I find these discussions odd...the idea of doing something new, and then talking about what's already been done versus the true 'new' technologies that are out there. It's always a windows vs. Linux vs. mac situation, instead of abstracting the technologies, looking at strengths, and seeing how they do where they are strongest.
Linux, being open source, gets ported to dang near everything. When someone mods a console...they target getting Linux on it. Why not windows or mac? The anwsers obvious, but the reason is powerful. XBMC was a huge success for linux demonstrating its ability to be flexible, portable, and to provide a stable platform for developers to build on.
Another great example, also in the media space..Tivos DVR system, which shows a commercial application of Linux and an end product that was so user friendly it has all but killed the VCR. An entire new product linup was born from this!
One more...many colleges and even hobbyists have been working in the multi-touch space (Similar to Perceptive Pixels touch wall, or Microsoft Surface. Many of these efforts are done using linux based PCs. (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=linux+multi+touch&search_type=&aq=f) for quick examples
An operating system, to me..is a platform for developers to deliver rich apps on. There are of course other things that OS's are for, but a demonstration of a well built architecture is how many others can build on top of it.
I don't believe that linux has successes each year that are overlooked because everyone's doing a comparison instead of just appreciating what it's delivered.
Damn, you are such a dork. Hear about voyager, and first thing you think of is that show?
To everyone else, its obvious your first thought should've been of the 1st Movie, with the V'ger tie in. Secondly, if you were worth half the weight of your portable wifi detector, you'd know that it's species 8472 that matters.
For all the credentials you give yourself as being a power user, it never occurred to you to turn off the feature, setup the machine, and then decide if you wanted it back on?
re the article: Rutkowska made herself out to be sensationlistic at the last convention where she had an exploit that required a person to go through a UAC prompt to elevate to pull off.
For all the feedback given to MS to take security seriously, it seems they finally did. It's not convienient. Welcome to the world of security..a balance of usability vs. security. Maybe entering your password each time you elevate is a beter way to go?
Walking in and out of my house would be easier too..if I didnt have to lock/unlock the door each time. Security in our everyday lives comes at an inconvienience. Doesn't matter if it's an OS, or trying to purchase a gun.
DRM is a system being used for online media outlets...not just by Vista, but by any online stores selling media. Movie downloads, ITunes, Napster, etc.
Any media you own yourself or have created yourself does not get magical DRM added to it in Vista. If you rip a CD, the default settings for WMP is to not DRM the CD. These settings are easily found and changed.
I guess I may not understand what the authors issue is. The linked article links to yet another Inquirer article from which I could not gather what this authors worries are.
Um, no, you don't understand. It amazes me how many people just dont 'GET IT'.
DRM is not something microsoft or apple pushes because it'll sell more copies of windows if they piss off thier users. DRM is not something artists push because they like to screw over fans. DRM is a technology which allows the enforcing of licensing....which is dictated by the major labels and movie studios.
So if you don't buy online music because you think you're combating DRM, you're just killing online distribution of music...something that the record companies never really were all that excited about anyway. They dont want you buying dollar songs via a 3rd party to get residuals...they want you buying the 18 dollar CD with its filler content from a store.
Careful in this fight against DRM that you don't wipe out the wrong target. I'm not sure how to get my money to the artists I want to support without the labels, so I try to support my indie scene. I read up above of a guy that sends the artists cash directly even...I like that idea as a grassroots effort. But for gods sake, don't try to kill DRM by buying CD's...you're feeding the beasts...
Um, Doom has online/offline multiplayer, coop, and updated graphics added...I think that will make it worth the extra cash.
Also, most recent releases have been 400 pts/5 dollars. SFII has been an exception, and for as much as it's played online, I believe my 10 bucks there was well spent
Something wierd I found out when doing digital video work...widescreen has nothing to do with resolution, it has to do with pixel aspect ratio. quoting side and top screen sizes can tell you if something is widescreen. Resolution and diagonal size cannot.
Digital video off of DV cams on SD res comes in at 720 x 480, no matter if you turn on the widescreen mode or not. The widescreen mode changes the pixel aspect ratio to 1:1.2 which is what we see in video as "widescreen".
