I recently had a discussion with my friend who has a job in the media field, and he is shooting and doing things right, however it got me thinking that I never posted my post about shooting in 24p. He is not shooting in 24p, thank goodness, but so many people are; people who have no idea what 24p is. Only about .00000001% of the people out there should actually be using the 24p feature on their cameras; however every kid on YouTube thinks that shooting in 24p makes them a professional now at “Film Making.” Please, STOP! To understand why you shouldn’t shoot in 24p, let’s first define what the different framerates and resolutions are.
- Standard NTSC SD Resolutions = 480i, 480p
- Standard NTSC SD Framerates = 60i, 60p, 30p
- Standard NTSC HD Resolutions = 720p, 1080i, 1080p
- Standard NTSC HD Framerates = 60i, 30p
Now, you notice that I did not list 24p above, even though it is an option on pretty much every HD consumer and professional camera out there. Well, I hate to break it to you, especially those of you who used it as a deciding-factor in buying the model camera you did…”24p” is just a marketing gimmick. Unless you are going to transfer your footage to film, for theatrical release or inclusion in a professionally done hollywood film or BluRay production line, then 24p is useless. In addition to not gaining anything by doing this, you actually are loosing quality, since you have 6 frames per second that you are sacrificing, and could have, but are discarding at the shoot, so you can never go back and get that footage. There is no way to make 24p file look like it was filmed in 30p, so stop shooting in 24p. No, you are most likely NOT a film-maker, otherwise you wouldn’t need to have read this.
Tags: 24 frame rate, 24 frames per second, 24fps, 24p, 24p frame rate, 24p function, 24p is useless, 24p stupid, 24p sucks, 24p useless, 24pn, film, film making, never shoot in 24p, why shoot in 24p
Hmm, where do I begin. I honestly do not know that a blog post or words of any for can do this movie justice. When you talk about something, you have the responsibility of representing it correctly and accurately to an uninformed audience. Well, you are my audience, and it is up to me to convey what this movie is. I do not think anything I write here will accurately describe how powerful and moving this movie was to me. I had no personal investment in it at all, and there is no reason the characters should speak to me, but I connected with them somehow involuntarily on an intimate level.
Before I get to deep/personal, let me cover the semantics for those who don’t know the basics. The movie, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, is based on the book of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. You have heard of The Great Gatsby, correct? Well, this is the of the same mind, and I have to say that although I have not read the book, I cannot imagine it being any better than the movie, albeit the original source.
The movie stars Cate Blanchett (who I have really tried to avoid in movies until now) alongside Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt is typically your run-of-the-mill actor. You go to the movies to be entertained, but you do not really expect to be wowed or awed. However, in this movie Mr. Pitt is outstanding. Usually when I watch a movie, I think of things along the way that they could have changed to make it better, or things that would have improved the character’s development or the overall storyline, but the entire time, I found myself more than satisfied with how each scene turned out. In fact, never before have I only gotten 10 minutes into a movie, and known without a doubt that I would like this movie. It seemed that right off the bat I found myself totally engrossed in the storyline, yet it had only been a few minutes which means the character and plot development were not only well done, but evident from the beginning.
I could go on and on about this movie, but it is really something that you must see for yourself. Every movie review ever written will be lacking in one thing; experience. It is that “experience” that you must have for yourself. Rent this movie, watch it, and come back and comment on this blog post. Please, I would love to know how other people feel about this movie.
Tags: ben button, benjamin button, brad pitt, Cate Blanchett, curious case, curious case of benjamin button
Over the years Google has entertained us with stylized versions of their logo, where certain images are formed in the shapes of letters, to spell out the word “Google.” Well, Google has done it again, for Veterans Day today, which is fine and all, but it appears to me that their design department is getting a little lazy. The above image is supposed to read “Google”, however to me it reads. “Goo”+bag+legs+child, so the company name must be “Goobalegchild” right? Hmm. Nice image and all Google, but come on…how lazy can you be?
This also kind of reeks of pretentiousness, if that is the right word, on Google’s part. Like there is this attitude by the Google employees that ‘Everyone knows who we are, so they will just assume that anything I put there represents the letters g, l and e’. Truth be told, yes…99.9% of people who saw that would know it is a stylized Google logo and would subconsciously fill in the missing “-gle” letters in their head, but does this mean Google has to stop trying? Come on Google…this one was pretty weak.
