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Bought a used panasonic svhs deck with svideo out and a time base corrector. Got a used capture card that has svideo in. I used an xfi card I had laying around to capture the audio at 48khz 16 bit (for dvd/ac3). It is possible to get old pro-grade vhs equipment with component outputs and a requisite component in capture device, but this is more money, and I wasn't convinced it would make much difference over a short-run svideo link for low grade standard vhs.

After installing lagarith lossless video codec, I used virtualdub to capture the video/audio output of the vhs player at 720x480. This results in losslessly compressed avi which could be edited in virtualdub to cut out unwanted parts, or it can be loaded in vegas or premier. After the editing, avisynth scripts could optionally be used to filter the noise out. There are gpu enabled plugins for it that work really well for this. After the editing and tweaking of the optional avisynth filters, the footage is probably as good as it will get. Just load up the scripts in virtualdub and reencode back to lagarith again, or if the filtering was skipped, just save out the edits made back to lagarith.

I also wanted my stuff on dvd to hand to non-technical family, so I used hcenc to push the avisynth script to dvd compliant mpeg2. This encoder does an excellent job and takes avisynth scripts as input. For the ac3 audio, I used aften. I used dvdlab to create menus and master the dvd image. I suppose if menus aren't needed, the dvdlab step could be skipped by using dvdauthor, instead, to create the dvd-video file structure and imgburn to burn it to a disc. I do recommend at least placing indexes at regular intervals so that the video can be skipped through with the chapter skip buttons.

This windows-centric method really wasn't that hard and should be doable with OSS equivalents. In terms of cost, the deck I managed to get my hands on cost me $100, and the dvdlab software is cheap (free as in beer and uncrippled if you use it within the first 30 days of installation). Like everything else, it's a cost/benefit ratio calculation, but I really doubt anyone else could've gotten a better result, even with pro-grade hardware.

lagarith
http://lags.leetcode.net/codec...
hanks's mpeg2 encoder

http://hank315.nl/
virtualdub
http://virtualdub.org/

ac3 audio encoder
http://aften.sourceforge.net/

to master the mpeg2/ac3 elementary streams from hcenc and aften into dvd-video
http://dvdauthor.sourceforge.n...

optional, if you want a nice gui for menus and mastering/authoring of a dvd-video compliant image/disc.
http://www.mediachance.com/dvd...

to filter the video. requires learning its scripting syntax, and reasonably powerful gpu if you want to use the gpu accelerated plugins
http://avisynth.nl/index.php/M...

This should explain it well enough: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/05/21/enhancing-windows-8-for-multiple-monitors.aspx

Thanks for the intel!

Couple of points:

Span desktop background across all monitors.
Multi-monitor taskbar

About. Damn. Time.

Launch and move Metro style apps to any monitor

I can already move programs from one screen to another. This is nothing new (more a step back, really, since "Metro apps" all default to full screen, thus reducing overall screen real estate)

Show a different desktop background on each monitor.
Multi-monitor slide show.

Okay, now that is a neat feature. Not really the most useful thing in the world, but hey, who said computing was all about productivity? Dickheads, that's who.


So, in other words, Windows 8 integrates all the reasons we love MultiMon and Ultramon into the OS.

As I said before: About. Damn. Time.

I recommend DVD-lab (for Windows). It's easy enough for a beginner to get started, but has enough functionality to rival the professional tools. There's a 30 day trial, and it's relatively inexpensive after that.

Can vista users stretch the desktop icons and folder icons? Do they scale well?

Yes, you can set them to any size you like and they look good even at small and large sizes.

Can vista users with bad dexterity or shaking hands left-alt-right-mouse-drag a dialog box or window to resize it? Can a vist user double-click the title bar and scroll up, shade-up or resize a window besides just maximize/plunk-back-to-previous size?

This is an example of faulty logic. You should be asking if Vista has certain functionality, not if certain functionality can be achieved by specific actions. You also seem to be mixing accessibility features with non-accessibility features in the same question. Maybe you should think more about this and rephrase your point.

Vista has a number of new accessibility features,
can a vista user left-alt-left-mouse to drag an in-the-way window out to the side?

Again, you're asking a question about a specific way of doing things, rather than if those things can be accomplished.

