videohelp.com backstory. What do you remember?

[lordsmurf]

I was never interviewed by Forbes.
DVD-R did not exist in 1992.
I didn't have my online username in 1992, as their was no WWW yet.

At one point in time, I did heavily use Ritek for duplication, during G03, due to budget constraints. Those were still $1-2 apiece back in 2003. That was short-lived, maybe 4 months? Mastering and archiving was all MCC and PVC, because duplicated discs were easy to replace. Masters and archives are not. In 2001-2003, I suggested Pioneer (PVC), Apple (MCC) and TDK (TDK). Princo was on the table too, being the only cheap disc next to Ritek, for duplication needs. That was also short-lived.

I noticed the Wikipedia entry for Ritek is fubar. It says they started making DVDs in 1996. Maybe DVD-ROM, but their first DVD-R were in 2002 (RITEKG01). I've still got a few of them left, using gold reflective foil, some data backup dupes (copy of the archive). Those discs were about $4 each. I still have an invoice for purchase, just for kicks. A 25-pack of media cost about $115 shipped.

I don't recall CD-R in the USA until maybe 1995. And it required a huge SCSI 1x burner. I think it was a LiteOn too.

[gadgetguy]

I don't recommended Ritek, and I never have.

So, you're retracting what you said back in 1992?

I exclusively use Ritek. There has never been a better brand, and there never will be any better. They are so advanced that I expect we'll find out that they're time-travelers sent back to make our lives better.

You've got to be joking, right? Have you ever read any of lordsmurf's posts? Even if you take the Ritek name out and substitute ANY brand, it still doesn't sound like anything lordsmurf would say. Even if he was enamored with a brand at the time, he's far too pragmatic to make a claim that there would never be a better brand.

Edit: Just saw lordsmurf's response. Guess I should'a checked for a second page...

[lordsmurf]

I think Supreme2k is "taking the piss" or however they say it over in UK.

[SquirrelDip]

I remember Supreme2k being... Well, being Supreme2k... Kinda brings a tear to my eye.

How's it hanging Supreme2k???

[Supreme2k]

I think Supreme2k is "taking the piss" or however they say it over in UK.

Oddly enough, I get a lot of people asking if I grew up in the U.K., probably because of my deadpan humor. Though my cockney, dear (hopefully) departed father was from Liverpool, he wasn't your "typical" English.

Sometimes I think that if someone threw out the line "That's what she said!", there'd be someone asking, "Who's she? Did she really say that?!"

Ah, that's another callback. Back in the day, you could make ludicrous statements and have them be taken as such without the 5-smiley rule (Yes, I'm sure that Forbes interviews lordsmurf and N1njaBoi69 all the time). I thought that (at least) this line was a dead giveaway:

They are so advanced that I expect we'll find out that they're time-travelers sent back to make our lives better.

I'll end with a simple U.K-ism (a la Python): "You're no fun anymore!"

[SquirrelDip]

Well... He's not dead yet - probably wants to go for a walk.

[Super Warrior]

I've been using Ritek for as long as they've been making optical media. It's never been anything impressive.

Current Ritek burns fine, but only under certain conditions (right firmware, etc), and there is still a % of discs lost. It's really never changed. RITEKG03 was not much different, definitely better than the average, but TY, MCC, TDK, PVC, RICOH and a couple others at the time were much better.

The whole "dead disc" thing is 99% myth, and is almost always related to poor reflectivity (which lends itself to difficulty to read a disc).

Princo had problems with disc construction, dye quality, and disc stability. None of these things are present in modern Ritek. Well, the dye quality is an issue, but it's still not sewer-slime grade stuff used by Princo.

I don't recommended Ritek, and I never have.

Current Ritek, like Princo, is garbage. One of the last 50 packs i had *NONE* of them burned right and had errors everywhere. It was a new sealed pack bought from newegg, but it was like someone pulled it out of Ritek's dumpster and gave it to me.

And are you implying that its a "myth" for bad quality discs to degrade to unplayability? It definitely is not.

[lordsmurf]

I'll end with a simple U.K-ism (a la Python): "You're no fun anymore!"

Well... He's not dead yet - probably wants to go for a walk.

I'll be fun again after vacation (taking time off work, won't be going online much, relaxing at home).
Jokes just go right over my head lately. Too tired.

Super Warrior, I won't hijack this thread anymore. That conversation is for another place, another time.

[VideoTechMan]

I joined on back in 2003 of course when it was vcdhelp.com back in the day. Can't exactly remember how I found the site, it was pretty much through a web search.

I remember Tpgo's famous polls...

Sefy's guides were very helpful to read.

I remember the many guides on how to make a decent VCD before DVD's were dominant. I think I made my first VCD with the help I have gotten here.

And of course the old regulars I remembered here at the time too. Remembered the excessive post-whoring issues that used to be abound here and then eventually remember when the Off-Topic section got changed where we now had to log in to view.

Been four years for me...wow how time flies

[BJ_M]

thanks 4 the memories

[zzyzzx]

I remember when Off Topic posts made it to the front page if they were the newest.

I rememebr when you didn't have to register to read Off Topic posts.

I also miss Jeex.

I also remember that thread where that guy's "friends" porn VCD's came out blocky.

[Hardcoreruss]

I stumbled across this site when I was having problems converting my porn to VCD, it kept coming out black and white.

[SaiLo]

I remember the first post I read in off-topic was Will Hay's hairless cat pic.

The courtesy flush(toilet) thread got super long.

