Randomness and TV cards

[wossname]

Do any of you have TV cards in their computers? And if so can you interface with it using a programming language?

I was wondering this because if this is possible then you could create a truly random random number generator (RNG).

Tune the card out of any TV stations so you get white noise and then use a few bytes of the signal as a seed value for whichever random number generator you use.

As you can tell I am too hot to do any work and I'm bored. Just wondered if TV cards can be controlled by 3rd party software.

[mendhak]

It won't be truly random. But it will be distributed over a range good enough for your apps. The point though, is that nothing is ever truly random.

[NoteMe]

It won't be truly random. But it will be distributed over a range good enough for your apps. The point though, is that nothing is ever truly random.

I find random girls.....*true*

[wossname]

White Noise on a tv set is 20% cosmic radiation signals, easily enough to base a seed value on. It would probably be better than using radioactive decay seeding.

[MrPolite]

white noise hunts you

[wossname]

You know those PCMCIA TV cards you can get, do you still need a separate arial for them or what?

[dglienna]

I saw "White Noise" the other night. It wasn't bad, dealt with the dead communicating with the living. Had a couple of good scenes in it.
The volume levels were terrible, though, except in the thrill scenes.

I'm sure I woke a few folks up, as I had to have the volume at 30 to hear the dialog, as opposed to 24 on normal movies in the middle of the night.

[BodwadUK]

I dont know of any third party interaction but it must be possible in some way. You always need an arial for them

[penagate]

You know those PCMCIA TV cards you can get, do you still need a separate arial for them or what?

Yup

I have a PCI TV Tuner. Wish it was digital though

To interface with them yuo need to tune it to a random frequency and capture the video stream yourself.