Obsoleet

New Obsoleet Shirt Available Now

Sun, 18 May 2014 01:33:22 +0000

While the third episode of season two is still caught up in the early stages of production, I am happy to announce that I have reworked the old Obsoleet shirt design to be something a little more permanent. The old design featured the old site URL, which changed ages ago. The new shirt features the show’s slogan: “Where Old Technology Goes to Live” in the fitting Data 70 font. The shirt is available at the Noobelodeon Store in men’s sizes S - XXL. Check it out!

New Obsoleet Shirt

New Shirt Design

The Music of Obsoleet

Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:42:01 +0000

Over the years, I have been asked for the titles and artists for particular songs within Obsoleet episodes. I have gone ahead and compiled a list of all the independent music from the show, all created by Moonlit under his musical project Byte Garden. There are a few bits of music that aren’t done by Moonlit and are simply in the episodes because those are the only examples I had to work with for a specific physical medium. These examples are not included in the list.

Somewhat coincidentally, Moonlit has released two new Byte Garden albums this week (Cathode Lounge and Sound Tracker), full of brand new music he has been working on for some time. Feel free to check out his entire catalog, and download any and all of his music for free.

Obsoleet Season 01 (Whole Season)
Obsoleet Theme – Byte Garden

Obsoleet s01e02
Obsoleet Theme – Byte Garden

Obsoleet s01e03
Obsoleet Theme – Byte Garden

Obsoleet s01e04
Analostalgia (Off of Experimental) – Byte Garden

Obsoleet s01e06
Phenol (Off of Experimental) – Byte Garden
Medicate (Off of Experimental) – Byte Garden

Obsoleet s01e07
Flyback Basement (Off of Experimental) – Byte Garden

Obsoleet s01e08
AmpFETamine (Off of Sarah Tonin) – Byte Garden

Obsoleet Season 02 (Whole Season)
Obsoleet Theme V2 – Byte Garden

Obsoleet s02e01
EOAS (Demo) – Byte Garden

Obsoleet s02e02
DS1-E2 (Demo) – Byte Garden

Obsoleet on TheNewTech.tv

Wed, 23 Apr 2014 03:06:26 +0000

New episodes of Obsoleet will now also appear on TheNewTech.tv in addition to the usual sites which I regularly post episodes on.

While you’re there, be sure to check out episodes of TheNewTech as well as community-written articles from TheNewTech’s Article Network (including some of my own) and community-produced podcasts from TheNewTech’s Podcast Network.

Obsoleet s02e02

Tue, 22 Apr 2014 12:32:16 +0000

Obsoleet s02e02 – RISC OS on the Raspberry Pi

Stream from YouTube.com
~~Stream from Blip.tv~~
Stream from Vimeo.com
Direct download from Archive.org (720p/1080p h264)
Torrent download (720p/1080p h264)

Show Notes

In this episode, we run RISC OS on the Raspberry Pi.

About the Raspberry Pi – http://www.raspberrypi.org/

Operating system images for download – http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/

Win32 Disk Imager for writing to the SD Card on a Windows PC – http://sourceforge.net/projects/win32diskimager/

Welcome to Season Two

Mon, 07 Apr 2014 20:46:17 +0000

Two weeks ago, I released the first Obsoleet episode in two years. It’s been a long time coming and I simply cannot believe so much time has gone by since that last episode of season one hit the internet. A lot has changed since then and if you followed my sporadic posts over the last two years, you’ll know I picked up some new gear and new goodies along the way.

If you haven’t already seen the new episode, take a minute and check it out. I hoped to give the same old Obsoleet feel with my new equipment, and think that the resulting episode came out nicely. There are still things that I need to work on, and am always working on. My biggest problems have always been sound and lighting, and I aim to work on those as much as possible. I’ve received mostly positive reviews of this past episode, but am always working to improve my previous attempts. Additionally, I admit the last episode was a little light on the content, but I wanted to get out what I could and create some momentum to keep me going even further. If you read my last update, you will know that in addition to the floppy segment from this past episode, I was also working on a Raspberry Pi based segment. Well… I accidentally threw out some of the video I took. Not a big deal as I can recreate it, but it definitely set me back. I hope to push out segments quickly and completely and make sure nothing stays on the back burner for too long.

As for my next segments, I can say that I am working on completing this Raspberry Pi fueled segment and have a few more Raspberry Pi segments coming up behind. I also have some other segments in the works, but I’ve been very RPi focused over the past few weeks and enjoy the interesting, though tedious, challenges that come with the platform.

Additionally, I’ve been working to try to revive some of the services I utilize for the show. Donations have now been expanded, and Dogecoin (as well as your other favorite cryptocurrencies) is now accepted aside from traditional donation services. These changes are reflected on the Donations page as well as a new widget on the left side of the screen. Social networking sites should also see some minor tweaks, and I do hope to redo the iTunes feed. Things are progressing fairly well, and I hope to bring out another episode soon.

