Audio and video trends 2018

Here are some audio and video trends for 2018.

Buying headphones in 2018 is going to be a fragmented mess because of a silent goodbye to the 3.5mm audio plug, Majority of new headphones introduced at CES were wireless and there are several different wireless systems. Bluetooth audio has historically sacrificed sound quality for convenience relative to a wired connection. However, there are a couple of standards now that promise “better-than-CD” audio quality. For wired connections where we once had the solid reliability of a 3.5mm analog connector working with any jack shaped to receive it, there’s now a divergence of digital alternatives:Lightning, USB-C, and Sony’s 4.4mm Pentaconn connector.

Voice, connectivity and AI took center stage at the Consumer Electronics Show. Alexa Skills and the Voice Experience is really getting off. With over 15 million Amazon Echo devices shipped and 244 million projected by 2022 it is expected to take lead with Google Home Assistant and Apple Homepod with Siri following. Also Google Assistant was mentioned a lot in CES. Google Sold 6.75 Million ‘Google Home’ Devices In the Last 80 Days. ‘Language assistants  were a big topic at this year’s CES. More and more manufacturers like JBL and Creative are integrating smart helpers into their WLAN speakers. Alexa support comes to 2018 TVs from Sony, Hisense and LG. Google launches smart displays with JBL, Lenovo, LG and Sony. There will be also other competitors aiming to this market, for example “China’s Google,” shouted out most loudly for voice. Microsoft’s Cortana had a crappy CES so it seems that Amazon Alexa will soon arrive on Windows PCs (HP, ASUS, Acer and others). Introducing Single-Chip Solutions for Building Alexa-Enabled Products.Sony launches a bunch of new headphones and adds Google Assistant functionality to the line.

Binaural, ambisonic, spatial, surround, 3D will be talked about. The most accessible exhibitions of this technology are in Youtube VR and Facebook 360, where users can interact with 360º videos that contain spatial audio. AR/VR was hot topic at CES 2018.

Sound bars are popular for compact home theater setups. Traditional home cinema systems with AV receivers and large speaker arsenals are only used by film and sound enthusiasts who sacrifice space in the living room for this purpose.

People listen to four hours of audio content every day. Streaming platforms like Spotify take a big bit of that. Streaming accounts for 41% of music consumption was the 2017’s most jaw dropping statistic. People will also listen a lot of music from YouTube.

Acoustics-based NFC is being pushed to market as it requires only a microphone and speaker, eliminating tags and chips. Chirp and LISNR are two emerging companies facilitating soundwave communication.

Wireless headphones and speakers become more common. Portable loudspeakers without cables are more popular than ever with music listeners. Most popular connection technology is Bluetooth.More and more manufacturers are breaking away from the cable and are showing new models and updates of completely wireless in-ear headphones at the CES 2018.

There is a bit of nostalgia involved: Several traditional technology tries to make come-back in 2018. The traditionalists among the music lovers continue to use records, so new record players keep coming. Cassette tapes making a comeback thanks to young, independent artists. Artists like Justin Bieber, Eminem and Metallica have all put out material on tape recently as a recent blockbuster film “Guardians of the Galaxy” put a hero center stage with a Sony Walkman. Tube amplifiers are back for traditionalist audiophiles that think that tubes can make your music to sound better.

4K video resolution is hot and 8K going to be pushed to market. TV has progressed to the 4K ultra-high-definition stage with its 3,840 × 2,160 pixel resolution. LG Display has made a 65-inch rollable 4K OLED TV. LG displayed 8K OLED TV at CES. Samsung has technology scales the image resolution to a 8K with AI. LG, Panasonic, and TCL put the spotlight on the chips that do the video processing: For the foreseeable future, any advances in image quality will be coming from these chips, not from the displays themselves.

Welcome ATSC 3.0 in USA: In November, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued new rules that will let TV broadcasters adopt the next-generation wireless TV standard designated ATSC 3.0. This new standard defines the specifications for ultra-high-definition (UHD) or 4K over-the-air (OTA) digital TV. But over-the-air is minority in USA as roughly 75% of households pay for their TV reception for cable or satellite distribution.

