Topic: Using the computer for other things...

[thegallery]

I'm looking for a really neat telephone I can use through the computer...let me explain:

It blew my buddy's mind when he saw I was getting digital multi track recording on my computer with a millions times the functionality he gets from his 4-track cassette recorder.

The computer can do so many things other machines were exclusively designed to do, from playing DVD's to typewriting.

It was interesting to discover, for example, that instead of investing in TIVO, or Replay TV, (these new systems in the USA for recording live TV), I could do the same thing with the computer without contracts or very high priced machines. It will take some money and effort, and the methods are not perfect. But the computer is scalable and purchasing a TIVO is not.

So, here is something I also want, and I'm wondering if any of you have come across the software that can do it. It's a gloried telephone. I want the telephone to ring (through my modem) and I want the "Caller ID" to verbally or visually announce who is calling. I'm not sure if they have Caller ID in the UK, but it is a common feature here to that lets you know the number or name of the other party. They sell Talking Caller ID's  so I can always pick up a separate machine. But my guess is that some kind of software out there can do it too. But more importantly, I'd like to be able to answer the phone with a voice command, and take the call like a speaker phone, from any point in the room if necessary.

Have any of you seen software that can do this? They make special phones for the physically impaired that can answer by voice and talk via speaker. But other functions are limited and they are extremely expensive.

I know this is the ultimate in laziness, but I hate running around looking for the phone to see who is calling and realizing it is a bill collector who I didn't want to talk to in the first place.

I want to be able to sit on the couch, know who's calling, answer, talk, and hang up, and not have to move! or even touch a telephone.

Anybody seen software that can make this happen?

Please also comment on other uses for the computer that might have replaced machines or tasks for you. I'm thinking Photocopying, film processing, video games.....

[Sandra]

I am in the process of setting a spare PC up to do as you said TG, re the TV recording, that way I can use it like a VCR and just watch the programmes that I want to just watch and not save from my hard drive or if I want to save something then I can send it over my LAN to my main PC that has a DVD burner and save it on CD or DVD  
I just need a bigger hard drive and a TV in card and am trying to decide on which to get at the moment.
I should end up with a better setup, which is also upgradeable for under £100, than some people who have paid hundreds for something as restricted as a TV DVD recorder with or without a hard drive  
Cant help you with the phone thing though but I am sure there must be something out there  

[thegallery]

Hey Sandra, here are a couple of links I came across. The first gives an overview of all the different methods out there. The second is a system I am most interested in, Sage TV. Sage lists some of the right cards that will work. It look though like if I do get the right video card it might come with free software to do most of what I would want to do. I might not need Sage or anything else.

http://microsoft.toddverbeek.com/tv.html

http://www.sage.tv/requirements.html

[Sandra]

Thanks for the links but I think a program such as intervideos windvr3 does all I would need, including timeshift and it even brings the pc out of "sleep" records what you have set it to do and shuts down again like a normal VCR does  

[Adept]

Lots here for you to read through TG.

[Simon]

Thanks for the links but I think a program such as intervideos windvr3 does all I would need, including timeshift and it even brings the pc out of "sleep" records what you have set it to do and shuts down again like a normal VCR does  

Why don't you just use a normal VCR?  

[Sandra]

Better quality on pc Simon and anything I want to save can be done onto a cd or a dvd for better playback and less space taken up on my shelves
Plus timeshift makes it like the TIVO or Sky 2 thing where you can watch the beginning of something while its still recording something without having to wait for the programme to finish