As always, feel free to send me your questions, comments, concerns, or episode ideas. I’ve already got a few of each but always consider every bit of feedback I get.

I hope you’re enjoying season two as much as I am so far. See you next episode!

Obsoleet s02e01

Sun, 23 Mar 2014 21:41:40 +0000

Obsoleet s02e01 – Commodore Floppy Copy

Stream from YouTube.com
~~Stream from Blip.tv~~
Stream from Vimeo.com
Direct download from Archive.org (720p/1080p h264)
Torrent download (720p/1080p h264)

Show Notes

First episode for the new season, using some footage shot last year. This episode focuses on backing up your Commodore disks to create images which can then be archived or played on an emulator.

Showcases the ZoomFloppy, used to connect a Commodore Disk Drive to a modern computer.
http://www.go4retro.com/products/zoomfloppy/

This is handy user guide for OpenCBM, http://opencbm.trikaliotis.net/

Also used was CCS64, a Commodore 64 emulator for Windows PCs, http://www.ccs64.com/

Filming & Pubcasting

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:14:46 +0000

I took a good amount of time over my spring recess to get back into the swing of things with Obsoleet. Let’s go over what’s been going on.

Since I’m now shooting in high definition and aiming for a 720p release size, I’ve decided to create a new introduction sequence. Nothing too special, just a montage of various shots of tech doing awesome things. Moonlit has also gone ahead (or maybe I badgered him a little) to create a remix of the theme song to go along with the new introduction. I wrapped this up last week.

The season premier will have two main segments: one involving Commodore floppies, and another with a Raspberry Pi. Hopefully that whets your appetite a bit. Both of them involve filming as well as screen capture of some sort or another, so there’s a little more complexity with pulling them off. The first segment has been completely filmed, while the second segment has about 1/3 completed. The other 2/3 shouldn’t take much longer.

Additionally, I will need to do the beginning, end, and transition bits (which should go quickly) and I also want to record a little skit as an opener. Nothing to major there. After dumping all of the footage, it will probably just be a few hours of editing if the software behaves. As for the filming itself, things are going pretty smoothly and I’ve been getting much better at lighting shots.

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re getting close to an episode. Here are a few stills as my way of saying thanks for hanging in there.

Also, last Friday I was a guest on the Pubcast Podcast (I did end up talking about the upcoming episode for a bit) so feel free to check that out if you get a chance. Ultimately, I hope to wrap up filming fairly soon and get started on the next episode.

Season 2, Here We Come

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:39:10 +0000

So I’ve been neglecting season two for a little while and though I put some feelers out there for it, I decided to make a big post and officially get the wheels moving. Now that I’ve finished off most of my video side projects, I can focus back on the show.

However, there are some things to consider and some questions I have for you all, the viewers.

Let me start off by saying that the last few months have been anything but a waste. I have the big honkin’ computer, bought some new gear, and have been clearing away data from my crowded camera SD cards and hard drives. I made some short videos, I made a segment for The New Tech, and I’ve been getting pretty decent at going high-def. It’s exciting times. That said, I wanted to start working steadily on season two last month but hit a temporary setback. It’ll make a good blog post one day, but not now. We have important work to do after all.

So while I’ve been toiling away in my mad scientist’s laboratory of technology, I’ve been thinking of where I want to take this new season. All of my previous content was filmed on standard definition tape which won’t cut it very nicely for this new-fangled high definition format I’ve adopted. For starters, I want to do a new intro. So, if you happen to do any sort of graphics work and do animation or 3D rendering or anything like that and would like to contribute something, let me know. Maybe you have a 12 second rotation around an old Western Electric telephone done in Inventor or (like Pat) are doing some interesting video output work with an Arduino. If there’s anything you think would fit in, you know how to get a hold of me.

I’m also interested in what you guys want to see. Is the format working? Do you like the reviews? Are there specific segments that you think I could do or would like to see? Yeah, I get some requests now and then, but not as many as you’d think. Are you interested in more “meta” segments, like how I make the show or a tour of the things I have? Stuff like that.

I’m open to all of your ideas, every which way. Let your imaginations run wild.

Hope to see you in season two.

The New Tech – Episode 6

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 03:38:57 +0000

I’m in the newest episode of The New Tech with a segment on floppy copying. It’s basically in the style of an Obsoleet segment, and is my first foray back into a show format with my new filming gear. Check it out, and check out the rest of their episodes as well!

The Barn

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 01:01:08 +0000

My mini documentary The Barn is finally out. Watch the video and check out the writeup here.

Updates

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 23:25:05 +0000

About time for another update. Luckily, this one is full of good news.

Let’s get down to what’s been going on.

