Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Proud Wednesday

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  • Richard Wain,

    What about WMV? I recall that's the name of the Microsoft software... haven't heard of Silverlight, obviously I'm not the techiest person round here though!

    Since Nov 2006 • 155 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    It really would be nice to be able to download the movies without an external application.

    And it'd be great to do it the way Archive.org does, with downloadable MP4 files, but their content is public domain and Creative Commons -- ours, like most archive television, is festooned with rights and residuals. I'd have loved to have been able to offer at least the public broadcast content as Creative Commons downloads, but the world doesn't work that way yet.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I don't have the latest Flash the stie says... oddly I can view footage on YouTube for sure no problems, I go there to see stuff.

    Just update your Flash, it's pretty quick.

    I can NEVER use the TVNZ player, it just doesn't work. Maybe it's the latest Flash thing, tho I don't get a message to that effect, it just sucks.

    I'm damned if I know what's up with some people getting no result from TVNZ ondemand -- there are routing issues, and until this week the new DoubleClick ad-serving on the site was wrecking it on my Vodafone DSL. It's so cool not having ads on the ON Screen site.

    TV3's fine though!

    The 3News site sucked for a while -- I think they were using the new secure Flash server (you couldn't see an underlying file anywhere) but have rolled back to an older one (you can see a file) and now it works.

    I'd prefer to be able to download than view as you are, for something like this... no chance then I take it from that response, Russ B?

    Nope. Sorry, didn't mean to sound grumpy.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    What about WMV? I recall that's the name of the Microsoft software... haven't heard of Silverlight, obviously I'm not the techiest person round here though!

    Silverlight is the new Microsoft video technology; WMV is the "old" one that's still pretty popular, but doesn't come with the toolbox that Flash does.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Wain,

    Sweet as. Perhaps my issue is more with those Flash websites than the player.

    God I hate those sites. I wish nobody used Flash for their sites... guess if it's so ubiquitous I'd better get with program(me)!

    Cheers RW

    Since Nov 2006 • 155 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    God I hate those sites. I wish nobody used Flash for their sites... guess if it's so ubiquitous I'd better get with program(me)!

    At the moment I don't have any flash plugin for Firefox, my main browsing browser, which without having to load all the flash crap one gets these days is lightning quick. When I want to watch an actual video or press play on something I switch to Slimbrowser (which is essentially a skin of Internet Explorer). I don't know for how long it will be feasible to keep going this way - I suspect soon enough the lack of Flash will cripple my experience of most sites - but for the moment I'm sitting very pretty.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Great to see this treasure trove. It may well make life a little easier for me as I am proposing a research project for 2009-2010, to research and begin writing a history of television in New Zealand 1985-2010. It would pick up from Robert Boyd-Bell's 1985 history.
    The world is awash with books on NZ film (I have reviewed at least 5 in the past year) but the television history is very incomplete.
    I have talked to Russell about this and I approaching my faculty for some seeding money for interviews, stills etc.
    I don't know if there is anyone out there with similar plans but I intend to make all my material, once gathered, freely available

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    Steven - yes definite nostalgia - so many familiar faces

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    This whole thing is making me ridiculously thrilled. I haven't even started delving into it properly yet, but it's so exciting! And seriously, I could listen to the It's In The Bag theme song all. day. long. That track is the *business*.

    (Perhaps, just for variety, I could intersperse it with a few plays of the theme to Country Calendar. And that instrumental version of 'Flowers on the Wall' from A Dog's Show.)

    It is conceivable that I am somewhere in that 1998 Hero parade broadcast. I was on a float that year, I think...

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Brenda Leeuwenberg,

    So glad you're (mostly) all loving it - it's been an exercise of love (and patience, perseverance and passion) getting it online.

    If you have things you'd like to see there - send us feedback!

    If you have a problem with flash - tough. It's the best and most universal medium to get the video to the most people in the best way. Technology progresses people, it works, it looks great - that's how it is.

    If you're anti-flash I suspect this is not the first site you've come across where you have a problem - perhaps it's you??

    We're interested in getting amazing content to as many people as we can, in the best way possible.

    Thanks for all your wonderful feedback :)

    Brenda

    Wellington • Since Oct 2008 • 41 posts Report Reply

  • Brenda Leeuwenberg,

    d'you know what would be great ... you have taken the time to write a great piece of feedback about watching this show. Please feel free to register and post your feedback on the site.

    The discuss tab, that goes with every title, is there for just this kind of response :)

    And also to get the stories behind the shows ... but that's another angle!

    Wellington • Since Oct 2008 • 41 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Wain,

    Brenda, I outlined my issues with Flash fully above. I don't have many problems elsewhere, and I've now downloaded the new version on Russell's advice.

    But I find your attitude to the issues I expressed unwelcoming.

    Here's my feedback: Flash isn't the best thing going and your buffering is pretty darn slow - I couldn't wait for the 1st Patu segment to finish loading and went to bed TBH.

    Since Nov 2006 • 155 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Wain,

    For instance, if it was downloadable (which I understand won't happen due to ancient attitudes to copyright - Robbery, waddya think of that!?), I wouldn't have to wait and then give up waiting for it to download - I could just download and go away, then watch it at my leisure.

    Not to rag on ya too hard. But you know, best means best.

    Since Nov 2006 • 155 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Darlington,

    Not to rag on ya too hard. But you know, best means best.

