD from it.
It can be done. Don't give up hope, folks.

BeefyBoyGod · 03-19-2006, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Highly compressed videos can be improved by running digital video filters on them. The shows can be depixelated, smoothed, desaturated, and otherwise improved in video quality.

I've seen this done, but the results just aren't good enough.

barb1686 · 03-21-2006, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMas493

I've downloaded a couple. They took about 4 hours each with my DSL connection.

It appears they will stay on my computer until June 1, then disappear. There doesn't seem to be a way to burn them to DVD.

John

Takes me a few minutes (roughly 3-4MB per second)...I have cable internet. I downloaded an episode of Lois & Clark which is about 45 minutes in about 10 minutes I'd say.

And it's still streaming video...with their own player (if you download them), so you aren't suppose to be able to save them. I'm sure in time you'll be able to crack it, but when that starts to happen then it probably won't be available anymore or they'll start charging. I'm fine with watching it on my computer...I just want to be able to see the episodes again. All this for free, so I'm happy.

Lamont · 03-22-2006, 12:00 AM

download 1 ep to watch, but it took forever so i just cancelled it

cooltvshows · 03-22-2006, 04:40 AM

There are two ways to capture and save streaming video. You can use software at a site like this:
http://all-streaming-media.com/record-video-stream/
Or you can set the streaming video to full screen, then set the screen
resolution to 640 x 400 and hook up something like the Averkey Gold
VGA-to-TV converter and put a DVD recorder on the output of the
Averkey.

Streaming video is simple and easy to capture and save.

03-16-2006, 04:08 PM	#1
scottdvd Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 23, 2004 Posts: 144	Anyone watch the free TV shows on AOL yet? Watched a few the other day, some not currently being shown anywhere else. Not too bad for free. Here is a link if you want to check it out http://television.aol.com/in2tv
	__________________ tvdvds@comcast.net Trade List

03-16-2006, 09:44 PM	#3
BeefyBoyGod Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 04, 2003 Posts: 108	I only checked out the Freddy episodes. High Quality they ain't. My original airing tapes look better, as do the PAl tapes. Either they've treated the master tapes poorly, or the codec they're using leaves alot to be desired. Or both.
	__________________ Time for the Beefy Boy jingle.....

03-18-2006, 06:12 PM	#5
cooltvshows Banned Banned!! Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 41	Not so fast, pardner... I haven't downloaded any of these shows yet, but safe to say they've been compressed, probably using divx or some other digital video format. Highly compressed videos can be improved by running digital video filters on them. The shows can be depixelated, smoothed, desaturated, and otherwise improved in video quality. As for the resolution, it's probably 320 x 240, but a lot of sets use mpeg-2 320 x 240 and they look pretty good. 320 x 240 looks fine on a standard TV set if it's encoded correctly. As for burning the shows to DVD, it _can_ be done. All that's necessary is to convert the compressed .avi file to some other video format, like Type 2 DVD or Huffyuv, and then re-encode it to mpeg-2 and author and burn a DVD from it. It can be done. Don't give up hope, folks.

03-22-2006, 12:00 AM	#8
Lamont Lamont says Smile! Forum Veteran Join Date: May 28, 2005 Location: Deep in the Heart of Nowhere Posts: 5,217	i started to download 1 ep to watch, but it took forever so i just cancelled it
	__________________ I have not been trading for some time now, so please do not ask---- sorry, i cannot help you!

03-22-2006, 04:40 AM	#9
cooltvshows Banned Banned!! Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 41	Streaming video is easy to capture and save There are two ways to capture and save streaming video. You can use software at a site like this: http://all-streaming-media.com/record-video-stream/ Or you can set the streaming video to full screen, then set the screen resolution to 640 x 400 and hook up something like the Averkey Gold VGA-to-TV converter and put a DVD recorder on the output of the Averkey. Streaming video is simple and easy to capture and save.

03-16-2006, 08:44 PM	#2
JMas493 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 03, 2005 Posts: 171	I've downloaded a couple. They took about 4 hours each with my DSL connection. It appears they will stay on my computer until June 1, then disappear. There doesn't seem to be a way to burn them to DVD. John