Recent Posts

3601

Official Announcements / Re: Revitalizing the Reviews - Everyone Read in Please

« Last post by nudone on January 29, 2006, 01:07 PM »

whoops, i didn't realise that last bit could be read in two entirely different ways. put my name down for all graphics related software reviews - other than that i'm sure there are far better qualified reviewers waiting in the wings to do the other programs.

i'd like to do more but time always gets the better of me - that and wanting to do a million other tasks as the one i'm meant to be doing.

3602

Official Announcements / Re: Revitalizing the Reviews - Everyone Read in Please

« Last post by nudone on January 29, 2006, 10:47 AM »

well, in the dream world that i tend to make all my promises in, i'd have to say "count me in." but as i've had first hand experience in doing a review i know how much time they can take up. admittedly they don't take up your entire life - you do have time to sleep.

joking apart, it's the discipline that's required and the number of other jobs that you have to balance - can i do this? in dream land i can, but in reality i probably can't. the honest truth is that if i could walk out on the job i get paid for tomorrow (boy, am i ready to quit) and get something part-time instead then i'd make it part of my core existence to write reviews - i'd have the time to spare you see.

i guess we are talking a long term project for donationcoder anyway, so my name has got to be on the review list somewhere - just try and keep me off it.

3603

Living Room / Re: Fan Computer Case

« Last post by nudone on January 29, 2006, 05:13 AM »

that multi fan case is insane, or genius, i can't decide. the amount of noise that all the fans must produce must be super annoying - maybe not if they were slow spinning.

could this be the start of a new trend to make the most disturbingly loud air cooled pc?

as for the mini-itx projects, cool - i think i'll build a mini pc INSIDE my current pc like some kind of parasitic twin - how's that grab ya?

3604

General Software Discussion / Re: Programs That Don't Do Anything..

« Last post by nudone on January 28, 2006, 04:30 AM »

inspired.

3605

Living Room / Re: topview recorder or media center pc

« Last post by nudone on January 26, 2006, 07:19 AM »

thanks for the links, mouser. i'll check them out later when i return home.

3606

Living Room / Re: topview recorder or media center pc

« Last post by nudone on January 26, 2006, 07:07 AM »

i have to agree with you, Carol.

i would rush out and get a media center pc (one that has been recommended by a magazine group test or something) but i've had my fair share of troubles trying to record video with various capture cards (and tv cards) in the past - so, i'm still doubtful that these 'cards' or usb devices work that well.

even recently released DVB cards that have had glowing reviews in one popular magazine have appeared elsewhere online being described as nothing but a nightmare to use - the usual dropped frames and lock ups.

this has given me the overall impression that if you are lucky enough to find a capture card that works, regardless of it's age, then it's best to stick with it. the information that is printed on the back of the boxes for these kinds of devices appears to be rather spurious to me also. often claiming to capture at a particular resolution when in truth they capture at a lower res and then scale it up. maybe it's just me and i keep buying rubbish.

i've seen how temperamental DVB signals can be (on some receivers) and how vhs video can send some capture devices crazy. combining this with what i've seen in a couple of other forums i'm not filled with the greatest amount of confidence about a windows media center pc.

i made this post in the hope that i would be convinced otherwise and that i'd hear of media center machines that justify their price tag.

i'm still not 100% decided on what to do...

3607

Living Room / Re: topview recorder or media center pc

« Last post by nudone on January 26, 2006, 01:14 AM »

ah yes, i never even thought about what Sony might be doing on their machines. good point f0dder.

3608

Living Room / Re: topview recorder or media center pc

« Last post by nudone on January 25, 2006, 04:55 PM »

thanks f0dder. i'm of a sceptical nature so i thought that there would be problems with a media center pc. certainly wouldn't be much fun having to keep getting up and walk over to the machine and reboot it or whatever the error message requires.

i'm probably leaning towards the topview - i just keep holding out as i was hoping they would release a version with a built in dvd recorder. i've recently seen that Sony now do a machine that does everything, i.e. records 2 channels from DVB to hard drive (like the topview) but also has a DVD recorder on board. how Sony can charge £500 for this machine, simply for adding a dvd writer i really can't understand - and i mean, i really can't understand.

but then i suppose paying £1000 for a glorified video recorder isn't that sensible either.

as for windows media center being the future - if this viiv thing gets of the ground i'm sure some future version of wmc will be ubiquitous.

