Since we've moved out, i've sorely missed the ability to be able to record something off the TV for whatever reason. We only bought a TV and DVD player, as I didn't really want to waste money buying a VCR since they're basically almost totally on their way out (i think they're more expensive than DVD players now anyway), and we can't really afford a good DVD/HD recorder for the TV.

The solution? A relatively cheap USB digital TV tuner which allows you to watch TV on your computer, as well as record TV onto the computer's hard disk, which can then be burnt to a DVD if necessary. I bought the Compro Videomate U500 (shown right), eventually from Umart for $85. I say eventually because I have been wanting to get this product off Zazz for a cheaper $77, but the two days that it had been on it had sold out by 8am.

I took it home last night, plugged it in, and discovered that with the little weiner antenna included with it i could hardly get any channels. In fact, the only channel I could get reliably was SBS, which all who live in Australia would know is highly ironic because normally SBS is generally known to have a poorer transmission quality, and a lot of people can't get a good picture on it.

I had to end up buying a 'rabbit ears' internal antenna for $15 from Dick Smith's Electronics, and now it's fantastic. I can get all channels, and the recording works well. Another good thing is that Ulead DVD Movie Factory 4SE was included as bundled with the TV tuner, and that software also easily solves our previous problem of burning widescreen avi files to a widescreen DVD. Very happy with that.

Turning to lifeblogging, I don't really want to bore everyone with my intricate details, so this entry i'll stick to a theme: food. Friday lunch was quite interesting. After going to Umart at Milton, we usually go to Maccas on Milton Rd for lunch. Arriving there, we see a massive line inside. Not wanting to stand in line for 20 minutes, and nowhere else to eat, meant that we got back in the car, drove through drive-thru and got out food, parked again, and went back into the restaurant and ate. We found it highly amusing.

Tonight after Church, i found myself in the untenable position of everyone else agreeing to go to *restaurant that won't be named for fear of rage and lawsuits* for dinner, but me not wanting to. Like every other time I cave in, we go there, get terrible service, get terrible food, and have to pay a terribly high price for it too. Well now I am saying this publicly: unless they are the only place left in a 10km radius with food, I am not going to go to *restaurant that shan't be named* again. Nope not again. Not under any circumstances.

Hold me to it.