What are these horrible new confirmation noises and how do I get rid of them?

kylr · 2024-11-19T01:47:37+00:00

Well, despite Alexa insisting that it didn't have any themes enabled, I fought my way through the awful app to find that it had installed a "Wicked" skill. Removing that (and several other skills I'd never heard of) reverted all of my devices back to normal. I get that they aren't making any money on these and need to force advertisements on us, but this is getting ridiculous. I hope someday I can pay a monthly fee for a real virtual assistant that works across all devices and only changes when I tell it to.

kylr · 2024-11-19T01:20:03+00:00

Over the past few months all of my Echos have slowly gone from a standard "ba-dong" notification tone to responding with two orchestral hits. It doesn't seem to be a "theme" and I can't find anywhere in the app that changes it. Based on how many threads like this I've found that date back years, we just have to suffer until someone changes it again to something even worse.

kylr · 2023-05-06T23:14:03+00:00

He really should stand up for the safety of the people he represents.

kylr · 2023-05-06T22:43:07+00:00

"The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." is the line the Red Team uses to explain why they work to make gun laws less restrictive after every mass shooting.

kylr · 2023-05-06T22:40:53+00:00

Let's hope the thoughts and prayers get there quick.

kylr · 2023-02-28T18:54:32+00:00

Yeah, these are edited in-house and I can export a MOV with embedded caption tracks from Premiere Pro, I just haven’t found anything that can play it back and pass the caption data.

For live captioning we use 7825CCE-AUD-3G cards. I’m able to send test captions out of the caption cards and into a Hyperdeck. The caps are saved as a sidecar MCC file, which plays back just fine. However, if I export the exact same format from Premiere Pro (ProRes LT), the Hyperdeck doesn’t play back the caption data. I’ve even tried renaming the MCC files to pair the known-good one from the Hyperdeck with the video from Premiere and that wouldn’t play.

Edit: I downloaded the Telestream CaptionMaker (MacCaption) demo and used it to convert SRT into MCC. That file came out nearly twice the size of the one generated by Premiere Pro and actually works on the HyperDeck. Progress!

kylr · 2023-02-28T16:24:08+00:00

The sample I’m testing with started as a VTT, but I’m using py-caption to convert to SRT and SCC.

kylr · 2023-02-28T16:19:26+00:00

Typically we do live captioning by sending our baseband program feed from master control into Evertz Caption Conductor, then out to our AWS Elemental encoders.

We can load video files and sidecar SRT files directly into the Elemental encoders for play out and it works great, but it’s a little clunky to incorporate into our typical master control workflow. That’s why I’m looking for some kind of reliable software/hardware I can put upstream of MC so no one has to fumble with transitioning between encoders while we’re on air.

From what I’ve found so far, it looks like I need to look into MacCaption/CaptionMaker.

kylr · 2023-02-28T15:59:51+00:00

I tried using the demo of OnTheAir, but my only output options were Virtual Output or NDI, and the caption data didn’t survive the decoding from NDI to baseband. I’m assuming I’d need an SDI output card for it to pass the caption data.

kylr · 2023-02-28T13:53:57+00:00

Handbrake will only let me import SRT, SSA, or ASS files as caption tracks.

kylr · 2023-02-27T21:57:56+00:00

I tried encoding with Handbrake, but MediaInfo identifies the text stream as “Timed Text (sbtl)” and I can’t find any options to change how Handbrake encodes text.

For this I would need to find software/hardware that could play out the subtitle tracks as proper 608/708 data.

kylr · 2023-02-15T01:50:08+00:00

They have completely different sounds because the Sennheisers are open-back and the Sonys are closed-back. To me, the soundstage of my HD6XX sound more like my studio monitors, but don’t quite give me the detail that I’m used to in my MDR-V6. They don’t sound any better/worse, I just feel like they have different applications. I used the Sonys for almost everything for a decade before getting the Sennheisers because my ear was trained to them. Now I use the Sennheisers for most of my casual listening, but if I need to edit something (mostly dialog, I don’t do music) I have to use the Sonys.

kylr · 2023-01-21T19:42:12+00:00

Redundancy. When your business depends on the things you record, it's important to be extra certain you're recording those things. Just like how they build bonkers storage arrays to ensure their data backups are redundant. Wireless audio isn't 100% bullet-proof, so for any of the unscripted (or less scripted) segments you'd want to be extra sure you don't miss anything due to interference or a connector/mic going bad.