3609

Living Room / topview recorder or media center pc

« Last post by nudone on January 25, 2006, 04:26 PM »

i'm trying to decide on whether to get a 'topfield topview' for about £250 http://www.superfi.c....cfm/Product_ID/2379 or go for a Windows Media Center pc system which will cost about £1000.

i've never seen a media center pc in the flesh (i've seen laptops with it installed but i don't think they offer a good example of what the system should be capable of) so it's difficult to know exactly how 'good' these machines are.

to me, the 'topview' box is the more practical but it's also less powerful than a top of the range media center pc. i'm wondering how smoothly a media center pc will work.

there are plenty of questions to ask about this sort of thing and i know this isn't the right place for them really - i'm just hoping someone out there is already familiar with these kind of devices and has concluded which is the right path to take. if you are out there, please let me know your opinions.

3610

Living Room / Re: Rubber Johnny

« Last post by nudone on January 20, 2006, 07:43 AM »

Chris Cunningham, who directed the video, tends to do rather 'ugly' and 'weird' but also technically inventive promo videos for artists that are also a bit 'out there'.

if you seen the two androids kissing in the Bjork - All Is Full of Love video then you'll understand that the guy actually is a genius, though the above Aphex Twin video may not give you that impression.

the Aphex Twin - Window Licker video is also 'strange' but stands out from the current pack of music vids that have appeared over the past few years.

Cunningham has quite a following and great things are expected from him if/when he actually makes the move to directing a feature length film. Rubber Johnny was rumoured to be such a film during the hype period before its release but the final result was largely a let down - as it simply was an Aphex Twin video (again).

i was expecting more myself from the video but as i've said above, the book is in another league. the bottom line is you either like 'twisted' things like this or you don't. i think the idea is there but it could have been better done (but the book is perfection).

3611

Living Room / Re: Rubber Johnny

« Last post by nudone on January 19, 2006, 03:45 AM »

i have the Chris Cunningham DVD this is from. the picture book that comes with it is a true work of art - for warped photoshopped images - the best i've seen without question. the lighting is perfectly executed, which often gives the game away in these sort of edited photos.

the video is okay, as an Aphex Twin promo but, honestly, the book is amazing.

3612

Living Room / Re: caffeine free week - who wants to join me?

« Last post by nudone on January 19, 2006, 03:39 AM »

i 'believe' i nolonger lie awake in bed at night since cutting out the caffeine. now, i have a lovely cup of nescafe mocha in the morning followed by decaf the rest of the day.

3613

Living Room / Re: Why Macs Suck

« Last post by nudone on January 18, 2006, 02:10 PM »

oh, i forgot, Adobe are moving away from the mac and favouring windows - well, it looks that way to me. i can't wait until these 'objects of classic design' are just pieces in a museum.

3614

Living Room / Re: Why Macs Suck

« Last post by nudone on January 18, 2006, 02:07 PM »

ooh, oooh, look at me, i bought an apple mac, oooh, ooooh, i bought and ipod. oooh, oooh, i don't care what they do i just want to be cool. i'm so 'different' don't yah know.

i'm into doing graphics and stuff with Adobe software so it's almost mandatory that i own an apple mac - but i don't. they are rubbish, so is the ipod. it's not even a good argument - they don't look good either.

oh yeah, as has been said elsewhere many times i'm sure - what's with the one button mouse. duh.

