Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with digital

Is it possible to convert my Hi8's this way?

Sakura3210 — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:23:42 -0800

So, I have a bunch of old Hi8 tapes that I want to get on my MacBook pro. I have a camcorder that plays Hi8's (but is only analog) and a DVD recorder. Can you help me? What I had been doing was connecting the camcorder to the DVD recorder, burning DVDs, then ripping those DVD's onto my computer. This has proven time-intensive, and I am looking for a way to condense the process. My idea: connect the camcorder to the recorder, then the recorder to the computer (using it as a analog to digital converter). Is this possible? I should note than the recorder doesn't seem to have a digital visual output (no FireWire/USB, just composite cables, etc.) though it does have a digital audio output (PCM, bitstream).

I'd really like to use the recorder as other options (avdv+FireWire, digital camcorder that plays Hi8's, video capture card, etc.) would be rough on my budget.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Cheapest place to print digital to canvas in Denver area?

snap_dragon — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:30:34 -0800

Technically I live in Parker, CO. Friends and others have started buying my digital art doodles that I print locally on glossy cardstock. I've seen some artists have digital canvas prints but not sure where to go for a reasonable rate as I want quality but don't have a lot of money. I'm not even sure how it is done but have the CMYK files at a good resolution and am ready to go. I would like to try a few and see if I can sell them. Thanks for your time. It is nice for people to like what I draw but I want to give the best quality as it is not yet a living but a hobby.

Archival Digital Texts

dylan_k — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:12:31 -0800

I have inherited my grandmother's writings. I'm scanning them, doing OCR and in some cases retyping them so that I can have them digitized. I'd like to know, is there a format for text that is best for archival purposes? I was thinking of .rtf, since so many applications can open it. Is it considered "archival quality"?

Finding a job in marketing (digital) in CA (SF/Bay Area, San Jose etc)

pakora1 — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:13:11 -0800

What are the best resources/avenues/contract agencies to get hooked up with regarding getting a marketing job (digital/online) within the Bay Area (California). Need some pointers on career sites/resources for finding a marketing (digital) job in California in the Bay Area. The person in question has over 6 years experience with most of it in the online/digital arena with fortune 500 companies. Also he is a US citizen so no issues around visa. Curious what are the best places to look for beside the usual (monster/career builder etc.). Open to direct to hire or contract.

Thank you for all responses.

NO CARRIER

furtive — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:48:12 -0800

Let's say you have a global disaster where the traditional web is no longer available (all ISPs are down, or a virus/cyber-attack incapacitates the web for entire regions of the world). What are the data communication alternatives in this sort of context? Is anyone still running a BBS? Does anyone even have a dialup modem anymore? Is there something better than this? Is there an established alternative, much like Short Wave Radio is an established global emergency communication network? Are there ad hoc networks people can join given the right software and hardware?

What would the solution be, and what equipment would be required, POTS? BBS software? The Canadian military used IRC as an alternate communication channel in preparation for Y2K. Has anything evolved beyond that? Is anyone spearheading an alternative or planning for this?

Full-size digital piano or compact (inexpensive) keyboard for kid?

_sirmissalot_ — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 10:15:27 -0800

My young daughter (kindergarten) will be starting piano lessons soon, and the teacher wants us to buy an 88 key digital piano with weighted keys - that seems to be about $500 minimum. However we're not sure the lessons will stick, and as a bonus we are space-challenged in our small house. For about $160 we could get something that is still big but not 88 key big, touch-sensitive keys instead of weighted keys (i.e. Yamaha NP11, open to other recommendations). We are piano ignorant, so don't know how to judge the trade-off. Should we suck it up and buy the big boy, or will it not matter at this stage of learning?

App/Filters that made my digital signature look hand written and pretty

DaftMythic — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:27:55 -0800

I just filled out a tax form with a signature app where I "drew" my signature in the field (with a mouse) and it applied filter "smoothing" and other things to make it look like a real ink signature... It actually looked BETTER than my real hand written signature. Where can I get something like that to make my own ink looking images? I don't know what software they were using and I cannot get back to that screen. Unfortunately it was a corporate site, so I cannot post a link.

I wrote using my mouse, but it made the long strokes (like the long straight line on my D) perfectly straight, and the loops (like the loop on my cursive lowercase "L") look gorgeous and smooth.

Also, the thickness of the ink tapered off and it made pen-press dots at those locations where I started and ended my strokes.

I think the line changed based on how quickly I drew... I think that is how it knew to make really thin loopy lines for the L and stuff, but thicker less smoothed lines for the other bits.

I'd like to get something like that as a filter I could use in gimp or inkscape or something, so I can create a path of my name, and then apply this filter to clean it up and look nice and use as my generic signature image... as well as other times I want to make something look hand written and don't want to use my ugly ass real life scrawl.