Tags: goobalegchild, google holiday, google logo, google search, google sylized, google's holiday, google's logo, google. veteran day, happy, happy veterans day, holiday logo, logo, stylized, vet's day, veterans day
Some of you may have heard that Pioneer has started making some of their new drives LabelFlash capable (2005 technology, but still way better than ugly puke-yellow LightScribe). These enabled models include the DVR-217 and DVR-218. Well, for those of you like me who have the DVR-216, which is not LabelFlash capabale from the factory, then you may be disappointed. However, I found a way for those of us with the SATA version of the DVR-216 to have LabelFlash, without having to buy a new drive! There is a way to upgrade the firmware, but it is not an official flash, so only do this at your own risk. I was able to do this in less than 5 minutes, and my drives still work perfectly, plus they can create LabelFlash discs now, for free! Follow these steps to make your DVR-216 drive LabelFlash capable!
DO NOT CONTINUE READING THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE A PIONEER DVR-216 DRIVE! THE FILES IN THIS POST ARE SPECIFIC TO THAT DRIVE MODEL. IT MAY WORK ON A DVR-215 BUT I MAKE NO GUARANTEES.
Normally you would begin by downloading and running MSCE to patch the firmware, and then you would run it through DVRFlash, however, I have already patched the firmware for you. I enhanced the read speed and enabled auto-bitsetting when burning DVD+Rs – this makes the disc more compatible with set-top players and MAC computer. I also set the drive to RPC1 instead of RPC2 (this make it region free), so you can play any DVD region, not just your native region (most likely USA: Region 1 only). So we can skip the MSCE step, and go straight to flashing the drive. I accept your thanks.
1. Now, download this file here: dvr216_files.zip. It contains both the Firmware and the LabelFlash software.
2. Once you expand it, copy the whole “firmware” folder directly to the root of your main drive (probably your “C” drive).
3. Click on the “Start” button, then “Run” and type in “cmd” then press [ENTER]. This will bring up a command prompt window.
4. Type in the following command: “cd c:\firmware” (without the quotes). This will change the prompt path to the firmware folder you copied.
5. Now, type in the following command: “DVRFlash -ff D: S0415430.104 S0415431.106″ (without quotes). Make sure you change the part that says “D:” to your own drive letter of your DVR-216 drive. It may or may not be assigned the letter “D”. It is imperative that this be accurate, or else you might mess up another drive on your computer.
6. Go through the prompts, typing “y” for ‘Yes’ at both the disclaimer, and the ‘Are you sure’ warning. Your drive will take about 30 seconds to flash, and then you are DONE! Some computers may require a reboot, but mine did not. I was able to start burning LabelFlash discs right away. (You will notice that your drive changed from “DVR-216D” or just “DVR-216″ to “DVR-216L”. The “L” means the new firmware was successfully flashed to your drive)
Now, if you have some LabelFlash media, you can go ahead and burn a copy. Just open the “labelflash” folder, included in the download link I gave you, and run “LIM.EXE” (This is the LabelFlash software executable). You will select your Pioneer “DVR-216L” drive from the right-hand side, and then inset a LabelFlash DVD upside-down (blue side facing downwards). You can then choose a template, type in text, and then click to the “OK” button in the bottom right! Make sure to select “High Quality”, then burn away! The progress indicator will look something like the image below…
After it finishes, it should auto-eject the disc, and you will have a perfectly LabelFlashed labeled disc! Mine took about 10 minutes to complete on high quality, but since it is a permanent weatherproof label, that short wait is fine with me 
ENJOY!
Tags: dvr-216, dvr-216 label flash, dvr-216 label flash firmware, dvr-216 labelflash, dvr-216 labelflash firmware, dvr-216 lf, dvr-216 rpc1, dvr-216bk, dvr-216d, dvr-216l, dvr216, dvr216 firmware, label flash, labelflash, labelflash firmware, lf firmware, pioneer dvd burner labelflash firmware, pioneer label flash firmware, pioneer labelflash, pioneer labelflash firmware
They are few and far between, and only account for about 0.01% of the eBay user population among sellers, however I feel it is my duty to share my findings with other ebay users.
