Pathetic request for help

[gwyn]

I've got two situations where I'm completely out of my depth and could use some fannish advice or help on.

One is that I have this idea for a Wes/Lilah vid that I think could be very gut-wrenching (if I do it right, which is questionable, of course), but I have no decent source for third and fourth season Angel with which to make it. Before you start jumping in with URLs for eps to download, I can't do that. And I'm honestly not sure if, even if I got someone to make VCDs for me, which I'm sort of talking to someone about, I would be able to extract the clips on the computer, assuming they were even full-screen resolution (I'm not what you'd call fully up to speed on the computer vidding experience). So ideally, what I would love is some tapes. I thought I had a line on someone who could make tape copies for me, but that didn't seem to pan out. I'm a desperate woman when I'm consumed with a vision. ;-) I only need seasons 3 and 4 (and not all of those, either), and decent copies of 2-hour speed tapes would be fine. I'd pay above and beyond all costs for tapes, wear and tear, etc., name my firstborn after you, and of course make you a dvd copy of the vid. If you had full-frame (not compressed and pixelated) VCD eps and could make tape copies, that would be cool too (or can offer some advice on using VCDs with QuickTime and iMovie). I know S3 is out in region 2, but that leads into my other request for assistance...

For a while, I had access to multiregion dvd players with macrovision hacks, but that's getting more difficult for me to find (and find time to go to those friend's houses to dump clips down). I was trying to research getting a dvd player with a macrovision off capability, but suddenly all the places that carry Sampos and similar players are being all cagey and not telling when they are "vcr friendly" or break macrovision. For a while I thought I would just get a Sima to break the code, but that isn't proving any more viable than just getting a damn player. There's a new Sampo model out there that I'm seeing for around $200, but not one of the many places that carry it say anything about macrovision. I'm far less interested in other regions than I am in turning off the damn macrovision. Is anyone up to speed on these things, and knows what's out there on the market? I can probably ask on the vidder list as well, but I've found it to be less than reliable on some of this kind of info at times, so thought I'd try the collective intelligence of my LJ friends first. Any info would be appreciated -- even if it's just some intel about the hacks (scares me and is beyond my abilities, but still...)

I know. Stupid doesn't begin to describe me, but the tech world just isn't my world...

Comments

[morgandawn.livejournal.com]

don't know if this helps, but I was told that you can capture from tapes/DVDs with Macrovision and then edit. Then strip off one clip or frame (ask Jessica or Killa on Vidder -- that is where I heard it) to remove the Macro.

don't have any tapes -- but perhaps if you post this to nummytreat, the buffy vidding mailing list?

If you ever want to "rip" small clips from DVDs I found a Mac shareware program that allows you to "play" the DVD and then select in/out points to capture small snippets. It exports them into QT files and you can edit with them.

But I also want to know about the macrovision free DVD players. My old Apex is lagging......

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

don't know if this helps, but I was told that you can capture from tapes/DVDs with Macrovision and then edit. Then strip off one clip or frame (ask Jessica or Killa on Vidder -- that is where I heard it) to remove the Macro.

The problem is a)I don't understand that at all, and b) that supposes I can capture a clip at all. With the macrovision on, I can't dump clips down to digital tape, and right now I don't have a passthrough device, let alone a dvd player in the same roome with the vidding equipment. I'm having to put clips on a digital tape and then throw them into the vid making program. So, I don't think this would work even if I did understand!

don't have any tapes -- but perhaps if you post this to nummytreat, the buffy vidding mailing list?

Well, not on it, and didn't even know it existed. Buffy vidding usually means online, too, so... not sure I'd fit there. :-(

I'll let you know if I hear anything about players. At this point, I'm just sort of sick and depressed about all of it, and I don't get this stuff at all, so... it's discouraging. I wanted to start a Nikita vid that I could send to Club Vivid, and I just thought, ah, fuck it, about using the S1 dvds, because it just was too much trouble now. I have to use tapes for the rest of the seasons anyways, so... too discouraged.

[falzalot.livejournal.com]

Um... I don't have 2-hr, but I do have 6-hr off sat. dish, and I'm pretty sure my S3 and S4 tapes were okay. I'm missing one ep each season, I think.

Anyway, if you can't find 'em anywhere else, I'd be more than happy to loan 'em to you. It will give me the ~other~ excuse I need to actually CLEAN MY BLOODY LIVING ROOM this weekend. :-)

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Well, not that I want to discourage you from cleaning... ;-) It looks like I might be able to get copies, but if it doesn't, I'll le tyou know. The person I know who taped them also used six hour speed, but they're unviddable, really, so it's always a guess how much signal you'll lose, etc.

[falzalot.livejournal.com]

Not a problem. Mine are directly off the satellite feed, so the 6 hour usually looks pretty darn good. Then again, I don't vid, so I'm not sure how well it works for something like that.

But just in case, maybe I'll try cleaning a bit.

You might just check the TNT schedule...

[melinafandom.livejournal.com]

Hi gwyn,

TNT is showing Angel daily at 5 pm, usually 4-5 days a week, if you want to make your own tapes. They started from the beginning in September, and at that rate they burn through the episodes pretty fast, a whole season in a month or so, so they should be hitting season 3 pretty soon. The last time I caught a bit it was the Darla and Dru arc, so they are already well into season 2.

I also *think* they are repeating season 4 episodes on Tuesday late at night.

The only thing with TNT is that you have to keep a close eye on their schedule, because it does vary due to basketball during the winter.

http://www.tnt.tv/

(And I think season 3 is going to be out on DVD in February, FWIW.)

Hope that helps,
Melina

Re: You might just check the TNT schedule...

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I should have mentioned that I'd tried the TNT eps. The problem is that they're not showing them letterboxed, so that in a lot of cases, they're cutting off faces and in one case, they cut off most of Wes's face in a reaction shot I wanted! Worse, they cut out one scene completely that I really wanted.

And without the macrovision hack ability and season 4 as well, I'm still up a creek. Sigh. I feel completely screwed right now, mostly by my own self for not knowing I'd want to do this or feel fannish.

[rainkatt.livejournal.com]

How fast do you need them? I have two-hour tapes, I'm pretty sure I have all the eps from those seasons, and I can get a VCR to copy them. If you read any of my whining lately, you'll know that things aren't exactly organized, and I have company this weekend, but if we've got some time, I'm sure I can make copies for you.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Oh god, I have lots of time! I mostly am just consumed with this idea, but I don't have to have it made for a while yet. In fact, I was going to start on a vid that was completely radically different just to take my mind off it, and that will take me a long while.

And I don't know if it would be better or worse, but if it were easier, I could copy your originals and send them back to you -- the thing is, you'd have to send originals, and that might be not so desirable, I realize. Things can too easily go wrong. ;-)

Thank you thank you -- I was starting to get depressed thinking I'd have to use the cut up TNT ones. And who knows, maybe if this VCD thing works, it might solve my problem, but I just don't know enough yet about how to do it and whether my friend can really get them or not.

[rainkatt.livejournal.com]

Let me know about the VCD thing, and if you want the tapes, I can start on them probably right after Thanksgiving (going away that weekend). I'm completely unable to let my tapes out of my sight, although I may be willing to do that with Season three... Obsessive? compulsive? Me? ;-) I will have to track them all down, but it's a small apartment, and if you're anxious, I can start looking next week, since we aren't actually leaving until Friday, and my company will be gone Monday. It'll give me something to do besides obsess over the piles of clothes everywhere. You can email me at the livejournal.com address, and I'll be happy to ship them off to you. Yeah, I can do that with season three. Are you in Seattle? Not so far, really... My map says you're farther south, in which case I could drop them off.