Home theater headsets have come a long way. AR/VR is hot. Oculus partners with Xiaomi to launch the Oculus Go and Mi VR Standalone.

Wired peripherals and electronics are still a major part of the market. Cabling for AV systems will have new features:  a new HDMI standard and how active cables will provide both power and video to consumer devices.

3D cameras are hot. HP’s Z 3D Camera puts Sprout’s scanning power on your PC. Intel’s new cameras add human-like 3D vision to any machine.

When almost all AV products are pushing more and more features, it seems that almost Everything is too complicated for an average Joe.

Sources:

https://www.smartbrief.com/original/2018/01/10-audio-marketing-trends-2018

http://www.computerbild.de/artikel/avf-News-Audio-Trends-CES-2018-11264743.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-28/cassette-tapes-making-a-comeback-thanks-to-young-artists/9161938

https://www.marketplace.org/2017/11/22/business/cassette-tapes-make-comeback

http://aeaaudio.com/why-tubes-are-back-and-how-to-get-in-on-it/

https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/could-an-old-school-tube-amp-make-the-music-you-love-sound-better

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/coolest-best-audio-gadgets-ces-2018/

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/18/16903516/headphones-wireless-analog-jack-future-ces-2018

https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/alexa-support-comes-to-2018-tvs-from-sony-and-hisense/

https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332845

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYhgJlEn880

http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7368-tekoaly-skaalaa-televisiokuvan-8k-tarkkuuteen

https://spectrum.ieee.org/view-from-the-valley/consumer-electronics/audiovideo/ces-2018-look-to-the-processor-not-the-display-for-tv-picture-improvements

https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/consumer-electronics/audiovideo/ces-2018-active-hdmi-cables-and-harmony-in-the-smart-home

https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/12/cortana-had-a-crappy-ces/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/6/16859102/lg-display-rollable-oled-65-inch-ces-2018

https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/08/eagle-wearable-home-theater/

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/18/01/07/171214/google-sold-675-million-google-home-devices-in-the-last-80-days

http://www.electronicdesign.com/community-home/free-tv-keeps-getting-better-welcome-atsc-30

https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/18/intel-realsense-ready-to-use-depth-cameras/

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/01/hps-z-3d-camera-puts-sprouts-scanning-power-on-your-pc/

https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/google-partners-with-jbl-lenovo-lg-and-sony-to-launch-echo-show-and-spot-smart-display-competitors/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&sr_share=facebook

https://developer.amazon.com/blogs/alexa/post/ba17fd33-6510-45d6-b682-ee9ed9ef589c/single-soc-dev-kits-for-avs

https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/sony-launches-a-bunch-of-new-headphones-and-adds-google-assistant-functionality-to-the-line/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook

https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/oculus-partners-with-xiaomi-to-launch-the-oculus-go-and-mi-vr-standalone/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook

 

841 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Rich Photographer vs Poor Photographer
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2HpKJbIakM

    Comment:

    Wait there’s actually such a thing as a rich photographer I thought we were all broke AF.

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    $100 Camera Lens VS. $5,000 Cinema Lens | Explained
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agumZR85mkw

    Today we test a$100 Canon 50mm Camera Lens vs a $5,000 Canon
    50mm Cinema Lens!!!! Why does one cost so much?!

    Comments:

    Loved this video! I’d probably still choose the $100 it’s smaller, more portable, and when I inevitably break it, I won’t cry as much lmao

    I have a 50mm 1.8 of my own and i would say it is an amazing lens for both beginner and experienced photographers, however it is not great for recording video due to a very loud autofocus noise

    Those cinema lenses are the kind I have to rent in for certain jobs. I dream of owning something like that.

    Cine lens for around 5k are just rehoused stills lens, real cine lens retails from 20k.