For those who don’t know a “Santa Claus User” on eBay is a user who sells stuff for way cheaper than he/she could sell them for, and does it just because they do not need the money or because they feel it is a good gesture on their part. For example, check out the screen-shot below…
Notice, this seller is selling a $1,200 processor, the Intel Core2Duo Quad QX9775 for only $500. If you do an eBay search for “QX9775″, and filter to show only the “Completed Listings”, you will notice that the cheapest used processor of this model sells for around $900 or $800 at its lowest. Well, I also had the fortunate chance to purchase an item from this user as well. He was selling an Intel D5400XS motherboard, brand new, for $350. The same motherboard, sells from TigerDirect.com for $609 and from NewEgg.com for $600. His eBay userid is “songmin” and he only sells a couple items at a time usually, always electronics or computer parts, but his prices are lower than low. Who knows, he might be stealing them, but he is a power seller, and I don’t care where the items come from as long as I am getting a good deal. So, if you are looking for parts, or building a new computer perhaps, keep this guy in your watch list, and check him periodically.
The explanation I got from him was that he is a medical/ER doctor and just does this on the side, as a hobby, but not as his chief money maker. I had to share this with other ebay users, as he is my go-to goldmine for good deals on brand new and lightly-used equipment.
Tags: cheap computer parts, cheap computers on ebay, cheap ebay, cheap ebay users, cheapest ebay sellers, cheapest sellers on ebay, ebay computer deal, ebay computer parts, ebay deal, ebay deals, ebay santa claus, santa claus user
Many time I fix my friends’ or my family’s computers, and I run across one common theme among them all…they are DIRTY! Now, I am not talking about dust bunnies here, although that might prompt me to write an entirely new post. Anyway, when I say “dirty”, I am talking about the file structure! Some of the hard drives have not been formatted or even just cleaned up in years, and unfortunately most of the people who I try and stress this point to just don’t see why it is important. Then i say, “Well, you had to call me to come here, didn’t you?”, at which point I get a polite agreement-nod, and I can move on.
Now, there are many places extra left over files and junk can hide, which strangely enough is right out in the open! On your Desktop! Most people’s desktops have way too much junk on them…I believe mine has 4 icons, but then again I am somewhat OCD, so the max anyone would ever really need is two columns on the left. I see no reason to clutter up your desktop with icons you might click on once a month. How hard is it to go to “My Documents” and open it up that one time you need it, or click on the Start Menu? Well, either way, that is not what I am here to talk about, albeit a very nasty subject.
What I want to stress today is the root of the primary drive, most likely your “C” drive. If you are running any version of Windows XP, then the screen-shot below contains the only files and folders that should be allowed to reside in the root of the drive. Notice, you need to show hidden/system files to be able to see some of these, so open “My Computer” and select “Tools”, then “Folder Options…”. Select the “View” tab, then make sure you select the radio button (bubble) that says “Show hidden files and folders”, then UNCHECK the boxes next to the following two line-items: “Hide extensions for known file types”, and “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)”.
Yes, it will give you a warning and ask if you are sure…just humor Bill Gates and play along, and confirm that is what you want. Now, when you open your main drive, probably your “C” drive, you should see this…
I am posting this for all of those like me out there who like to clean up your drive every now and then. Add/Remove programs can only get rid of so much, so sometimes it is necessary to manually delete files, carefully, in certain areas of the computer. So, use the screen-shot above as a reference for the only “required” files that should be in the root of the “C” driver for Windows XP users.
Tags: c drive files, files in c drive root, files in root drive, primary drive files, root c drive, root drive, root drive files, root files, root folder, root of c drive, windows xp
If anyone ever gives you tips on how to get out of jury duty, I hope that you set them straight, nicely of course, and tell them that serving on a jury is our second most important civic duty, second only to our responsibility of voting.
I went through the process, which is a rather interesting one I might ad, and not boring and time-wasting like most people tend to label jury duty. I was one of the lucky 12 who were left after the eliminations from the lawyer’s Voir Dire process. We spent two and a half days listening to evidence, testimony, and arguments from both sides. i will obviously not type any names here, but the case was basically a lawsuit about a car wreck, where one party had a flashing yellow light, and the other party had a flashing red light, wherin the defendant ran the flashing red light and hit the plaintiff’s car. During the entire trial, there was no question in anyone’s mind that the defendant was actually guilty of causing the wreck. We accepted that after 5 minutes, and it was not really a factor for us to decide since it was obvious. Our duty was to decide how much to award the plaintiff for pain and suffering both in the past and in the future.
