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pienipple
Mar 20, 2009

That's wrong!

Arsenic Lupin posted:

I highly, HIGHLY (warning, terrible Web 2.0 website) Light Dims. Lets you dim out every single drat LED on your equipment. Now my fricking TV doesn't announce its brand all night, nor do my chargers happily inform me that they are plugged in.

I can get a roll of electrical tape for $1, in any drat color I want. Why would I buy pre-cut bits of same for $6+shipping?

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Arsenic Lupin
Apr 12, 2012

This particularly rapid💨 unintelligible 😖patter💁 isn't generally heard🧏‍♂️, and if it is🤔, it doesn't matter💁.


See previous post; I actually don't want to block all the light, but to dim it. Things like power indicators are useful.

Dick Trauma
Nov 30, 2007

God damn it, you've got to be kind.
They let you know how much power you have!

Dewgy
Nov 10, 2005

~🚚special delivery~📦

Arsenic Lupin posted:

Hmm. They're $8.50 on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/LightDims-Original-Strength%C2%AE-Minimal-Packaging/dp/B00CLVEQCO The thing that makes them better than electrical tape is that you can still see the LED. This means that if you really want to, you can check whether the TV/sound system/DVD player actually is on.

I did this with a pack of little frog stickers from the dollar store. Not dim enough? Two frog stickers! Live a little!

Proteus Jones
Feb 28, 2013



Dick Trauma posted:


EDIT:

It's this sort of rondel design, but without the stained glass features, right?



My grandparents had one of those made from brown and green beer bottles that had been cut off. It was weird.

Weatherman
Jul 30, 2003

WARBLEKLONK

Arsenic Lupin posted:

See previous post; I actually don't want to block all the light, but to dim it. Things like power indicators are useful.

You position the tape so that just a sliver of the LED is still visible.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Weatherman posted:

You position the tape so that just a sliver of the LED is still visible.

Or make a little pinhole in the tape.

A FUCKIN CANARY!!
Nov 9, 2005


Man, I hated the days before we had LEDs all over our electronics and it was impossible to tell whether or not your TV was on.

cobalt impurity
Apr 23, 2010

I hope he didn't care about that pizza.

A FUCKIN CANARY!! posted:

Man, I hated the days before we had LEDs all over our electronics and it was impossible to tell whether or not your TV was on.

I had the opposite problem. I could never tell when my drat television was off! But thankfully the eggheads down at Samsung were kind enough to include a bright red LED on my set to let me sleep in comfort that my TV is, in fact, off in standby. :downs:

GOTTA STAY FAI
Mar 24, 2005

~no glitter in the gutter~
~no twilight galaxy~
College Slice
The flash card reader I installed a while back has a helpful searingly-bright blue LED that lets me know my PC is, in fact, plugged in. Don't know what I'd do without it!

old bean factory
Nov 18, 2006

Will ya close the fucking doors?!
It's why Iron Man has a bright-rear end reactor in his heart, to signal that he's not dead.

Plinkey
Aug 4, 2004

by Fluffdaddy

GOTTA STAY FAI posted:

The flash card reader I installed a while back has a helpful searingly-bright blue LED that lets me know my PC is, in fact, plugged in. Don't know what I'd do without it!

My monitor and laser printer have searingly bright blue/green LEDs, and the printer like to blink randomly because the computer is off. Now the printer is off/asleep but it panics because it can't find mama computer or something. Electrical tape it where it's at.

Keiya
Aug 22, 2009

Come with me if you want to not die.
My laptop has a nice noticable but not bright red glow to everything, I like it. Though my next devices need to be blue and green because I named this one Din... (and VMs on it are Nabooru and Darunia... it's not as overdone as Norse mythology at least.)

old bean factory
Nov 18, 2006

Will ya close the fucking doors?!
I'm sure it's been gone over before, but I thought of test patterns:



Sometimes accompanied with a tone at whatever Hz. I can't remember when the last was I saw one of these.

0toShifty
Aug 21, 2005
0 to Stiffy?
I once calibrated a huge mitsubishi rear projection tv using one of these test patterns. It was really helpful for that. Making the circle round and all that by moving around coils and turning screws.

But with digital stuff - it usually either works, or it doesn't. 1 or 0 yo. 99% of the time it's a stupid power supply problem like exploded caps.

I had an old Compaq CRT where the green scope would die sometimes. I kept a hammer next to it and just whacked the side of it every time it stopped working. Fixed it every time.

