CompuServe Thread

#PAR News Flash!

48 messages in this thread
#84062From: Don LandisFeb 15, 1994 9:58 PM
Best news I've heard all evening, Alan. I have had everything except the PAR for two weeks now and I was told mine was shipped last week. Can't wait!. Which HD did you use? I have the MIC 2210A here. Guess I could start rendering one of those 6-7 minute animations at 752×480 <BG> Right on about the revolution in recording. I said this last December and I have a list of those Nay Sayers that I'm hoping to respond to at this time next year when my perediction will come true. I even bought Rush Limbaugh's book "See, I told you so!" so I could learn to do it with audacity and flare of the great big mouth <BG>
#84121From: John EllisFeb 16, 1994 2:09 AM
O.K. Don you put up the flag… what prediction was that? Hmmmm >> I'm hoping to respond to at this time next year when my prediction will come true. << Oh yeah the one about Diaquest being out of business because nobody will want frame by frame. Is that the one Don…. Hmmmm? <G> -JE
#84256From: John TissavaryFeb 16, 1994 2:23 PM
There you go, stirring the **(fill in word of choice here)** again <g>. John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
#84262From: John EllisFeb 16, 1994 2:45 PM
Why I am I the one that gets the credit for stirring things up! Don was the one who put it out there… AGAIN! <g> And he even has a list of people he wants to taunt, jeez. -JE
#84421From: Don LandisFeb 17, 1994 12:42 AM
Yea! and you two are at the top of the list! Paul is #3 <BG>
#84439From: John EllisFeb 17, 1994 2:27 AM
Don, don't look now but Paul won't settle for the #3 position. <BG> -JE
#84687From: Don LandisFeb 18, 1994 2:08 AM
Actually, I might have to remove Paul from my list because he already is moving in the NEW direction. I don't recall him saying anything about his acquiring Quick Pass and a few more DQ-422s but I do recall him saying he got an Abekas DDR and is ordering several PARS and will probably get a MAX as well if it ever gets off the ground.
#84706From: John EllisFeb 18, 1994 5:32 AM
Don, FRAME BY FRAME RULES! Today, Tomorrow and at least way into the next year! <g> Its going to take a while longer before animators use DDR's or an equivalent more than Frame by Frame (in one form or another.) Its coming but your prediction is premature. <g> And the funny thing is Paul is way ahead of you in moving in the "NEW" direction! So how'd he get on your list in the first place? <BG> And my prediction is, you're going to see several more permutations of "frame by frame" along the lines of QuickPass before everybody goes DDR. Several possibilities are already in the works. 🙂 But as I said before – the revolution has started! And with a pretty damn good product, already well tested before its release on the PC platform. Now you're not going to argue with that, are you? <g>
#84770From: Don LandisFeb 18, 1994 11:04 AM
No, I find the arguement ludicrous anyway. Paul got on my list last November when he stated that frame by frame would NEVER be replaced by real time recording. I have found that Paul likes to cover all bases and sometimes tha way he states things isn't exactly in line by his actions. Therefore I tend to go more by what Paul does than what he says. Maybe I just don't understand his inferences at times because on more than one occasion he and I were in total agreement but it sounded by what he said he was disagreeing. Maybe, my timing is off a little but I still say the Abekas and the PAR will in one year make frame by frame animation seem as inefficient as a straight key and morse code for communications. That doesn't mean that it won't be used but it will be dying, dying, dying. I also predict that You being at the top of this list of mine will — gradually– soften your position and obtain a PAR or similar device and be off my list so that I won't have the opportunity to use a RUSH "I told you so" tactic. <BG> >> several more permutations of "frame by frame" along the lines of QuickPass before everybody goes DDR. I still say that Quick Pass is a temporary last ditch effort to offer diehards like you something to hold onto. I believe I used the term "band aid" In my opinion the Quick PASS is just like a "souped up version of the horse and buggy. The PAR lays frames down many more than the Quick Pass. I guess if QP is a horse and buggy with a race horse then PAR is a formula one race car and the Abekas is a jet.
#84781From: Gus GrubbaFeb 18, 1994 11:24 AM
>> straight key and morse code CW? Not that many people know what straight key means. <g>
#84900From: Don LandisFeb 18, 1994 5:34 PM
Even at 15 I was switching to a Vibroplex bug. Know what that means? I think you do.
