[sw-l] Val - GO FOR THE DVDs!

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
March 18, 2005

Hello Shane and Everyone -

Shane Gilchrist Ó hEorpa wrote:
> Because of the EU harmonization, more and more member-states have
> started to
> use the same format i.e. NSTC was the USA standard etc - whereas we
> have our
> DVD thingy.

Smile...well we have our DVD thingy here in the USA too! I suspect that
there are people all over the world who use DVDs now, but not every
classroom has DVD players...so I was asking what your classroom
equipment is, at the school for the Deaf in Northern Ireland...not all
classrooms have DVD players here in the US.. a lot more have video
players...

But it is good to know that the EU is moving over to DVD ..... The
whole world benefits from throwing out the PAL-NTSC formatting problems
for videos...Did you know there are 7 video formats in the world? PAL
and NTSC are only two of them, and as a video-distributor I have to
create these multiple formats all at times, although PAL and NTSC are
the most commonly used...

So I can make you PAL videos, Shane, if the teachers at your school for
the Deaf prefer videos...It might stimulate the school to use
SignWriting if they view the videos....or DVDs! Do you know what
specific equipment they have?...

> Go for multi-region DVDs, Val. Why?

Sure...smile...I agree...I can see you have skill with DVD making!

>
> 1. it can be played in any country

If the classroom owns a DVD player for the children...but yes, of
course, with the right equipment DVDs are the best...

>
> 2. Picture quality is higher - and more popular

Sure...

>
> 3. you can basically edit it yourself on ur own Apple - which is a real
> beauty - just buy FINAL CUT PRO for your Apple - and get a SuperDrive
> - and
> attend a training course on FINAL CUT PRO (it ll last a day or two) -
> ask
> your local APPLE STORE for advice

Although I have used FinalCut Pro in the past, I do not own it. Instead
I have been using iLife, which is just the fanciest version of iMovie
and iDVD and frankly, for our needs, that seems to be plenty good...I
have four Macs here and two of the four have SuperDrives....

Gosh...so nice to have a Mac user on the SignWriting List, Shane, and
you are really knowledgable about their Apple store's offers of
training...which I heard about but never tried...smile...Have you taken
their training courses?...


>
> 4. DVDs can be used anywhere - it can be played on computers, TVs,
> everything

That's true! So your administrators at the school for the Deaf in
Northern Ireland have DVD equipment in the classroom?...


>
> 5. even the British Deaf Association have started using the DVD format
> (thanks to me and a few deaf technies who advocated their staff to
> wise up)

Ha!! you are changing the world - congrats on that!!

>
> 6. even the SLCB (my work) will go for DVD - we get very annoyed when
> some
> companies wont go for DVD they ll send us the video and we have to go
> and
> drag a very old video machine, praying it ll still work!

Ha!! Is this true in your specific school? That is my question...

>
> ==
>
> most DVDs are usually multi-region unless they're designed to be for
> one-region - Trevor, youre talking about a few years ago - most DVD
> players
> are multi-region now - even the cheap ones! - just don’t scare Val!)

Trevor didn't scare me, Shane...that is very kind of you both to care
about me.... ;-)))

I have made DVDs before, although I am sure you are more skilled than
I, but I have professionals to help me too...One of our board members
is an expert on this kind of stuff on the Mac, and he donates his time
to help me...His name is James Short and he is a captioning expert who
keeps asking when we are ready to start creating captions in
SignWriting? So maybe now is the time...smile...No matter what, I make
all my own CD copies here...I have a duplicator that can make both CD
and DVD duplicates...but I admit I have only made CD duplicates, and
never DVD duplicates, so it is a skill I need to learn...

The world is quite overwhelming with all the technology today...


>
> I am very annoyed with the people who makes THE BRAVO FAMILY video
> series -
> they are NOT available in DVD format!

Be kind to them. Maybe they are tired, old and broke! A little like the
way I feel sometimes - ha!

>
> I can get you in touch with Raymond Luczak, a very extraordinary deaf
> film
> maker in New York City - maybe you can get him to make a few DVDs for
> you -
> I saw some of his DVDs and they're very good (and they WORK on my DVD
> player
> here!)

Wow. Well, right now I just wanted to give you products we already
have, Shane, and I think James Short can help me with that, or I just
might do it myself...but...having said that...for new products it would
be wonderful to have Raymond's help...so go right ahead and contact him
about SignWriting!

No matter what, I need to know if your school for the Deaf in Northern
Ireland can view a DVD or do they have old video equipment?...I can
send you both if you need it...

Val ;-)