3615

Living Room / Re: Best Video Player there is

« Last post by nudone on January 18, 2006, 01:31 PM »

i used 'sasami2k' for quite some time but i've stuck with 'media player classic' as it appears to have the right amount of features.

i find it even more appropriate to use as it comes with the CCCP (combined community codec pack) that seems to get all the codecs to work correctly on your system (famous last words). you'll also get the ffdshow filters/configuration panel installed at the same time which is very handy.

media player classic also gets my vote as it will play DVD disks without having to install things like WindDVD or PowerDVD or some other software you'll have to PAY for (i think media player classic is better than VLC also).

anyone going for the CCCP install will also require things like quicktime and realplayer (or the 'alternative' versions) to get the full set of codecs (okay, i'm sure there will be something missing but this setup has served me well so far).

if you've had trouble in the past with codecs then try CCCP. it worked for me and i do a lot of messing about with virtualdub and premiere and xvid, blah de blah. http://www.cccp-project.net/

3616

Living Room / Re: LCD Screen price hike in the EU coming ...

« Last post by nudone on January 14, 2006, 06:06 PM »

glad i got my monitor when i did - makes me feel like i managed to save a bit of money now.

3617

Living Room / Re: 84.40.3.164 = WOW!

« Last post by nudone on January 14, 2006, 10:32 AM »

anyone interested in the above advert may like to see the original film that inspired it http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094300/ 'the way things go'.

3618

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Corel Paint Shop Pro 10 for $69 through 31 JAN 2006

« Last post by nudone on January 13, 2006, 07:57 AM »

yep, hope it wasn't just a flying visit.

3619

Living Room / Re: submerge your pc in veggie oil - cool and quiet

« Last post by nudone on January 12, 2006, 01:30 PM »

well, i'm still game - just waiting for someone braver than me to work out a really good way of doing it.

3620

Activation/License/Language Help / Re: Screenshot Captor registrieren

« Last post by nudone on January 12, 2006, 07:51 AM »

this isn't what a learnt to type with but it made it amusing for a while after...

the typing of the dead http://www.gamecriti.../typingdead/main.php not played it for a while but it's fun to return to sometimes.

oh, i learnt to touch type by just typing out the alphabet in windows notepad, just over and over and over again - that and talking to people in messenger programs - you have to learn to speed up then. punctuation characters i know but i can never find the right number along the top row.

like Carol i've tried many 'teach yourself to touch type' programs but only so i can recommend them to other people - nothing really springs to mind as exceptional.

3621

General Software Discussion / Re: Nero 7 issue - Nero Scout really annoying delays!

« Last post by nudone on January 11, 2006, 08:15 AM »

looks like nero is on track to be one of those great apps that goes on a path of bloatation and becomes unusable at which point the cycle resets and we start looking for another simple pure app that just gets the job done.

-mouser (January 11, 2006, 07:05 AM)

wise words, wise words...

3622

Screenshot Captor / Re: MiniCap - Screenshot Captor Scrolling Window and New Obj Select Test

« Last post by nudone on January 10, 2006, 04:44 PM »

whoops. sorry, didn't realise that.

3623

Screenshot Captor / Re: MiniCap - Screenshot Captor Scrolling Window and New Obj Select Test

« Last post by nudone on January 10, 2006, 04:20 PM »

cool, works in maxthon (which is ie based so maybe that's not too much of a surprise).

i like the hand grab mechanism for moving around the captured image - something i'm used to doing with photoshop. maybe you could incorporate this feature into screenshot captor and, if so, have the space bar toggle the feature on and off - like photoshop.

fantastic to see this feature being realised anyway, mouser. hopefully you'll find a workaround for firefox.

3624

Living Room / Re: submerse your pc in veggie oil - cool and quiet

« Last post by nudone on January 10, 2006, 03:57 AM »

i've not read the article yet but it's something i'd consider - even if it meant cleaing it out once a year and putting fresh oil in (maybe it would require doing more often?).

i'm planning in going for the water cooled stage soon so if more information is available in a few months regarding oil cooled then i'd be very tempted to try it.

as for cleaning the oil off the cards when need to swap them out - surely there must be some kind of cleaming fluid suitable for this(?).

3625

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Free Netveda Firewall

« Last post by nudone on January 08, 2006, 06:03 PM »

well, i was using agnitum outpost on the old machine but i put zone alarm free edition on my new machine (just out of habit). after reading a few of their comments about netveda i think i'll give it at try - if it's got specific port controls then i'll ditch zone alarm, most likely.