#84795From: John EllisFeb 18, 1994 11:52 AM
Don, I didn't realise that Paul had made such a statement. That should have put him at the top of the list! I mean after all I did agree that this was the way things were going, just didn't agree with your time line. And yes, I too think its a ludicrous arguement, but those are the ones that are the most fun! <g> As for buying a PAR, it'll never happen! I grew up eating video tape! And believe me its a lot easier on the digestion system than a hard disk!
#84869From: Paul LindFeb 18, 1994 3:26 PM
The actual quote stated that JPEG compressed lossy realtime playback devices like the PAR will not replace frame by frame animation. There are way too many people who will not accept the quality loss associated with the PAR. I still stand by that statement. We've actually run the PAR playback for a number of our broadcast clients and they all said no way. Hence the purchase of the Abekas and Acom. If they had said, "hey we can't tell the difference", then quite obviously we wouldn't have spent all the money on the DDR's. Now obviously uncompressed playback devices that operate in realtime are already prevelant throughout the marketplace, and they may well play a part in killing frame by frame stuff. We'll be running both units this year for different types of work. If I didn't have the DDR's, I'd still be using the Diaquest units to achieve the quality necessitated by my market.
#84901From: Don LandisFeb 18, 1994 5:34 PM
>>As for buying a PAR, it'll never happen! I grew up eating video tape! And believe me its a lot easier on the digestion system than a hard disk! Me too however I find the MTBF much easier on my digestive system for a HD than video tape especially frame by frame. >>>>As for buying a PAR, it'll never happen! Gee John I didn't know you were ready for retirement from this animation industry. Isn't that what editors do when they don't accept new trends in the industry… retire. GR&D >>>>>>>>>>"As for buying a PAR, it'll never happen!" John Ellis February 18, 1994 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>"As for buying a PAR, it'll never happen!" John Ellis February 18, 1994 These words may haunt you some day. I can see it now John's pride wont let him buy a PAR for another 366 days just to say I was off in my prediction. Of course, NEVER is longer than that ya know. BG Now its your turn to qualify that statement of certainty. Where is that #$%^&** UPS driver? I might have to wait til Monday, BOO HOO! I'm beginning to get punchy, now, over this wait.
#84720From: Paul LindFeb 18, 1994 8:24 AM
Don, Thanks for changing my position status, if I can't be first on a list then at least maybe I can be last. I'm always looking to excel in one direction or the other.<BG> Paul
#84616From: krazy imagesFeb 17, 1994 7:39 PM
I have a list too! bwahaha! Revenge! bwahaha! I have wrote down two hundred and fiftynine names, with addresses and phone numbers and e-mail IDs and personal references and short stories and essays and classified information and information that they even don't know about theirselves and I'm going to use all the information when I has power, which will be very soon, and I will corrupt policemans and politicians (more?) and judges of the brilliant law system of the united states in order to get all the people on the list to the electric chair but first I'm going to research a more painful method of death and fry all them for nine hours and… well, I don't think so <g> Did really Don said that he have a list of people he wants to taunt? Is that the same Don that is living underwater in Florida?
#84643From: John EllisFeb 17, 1994 10:09 PM
Yes dear Ana, the same Don, who is "living underwater in Florida", does have a list. John T. and myself are at the head of it, (I'm sure John T. is wondering how he even got on it <g>), with Paul coming in at 3rd position. Unusual for Paul, don't you think? Its got to be the first time in his life he's been in third place for anything.<G> I guess I should be flattered to be in such good company 🙂 Wait till Don gets his PAR, I'll never hear the end of it. More predictions of gloom and doom for frame by frame. ;-/ I always suspected you too had a list like that, you Mata Hari you!