What I think you're getting at is using alternative ways to adjust windows. If that's the case, then the answer is No, but there are a number of third party tools to do these.

Can a vista user bring to focus on mouse-over any window the user wants? Without a hassle? With user-selected responsiveness?

If you mean focus follows mouse, then yes. That's in XP too, by the way, but you have to turn it on using TweakUI.

Can a vista user switch to different desktops as efficiently as KDE and Gnome users can? Can vista users roll the scroll wheel over the taskbar or Kicker-wannabe and switch different virtual desktops AND to a select application? Does the vista desktop icon update in realtime like KDE's Kasbar thumbnails reflect the desktop contents?

This assumes that different desktops are required. Or that a majority of end users would even want them, or use them them. There are a lot of third party virtual desktop apps, including some that do what you want. Even nVidia's driver set includes a virtual desktop manager.

Can a vista user split a virtual desktop's apps off from the Main Taskbar/kicker to an auxiliary task bar for more refined self-organization?

I use Oscar's Multi-Monitor taskbar for a similar feature.

Can a vista user use glassy effects on a GPU or graphics card that is sufficient for KDE and Gnome?

Now you're just getting silly. You're basically saying "Can a BMW driver go 150 mph while only burning the amount of gas that a Prius would"?

Does vista have a wealth of Superkaramba-like widgets that are USEFUL and not dullard ripoffs of OSX or ripoffs of lesser KDE/Gnome widgets reinterpreded from OSX?

Vista is still new, and not yet final. No, it doesn't have the wealth of widgets that a 2 year-old OS does, but give it a year and check back.

Your questions are phrased in a "Do you still beat your wife" manner, which means they aren't intended to ask real questions, but are instead saying "Does Vista act exactly, without any difference, like the OS I use". The answer is, of course, no. It's different.

90 minutes on a single-layer DVD should look excellent. You will use a bitrate of about 6 Mbps, which is plenty for high quality SD. But you must use a decent encoder.

Nero's, as well as those on most all-in-one DVD edit/encode/author software are crap. The one that comes with Premiere is actually very good, but I prefer CinemaCraft Encoder Basic available at Visible Light for a mere $58. (Understand that the full version retails for over $2500 and has been used on commercial DVDs for many years.) It's not only quite good, but it's very fast. And it will plug directly into Premiere so you don't have to save that 19 GB intermediate AVI (or go through the associated additional encode/decode cycle, which also degrades the quality).

After encoding, you must author your DVD. Adobe's Encore is good, but at $350, it's pretty expensive. I recommend DVD-Lab, the standard version of which is only $99.

Both of these are available for trial download, so you don't have to take my word for it.

Note that for audio, you can use MP2 for PAL destinations, even for commercial DVDs, and CCEB will do this for you. But for NTSC destinations, MP2 is not required to be supported by the players. You'll need to obtain a DolbyDigital (AC3) encoder, which is a different story (or you can use PCM, but this would force you to use a lower bitrate on the video, which would degrade the quality, so I don't recommend it).

Xesdeeni

Not open or free, but Realdraw http://www.mediachance.com/realdraw/ is one of my favorite drawing tools. It's not as deep as AI or Freehand, and is probably closer to Fireworks in concept since it also does html slicing and bitmaps, but to get a design out quickly and intuitively it's one of the best.
It exports to SVG, and the author has a policy that you pay once and get upgrades for the life of the app.

If you thought Microsoft Acrylic was a good idea, but needed work, Realdraw is what it'll be like when it's finished. Fun too...

Granted, we all know that Microsoft can operate on the scale of years when they want a market, but unveiling a poorly polished offering seems like a bad idea if they're aiming to capture the pro designer/artist market.

I downloaded it and gave it a go. It's not actually all that bad a product, but it's not competition for Illustrator/Photoshop.
I think that's why there's so much criticism - Microsoft's marketing is pitching this at the big boys, but it performs much more like a shallower version of Realdraw http://mediachance.com/realdraw/index.html. There's nothing wrong with a product like Realdraw, it has good support and at $55, it's a bargain. Unless Microsoft can better that bargain price, they're going to have to put a LOT more effort into Acrylic.