JnnyThndrs
May 29, 2001

HERE ARE THE FUCKING TOWELS
[quote="0toShifty" post="""]
I had an old Compaq CRT where the green scope would die sometimes. I kept a hammer next to it and just whacked the side of it every time it stopped working. Fixed it every time.
[/quote]

I bought a very expensive Sony 19" monitor on close out back in the day and the red would die on it sometimes. Banging on the side fixed it for awhile, but then I had to drill a hole in the side and tap directly on the gun with a long insulated screwdriver. Of course, over time, I had to tap harder and harder until...yeah, a huge flash and smoke/sparks/mayhem. Welp, back to cheapshit 17" crt's for the next year until I could afford another decent CRT. WITH a warranty.

NyetscapeNavigator
Sep 22, 2003

Now talk to me about degaussing wands.

SubG
Aug 19, 2004

It's a hard world for little things.

0toShifty posted:

But with digital stuff - it usually either works, or it doesn't. 1 or 0 yo. 99% of the time it's a stupid power supply problem like exploded caps.
Kinda. Things like calibration tools are still valuable in digital setups because of differences in the media being played/displayed and variations in the display environment. This is less relevant for something like display geometry (unless you're switching between NTSC and PAL sources a lot or poo poo like that) but every display will naturally have variations in brightness, colour level, and poo poo like that over its life cycle. And your speakers are still analog regardless of whether or not you're only sending them digital signals.

Proteus Jones
Feb 28, 2013



SubG posted:

Kinda. Things like calibration tools are still valuable in digital setups because of differences in the media being played/displayed and variations in the display environment. This is less relevant for something like display geometry (unless you're switching between NTSC and PAL sources a lot or poo poo like that) but every display will naturally have variations in brightness, colour level, and poo poo like that over its life cycle. And your speakers are still analog regardless of whether or not you're only sending them digital signals.

There are also patterns that are used to calibrate under-scan/over-scan. Late I've just seen the "corner arrows" for that, but I've seen others with grids and circles, so you can make sure don't get a squeezed or elongated display in the course of the adjustments.

PuntCuncher
Apr 21, 2007

I posted my food for USPOL Thanksgiving!
Next performance complaint I get scores a free upgrade to this bad-boy.

128 meg of ATIs finest.

Ellie Crabcakes
Feb 1, 2008

Stop emailing my boyfriend Gay Crungus

mng posted:

I'm sure it's been gone over before, but I thought of test patterns:



Sometimes accompanied with a tone at whatever Hz. I can't remember when the last was I saw one of these.
A long time. Back when you knew it was time to go to bed when a re-run of M*A*S*H* came on.

ElwoodCuse
Jan 11, 2004

we're puttin' the band back together
There's a Billy Joel song called "Sleeping With The Television On" that starts out with a clip of the national anthem, because TV stations used to play that when they were signing off for the day. That's pretty obsolete.

Count Chocula
Dec 25, 2011

WE HAVE TO CONTROL OUR ENVIRONMENT
IF YOU SEE ME POSTING OUTSIDE OF THE AUSPOL THREAD PLEASE TELL ME THAT I'M MISSED AND TO START POSTING AGAIN
Lots of Australian TV stations still shut off at night. It's really strange.

I used to volunteer at a secondhand shop, and in just a few months a saw a ton of great old stuff like typewriters, sewing machines, etc. My favorite thing that I wish I'd bought or took photos of were these Apple paddle controllers:
































Pingiivi
Mar 26, 2010

Straight into the iris!

mng posted:

Sometimes accompanied with a tone at whatever Hz. I can't remember when the last was I saw one of these.

When we do tape/file masters for broadcast we usually add bars and tone before the program clock. These aren't seen by viewers but it'll help the techs.

Proteus Jones
Feb 28, 2013




Wow. I haven't seen a knitting machine in years. My mom used to have one of those to make lightweight blankets you put between layers of quilts to help trap heat.

3D Megadoodoo
Nov 25, 2010

Knitting machines per se aren't obsolete and certainly never failed. They just use computer-controlled ones nowadays. To make really ugly sweaters.

Count Chocula
Dec 25, 2011

WE HAVE TO CONTROL OUR ENVIRONMENT
IF YOU SEE ME POSTING OUTSIDE OF THE AUSPOL THREAD PLEASE TELL ME THAT I'M MISSED AND TO START POSTING AGAIN
My drummer wants us to release on tape, and at a gig somebody said they 'prefer the warmer feel of VHS'. So hipster poo poo, basically. I'm waiting for CD-R mistakes to come back as the token physical format. What happened to just vinyl and a digital download?

