High-Tech Toys for Your TV: Secrets of TiVo, Xbox, ReplayTV, UltimateTV and More (Que-Consumer-Other) (Paperback)

by Steve Kovsky (Author)
Key Phrases: backdoor mode, digital audio receiver, tuner card, Rio Receiver, Turtle Beach, Time Warner (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Take control of your digital living room! Make your TiVO, UltimateTV, XBox or GameCube do your bidding. We show you how to use these PCs in sheep's clothing to be king of your domain (or at least the area immediately surrounding your recliner).

Like the plot from a circa 1950's sci-fi film, computerized look-alikes have surreptitiously replaced our VCRs, our video game consoles...even our televisions and stereos. While the advantages that these digital entertainment devices (DEDs) offer over their analog predecessors are immense - so is the potential for sensory and information overload. Unlike the benign appliances we grew up with, these new digital wonders demand much more from us than the simple ability to turn them on and off. It's time to take control, put them through their paces, show them who's boss.

• The revolution in your living roomThe same forces that revolutionized the workplace during the past 25 years are now at work in our homes. The PCs in our dens were only the forerunners of this computer revolution. The real fireworks are taking place in the living room, where computers hidden inside our everyday appliances are poised to transform the way we live. Bottom line: Your days as a couch potato are numbered.
• TiVO and UltimateTV - changing the way you watch TV - forever! TiVO and UltimateTV are shaping up to be the white-hot category in home electronics for 2002. The merger of computers and traditional VCRs goes far beyond the superficial benefits of pausing and applying slow-motion and stop-action effects to live television. Learn the full range of these versatile machines.
• Choosing the right game console - You might not know it, we are amid a hardware slugfest between Nintendo, Sony and the dark horse, Microsoft. It's likely to be a battle as bloody as any depicted on the game consoles themselves. Compare the XBox, GameCube and Playstation2 side-by-side, and decide which console is right for you. Understanding the technical specs will help you make the right decision.
• Are you Feeling Lucky? Then, hacking your TiVO or UltimateTV box is just up your alley!You are truly the master of your digital domain. Not satisfied to let well enough alone, you're ready to venture into the unknown, in search of personal video recording nirvana. Kiss your warranty goodbye as you open up the box and truly push the envelope of digital entertainment.
• Not sure how to deal with the @#%^$@^ rat's nest of cables behind your entertainment center? Simmer down, there and let Steve help you set up your new TiVO or UltimateTV. If you have only a TV and cable box, the setup is a snap, but if you are working in a cramped space, trying to run video into the digital recorder from DirecTV and cable, want to run the audio through the stereo receiver and have everything use S-video, though your TV has only one S-video jack, you might need a little help.

About the Author
Steve Kovsky is executive editor for CNET Radio (AM910 KNEW in San Francisco, AM890 WBPS in Boston, XM Satellite Channel 130, (CNETRadio) and the daily tech commentator for CBS Radio's KFWB/LA Times Noon Business Hour with Ron Kilgore and Cindy Dole (AM980 KFWB in Los Angeles). In his 16 years as a professional journalist, he has covered every aspect of high technology for television, radio, magazines, newspapers, and the World Wide Web. His credits and bylines have appeared in a wide variety of media, including CNET News, ZDNet, Tom's Hardware Guide, ZDTV (now TechTV) and ZDTV Radio, PC Week and PCWeek Radio, Computer Sources, Electronic Components, Digital Review, Computer Systems News, and the San Jose Business Journal. Kovsky lives in Northern California with his wife and three children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Que (March 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789726688
• ISBN-13: 978-0789726681
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,409,892 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, May 10, 2002

By	Rob Bernosky (HOLLISTER, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was given to me as a gift. For someone who likes the latest gadgets but is too busy to keep up with all the product offerings, this is the perfect book. Written in clear english with a touch of personality, it is very informative and helpful. I would think that anyone who doesn't have time to shop the personal electronic stores full of people who have no idea of what they are trying to sell would love this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely the future of entertainment, April 24, 2004

By	Charles Ashbacher "([e-mail])" (Marion, Iowa United States([e-mail])) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

While I rigorously maintain my status as a rider on the leading wave of software technologies, I am way behind the curve when it comes to entertainment. Before I read this book, I had only a glancing understanding of the latest technologies in capturing and replaying television broadcasts and other interactive entertainment devices (IED). Even though the information is now dated, I found the book well worth reading.
Like everything else, the advance of technology in this area is amazing, it seems that the only thing that can slow it down is legal action. Each of the descriptions starts at the most elementary of levels, yet is thorough enough so that when I was finished, I understood the advantages and disadvantages of each enhancement. Kovsky is also very diligent in pointing out the costs and explaining some of the difficulties that can be encountered when setting up and interfacing the various types of IED's. Pointers to some of the best improvements that you can do to enhance your experience are also included.
If you are new to the arena of high technology entertainment, then this is an excellent place to begin your education. Be warned however, you will be tempted to purchase some of the equipment that is described.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TV Tech, April 17, 2002

By	Scott Lettieri (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

Everything you've always wanted to know about TV high tech tools and how to get the most out of your viewing experience is presented in this book. The straight forward, concise and to the point style leaves no room for misunderstanding. Kovsky, who has been a tech journalist for many years obviously knows what he's writing about and explains things like TiVo, game consoles, and video convergence devices with an insiders expertise. I found High-Tech Toys For Your TV very readable and extremely informative. It's a good read but an even better resource for all us TV hounds.