    Your setup sounds a bit manky tbh. I've tried it on several machines at home including a low spec'd tiny screened Asus eePC and streams are quick, great looking and load fine.

    Nelson • Since Nov 2006 • 949 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Wain,

    Well it's possible but I'm running a new Macbook with large memory (mine's not so good, can't recall how many gigs) and it was well late at night on a decent broadband connection...

    Since Nov 2006 • 155 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    I guess the streaming video world uses DRM through obscurity. They don't sieze control of your video chain, but throw a bunch of technical hassles in the way of acquiring a permanent copy.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    if it was downloadable (which I understand won't happen due to ancient attitudes to copyright - Robbery, waddya think of that!?)

    sorry
    I wasn't really reading this thread.
    seems you're talking about a few issues in that comment.
    one present internet connections suck so its hard to get a good viewing going with out stalling and line interruptions. kinda makes the whole viewing on line thing pointless and unpleasant.
    if you could watch it seamlessly, it remembered where you were up to if you had to pop out and started again from where you left off next time, then it wouldn't matter which hard drive it was on, essentially it would be easy access to you.

    also if NZ paid content owners for use by their country then maybe you could download it. as it is we plead broke, call it culture and guilt the creators into putting our names on the guest list. (I'm guessing this is how it went own russell and will retract said slur if you say archives paid the owners). I'm familiar with this technique cos I conned my way onto many a guestlist in my youth.
    If of course said content was fully funded by the tax payer then that's completely cool, it belongs to us. we should be able to download it.

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    if you could watch it seamlessly, it remembered where you were up to if you had to pop out and started again from where you left off next time, then it wouldn't matter which hard drive it was on, essentially it would be easy access to you.

    The video seems to be playing really well, apart from the odd issue for the likes of Richard.

    also if NZ paid content owners for use by their country then maybe you could download it. as it is we plead broke, call it culture and guilt the creators into putting our names on the guest list. (I'm guessing this is how it went own russell and will retract said slur if you say archives paid the owners).

    Rights owners and archives voluntarily licensed their work to us as a matter of public good, and they should be applauded for doing so.

    I'm familiar with this technique cos I conned my way onto many a guestlist in my youth.

    If of course said content was fully funded by the tax payer then that's completely cool, it belongs to us. we should be able to download it.

    Virtually everything on the site was fully funded by the taxpayer (or the licence fee payer), but copyright in NZ On Air-funded programmes rests with the producers, who are free to commercially exploit their work, with part of the receipts clawed back by NZ On Air. (I'm sure you wouldn't be keen on the government owning your master tapes if you took a recording grant.)

    A notable exception is Patu, which makes Merata Mita's decision to license the entire film even more laudable.

    Interesting point about Patu: I understand everything in the film was created for the purpose, rather than licensed in, because Merata was aware of the danger of copyright being used to block the film. Happily, this also made it simple for her to license the film to NZ On Screen.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Flash isn't the best thing going and your buffering is pretty darn slow - I couldn't wait for the 1st Patu segment to finish loading and went to bed TBH.

    It seems to work basically the same as youtube. I always just pause a video as soon as it starts, and then it buffers ahead of itself, and I watch it a few minutes later so that I don't have it stop and start. Always works perfectly well, not their fault my broadband isn't top speed.

    As people have pointed out, there's several bits of software which will capture it as it streams and work as if it's been downloaded.

    The comedy central web site where I watch any daily show clips that I miss is much more annoying. It does buffer ahead, but it seems to have a buffering limit, and it doesn't indicate how far ahead it is, and sometimes if you hit pause the player just stops working and you have to restart your browser. Not sure what file type they're using, but to be avoided.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    The comedy central web site where I watch any daily show clips that I miss is much more annoying.

    The extent to which they've been able to break online video is remarkable. It's never worked well, but Viacom has succeeded in getting nearly all the Comedy Central content off YouTube, so it's the only option for web viewing.

    It's Flash, the same as YouTube, they just broke it.

    By contrast, MSNBC's Flash video rocks.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • David Ritchie,

    I've whipped together a Greasemonkey script for Firefox which displays direct links to the FLV files -- you can download the shows (strictly for personal use only, of course) and watch them later. It's very much v0.1-ish at the moment.

    Since Nov 2006 • 166 posts Report Reply

  • David Ritchie,

    And FWIW, the Daily Show website always streams content for me much faster and with less (no?) interruptions than youtube ever does.

    Since Nov 2006 • 166 posts Report Reply

  • David Ritchie,

    Of course I mean fewer interruptions, not less. This is what seeing National billboards does to your brain.

    Since Nov 2006 • 166 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    The video seems to be playing really well, apart from the odd issue for the likes of Richard.

    all depends on who your internet providers are. I've got inet and xtra and both are shit at various times. can't even watch youtube without interuption some times. got to let it load first.
    not all broadband is created equal it seems. obviously nz is much worse of than many other civilised nations. like them across the ditch.
    Downloading files would be great, but then so would fast and reliable broadband

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    Rights owners and archives voluntarily licensed their work to us as a matter of public good, and they should be applauded for doing so.

    top people, their shout etc. just on my morning walk past the art gallery which shows works of public interest free of charge.
    it occurred to me that what they do is similar to what this archive project does.
    how do galleries acquire their works?

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

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