All that being said, if widescreen on computers is so widely misunderstood, what good would having a widescreen device be if noone understands how to properly make media for it?
In further thinking about this, and because we could use the feedback, I'm wondering..does HD matter much for content such as this?
Our xvid is an encode of a DV-AVI which starts out as higher than DVD quality (740x480, lower compression than mpeg2 off our panasonic camcorders). We encode it down heavily balancing quality with file size, trying to make each episode a reasonable download. When shopping for camcorders for the show, I looked at HD camcorders, and rejected them because we're a free, non profit vidcast, but also because I wasn't sure that HD interviews or skits made sense. Sure..HD is great for sports events, travel channel style stuff, blockbuster movies with special effects...but when we interview some gamer from PAX, do you REALLY want that much detail?
I ask mostly for video quality feedback...I noticed from the last post that many people have started to get the xvid, yet we're not seeing much feedback either way....
SO, in conclusion....How much does video quality matter for interviews?
And...what feedback does the slashdot audience have? We value it...the shows free, done for the community...we're interested in what you have to say.
Thanks for checking out the episode, hope it was informative and entertaining,
That guy was actually fun to talk to..we had to cut his interview due to technical issues with our mic, but we may be able to repair it and get it posted back up. His costume was pretty amazing.
The one regret I have is missing the quake 4 guy, who had an excellent costume. We were glad to catch the lemmings, as well as link and zelda (8 months to work on a single costume...that's some dedication!)
The main thing that I enjoyed is PAX is part gaming expo, part convention, part concert series, part tournament, and all fun. If I had a choice between E3 and PAX I'd choose PAX...though it's not the place companies choose to reveal blockbuster info, there is still some solid new announcments, some great games that were being shown off which hadn't come out yet, and overall it's more of a gaming friendly atmosphere (which makes sense, since E3 was designed around business intentions).
I encourage those that don't know about it to check out not only the coverage linked, but the others being mentioned as well. PAX never seems to be well covered by the huge Media, though I have a feeling it'll gain some respect in the years to come. I've been there since year one, and the overall experience has grown exponentially. With the Seattle Convention center scheduled for next year's expo, I'm sure it'll be one of the more important gaming events to look forward to.
Episode 8 links in the upper left contain a higher quality xvid version, as well as an ipod version. The videos over 500 megs (50 mins long), so youtube helps out a bit for those without broadband, or that prefer streaming versions. WMV encode is in the works
When reading months of internet predictions of failure of such a conosle..I wonder...
What if...
What if the PS3 does end up with amazing games which push the HD limits... What if the controller turns out to have game support and come off as polished... What if having two HD ready consoles pushes HD into the mainstream, dropping prices, and starts to matter? What if they find ways to use the extended space on the format, plus the Cell processor, in ways to create games that no one else can touch?
What if the wii fails? What if the wii controller turns out to not be fun after a short period, or gets old quick? What if the general, non slashdot reading, mom and pop public thinks the wii is a joke, and doesn't go after it?
What if the 360 allowed open source to run on it? (this ones scary, XNA seems to be close) What if MS pulls out of the console race? Or if someone like LG enters?
Just things I wonder when reading this. According to the internet, you'd think that the Wii will take over all else based on it's concept, the PS3 will suck balls based on it's price, manufacturing difficulty, and other problems, and the 360 will kill kittens cause it's from MS.
I can't wait till they're all out for a year, and we can revisit to see....
that argument doesn't really hold true...it would if HD DVD was built into the 360, but as an add on, it can be argued the gamers were given a choice, and though the company itself may back the HD DVD format...the console is entirely independant. Sony didn't make that choice, they're tring to bring the format war to the consoles, as well as handhelds. MS didn't really make that jump.
I believe people who say 'there is no need for blu ray' such as yourself are the same that lamented when DVD's came out, saying they 'can't see the difference'
For those of us that have HDTV's, the reality, both technically, and via retail channels, is that we have a TV that can handle content which is a PITA to get a hold of. If I want to watch a movie in HD, I must currently subscribe to an HD system (Digital cable and Sat both have this capability at this time..with expensive hardware), pay to watch the movie, and then when it's done..it's done, there is no 'ownership' of the movie. Sure, I can buy a few of the HDDVD's and play it via a media center type system...but for the avg. Joe...they've basically 'overbought' and have a screen so large that most standard Def content looks like crap.