#84646From: Paul LindFeb 17, 1994 10:33 PM
John, I've been busy, so I must've missed the "list" message. From Ana's message, I understand it has somehting to do with taunting? I'm actually on a person's list as someone to taunt? Who's? I'm third on the list? What does the taunting revolve around? Paul
#84651From: John EllisFeb 17, 1994 11:44 PM
You'll have to contact Don for that one. <g> I'm not sure about you, but in my case it has to do with frame by frame vs. PAR type recording. Don made a prediction awhile back that frame by frame being obsolete within in a year, and reiterated his position to Alan I. Don stated that he couldn't wait as there were some people on his list that he basically wanted to be able to say "see I told you so" to. So I called him on it. John T. responded I was stirring up trouble, I pointed out what Don had put out there, and Don came back with, John E. and John T. were at the head of the list, with you apparently in 3rd place. <BG> He told Alan that he even went out and bought Rush Limbaugh's book in order to be able to refine his technique! <G> No joke. (He may have been joking, but he claimed not.) I described this behavior as "taunting". Wouldn't you? <BG> Or at least a serious attempt at it! I mean I can't stand Rush Limbaugh and if I had to argue against someone who employs those kind of tactics, I'd say that was TAUNTING! <g> -JE
#84659From: Paul LindFeb 18, 1994 12:10 AM
John, Thanks for the clarification. I suppose that I'm on Don's list for the same reason. I don't believe that frame by frame recording will be dead before Christmas this year. The PAR just isn't up to that type of market saturation or quality level. I suppose that the "dead" scenario is extremely arbitrary. Don could easily profess today that the technology is dead while tens of thousands of serial controllers are still in use. Lots of people have been professing that CG on IBM's doesn't really exist for the last 8 years or so. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of people trudge on. I would have to also say that while we're running two different makes of real DDR's and will have at least a couple of PARs also, it may be kinda difficult to taunt me. Or at least it would be pointless. Paul
#84686From: Don LandisFeb 18, 1994 2:08 AM
>>I would have to also say that while we're running two different makes of real DDR's and will have at least a couple of PARs also, it may be kinda difficult to taunt me. Or at least it would be pointless. John E. was very accurate in his description of the issue. I also responded to him regarding your satus on the list but so you hear it from the source I said you might not even rate a position on my dinosaurs list because you are very progressive in the DDR recording state of the art. With PAR for low end output and the Abekas for high end why would you ever want to lay down frame by frame? So your off the list. There!. I don't know what the deciding factors or when we can say that frame by frame will be truely obsolete as is an EGA card. Some suggestions would be: When a forum member can't get $200 for his DQ-422 or $100 for soft VTR. on the used market. The technology is nolonger manufactured. When considering the options for recording animation it is nolonger considered an economical nor practical approach. BTW isn't Truevision also working on a DDR system? I haven't heard much about it lately.
#84830From: Evan Yares [WeirdTM]Feb 18, 1994 1:17 PM
Don: Truevision is announcing their new DVR based Targa 2000 at NAB. From what I hear, it'll be a $5,995 EISA board with all the bells and whistles. Basically, kinda like a Matrox MAX, but with the ability to play Video for Windows AVI clips full-screen at 30 fps. Should be totally cool. Evan
#84702From: John EllisFeb 18, 1994 4:22 AM
Paul, All good points, I'm just enjoying the joust! <g> -JE
#84807From: James M. MurphyFeb 18, 1994 12:03 PM
John, >> I mean I can't stand Rush Limbaugh << BIG MISTAKE JOHN!…..BIG MISTAKE! <g> Murph' BTW…What is it you profess to not like about Mr. Limbaugh? I never liked Joe Pine or that "Big Mouth" Guy.. yet, I found them "entertaining" and often they made me look at things differently than I had been used to…sometimes even discovering that I may have been wrong about something…..Uh…Never Mind, I can see where this may be going and I don't want to go there….."Been There, Done That!" Later, Murph'
#84811From: Yost GroupFeb 18, 1994 12:14 PM
Those "Dogma R Us" guys are pretty hard to take… Don't you think? – G
#84823From: James M. MurphyFeb 18, 1994 12:58 PM
