Canada’s First National Public Access Television Channel
In my ongoing quest to find the best camcorder suitable for the production of TV shows on the cheap, I’ve found these two. But can a $200 720p camcorder realistically compete against a $700 1080i camcorder?
The final video was rendered at 720p to help even the playing field. Will there be a small difference between the two camcorders? Or will there be a huge difference? Watch and find out.
I screwed up.
I accidentally reformatted my digital camcorder’s flash memory card.
I lost all the video footage for my camcorder review.
Or maybe not. As it turns out, there is an easy way to recover almost any lost files from almost any storage media out there even if the media itself was reformatted.
First, don’t do anything further with the memory card once you’re aware of the problem. Second, move the sliding tab on the card to the Read-Only position so that no more data can be written to the card while you’re working on the problem.
This is the first time I’ve ever lost anything on a flash memory card, so this was the perfect opportunity to test out some file recovery software. The worst that could happen is that I’d permanently lose all of my files and I’d have to re-shoot the lost footage. That would have meant an extra hour’s work at the most. So no biggie if this recovery attempt fails to work.
When you erase a file on pretty much any Windows based storage device, you’re not erasing the file at all. All you’re really doing is erasing the file’s directory information. The same phenomena happens when you perform a quick format of pretty much any storage device, except that you’ve wiped out the reference to every single file on the device, which is akin to wiping out the entire book catalog at your local library. The catalog itself may be gone, but the books are still on the shelves. Only now, you have to go through all the shelves in the library to find the books that you’re looking for.
And this is exactly what file recovery software does: it scans the entire storage device from beginning to end, and physically locates any and all files that are still there.
I’ve tried a few trial versions of various retail file recovery packages, but none of them worked properly. Either the recovery program couldn’t locate my MTS media files, or the program would “find” all kinds of files that never existed in the first place. Even worse, the trial versions of the commercial solutions would refuse to recover anything at all until I had purchase a license. It’s quite a sneaky way to separate people from their hard earned cash: give them a false sense of security through sheer panic.
After that bad experience, I then checked out the free software world. I’ve tried one package called “Restoration”, but it consistently crashed at every attempt to perform a file search. Very annoying.
However, I then tried a package called “Recuva” and instructed the software to perform a deep scan search of my missing MTS files. Half an hour later, it had found and copied over to my computer’s hard drive every single one of the missing files without error.
I had successfully recovered all of my lost files in their entirety, and didn’t have to pay anyone to do the job for me.
The experience has taught me a lot about the quality and the availability of decent file recovery software. In this case, it was an absolutely free application that did the best job. The only hiccup is that it took me two hours to finally recover all of my lost footage, an hour more than the time it would have taken for me to simply re-shoot everything.
But what if the footage was from a overseas trip? How could I possibly re-shoot all of that?
You can find Recuva at recuva.com. And do give them a donation. The software is definitely worth the price.
One final note. If you’ve performed a full or long format of your storage media, now you can say you’re toast. Not only did you wipe out the library’s entire book catalog, you’ve also burnt down the entire library!
A television broadcast doesn’t just happen out of nowhere. There’s usually a huge team of people working behind the scenes all busy at putting the channel’s programming on the air. However, this channel doesn’t have the resources or personnel required to operate a typical television channel. So let’s try something radically different instead.
Let’s develop the world’s first multi-platform automated television broadcasting system specifically designed to broadcast on traditional cable and digital satellite as well as the Internet and mobile devices, all at the same time, and with as little human intervention as technically possible.
This new system will not be a Frankenstein type system where the Internet and mobile device support will be added after the traditional broadcast version has already been implemented. Instead, this new automated broadcast system will include everything already created for the traditional broadcast chain, and expand the entire concept into new media platforms such as Video-on-Demand, the Internet, mobile platforms, and any other device suitable for video playback of both live and pre-recorded content.
Some of the system’s features will include automated multi-platform media generation, IP based distribution for both broadcast distribution undertakings and the general public, discrete embedded advertising, live and deferred Web streaming as well as BitTorrent mass distribution, programming and advertising scheduling and accounting, and multi-level redundancy.
