Author Topic: Digital Media (Read 1177 times)

Double D · « **on:** March 24, 2006, 08:32:33 PM »

Gentlemen,

Just a reminder about digital media.

Recently we have had several photo's and movies of very large digital size and resolution posted here on the board.

Not everyone is on DSL or Cable. An awful lot of folks here are still on dial up.

When you post pictures restrict their resoultuion to no more than 72dpi.

The movies, edit them down and show us the gun shooting. 10 to 20 second usually is plenty. We don't want to watch the fuse burn or the smoke drift off down range. Keep them short. When you load your movies and pictures up, think about the guy with the oldest equipment, how is he going view them.

If you know it, post the file size of the video so the readers can be aware of the size before trying to down load. Video

If you do this you will find a lot more people will able to view your videos and pictures.

I know when I run onto this I just tend to ignore the post. That's not what you wanted people to do.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #1 on:** March 25, 2006, 01:36:47 AM »

I voted.
Yes, they are not good....

BUT that doesn't mean that they should not be posted. They're downloads. I can (and most often do) ignor them. (An hour and a half to down load the one-minute bowling ball mortar clip?)

Yes, KEEP posting them. Also post one good frame for those of us on dial up.

reddog · « **Reply #2 on:** March 25, 2006, 02:58:47 AM »

Hi, DD You asked me to post some pics of my new ball mold, but I'm not that good at photo editing. I'm afraid I'll make them to big. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Blaster · « **Reply #3 on:** March 25, 2006, 03:55:29 AM »

I really enjoy all of the photos but some take wayyyy to long for me to download so I just have to skip viewing them. I live out in the "sticks" and with my dial up service, I am very fortunate to get 24Kbps and normally it's only 21.6K. Hey DD, thanks for keep us "slow pokes" in mind. Blaster (Bob in So. CO)

Double D · « **Reply #4 on:** March 25, 2006, 04:08:57 AM »

Reddog post them!

Look at your photo software for the resize or format button. If you can or if you can figure it out resize the photo's to no more than 7.5 inches wide. And if you figure out how to do it also make the resolution 72 DPI.

If you can't figure it out, post them anyway.

I should have my desk top computer this week and I will pull down and resize the big pictures if I spot them. I am just trying keep the guy with the oldest and least technical skill in mind and not have them get frustrated and leave. Pictures and videos are cool. I i like them

Video's are another subject all to gether.

George did a real good job the other day with video's he posted warning everyone of how big the were. You know right from the start that they are big an you are forewarned. Go there if you want. I did by the way and got error messages trying to down load and demands from Real player for me to update my player and ad all these extra features before I can watch the video. I never did watch any of them

Someone posted this moring a video of a bowling ball mortar being shot. I never could get the video to open right. It only wanted to buffer a few seconds of the video at a time and the majority of the video was watching the fuse burn and looking a the sky and the smoke.

Tere was good short shot of the gun firing. The mortar sure did jump when fired. I liked seeing that, but it took three tries to get to that.

The best video I have seen posted here is is of Wes Pilley and Rick Neff firing the "Holy Mackeral" mortar. Not to long had the real action in it and easy to down load.

All I am asking is that if you are sophisticated enough to do video's and you are proud enough that want to share with everyone your latest cannon video, set it up applying the KISS formula for the least sophisticated computer user that might be here for everyone to see.

Make it fairly short and use the simplest most common method to open. Not all of use are Computer savy.

claypipe · « **Reply #5 on:** March 25, 2006, 05:31:31 AM »

I must say that I was quite disappointed with the Bowling Ball Mortar Video. I realize that they are in the desert, but they still should of had a clue where it would land. :roll:

Just guess the frustration some archeologist is going to suffer when he discovers this artifact a 100 years or so in the future. :lol:

Red_Leg · « **Reply #6 on:** March 25, 2006, 10:15:44 AM »

:shock: I am on cable and doesn't cost me much time at all---however, that being said, This site is as slow as molasses when trying to visit a thread---anything more added to it and even us cable subscribers at 30 MBS will fall asleep while waiting---IMHO. So don't add anything that will slow this site any further than it is. :cry:

GGaskill · « **Reply #7 on:** March 25, 2006, 10:21:08 AM »

The bowling balls do not penetrate the desert sand more than about a half diameter. I always retrieve them unless it gets too dark to find them.

My video was a minute long so you could hear the whistling finger holes. Suppose I could have posted the sound only.

Dialup users, I feel your pain. I go back to the days of 110 baud modems, so 56K sounds pretty fast, but it is still slow for video downloading.

I guess I should ask if you prefer postage stamp images to the larger ones. They will be smaller and faster to download, but harder to see what's going on, too.

Rickk · « **Reply #8 on:** March 25, 2006, 12:51:33 PM »

Having taken care of several web sites way back into the olden-everyone-has-dial-up days, I always try to remember that dialup still exists today.