HD, via whatever means...blue ray, sat, HDDVD, cable, ATSC, whatever......is a huge potential market. And reality is that current technology (DVD) doesn't cut it. With a properly tuned system, 720p/1080i puts DVD's (480p) to shame. Anyone saying that they can't see the difference should consider going back to VHS since they probably thought that was 'good enough'.
re: TFA, every blow that this technology takes makes it's competitor look better and better. However, I really would like Sony to put up enough of a fight to at least get the prices down so we dont have every movie coming out at 30 dollars for the next 3 years while the 'early adopter' tax goes away
The headline is kinda sensationalist...Gartner is projecting that MS won't ship Vista based on the released data of beta2...pure speculation on thier part based on how Win2k's cyle worked...
If there is a shared executable on a dual boot system that is infected and gets launched, you're pwned. One Security aspect is about entry points, and if you dual boot a less secure OS with a secure one, you are locking your front door and giving the neighbors kids your keys.
I typically shared my apps between dual boots, such as emulators and irc clients. Glad this is an optional feature
Re:Problem is with Media Center PCs in general
on
Viiv Falls Flat
·
· Score: 1
Your comment would've been more informative if you owned a media center and understood more about computers.
Media center PC's do not get turned on and off, they simply run all the time, and go into hybernate and standby when idle. If your the type of person that is turning your computer on and off you're probably better off with Tivo, or a VCR.
Saying the media center PC is doomed to fail doesn't look at the market. Tivo's and Tivo like devices, though set top PVR's, are very much simply linux boxes inside. Microsoft is on its 4th generation of media center. MythTV has had huge successes, as have spinoffs such as Media Portal (PC version of XBMC).
When Media PC's first started, 'Theater cases' were hard to come by. Now entire product lines are shipped targeting a more theater like form factor. Work is being done in passive cooling technology, smaller form factor motherboards, and better capture devices. The market is strong enough that companies such as Hauppauge exist entirely from the popularity of the product.
Any 'problems' with these PC's are being addressed through the evolution of the boxes.
On that note, VIIV sucks. It's not part of the evolution that was needed. No consumer is asking for more DRM on thier boxes, they want them quieter, with faster high quality encodes, transparent support for portable devices, etc.
Sorry Intel, try again.
Slashdots comment system was down for a bit, I waited about 4 hours before it'd let me post again. Probbably explains why the counts were so low for so long
The difference is that those 2% could theoretically could deliver targeted advertising like no other. If I'm watching a show on TV, I'd say 80% of the ads are not even in the realm of something I'd be interesed in. Whereas a podcast requires someone to actively 'subscribe'. Also podcasts have alot better tracking stats than simple neilson ratings boxes.
Not that I want ads in online content, or would put any in my own show. But when something on the internet becomes a revenue stream, everyone takes notice. It's a circular cycle where you need content to distribute, and then distribution methods to get it out there. Typically the content can't keep up, but in this case you have a ton of it just waiting to find better distribution methods.
Once money is involved, you'll see companies do things like inexpensive set top boxes to watch online vidcasts come down in price (they're out there, just not quite popular enough yet). That'll get it up from the 2%.
Joe
http://www.downstairstheater.com/
I think the suggestion of 'they deserve a cable tv show' misses the potential of these vidcast/iptv/webcast/vlog/etc type shows. If they're on cable, then I have to pay for cable. I dont get to pay per show, so I get a bunch of channels I really could care less about, plus commercials. And in exchange the show gets executives and loses creative focus, going for the LCD of the public, and eventually gets buried becomse some show with smaller budget and less creativity makes more money cause the LCD would rather live someone elses life than thier own miserable ones (See Firefly getting buried by Reality TV as exhibit one).
