600gb of VOBs - Looking For Next Step Advice

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JT:

It runs $600. I believe that information is at the company website.

It is USB 2.0 and supports up to 9 Tb accross 12 drives. I currently have over one Tb accross six drives in mine and am thinking of getting two 750's to add to it.

As I indicated, to fit it into a standard rack you have to remove the handles and replace them with angle brackets.

A have this and the computer mounted in the Gator roller bottom rack and the rest in a Gator slant top that sits on top of the roller.

As Jumpin' Jeff indicated, you will need two people to carry each half up/down steps, which is why I charge $10/step for anything over three steps. If they want us to lug it up two fligts, they're going to pay or keep looking.
 
Kayleigh : I've been looking long and hard at external options that may fit the longstanding methods of portability chosen with an open mind to radical change.

Taking into account space, weight, transport, system design, current computer configuration choices, and setup time, the decsion was made to add additional individual single drive enclosures with new 500gb hard drives.

The three new enclosures were purchased at $45.00 each (actually 6, 3 will be empty backups), and three new 500gb drives were $200.00 each. This gives me three sets of two enclosures for each set (one that is on-site primary, one that is on-site backup, and one that is kept off-prem for catastrophic home/office/trailer backup).

Does this help?
 
Cap,

I have to ask a serious question here, and you probably don't want to hear it...


Is this setup becoming more complex, time consuming and expensive, then a hardware only video setup?

I like videos, and am doing some with my new software, but I have to wonder how far you go, and whether the up sell is worth the amount of effort you're doing here...
 
SoftJockRick : This is an outstanding question, sir.

I don't know yet. This video expansion is only since August last year and expenditures have only been around $8K to date. To soon to say.

Several previous ventures into the new new thing have turned great business rewards while one or two have been unprofitable. Choosing not to dabble, it's all in or fold here.

The bonus of exploratory hands-on experience is first hand knowledge, a level of expertise that just may become super valuable for the next new new thing.

A goodly portion of this current video newbie thing is to see if there's any potential for post-event sales. Methinks there is a real potential.
 
Cap,

I've been following your experience since you started (somewhat low key), and I must say, you are doing a fine job of approaching it :)

At the same time, I've seen your frustration with the available knowledge (or lack thereof).

It may just end up, that you will be a great resource to many, in the future...
 
SoftJockRick : The only real true frustration is the lack of vision in the video software choices, options, and any real Help and/or Support for the existing ones.

Imagine something as simple as a vob to mpX (or equivalent) batch file conversion program doesn't seem to exist. Some come close but don't address the needs of a VJ entirely.

I envy your talents in being able to make your own tailored software solutions.
 
The only real true frustration is the lack of vision in the video software choices

Cap,

I'd love to blame that on my competition, but I honestly can't.

MS created DirectShow (a subset of DirectX), which is what we all (99%) use to do video. They did an incredibly bad job on documenting how it works. They also do an incredibly bad job on support for it. I suspect there is a reason for that, but if I told you, I'd probably get sued :sqwink:

That leaves us (developers), with no choice but to kludge through it on our own.

As I've been working on the video portion of my new stuff, I've spent months reading over a certain developer of VJ softwares comments on developer forums. I won't name him/it here, but he'll know :)

His frustration was higher than yours or mine!

It's similar to what Apple does with QuickTime.


So, even though we can can somewhat work through these things, we have to be mindful of the software gods, and the large stick they have been known to wield...
 
SoftJock Rick : While I empathize with the little guy frustrations, big boys attempts at crushing the little guy, and such, it does not solve my problem nor address my needs (again, nothing personal, just in rhetorical terms).

Now with that all out of the way, allow an example of the existing software dilemma.

Say there's a DVD with 4.2gb of vid files.

Crossroads 1:
A) rip into .vob files which takes maybe 20 minutes OR;
B) convert to a compressed file?

