The second seasons final episode Reichenbach Fall ends with the (staged) Death of Sherlock after a confrontation with Moriarty, an ending that should come as no surprise to those that are familiar with the Holmes stories.

The death of Sherlock Holmes in the original series was an effort by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to divest himself of the character so that he could concentrate on other writing. The character was resurrected due to pressure from fans of the fictional detective.

When I first read these stories I was about ten years old, I had torn through Volume 1 of the Sherlock Holmes collection (which ends with The Final Problem) completely unaware that there was a Volume 2. I remember the sense of loss and disappointment as I finished the Final Problem, and the sense of relief when Mom or Dad pointed out the second volume sitting on a shelf.

I’ll have to wait longer this time before I see the resurrected Holmes, but we’re assured he is on his way.

It was just so dirty smashing into the plaster that I didn’t even want to attempt the project until I had at least two solid days off I could commit to it.

The last two days were THOSE two days.

I am pleased with the results, and even though we have work yet to do, the improvement is substantial. A bandwidth intensive animated GIF lurks below the cut.

Two days labour (remember, two windows were done – it’s just easier to show the progress with a single window).

So says the Discovery Channel anyway. (I did think dropping one off a roof was a bit much, it’s not a Glock after all).

Routine start and test of the small generator we have for emergencies, and oil change and serious attempt to sort out the ongoing issues with the Symba.

Generator: For a tiny little thing (meant to power either the furnace or fridge depending on the season) it always runs like a top. This ran for 20 minutes in the background while I grappled with the Symba.

Symba: Has had problems. Generally will not start. When it DOES start it idles rough, then dies shortly thereafter. Re-starting it is murder. Electric start does not turn, kick start will start it but only after ALOT of tries.

-oil change
-spark plug replacement
-drain fuel & replace

Was gratifying, and after it was all said and done the bike started, idled rough briefly (with me cranking the idle adjustment all the way up), once it settled into a more even idle I adjusted it downward and left the bike to run for 20 minutes.

Returned an hour later and it started using electric start right away. 20 minute boot around the neighborhood with bike running fine, but with cold starting to edge in on the rider.

Next morning, electric start right away.

Not sure if we sorted it out, but at least I got one ride in.

Now, it’s a simple enough thing to go into a routers settings and assign a new DNS service such as OpenDNS which will provide web content filtering, but this subjects all computers to the same standards, and I don’t need Youtube and facebook blocked on my computer (although they might as well be).

The solution was to use dnsnasq, in the custom configuration section of TomatoUSB (our routers firmware), like so;

dhcp-mac=red,AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF
dhcp-option=net:red, 6, 208.67.222.222

And Voila Presto, safe(ish) surfing for Jilly, and us adults can access the full spectrum without hindrance. It seems like the perfect solution.

For the benefit of my two loyal readers I thought I’d summarize my experiences with these devices. So here, then, is a quick comparison of each player, their cost and any pros or cons that spring to mind.

Egreat R1 Media Player – $90 CDN +/-
The Egreat R1 was the first dedicated media player we acquired. It deals with almost every media format, allows you to view local and remote network shares or UPnP/DLNA media servers.

The interface is rather utilitarian, but allows previews of video files, 32x speed fast forward and “time seek” options. This player will also automatically move on to the next file in the directory when finished viewing the current one (nice if you’re watching a series).

Newer versions have attempted to add internet functionality to these units (youtube and other online services) but these features on the unit I tested just plain didn’t work.

Includes both HDMI and composite outputs and so will work on new and old TVs alike.

This media player is inexpensive, tough as nails and readily available.

Western Digital HD TV Live – $110 CDN +/-
A Recent acquisition the selling point of the WD HD TV Live Media Player (aside for the catchy multi-letter name) is that in addition to streaming video from network shares of UPnP/DLNA sources is that it allows netflix access.

We did encounter some problems with this unit when we began using it, but after rolling back the firmware one version those problems disappeared.

The interface is a little prettier than the Egreat unit, but essentially the same. The unit DOES NOT allow time search or skipping ahead in videos, and has a 16x fast forward.