These IPTV shows are great, I dont have to try to record them, worry about DRM, commercials, anything. Alot of them are done by guys who do it for the love of the entertainment, to learn about production, or to teach and share what they know. Or for the simple comedy of seeing what it'd be like if ghosts and goblins was legit. Sure, some IPTV has sponsers or is out to make a buck, but at least its an alternative entertainment channel, and I think we shoul grow that channel, not stifle it by trying to fit it into the cable existence we know.
This coming from someone that spends a ton of time producing my own show. I don't want to be on Cable, I want distribution to get smarter so that my webshow can get to people that want it in the format they want to enjoy it in.
I always see this kneejerk reaction to DRM on the net...it must be evil, bad, etc.
And yet without DRM, itunes would not be possible. So is iTunes thereby evil? and is Apple evil also?
Or is maybe DRM just a technologicial tool, and the way its used determins if its 'evil' or not. If so, then better DRM technologies I welcome, as they may allow for more digital distribution of media. For example, right now I cant copy a DVD legally to my PC. My entire house is networked, and if I can get a video onto my PC, I can enable all sorts of video distribution scenarios in my house (watching tv downstairs, pause it, go to bedroom, lay down and finish the movie there). Perhaps DRM will allow this scenario, if we can get video content to be transferred as audio content is, and get the trust of the content providers that it's safe and legitimate.
I don't hate DRM any more than I hated looking up the 13th word on the 7th page to play "Legacy of the ancients" or any of the Gold Box DND games. "Content protection" has been around forever, and I respect the rights of content producers to protect thier wares.
I just want them to trust users a bit more so we can do more with it.
"..something that doesn't involve violence, or is this the wrong crowd for that" -Wash -Serenity
Oh why oh why couldn't Star Wars: Galaxies have been operated by Bioware. These guys are the ones that made such a great game in KOTR that I felt the story was equal to that of the original trilogy. Wishing against odds, but it'd be nice if Lucasarts was so fed up with the backlash from fans against SOE's handling of the franchise that they gave Bioware a shot.
Slashdot Mirror
I find these discussions odd...the idea of doing something new, and then talking about what's already been done versus the true 'new' technologies that are out there. It's always a windows vs. Linux vs. mac situation, instead of abstracting the technologies, looking at strengths, and seeing how they do where they are strongest.
Linux, being open source, gets ported to dang near everything. When someone mods a console...they target getting Linux on it. Why not windows or mac? The anwsers obvious, but the reason is powerful. XBMC was a huge success for linux demonstrating its ability to be flexible, portable, and to provide a stable platform for developers to build on.
Another great example, also in the media space..Tivos DVR system, which shows a commercial application of Linux and an end product that was so user friendly it has all but killed the VCR. An entire new product linup was born from this!
One more...many colleges and even hobbyists have been working in the multi-touch space (Similar to Perceptive Pixels touch wall, or Microsoft Surface. Many of these efforts are done using linux based PCs. (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=linux+multi+touch&search_type=&aq=f) for quick examples
An operating system, to me..is a platform for developers to deliver rich apps on. There are of course other things that OS's are for, but a demonstration of a well built architecture is how many others can build on top of it.
I don't believe that linux has successes each year that are overlooked because everyone's doing a comparison instead of just appreciating what it's delivered.
Damn, you are such a dork. Hear about voyager, and first thing you think of is that show?
:) )
To everyone else, its obvious your first thought should've been of the 1st Movie, with the V'ger tie in. Secondly, if you were worth half the weight of your portable wifi detector, you'd know that it's species 8472 that matters.
*sigh*
(j/k, aweome rant
For all the credentials you give yourself as being a power user, it never occurred to you to turn off the feature, setup the machine, and then decide if you wanted it back on?
re the article: Rutkowska made herself out to be sensationlistic at the last convention where she had an exploit that required a person to go through a UAC prompt to elevate to pull off.
For all the feedback given to MS to take security seriously, it seems they finally did. It's not convienient. Welcome to the world of security..a balance of usability vs. security. Maybe entering your password each time you elevate is a beter way to go?
Walking in and out of my house would be easier too..if I didnt have to lock/unlock the door each time. Security in our everyday lives comes at an inconvienience. Doesn't matter if it's an OS, or trying to purchase a gun.
DRM is a system being used for online media outlets...not just by Vista, but by any online stores selling media. Movie downloads, ITunes, Napster, etc.