In August, I released an episode for Hacker Public Radio entitled “Hacking Second Hand – Obtaining Old Tech.” It was well received and with any hope I’ll do another one.

Obsoleet.com has now full overtaken the old site, and I think it looks a lot nicer.

Starting early August, I began ordering parts for a computer build. The whole build is outlined here, and was completed in early September. While the build went well, after writing that post I was installing a large amount of software for some floppy disk drive controllers to be used in a future segment. Unfortunately, one of the drivers had a disagreement with my computer and rendered the computer un-bootable. On top of that, I couldn’t restore from any restore points. These things happen.

So, I completely reinstalled the OS and all of the applications I was using. Now, I have been using Sony Vegas to edit Obsoleet since the start of the series, but I am getting more and more fed up with it. It crashes frequently, and it doesn’t like rendering with my GPU. So, I am making the switch to Adobe Premiere if all goes to plan.

Before I abandon Vegas, you may remember that I started a small documentary project back in April. I’m proud to say I’ve been giving a few hours here and there to finish it up. I did a penultimate edit last week to mostly supportive comments, and after some minor audio work I think it’ll be completely done.

Starting in September, I also began work on a segment for The New Tech. It was put off because the computer got hosed and I needed to do some screen capture before it was all completed. As of today, all of the footage for this segment is completed and is currently going up so it can be grabbed and edited for release.

Things are looking good.

Hacker Public Radio and Other Housekeeping

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 14:36:18 +0000

On August 1st a show I recorded for Hacker Public Radio (hpr) went live on their site. It is officially titled Hacking Second Hand – Obtaining Old Tech and focuses on getting hardware from the used market. You can listen to it here, http://hackerpublicradio.org/eps.php?id=1043.

As for the Obsoleet.com site (which you are on), I have fixed the RSS feeds, and fixed/re-hosted all of the images. Everything should be imported over now, and re tagged as needed. There is some fine tuning to be done but the site is functional. The old site will soon get a post to direct stragglers over, and the old obsoleet.noobodeon.org will direct here as well.

I’ve been doing pre-production for my segment for The New Tech. I should be able to film a bit this weekend, and if not, two weeks from now (as I will be going on vacation). I also ordered some new lighting inspired by the hosts of TNT, so hopefully I can have it set up by the time I start recording.

Lastly, I have finalized my new computer build and have started ordering components. Hopefully it will come together by the end of the month.

Where is Obsoleet?

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 15:52:41 +0000

I haven’t made a new episode in a while. I apologize for that. Let’s talk about what has happened in the interim.

Episode eight came out in February, and I released a short test video a month after with my new camera. In the month of April, I started working on a short documentary, but here is where the snags started. What it really comes down to is my computer being unable to handle editing high definition video. I edited together the footage from the first shoot after a few days, but trying to do anything more than splice clips is next to impossible. I can’t color correct without crashing, precision editing cannot be done with choppy video, and I barely have enough resources to run my editing software yet alone any other applications.

Let’s step aside from this for a minute.

In early May, I started the SaveRev3 project. I actually hinted at this in Obsoleet as an un-named project. Anyways, with the the help of others I have archived all of Revision3’s “Archived Shows” including ones they removed from their site. A nice accomplishment if you ask me. On top of this, I started a new website for the project called Anarchivism. Anarchivism is an ad-hoc/umbrella/do-ocracy destination for archiving projects which has already expanded past the Revision3 efforts to cover other video shows, audio shows, hacker conference media, and demoscene discs. With any luck, it will only get larger.

Aside from this, I have been writing more. A lot more. I have been keeping SaveRev3 status updates, general reviews, editorials, etc. and it has given a new spark to my old habits. Aside from writing for my own site, I have also been contributing articles to The New Tech, a wonderful video podcast and community-oriented site.

This leads in to what’s next. I had originally thought about releasing short one-segment videos to pass the time before I build a brand new computer with all the bells and whistles (Which I’m starting early August). Instead of doing these one-off segments for Obsoleet, I got the idea to contribute them to other shows. I am planning on creating segments for both The New Tech and BSOD in the near future before starting season 2 of Obsoleet. This way, I can still make video while getting my computer together, and have some of the editing responsibilities split with others.

I also plan on branching back out into audio. The New Tech is planning a weekly radio radio show that I hope to be involved with in some capacity. I am also planning an episode of Hacker Public Radio, which has been on the to-do list since before it was even called Hacker Public Radio (TWAT represent!). In addition to all of this, I’ve been considering revamping Techtat so that it has its own podcast in addition to the articles.

So where are we exactly with Obsoleet? Season 2 will pick up after I build an editing rig. Plain and simple. In the mean time, I’ll produce content for other shows, so you can still get your fix. As a little bonus, I’ve recently registered obsoleet.com (which I’ve been waiting to be free since starting the show) and have migrated the site over there (Update your bookmarks). It still needs some work, but it’s getting there bit by bit.

