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[HA Dave]

I've decided to share my videos a little differently.

Yesterday after I loaded a video to my YouTube channel... then placed a link to it here... I discovered the video was in the wrong format. By wrong format... I mean I had created the video in widescreen yet saved it in 4:3. That's easy enough for me to do as my camera creates MOV's yet I'm a PC user so I have to re-format to WMV and then.. edit in Windows Movie Maker.

So after I corrected the errant video and reloaded it to YouTube I then came back to the forum and edited my post with the new YouTube link. Then it hit me... I've been doing this all wrong. So I re-designed my BVC Fan Site... with current BVC related videos embeded right in the Page. Please take a few seconds to check it out.

[Knightrider]

Some might say that I've been a real P.I.T.A. to the prolific 3-rd party software designers by making suggestion after suggestion to improve functionality.  Just the other day, I was pestering Bill about having BVC turn off the monitor via a voice command (a power saver).  Looks like Bill put out a new release earlier this morning, and guess what?
  Bill

Sorry if my pestering drives you (and Tuicemen) nuts, but I have never been fully satisfied with AHP and you guys fill in the gaps!

Now, for those of you who haven't donated to these creators who have been making AHP better, SHAME ON YOU!
All of our fine 3rd party software designers have worked very hard on these creations to make our lives better and will never be fully compensated for their efforts.  Donating for these little widgets has cost me far less than my initial investment for a CM15A and AHP, and make AHP far greater.  If more people would donate,  the creators could buy more hardware to make Home Domotics even better.

[Tuicemen]

Sorry if my pestering drives you (and Tuicemen) nuts, but I have never been fully satisfied with AHP and you guys fill in the gaps!

I can't speak for Bill but I actually look forware to your pestering! 
We can't think of every thing nor can we 100 % debug (there would never be a new release)!

What users don't realize is Bill and my self put every cent donated into the programs either buying new hardware to work with our creations or software to interface with!
Many times these purchases are funded out of our own pockets, and we never benefit from them!
(AlertDialer cost me $200 to make, labour not included, and I give it away for free with no nags)! 

What some don't realize is some adds take a long time to reseach and code! (The PC Companion weather option alone took over a year to put together)
Coding for our own pesonal use is a piece of cake, making workable for everyone else is the hard part!

Donations will never cover our time and sadly probably not our expenses!

It may look like I'm ranting,  sorry, I'm not!
I actualy look forward to hearing frrom everyone about how the thirdparty software works (or not) for them!
I'm sure Bill feels the same way!

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

Tuicemen,

I think you said it quite well!

 

 

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

*** BVC Version 0.2.0.5 update released! ***
Changes:

• Modified BVC's Listener code to work around an error introduced by X10 in AHP version 3.236 that prevented BVC Listeners from "hearing" X10 commands sent on the power line or when a module was commanded from within AHP.
• Added new Program Command options to Listeners and Custom Commands to turn the computer's monitor on and off.
• Updated the help file to catch up with the enhancements. (Still a separate download though     ).

Get the update in the usual place at:  http://www.wgjohns.com/bvc.htm

[HA Dave]

I know I've been busy making YouTube Videos lately. I know it's not really an addiction... and even if it is.. I have it under control.

But recently... a couple members of the forum have complained of having trouble setting up their BVC microphones. I myself know how alone it can feel out there all by yourself setting this up. It isn't like you can turn to a spouse, in-law, or neighbor for help... there just isn't many people doing this yet. So in an effort to get back to my roots of helping other members using these forum posts... I made another video.

I must admit... of all the videos I've made... this is by far my most boring! Named: "Microphone Setup Directions" (descriptive... if not exciting). If your short on time... but you have two minutes and four seconds to waste.... I swear this movie can make your two minutes seem like TEN.

But... if your having trouble setting up a device-microphone... this is how it's done. Or maybe if you haven't sold yourself on the benefits of BVC yet... checkout the other 15 videos.

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

Dave_x10_L,

Boring!      But very nice!   

May be just the rescue instruction some of the newer users need!   

 

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

*** BVC Version 0.2.0.6 update released! ***
Changes:

• Corrected an error in the sort routines that would sometimes cause Custom Commands that had identical Trigger phrases to change order when adding new Custom Commands.

Get the update in the usual place at:  http://www.wgjohns.com/bvc.htm

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

*** BVC Version 0.2.0.7 update released! ***
Changes:

• Added new Listener triggers to respond to X10 All Lights On, All Lights Off and All Units Off signals.
• Decided it was silly for BVC to repeat the audio responce once for each Device found when a single voice command was issued to control a group of Devices with the same name.

Get the update in the usual place at:  http://www.wgjohns.com/bvc.htm

[steven r]

Wow! Updates without help from Murphy!
I've got to get my X10 computer working again so I can download it and play.

[Bill H]

Used the "All On" within the lights/siren group used for the D7000 house alarm...works beautifully. When alarm is tripped, BVC announces (throughout the house audio system) that "The alarm has been enacted. Police are on the way." Nice addition, Bill.

[HA Dave]

*** BVC Version 0.2.0.7 update released! ***

Added new Listener triggers to respond to X10 All Lights On, All Lights Off and All Units Off signals.

OMG!   It isn't often (or often enough) after a project is completed that I laugh outloud or (even just chuckle) with satisfaction. Well this upgrade caused me to laugh... that evil laugh. The possibilities are truly endless.

When my DS7000 alarm is triggered: On all lights on BVC (Kate) says: "Intrusion Detected".  On all units off it's "Authorities have been notified"

I am not saying I will stay with those words... but it made for an awesome test! I may switch to a siren noise.. or a male voice. I will have an outside speaker come on when the all lights on signal is detected... so whatever is spoken or played inside will be played outside as well. For many of us, this resolves the "outside siren issue" that has plagued X10 alarm users.

Very cool Bill.... a job well done! I feel like I should re-contribute to your code writting fund for this upgrade. Thank you very much!

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

Thanks guys!

The sad part is, I could have added that a year or more ago!

I added all kinds of commands to send and meant to get back to adding all those to Listeners and just totally spaced it!   

I think any X10 command BVC can send, it should be able to "listen" for too.

In other words; "More to come!"

 

[HA Dave]

It's been a great weekend for my HA setup!

1st I got that great upgrade (thanks again Bill). Then... since I am home alone.. I decided to just watch a DVD on the living room TV. While playing with the TV's original manufactures remote. I realized the "prev ch" button changes the TV's inputs. So I can watch TV on the cable box HDMI HD feed and "prev ch" back the the composite input to get the Video receivers feed.. which would be my X10 camera view.

This is so cool. I had converted over to a small TV on my endstand for my camera views... so I could watch HD TV. But now... I can see my camera images automatically... on the bigger screen. And yet still have HD when watching TV.

How am I getting the TV's to play along with my HA? BVC now has IR control too... using the USB-UIRT... and it works GREAT.

I still think the small TV idea has merit! And can/could be setup near a computer or bedroom nightstand too.

[Bill H]

Great idea, Dave_x10_L. Fortunately, many of the TVs in my house have Picture-in-Picture. Hitting the PIP key on the remote lets me watch both images at the same time (each TV has its own X10 video receiver). Same idea, different method.