[mythtv-users] LED scrolling sign (was: Re: Interesting LCD Display)

Dan Ritter dsr-myth at tao.merseine.nu
Sun Sep 21 18:32:33 UTC 2008


On Sun, Sep 21, 2008 at 01:12:50PM -0500, stuart wrote:
> >On Sun, Sep 14, 2008 at 07:08:02PM -0700, Yeechang Lee wrote:
> >>> Nick Morrott <knowledgejunkie at gmail.com> says:
> >>> I don't want a display physically near me, though; I want a display
> >>> sitting next to the TV set, that I can make out from across the living
> >>> room, and which will show interesting information about my MythTV
> >>> setup like what's recording.
> >
> >Well, this would do that:
> >
> >http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?InvtId=RED-9IN-LEDSIGN&cm_mmc=GoogleProducts-_-ConsumerElectronics-_-MiscellaneousElectronics-_-RED-9IN-LEDSIGN&zmam=2003677&zmas=1&zmac=129&zmap=RED-9IN-LEDSIGN
> >
> >For only $25, too.
> >
> >-dsr-
> 
> Hi DSR...
> 
> I wanted to break this into it's own thread and ask you some questions 
> about your LED sign.
> 
> I see where it is capable of storing 4 messages and also has a USB port 
> (for programming?).  I guess my concern is that there may be no way to 
> get real time / dynamic information to this unit w/o programming it as a 
> message.
> 
> What I'm afraid of is if all displayed messages are put into 
> non-volatile flash memory.   Flash memory has a finite life time.  True, 
> it might take months or years of mythtv messaging (depending how it 
> often the memory is flashed) before some bytes stop working, but it will 
> be annoying when it happens.
> 
> So, do you know how this display works?

I've programmed similar signs; not this one in particular. They
tend not to use NVRAM or flash, but to simply use a tiny cheap
hunk of DRAM -- 16Kbytes is not unsual. Lose power, and you lose
the programming. 

Note that I am not actually advocating putting a big scrolling
red LED sign on your entertainment console, -- it will seriously
distract you from anything you are watching or listening to. I
suppose a serious home theater addict might put one up on the
outside of the door leading to the theater room --

...NOW PLAYING: CHANNEL 6 WETM EYEWITNESS NEWS AT SIX...

-dsr-

-- 
http://tao.merseine.nu/~dsr/eula.html is hereby incorporated by reference.

You can't defend freedom by getting rid of it.


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