BJM posting pics of (supposedly)his babysitters along with all these babe pics from everyone else in a super long thread.

[makntraks]

I stumbled across this site when I was having problems converting my porn to VCD, it kept coming out black and white.

Kept coming out black and white... or was that your "thing"... hehehehe...

I came across this for the video help but was drawn to the OT and the "OG" cast of characters...
We all know who we/they are....

Happy New Year!
makntraks

[disturbed1]

I also miss Jeex.

Believe that's what changed the offtopic rules :P


I remember when the front page had more info about newsgroups rather than video conversion. Guides on howto use winrar, binchunker, with links to isohunt.

Having to first authorize the DVD to unlock it, then using a program that would buffer the DVD, because it had to be encoded as it played, took A LONG TIME to make a VCD with my Pentium 200Pro. DVDDecrypter used to suck, SmartRipper was the tool of choice. Panasonic Mpeg1 encoder, the best quality VCD you can make.

Chia-Chen Kuo with out him, well put your google skills to test.

The enormious bugs in TMPG with VBV buffers, not obeying GOP nor bitrate. The lengthly threads that went with all that.

That POS flaskmpeg. Great program if only it didn't crash/lock up 9 out of 10 times.

Nero's bin/cue problems, and being able to help them fix the problem because of this forum, and a few members (HVR and others). And Nero's other problems with (S)VCD authoring.

Installing NT 4.0 just to run Philips official SVCD authoring tools, which paled in comparison to I-Author.

vitualis!!!! sorry, Dr. vitualis I truely miss reading his posts.

Spending $802 on a Pioneer A03, $17 on a blank TDK DVD-R disc. First movie I ever burnt to DVD was Scenes from a Bar - starring Kobi Tai 8)

Meritline sending free samples because I was a media whore! Defense getting pissed because they sent me more free samples than he got

The whole +R -R crap, then the crazy idea about the Sony DRU-whatever dual format burner.

Funny how I went from getting 2-3 UPS shipments a week of blank media, to running to Microcenter once a month to grab a 50 pack of whatever's on sale. Outsourcing is great!

My girlfriend bitches at me 2-3 times a year to throw out the 300 odd home made (S)VCD's I have. Then she remembers the amount of time, frustration, trial, error, time, and more frustration that went into making them. Honey which one looks better, A,B, or C? <They all look the same > I could care less about any DVD Backup I've made, but I hold everyone of my (S)VCD's close to my heart.

[bigmicka]

I can remember when sefy still posted and the post 9/11 flame wars.

I can remember when Off Topic had crackers of threads like.

Exactly why were the other passengers complaining?
https://forum.videohelp.com/topic114649.html

Would you date an amputee?
https://forum.videohelp.com/topic252931.html

and this one in particular that caused one of the bigggest stirs within the community.

I think I've gotten a crush...
https://forum.videohelp.com/topic251103.html

mic

[BJ_M]

i wonder why https://forum.videohelp.com/topic251103.html was locked ?

[vhelp]

Well, I never-ever saw that thready, ever !!
I only just read the first few posts, and thought they were funny

BJ_M, did they ever discover who the crush'ee was ??

-vhelp 4495

[BJ_M]

i'm not sure

[Dv8ted2]

It was Baldrick.

[bigmicka]

whoever it was, it caused one of the biggest geekboy shit stir explosions of all time. there was accusations of people using different ID's, broken friendships. From memory it was one of the main instigators for having off topic removed from guests.

mic

[Super Warrior]

Anybody had an actual standalone VCD recorder before? I remember way back around 2000 i had bought one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Terapin-TX-0002-Audio-Video-Recorder/dp/B00007FGP7

It was just like a VCR only with CD-Rs, it worked pretty good and i used it a lot. Recording quality was nice at the time, about as good as a VCD can get. Sad thing is almost all of the MANY VCDs i burnt with this unit, got discarded once i discovered DVD burner tech around 2003.

Ahhh VCDs, neat alternative to crappy VHS tapes back in the day, but now so obsolete its not even funny. Anyone who still bothers making VCDs needs some sense slapped into them.

Ofcourse the reason i first came to this forum years ago was to learn more about DVD burner tech.

[SquirrelDip]

Never a VCD recorder but I did have a player back in about '96. I was working in Malaysia starting in '95 and censorship destroyed VHS (because they could) - I found a Laserdisc rental shop and nothing was censored (because they couldn't). After about a year of living there I had rented everything in the shop luckily this was about when VCD's started hitting the underground market. Picked up a Sony player and my movie watching continued - by the time I left the country I had hundreds of VCDs.

After returning to Canada I got to thinking that creating my own VCD's should be possible and that's when I stumbled on this place. I've never posted much in anything outside of off-topic since I've found that any problem I've had someone else has also had and made a post - so lots of reading (don't you wish more noobs were like that???). Discovered off-topic and then joined up.

I'm probably not one of the more recognizable members but I've stirred my fair share of shit...

[zzyzzx]

Super[/url] Warrior]It was just like a VCR only with CD-Rs, it worked pretty good and i used it a lot. Recording quality was nice at the time, about as good as a VCD can get. Sad thing is almost all of the MANY VCDs i burnt with this unit, got discarded once i discovered DVD burner tech around 2003.

Unless you used Tayio Yuden CD-R's most of them are probably bad discs by now anyway.

[Tundra Trout]

Ahhh.I remember the good old days here.About an hour ago I registered here,and tested out my signature.It chokes me up just thinking about it

[neomaine]

Ahhh, capmaster and vinyl (not discs....) stories...