Time Stretch

One of the more useful functions for busy peoples in MythTV is TimeStretch. There are certain shows that I like to watch at higher speed (with the pitch shifted to compensate.) Mostly they’re shows with low entertainment value for the time. Some of the stuff on the Discovery channel is like this. It’s informative but not really entertaining. Usually I can watch these at 1.5x and still absorb all of the information in 2/3rds of the time. Some cartoons on Cartoon Network can also be viewed at 1.4-1.5x. SouthPark, on the other hand, generally can’t be watched at faster than 1.3x or so. They speak so fast that it’s a blur at 1.5x. Other shows I just watch straight without any sort of compression like Monk and House MD. Content-light shows like Deal or No Deal I’ve watched at 2x with no real loss of enjoyment. (I burn through an hour long Deal or No Deal show in 15-18 minutes or so by taking out commercials and speeding it up..)

I heard something about this technology in japan with some of their DVD players as well as from one of my roommates. He has audio books recorded at 2-3x to force your mind to work faster. I guess they gradually step up the speed until they’re at the full speed. 

What I’m wondering is… Why haven’t they put this technology in RealPlayer, Mplayer, and other software? I know Sonique had this without pitch correction. I would love to be able to listen to Glenn Beck at 1.3-1.4x. I have a hard time actually getting around to listening to the 3 hour shows anymore due to working long hours. Cutting an hour off would really help out on being able to actually listen to the show. Has anyone seen this sort of technology either for Realplayer or for Mplayer?