This new system will feature so many specialized components, it’s possible the entire project may be too much for any single company to handle on their own, and still manage to deliver a quality product to market. So instead, the project will require the participation of many individual companies, each fully qualified to complete the system components best suited for their field of expertise.
A preliminary technical brief (available to any corporate representative upon request) lists the main components of the system along with their basic features and requirements. A private Web site will soon be created where the project’s participants can exchange ideas, concepts and design changes as well as upload prototypes and final versions of their individual contributions.
And yes, this will become a long term revenue generating venture. But only if you participate! So if your company has worked in the field of television and Internet broadcasting in the past, and is not afraid to take a chance on a project that may have huge potential for growth, please contact me.
Reality shows. Often perceived as the scourge of prime time television.
The primary goal of the vast majority of these shows is to humiliate and demolish the self esteem of the participants. It is the complete opposite of the mandate of traditional game shows where the participants are strongly encouraged to do their best. And while it’s okay to have a few of these shows on the air (they’re still great for a few laughs and some shock value), there’s something seriously wrong with the television landscape when it seems as if half of the shows are humiliating inducing reality shows.
That’s where “Get ‘er Done!” comes in. Instead of finding the worst in a person, the show will try to bring out the best out of them. An example of an episode would be a team of part-time handy-people with limited skills being taught advanced carpentry techniques while working on a needy family’s home or even a town’s community centre. Both the participants and the viewing audience will learn simple skills that can make all the difference in any home improvement project.
An important note. This channel will not accept any television show littered with a ton of product placements, transforming the entire show into one long infomercial. This is too often the case with most fishing, wilderness and car shows. However, nothing prevents the show from being underwritten by a major corporation who gets mentioned prominently in the opening and closing credits, or during a key moment in the show. This is what I would have preferred in this season’s Discovery Channel Canada show “Canada’s Worst Handyman” where the teams went shopping at Canadian Tire, but the name of the store was never actually pronounced on the air. If the producers had taken the time to properly disclose the sponsorship of the show during the narrative, it wouldn’t have appeared as an incredibly huge product placement scheme.
What I want is full disclosure of the show’s sponsors. Don’t hide them in the background.
Do you remember those movies from the fifties and sixties that were shown in school or at community events to inform (or misinform) the general public? Civil defense films, health and hygiene films, science films, propaganda films, war department films…
On “Ephemeral”, a different film will be viewed each week, and a guest panel of experts, community organizers and concerned citizens will discuss the relevance of the information presented in the film. Is the information accurate? Or is the film a twisted and potentially dangerous piece of propaganda that could do more harm than good?
Most of the films will be provided by The Perlinger Archives available at The Internet Archives.
Today’s television advertising is incredibly dull, dull, DULL!
Boring, outdated, too long, message forgotten a split-second after the end… It’s incredibly depressing. It’s one of the major reasons I don’t even have cable at home.
You heard right. I’m launching my own digital cable/DTH satellite channel, yet I don’t even have cable at home. It’s like a restaurant owner without a kitchen. Or a plumber without a bathroom.
In an effort to hopefully bring back some entertainment value to the world of television advertising, this channel will not be afraid to push the boundaries a bit, even at the risk of having a few viewers complain to the CRTC. This doesn’t mean however that we’ll dive head first into the world of bad taste. The ads for feminine hygiene and erectile dysfunction products have already reached that level. Instead, we’ll start to accept the type of commercials that are normally played in Europe without any problems whatsoever, but which are never played on North America television usually due to the possibility of a backlash from special interest groups.
Here’s an example of what we’re ready to accept.
And that’s just the generic one. Ansell also has ads for specific products which you can find at their LifeStyles Canada Web site (warning: slightly adult content).
Ignore the ad with the girl. That one just reinforces a few stereotypes that are simply no longer appropriate in today’s society. In fact, we’re more likely to refuse that type of ad even though the vast majority of Canadian television channels would probably air it without hesitation.
Do you have a television commercial that’s a bit off the beaten path and you’re not entirely sure we’ll air it? Send us a link. We’ll let you know if and at what time we’ll put it on the tube.