Any media you own yourself or have created yourself does not get magical DRM added to it in Vista. If you rip a CD, the default settings for WMP is to not DRM the CD. These settings are easily found and changed.
I guess I may not understand what the authors issue is. The linked article links to yet another Inquirer article from which I could not gather what this authors worries are.
Um, no, you don't understand. It amazes me how many people just dont 'GET IT'.
DRM is not something microsoft or apple pushes because it'll sell more copies of windows if they piss off thier users. DRM is not something artists push because they like to screw over fans. DRM is a technology which allows the enforcing of licensing....which is dictated by the major labels and movie studios.
So if you don't buy online music because you think you're combating DRM, you're just killing online distribution of music...something that the record companies never really were all that excited about anyway. They dont want you buying dollar songs via a 3rd party to get residuals...they want you buying the 18 dollar CD with its filler content from a store.
Careful in this fight against DRM that you don't wipe out the wrong target. I'm not sure how to get my money to the artists I want to support without the labels, so I try to support my indie scene. I read up above of a guy that sends the artists cash directly even...I like that idea as a grassroots effort. But for gods sake, don't try to kill DRM by buying CD's...you're feeding the beasts...
Um, Doom has online/offline multiplayer, coop, and updated graphics added...I think that will make it worth the extra cash.
Also, most recent releases have been 400 pts/5 dollars. SFII has been an exception, and for as much as it's played online, I believe my 10 bucks there was well spent
Something wierd I found out when doing digital video work...widescreen has nothing to do with resolution, it has to do with pixel aspect ratio. quoting side and top screen sizes can tell you if something is widescreen. Resolution and diagonal size cannot.
Digital video off of DV cams on SD res comes in at 720 x 480, no matter if you turn on the widescreen mode or not. The widescreen mode changes the pixel aspect ratio to 1:1.2 which is what we see in video as "widescreen".
All that being said, if widescreen on computers is so widely misunderstood, what good would having a widescreen device be if noone understands how to properly make media for it?
In further thinking about this, and because we could use the feedback, I'm wondering..does HD matter much for content such as this?
Our xvid is an encode of a DV-AVI which starts out as higher than DVD quality (740x480, lower compression than mpeg2 off our panasonic camcorders). We encode it down heavily balancing quality with file size, trying to make each episode a reasonable download. When shopping for camcorders for the show, I looked at HD camcorders, and rejected them because we're a free, non profit vidcast, but also because I wasn't sure that HD interviews or skits made sense. Sure..HD is great for sports events, travel channel style stuff, blockbuster movies with special effects...but when we interview some gamer from PAX, do you REALLY want that much detail?
I ask mostly for video quality feedback...I noticed from the last post that many people have started to get the xvid, yet we're not seeing much feedback either way....
SO, in conclusion....How much does video quality matter for interviews?
And...what feedback does the slashdot audience have? We value it...the shows free, done for the community...we're interested in what you have to say.
Thanks for checking out the episode, hope it was informative and entertaining,
Joe
Downstairstheater.com
That guy was actually fun to talk to..we had to cut his interview due to technical issues with our mic, but we may be able to repair it and get it posted back up. His costume was pretty amazing.
The one regret I have is missing the quake 4 guy, who had an excellent costume. We were glad to catch the lemmings, as well as link and zelda (8 months to work on a single costume...that's some dedication!)
The main thing that I enjoyed is PAX is part gaming expo, part convention, part concert series, part tournament, and all fun. If I had a choice between E3 and PAX I'd choose PAX...though it's not the place companies choose to reveal blockbuster info, there is still some solid new announcments, some great games that were being shown off which hadn't come out yet, and overall it's more of a gaming friendly atmosphere (which makes sense, since E3 was designed around business intentions).
I encourage those that don't know about it to check out not only the coverage linked, but the others being mentioned as well. PAX never seems to be well covered by the huge Media, though I have a feeling it'll gain some respect in the years to come. I've been there since year one, and the overall experience has grown exponentially. With the Seattle Convention center scheduled for next year's expo, I'm sure it'll be one of the more important gaming events to look forward to.
