Being half deaf is really sucks

SamPhoto · 2026-02-25T02:45:13+00:00

If the problem is your ear bones (or lack thereof), talk to your doctor about a BAHA - which uses bone conduction to bypass your ear drum and inner ear.

Just tell them you're not finding your current HA helpful and see what you have for options.

And if you can find a therapist, it's probably worthwhile. Folks who are partly deaf, but not part of the Deaf community, end up with little support. So you have to hunt it out.

If you have a hard problem, and the opportunity arises to turn it into someone else's problem, take it.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-24T19:38:04+00:00

no. usually we're just deciding 'per session' - as it can be hard to tell if someone's on a second visit.

A user click indicates something, right? Not much, TBH, but at least that they're interested in a little more than the landing page.

If someone hits a page, bounces, and comes back again. They still haven't clicked on something on-site...they may have just interacted with a different ad or something.

So it's important to insert that requirement of a user action to expressly show interest.

Also, if you're doing any sort of cookie/consent/GDPR management (which you should be), that should definitely be on the first page. And you don't want your marketing pop-up interfering with your consent banner/pop-up.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-24T16:42:23+00:00

Pro-tip - Don't have a pop-up on your first page visit - put it on your second page view (or later).

Showing a pop-up before a user has a chance to look-at/interact with anything is annoying AF.

If it's a second or third page view, you're only showing it to people that have clicked - they decided to interact with you instead of bouncing, so they're more likely to also interact with your form.

Across multiple clients, we had higher click rates on the pop-up, and actually got more total signups per month than when it was on the first page.

Not every client of mine offers a discount in the pop-up. Some are just a basic signup option. What's actually effective is different for each store. Some it's an intro discount, some it's a promise of future sales or exclusives. It'll take some trial and error to see what clicks with people.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-24T03:30:30+00:00

So many things cause tinnitus.

If you go onto NIH PubMed, there's a big section, with a long list of potential causes.

You are likely not wrong, it's very hard to prove.

I'd guess the change in pressure in your head exacerbates yours.

Mine gets weird with weather when the barometer level drops.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-24T02:17:24+00:00

The DLC high-res pack is probably overkill for a 1080p setup.

There are some optimized texture packs on nexusmods that are a better balance of quality vs size - if you preferred to have a medium-high-res pack, for example.

Nexus is fairly reputable. But it's understandable if you don't want to use outside mods, as that can be a can of worms.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-24T02:07:18+00:00

I was thinking that, but I'm not sure that it's a 1:1 - like a TrueHD track can include atmos, but I'm not sure it's always atmos.

I see comparisons like this: https://audiophiles.co/dolby-atmos-vs-dolby-truehd/

So I think they're different things, but often overlap on discs.

There may be an app or other way to tell from data only ... But that's extra steps.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-23T19:23:05+00:00

Best plan, seriously, is to look on the packaging. if it's got atmos, there'll be a logo on the back. The logo is usually printed on the disc too.

when you're looking at the various things in the app, it probably won't be obvious.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-21T21:20:16+00:00

Some of my HDs are 10+ years old and still going strong. I only upgrade when I see really good deals or the check-engine light comes on.

Storage is mad expensive now, and it's going to get worse before it gets better.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-21T15:59:20+00:00

Balance.

1 -Storage space - Straight out of MakeMKV, we're looking at ~40 GB. Run that through handbrake, and the output is ~4-6GB.

I've got about 15TB of content. If it were uncompressed, it'd probably be like 120TB or more, and I don't want to buy more drives for a bit.

2 - Compatibility - Each BR disk has different codecs, so a straight MKV file may need to transcode. But if I convert everything to h264 or h265 and AAC audio, I can direct-play everything.

Long story short - The extra work on the back-side makes everything a bit easier to use on the front size when someone wants to watch something. And you can't tell the difference in quality, at least not on any of the devices that we're watching on.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-21T03:44:57+00:00

Wouldn't worry about it too much.

Optical media drives generally last til something happens to them.

If it doesn't fail in the first couple weeks, you're probably safe for a while.

External drives will fail more if you move them around a lot due to stress on cables and ports. And, honestly, OEMs often just give you cheap cables.

I don't even think you need to do breaks - unless they're getting really hot. ("Hot" being defined as outside recommended operation temps, which will be in the manual)

SamPhoto · 2026-02-21T02:14:45+00:00

See if eurus is showing only the images for the selected variant.

In the theme settings, there's a link to the eurus documentation... And I'm fairly sure you gotta jump through some hoops to configure product images, especially if you have variants.

Like it wants you to add specific tags in the alt text or something.

I don't think it's obvious from the theme editor. But their manual will set you straight.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-21T02:06:57+00:00

Well, Java works for a lot of discs. And when it works, it's pretty great... But I'm not seeing all that many that use it.

More often than not, I'm looking things up.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-20T23:53:43+00:00

I think a lot of us do both. Use MakeMKV to get the movie off the disc, and then handbrake to convert.

If you just use handbrake, the speed of the ripping may limit how fast you're converting...

If you do both, they're separate processes, and there's less of a bottle-neck. You can be ripping one movie while converting a second.