And the starting rate for a 30 second spot? $10 Canadian. Yes! Ten bucks! One purple Sir John bill!
Plus GST of course. Unfortunately, there’s no escaping that.
By now, the competition has been long over, and news of the outcome has spread far and wide.
My choice, Diversity, has won!
I was hoping the dance team Diversity would be the winner; they were the best act of the night and of the entire competition. I was a bit disappointed however that the other excellent dance team Flawless didn’t make it in the Top 3 as well. Those two acts really made this year’s competition shine big time. And I have no doubt that Flawless will still enjoy a decent amount of success in the coming months.
As for Susan Boyle, she did have center stage for a while, but the dream is now over. It’s time for her to go back to her real life which, based on how much the pressure was affecting her during the last few days, might be a relief. I doubt she expected such a media frenzy to form around her singing abilities. Also, she never managed to improve beyond her initial performance, while many of the other contestants simply got better over time which includes this year’s winners.
Then again, chances are we haven’t heard the last from her, or from any of the other contestants including 12 year old Callum Francis whose number “Bare Necessities” from Disney’s “The Jungle Book” performed during the fourth semi-final round should have earned him a spot in the finals. No matter. He’ll most likely find work in London’s West End theatre district very soon. It’ll definitely help pay for the £10,000 per year tuition at the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London which regrettably his parents can no longer afford.
Honorable mention goes to father-and-son duo Stavros Flatley. It’s becoming incredibly rare to find such a strong bond between father and son these days, especially with modern technology creating huge barriers between generations. And even though they didn’t win the competition, it was obvious they were both having the time of their lives out on that stage. Their return to real life will definitely be smooth sailing for both of them.
I really love this show. Unlike its American counterpart, I find the judging on the original British version to be fair and balanced even though things can get a bit nasty at times. Sometimes the audience is more hostile than the judges!
That’s the British for you. If you’re real good, they’ll cheer you all the way. If you’re bad, you’ll find out very quickly! No mercy!
Now the big question. Could such a show work in Canada? Do we have enough talent to support a show of this calibre? And how much would it cost to produce? The logistics alone must be a real nightmare.
There has been an interesting event in the world of Canadian broadcasting last week. Bell TV, Cogeco, Rogers, Telus, Eastlink, and the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance have filed a complaint with the CRTC accusing CTV of violating the Broadcast Act when they launched their “Save Local TV” campaign in order to be granted Fee for Carriage.
As a rule, I normally remain silent about these debates. The success of my television channel depends on the Canadian television industry continuing to operate as they have for decades. The longer they continue to operate under an obsolete business model, the sooner they’ll go out of business, and the more likely there will be room on cable and DTH satellite for my channel.
So why speak up now? After investigating the matter, I have to admit that even I was a bit shocked at how CTV brought their “Save Local TV” campaign to the public’s attention.
They featured it as a news piece on their own local newscasts instead of promoting it separately.
As soon as I learned about this, I immediately realized that the CRTC complaint had merit.
Both the Canadian Broadcast Act and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Code of Ethics have provisions emphasizing that news broadcasts must be unbiased and present an equal and balanced view of the issues. In other words, newscasts can’t choose sides.
But from my perspective, CTV did choose sides. The videos I’ve seen on CTV’s own Web site presented their “Save Local TV” campaign as if it was just another evening’s news piece. There was no advanced warning that what they were presenting was a self-serving editorial, or a promotional piece if you prefer.
So how did all this came to be?
Currently, your cable or satellite bill includes the cost of obtaining basic service as well as extra charges for obtaining specific channels or channel packages. Most specialty channels get paid a per-subscriber fee to be included on the cable or satellite company’s network. What most Canadians don’t realize is that their local broadcast channels (the ones available off of rabbit ears) don’t get paid anything to be carried on cable or satellite. None of the money you pay every month for your television service ever reaches the local broadcaster.