"Your software rights or the best tools: often a sad choice"

This isn't always by any means true in the case of Linux, but it too often is. Although I've got LFS 5 on my system currently, I haven't used it now for a month or two...and I initially really didn't want to come back to XP, either. Why have I?

1. The fact that I've resumed gaming is the main reason. I want to be able to play The Sims 2, Unreal Tournament/2004, Unreal 2, and run UnrealEd. I don't want to hear about how UT runs under Linux, either...the OpenGL support for it is abominable visually.

2. I use a graphics program called RealDRAW which won't run with Wine, despite several attempts to get it working. I also don't in this case want to hear about The Gimp, as this program is so much more powerful than it that it is embarassing. I don't want to convert to The Gimp...I want to be able to continue to use the program I currently do...if I can do that under Linux, I'll use Linux...if I can't, I won't.

3. Firefox has (for me, anyway) eliminated the security problems that I used to have with XP, which means that I now have no real incentive to put up with the other problems I was having with Linux. No doubt this will add more fuel to the fire of the arguments of people saying that open source shouldn't be ported to Windows, because it means people won't end up using Linux. What such idiots don't realise however is that in the vast majority of cases, this won't change anything...it would simply mean that NO open source would get used.

You can tell me Linux doesn't need someone with my attitude anyway, but that is avoiding the problem...because there are a lot of other people in existence with my situation. That is one of the things however which RMS, in his deeply autistic, arrogant single-mindedness, refuses to look at. He'd prefer to label me as an expedient moral degenerate for not choosing "freedom" rather than accepting the fact that in some ways, Linux quite simply still isn't completely up to scratch.

A month or two ago I was planning on migrating to Linux completely...when I found myself thinking. Why should I have to subscribe to TransGaming on top of the price I've already paid for the games I have? Why also should I have to shell out yet more money for CodeWeavers Office? (especially when I don't even know if it will work with RealDRAW anywayz, considering it was written for Office)

I'm also really tired to be honest of reading these interviews/articles where we're all supposed to gather round and worship at the altar of RMS. The man is not worthy of anything like the level of reverence that he receives. He is, as I said above, and as I have said here on numerous other occasions, a deeply autistic, arrogant, narrow minded, megalomaniacal bore. He is also, as ESR has on numerous occasions said, completely oblivious and apathetic with regards to human nature and technical/pragmatic reality...a fact which is self-evident given the comparitive levels of relevance of the OSI and FSF. In short, he is an emotive figurehead whose importance is almost entirely subjective. He is the author of the GPL, yes...but that isn't the only open source license in existence, in case you aren't aware. Stallman would have people believe that FOSS would not exist without him...which is something that I completely reject...it is quite simply false. His opinion (and other people's) of his level of importance is grossly overinflated.

And for those who are about to accuse me of it, no, I don't worship Raymond myself either...but I do agree with certain elements of what he has said with regards to RMS...because I think it's true.

Reading the article led me to some google searches to this little utility. http://www.mediachance.com/free/multimon.htm It extends the task bar across both monitors. Best of all it shows the applications in the correct bar. I've only used it for an hour or two, but thought I'd pass it along.

For those of you that dislike my above link. Here's another option for multi moniter support in windows that is hardware independent.

Here ya go

Since you mentioned MediaChance - I've been using their image editing software PhotoBrush for a long time and have been very happy with it. Easy to use and a ton of useful tools. It isn't entirely off topic - you need something to make those button and menu images :)

This is not a drop-dead easy wizard oriented program but is easy enough to learn. Highly recommended. (and no, no personal interest). The menu that I wanted to do was have a video preview pane and 3 text listings of movies. As you scroll through the 3 items, the preview changes to the appropriate movie. Couldn't do it in any other program that I could find. www.mediachance.com

I recommend checking out www.vcdhelp.com. They have tons of links and guides and howtos on various tools. Here is a link to their authoring page.

I use DVDLab to author dvd's myself, which you can find here. It works in most cases, but sometimes I use ifoedit to do really advanced things. However, Ifoedit is not for the feint of heart.

I've been using Multi monitors at work for years. I can't go back!!
When I got my Dell C840 laptop I noticed the Gforce card was showing 2 monitor support so I quickly moved the monitor off the docking station, junked the stand and opened up the laptop screen. Wow 2 monitors!