As always, let me know what you think. If you have any additional ideas, suggestions, or gripes, you know how to find me.

Monday

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:36:57 +0000

Monday. from Famicoman on Vimeo.

I made a little test video yesterday with my new camera. It’s not perfect, but it’s something. Check it out below, or click the title to go to vimeo and watch it in high definition.

Graphics Anyone?

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:33:13 +0000

For the blip.tv account, it has come to my attention that Obsoleet needs some new graphics in the following dimensions: 540x800, 980x400, 220x150. Instead of adapt my same old design, I am posing it to the community to see if anyone can come up with anything else, and have their work showcased on the page (and anywhere else I feel like). I may also adapt designs for shirts later on down the line.

So if it catches your fancy, fire up Photoshop or Gimp and let me see what you can come up with!

Going Social

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:23:04 +0000

As I start pre-production on Season 2, I went and updated some of Obsoleet’s more social platforms.

~~There is now a Google Plus page located at, https://plus.google.com/109504373189656584477/posts~~

~~The Facebook page now has a permanent address here, https://www.facebook.com/Obsoleet~~

The Twitter page as always, https://twitter.com/#!/obsoleettv

~~I’ve also set up Obsoleet with the micro-donation platform Flattr here, http://flattr.com/thing/500710/Obsoleet as well as Bitcoin which you can find on the Donation page.~~

Got any suggestions on how to bring Obsoleet into more of a social scene? Contact me and let me know.

Obsoleet Episode 08

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:22:00 +0000

Episode 08

“The Audiosode”

~~Stream from Blip.tv~~
Stream from Vimeo.com
Stream from YouTube.com
Download XviD from Archive.org
~~Torrent download (XviD)~~
iTunes/Miro links are available in the Show Stuff section near the top of the page!

Show Notes

Segments:
8-Track Tapes
Book Review
Flexies

“8-Track Tapes”
Shows the basics of 8-track tapes. Uses a Sears player/recorder. Music was recorded on to tape with an iPod connected to the input jacks on the tape deck.

“Book Reviews”
Kingpin – Kevin Poulsen
Ghost in the Wires – Kevin Mitnick

“Flexies”
Shows two flexi discs compared to a standard vinyl record. Flexi discs are than demo’d on a Technics turntable.

Now on RantTV!

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 14:41:00 +0000

Obsoleet is now on RantTV, the oldest Internet television station! If you used to be big into the iptv scene, Rant will ring a few bells. Not only did they have a video stream of popular web-only shows, but also produced their own video shows featuring Sean Kennedy.

Every episode of Obsoleet is now included in the rotation, and if you tune in to the stream, you can view awesome content from other members of the RantMedia community.

For more information, check out the main RantTV site. For everything Rant does, check out RantMedia. Finally, to view the current rotation, check here.

Auduino and Stuff

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 02:47:00 +0000

It’s been a bit more than two months since the last episode of Obsoleet hit the Internet, and you might be wondering what the deal with that is. Well, a multitude of things come into play here. My personal life, and my professional life have undergone some changes lately, and I don’t have the time or energy I once did. I am by no means saying that I have no time whatsoever, things have just hit a crawl. Many of my projects and projects I am involved in are slowing down, though one is actually moving again after years (more on this in the future), and all this is being shifted and optimized as I work with my schedule to do more things I enjoy doing.

Having said that, I still constantly toy with everything. I recently bought an Arduino Uno and set off to build an Auduino that I hope to toy with a bit. It’s a pretty cool and simple analog synthesizer that can make some awesome sounds. I literally sat turning nobs for an hour I was so impressed by it. I also managed to make a little demo video to show what I did,

It isn’t a ‘segment’ by any means, but it is something cool that I thought deserved to be filmed. Will it make its way into a future Obsoleet episode? I hope so. Hope you can find it as interesting as I do.

Torrent RSS

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 12:28:00 +0000

I have “created” an RSS feed for the torrents of episodes available here,

http://feeds.feedburner.com/ObsoleetTorrents

I basically made a feedburner pointed at an RSS feed that corresponds to searching for ‘obsoleet’ on Kickass-Torrents. This way, if I upload a new torrent, it will pop up in the feed. Now, I used feedburner so there is an easy transition if I ever decide to handle the RSS feed for the torrents in another fashion.

Shirts Now Available!

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:50:00 +0000

Check out the Noobelodeon Store, and score an Obsoleet t-shirt!

Obsoleet Episode 07

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:45:00 +0000

Episode 07

“The Digisode”

Show Notes

Segments:
Minidiscs
‘Secrets of a Super Hacker’ Review
Digitizing VHS

“Minidiscs”

Shows the basics of Minidisc Net-MD players, transferring to Minidsic from the computer, and playback on a Minidisc deck.

