TV Hardware and Machinima – TechStuff Podcast Roundup

Hey there! Before I sum up what we covered in TechStuff this week, I just want to say Chrispy and I continue to receive great e-mails and tweets from you guys. Thanks for sending us your questions, comments and ideas for topics. We’re also aware of some encoding issues we’ve had with past episodes and we’re working to resolve them. We’re flattered that you guys want to go back and listen to everything we’ve done so far. If all else fails, maybe Chrispy and I can show up at your town and reenact the podcasts you’re missing [Editor's note: we will not do that].

Also, I need to make the following statement: Linux is an amazing operating system. It’s robust and it has a huge community of intelligent and innovative supporters who continually improve the OS and create fantastic applications. Anyone who makes fun of Linux clearly doesn’t know what he or she is talking about. And I would appreciate it if the IT department would lift the restrictions on my computer so that I could access something besides the “Hamster on a Piano” YouTube video.

On Monday, Chrispy and I talked about the various hardware you can connect to your television to enhance your home theater system. We gave a background on two different format wars (Betamax vs. VHS and HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray). In one of those battles, Sony lost. In the other battle, it’s too early to tell if Sony really won. We also covered electronics ranging from capacitance electronic discs (CEDs) to the Apple TV.

Wednesday’s show was all about machinima. Machinima is an art form in which you use a pre-existing virtual world (such as the kind you’d find in a video game) to create a story. The story could be a short cartoon or a full-length feature film. We point out the similarity between machinima and the ancient art of puppetry. I also wax poetic about Red vs. Blue, the series that introduced me to the concept of machinima in the first place.

Thanks for listening to TechStuff, and keep those suggestions coming. In the meantime, here’s a little hamster on a piano.

And visit HowStuffWorks.com for more great information:

How Apple TV Works
How Blu-ray Discs Work
How Machinima Works