To make a long story short, we ended up awarding about 10% of what the plaintiff was requesting, because the requested amount was punitive and inflammatory, and to be awarded that full amount would have been unreasonable. So, overall it was a very interesting process that I enjoyed. The deliberations we carried out in the Jury room was probably my favorite part, and I was chosen as the foreman (head juror). As the foreman I made sire everyone on the jury was heard, and all opinions were as valid as the rest and accounted for. We carried the ruling on a 10 over 12 juror agreement, with 2 jurors disagreeing on the final ruling. One juror thought we gave to little and wanted to award more, and one juror wanted to award nothing at all, however ten jurors is all that is required in civil matters. In criminal cases, the vote must be unanimous.
I encourage anyone who does not have a real or pressing exemption, to serve their jury duty. It is a privileged and an honor, in my opinion to be chosen to serve. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and believe that the entire process is a much more solid and sound basis for a ruling than a single judge or fact finding magistrate making the call. We decided someone’s future, actually the financial future of two people, both the defendant and the plaintiff. What we decided on had to be just, fair and reasonable based on the preponderance of the evidence we chose to accept. Overall, I am glad I served, and you should too.
Well, for the most part, Verizon Wireless is the best wireless company, at least in the mid/south west. The coverage in the entire USA is the best, and the network is more far reaching than ATT’s. Plus, there are no roaming charges anymore since 2007, so even if I am out of network or in a non-home area, there are no roaming costs anyway. However, the one thing that Verizon does that is annoying, is force users of Smartphones to have a data package. Just like ATT does with the iPhone, where you are required to have the iPhone data package just for owning an iPhone, Verizon does the same with all Smartphones (Windows Mobile and Blackberry/Palm devices)
So, recently my wife and I decided to downgrade our plan and phones, to save money. We both have Windows Mobile phones, and we both have unlimited data plus tethering (using phone as a modem). Well, that, plus 1400 shared plan minutes between us was almost $200 a month. We decided to revisit this since we both together only use about 400 minutes total. So, if we go down to the 700min plan, and remove all the data junk that I was intensely using, yet could live without, then that shaves about $90 off our bill a month
The problem here was that I knew about the forced data feature that Verizon implemented at the beginning of 2009, however since we were removing data that meant we would have to switch to non-Smartphones right? Well, after a LOT of looking, and in-hand comparisons at different Verizon stores (as well as Sprint stores, since they are also CDMA phones), I found that nothing compared to the ease of use that Windows Mobile gives you. All the other phones were using proprietary OS’s, and for the most part were extremely limited and hard to use. Not to mention that you cannot install any 3rd party apps. So, as I was in one of the stores, I asked if there were any Smartphones that did not require the forced data package. One opf the representatives told me that the “Motolola Q9c” or “Q9m” did not require it. So, although the Motorola Q was a REALLY old phone, and I hated the design, it was still Windows Mobile based, so I would not have to relearn anything, plus I could install all my favorite Windows Mobile apps, like TomTom, and games, etc…
So, after more digging, and using the online help chat on Verizon’s site, I found that the Motorola Q was not the only Smartphone that was available w/o data after all! In fact, here is the list of available Smartphones that do not require data: Palm Centro, MOTO Q9c, SMT5800, XV6900, and the SCH-i760.
I was pleased to see the XV6900 (Vogue) in the list, and also pleased that my wife’s current phone was in the list as well (SMT-5800), so she will not even have to change anything. My new phone, the XV6900, is is a Windows Mobile based phone, and ALSO has a development community online on various sites, namely PPCGeeks.com and XDA-Developers.com, with programmers who “cook” up custom ROMs for the device for people who just don’t want the standard bloated ROM image that ships with the phone. This is something I have enjoyed with my Touch Pro, and with my old phone, XV6800 (Titan). So, long story short – I ordered the XV6900 for $49.99 (low price for 2-yr contract extension). For all of you nay-sayers out there, who say “Oh, you had to extend your contract”….so what? Cell phones are not going out of style, plus these days it is pretty much a necessity, and Verizon still has the best network, so if it was a 10-year contract I still would have done it. I have not had one dropped call from my end since I have been on Verizon (8 years). I have been talking to people on T-mobile, and ATT and they get cut off on their end all the time due to their lack of coverage, then they call back and blow it off as how it happens all the time with people they talk to. I tell them “You know, it doesn’t have to”, ha, but they just ignore me.