Players used were: MZ-NE410, MZ-N510, MDS-JE500 (deck)

The SonicStage software can be found here, forums.sonyinsider.com/files/file/95-sonicstage-43-ultimate-edition/

NOTE: Registration is required for download, but is free and takes no time at all.

“’Secrets of a Super Hacker’ Review”

ISBN-10: 1559501065

ISBN-13: 978-1559501064

“Digitizing VHS”

Gives a little discussion of methods for transferring VHS.

Shows off the PolyTron Digital Video Stabilizer, Vidicraft Detailer II, Vidicraft Proc Amp, Archer Super Video Processor, Archer Video Enhancer/Stabilizer, Archer Video Color Processor, Archer Video Sound Processor, Ambico Video Enhancer/Audio Mixer, Sima SED-CM Video CopyMaster.

This is followed by a demonstration chaining the VCR —> Stabilizer —> Vidicraft Proc Amp —> Vidicraft Detailer II —> DVD Recorder.

Annoucing IPTV Torrents!

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 23:17:00 +0000

So I’m sure many of you know my work with the IPTV Archive, and in a similar idea a new site called IPTV Torrents has officially launched today. This project is spearheaded by Corrosion of DeAuthThis, secret52 of Hak.5 torrents, as well as myself. The site is a cross between a public and private torrent site. While you can download torrents without registering, the real fun comes when you become a member. You can upload content, comment on torrents, search for lost shows, and become part of the community!

The idea for the site came around a month ago, and quickly went into a closed testing period. After it proved stable enough, it was expanded to a closed beta and has been so until today, where it is now completely public.

IPTV Torrents offers great potential. Not only can it be a great service for finding older, lost iptv shows, but can also be a great resource for newer ones. Why wade through dozens of pages of download links when you can click one and be done? It can even act as a launch pad for show creators to share their content, talk with other creators, and get connected with potential viewers.

Though the site is still in its early stages, and a bit rough around the edges, it needs all the support it can get. If you think it might interest you, check it out. We are open to all ideas, criticism, and compliments.Feel free to use all aspects of the site, and show your support through the IRC, Twitter, or Facebook page if you desire.

Happy IPTVing.

That Guy with the Glasses

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:55:18 +0000

~~Obsoleet is now on That Guy with the Glasses. So, if you happen to be on the site, send me a contact invite and comment on the show and whatnot. Check it out here.~~

Obsoleet Episode 06

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 21:13:00 +0000

Episode 06

“The Belatesode”

Show Notes

Segments:
CEDs Part II
Holiday Reviews
Commodore 1702

“CEDs Part II”
Shows the operation of several CED players including:
RCA Selectavision SKT 200
RCA Selectavision SJT 100
RCA Selectavision SFT 100
Zenith CED VP2000

“Holiday Reviews”
Reviews several items:
– “From Betamax to Blockbuster” by Joshua Greenberg
– “Phone Losers of America” by Brad Carter
– Get Lamp DVD
– Pure Pwnage Season One DVD and CD bundle
– Liquid Tape
– Wire Glue
– Digital Video Stabilizer
– Stylophone

“Commodore 1702”
Shows off the use of the Commodore 1702 monitor. Demonstrates homemade s-video to chroma/luma cables for high quality picture using a laserdisc player to pipe video to the monitors.

Lack of Episode

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 21:16:00 +0000

So there has not been an episode release in a two months. I hinted it may happen, and it has. Why? you may ask. Well, there have been numerous setbacks to take into mind. For one, school is demanding more time than I had anticipated. There is also the problem of a combination of leaking and flooding within my filming area. This ended up ruining a book shelf and temporarily scattering the contents of the shelf. So this leaves me with little working space.

So what does this all mean? Well, I have failed to release on time, but the show is anything but dead. The next few episodes may be a bit more strangely cobbled together than usual and feature some new filming locations. Same content, new style.

I’d also like to add that I’ve also been devoting a bit more of my energy to my blog as well as The IPTV Archive, the latter of which I have been ignoring for near six months. The more I spread my attention, the better there is a chance that all of my projects will come together to work in chorus.

The time off hasn’t been completely wasted. Below are some stills of things I have been messing with that may find themselves in future episodes. Thanks for sticking around, and I hope to have something out soon.

RSS Feed Update

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:22:00 +0000

I realized today that the RSS feed was pointed at the wrong place. It allowed you to get the episodes, but it was the feed for the iTunes releases. You don’t have to do anything on your end to see the changes, and by seeing this post you can be assured everything is working.

Obsoleet Episode 05

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:59:00 +0000

Episode 05

“The Perspectivsode”

Show Notes

Segments:
VHS Basics
Payphone Anatomy
Quadraphonics

“VHS Basics”
Makes use of a RCA Selectavision VCR and a Phillips Magnavox VCR. The segment talks about the history of VHS format and introduces the VCR and VHS tape.

