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This story was printed from CNET Asia.
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Watch TV on your PDA

By Rick Broida, ZDNet
08/02/2006
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/digitalliving/tips/0,3800004921,39310309,00.htm

Est. time: 2 hours
Est. cost: US$40 and up

Step 1: What to watch on your PDA?
Sure, you could watch US$2-apiece episodes of Lost on the squint-inducing screen of an Apple iPod video.

On the other hand, you could pay nothing and watch whatever shows you want on your eye-pleasing PDA. With a Media Center PC, the right software, and a high-capacity memory card, you can stock your PDA (or smart phone) with your favorite comedies, dramas, kids' shows, and pretty much anything else that's on TV.

If you've ever tried converting a DVD movie for viewing on a handheld, you know how complicated and time-consuming that can be. Rest assured: that isn't the case with TV shows: The entire process can be performed from the comfort of your couch.

Step 2: Gear to turn your PDA into a TV
Before you get started with this project, we recommend that you have the following:

  • A Pocket PC or Windows Mobile-based smart phone.
  • A PC running Microsoft's Windows Media Center Edition operating system (MCE).
  • Proxure's US$19.95 MyTV ToGo, which compresses and converts recorded shows for viewing on your handheld. It integrates with the MCE interface and can be operated entirely by remote.
  • A high-capacity memory card for your PDA or smart phone. You can buy a 256MB SD card for around US$20, but consider spending a bit more for a 512MB card or, even better, a 1GB card. More space means more shows and/or better image quality.


    Step 3: Record shows with Media Center

    Using your remote or mouse, select More Programs in Windows Media Center, then run MyTV ToGo. That'll bring you to a menu where you can configure your video and device settings.
    Configure your PC to record shows or movies as you normally would.

    Don't worry about adjusting the quality settings in MCE; MyTV ToGo will give you a choice of downconversion settings when the time comes to copy the recordings to your PDA or smart phone. Also, you don't necessarily have to record new shows for this project; the software will convert existing recordings as well.

    Step 4: Install and configure MyTV ToGo
    1. Shut down the Media Center program, then install MyTV ToGo. When that's done, you'll need to activate the program by clicking Start > All Programs > MyTV ToGo > Activate.

    2. Type in your name, e-mail address, and serial number as requested. Obviously you don't need to do this if you're using the trial version of MyTV ToGo, but if you are, keep in mind you'll get only the first five minutes of each show you try to convert.

    3. This is a good time to connect your Pocket PC or smart phone to your Media Center, with the handheld's memory card loaded. Better yet, if your PC has a media reader, insert the memory card into the appropriate slot and skip the Pocket PC altogether. The copy process will go much faster if the software can write directly to the card.

      The Settings menu will allow you to choose the target device, video quality, and destination drive for your favorite shows.
    4. Restart the Media Center software. Using your remote (or mouse, if you prefer), select More Programs from the main menu, then run MyTV ToGo.

    Because it's your first time using MyTV ToGo, you'll immediately arrive at the Settings screen, where you can tweak the configuration as needed. Here are the options:

    • Select device: Your choices here include Pocket PC, Pocket PC (VGA), and Smartphone, which relate directly to screen resolution: 320x240, 640x480, and 208x160, respectively. It's important to note that some smart phones employ a standard Pocket PC screen (320x240 pixels), so you should choose that option if you have such a model.

    • Select quality: As you cycle through the four available choices (Compatible, Good, Better, and Best), you'll see how much storage space is required for an hour of video at each setting. Some experimentation will probably be necessary to see which setting offers the best performance/size ratio for your handheld and available memory.

    • Select destination: Choose Copy To Device if your handheld is connected to your PC. If you're using your PC's media reader, choose the drive letter that corresponds to the appropriate slot.

    After you've made your selections, click Save to return to the show-selection screen.


    Step 5: Convert TV shows for your PDA

    Once your settings have been established, converting shows and putting them on your PDA is as easy as selecting them in Windows Media Center. Conversion may take some time, depending on the video quality you want.
    To select a show for conversion, highlight it and press OK on the remote. You'll see a check mark appear next to the entry. As you select shows, MyTV ToGo keeps a running tally of the required storage space. If you've selected more shows than will fit on your memory card, remove some or return to the Settings screen and choose a lower quality setting.

    Once you've finalized your selections, click Copy TV Shows and go about your business. The conversion process takes time; how much time depends on the speed of your PC, the type of handheld, the quality setting, and other factors. For example, a one-hour show converted for viewing on a standard Pocket PC (320x240 resolution) in Better mode would take about 30 minutes--not including the time required to copy the converted file to the card. The good news is that all this happens in the background, meaning you can use the PC for other tasks--including Media Center functions--while it's working.

    If it's not already there, plug your memory card into your PDA or smart phone, then fire up Windows Media Player Mobile. Navigate to your memory card, choose the show you want to watch, and tap Play. Presto! You're watching Arrested Development, Battlestar Galactica, a Seinfeld rerun, or some other TV gem. If your handheld has Windows Media Player 10, tap the full-screen icon to rotate and enlarge the picture. It's also a good idea to engage the Hold switch if your device has one; it'll keep accidental button and screen presses from interrupting your viewing.

    Step 6: Copy shows from other PCs
    If your PC doesn't have the Media Center Edition operating system, don't worry. It's still possible to copy shows to your PDA.

    All you need is a TV tuner card and third-party recording software. One popular package, SnapStream Beyond TV, includes a ShowSqueeze feature that works much like MyTV ToGo, converting and compressing shows to WMV format for viewing on a Pocket PC (and other mobile devices).


    Step 7: Copy shows to other devices
    Calling all video iPod and Sony PSP owners: Proxure also sells versions of MyTV ToGo designed expressly for those devices. The aptly named MyTV ToGo iPod and MyTV ToGo PSP cost US$29.95 each and work much like the PDA version--just select your recorded shows, and they're converted to the proper format. The iPod version also copies converted shows directly to your iTunes library for easy synchronization.