I use a shareware program called "Retriever" to reduce image resolution to reasonable size. It works good, and is fairly easy to use. It shows you the image quality as you adjust a slider bar up and down, and also displays the projected file size as the slider bar moves.

Go to http://www.djuga.net/retriever.html to get a copy . They would like you to pay for it after 30 days ($20). I liked it so much I paid for it (after a few months), but it will keep working indefinitely reguardless of if you pay or not.

GGaskill · « **Reply #9 on:** March 25, 2006, 03:25:19 PM »

OK, just for you dialup users, a smaller (855K) version of the one minute bowling ball mortar video. Please provide commentary on this one.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #10 on:** March 25, 2006, 04:25:00 PM »

It took just over 3 minutes at 55,666 - close to my upper limit of waiting.

"Unknown file format"

Any hints as to what to view it with?

jeeper1 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 25, 2006, 05:30:27 PM »

I had to update to realplayer 10 to see the long version.
the newest version needed realplayer 10 also.

Double D · « **Reply #12 on:** March 25, 2006, 06:22:43 PM »

I watched all four of the recent videos posted on the board. I have IBurst which is a wireless ADSL speed is 10Mbps. Way faster than than the dial up I had in VA.

Yesterday I made it a point to to down load all four of the video's and watch them. The whistling cannon ball one would only buffer in short segments and in between buffering sessions I missed or forgot to listen for whistling.

So I then went after George's three. First the system told me my Real Players weren't up to date and I had to update real player. So I down loaded the latest version. while waiting for tIhat I went on the interent and messed and answered a emails and after about a half an hour real player pops up and tells me I have to restart the computer. You know what that means. Close every thing that's open and log off and restart. The computer restarts and then have to log on and reregister Real player. Go through all the confirmation that come with installing a new program. a good 45 minutes had gone by and I still haven't got to see a video yet.

I go through the whole process of down loading the four videoa and 4 hours later I finally have watched about 4 minutes of fun videos. i got to hear the whistling this time, kewl!

The point is you have gone to all that effort to make the video and you are proud of it and you want people to watch so you post it here. But how many people are really watch it. Make it watchable.

Apply the KISS formula. Test you post. See how long it takes the reader to view the video. If you look at it off your computer it plays much faster than if you pull it from the inernet.

Here's my example http://www.fototime.com/34A6B4F61DB2108/conv.wmv

This is a 19 second clip about 3 seconds longer than it needs be. With my 10Mbps IBurst at about 8000 miles from the server it takes about 40 seconds for it to down load. Right on the edge of tolerance. Ii don't know how long it would take for a dial up.

One of you brave dial up guys get your watch out and time it and let us know.

Bottom line guys, and I think everyone will agree. We all like to watch cannon firing video. I think if the poll asked do you like to watch cannon firing videos it would have been 100% in favor.

But to get everyone access to them you got keep them short and small.

FWIW, the New version of Real Player works quite well.

GGaskill · « **Reply #13 on:** March 25, 2006, 07:35:39 PM »

"Unknown file format"

Any hints as to what to view it with?

It's a .rm file which is supposed to be RealPlayer compatible. It plays OK on my RealPlayer, although the image quality is a lot less than the 5.5 meg version.

This is one of the problems of having so many "standards" in the video field. One guy wants maximum quality, the next wants minimum size/fastest downloads. And then there is the proprietary issue; mine is better than yours.

In fact, I am doing neither the picture taking nor the picture editing, so I will take blame only for posting the files. (-:

jeeper1 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 25, 2006, 07:47:57 PM »

Double D, I watched your little video off the net and there was a half second pause in the middle. I then downloaded it to my computer in 12 seconds and when I plaved it there was no pause. I have a high speed cable modem.

Tropico · « **Reply #15 on:** March 26, 2006, 07:25:23 PM »

I think I am missing something here?

Big down loads are not good, I want to see them, but they take to long to open.

Yes, they are not good = No big down loads ?
No big down loads are great! = No big down loads ?

Please take no offense here .,perhaps I am reading this wrong. It looks like my choice of "I like a good clean large image isnt listed"

The way this looks to me ., its a lop-sided one way Poll no matter which way it says i dont like big downloads? I dont see where there is a choice here between the 2 choices ? Personally I have watched this for a day or two and did not want to comment., but I cant help it any more., Does anyone else here see my point?

Personally I like large downloads., Videos and especially high-res pics., this way I can zoom in and see great detail., its what I want is too SEE close. Big images. Most of us actually have broadband according to U.S. internet stats.

Double D · « **Reply #16 on:** March 27, 2006, 04:36:21 AM »

I would bet not as many as you think have broadband.

I just moved from Northern Virginia. My only broad band access was if I subscribed to Cable TV. I didn't want cable TV as I had satellite TV which provided a better program package and better televison quality than cable. There was no DSL available in my area until just a few weeks before I moved. I was on dial up there.