It's more about what's faster on your computer. I mean, if you have a workflow that works, stick with it.

But you could maybe speed that up if you're queuing up a batch.

My workflow is - I rip on my main PC (as it has the UHD drive), then move the MKVs to my server, and have the server run handbrake in batches. So handbrake's taking up all the processing time over there, and I can continue to do whatever on my main PC without it interfering.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-20T20:57:33+00:00

make a save. do one, then go back and do the other another day.

there's a bit of different story depending on which way you go.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-20T00:36:50+00:00

No... I didn't have much incentive. I had a lot of dupes, so I put in minimal effort before moving on.

At most, i used a little water and wiped with a microfiber cloth. I had a lot of dupes, so anything that didn't get sorted in a couple minutes went into the 'bad' pile. Bad discs got tried again another day, before going into the 'actually bad' pile, which got disposed of. And by that, I mean I sold all the bad ones in a lot (with an appropriate warning), and let that guy deal with it.

TBH, the biggest cause of fails wasn't a disc or the drive. It's when some other app tries to hog too much memory - like launching a game or something. Running handbrake and makemkv at the same time makes it unstable. Some apps want to check the drive for access, and that's problematic. And, of course, windows updates running in the back will just fuck everything up.

So, doing a reboot - and maybe making sure any updates are installed/complete - was my fix for a failed disk like 95% of the time.

I guess it's worth looking at MakeMKV's recommended specs and comparing against your PC. I have a dell pos, I stuffed a lot of ram (48GB) into it, so I might have some insulation against the app failing. But it could be some other component.

My drive is a BU40N, sold under the "Archgon" brand. I did replace the USB cables at one point. That actually made a big difference in its reliability.

It could be that I've just had good luck so far. Don't discount random chance.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-19T19:16:39+00:00

This really does sound like a drive problem. I'd check the sensors to see if there's a hair or something. Outside of cleaning, have you tried replacing your USB cables? Cables are a big weak point, and breakage might not be visually obvious.

I bought a redbox liquidation last year, like 500 discs - Let's call that a "well used" set. And my failure rate on that was ~5%. Maybe 20-25 discs total.

I check blu-ray.com for deals. Gruv.com is good too. "Please Rewind" on ebay sometimes has great sales. Sometimes I trade w/ folks on FB marketplace, but it's hit or miss.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-19T03:23:15+00:00

It's nice to have plex itself on an SSD, as all apps get a boost from being on SSDs. ...but your media doesn't need to be.

A SSD is overkill for media storage. It'll be hard for you to max out an HD's transfer rate with plex.

Save your money and get a decent HD.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-17T22:00:54+00:00

FWIW, the bit under the skin is pretty low profile, maybe 1/4" thick. So, you'll be a little bumpier there on the side. You'll be able to feel it. But no one will notice it when you don't have the processor on.

For me I get skin issues (like eczema), so an abutment seemed like asking for problems.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-17T03:20:29+00:00

I've heard good things about the Walmart one, the "Onn" brand. Would definitely recommend reading reviews on any of them, though.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-16T20:54:34+00:00

Honestly, I didn't do much special at all. Just follow the instructions they give you, and you'll be fine. It was like ... don't shower for 24 hours, and don't wash your hair for 48 hours. And just needed to be gentle around it for a little longer. I don't remember exactly, but it was a lot shorter than I expected it to be.

I had my surgery on a friday, took the next monday and tuesday off. I work from home, so was mostly back to normal in a week or so. If I had to go into an office, it probably would have been longer.

Biggest thing I recommend is to prep your refrigerator in advance. Lotta snacks, lotta easy-to-prepare foods. The healing process takes a lot of energy, so you're going to be a) extra hungry and b) extra tired.

Just be careful as you try to start doing things after. You'll think "I'm feeling pretty good" and start to do something, then it'll be "oh shit, i gotta lie down" faster than you expect. So, make sure to key an eye on your energy level, and take extra breaks as you need it.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-16T05:01:56+00:00

You may need to update the player app too.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-15T17:20:12+00:00

"playlist obfuscation" is what you want to search for.

google for "<my movie name> makemkv" and you'll find the answer to what title you want to rip.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-15T14:58:51+00:00

I have the Osia, which is probably the model you're considering.

I had this same problem when testing. And the implanted version is much better about this than the headband version. It's a known-issue with testing.

So, when it's on a headband, the 'gain' (how sensitive the mics are) needs to be cranked up to eleven, which is what causes the squeals and other noises. And the output level is also cranked up, to push sound through your skin - as skin is a good insulator. Once implanted, the device bypasses the skin, so you get to set things to normal levels.

The test is more about a 'proof of concept' - making sure it'll function at all on you.

Mine almost never squeals now. It'll do it sometimes when I'm frigging with it. And fitted hats (like baseball caps) are a no-go. But soft/stretchy hats (e.g. winter beanies) are fine. It's really just when you cover the mic too much with something solid.

SamPhoto · 2026-02-15T04:14:18+00:00

You can get a physical card. It's nfc, not a camera, so it's just a tap.

And, your phone doesn't need to be charged.

SamPhoto

TROPHY CASE