At any rate, this is not a rant about Verizon being better than ATT, but rather a post about how if you are wanting a Smartphone on VZW but do not want to be forced to use data, then get one of those. One last note: I asked the representative why the list is so small. She said that only older Smartphones can be activated without data, and that they have dates in their system on when a phone was released, and if it was released before November of last year then you can use it without data. I told her that there were TONS of more phones than that short list that came out before then. She said she cannot confirm that, but that is the list they were given that is allowed w/o data. I though that was sort of ludicrous, since my old phone the XV6800 was released in 2007, yet when I asked about it she said that the XV6800 requires a data package. I asked her literally, “Think logically about this, why is an older model, the XV6800, required to have a data package, yet the newer XV6900 model doe snot require it, based on your rule that it must be released pre-November of last year?” She repeated the allowed list to me, as if I had not heard it the first time and totally ignored my question. Note to self: Never ask a wireless company representative to ‘think logically’.
Bottom line: There is good news for those who want a Smartphone, yet do not want to pay for data. Pick one of those models.
Here is the list again, with photos of each model…
Tags: att, boost, boost mobile, boostmobile, cingular, data plan, data plans, dataless phone, forced data, forced data plans, no data, phone w/o data, phone without data, smartphone, smartphone but no data, t-mobile, tmobile, unimited data, unlimited data plan, unlimited data plans, verizon, verizon xv, virgin mobile, vx6900, without data, without data plan, without data plans, xv6900
** GUIDE UPDATED: MARCH 14, 2010 **
All,
This is “The Complete Blu-Ray Backup Guide by milOtis”
- How to make a 1:1 1080p Blu-Ray Backup (to BD-R/RW)
- How to make a BD5 1080p Blu-Ray Backup (to DVD-R)
I have made my guide in the form of a PDF file, so that it is universal, and also because it is around 30 pages, with multiple images. The guide is an easy step-by-step method, with screenshots for each and every step along the way. The guide includes how to backup a Blu-Ray disc to another Blu-Ray disc, as well as how to backup your Blu-Ray discs to BD-5 backups (burned to DVD-R), but still 1080p and full 5.1 audio! This is the only guide you will ever need to backing up Blu-Ray discs to BD-R/RW or DVD-R/RW
NOTE: The DVD backup method is NOT an MPEG2-encoded backup! The files are still 1080p AVCHD Blu-Ray files, and playable on any Blu-Ray player, including the PS3. The DVD method for backing up will NOT play on a standard set-top DVD player.
NOTE: Neither the creator of this guide, nor any makers of the included software, will be held responsible in any way for the use or misuse of this material. This tutorial was created for those who want to protect their Blu-Ray investments, but do not have the technical knowledge on how to perform the backup process, as it is somewhat complicated. As previously stated, this guide is only to be used by those who own the Blu-Ray discs that they are backing up. You are prohibited from using this tutorial on discs obtained through rental or subscription services. Any use of this guide for all legal and/or illegal purposes is the sole responsibility of the end user. This guide comes with no expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of support, of any kind.
GUIDE DOWNLOAD LINK:
The above link contains the PDF guide. The guide itself contains links to the latest release of each individual piece of software that you need, and I do recommend getting the software from the latest download links located in the guide. If the need arises, I will update the guide with any new information or techniques that simplify and enhance the backup process, so you can rest assured this guide will always be up to date. Make sure to always download the link in this post to get the latest version of the guide.
ENJOY!
Tags: 1080i, 1080p, 720p, backup guide, bd backup, bd guide, bd-25, bd-5, bd-50, bd-9, bd-r, bd-rw, bd25, bd5, bd50, bd9, bdr, bdrw, blu ray, blu-ray backup, blue ray, blue-ray backup, blueray, bluray, blye ray backup, complete guide, hoe to rip bd, how to copy bd, how to copy blu, how to copy blue, how to rip blu, how to rip blue, how to rip hd, milOtis, milotis' guide, milotis's guide, miltis guide, rip bd, rip blue, rip hd, video, video editing
Well, the Rapidshare.com lottery drawing is today! I know it is March 31 here in the USA, but the drawing is held on June 1 RS time. Since Rapidshare is located in Europe, it is just now June 1 there. I wonder if they will wait until midday to do the drawing, so it is on June 1 globally. Anyway, I have over 800 tickets (which means I have used over 40,000 points)…I hope I win !!!
Tags: 50000 euros, 50000euros, rapidshare 50, rapidshare drawing, rapidshare lottery, rapidshare lotto, rapidshare.com drawing, rapidshare.com lottery, rs lottery, rs lotto, rs.com lottery