We also have a lot of folks on here who for what every reason don't have any access other than dial up. It may be a retiree on a fixed income or the guy who is just not very computer savy.

I don't want to leave those guys out in the cold.

So if you are state of the art drop an email to the people posting and ask for more details or better quality pictures they'll send them.

Tropico · « **Reply #17 on:** March 27, 2006, 06:40:35 AM »

Quote

I would bet not as many as you think have broadband.

The stats show alot differant. This is not my opinion. Its just true.

Quote

In a recent Wall Street Journal editorial, FCC chief Kevin Martin praised his own policies, claiming that America "leads the world in the total number of broadband connections with 38 million subscribers," and that we were "well on our way to accomplishing the president's goal of universal, affordable access to broadband by 2007."

According to the latest figures from broadband stat farm Point-Topic, DSL continues to outgrow cable modem connectivity world-wide. The group notes that 2003 was a banner year for global broadband, providers adding 21 million lines in the second half alone. These additions brought the total number of broadband lines in service to 100.8 million.

The group notes that the number of DSL lines increased by 79% to 64 million during 2003, while all other technologies combined increased by only 41% to 37 million. While cable dominates the broadband race in the United States, the reverse is true in the majority of other global markets. While cable has a 60% market share, analysts predict that 2004 will be the year DSL closes this gap in the U.S.

According to the report, the broadband industry is leaving the crib and maturing as an industry, evident by the fact the number of broadband lines in use is closely proportional to each country's gross national product. All of the G7 countries are now in broadband's top-ten, with the addition of China, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Double D · « **Reply #18 on:** March 27, 2006, 07:50:46 AM »

The stats you post don't indicated how many GBO Blackpowder Mortar and Cannon readers are broad band...When they say every computer user who visits our board has broadband then your point is valid.

Until then our guidlines will not exclude anyone because they can not afford anything more than dialup and a new computer every 7 or 10 years.

If you wish to post high resolution pictures and large video and active avatars go right ahead. The high resolution pictures just make the thead slow to open. After one try people, most people, just ignore those threads. If you want to post a link to large video, do so but just give a warning that the video is large.

If you want to share the high resolution pictures do this. Post a 72dpi resolution picture on the board. Then post a link to your photo hosting site and invite folks to have a look see. Those that do have the high speed broad band connections can drop in. Even the dial up guys can drop in if they want. But the thread isn't tied up and we can all read it

But think about the little guy. An awful lot of the little guys on this board are the guys who have all the cannon knowledge and without them this board would not be what it is.

Tropico · « **Reply #19 on:** March 27, 2006, 08:04:33 AM »

All of my stuff is 72dpi That is pretty clean anyway as photos go. When I take a photo with my digi-cam I always use the lowest res wich is 1.1 Megapixel., however it is still about a 1/2 meg photo at 1200 X 900 which is larger than my 19" monitor . There fore I do downsize them to 800 pixels wide., this usually drops the image size down to 90kb - 120kb but still allows severall zooms and clean. ACDSee has been my pic viewer of choice since 1995 the latest version as of 2000 and up have an editor built in that can do alot., ACDSee is a cheap tool for the money and is awesome fast as a viewer goes .

I really like the new camera's because they have increased shutter speed drastically in the last few years with larger apeture so you get enough light but still fast for no-blur that the photos are fantastic...., however they are pushing the Megapixel size to such ridiculous levels youd need a 12ft X 8ft wall to view it .,its gone crazy ., even to me.

The idea of posting the file size sure seems reasonable especially for downloadable videos.

Will Bison · « **Reply #20 on:** March 27, 2006, 09:09:50 AM »

I like the big files when my high speed is working. But I also know about sloooow dial up.

I also remember when we still had a magneto phone system in the 1970's and made our own electricity with a China Diesel.

Blaster · « **Reply #21 on:** March 27, 2006, 03:13:21 PM »

Quote from: Double D

I would bet not as many as you think have broadband. We also have a lot of folks on here who for what every reason don't have any access other than dial up. It may be a retiree on a fixed income or the guy who is just not very computer savy. I don't want to leave those guys out in the cold.

I thank you DD for remembering us older guys, out in the sticks without the option of FAST capabilities....

Cannonmaker · « **Reply #22 on:** March 27, 2006, 07:50:41 PM »

Malta Id. 11 miles from here, got DSL about a year ago. We are too far out to get DSL. Frankley I would like to get the last 5.5 miles of our road oiled. That is not going to happen, nether is DSL.

The one good thing is with no neighbors I can shoot the guns in the back yard. Nothen but Cattle, Cyotoes and jack rabbits in the desert down range

I don't look at that many pictures becouse bedtime comes up before the pictures do.

In a couple of weeks when my new web site is all upgraded, you can click on Malta and learn more about all 178 people living in town. I'll let you know when it's up, has a gallery of some of the cannons at parks I have taken.