bitchin!

Just got my computer fixed. I think some bad RAM was replaced or something? Anyway it's working now, except I can't get any sound. Nothing is accidentally muted and all the wires are in their proper holes. what could the problem be?

I was able to demonstrate my complete inability to make an iPod work yesterday. I have decided they are a pain in the ass to operate.

quote:

Originally posted by Archie:
Just got my computer fixed. I think some bad RAM was replaced or something? Anyway it's working now, except I can't get any sound. Nothing is accidentally muted and all the wires are in their proper holes. what could the problem be?

Archie, my computer went mute that way once. I had to go into the Control Panel and dig around for the right thing to re-set it. I never did find out what caused it and don't remember the exact twiddle I had to tweak, but you might go exploring and luck into the solution as I did. Wish I could be more help.

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Originally posted by electricdragon/ madevilbeats:
don't update firmware when it's not sunny....

*laughs*

Wow. Now that I've actually done this, I understand why you would mock me for asking advice on how to hack a DVD player into being multiregion (and you did mock, you rats).

This is my first ever attempt at cheerfully invalidating my warranty, and (since I have close to zero interest in the mechanics of my machines, and just want the damn things to work), I somehow imagined it would be a long process with fifteen leads, a series of 38-figure codes, and me standing on one leg wearing a tin hat. And instead it took, ooh, maybe 40 seconds.

So my second dumb question is: if it is so easy, why do they bother making region-coded DVD players at all?

You have heard of the various media cartels we have over here in the States, yes? They are very keen on continuing to control their product, even after having sold it to you...

While I can't remember the exact keys I had to press, I do know the actual numerical code I had to enter to make my Toshiba 5-disc changer region-free was pi to 5 digits or so. 314159...

quote:

Hive said:
So my second dumb question is: if it is so easy, why do they bother making region-coded DVD players at all?

Good question - the whole region coding thing has become a bit of a joke. Here in the UK most retailers will sell you a player that's region free right out of the box.

I'll be interested to see how that changes with Blu-Ray, but at the moment I buy a lot of foreign films and have no trouble playing them...

best,
Chris H

quote:

Originally posted by Justy:
While I can't remember the exact keys I had to press, I do know the actual numerical code I had to enter to make my Toshiba 5-disc changer region-free was pi to 5 digits or so. 314159...

Same for the LG players, IIRC. This was posted, handwritten texta on copy paper, on the wall of a major electrical retailer down home. It was visible to all and sundry.

Which only goes to show DVD players are cranked out of the same factory, pretty much, sooo...why bother with brand loyalty?

There's a great Onion headline - "New DVD encryption algorithm slows hackers by up two hours."

It is a joke. What if you moved from the UK to Japan? Why is it reasonable to assume that moving maketh a criminal?

And as heavyboots mentioned, those media cartels are, to use a complex economics term, "utter bastards." Selling stuff to people and implying they have total ownership over a product results in lost profits - the renting model works so much better. The only reason I can see for Region-coded DVD players is to stop people getting cheaper models/disks from other countries, and thus create some sort of local monopoly.

In reality, it increased piracy thusly, at least down here, in Sweden, Andorra and Tierra del Fuego and other pesky places that don't happen to fall inside the borders of the the US. Goes summink like this:

1) Studio creates DVD of movie/TV show for US market. Has THX eleven-channel sound, dubs in several languages, including Welsh, the "making of" bit. Has director, producer, cast, grip, intern, caterer, and gaffer commentary. Storyboards, production notes, several drafts of the script, the rejected script by William "Fucking Joss Whedon? Are you shitting me?" Gibson, a minigame. That deleted scene where the female protagonist totally has her tits out for like, three minutes. The "concept soundtrack" by Nickelback. The alternate ending and the director's cut. It is heavily implied that viewing of this DVD will cure AIDS.

2) Studio realises the plebs in other countries might like to watch the movie. Creates a Region 4 disc that has the movie, undivided into chapters, and a soundtrack in mono. Releases this approximately six months after the US version. Whether this is out of a misguided belief that extra features on a DVD will vastly increase weight and therefore shipping costs, or simply pure spite, is unknown.

