Silent Devotion

How to Download TV Shows

There seems to be so many ways to download TV shows that people become totally confused with how to do it. Many a times, folks miss an episode or two or wanted to catch a popular TV series but never got the chance to. This is where it makes sense then to download the shows so that they can watch them anytime. There are the video streaming sites, torrent networks, TiVO, P2P and paid download services that make these options available to you and me.

A direct and rather easy way to download TV shows is through TiVO. You will need to go to TiVO’s menu and play around with their Messages and Settings tab. Activate the Media Access Key and remember the number. This is the number you will use when you log into TiVO’s website to download the TiVO desktop 2.3. Install it and use the Access Key when prompted.

From TiVO, proceed to Manage My Account and find the menu button where you can choose and set your DVR preferences. Check the box for “Allow Transfers Once”. Upon completion of the installation, launch the desktop and click on “Pick Recordings To Transfer”.

From the list that is shown, pick the program and initiate the transfer using the “Start Transfer” option. It can take a few hours before the download is complete. By closing other programs that are running on your computer, you can increase the download speeds. Once the download is complete, you can play the show using the “Now Playing” icon.

Sounds easy to download TV shows? Well, this is only one method. There are other methods to do so as well. On the internet, there are many websites that offer these in several media file formats with the most common ones as MOV, AVI, DIVX.

Always make sure you choose the site carefully. One important reason is that some are not authorized. Other than TiVO, you can use LimeWire and P2P file sharing programs. The files are accessed with permission from the network users.

Just be careful when downloading from unknown sources. You should check the website’s background carefully, and if you are going to use P2P, ensure that you have antivirus programs installed. There are many websites and people out there whose intention is to maliciously send computer viruses. So, exercise caution because people who download TV shows from unknown sources are likely to get virus attacks.

Many TV viewers now download TV shows from paid membership sites. These services run a membership model where anyone can pay a nominal membership fee for the privilege to access their television programs and movie libraries. At least you know for sure that there are no viruses, worms, adware and spyware waiting for you. The quality of the TV series are also excellent be it picture or audio quality.

The Emperor’s New Groove - Nuttier Than a Holiday Fruit Cake!

Most fans agree that The Emperor’s New Groove lived up to its tagline: “nuttier than a holiday fruitcake!” It was a highly regarded, if not ultimately successful, animated feature, and the first Disney animated film to ever feature a pregnant woman. Released in December 2000, The Emperor’s New Groove mixes a careful balance of humor designed to appeal both to adults and children. It marked the 39th film in Disney’s canon and was initially slated to be a traditional musical along the lines of The Lion King. Though the title refers to the Danish fairytale, The Emperor’s New Clothes, by Hans Christen Andersen, the original story was based on Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper. The initial incarnation of the project was titled Kingdom of the Sun, with the creative team behind The Lion King, director Roger Allers and producer Randy Fullmer, at the helm. So prestigious was the production that Allers and Fullmer contracted Sting to write the music for the film.

Kingdom of the Sun centered on the emperor Manco, voiced by David Spade, switching places with a humble peasant, Pacha, voiced by Own Wilson. The evil witch, Yzma, voiced by Eartha Kitt, turns Manco into a llama and forces the naive Pacha to do her bidding, which involved a gruesome ritual that would block out the sun forever, thereby saving her from ever aging. Manco, now a llama, learns humility, while Pancha falls in love with the emperor’s betrothed, Nina, voiced by Carla Gugino. This initial incarnation tested so poorly that Disney suspended any further production. Feedback indicated the film suffered from a lack of direction and the tried-and-true Prince and the Pauper formula proved too stale.

Disney hastily hired Mark Dindal, the director of Cats Don’t Dance, to create a more original take on the production. Unfortunately, this new comedic take was in direct opposition to Allers’s dramatic vision. The uneven storyline was met with frowns, especially from then-chief, Michael Eisner. By the summer of 1998, it was apparent to all parties involved that Kingdom of the Sun was not going to make its Summer 2000 deadline. Failure to make the deadline would have jeopardized lucrative promotional deals with the likes of McDonald’s and Coca-Cola. Allers was denied a six month extension, Prompting him to quit the production and subsequently opening the door to Dindal’s off-beat comedic conception. The Emperor’s New Groove was born.

The changes were fast and furious. Owen Wilson’s character was written out while David Spade’s character was renamed Kuzco, and given the lead role. The Prince and Pauper angle was shelved, and Pacha was recast with the voice of John Goodman. Yzma and her henchman Kronk were tweaked while the emperor-as-llama idea was used to great comedic effect. The end result is perhaps one of the most original Disney movies to date. Indeed, it’s been lauded as one of the funniest.

Though not a tremendous blockbuster, it did recover its estimated $100 million budget, and did enjoy a nomination for Best Song for Sting’s “My Funny Friend and Me.” The Emperor’s New Groove did prove successful enough to warrant a sequel, Kronk’s New Groove, though it was a direct-to-video release. In 2006, the premise was reconceived as a television series, entitled The Emperor’s New School.