“Payphone Anatomy”
Segment shows the inside and outside of a Protel payphone. This phone is a COCOT and may be incomplete. There is a brief history of payphones followed by the teardown.

“Quadraphonics”
Features a Sony 4-Channel Quad Receiver and offers a brief demo or the positioning function of the receiver and a history of quadraphonics.

Now with Facebook

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 03:46:00 +0000

For those of you who are socially-minded, I have created a Facebook page for Obsoleet that you can list under your television section. You can easily access it here. I thought it would be a fun way to involve the community if nothing else. I’m not the biggest fan of the Facebook page system, but I think I can work out a happy medium.

~~Edit: Link fixed!~~

Obsoleet Episode 04

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:30:00 +0000

Episode 04

“The Monstersode”

~~Stream from Blip.tv~~
Stream from Vimeo
Stream from YouTube.com
Download XviD from Archive.org
>~~Torrent download (XviD)~~
iTunes/Miro links are available in the Show Stuff section near the top of the page!

Show Notes

Segments:
Scrap Stereo System Project (Shinmaryuu)
Laserdisc Lives
Old School BBSing (Patt)

“Scrap Stereo System Project”
Questions go to @Shinmaryuu on twitter.
My scrap stereo system project and how to buy a old school stereo system components.
My stereo is made up of a MCS (JC Penny Store) brand all in one system which includes a AM/FM radio, receiver, dual tape deck, equalizer, and turn table. The system was purchased alongside the speakers and cabinet all for $40. The system is not recommended and is actually of pretty poor quality. I mostly bought the deal for the old school high, low, mid speakers and the cabinet. I use the Audio in RCA jack on the receiver to pipe in a Sony 5 CD Changer or my hacked 5th gen iPod which runs the rockbox software so i don’t have to use iTunes. This system is the basics and will evolve over time as i find better stuff.
How to get your own. Thrift stores are your friend. I bought the entire system you see in the video for under $50 not including the iPod which i had laying around. Most of the time if you shop wisely you won’t pay more that $10 for each component buying in this way. Brands to look out for in equipment are Sony, Marantz, and Pioneer with Marantz being the holy grail of thrift digging. When it comes to turn tables a good Audio Technica table will give you good quality for a decent price. Brands to avoid are any of the Sears and JC Penny brands such as MCS since they are all pretty poor cheaply made Chinese built crap. The years to look for are 1980s-1990s in order to get a high quality piece with modern hookups at a low price. Anything made in Japan during that era is going to be pretty good.
The idea of this project is both practical and creative in nature. Similar to the Ratfink style of hot rods the idea is to take a bunch of stuff and turn it into your own creation. Sure you can buy a $100 shelf system covered in blue LEDs and extra useless plastic from best buy but it will have none of the soul and creative freedom that comes from dusting off electronics from the past and showing them some love. It takes very little work, very little money, and you can create some pretty awesome results. Nothing really sounds as good when it comes to rock and roll than a old pair of 3’ 1970-1980s speakers. Go spends some time digging in thrift stores and see what you can find.

“Laserdisc Lives”
Provides a history and overview of LaserDisc technology with video and images, then covers my LaserDisc collection as well as my collection of LaserDisc players. During the overview discussion, there are a few asides with comparisons and further explanation. During the player collection overview, there is an aside for the operation of a player. The disc collection may be skipped as there is little to share other than what the discs look like and are packaged with.

“Old School BBSing”
Uses an old serial modem to connect to a BBS via telephone number. The computer runs Windows XP and runs HyperTerminal in this segment, a program that is included in XP installs. The link used in this segment to find Dial-up bulletin boards is, http://www.telnetbbsguide.com/dialbbs/dialbbs.htm

Donations

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:22:00 +0000

I’ve opted to include a donation link in the links menu near the top of the page after a suggestion to. Every little bit helps, and everything will be going towards buying zany stuff for the show. You can also donate using this little button below.

Obsoleet Episode 03

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:06:00 +0000

Episode 03

~~Stream from Blip.tv~~
Stream from Vimeo.com
Stream from YouTube.com
Download XviD from Archive.org
~~Torrent download (XviD)~~

Show Notes

Segments:
Betamax Basics
Vocoding with the Stylophone
Reel-to-Reel Players

“Betamax Basics” used a Sanyo Betacord VCR 4400, and a broken Sony Betamax SL-HF550. The blank tapes were Kodak and Sony brands with the number L-750. This segment focused on using the Betamax player while providing a brief history.