"Dogma R Us" Actually I used to get really involved in these type of arguments years ago…..I actually think I made Nixon's "Enemy's List"….Something to do with Certified Letters to the White House and War & TaxProtests….Bunch of Baby's <g>. Anyway I had a Professor at U.W. that would tell us we didn't have to come to class for 3 weeks but our entire grade would hinge upon his impression of how we debated subjects we picked from a hat. You know the drill "Death Penalty" Etc. type of topics….One little hitch…we wouldn't know which side of the argument we had to successfully argue until we walked in to his class 3 weeks later….Heh…Heh Kind of does a number on your preconceived notions. Ever since then I could take either side of an argument and most of the time win the argument…even if I didn't originally beleive what I was defending. So much we take as true or false or right or wrong is really a personal Value Judgement and has little to do with reality in many cases <g>. I do love to get in to it now and then though……Heh…Heh… I've got both Liberal and Conservative Freinds and have actually been able to stand between Em' and listen to Em' Argue while they both were sure my comments support their particular arguments…pretty strange stuff!<g> Murph'
#84919From: John EllisFeb 18, 1994 7:29 PM
I saw Mr. Rush, the pompous punster on CSPAN today, yeuecuckk! He's the most disgusting spokesman the Conservatives ever had, well maybe its a toss up between him and Patrick Buchanann. I much prefer the wit and wisdom of William Buckley Jr. Heck, even Tom Selleck sounds intelligent by comparison. <g>
#84956From: James M. MurphyFeb 19, 1994 1:12 AM
John-E' >> I much prefer the wit and wisdom of William Buckley Jr << You can say this!!! _AND_ call Rush Limbaugh Pompous!!! Get Real John….I'd take Rush over Buckley anyday, Rush appeals to the "Common-Sense" Crowd while Buckley is too damn pretensious to be taken seriously by them. Buckley is an elitist and that also gets him a lot of Psuedo Intellectials from both sides…..but you already new that <g>. Murph'
#84668From: John TissavaryFeb 18, 1994 12:15 AM
I think Don has us (I didn't know I was up there, too) at the top of the list of people to gloat over when (<g>) the PAR takes over the animation-to-tape buisness and Diaquest goes chapter 11. John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
#84808From: James M. MurphyFeb 18, 1994 12:03 PM
John, >> Diaquest goes chapter 11. << I can't beleive nobody from Diaquest has responded to these types of statements….I actually happen to beleive that Diaquest may be in trouble and is actually fighting for their lives…I take no pleasure in that, as Diaquest was certainly a pioneer (course BCD really helped Em <g> regarding their first controller, etc.) and we all hate to see a pioneer fall on hard times….however they were slow to respond to the changing market and are extreemly overpriced. I see most of their products as "patch's to thier product line" when they should really be responding to the Current as well as future needs in a more timely manner. For example they responded to lower priced controllers by offering SoftVTR ( I beleive that's what it's called ) all the while, Drastic Technologies has completly redesigned the Hardware and Software to run circles around Diaquest with a $495 List product. This is not just Me saying this…look at what is actually happening in the Marketplace…."I know of a couple people who would rather PAY $500.00 for an Animation Commandor by Drastic technologies then have somebody give them a diaquest for free." (True Statement by David Avgikos) The Digimation "In The Studio" Tapes company. So actually it isn't so far fetched for Diaquest to go chapter 11. It's an accumulation of these market forces and I'm sure that's what Don is referring to. For What it's Worth Dept. Murph'
#84903From: Don LandisFeb 18, 1994 5:34 PM
I never said Diaquest was going Chapter 11. I have no knowledge of this and the reference to Diaquest was this: I said Diaquest's Quick Pass is just a bandaid on a dying technology. They will either get with the realtime recording technology or become history. Again I never said they were going chapter 11. I have no knowledge of the financials of the company. Where did you get this from? Who said I said Diaquest was going chapter 11? Even if it were true I wouldn't broadcast it, at least not until I sell my DQ-50P. <G>
#84924From: John EllisFeb 18, 1994 8:20 PM
Don, just to clarify, what you did say was that Diaquest was going to be out of business with this new technology. Since then you have expanded on your position or I should say clarified what you meant, which is that if Diaquest doesn't get with the program they're going to loose their position. I don't recall your saying Diaquest was going Chapter 11 either.
#84955From: James M. MurphyFeb 19, 1994 1:12 AM
Don, >> Who said I said Diaquest was going chapter 11? << John E. Later, Murph'
#84806From: James M. MurphyFeb 18, 1994 12:03 PM
John, >> I always suspected you too had a list like that, you Mata Hari you!<< John…John….John…. You've got to stop giving away these National Security Secrets!! We'll be in Touch with you shortly…don't leave town. Sincerly, The Thought Police.
