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Designers might also be hesitant to use an untested file format for print, too.

If there’s a large amount of paper that’s been purchased for a job, I definitely wouldn’t want to be the one who’s responsible for using JPEG XL and – for whatever reason – something going wrong.

Pixels are cheaper than paper or other physical media :)


An aside but related?

FFmpeg has complex syntax because it’s dealing with the _complexity of video_. I agree with everyone about knowing (and helping create or contribute to) our tools.

Today I largely forget about the _legacy_ of video, the technical challenges, and how critical it was to get it right.

There are an incredible number of output formats and considerations for _current_ screens (desktop, tablet, mobile, tv, etc…). Then we have a whole other world on the creation side for capture, edit, live broadcast…

On legacy formats it used to be so complex with standards, requirements, and evolving formats. Today, we don’t even think about why we have 29.97fps around? Interlacing?

We have a mix of so many incredible (and sometimes frustrating) codecs, needs and final outputs, so it’s really amazing the power we have with a tool like FFmpeg… It’s daunting but really well thought out.

So just a big thanks to the FFmpeg team for all their incredible work over the years…


> FFmpeg has complex syntax because it’s dealing with the _complexity of video_.

It's dealing with 3D data (more if you count audio or other tracks) and multi-dimensional transforms from a command line.


no 2nd thoughts about it, we are only making ffmpeg more accessible and embeddable.


>FFmpeg has complex syntax because it’s dealing with the _complexity of video_

It's complexity paired with bad design, making the situation worse than it could be.


I refuse to admit that ffmpeg is bad design until I see a better one. so if you have a better one I am all ears because it would surely be very illuminating.


what legacy formats? what are you even talking about?


But staff showing up and simply quoting a person higher in the org only shows they’re parroting.

Anything personal would have been appreciated, especially in this context. Maybe “I’m one of the thousands that work here but this means something to me…”?

Actually even a professional stance that showed concern: “One of our shared company values states…”

Sadly Jamie’s response didn’t build any trust of Slack from me…


From ZiffDavis article: > QuickTime 6 media player and QuickTime Broadcaster, a free application that aims to simplify using MPEG-4 in live video feeds over the Net.

It was sweet to see “over the Net”…


I think video over Internet could be a huge business.


In 1998, the idea seemed so ridiculous, TheOnion mocked it:

https://theonion.com/new-5-000-multimedia-computer-system-do...


At the time, the mocking was well deserved. I remember downloading trailers for moves over my dial-up connection. Took the entire night for 3 minutes of video. Can’t imagine paying $5k for that privilege.

Today though, the mocking doesn’t make sense and is confusing. I haven’t ever owned a TV.


By 99 it wasn't that bad. I remember screaming along with V.92 56k modems. Futurama episodes were about 50mb encoded as RealVideo and took a mere two and a half hours to download o.0

(and it really was v.92; I still have the double-bong towards the end of the handshake emblazoned in my memory)


Realmovies were the new hotness, evolution of video piracy was >vivoactive is the OG (stream only format, like 50x50 pixels, NO KEYFRAMES - no fast forward, rewind, or seeking), talking about 1995 here >realmovies - higher quality, seeking, around 1998 >DIVX (format, not the discs also at the same time) - mindblowing quality update, around 2000 >VCDs - concurrent with DIVX around 2000 >XVID - (DIVX backwards) arose as DIVX failed, 2001 >then wherever we are now, 9999 formats and VLC supports them all


I downloaded episodes of South Park using eMule over dial-up. It took days.


Well back then there was a huge difference in the Internet experience between people at universities and other places with T1s and other fast connections, and everyone else on dial-up. There was a lot of full-length video downloading at universities by 2000. But even on dial-up I seem to remember realplayer and other UDP dumps being pretty popular around this time.


Picking 300MB as a ridiculous amount of data to download dates that nicely without needing to look at the article header.

Though using the codecs and hardware of that time I doubt the quality at even that size would be great. Compare an old 349MB (sized to fit two on a CD-R/-RW, likely 480p though smaller wasn't uncommon) cap of a Stargate episode picked up in the early/mid 20XXs to a similarly sized file compressed using h265 or even h264 on modern hardware.


I recall Xvid rips of SD television content being just fine quality wise, even at the 350MB per episode that ‘the scene’ used. A modern encoding at 480P might have slightly better compression in dark areas, but SD television is kinda janky compared to HD.

H.265 or H.264 would absolutely crush Xvid for compressing HD content, both in size and quality.


I appreciate the usage of SG-1 as an example, as I definitely still have several seasons of SG-1 episodes of that size floating around old hard drives somewhere. XVID, of course.


I wonder if the 6000 series from nvidia will finally be able to deliver on the prognostication of being able to make toast with a PC?


You can make a flambé with Nvidia’s new 12VHPWR connectors


Haha that article is wild. Thanks for sharing


Demonstrating the technology, Welborne stood proudly beside a prototype of the Presario 6000 as it displayed an eight-minute segment from a recent 3rd Rock From The Sun episode, downloaded from an NBC server in under 75 minutes.

lol

If you went to blockbuster, you could move 4.7 gb to your home in half the time (unless your family was involved in choosing the movie which would slow you down)


I remember when YouTube first appeared and my thought was "This is a really nice service. It's going to be a shame in a couple of years when it runs out of VC money and shuts down."

I also remember when they went through and re-encoded all of the videos so they could play on the original model iPhone.


It's a fad. I'm going long on Blockbuster.


Yes! And design, too…


Great end user experience is a huge differentiator in my opinion… it’s why I use OpenAI over other products in the market. It’s actually a joy to use.

(The responses are generally far better than other products.)


It's a chatbot... what UI features that OAI provided that you couldn't find in other providers before? I've found Claude 3.5 to give the better responses in my experience.


Have you tried Claude? I don’t see how it could be much better than that.


There were (loosely) almost checksums for the oral transmission of the Sanskrit versions of the Mahabharata for ensuring consistency and accuracy.

Priests were highly trained in recitation and memorization and the oral texts were consistent across vast regions.

My source is vague memory but I think it was from JAB van Buitenen speaking about oral transmission and accuracy in the intros for either “The Bhagavadgita in the Mahabharata” or “The Mahabharata; Book of the Beginning”.


As someone who’s lost much ability due to an illness, the touch input, accessibility features and intimacy of my phone have been a lifesaver.

Desktop web versus phone/tablet/tocuhscreen? I’d take the innovations and how forward they’ve moved us and society over anything in the past… they’re not just about input but forced new solutions and took us to new places.

Can anything be implemented better? Of course, and I agree with you: the next disruption will be better.

BUT will also expose more challenges in how we deal with tech, each other, and the planet.


Agreed with other posters: CLI is the best way to go…

ChatGPT can help with learning a lot now but the mailing lists are incredible sources of kind and wonderful (and incredibly knowledgeable) people… go there!

Handbrake, Permute are super as mentioned… I’ve put down a couple to add to the list.)

Helpful: https://ffmpeg.guide/ https://www.ffworks.net/


Maybe if he had taken some responsibility and demonstrated remorse? He may have felt he was too smart for this situation and could continue fooling people?


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