Physical & Digital EST: The Future of Home Video Discussion Thread

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

On the other hand my Masters thesis, because of the complex equations and notations, I could not use word and had to used a specialized word processor.

Way back when, I used to create documents with equations using WordPerfect (5 or 5.1 ?) for DOS. As WordPerfect progressed I would open and save these documents in the newer versions. Problem, don't remember what some were used for! I have equations in Quattro Pro that I did years ago that I probably could not write today. Being retired for several years now it no longer seems all that important anyway.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Way back when, I used to create documents with equations using WordPerfect (5 or 5.1 ?) for DOS. As WordPerfect progressed I would open and save these documents in the newer versions. Problem, don't remember what some were used for! I have equations in Quattro Pro that I did years ago that I probably could not write today. Being retired for several years now it no longer seems all that important anyway.

That takes me back. Also, Excel macros!

[stonesfan129]

Does anyone here use free streaming services such as Tubi, Freevee, Pluto? I think these are great free options to supplement my physical collection. Digital rentals kind of tick me off too. $6 for a 24hr rental is ridiculous when I can walk down to Redbox and get it for $2.25.

[sapiendut]

Well, I use Roku but the picture quality is barely passable and the adverts are annoying.

As for Redbox being cheaper, then just go there then.

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

Digital rentals kind of tick me off too. $6 for a 24hr rental is ridiculous when I can walk down to Redbox and get it for $2.25.

People will pay absurd amounts for convenience.

[russweiss1]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

Does anyone here use free streaming services such as Tubi, Freevee, Pluto? I think these are great free options to supplement my physical collection. Digital rentals kind of tick me off too. $6 for a 24hr rental is ridiculous when I can walk down to Redbox and get it for $2.25.

My wife has been watching Tubi. Apparently they have cooking shows that she enjoys.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

Does anyone here use free streaming services such as Tubi, Freevee, Pluto?

Have those and some others but never use them.

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Have those and some others but never use them.

They're free services that don't require a subscription. Everyone who has internet access "has them".

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by russweiss1

My wife has been watching Tubi. Apparently they have cooking shows that she enjoys.

For < $200 in hardware (Winegard 76cm satellite dish, linear LNB, GT Media DVB-S2 satellite receiver) you could receive programming from PBS satellite distribution that has their East, West, Kids and Create program streams. IMHO, Create has lots of first class cooking shows.

AMC-21 Satellite info here. The install is not a 123 process but it is not that hard. Click the green in my signature for a little more info.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by stonesfan129

Does anyone here use free streaming services such as Tubi, Freevee, Pluto? I think these are great free options to supplement my physical collection. Digital rentals kind of tick me off too. $6 for a 24hr rental is ridiculous when I can walk down to Redbox and get it for $2.25.

Freevee is ok, Pluto quality is awful imo. SD and frame rate issues galore.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Way back when, I used to create documents with equations using WordPerfect (5 or 5.1 ?) for DOS. As WordPerfect progressed I would open and save these documents in the newer versions. Problem, don't remember what some were used for! I have equations in Quattro Pro that I did years ago that I probably could not write today. Being retired for several years now it no longer seems all that important anyway.

I am guessing there are better systems out there today. But back in the day I had started off with Wordperfect (more powerful then MS word) but it too was too limited. It was not about calculations (I am guessing that is what you mean by bringing in Quattro pro) but putting a bunch of wonky symbols in a wonky way that was not possible on most main stream word processing SW. So unless I find an old PC with that SW installed on it my digital file is kind of useless, but luckily when someone asked for it I still had my unbound paper copy and I was able to scan to PDF to send it.

In my life that was a more impactful example and I believe one that fitted more with the discussion. But I could have easily gone that back in the day we bought my dad a first (or second) generation iPad mini so he can video chat with us when he is in Europe, but one day just a few years later Skype (and other similar apps) would not work without an update of the app and the app would not update with thought an update of the OS and the OS could not be updated because apple deemed the device too old. Or how about the countless smart TVs that stopped being as smart (get our TV it streams X, you won't need an external device and then a few years later that feature disappears).


IMHO a physical media that plays on a dedicated device will always be more easy to find a way that plays it no matter what the future holds.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

That takes me back. Also, Excel macros!

I still use them a lot

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

IMHO, Create has lots of first class cooking shows.

I definitely prefer Create cooking/construction shows over most of the other stuff out there. Though admittedly Americas test kitchen sometimes bugs me when they do ethic foods and decide to change them around because they feel they know better.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

I still use them a lot

Cool, I last used them 25 years ago.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

But back in the day I had started off with Wordperfect (more powerful then MS word) but it too was too limited.

Back then Ventura Publisher or Aldus PageMaker was a lot more capable than WordPerfect but they cost a lot more than WordPerfect Suite Pro. At work we had QuarkXPress in the art department but I had no reason to learn it. For several years now I have Microsoft Publisher and CorelDRAW. Never taken the time to really learn either one.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Cool, I last used them 25 years ago.

yeah, not everyone needs spreadsheets and all that but for us it is an easy and
cheap way to "automate" some jobs and accounting.

But for us for example an employee fills in time sheet presses "submit". The hours he worked show up for his pay and it is used to tabulate how many man hours have already been put on the project(s) he worked on.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

yeah, not everyone needs spreadsheets and all that but for us it is an easy and
cheap way to "automate" some jobs and accounting.

But for us for example an employee fills in time sheet presses "submit". The hours he worked show up for his pay and it is used to tabulate how many man hours have already been put on the project(s) he worked on.

Office suite was/is fantastic.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Office suite was/is fantastic.

Yes I started off with Word Perfect, but quickly changed to MS Word, Excel, and Power Point. Used Word for writing up Resumes when I Retired. When I worked as a Service Manager with Marketing, I used Power Point to draw up some real nice Campus Fiber Networks. The Marketing Teams Loved my Work!

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Office suite was/is fantastic.

Mac or IBM?

Have an older MS Enterprise Office Suite but still continue to use WordPerfect suite for most task. Much easier to customize tool bars (see spoiler), can import DXF files (AutoCadd, VisualCadd) into WP Presentations, insert symbols (⅜, X², ≥, 75Ω, 72°F) with more than 1500 to choose from, etc.

[Show spoiler]
Second row is mostly my stuff and graphics. The icons trigger macros or open documents or open PDF's or folders.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Mac or IBM?

Have an older MS Enterprise Office Suite but still continue to use WordPerfect suite for most task. Much easier to customize tool bars (see spoiler), can import DXF files (AutoCadd, VisualCadd) into WP Presentations, insert symbols (⅜, X², ≥, 75Ω, 72°F) with more than 1500 to choose from, etc.

[Show spoiler]
Second row is mostly my stuff and graphics. The icons trigger macros or open documents or open PDF's or folders.

IBM, my preference for Mac came later in life when I was dabbling in image editing.

That’s an impressively stacked row by the way.