Episode 8 links in the upper left contain a higher quality xvid version, as well as an ipod version. The videos over 500 megs (50 mins long), so youtube helps out a bit for those without broadband, or that prefer streaming versions. WMV encode is in the works
in re: RSS Feeds - Does anyone even use this?
Yes, we do. Welcome to 2006
When reading months of internet predictions of failure of such a conosle..I wonder...
What if...
What if the PS3 does end up with amazing games which push the HD limits...
What if the controller turns out to have game support and come off as polished...
What if having two HD ready consoles pushes HD into the mainstream, dropping prices, and starts to matter?
What if they find ways to use the extended space on the format, plus the Cell processor, in ways to create games that no one else can touch?
What if the wii fails?
What if the wii controller turns out to not be fun after a short period, or gets old quick?
What if the general, non slashdot reading, mom and pop public thinks the wii is a joke, and doesn't go after it?
What if the 360 allowed open source to run on it? (this ones scary, XNA seems to be close)
What if MS pulls out of the console race? Or if someone like LG enters?
Just things I wonder when reading this. According to the internet, you'd think that the Wii will take over all else based on it's concept, the PS3 will suck balls based on it's price, manufacturing difficulty, and other problems, and the 360 will kill kittens cause it's from MS.
I can't wait till they're all out for a year, and we can revisit to see....
that argument doesn't really hold true...it would if HD DVD was built into the 360, but as an add on, it can be argued the gamers were given a choice, and though the company itself may back the HD DVD format...the console is entirely independant. Sony didn't make that choice, they're tring to bring the format war to the consoles, as well as handhelds. MS didn't really make that jump.
I believe people who say 'there is no need for blu ray' such as yourself are the same that lamented when DVD's came out, saying they 'can't see the difference'
For those of us that have HDTV's, the reality, both technically, and via retail channels, is that we have a TV that can handle content which is a PITA to get a hold of. If I want to watch a movie in HD, I must currently subscribe to an HD system (Digital cable and Sat both have this capability at this time..with expensive hardware), pay to watch the movie, and then when it's done..it's done, there is no 'ownership' of the movie. Sure, I can buy a few of the HDDVD's and play it via a media center type system...but for the avg. Joe...they've basically 'overbought' and have a screen so large that most standard Def content looks like crap.
HD, via whatever means...blue ray, sat, HDDVD, cable, ATSC, whatever......is a huge potential market. And reality is that current technology (DVD) doesn't cut it. With a properly tuned system, 720p/1080i puts DVD's (480p) to shame. Anyone saying that they can't see the difference should consider going back to VHS since they probably thought that was 'good enough'.
re: TFA, every blow that this technology takes makes it's competitor look better and better. However, I really would like Sony to put up enough of a fight to at least get the prices down so we dont have every movie coming out at 30 dollars for the next 3 years while the 'early adopter' tax goes away
HD-DVD player was announced at 199 by MS on Tuesday
It was actually announed during Tuesdays presentation that yes...the 'code' will work for Contra.
The headline is kinda sensationalist...Gartner is projecting that MS won't ship Vista based on the released data of beta2...pure speculation on thier part based on how Win2k's cyle worked...
sorry, but nothing to see here...
If there is a shared executable on a dual boot system that is infected and gets launched, you're pwned. One Security aspect is about entry points, and if you dual boot a less secure OS with a secure one, you are locking your front door and giving the neighbors kids your keys.
I typically shared my apps between dual boots, such as emulators and irc clients. Glad this is an optional feature
Your comment would've been more informative if you owned a media center and understood more about computers. Media center PC's do not get turned on and off, they simply run all the time, and go into hybernate and standby when idle. If your the type of person that is turning your computer on and off you're probably better off with Tivo, or a VCR. Saying the media center PC is doomed to fail doesn't look at the market. Tivo's and Tivo like devices, though set top PVR's, are very much simply linux boxes inside. Microsoft is on its 4th generation of media center. MythTV has had huge successes, as have spinoffs such as Media Portal (PC version of XBMC). When Media PC's first started, 'Theater cases' were hard to come by. Now entire product lines are shipped targeting a more theater like form factor. Work is being done in passive cooling technology, smaller form factor motherboards, and better capture devices. The market is strong enough that companies such as Hauppauge exist entirely from the popularity of the product. Any 'problems' with these PC's are being addressed through the evolution of the boxes. On that note, VIIV sucks. It's not part of the evolution that was needed. No consumer is asking for more DRM on thier boxes, they want them quieter, with faster high quality encodes, transparent support for portable devices, etc. Sorry Intel, try again.
