Weta Digital's Render Farm Upgrade

Headspace2 writes "Weta Digital (The graphics company behing LOtR computer effects) has just purchased 220 2.2GHz dual Xenon machines, each with 4GB of ram, to add to their current render wall of 350 1 Ghz P3 systems. They have also placed an order for another 256 Xenon servers. And it's all running Linux. My favorite quote is 'it is thought the server farm will be the most powerful processing site in the Southern Hemisphere'. They should use that in the FotR ad campaign... 'Rendered using the most powerful processing site in the southern hemisphere' Congrats the guys that get to play with all those clock cycles. Make more movies.

Comments

Re:*sigh*

[drsmithy]

For those of us who learnt language from books instead of from listening to TV, it *is*. As another poster said, it's as painful as listening to out of tune music.

Karma info loss

[drDugan]

I know this is offtopic...but probably close to the heart of many /. readers

why can't I see the value of my Karma any more? The number has been replaced with a descriptive word.

Does your Karma show up as a number still?

Re:Karma info loss

[mobets]

Ok, I give, how did you know the address of my user info? ;)

Re:Karma info loss

[SwedishChef]

I actually emailed them about this and they replied saying only that the change was "necessary" and that the karma is still there, just that no one can see it.

Yes, yes... we know it's off-topic but since no one sees the karma any more, who cares?

Re:*sigh*

[Anonvmous Coward]

I doubt it. My karma's 'excellent'.

OT: Undermine this show

[MisterBlister]

There's a show on FOX called "American Idol", the long and short of it is that they hope to create a "pop superstar" ala NSync or whatever. The voting for this show is done by the public via telephone. Please call this toll-free number 1 (866) 436-5707 to vote for the most retarded of all the contestants just to undermine the results of this show. Must call within the next 2 hours. Pass it on!

Re:*sigh*

[Anonvmous Coward]

The editors are there to choose which stories go up. Think about their job for a sec: 'Read a bunch of story submissions and pick one that's interesting.' The FAQ basically says that they want to get the stories up quickly, not that every story goes up pristine and perfect.

I can imagine that going through all the stories in the submission queue is mind-numbing at best. Having to correct grammar and spelling etc is not going to make that any more fun. Besides, that's what the comments section is for.

They say they have a copy editor that works on the spelling/grammar etc. Actually, that does shine an interesting light on this topic though, doesn't it? How much you wanna bet their spell checker mistook 'XEON' for 'XENON'?

Brilliant..

[PeeOnYou2]

'They should use that in the FotR ad campaign... 'Rendered using the most powerful processing site in the southern hemisphere'

Sheer genius CmdrTaco... you've really outdone yourself this time...

Slashdot hypocrisy

[jbf]

RIAA/MPAA: bad
Geek MPAA movies (eg LOTR): good
Linux: good
Using Linux to further the MPAA: good

</karmaburn>

Re:*sigh*

[tapiwa]

one Xenon is bad spelling....

two is gross negligence on the part of the editors.

beowulf cluster?

[tapiwa]

imagine a beowulf cluster of these!!

sorry, couldn't resist

Re:So much power...

[Alan Partridge]

I hate the Romans already!

Re:*sigh*

[Anonymous Cowlover]

I doubt it. My karma's 'excellent'

At least I love you Anonymous Coward

Slashdot is funny

[Anonymous Cowlover]

Slashdot's so funny,
"Down with the MPAA, movie makers are the bad guys" in one article then,
"Go movie makers! Using lots of Linux, yipee"