Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: David Nicholson on January 19, 2009, 01:58:33 PM
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I know it's well off topic but is anyone watching the programme History of Scotland (BBC2 2000 Saturday evenings and repeated during the week). It's excellent and presented by a Scottish historian, Neil Olver, who really knows his stuff and presents it in a very understanding way. My knowledge of Scottish history was pretty scant but I'm learning a lot.
It's a joy to have something on the box that is worth watching these days and makes a lovely change from all the dross presently put before us.
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You're lucky, I'd like to watch that too.
I have some good old Scottish blood in me from way back when, Irish too. ???
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My knowledge of Scottish history was pretty scant but I'm learning a lot.
Bear in mind that all historians have some bias, David ....... ::)
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Helen I deleted the first programmes from the satellite hard drive. Will I record them for you?
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My knowledge of Scottish history was pretty scant but I'm learning a lot.
Bear in mind that all historians have some bias, David ....... ::)
Ah yes. What was it I was taught? Something like-'History is only personal interpretation'
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Must be a repeat because it was on BBC 1 Scotland a few weeks ago?
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....... so real History then ;D
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Helen I deleted the first programmes from the satellite hard drive. Will I record them for you?
Thanks Mark, but I don't think it would work here, for some misguided reason the format is NTSC rather than PAL.
Makes no sense considering that PAL is a much better format. >:(
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So how about for me instead Mark? We use PAL and I'd LOVE to see this series. No chance on our local screens. If it's not crap NZ it's crappier USA. I've had to resort to buying DVDs of Morse to have something decent to watch.
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I thought NZ bought quite a lot of BBC stuff? (Morse is ITV - commercial telly ). On the occasion I switch to CNN I'm driven nuts by the adds which seem to be every 5 minutes. I think that's why American football and basketball were invented so adds could be played everytime the play stops, which is every minute or so. Only in basket ball can the last 5 seconds of a match last five minutes! ::)
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I know this is also off topic really, but I'm in the market to buy a DVD Player/Recorder. Does anyone know if I can buy one that will record in NTSC and PAL formats? Friends and relatives in Canada I'd like to be able to supply from time to time. I noticed some will play from other formats, but don't know if they will also record that way.
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Hi Chris, I just did a quick google and found you can buy zone free dvd recorders and players, which will play both NTSC and PAL.
There seems to be a huge variety available in the USA, so would think they are available in the UK too.
Think maybe I need to look for one too. :)
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The series is available on-line from bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fl9sw (http://bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fl9sw). If this does not work, open BBC website and query Neil Oliver and/or History of Scotland. Unfortunately, each episode is only available for 7 days after the most recent broadcast. They are also available as a download as a podcast whatever that is !!!! The series is reasonably well balanced but really starts with the first mention of Scotland as a country, giving very little on the first settlers who walked here after the ice-age. If nothing else, it wipes out the rubbish purporting to be history a la Mel Gibson in Braveheart.
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We used to buy lots of BCC stuff Anthony but local TV is now very much ratings-orientated which means the lowest common denominator. The very little bit we do get is played late at night. I guess they assume that anyone who wants better quality has Sky and the various channels which do good things. We don't have Sky - can't afford it and don't want to watch TV to an extent that would make it worth while. Means I miss almost all the cricket though.
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Thanks Tom. I trieed the link and had a box to say only available to watch in the UK. It may all come later as a boxed set or something, on DVD.
In the meantime, I'll re-read my Nigel Tranters.
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We used to buy lots of BCC stuff Anthony but local TV is now very much ratings-orientated which means the lowest common denominator. The very little bit we do get is played late at night. I guess they assume that anyone who wants better quality has Sky and the various channels which do good things. We don't have Sky - can't afford it and don't want to watch TV to an extent that would make it worth while. Means I miss almost all the cricket though.
If Sky is "better quality" you must be bad. :'( I tolerate it because of the sport, but the content of the other channels is just drivel. The adverts are mind-numbingly boring and irritating at the same time. :( Thank goodness Formula 1 is coming back to BBC. :)
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I dread the onset of F1. And if its on the BBC, it means there is no let up, just droning cars for hours on end. Enough to drive me to drink.....
Maggi, hi, thanks for that. We do have DVD player/recorders here that PLAY all formats, but what I was wondering about was if there is one that RECORDS to any format. On reflection however, I can ask them if their DVD plays any format, in which case, I can send my PAL ones over to them and they will be able to play it back ok I guess. Hadn't thought this thing through properly duh! Must join the 21st century soon and get one though....
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The only things on Sky that would interest me are the Arts and Natural History channels. And cricket.
There's a car race at Bathurst in New South Wales that does round and round and round for about 18 hours I think. And we get every beastly, smelly, noisy circuit of it on what is laughingly called our "public service" channel.
Roger watches it and I go away for the day.
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BD and I are avid followers of F1.....makes a change from the cycle racing that is another of our televisual passions!! We're wondering if the return of F1 to the BBC will mean the return of "the Chain" by Fleetwood Mac as the signature tune..... worth watching if only for that!! Perhaps the best marriage of tune and programme ever! 8)
The various Sky Arts programmes are SUPER!! Covering all art forms... really grand... and all are included in the basic package ::) The History channel isn't bad, either!!
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I'm quite pleased with Sky too. If you look around there are some very interesting programmes on. On FX we saw the first of a Canadian series called Border last week, all filmed in and around Toronto. Its nice to see the old home town on the tube, but it was very good too. And they have a series called The Wire that I've been told to see, starts mid Feb. But we also watch the History channel and occasionally the Biography channel too.
I just can't see what there is in F1, and Harry is besotted with it, has been since first I knew him and probably beyond that.
Wish we could get that Scottish gardening programme down here, can't remember its name, but saw it when I was in Perth and found it interesting.
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I think some of these interesting channels are on Sky by default. As for Scottish gardening channels, you will find BBC1 Scotland in the far reaches of the Sky channel programmes, before you get to the 'how's your father' ::). I do it in reverse (BBC London) when there is some heuchter teuchter stuff on the Beeb and I want to watch, say, Film 2009. Btw, the reporter who was commenting on Andy Murray's first match on the Scottish news at 7.30 a.m. today said he was playing on the Rod Lava arena. ::) Where do they get them from? :(
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Btw, the reporter who was commenting on Andy Murray's first match on the Scottish news at 7.30 a.m. today said he was playing on the Rod Lava arena.
But, Anthony, temperatures have been 40 degrees air and up to 60 dgrees surface at the Australian Open Tennis.... perhaps he meant that the place was as hot as a volcano??? ::) ??? :o ;)
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;D ;D ;D