#84918From: John EllisFeb 18, 1994 7:29 PM
>> We'll be in Touch with you shortly… don't leave town. << Not to worry Mr. Thought Policeman. If there's no freedom of thought in America, there's no where to go. -JE
#85120From: krazy imagesFeb 19, 1994 11:39 PM
Actually, there is no way to run… except sunny Spain. Spain, everything under the sun 🙂 ana /krazy images
#85087From: krazy imagesFeb 19, 1994 7:17 PM
I have two list, one black, one white. One with the projected vendettas and the other one with the… well, actually, it's empty. <g> ana /krazy images
#85111From: John EllisFeb 19, 1994 11:24 PM
Ana- >> I have two list, one black, one white. One with the projected vendettas and the other one with ….. its empty. <g> << Ah you don't fool me, you're a soft touch. 🙂 -JE
#84805From: James M. MurphyFeb 18, 1994 12:03 PM
Ana, Regarding your list of people, coruption, etc. etc…….. Uh…..You sound like an ideal Clinton Apointee! <g> Murph'
#85116From: krazy imagesFeb 19, 1994 11:39 PM
Beware! You know who is fourth in my list, James. <g> ana /krazy images
#85191From: James M. MurphyFeb 20, 1994 12:23 PM
Ana, >> Beware! You know who is fourth in my list, James. <g> << Hey if I could make Nixon's list I can make yours! <BG> Murph'
#84398From: Don LandisFeb 16, 1994 11:22 PM
NO! I certainly won't predict the demise of a company but I will predict they will have to get with the new technology to stay viable. I do recall making a statement about Diaquest's questionable future though. THE prediction was that by the end of the year that frame by frame recording to video tape will be an obsolete, not economically feasable process to be replaced almost entirely by PAR like technology and Abekas for high end. In Jax alone, two Abekas DDR's were installed replacing the diaquest systems. And, I know of three PAR systems going on line soon. (including my own) If this means the demise of Diaquest then so be it. But, I'd guess Diaquest will get with it sooner or later.
#84438From: John EllisFeb 17, 1994 2:27 AM
Don, as good as the PAR is, I still have my doubts about your prediction. First off with QuickPass technology and the inherent quality of Beta SP, I don't think you can write off frame by frame within a year. But I grant you, the world of video is going digital and there's no stopping it. DDR's are going to have to come down in price a bit more before they become as common as necessary to make your prediction come true. I've called around San Diego County, which is not exactly a mecca for production because of it proximity to Orange County and L.A., and there is one A62 and one A66. On the other hand the production medium is all Beta SP or D2. Tape! This doesn't prove a thing but its interesting to note. And the hottest topic of conversation at ITVA meetings is Digital Beta. FWIW -JE
#84197From: ALAN IGLESIASFeb 16, 1994 10:57 AM
Hiya Don, How ya doin'? Yep, the old PAR certainly seems to be doing a nice job over here. Side-by-side A/B comparisons with various levels of frame-by-frame quality are gonna take me some time though. You'll probably be able to do some of these well before I do. I've got the MC 2205A here to start with. I've been using block limits of over 240 pretty regularly, and the quality sure looks good so far. Although the software won't tell you the average JPEG Q-factor you're getting per frame, I would venture to guess that at 240 block limit, you're probably up around the high teens somewhere, with 23 being the highest quality. For people who *really* know/see/need the difference, the PAR probably won't replace, say, Vista/LVR, Vista/Beta-SP or Abekas in it's present form, but considering it's cost/quality ratio, the PAR, I feel, will be *heavily* used in all kinds of animation work. And as the HD's get faster (and interleaved) the amount JPEG compression used will diminish. So render those frames!! I had about 700 waiting when the thing arrived, and had a *total blast* setting it up and running the TGAs to it (about 4.5 seconds apiece). Watching my first "made at home" high-quality animation was something I've waited for since 1986 and an experience I'll never forget. -Alan
#84614From: krazy imagesFeb 17, 1994 7:39 PM
Alan, I understand that feeling. I felt the same as the first print went out from the ColorEase last year. Real professional color in my own hands after years of service bureaus, color problems, matching screens… ahh! 🙂 Now, let's go for the video 🙂 ana /krazy images
#84663From: ALAN IGLESIASFeb 18, 1994 12:12 AM
>>go for the video<< Ain't technology grand? -Alan
#85121From: krazy imagesFeb 19, 1994 11:39 PM
Genial, grandioso, apabullante, fenomena, alucinante 🙂 (and 3,456 spanish sinonism more <g>) ana /krazy images
#85218From: ALAN IGLESIASFeb 20, 1994 5:11 PM
*whew* -Alan