Is This Forum Dieing ?

[Debbie]

Hi All,

Since the days of the "old" G400-TV this forum, in my opinion, is lacking life.

Doc and a few others contribute with threads of general interest that help this forum to survive. It will be a pity to see this forum die away.

Debbie

[Frank Marshall]

When you see a thread entitled "4 years of troublefree desktop video" in which jeff b states that all has been well since leaving his G400 analog solution for DV/firewire, you can understand why this forum seems less "lively"! But this is still the first site I check whenever I log onto the internet. I expect we're in a lull until the next big seachange in desktop video comes along. Will it be HDV? Hard disk/solid-state memory camcorders? The next generation of real time editing solutions? The Pentium V? 64-bit computing? For now, it's all quiet on the western front. Ooo, spooky.

[Debbie]

Right you are Frank. I agree with you 100%.

Yes me to. I pass this way 3 or 4 times a day. Perhaps this is why we notice the change.

[Sasq]

yes, doc and a few others do a great job in here.
if you want different things happening in here speak up, I'm a busy lad but I'll see what i can find for you.

Dan

[Debbie]

Thanks Sasq.
I think this should be a collective effort and all those that have something to share, eg. video editing artecles, new software, technical details, video and audio codacs including download sites should contribute.

[Hulk]

I agree. It's strange, but since the current state of transferring video to the computer, editing, transcoding, and authoring to DVD seems to be working quite smoothly this forum has calmed down. Now as we move to HD cams, editing and a new DVD format (hopefully) the cycle can start again. Maybe this time the growing pains will be less painful.

I've had quite a busy summer but I'll be sure to contribute some type of review in the near future...

This is still my favorite video forum. I like the "family type" atmosphere.

- Mark

[jeff b]

This BBS has been the most valuable resource for me over the years. It has gone through periods of heavy usage and periods of light usage. And I'd tend to agree that whenever anything new gets released, that's when activity ramps up again. This is one of the sites I check every day, even though I've hardly been active on the board as a poster very much at all, lately. But I always take a look, just about every day, nonetheless.

Actually, this forum was originally hosted at another site by "this idiot", and started out being focused on the Matrox "Rainbow Runner" and how to get the best out of it. The "Rainbow Runner" came packaged with Ulead MediaStudio Pro. I started with MSP version 2.5, I think it was. We spent a lot of time on the BBS in those days in the long and harshly frustrating quest for ERROR FREE DESKTOP VIDEO, and believe me, it was quite a trip!

At some point, "this idiot" (who started the forum) changed the name to "desktopvideo", breaking away from the exclusivity of the "Rainbow Runner". Later on, the BBS was transferred here.

Maybe someone else has some notable dates for these changes and milestones for our forum here, but I have a fuzzy memory for such things...

Jeff B

[Sasq]

Speaking of name changes, its about time I refreshed the blurb for the DV forum on the front page.

Sugestions?

[Debbie]

I also "bumped" into this forum in the days of the Rainbow Runner Studio and UMSP 2.5.

I remember that editing and rendering a 30 min. movie being a task that took hours with rarther poor quality (VCD standard).

The challange has been to obtain good quality from a selection of hardware and software that was then on the market and that's where this forum came in.

I do'nt intend to sound nostalgic, but in a way the satifaction of finishing with good editing and rendering results, has been more rewarding then.

Debbie

[Brian Ellis]

Yup. This was a great source of info. I bought into a very early Marvel G-200 before it was bundled with some Avid crappy software. (Before that, I was doing linear editing with a computerised titling app, which was great, in its day.) There was a note in the Marvel box that because the Avid software wasn't yet available, a light version of MSP was provisionally being bundled but the Avid stuff would be posted to registrees as soon as it was available. I had hell's own difficulty with the Marvel, later found to be the fault of an Asus m/b. When the Avid stuff arrived, it was no better and, in fact, didn't work at all. Once I had changed the m/b to a different make, all my (major) problems disappeared, but the MSP (I think it may have been 2.5, but am not sure) allowed me to make headway, guided by this forum with Chris ('This Idiot) and by Doc Mordrid, in particular. Been faithful to MSP ever since, through all the versions, but very much less faithful to Matrox

[Debbie]

Brian, you're disappointing me.

Your quote:
"I had hell's own difficulty with the Marvel"

I was under the impression that you are "part of hell's crew "
Brian (the devil incarnate)

Just joking, Brian !

[Brian Ellis]

I'm hell incarnate, as well. Much of the trouble I have is of my own making!!!

[IM_Riktar]

If memory serves it was entitled "This Idiot's guide to the Rainbow Runner" and was probably what I spent most of my "internet" time on. I sometimes look back with fondness on those early days.

Just for the sake of asking: Does anyone even use any of their old Matrox stuff?

I am still using the Mystique 220/Rainbow Runner in my office computer. The Rainbow runner is still functional although it is pretty much just sitting idle.

My G400 Marvel is in my 2nd computer and once again the video end of it isn't doing much although the tuner comes in handy when the wife and I can't agree on what to watch.

My main rig is sporting the G400 MAX (Can I get a sarcastic OOOOH) which still provides an absolutely stunning desktop to work in.

I was sporting a Parhelia 128 meg for a short while but since I don't do gaming, and my video editing is just a hobby (again) I couldn't justify the cost. Not to mention I made a few bucks on the deal.

And since I don't check in here as much as I used to I will also ask what has happened to TI? It seems as though it has been the better part of an eon since he posted.

[wkulecz]

Things will pick up when MSP8 gets near or 64-bit OS and editing programs become real.

In the meantime, things are workig well enough for me no I'm not chasing after any minor "improvements".

--wally.

[smitty]

We were pioneers in the old days! It took a lot of effort but we were rewarded as we were few and on the leading edge of editing.We leaned on each other for support and encouragement.
We havent expanded and so the forum questions have slowed.It is much easier to capture and edit today.We could expand the kinds of questions we have to serve as a catayst to expand our own editing.
I for one would certainly have some questions and maybe a couple of answers. That may be one way to hang together and get better at this art of editing.
smitty