A) .vob files are huge but visually and audibly perfect, 20 minutes to extract, but every file needs to be renamed and that renamed file may not be read by the software choice in the same manner or meaning it was renamed to which means one may have to rename the file a second time so that the software reads it properly (VDJ is an example). Change your software program? A third file renaming probably follows. Also have plenty of storage and regardless of how cheap, it does take computer and ergonomic resources.

B) there are dozens of compression options resulting in different file associations, different file sizes, different visually qualities, and different audio qualities. With in each option there are several more layers of options to tweak, peak, or trade-off to another third layer of options, resulting in 6 to 8 hours of extracting/compressing the same DVD.

No where is there a layman's explanation of settings, options, and structures. Furthermore there's no guarantee the best choice of compression will be the most effective on that person's equipment choice or even work on that person's software tool.

I've been given excellent mechanical advice but no one can explain why or answer a what if.

This is all reminiscent of when I took my first computer class in the 70s. No one ever told me how to turn one on, a very basic but important facet if a complete novice, an experience that was terribly embarrassing and never forgotten (which is why there's probably way too much detail in many a Cap posting).
 
Ahhh, but Cap, they are intertwined with the last post I made...

C1) I can rip into MPG format in the same time as VOB. You just need the right software, and I am not allowed to sell that to you.

A) The above files are visually and audibly the same (basically). I have tested them hundreds of times.

B) There's a reason for that. But then I get into gray areas, where I could get dragged into court. Not something I choose to do.

Again, there are reasons why we utilize different codecs, etc. Some are free, some require major licensing fees. The confusion comes, IMHO, because some folks have a monopoly on patents, copyrights, etc.

If I told you how to do it the easy way -- I get burned.

It's basically a CYA, if ya get my drift :sqwink:
 
SoftJock Rick : Those MEANIES!!! :sqmad: :sqmad:

(Check your answering machine!)
 
Anxiously awaiting your next invention Rick, good for you.
I hope to see great things from all you brainiacs in the future.
Without the smart guys writing the code and figuring out how to make it all work and work better, we'd all be screwed.
 
mp3rick Hey, bud! I assume you got the drive okay. Hope there was something of value.

The 5.2 version of your skin is fabulous. Who you calling a brainiac, Mr. Brainiac!

Now I have to figure out how to use this dust collecting brand new DAC3.

Any clue if VDJ is doing anything in Atlanta, Sturbridge and/or Atlantic City such as "VDJ - Less Than 101, For The Really Stupid, Non-Technical, Heavy Drinking, Mentally Infirmed, Video Jock Newbie"?
 
Developers are the brainiacs Cap, we are just the end users of their craft.

Yes, that skin is amazing, it's going to be available in 1024 res also.
Need to check the tagging on some of those files btw.

The DAC 3 has been a Godsend for me, but I just got my hands on the new Numark DMC 2 and another level has been achieved in control, love it.
One DAC 3 for sale...

Make sure you install the correct mapper in the correct place for the DAC, the native support is rather clunky.
The install file has a user/install guide with it, easy to follow.
The best feature is the auto transition feature, so every transition is now different.

Sir, you are no dummy so stop pretending to be one, your cover is blown by your posts.
As far as shows go, AC is the only one planned and it will be a big one with the largest gathering of vdj users to date including some from Europe.
 
mp3Rick : Well I guess I have you fooled too. I know and understand computers quite well. I do not understand programming and more so, instructions for the VDJ program and the DAC mapper dll are friggin greek!

Apparently, no one remembers nor can effectively articulate the information in an easy to understand, non-technical language (at least what I've attempted to read). Without you and Brian Fligg, I would've scraped video by December.

This DAC3 is another elephant. My mouse is twice as fast and does more, but hope springs eternal. Now you tell me there's already another bigger better faster device requiring another learning curve, another set of unreadable instructions and money. Money is the easiest part.

Sorry. Just went off and that's not good (but I do feel tons better).