Netflix is a nice touch, and at the cost made this the preferred media player for a short time. The firmware issue is of some concern, but is resolved by rolling it back (or may even have been resolved by Western Digital as I write this).

HDMI only, if your TV requires composite or coaxial inputs you are SOL.

A good balance of cost and functionality.

Patriot Box Office Media Player – $120 CDN +/-
The Patriot Box Office Media Player looks like a clone of the Egreat Unit both in physical appearance and user interface. The only down side is that the supplied remote died one month after I acquired the unit, and a replacement turned out to be nearly impossible.

This Unit remains in use in our network, but only for online viewing (in conjunction with my Slingbox as it provides its own “remote”).

HDMI and composite outputs.

Not recommended. The Egreat unit is identical and less expensive, and the WD HD TV Live has more features and still costs less.

Boxee Box – $210 CDN +/-
The most recent acquisition, the first unit bricked itself immediately after automatically downloading an up to date firmware. The replacement unit functioned as advertised, and took approximately 6 hours to index and then “associate” our media collection.

Once this process is completed it presents your collection as a series of thumbnails along with IMDB cast and synopsis information.

The Boxee Box includes Netflix, and a collection of online media (tv episodes available free online, usually “ad sponsored” – a commercial every 6-10 minutes).

I’m both pleased and impressed with the second boxee box, but this unit has the distinction of being the ONLY media player to Brick following a routine firmware upgrade, and this has me questioning the dependability of the Boxee Box.

Remote control includes a qwerty keyboard, but can be a little hard to use in the dark.

HDMI output only, composite audio out.

I’d recommend this with a little reluctance, at least until it’s proven itself. Also, at this price it might be more economical to spend a few extra dollars and buy a PS3.

Playstation 3 – $250 CDN +/-
This is where it all started for us. Watching movies on the PS3. The PS3 is a UPnP/DLNA media player, and while it will not recognize network shares, it will stream movies from a DLNA server (how this is organized is entirely dependant on the server, rather than the PS3).

Netflix is also available for the PS3 along with internet browsing etc, which makes it the most expensive option on this list.

If you already have a PS3 however, don’t spend the money on a media player, you’ve already got one (and if you have an Xbox 360 don’t ask me how to stream movies, I still haven’t figured that out – must be a windows thing).

Recommended, but obviously expensive.

He introduced himself by saying “I’m with blahblahblah alarms, and as we’re installing several alarm systems in your neighborhood we’re offering an amazing promotion – we’ll install a FREE alarm system in your house if you allow us to display our lawn sign on your property.”

This is the trunk slammers mantra, and as I was a bit under the weather I admit that I got irritated instead of winding the conversation out as far as I should have.

“No thanks, we already have an alarm system.” I instantly replied, moving quickly to stick to my resolution not to heap abuse on any more door-to-door salesmen.

“I’m sure our system is more up to date, and our monitoring costs are extremely competitive!” he shot back with skipping a beat.

“I doubt it, but if you can beat $10 a month fill yer boots” I grumbled.

He took the hint and left without further effort and it wasn’t until a few days later that I started feeling regret for not having him assess our current alarm system, tell us about how we can cancel our contract with his company at any time, and explain how a wireless system is far more reliable than the hardwired system we have now.

Of course I already know the pitch, and the kid is a salesman with no security clearance. I think I’ll pick up one of those mini spy-pens, as the only way I’d let one of these guys into the house is if I could record him and then address the misrepresentations one by one.

Maybe next time.

(And for the record, our system – which cost in the ballpark of $600 for hardware – includes 4 smoke detectors, 4 motion detectors, 2 glassbreak detectors, a dozen door/window contacts, freeze and flood protection and smartphone integration)

I’ve swapped in a used Linksys E2000 router (urgh, the configuration is a nuisance – a result of the extent of our network, rather than the ease of use of the E2000) and have successfully upgraded the firmware on the E3000 to Tomato USB, which offers a host of improvements for the DIY SOHO type, and which I can hopefully switch back if the experiment proves successful.

More updates as we approach stability.