my equipments crap - help

[viscountash]

Got a whole host of crap equipment thats heavy, overly expensive and doesn't do the job to well. I'm getting fed up.

Apple g3 and g4 with analogue outputs into MX10 into NEC850 projector. Also basic VCRs and miniDV camera's. I use a UPS on the projector (normally dodgy electricity supplies). All this kit with cables and 2x15" monitors, cases etc ..... its too much effort for little return.

I use long video (thats why i opted for editing suites, Premiere, rather than something short, sweet and shite like Arkaos) so i need massive hard drives. The MX10 creates loads of static when syncing the sources.

I've got no money other than whats tied up in my kit. Whatamigoingtodo??

DVD players that alter speeds, like DJ's using CD mixers? Do these exits?
What on earth is a scanner? It sounds extremely primitive?
Cheap flight cases?
Do the better Mac based VJ softwares (?300 ish) output in a useful way, or just as a VGA? I really need composite. Can they handle full PAL video of about 15 minute duration?

Any suggestions? I need a G4 for my uni work and i can't let my NEC850 go. That leaves me with about ?1100 to play with if everything else went. What can i get?


Thanks so much. I'll quit otherwise.

[holly]

How are you using Premier in performance? Scratching? Speed control? No realtime effects coming from either computer ? just video from the harddrive? Long five to ten minute loops?

May I humbly suggest that you think about transfering your video to DVDs and traveling with two small DVD players (possibly with built-in screens) with chapter loop or A-B loop? Video quality is very high. Unfortunately there's no such thing as a VJ Disc Player (A-B loop, FForward, FRewind, slo-mo, and zoom are about all that can be done right now, none with subtlety or precise control) but I'm still hoping for one.

Seems to me the two computers and two unnecessarily large monitors are quadrupling your trips to the truck. If you're just playing straight out of Premier, those computers are just very large, very heavy, and very expensive disc players anyway.

HOLLY

[viscountash]

you're right holly

i was intending to build a really primative 'scratch' deck using a mouse and an old record player to scroll back and down the clip's timeline, robust enough to offer it to the audience to play with. also director was an intended programme to use but all that has gone out of the window for lack of work and too many other technical issues.

DVD does sound like the option. Are you sure there aren't any tempo controllable DVD decks? How about modifying a Pioneer CDJ500 or similar so that it could work on VCDs?

I think i'll sell all my hardware, buy a new G4 and a couple of portable DVD players. Reliable, tough DVD player??

[krokodril]

seems to me that 1100 is a lot...
somehow brits always seem to pay more...

what about a low end system pIII wil do or cheap athlon buy a dual screen tv out card (100E) build in 2 dvd players (120E) and a big hd(maybe even raid, skip the dvd all together)

look at tomshardware.com here ao you will find for about 100USD thje new mpeg decodercards plus review on specs for a system which will then handle dvd without any stress

evrybody wants a lappy, but a nice itx or bit bigger board will make a neat travel system as well

[holly]

Lugging around a RAID system just to play video? TWO internal DVD players ? what, each with s-video out? How is that cheaper or smaller than buying two $80 portable players? Leave the edit-studio at home. Or better yet, use the laptop for something useful like organizing your mailing list and contacts, or updating your invoices.

The urge for the ultimate all-in-one laptop is fanboy overkill. Unless you are using live effects, live 3D, audio-visiulizers, or a midi clip-shredder like Arkaos, that 2-dvd computer with external RAID is a liability in the club! One crash and you're down. One theft and you're done.

Would you add balloon tires and stacked suspension to your $65,000 luxury sedan so you can drive it offroad into the mud, or would you buy a couple of 4 wheel ATVs at a fraction of the price and cut loose? Light, fast, and disposable is the way to go.

Ash, there are a few threads reviewing small DVD players. Do a search on VJF for "DVD" and you'll get recent suggestions. A new mid-range G4 tower is enough to burn DVDs, but you'll want to get your hands on a copy of DVD Studio Pro. The learning curve is steep (for a Mac app), but it'll let you author DVDs without menus and organize your clips as chapters for quick access and loops. A stand-alone DVD recorder might be another option worth researching.

[krokodril]

problem is one of you us guys has to mail the players, price here is afaik 110E at least