Slashdots comment system was down for a bit, I waited about 4 hours before it'd let me post again. Probbably explains why the counts were so low for so long
The difference is that those 2% could theoretically could deliver targeted advertising like no other. If I'm watching a show on TV, I'd say 80% of the ads are not even in the realm of something I'd be interesed in. Whereas a podcast requires someone to actively 'subscribe'. Also podcasts have alot better tracking stats than simple neilson ratings boxes. Not that I want ads in online content, or would put any in my own show. But when something on the internet becomes a revenue stream, everyone takes notice. It's a circular cycle where you need content to distribute, and then distribution methods to get it out there. Typically the content can't keep up, but in this case you have a ton of it just waiting to find better distribution methods. Once money is involved, you'll see companies do things like inexpensive set top boxes to watch online vidcasts come down in price (they're out there, just not quite popular enough yet). That'll get it up from the 2%. Joe http://www.downstairstheater.com/
Sure, if you have an Aztec Quippu encoder we might be able to provide you with that ;)
I think the suggestion of 'they deserve a cable tv show' misses the potential of these vidcast/iptv/webcast/vlog/etc type shows. If they're on cable, then I have to pay for cable. I dont get to pay per show, so I get a bunch of channels I really could care less about, plus commercials. And in exchange the show gets executives and loses creative focus, going for the LCD of the public, and eventually gets buried becomse some show with smaller budget and less creativity makes more money cause the LCD would rather live someone elses life than thier own miserable ones (See Firefly getting buried by Reality TV as exhibit one).
These IPTV shows are great, I dont have to try to record them, worry about DRM, commercials, anything. Alot of them are done by guys who do it for the love of the entertainment, to learn about production, or to teach and share what they know. Or for the simple comedy of seeing what it'd be like if ghosts and goblins was legit. Sure, some IPTV has sponsers or is out to make a buck, but at least its an alternative entertainment channel, and I think we shoul grow that channel, not stifle it by trying to fit it into the cable existence we know.
This coming from someone that spends a ton of time producing my own show. I don't want to be on Cable, I want distribution to get smarter so that my webshow can get to people that want it in the format they want to enjoy it in.
Joe Farro
Joe@downstairstheater@com
http://www.downstairstheater.com/
I always see this kneejerk reaction to DRM on the net...it must be evil, bad, etc.
And yet without DRM, itunes would not be possible. So is iTunes thereby evil? and is Apple evil also?
Or is maybe DRM just a technologicial tool, and the way its used determins if its 'evil' or not. If so, then better DRM technologies I welcome, as they may allow for more digital distribution of media. For example, right now I cant copy a DVD legally to my PC. My entire house is networked, and if I can get a video onto my PC, I can enable all sorts of video distribution scenarios in my house (watching tv downstairs, pause it, go to bedroom, lay down and finish the movie there). Perhaps DRM will allow this scenario, if we can get video content to be transferred as audio content is, and get the trust of the content providers that it's safe and legitimate.
I don't hate DRM any more than I hated looking up the 13th word on the 7th page to play "Legacy of the ancients" or any of the Gold Box DND games. "Content protection" has been around forever, and I respect the rights of content producers to protect thier wares.
I just want them to trust users a bit more so we can do more with it.
"..something that doesn't involve violence, or is this the wrong crowd for that" -Wash -Serenity
Oh why oh why couldn't Star Wars: Galaxies have been operated by Bioware. These guys are the ones that made such a great game in KOTR that I felt the story was equal to that of the original trilogy. Wishing against odds, but it'd be nice if Lucasarts was so fed up with the backlash from fans against SOE's handling of the franchise that they gave Bioware a shot.
While I'm dreaming, I'd like a pony.