Any ideas? Thanks!

Helpful Books/Links for Drawing with Wacom?

snap_dragon — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 20:59:50 -0800

I am a decent artist but very rusty, have intermediate Photoshop skills but draw quite well on my cheapie SB Pro app on my Kindle. (I even sold prints using just that.) Now, I have a new Wacom and besides the usual adjustment to using a wacom stylus, am finding that all three applications on my Mac have pros and cons (as a beginner with this wacom tablet), with the biggest con being the user myself. Can you recommend any books or links on doing drawings and paintings using the Wacom Bamboo (Splash) besides the applications' websites? Any brushes you favor or have downloaded and so forth? As an aside I note that pics I do in Art Rage at 300 dpi saved as psd don't open on my SB Pro application but this may be a future question.)

will it sound warm or cold?

windykites — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 07:03:29 -0800

I think it's possible to put digital music onto vinyl albums at home with some device I saw advertised somewhere. But will doing this produce an anologue sound or a digital sound? Will it sound as rich as if the album had originally been on vinyl or will it sound emptier the way digital music does? I guess I'm basically asking if it's worth doing. I don't know technical stuff about stuff, so I hope my question makes sense!

Vodavi Starplus STS phone system and Cox digital phone service help.

Jackie_Treehorn — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:05:36 -0800

My uncle has a Vodavi Starplus STS / system and KSU with 6 CO lines / which is 6 different phone #s can be used on the system. He recently changed 2 of his three lines to cox digital service. He still has one line with CenturyLink/Qwest. His phone system will not connect with the new digital lines. Cox says it's a Vodavi problem. The Vodavi guy says that there isn't enough voltage on the Cox lines. So, who's right? Will my uncle's Vodavi system work with the older CentruyLink line as well as the newer Cox digital lines?

Pen cursor jumping in Intuos5

cartoonella — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 10:41:09 -0800

Wondering if anyone else who uses the Wacom Intuos5 drawing tablet knows how to deal with this problem. My Intuos3, which I loved, had a big dead space in the middle of the drawing pad because I used a cleaner on it that messed it up. Two new versions had been released since I bought it, so I figured it was time to get the latest and greatest. The guy at Best Buy said, if you're already using the Intuos4, I don't recommend getting the 5. He was implying the 4 was better (and I've since seen on web forums that the 5 is buggy). Anyway, I never had the 4, and didn't feel like scoring eBay or whatever for the older model. Plus, I wanted something shiny and brand new. So I bought the 5.

So - downloaded the driver with the software I received, and tried to use the tablet and pen. My pen cursor was constantly jumping to the upper left part of my screen in Photoshop. I scoured the webs for advice, and read on a number of support forums that I should uninstall the driver that came with the hardware, and go to the Wacom web site (which is sucky btw) for the latest and greatest driver - the newest one is from November 2012.

Did that, and still the same problem - my pen cursor jumping madly to the upper left part of the screen whenever I lift it from the pad, and also at other points (but I can't figure out what the rule is).

I'm right-handed, and I've oriented this thing accordingly. I mean I know I'm not drawing upside down.

Seems like I could fix this by changing the drawing area settings, but I'm not sure how to do that. I found some solutions online that referenced the pen height having been changed since the last version, but they don't make sense to me and don't seem to be related to my problem.

My mouse cursor still works great, just gripping precisely everything I point it at. That's what I need my pen to do (in addition to producing a nice smooth drawn line). If I could switch this, I would - I don't need the precision with my mouse so much. I used to use the pen for drawing and getting around on the web, with my older tablet.

I haven't used the touch functionality on this pad and I'm not really concerned with it. I just want to be able to draw digitally again, without going mad. Any advice appreciated - and if there's a better digital drawing tablet out there, please point me to it.

Digital edition of a small arts magazine - the best way to do this?

Cantdosleepy — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 02:19:45 -0800

I work for a small literary magazine. The incoming managing editor wants us to have a magazine app for tablets that appears on those virtual magazine racks. Is this a good idea, and if so what's the best way to do this? The manager definitely wants to monetise a significant amount of our digital content. We simply don't have the kind of money (small arts magazine!) to use the site as a loss-leader.

Honestly I feel the tablet magazine/app ecosystem is bordering on scammy; in how much they charge to set up, how much of a cut the manufacturers get, how much of a cut Apple gets, and how poor the online stores are in terms of browsing and finding new titles. I'm really disappointed the way things are turning out: it seemed for a while that things were opening up across the web and now there are all these walled-gardens appearing, and all these hip web 3.0 snake oil salesmen.

Most of the advice online comes from 'interested' parties, and there are no hard figures anywhere about subscription numbers.

Am I being an old-fashion curmudgeon here? Are magazine apps now pretty established and sensible for asmall magazine? Sales of tablets are increasing all the time. I'd appreciate links to articles about the sector, opinions from knowledge app-makers or magazines, or any other thoughts about the best way to proceed on this.