    To answer the question, if I had de money I wouldn’t get the Cinema lens … instead I would get several good prime lenses : 24mm f2.8 ($145), 50mm f1.8 ($125), 85mm 1.8 ($350), 100mm macro f2.8 ($600) and maybe a few zooms like the wide 16-35mm, the 24-70mm or the 70-200mm. But I might go over budget a little … some of these zooms are expensive

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Life After Abbey Road Studios: The EMI/Abbey Road Studios REDD.37 Console
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrHtmCyZYA0

    In its time since leaving Abbey Road Studios, the REDD.37 console has been meticulously maintained by former owner Chris Solberg and present console steward Alex Alvarez

    The Abbey Road REDD .37 Console Comes To Vintage King
    https://vintageking.com/blog/2016/09/abbey-road-redd-37

    studio’s legendary REDD.37 console (one of only three ever created), with this particular model being active in EMI Studio One and utilized on various recording sessions by The Beatles.

    To meet the 200 ohms impedance requirement utilized by all Abbey Road gear, the desk was specifically modded to fit these preamps, which involved adding a 168 ohm internal resistor.

    The Studer J37 is a four-track 1” multi-track tape machine, which records at both 7.5ips and 15ips
    The frequency response at 15ips was spec’d at 30Hz to 15kHz (+/-2dB).

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS LONDON, MARCH 2013
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQe7zNCOTUQ

    IN THE STUDIO 2 MADE FAMOUS BY THE BEATLES, MANY OLD RECORDING EQUIPMENT FROM THE STUDIO’S HISTORY WHERE PUT ON DISPLAY, ALONG WITH PIANOS USED ON VARIOUS BEATLES AND PINK FLOYD RECORDS, AMONGST MANY OTHERS.

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    32 Speakers Get BLOWN UP With Ali-A Intro!! *CAUGHT FIRE*
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rpy3C0sdPI

    decided to blow up 32 speakers using the infamous Ali-A intro meme.

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Lifesize Introduces 4K Video Conferencing
    Has an opportunity to grab a chunk of the early adopter market.
    https://www.nojitter.com/video-collaboration-av/lifesize-introduces-4k-video-conferencing

    Lifesize was one of the pioneers of the business video market but has been somewhat quiet of late. It appears the company is back in action — and in a big way. This week it announced its new Icon 700 conference room solution and new 4K global cloud service architecture, which is among the first video conferencing solutions with 4K resolution for full-motion video and content sharing. The leap from 1080p to 4K is a huge step up in quality and brings the “in-person” experience to remote meetings.

    The Lifesize Icon 700 lists for $7,499 paired with the Lifesize Phone HD for a combined audio/video solution. There’s also a required device software subscription component that is priced at $1,199 for a one-year term.

    End-to-End Control
    The integrated endpoint, software and cloud offering has been Lifesize’s differentiator since the launch of the company. By having end-to-end control of the solution from camera to cloud, Lifesize is able to deliver outstanding, consistent quality. There has certainly been a trend in the video community towards interoperability and ensuring endpoints from vendor A work on the cloud service provided by vendor B.

    The arrival of 4K video will improve many applications that require exceptional resolution. This includes medical imaging, simulation modeling, and surveillance use cases. Also, the brilliant quality of 4K makes video meetings truly lifelike.

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Desibelimittari näytti yli satasen lukemaa uudessa IMAX-salissa – Kuuloliitto: “Vapaa-ajalla ei pitäisi joutua olemaan huolissaan siitä, että kuulo menee”
    https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10548531?origin=rss

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Anechoic Chamber – DIY Sound Absorption Panels
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqodnHxRJ7c

    We have constructed an anechoic chamber for testing speaker performance. You will get to see some of the testing of the materials used and a demonstration of how they can be incorporated into low cost, stand-alone acoustic panels.

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    WHAT IT TAKES To Edit Big TV Shows
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ojMQlP1cR8

    Josh cut on House of Cards, Bloodline and currently edits COUNTERPART (w/ Oscar Winner J.K. Simmons). Here’s his take on cutting it in Television.

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    SPEAKER REPAIR – HOW TO REFOAM YOUR WOOFER with NEW SPEAKER SURROUNDS
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ExFMuhqxM

    Give your speakers a new life! Showing you how to refoam your woofers by installing new surrounds. You can save a lot of money by replacing your old deteriorated foam surrounds. It costs just a fraction of what neww woofers would cost! I used an 8″ Infinity Sterling speaker for this example.