Throw on Ultramon or Multi-mon for complete control over the desktop (for the winders crowd)

Or your favorite Linux setup

Prople kept stoping as they walked by my pit( err cube) and saying how cool it was. We got the manager over helpdesk interested enough to spring for a Matrox G550 Dual DVI card to test out for the Help desk operators.
They like it so much the desks for the new help desk office space are being designed for 2 monitors.

We tried 2 cards out.. We had an ATI Radion card but under Win2k it only works as 1 big desktop space over 2 monitors.. They Hydramon software they use to make it feel like 2 desktops really blows.. The G550 with Ultramon proved to be the way to go.

Like hell it does. Must we resort to bashing other image editors to make our own look better?

I'm a professional designer, and I prefer PSP to any other editor merely for its near-flawless integration of vector and bitmap tools. Yes, I've used them all ... CorelDRAW, Canvas, Photoshop, Fireworks, and even the GIMP. They've all got their markets. But to state unequivocally that an application sucks (without any reasons, besides!) is just bloody stupid.

I also own PaintShop Pro too, but it is flawed badly on handling layers and vector objects (Ulead's paint program is many times better at that, but the trial version of #8 I downloaded recently is SLOW now and not worth the cash).

My new favorite paint program for vector & bitmap is REAL DRAW PRO3. The pure wonderfulness of this program is that you can paint directly on a vector object and add multiple effects and there are some great vector editing tools (though for some reason it lacks a SMOOTH vector object command AND it lacks a basic "Draw spline" to draw a series of points and connect them with a rubber band curve AND for some inane reason doesn't change vector lines to "curve" or "line" at the line corners but at points ending or starting the line which makes editing awkward). The greatness of this program cannot be stated easily here so I recommend a visit to the website and download the TRIAL version.
mediachance.com/realdraw/

It could use better paint tools, some basic bitmap tweaking functions (smear, blur, smooth, etc..) for the paint tools, and some options I've already suggested to the programmer along the lines of more direct effect map editing as is already done with direct transparency map painting (painting on the bump maps directly, painting on the lens maps, adding in height map painting and vector fills) and adding in a flood fill option, object hierarchies, fixing the rotate option to allow rotation of grouped objects, fixing the magic texture tool to allow mapping rotation and perspective options, making the menus a bit more consistent, etc...

Otherwise it is one damn nice proggy.
It is nice to use a program that acts like I want it too overall.
An overview of what the program can do from the REALDRAW PRO3 history page

Like hell it does. Must we resort to bashing other image editors to make our own look better?

I'm a professional designer, and I prefer PSP to any other editor merely for its near-flawless integration of vector and bitmap tools. Yes, I've used them all ... CorelDRAW, Canvas, Photoshop, Fireworks, and even the GIMP. They've all got their markets. But to state unequivocally that an application sucks (without any reasons, besides!) is just bloody stupid.

I also own PaintShop Pro too, but it is flawed badly on handling layers and vector objects (Ulead's paint program is many times better at that, but the trial version of #8 I downloaded recently is SLOW now and not worth the cash).

My new favorite paint program for vector & bitmap is REAL DRAW PRO3. The pure wonderfulness of this program is that you can paint directly on a vector object and add multiple effects and there are some great vector editing tools (though for some reason it lacks a SMOOTH vector object command AND it lacks a basic "Draw spline" to draw a series of points and connect them with a rubber band curve AND for some inane reason doesn't change vector lines to "curve" or "line" at the line corners but at points ending or starting the line which makes editing awkward). The greatness of this program cannot be stated easily here so I recommend a visit to the website and download the TRIAL version.
mediachance.com/realdraw/

It could use better paint tools, some basic bitmap tweaking functions (smear, blur, smooth, etc..) for the paint tools, and some options I've already suggested to the programmer along the lines of more direct effect map editing as is already done with direct transparency map painting (painting on the bump maps directly, painting on the lens maps, adding in height map painting and vector fills) and adding in a flood fill option, object hierarchies, fixing the rotate option to allow rotation of grouped objects, fixing the magic texture tool to allow mapping rotation and perspective options, making the menus a bit more consistent, etc...

Otherwise it is one damn nice proggy.
It is nice to use a program that acts like I want it too overall.
An overview of what the program can do from the REALDRAW PRO3 history page