Best way to make publication-quality, digital images of my artwork?

Nematoda — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 04:41:19 -0800

I need to convert 16 pages of 14" x 17" artwork into digital images to submit to a book publisher. What is the best way to make high-quality digital copies of my artwork? I have finished a manuscript and several illustrations, and am now almost ready to self-publish my first children's book. The trouble is, I now need to convert 16 pages of artwork into digital images to submit to the publisher. What is the best way to make high-quality, digital copies of my artwork? The illustrations are done in pastels and they're on 14" x 17" sheets of paper. I already tried scanning them using a book scanner in the library, but the scans were terrible quality. Should I look into scanning them at Staples or Fedex Kinkos, or is there a better option?

from whence the look of music videos from the late nineties?

zingiberene — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 12:10:46 -0800

Many music videos from the late nineties, six underground by the sneaker pimps being the most salient example to me, have a distinctive cinematographic feel and style to them, with very high contrast (super dark blacks and popping-out, almost oversaturated whites); a lot of murky brown/green and pops of red/blue. Does this style have a name? Is it a film effect or some kind of post-processing, or both? digital? Why was it so prevalent in the late-nineties, and, correct me if I am mistaken, mostly just for music videos? more examples: save yourself by stabbing westward, criminal by fiona apple, and sex and candy by marcy playground

it seems to be a stylistic cousin to NIN's Closer video, which I know was done at least partially on antique film stock

I don't have much technical knowledge of filmmaking but I understand a little. That blown-out contrast, in particular, seems much less popular now. Some of us in the lab I work in who were young in the nineties noticed this and wanted to know why.

Digital watch with an alarm that will wake me up?

makethemost — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:52:50 -0800

I'm looking for a pretty cheap digital watch that has an alarm that will actually wake me up. I'm traveling and would rather not have a separate battery-powered alarm clock. But I also don't want to spend an arm and a leg. Anyone have any experience with a digital watch with an alarm that will actually wake me up?

Thanks so much!

Art on All My Screens

Apropos of Something — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:06:25 -0800

What's the best app or website for learning about and seeing lots of museum art? It seems like every six months or so, I learn about a new website that seems to be all about showing off art, but falls short somehow. I signed up for the beta of Art.sy, but closed my account after it became super-apparent that they're just hosting pictures of works available for sale. I want a website or an app that's the equivalent of a giant art history textbook - lots and lots of works, representative of periods and otherwise, that I can browse through and train my aesthetic eye. Ideally, it'd be the sort of place where I could see (download, even?) versions of works by major and minor artists across museums. I'm not against paying, either one time or subscription, for something like this.

Does anything like this exist? Art nerds, what sorts of tools do you use?

Should I upgrade my digital camera?

szg8 — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:15:27 -0800

My point and shoot is 4 years old. Aside from improved video, is there a significant difference in today's newer models? I've been using a Canon A720 for almost 4 years now, which I purchased when my son was born. Most of my pictures are family / casual shots that don't get blown up beyond 5x7. Each year I put together an album of pictures about him. But, my needs are pretty simple.

Overall I am pleased with the pictures it takes -- of course i don't really know anything else.

Aside from significantly upgrading the video side of my camera, is it worth upgrading to a newer model?

The most watched digital content is... what?

Wordshore — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 10:09:57 -0800

Is Gangnam Style the most watched "piece of digital content" in human history? This article or post states that it is, and the wording is bothersome. Other places such as The Guardian are stating that it's the most popular YouTube video.

It could be argued that, though viewed 800+ million times, most of these are probably multiple views by the same people, so the number of distinct viewers is only a small fraction. Other "digital content" e.g. the first moon landing, the Olympics opening ceremony, the Beatles final performance, might have been viewed by more individuals. Complicating this is that "digital content" can reside in multiple places, even multiple instances on YouTube alone. And "digital content" extends to much more than just videos.

Google searches cloud the issue further. Basically, what is the most watched, viewed, examined or listened to (in terms of numbers of unique people) piece of "digital content" in history?

What should I look for in a telephoto lens that wouldn't cost more than $250?

sacrifix — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 11:50:30 -0800

What should I look for in a telephoto lens that wouldn't cost more than $250? Asking for my mom: I'm just learning to use my Sony a230 digital SLR camera. I think I want a telephoto lens - I want to be able to take close up photos with blurry backgrounds and close ups of wild life that are taken from a distance. The lens that came with the camera was "3.5-5.6/18-55 SAM" on it. What should I look for in a telephoto lens that wouldn't cost more than $250? Or, am I wasting my money buying a relatively inexpensive lens? Also, would a telephoto lens be useful for landscape photos?