    How to Use Smartphone or iPad to Center Speaker Voice Coil – Easy
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpMYZq-qQNo

    How to use your smart phone or iPad to center the voice coil while installing new foam, rubber, or cloth surrounds to your speaker or subwoofer without removing dust cap. NO SHIMS NEEDED

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Un-blowing a Speaker
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJjli2HdOCo

    This is a PRO audio driver — a completely different animal than a CAR subwoofer.

    you don’t unblow the speaker, you just threw it away, you kept the “bracket” and installed a new speaker -_

    For less money than buying a whole new speaker.

    You keep the basket and the motor structure. It is called reconing a speaker. not unbolwing. For the speaker that he reconed it probably wasn’t worth it. I have a $400 15″ and the recone cost $190.

    GENELEC – 1238A Monitor Midrange Speaker Sicke Surround Schaumstoffsicke Reparatur Refoam
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlwMgYaBN8g

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    LCD Monitor Teardown
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiejNAUwcQ8

    Bill takes apart an LCD monitor and shows how it works. He explains how it uses liquid crystals, thin film transistors and polarizers to display information.

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Behringer XENYX Q1202USB Mixer Review / Test / Explained
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hdJPNCaJE8

    Today I review a budget USB Mixer, the Behringer Xenyx Q1202USB. This thing has 12 inputs, and lots of features. However, there are some pretty serious issues that almost ruin it for me. The main issue is you can’t hear your computers output while having zero latency monitoring. What do you think?

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Little British Monitors: DIY Transmission Line (?) Speaker Kit
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMgteMnGogo

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Spring Reverb vs Plate Reverb: What’s The Difference?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsVF1rySAmU

    Before digital reverb, electromechanical Spring and Plate reverbs reigned supreme. These are well known staples of studio and stage, but what’s the difference between Spring and Plate reverb?

    Overdrive vs Distortion vs Fuzz: What’s The Difference?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj53Q-pisbw

    We all know that Overdrive, Distortion, and Fuzz effects make our guitars sound great, but what makes them different from one another?
    Join Colin as he talks headroom, clipping, and sound wave destruction!

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Peter Kafka / Recode:
    Sources: Facebook is in talks with pay TV channels, including HBO, Showtime, and Starz, about selling their streaming TV services on its platform — The world’s biggest social network wants to get into the pay TV business — by taking a page from Amazon. — Facebook is readying …

    Facebook wants you to buy HBO on Facebook and watch HBO on Facebook
    The world’s biggest social network wants to get into the pay TV business — by taking a page from Amazon.
    https://www.recode.net/2018/12/13/18139946/facebook-hbo-pay-tv

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Janko Roettgers / Variety:
    SEC filing: IMAX will close its remaining three virtual reality centers and write off “certain VR investments”; the three sites are expected to close in Q1 2019 — Imax is making its exit from virtual reality (VR) official: The company notified shareholders with a SEC filing Thursday …

    Imax Is Shutting Down Its VR Business, Closing Remaining Three VR Centers in Q1
    https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/imax-vr-is-dead-1203089351/

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Julia Alexander / The Verge:
    YouTube’s annual Rewind video received 10M dislikes in about eight days, overtaking Justin Bieber’s Baby to be the most disliked video — Creators help explain why — To say that this year’s YouTube Rewind didn’t go over well with the YouTube community would be quite an understatement.
    http://www.theverge.com/2018/12/13/18137894/youtube-rewind-2018-dislike-shane-dawson-logan-paul-pewdiepie-mkbhd-philip-defranco

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Emily Birnbaum / The Hill:
    YouTube says it removed 7.8M+ videos between July and September because they broke community guidelines and deleted 1.6M+ channels and 224M+ comments

    YouTube removed 58 million videos in latest quarter
    https://thehill.com/policy/technology/421106-youtube-removed-78-million-videos-in-latest-quarter

    YouTube removed 58 million videos between July and September this year because they broke community guidelines.

    More than 7.8 million of those videos were taken down because they violated community guidelines. The other 50.2 million were taken down as YouTube removed 1.67 million channels.

    The online video platform said 72 percent of the videos removed for violating guidelines in the latest quarter were “spam or misleading,” 10.2 percent were removed out of concern for “child safety” and 9.9 percent were removed for including “nudity or sexual content,” according to its latest report.

