Hi John:
This issue deals with areas that do fall into my field of expertise, if in
fact I have such a thing.
I work for a firm operating a satellite network distributing digital video
files across North America to site servers for presentation of advertising
and news on large format projection displays in public/private multimedia
networks.
Anyway, to your issue:
The result
The most effective way of distributing video across all the time lines and
standards zones you are describing is via Internet download of MPEG1 files.
The reasoning
One thing I can say is that you don't want to try to push tapes and other
things around the earth in the mail. It's hopelessly painful for the person
wishing to se the content and an overwhelming job for the poor fool with 300
people asking for tapes. Digital is the only way to go. It is extremely
simple these days to produce and edit digital video files.
As far as I know we have at least 3 video standards in the areas with the
largest block of listers; NTSC, PAL, SECAM. Add in the fact that the media
formats of the tapes are not standard even in the different countries and it
gets very messy to try a large scale distribution of content. This might be
doable if the objective was to send content from Europe to the US. People
are used to having to bow to North American's everwhelming ignorance of
external standards and habits. As a result it is almost impossible to find a
North American who even knows what PAL is, let along Secam. In fact if you
asked 1000 North American's what SECAM is they would tell you it's a new
sort of way of taking pictures of fish.
However there is a single worldwide standard for digital video; MPEG.
Probably because much of the original work was done by an international mob
of people working from Italy. Anyway, everybody with a 486 and above running
Windows, Linus and Mac OS can decode MPEG1 files directly to the screen.
MPEG1 is rougly equivalent to VHS resolution on an NTSC TV set.
Operational activities
If a person wishes to become the cameraman for the events they organise, it
would be considerably cheaper to buy a simple video/USB convertor setup or
even a Pinacle DC1000 (2 years old and can buy on ebay) to do nice MPEG
encodeing of the output of their handicams. The newer units have direct USB
output of compressed video.
The files can be edited with an almost endless pile of software tools
ranging from Adobe and Pinnacle software to long lists of shareware from
www.tucows.com. Of course the real fanatics can set themselves up with all
sorts of expensive stuff such as we use in our production bureaus, but that
is overkill.
Once this data has been turned into files, the objective is to store it on a
club's web server and allow people with the passwords to download it via FTP
on the Internet. Typically several resolutions are stored with smaller files
for people who don't want to download hundred's of megabytes for an hour or
two's viewing.
Now the primary argument against this is the fact that almost all persons
outside of NA pay for Internet by the minute/hour. That is why I said to use
MPEG1. The files can be kept small and I do believe that the time costs will
be less than the effort and expense of shipping tapes that arrive weeks
after the event has lost all interest to the parties who originally ordered
them.
I realise that I have left out of this note about 90% of the detail
necessary to do the actual work. For example it could well be more sensible
to simpley use Morpheus for peer-to-peer sharing of these files, but that is
somehting that is still more used in the broadband connected world than in
the dial-up universe. So there are a few thoughts. If anybody actually
wishes to do it then plese feel free to email me with any questions you may
have.
Cheers,
Mark Hooper
mhooper@pixelsystems.com
-----Original Message-----
From: John Macartney [mailto:jonmac@ndirect.co.uk]
Sent: Friday, June 21, 2002 10:35 AM
To: Triumph List
Subject: Triumph activities around the world - IT specific & longish
OK - I know this thread doesn't deal with electrics, overdrives and
misfiring probs but it's highly relevant to Triumphs (+ other
unmentionable makes -:)) and how we all use them around the world.
Clearly, Mid Ohio was a great success. Wish I could have been there.
Then it'll be the VTR annual bash (with lots of people asking what
happened to the official group pic) and other regional events all over
the world that haven't already taken place. AFAIK, the only way those
of us in other countries can get a feel for what took place is to
visit websites and in the absence of anything else, they're better
than nothing at all. However, I'm sure there are many on the list with
video cameras (Hi8 or digital) with MILES of intriguing footage that
no-one can see except by conventional means, though many would greatly
enjoy? Does all this existing *amateur* footage means no-one but the
owner and possibly a few club members ever get to see and if so, isn't
that to be regretted?
In my own humble little way, I bought a video camera last year and
already have about 4 hours of UK Triumph related footage including a
lot of material on company history and factory sites that I'd be happy
to share. I did this for my own pleasure and for the longer term
(enjoyment?) of those who might never be able to visit the places that
are literally on my doorstep. The additional premise was that when
finished, the finished work would be a pleasurable alternative to
buying a book with all its limitations. Yes, there's still more to do,
lots of editing and it's still not finished - but is it going to be
worth it? I'd also like to put a few tapes together of old test routes
used by all the UK manufacturers. Fabulous scenery, narrow roads and
all shot through the screen of a Triumph going about its business -
and spewing just a little bit of oil in the process.
A professional production is obviously out of the question on
financial grounds alone but I'd be happy to watch another guy's
footage if it was only a home-brewed version, was sensibly edited and
retained K.I.S.S. principles in its shooting? After all, probably few
of us are Steven Spielbergs and speaking for myself, my production
budget is limited to the shop cost of a blank camera tape and a tank
of fuel.
But other questions are how many would want to see all this, how do
they become aware of the existence of this stuff and how can the
creators get it to them as easily as we use email?
There must be a way that doesn't reflect the NATO defence budget?
AFAIK, the only routes open to anyone with current or future footage,
is to compile a master tape which then has to be duped into NTSC, PAL
or SECAM so it can be viewed in different countries. That costs money
and it's a pain.
So my question is, can we already share video as easily (and as
cheaply) as we can digital pix on a website and is there any
affordable technology whereby the amateur can commit his footage to a
DVD or a website for a computer rather than a DVD player to playback?
This theoretically overcomes the transmission standard variances
(doesn't it?) as you'd replay back through your computer than TV?
Perhaps this is already being done and I'm just behind the times but
could those on the list who are IT gurus provide some helpful comment?
Jonmac
1950 Ferguson TED20 152318
1970 Triumph 2.5PI MG4305DL(O)
1974 Triumph 2000 ML2294DLO
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