Battery-operated pre-loadable digital frame

widdershins — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:08:57 -0800

I'm looking for a battery-operated pre-loadable digital picture frame as a Xmas present for my elderly grandmother - can you help me find something that fits my requirements? I'd like to get my grandmother a digital picture frame for Xmas but am having a hard time finding something that works. Requirements:
- Needs to be battery-operated. I'm shipping this to Europe from the US and for various reasons, want to avoid an AC plug and adaptor
- Not internet-dependent. I want to be able to download the pics before I send it to her; she doesn't have internet in her assisted living home
- Super easy to use. She suffers from dementia and is not tech savvy at all - the attendants will be able to help if necessary but I'd obviously like to keep that to a minimum
- Affordable. I'd like to keep it below USD50 if possible

Resolution is not a big issue for this - her eyesight isn't the best and it's all just snapshots of the great-grandkids.

My mormor and I thank you in advance for your help!

No really, must I keep my 3rd grade diploma?

Ruthless Bunny — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:29:09 -0800

I have boxes of neatly organized crap! I would like to upload as much as possible to "the cloud" thus freeing up space in the basement for the kitteh olympics. I need recommendations! I'm interested in scanning all of our printed photos and organizing them into a cohesive set of digital "albums" that I can share with friends and family on-line. Also, once that's done, I'd like to save to discs and ditch the actual albums that I've been schlepping around since the Regan administration.

I'd like to be able to make notes on each picture, names, dates, situation, etc.

Secondly, I'd like to upload all of our insurance info, pink-slips, deeds, etc, so if we have to bug out ahead of another "Super-Storm" I can access important documents from my iPhone, or at least using a lap top.

I'm willing to spend under $500 for photo scanners, document scanners, and good software to help me organize all of this stuff.

Husbunny has "papers" and other stuff from childhood. I'd like to digitize and organize it for him, so we can stop courting the hanta virus from all of these old, dusty papers.

What does the hive mind recommend?

How do I emulate this digital texture?

iadacanavon — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:54:51 -0800

Digital artists: What is this cool, grainy Photoshop texture used in webcomics and how do I make it too? I've been seeing this texture appear in several webcomics, particularly Gunnerkrigg Court (previous pages offer more examples). I think he draws in Photoshop. It's not a smooth color look, and I like the depth and atmosphere it gives to the art, giving it more of a painterly feel. How do you think it was most likely created (with noise? a filter? some type of layering?) and/or what is the simplest way to achieve this effect?

Can you help me create a list of example of "Immersion Cinema"?

codybaldwin — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:44:09 -0800

Can you help me create a list of example of "Immersion Cinema"? I just read Chuck Klosterman's article on the film "Room 237" which introduces the term "Immersion Cinema". I'm trying to create a list of other examples of this type of cinema.

"It's based on the belief that symbolic, ancillary details inside a film are infinitely more important than the surface dialogue or the superficial narrative. And it's not just a matter of noticing things other people miss, because that can be done by anyone who's perceptive; it's a matter of noticing things that the director included to indicate his true, undisclosed intention. In other words, it's not an interpretive reading — it's an inflexible, clandestine reality that matters way more than anything else. And it's usually insane."

The first thing that came to mind was Jay-Z's "On to the next one".
Of that list I think the video that best fits the criterion is this video. But, I would prefer talking--I think hearing someone voice is pretty crucial to the process.

Any help is much obliged!

Digital Learning in a School

brilliantmistake — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 05:33:43 -0800

Educators of MeFi, help me find some great digital learning techniques and resources. I've recently started a new role working in a secondary school (ages 11-18) in the UK, quickly and accurately pigeonholed as a geek I've been invited onto a committee group looking at integrating digital learning techniques into the life of the school.

The school has had a lot of investment in the last few years with comprehensive wifi coverage, widespread interactive whiteboards, extensive stores of laptops, digital cameras and camcorders, a few tablets and a couple of dedicated IT support guys. Thanks to Current Government Policy we can't guarantee this level of investment going forward so are looking to use our current resources efficiently and innovatively.

Staff are all computer literate but there are many varying levels of enthusiasm for using new techniques, easily demonstrable things will go down well.

A few areas I'm particularly interested in -

1) Ways of using students own devices to help in the classroom, teachers are particularly interested in widespread use of ebooks (including collaborative ebook writing) but have found it hard to use them across many different platforms.

2) Apps/webapps which can encourage collaborative working

3) Ways of using devices and the web to enthuse the kids and encourage them to learn while outside of the classroom

Looking for the fastest cheapie digital camera I can find.

feathermeat — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:20:27 -0800

I am looking for an inexpensive point and shoot camera with the lowest shutter lag possible. So, I am no photographer, and don't need anything particularly fancy. I want an inexpensive (less than $125) digital camera that is as quick as possible. Any recommendations?