3) Some postmodern pop-culture spouting freak in Wollongong decides he wants to know how the caterer kept up to the demands of neurotic, fad-following, trend-whoring lead actor who only eats purple tofu on Wednesdays. Goes to buy the disc, realises the Region 4 version is shit, and goes to import it from Amazon.com, along with a player and a power adapter.

4) Realises that Amazon.com charges nearly half the price of the DVD in Shipping, Handling, Insurance, and there's Taxes (do your own acronym there, people) to be paid on it. And there's the exchange rate.

5) "Fuck that, fire up Azureus."

6) Studio scratches head at piracy.

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by Archie:
Just got my computer fixed. I think some bad RAM was replaced or something? Anyway it's working now, except I can't get any sound. Nothing is accidentally muted and all the wires are in their proper holes. what could the problem be?


Archie, my computer went mute that way once. I had to go into the Control Panel and dig around for the right thing to re-set it. I never did find out what caused it and don't remember the exact twiddle I had to tweak, but you might go exploring and luck into the solution as I did. Wish I could be more help.

thanks, LZ. I'm still digging. The sound card couldn't be more than a few months old.

I wish I could give you better directions. All I remember is that I had to dig down to some very basic stuff. Maybe someone who knows more about it than I do will chime in. I hope you can get it fixed. I know how damned angry I was when my machine did that crap.

Can you use those iTunes Gift Cards without a credit card or Paypal account? I don't have a credit card, and I don't want a Paypal account just to use my iTunes gift card... imo, it's a bit ridiculous that Apple won't let you sign up for an iTunes account if you don't have either of those two...

Bit of an aside really, but I've been experimenting with VLC Media Player. I'm liking it.

Its especially handy when having to deal with MKV and 624 encoded video. I've found these formats are inadequately covered by the more common commercially available players, such as Nero and MS Media Player.

yes, VLC is the shit...

The reason the world is divided into regions for DVD sales is (was intended) to keep people in certain areas of the world from seeing a movie before it hits theaters there after the inital DVD release in another market. Mainly, US movies hit the US market first in theaters, then the DVD comes out 6 to 12 months later. Most of the time the actual prints are still out in the world somewhere, floating around. DVD sales of the same movie would hurt the theatrical release profits, so they came up with Region Coding to try and cut down on profit loss. Pretty simple but we all know the idea was flawed and doesn't stop people from seeing a movie at all....

@Archie - some simple troubleshooting tips: A) HARDWARE 1. check the power 2. check the connections 3. check the levels (volume or whatever) B) SOFTWARE 1. check the drivers 2. check the levels

There's so many factors involved but it only takes one wrong setting to mess everything up. Make sure the volume on your playback program is set properly, check if sound comes out of the headphones also. If not that would indicate no sound is being output to the card itself so some setting deep in control panel might be mucked up. You can always try reinstalling the driver for the card. Maybe even open the case and reseat the card in its slot....

quote:

@Archie - some simple troubleshooting tips: A) HARDWARE 1. check the power 2. check the connections 3. check the levels (volume or whatever) B) SOFTWARE 1. check the drivers 2. check the levels

quote:

@Archie - some simple troubleshooting tips: A) HARDWARE 1. check the power 2. check the connections 3. check the levels (volume or whatever) B) SOFTWARE 1. check the drivers 2. check the levels

i suck. i had it plugged into the old soundcard.

OK. I have a problem.

At work we have a few DVD's with presentations about Oxfam. Now i've been asked to take one of the DVD's and cut out a part of a presentation to use for one or other specific purpose.

What program(s) do i need for that? All i have right now is iMovie HD here on the work Mac, but that wont read the .VOB file i copied from the DVD. So i need a program that will open the .VOB file and will let me either edit it directly or will let me save it so i can edit it with iMovie.

ps: the problem here is Mac, i know of plenty of tools to do the same thing on PC. But none of the PC's here are up to the task and today is the one day i didn't take my laptop.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Wanderer,

I know there are a number of bits of software that convert from VOD to MP4 as I converted my wedding vid (which was vod) to MP4 to go on my Ipod!

But at work and no reccolection of what the software is called.. some googling would probably help..

After some googling i found ffmpegX, which promised to get the job done. I've just installed it and am going to let it convert the file while i'm off for lunch.

Wanderer: see also:

MPEG Streamclip for some more complicated operations, like exporting specific clips.

thanks for the tip, justy!