Netflix via Kodi 18 on Windows 10

Recent versions of regular Netflix Windows 10 app or web interface seem to miss some features present earlier, such as manual selection of particular stream quality. Some internet connections, although generally fast enough, may trigger Netflix automatic quality selection to show mediocre resolution even though the internet speed generally allows playing fullHD or 4k videos. Fortunately the Netflix plugin for Kodi media center allows you to still pick manually the quality of the stream, and having Netflix in Kodi in general is a good idea if you use Kodi anyway and have a Netflix subscription. This should be a brief guide how to make Netflix work on Kodi 18 on Windows 10 platform. Making it work on Raspberry Pi 2/3 is going to be a bigger problem (read: forget about 720p and higher resolutions due to software DRM decryption by Widevine). Anyway, let’s go.

Pokračování textu Netflix via Kodi 18 on Windows 10

Convert formulas from a filtered, non-contigous selection of cells in Excel to values using a simple VBA macro

If you have an active filter and/or some cells or columns hidden when you make a selection, Excel in fact makes automagically selection of only visible cells. The problem is that you cannot paste such non-contiguous selection to this same, non-contiguous cells, replacing e.g. formulas with values. A simple way how to achieve this effect is using a VBA loop. Just make any selection of cells and run a macro that will loop through each cell individually and paste the cell as a value. Computationally very inefficient and slow, but it works and for hundreds to small thousands of cells it is a viable option. For dozens of thousands to millions of cells run it overnight ;-)


Pokračování textu Convert formulas from a filtered, non-contigous selection of cells in Excel to values using a simple VBA macro

How to force Intel HD3000 (Sandy Bridge) to display 4K (3840×2160) resolution

Imagine you purchased some cool new 4K TV and you want to display photos at maximum resolution from your laptop or perhaps use the display for your huuuge Excel spreadsheets, but your old crappy laptop says it cannot go beyond fullHD (1920×1080 or 1920×1200). Phew. The issue is with the older DisplayPort or HDMI standards.

It is however often possible to force some display mode that can fit with its bandwidth and frequency requirements to the older standards. I was able to play full 4K on an old Sandy Bridge laptop (HP Elitebook 8460p) with integrated Intel HD3000 graphic adapter, however only at mediocre 20 Hz resolution with GTF or CVT 1.1 timings (With CVT 1.2 reduced blanking even 24 or 25 Hz should be possible). At 1440p, it was capable of 30 Hz even on GTF. While 20 Hz is useless for watching films, 24 or 30 Hz may be sufficient (the TV does not flicker anyway, it just displays the same frame 2 or 3 times to fit the native 60 Hz panel…). For a slideshow of photos or working with Adobe Lightroom or Excel, even 20 Hz may be sufficient.

Pokračování textu How to force Intel HD3000 (Sandy Bridge) to display 4K (3840×2160) resolution