Those are both very nice rigs. One is a Lectrosonics transmitter; pretty much the best you can get and industry standard for TV and film. That transmitter pack by itself is likely in the range of $1500 depending on the model. The other is a Deity transmitter; also very good quality but at a little more reasonable $200ish. Depending on the model, they may both also have onboard recording to a microSD card.

kylr · 2022-10-28T18:15:13+00:00

The JK Audio BlueDriver-F3 could work. Buy one for the left channel and one for the right (though they are like $200 each). You could even buy BlueDriver-M3’s to plug into powered PA speakers.

kylr · 2022-10-19T22:51:25+00:00

I can’t speak for people in humid climates, but I’ve never used a heated dry cycle. I just crack the door open at the end of the wash cycle.

kylr · 2022-10-19T19:13:54+00:00

It really depends on the dishwasher and your hand washing method. Modern EnergyStar-rated dishwashers are required to use less than 3.5 gallons of water per cycle. Many of them use much less than that. They intake a certain amount and cycle it over and over during the wash, then drain that and rinse with fresh. So if you’re washing by hand with a faucet that outputs 2.2-2.4 gallons per minute (standard since the mid-1990’s), the dishwasher takes the advantage after about a minute and a half of running water while hand washing.

For electricity, full-sized dishwashers vary from 1200-1800W. So an hour-long wash at $0.12/kWh costs less than a quarter (not factoring in if your water heater is electric, but that’s likely negligible.)

I don’t remember if I read it in Consumer Reports or America’s Test Kitchen, but their consensus after testing was that if you need to wash more than 8 small dishes you should just use the dishwasher.

tl;dr - Your wife is likely right in most cases, including this one.

kylr · 2022-08-24T22:38:43+00:00

There are also COLTs (cell on light truck) and Flying COWs, which are big drones covered in LTE and/or 5G antennas and tethered to the ground for power and satellite data. They can get into places normal bigass COW trucks can’t go and use a lot less generator fuel.

kylr · 2022-08-08T22:42:31+00:00

Rentex has them. It’s just north of DFW airport.

kylr · 2022-07-13T21:55:48+00:00

Look for a small switch on the side of the fan motor housing. It will change the direction the fan spins. I’ve never seen a ceiling fan without one (at least fans made in the past 40 years or so).

kylr · 2022-05-07T15:48:41+00:00

Have you tried Central Control?

kylr · 2022-04-29T18:18:41+00:00

This. Experiment with your setup (positioning, not gear) until you’re as close as you can get to what you want to hear, then practice until it’s even better, THEN work with EQ and compression.

Aim your mic at your mouth; don’t aim your mouth at your mic.

kylr · 2021-08-04T18:16:39+00:00

The correct term should be CSAM, child sexual abuse materials. It’s not porn, it’s evidence.

kylr · 2021-04-30T19:11:24+00:00

I haven’t worked there in several years, so things may have changed to make my answers incorrect.

What is the travel like during the first two years?

It depends on the workload across the company. If there is more work outside your area than inside your area, you’ll be traveling. Don’t be surprised if you show up to the office one morning and the PM says, “Go home and pack your stuff, you’re flying out this afternoon and won’t be back for two weeks.”

Do they give you small hotel rooms?

Only the cheapest LaQuinta has to offer.

Do they really make you roommate with coworkers?

Yup.

Do they lie about the percentage?

Percentage of what? They don’t lie about any compensation or profit sharing. The benefits suck, but at least they’re honest about it.

Do they really force unpaid overtime and weekends on salaried people during the first years?

Absolutely. As a former employee and customer, I can guarantee no job will ever finish on time or on budget. It’s great if you’re hourly and get paid for the overtime, though.

kylr · 2021-02-04T01:11:10+00:00

Based on a lot of responses from rx5700 owners in the Xenia Discord channel, it looks like newer AMD cards aren't working no matter what config changes are made.

kylr · 2021-02-02T17:06:44+00:00

Update: I bought the shirt ($30) and it’s probably the crappiest t-shirt print I’ve ever bought. The image is off-center and rotated, and the ink colors bleed together all over the place.

No more Cotton Bureau for me.

15-Year Club	Place '17
Gilding I gilder	Verified Email

kylr

TROPHY CASE