Both the public and private Canadian networks have been campaigning for years to the CRTC to obtain compulsory Fee-for-Carriage status, where the cable and satellite companies would be required to pay the local broadcasters a fee for each household subscribed to their service. The broadcasters’ argument is that the cable and satellite companies have been making money off their backs for years, and they would like to be fairly compensated for carriage of their channels. The cable and satellite industry has indicated that the introduction of any new fees for local carriage will be passed directly to their subscribers, increasing their monthly bills.
Despite the numerous times the broadcasters have presented their request to the CRTC, the Commission has said “no” every single time.
Today, both CTV and Canwest Global are seriously in debt, and they continue to lose audience share to specialty channels and the Internet. On that, I can certainly understand their position even though I don’t fully agree with the way they want to resolve their financial situation. The broadcasters have never received any fees from viewers who picked up their broadcasts with rabbit ears, and I don’t see why this should be any different on cable or DTH satellite.
Even more important, after years of following this debate, I’ve yet to see any financial statements indicating the cable and satellites companies were actually making any money from the distribution of local channels. In fact, if you look at the line items on your cable or satellite bill, the bulk of your monthly payment is to cover your subscription to all of the specialty channels.
On top of CTV introducing their “Save Local TV” campaign as a news piece on their own local newscasts, there has also been a sudden increase in the number of messages posted by new members on many Canadian bulletin boards, siding with the “Save Local TV” campaign. When these new members were asked if they were affiliated with CTV or the campaign, they suddenly became very defensive.
An unwritten rule on most bulletin boards is that you’re suppose to disclose your affiliation with any corporation or public campaign before giving your opinion on any subject directly related to that same corporation or campaign. Failure to do so is normally interpreted as a blatant attempt to influence public opinion through questionable means.
That’s why it doesn’t really matter how the CRTC answers this complaint at this stage. By disguising their campaign as a news piece instead of promoting it separately as they should have done, CTV has seriously damaged its journalistic integrity in what I can only describe as an act of sheer desperation, and has also seriously damaged its national campaign before it even got off the ground. The whole situation is so mind bogglingly idiotic that I simply couldn’t keep quiet about it.
Very bad move, CTV. What were you thinking?
Now while this channel does have a rule against the promotion of hate, it won’t be afraid to stir up some controversy at times in order to foster some healthy discussions concerning certain topics. So I present to you all the first in a series of on-line Tolerance Tests: The Chia Obama.
(Click on any of the images to view/download the full size version)
The 80s revival rock band style hairdo was the result of putting the Chia Obama on a windowsill with its face pointed away from the window. The chias then all grew towards the light.
And what’s the secret to a healthy Chia Obama you may ask? Follow the instructions, and water it at least twice a day, more often if you possibly can. Keep those seeds moist!
So does anyone have any opinions about this? Does it have any hidden political or racial messages in it? Or is it just another gimmick that takes advantage of an individual’s celebrity status?
A thought. How would the Obama kids react to this thing if they received one as a gift? Chances are their reaction would be much different and more child-like than all the “grown-up” reactions that have sprouted all over the Internet when this thing was first announced, just before Walgreen’s pulled it from their store shelves.
I’ve had a rather unpleasant experience with my Canon HV20 camcorder while filming my last Dining Room Table Review.
Half of the recording wasn’t on the tape!
Half the tape contained the material I filmed for the review. The other half of the tape contained old material I recorded last year at the Net Neutrality rally in Ottawa. The camcorder had failed to record half of the content on the tape itself! And this wasn’t just half-and-half here. The tape contained a garbled mix of old and new material alike!
I threw the tape away as a precaution, and re-filmed the lost sequences on a different tape. However, the incident had got me thinking. More specifically, what would have happened if the incident had occurred during the Salon Son & Image?
It’s time to dump the magnetic media for something more reliable such as hard drive or flash based recording technology. But here’s the rub. I’ve yet to find a high definition digital camcorder with the same features and capabilities as the tape based Canon HV20, the most important ones being low light capabilities, and a shoe mount for my external microphone.
Does anyone out there have any suggestions? I’m afraid that if I keep using the HV20, I might soon encounter a situation from which I can’t possibly recover.
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