If you’re like me, you probably know the service Digitally Imported and likely you were much disappointed due to the fact that they’ve cut off any means for us to listen to the streams in a more convenient player like RadioApp and such.
However after some fiddling it turned out that the protection is next to nothing. Since circumventing it would not eliminate the ads, neither boost the quality (not implying you don’t deserve more — just the way it works 🙂 ), I thought, why not give it a try and make my hardware radio tuner be able to play DI again?
Usually I used my mom’s laptop with PCMCIA and an AverMedia Hybrid TV+FM Cardbus tuner to digitize all my VHS camera recordings.
However that got annoying quite soon, so I got my VCR back into my rack, added a SCART-6xRCA cable, and found the AverMedia Capture98 PCI card I’ve had lying around because a fake chinese EasyCap was giving bullshit image and colors 🙂
However the 2001-dated drivers obviously refused to run on Windows 8.1 64-bit.
The solution is what you see above — yes, DScaler 4!
It supports working with the Conexant chipset directly without the drivers and produces a nice image. I have also installed an x264 encoder to get smaller files (like, 250 MB per 15 minutes average, and I bet the majority of it is uncompressed sound 🙂 ).
The video below was digitized as a test from my SLV-E720 from some weird tape that definitely could do well as a shopping-mall-vaporwave video clip 🙂
Compare the vivid-colored smooth image to a test of a Fushicai Easycap 007 with it’s almost nonexistent colors and jittering frames, and you’ll see why I didn’t wanna go with modern single-chip solutions at all 🙂
Disclaimer: whatever you might do looking at this post, you are doing at your own risk. Batteries are chemistry plus electricity, thus, twice the danger — not only you could get electrocuted, but you could also set yourself on fire or something, if you don’t have the necessary proficiency. All the information here is provided for educational purposes only.
(Yeah, it’s been a lot of posts about batteries here recently 🙂 )
I’ve wanted a VHS camera since a long time ago and recently a chance turned up to get one, a legendary Panasonic M3500.
However, it had no power supply, and the original battery didn’t work too.
When I used some PLS wires to connect to the ⎓ jack at the back, all I got is a No Battery icon and then the camera switched off for no reason.
All the good times seem to be left in the past.
Whatever happens is not able to refill the emptiness.
Reverse the movie of life, and it’s about how one regains happiness as they lose more and more of their knowledge.
So here you have some leftover pieces of my soul, at least what is remaining… who knows if you might like them.
And so I’m going back… Knowing, that it’s not safe to turn off your computer.
Psst… you also get a bonus track if you download it there instead of my Bandcamp!
And also, we’re gonna announce something even more awesome in a bit of time…
What is that gonna be, a CD or an LP?
OR BOTH?
Nope… something much better…
This should give you a bit of an idea 🙂
However, until then, you can listen to it here:
Or watch the music video:
Tell me how you like it, and thanks for staying tuned 🙂
A big thanks to:
PizzaboxSociety for publishing the album
LittlePikelet, Namikiri & Defsen, Kripex, Milana Zakharova, Ksyusha Matechenkova, Arien Hikarin, NightRadio, Maria Burkova and many others for inspiration and support :3
Kotokotyan for some parts of the album cover art
Provoda.ch radio for informational support and playing my tracks
One of the most interesting listens for the Pizzabox Society label, Ak.R is a fresh artist with a taste for digital computing and outdated technology narratives. The first side is a sudden drop into a hole of trembling acoustic backdrops and midigated percussions pressed on murky, dissonant delay and drone. There’s a sense of danger in the atmosphere with the production, but it still carries on patches of blissful night lo-fi to balance its moodiness. The second side breaks open up a dreamscape world bursting with teeming activity of robotic communication. This is where the melodies are most actively blooming, especially with the MIDI-like guitars and drums forming memorable substance for the electronic synthwork. It is Not Safe to Turn Off Your Computer is a vividly emotional and complex release, and it’s one that may stick around as a favorite. 4.5/5
Enjoy the album and stay tuned for more! :3
– Ak.R.
Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for whatever damage or loss, physical or mental, related to attempting to repeat something described in this post. It is provided for educational purposes only. Never disassemble electronic devices, especially batteries and battery packs, especially lithium ones, unless you have necessary proficiency and qualification in electronics.
Hey guys, long time no posts 😀
Recently I’ve acquired a Sony MZ-R30 Minidisc player.
It’s a kinda fun format, but the fact that I had to use a 2AA case in order to enjoy my music was quite disappointing.
After fiddling around with the dead LIP-12H that came with it, I came to a conclusion that it’s definitely a somehow packaged 18650 cell.