“Vocoding with the Stylophone” used a Stylophone available from Thinkgeek, http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/musical-instruments/aa64/ . The Stylophone was hooked through the computer using the headphone jack on the stylophone and the line-in jack on my computer’s sound card. Programs featured in the segment were Audacity via http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ , Zerius Vocoder via http://www.epiphyte.ca/code/vocoder.html , and Spectro via http://spectro.enpts.com/ . The segment talked briefly about the Stylophone’s use as an instrument and then demonstrated the ability to use it as a post-recording vocoder tool in the style of bands such as Daft Punk and Electric Light Orchestra.

“Reel-to-Reel Players” used a Concord Tape Recorder, a Tandberg 3300X, and an Akai GX-2300. This segment also made use of a Helix HX-4635 Boombox which is also known in other markets as a Conion C-100F and a Claritone 7980. An iPod Video was used briefly to show the recording capabilities. The segment mainly focused on showcasing the players as well as showing record and playback abilities.

Electronic Beer

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:14:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I was given a shoutout on episode 17 of the podcast Electronic Beer which is hosted by a group of people from Thinstack. It is an entertaining podcast focusing on beer and current events. Good for a listen, and great if you are in the chat channel on a live streaming night, which takes place every Wednesday.

Torrents

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 11:56:00 +0000

~~Made torrents for each episode~~

~~Episode 1 – http://torrage.com/torrent/22F33BE947C538A89193F3BD3357343C3D3156B3.torrent~~

~~Episode 2 – http://torrage.com/torrent/B642606A5D9A1CA84E27BA4E38A4C3CF80C483C0.torrent~~

Enjoy! 😉

Odds and Ends

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:11:00 +0000

Thought that I’d share a section of Archive.org which I use to store miscellaneous stuff for the show. Some makes it into an episode, some doesn’t; it is really a mixed bag. Inside you will find the show’s theme song, an earlier version of the theme song, and the VHS Disasterpiece video. More stuff will be coming, and if it is interesting enough, I’ll probably make a post about it. That said, some other stuff may make it onto the archive that never shows up anywhere else, so keep your eyes open.

https://archive.org/details/Obsoleet

iTunes and Miro

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:23:00 +0000

I successfully got iTunes working by creating a little wordpress blog to post .mp4 files to that are generated by archive.org when I upload the Xvid, the link to get the show on iTunes is here, http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/obsoleet/id378988732

~~I also found out a little bit ago that Blip.tv does Miro for me as well. The Miro link can be found here, http://subscribe.getmiro.com/?url1=http://Obsoleet.blip.tv/rss~~

If Odeo ever comes back on line, I’ll be sure to setup something with that service as well. Back five years ago, Democracy Player and Fireant were the two big video distribution applications, and they have, over the years, become Miro and Odeo respectively. It would be a shame to only have one. Enjoy the new services!

VHS Disasterpiece

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:03:00 +0000

This is not an episode, it is more of an experiment and a product of boredom. Thought I’d share it with the world instead of keep it to myself.

You can also download this (ridiculously large) video in XviD from Archive.org.

I decided I wanted to see how VHS degraded through the process of copying. Some people may be experienced with “workprint” cuts of movies. A workprint is simply an unfinished movie cut of a film meant for inner circulation by film personnel. Workprints can often contain unfinished effects, alternate takes, different endings, etc. This causes them to be highly prized by collectors.

So how does this fit in? Most workprints were dumped to VHS for circulation, and every once in a while these tapes would get taken off the movie set. People would copy a tape, give it to a friend, and continue this process. Most of these workprints have awful wear because of this.

I decided to run episode one of Obsoleet through some VCRs. The episode was streamed to a VCR via a modified Xbox running XBMC. I then copied the tape back and forth through two VCRs about seven times to get this result.

I dumped the tape to DVD via a DVD recorder, which actually tried to correct the tape and made it look even worse. The recorder might have corrected some of the color, but made the video shaky and more distorted.

I ripped the DVD and cut out a segment that I think best shows the degradation of the video.

Obsoleet Episode 02

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:23:00 +0000

Episode 02

~~Stream from Blip.tv~~
Stream from Vimeo.com
Stream from YouTube.com
Download XviD from Archive.org

Show Notes

Segments:
Pocket Tone Dialers
CEDs
Portable Radio Station

“Pocket Tone Dialers” used a Portatouch2 tone dialer, a Radioshack tone dialer, and a Bell model 500 rotary telephone. The Radioshack tone dialer appears to be modified to relay sound to an audio jack. Also featured was an iPod Video, and a Sony cassette recorder. To relay sound so the camera could hear it, a recorder telephone pickup (Radioshack part 44-583) and a mini audio amplifier (Radioshack part 277-1008) were used.

“CEDs” showed five capacitance electronic discs, also known as Selectavision videodiscs. The discs can be opened with a small screwdriver.

“Portable Radio Station” used a 4-channel stereo microphone mixer (Radioshack part 32-2056), a Dynex Portable Wireless Fm Transmitter, an RCA audio cable, and iPod Video, an RCA male to 1/8 inch male cable, and two Panasonic radios.

