MG’s Notes

Every year there is a conference in Las Vegas for film and video professionals, known as NAB.  Major announcements are saved for this time, and I try to keep up with what is happening.  This year, one of the keynote speakers was Tim Robbins.  He shared some controversial remarks, but the closing part was great.    I was surprised by the small segment I heard, and it really inspired me.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1370868150/bctid1506582278

“We are at an abyss, as an industry and as a country. We are at a critical juncture in this nation’s history. This is a nation divided and reeling from betrayal and economic hardship,” he said.

“And you, the broadcasters of this great nation, have tremendous power, and the tremendous potential to effect change. You have the power to turn this country away from cynicism. You have the power to turn this nation away from the hatred and the divisive dialogue that has rendered such a corrosive effect on our body politic.”

He shared other thoughts about politics that I might not agree with, but his challenge to broadcasters was refreshing.

Finding time to watch television is difficult for me. I rarely follow shows, and most of them I watch on DVD. Even making time to watch movies is tricky. YouTube is nice for some things, but I need more than that to compete with my big TV. I’ve been looking into methods for watching high quality video on the internet, and the future is really encouraging. (for watching good video, you need a broadband connection)

Netflix - It’s nice to rent movies and have them delivered, especially with no late fees. What make me jump from Blockbuster was their viewing on demand. Now you can watch movies streaming online, instantly. Their selection is fairly small, but I’ve found a few gems that make it worth it.

Hulu.com - I got into it before it was open to all, and its very impressive. They have a lot of NBC TV shows, plus some movies. Full screen is impressive. You can even see the latest Saturday Night Live clips, and the advertising isn’t too bad.

Adobe Media Player - This is the newest delivery method, and I’m just starting to look at it. The quality is good, and I like the interface. Apparently you can subscribe, RSS-style to channels you like. They have a desktop component, so you don’t even need to be online. I’m a big fan of Adobe creation software, and interested in the impact of this player.

Are there other great sites out there?  Please share your thoughts in the comments.

OK, so I haven’t really posted much at all recently.  I have been thinking about the purpose of my blog, and what I could be sharing in this space.  Often I have detailed ideas that are quickly forgotten, or I’m unsure if they fit into categories that are at all related to this blog.  I’m considering starting up a website of my own to learn about that process, and maybe the blog would be hosted there.  I could just start up another blog, with more specialized focus…such as about new forms of media that catch my eye.

Or I’ll just throw all kinds of random elements in this space.

Either way, I’ll be posting more often.  Thanks for your patience.

Now that it’s April, we are teased by occasional days of somewhat warmer weather.  Our softball team had the first practice of the year.

See the pictures.