Squish
Nov 22, 2007

Unrelenting.
Lipstick Apathy

John Big Booty posted:

A long time. Back when you knew it was time to go to bed when a re-run of M*A*S*H* came on.

Ah, you just caused a flashback of THE TONIGHT SHOOOOOW WITH DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVID LETTTERRR *click*

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Count Chocula posted:

My drummer wants us to release on tape, and at a gig somebody said they 'prefer the warmer feel of VHS'. So hipster poo poo, basically. I'm waiting for CD-R mistakes to come back as the token physical format. What happened to just vinyl and a digital download?

It's all just hipster bullshit, they want to peacock about how obscure and non-mainstream they are by insisting on idiotic distribution formats.

While vinyl isn't as high-fidelity as a CD or download, it's definitely good enough and you get proper big album art and often a poster or something. And of course there's colored vinyl, too. But Cassette tapes have literally no advantages whatsoever. It's a useless format that deserves to die. Even if I drove some old junky car with just a tape deck, I would still prefer to dub my own cassettes rather than buy them pre-recorded.

Hell, at this rate we'll be getting an 8-track resurgence soon or I dunno, Tefifon cartridges or something.

KozmoNaut has a new favorite as of 15:10 on Aug 16, 2015

BogDew
Jun 14, 2006

E:\FILES>quickfli clown.fli
Wax cylinder recordings, for all your obnoxious steampunk swing cover band's needs!

carry on then
Jul 10, 2010

by VideoGames

(and can't post for 10 years!)

Count Chocula posted:

My drummer wants us to release on tape, and at a gig somebody said they 'prefer the warmer feel of VHS'. So hipster poo poo, basically. I'm waiting for CD-R mistakes to come back as the token physical format. What happened to just vinyl and a digital download?

Now if you really want hipster bullshit, release only sheet music and post a tirade against the laziness of canned music to your band blog.

chitoryu12
Apr 24, 2014

Only write sheet music by hand for monophonic chanting.

Dicty Bojangles
Apr 14, 2001

Player piano reels or die, motherfuckers.

Humbug Scoolbus
Apr 25, 2008

The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers, stern and wild ones, and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss.
Clapping Larry
Vibration patterns accidentally recorded in clay pots.

Dick Trauma
Nov 30, 2007

God damn it, you've got to be kind.
That Brook Motors starter box is luverly. :allears:

AAA maps seem obsolete. I used them heavily up to around 2000. This one looks like it might be documenting Middle Earth.

Dick Trauma has a new favorite as of 19:46 on Aug 16, 2015

Computer viking
May 30, 2011
Now with less breakage.

WebDog posted:

Wax cylinder recordings, for all your obnoxious steampunk swing cover band's needs!

IIRC, the best wax cylinder recordings sound fairly good?

Jedit
Dec 10, 2011

Proudly supporting vanilla legends 1994-2014

KozmoNaut posted:

It's all just hipster bullshit, they want to peacock about how obscure and non-mainstream they are by insisting on idiotic distribution formats.

The revival of tape isn't just hipster bullshit. Bands have been using it because it's harder to convert to MP3.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Jedit posted:

The revival of tape isn't just hipster bullshit. Bands have been using it because it's harder to convert to MP3.

It also sounds significantly worse, especially on the crap tape decks you can buy today*, or the worn-down vintage ones hipsters are more likely to use.

The heads wear down over time, and it is pretty much impossible to find new ones unless you happen to find a stockpile of NOS parts. It's not like LPs where new turntables, pickups and styluses are still made (even for B&O turntables, if you're willing to pay). Nobody bothers to make new heads anymore.

* I can't remember the last time I saw a new tape deck for sale.

KozmoNaut has a new favorite as of 20:34 on Aug 16, 2015

C.M. Kruger
Oct 28, 2013
Seems like a clever trick to make people think your band doesn't sound like poo poo and it's just their equipment.

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BOGO LOAD
Jul 1, 2004

"You know I always had trouble really chewing the fat with my pops. Just listen to him..."

Jerry Cotton posted:

Knitting machines per se aren't obsolete and certainly never failed. They just use computer-controlled ones nowadays. To make really ugly sweaters.
Keep in mind this project was done before the proverbial poo poo hit the proverbial fan, but the point remains.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiTTrT29HI0

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