YouTube

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:02:00 +0000

The first episode has been added to YouTube. You can check out the channel page here, http://www.youtube.com/user/ObsoleetTV

The video is in three parts.

Episode One Aftermath

Thu, 27 May 2010 23:06:43 +0000

It has almost been a week since I released episode one, and I have a few things to share.

I got mostly warm reviews for the show, here are some of my favorites:

From Shinmaryuu via Twitter: Really is the shot of new tech blood in the arm IPTV needed.

From ionfarmer via Twitter: Obsoleet TV, a 2 word review: Fuck Yeah!!

Shinmaryuu also made a blog post about the release which can be seen here Having said that, I also got a bit of constructive criticism, and I am going to be playing with the intro a little bit, and hopefully sharpen it. I also absolutely hate how Sony Vegas does credits by default, so I am going to look into some more options for that as well.

From a filming perspective, I actually found my favorite part to shoot was the intro scene. So, you can probably expect some more moving around in future segments instead of just a static shot. I seem to like the act of cutting a sequence together all Dr. Frankenstein-like. I also am going to play with lighting, and might make a dedicated little filming area, but I need to clean up a lot of my stuff and decide how I am going to orient the current space.

Releasing the episode was also an interesting process. I output the episode from Vegas, and it gave me a 5gb DV formatted avi file. I then tried to run this through Avidemux (a great video program by the way) to get an XviD. I thought it would create a file too large (it looked like it was going to be around 700mb for a 25 minute video) and I wanted something a bit less than 300mb. I tried using AutoGK, but it kept messing up the aspect ratio even though I was specifying to keep it unchanged. I ended up just fixing the bitrate in Avidemux and outputting accordingly. This was after around five hours of battling AutoGK. So now I know what settings to use for future episodes. I am now getting into the habit of preserving my episodes as well. I am saving one tape of all my raw footage, and one tape of the finished episode. This allows me to keep a lossless copy of everything I shoot by sticking with the miniDV tape.

Right now, the XviD is the only format for this episode. Vimeo, my preferred uploading host, will convert to some MP4 format, so I am probably going to snag that file and put it on archive.org for people to have a choice. Blip.tv is awful at converting to Flash, so I have to do that myself, and it does not look pretty considering how clear the video is when I put it in. I am also experimenting with advertising on Blip.tv, so don’t let any of that throw you. It is looking like I will remove that soon anyway. I have also toyed with the idea of setting up a youtube account, but I dislike the idea of splitting up the video.

Aside from that, I’m planning out the next episode and taking a little break from filming. Looking at episode one, it took three to four weeks to put out, so there is definitely the possibility of another episode in that time.

As always, I’m looking for feedback, and would love to hear from you.

Obsoleet Episode 01

Sun, 23 May 2010 17:52:00 +0000

Episode 01 has been released, hope you enjoy it.

Episode 01

~~Stream from Blip.tv~~
Stream from Vimeo.com
Stream from YouTube.com
Download XviD from Archive.org

Show Notes

Segments:
Lineman’s Handset
Cable Descramblers and Filters
Podcasting on the Cheap

“Lineman’s Handset” used a lineman’s handset, Bell model 500 rotary telephone, and a telephone wall jack. Both the handset and the phone were wired to the wall jack. To relay sound so the camera could hear it, a recorder telephone pickup (Radioshack part 44-583) and a mini audio amplifier (Radioshack part 277-1008) were used.

“Cable Descramblers and Filters” showed two Scientific Atlanta boxes from the 1990s, a later Scientific Atlanta box, and a newer Motorola box. This segment also made use of an in-line coaxial filter.

“Podcasting on the Cheap” used a 4-channel stereo microphone mixer (Radioshack part 32-2056), three unidirectional microphones each with an XLR to 1/4 inch jack cord, an rca audio cable, an rca to 1/8 inch jack cable, a computer microphone, two corded headsets, and an AC/DC adapter.

Graphics

Fri, 07 May 2010 01:21:00 +0000

I spent some time making a logo, and then shrunk it down to a blog badge. Here are the fruits of my labor.

Progress

Wed, 05 May 2010 19:16:00 +0000

Well, the show is getting off to a pretty good start. One segment was filmed, “The Lineman’s Handset.” If you want to check it out, drop into the chat and ask for a link. The next segment to be filmed is “Podcasting on the Cheap” which will hopefully be completed this weekend. I also have some more ideas revolving around telephony which I hope to get out of the way soon.

Also, Moonlit was kind enough to make a theme song, which can be found here on archive.org. More of Moonlit’s music can be found at Byte Garden Audio. This intro theme has given me some ideas for a video intro, but making that work is going to take some time. Segment filming is going to take top priority, but an intro sequence is not far behind.