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Review: Amazon Echo Input is the easiest way to stream media to speakers
    https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/12/review-amazon-echo-input-is-the-easiest-way-to-stream-media-to-speakers/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook

    The Dot is a great device to add voice services to existing speakers. But with its built-in speaker, I’m paying for features I’m not using.

    That’s why Amazon made the Echo Input.

    The premise is simple: The Input is a Dot without a speaker. It has a mic, two buttons and, most importantly, a 3.5mm output. This output lets the Input serve media to amps and powered speakers — just like I’m doing with a Dot.

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    AES50
    http://www.hedd.audio/en/aes50-open-audio-ethernet-protocol/

    AES50 is an open standard based on the AES10 protocol (MADI) but has been developed much further. Published by the Audio Engineering Society AES, it enables point-to-point transport via routers (no switchers). AES50 offers extremely low latency as opposed to switchable systems which are relying on buffers. The protocol is based on OSI-Layer 1. A transmission of up to 48 channels with a latency of less than 0.5 ms, as well as samplingrates up to 384 kHz and even DSD are possible. While using the Cat.5 Cables, the protocol provides a seperate transmission of the wordclock, full-duplex transmission of the audio data as well as an transmission over aprox. 100 m. Because of its most obvious limitation (point-to-point transport), AES50 should not be regarded as a typical audio-network-protocol (despite its usage of networkcables).

    Reply
  22. Tomi Engdahl says:

    AES50 and HyperMAC Comparison
    http://www.aes-media.org/sections/uk/Conf2011/Presentation_PDFs/07%20-%20Al%20Walker%20-%20Applications%20in%20Live%20Convert%20Sound.pdf

    AES50 (SuperMAC)
    • 100 Mbit/s over CAT5/CAT5e copper cable (100 metres)
    • 24 bidirectional channels @ 96 kHz (48 bidirectional channels @ 48 kHz)
    • Latency per link = 6 Samples (62.50 μs) @ 96 kHz (3 Samples (62.50 μs) @ 48 kHz)
    • 5 Mbit/s Ethernet auxiliary data channel

    HyperMAC
    • 1 Gbit/s over CAT5e/CAT6 copper cable (100 metres) or 50/125 μm multimode optical fibre
    (500 metres)
    • 192 bidirectional channels @ 96 kHz (384 bidirectional channels @ 48 kHz)
    • Latency per link = 4 Samples (41.66 μs) @ 96 kHz (2 Samples (41.66 μs) @ 48 kHz)
    • 200 Mbit/s Ethernet auxiliary data channel

    Reply
  23. Tomi Engdahl says:

    LZX VIDIOT, The beginning of a video modular synthesis journey
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9vJh0zvlXA

    The LZX INDUSTRIES VIDIOT, analog #Video Semi #Modular Synthesizer.
    This is the start of a long journey into understanding VIDEO Synthesis

    https://www.thonk.co.uk/shop/lzx-industries-cadet-video-modular/

    Reply
  24. Tomi Engdahl says:

    LZX Cadet DIY Video Modular Synthesizer
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV39aWt71Lk

    DIY Video modular synthesis!

    https://lzxindustries.net/

    Reply
  25. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nielsen: the second screen is booming as 45% often or always use devices while watching TV
    https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/12/nielsen-the-second-screen-is-booming-as-45-often-or-always-use-devices-while-watching-tv/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage

    Americans are regularly checking a second screen while watching TV, according to a new report from Nielsen that examined the media consumption habits of U.S. adults in the second quarter of 2018. Today, 28 percent of adults say they “sometimes” use a digital device, like a phone or tablet, while watching TV. A much larger 45 percent report they use a second screen “very often” or “always.”

    Reply
  26. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Welcome to the Slow Death of Satellite TV in America
    https://hackaday.com/2018/12/17/welcome-to-the-slow-death-of-satellite-tv-in-america/

    During an earnings call on November 29th, CEO of AT&T Communications John Donovan effectively signed the death warrant for satellite television in the United States. Just three years after spending $67 billion purchasing the nations’s largest satellite TV provider, DirecTV, he made a comment which left little doubt about the telecom giant’s plan for the service’s roughly 20 million subscribers: “We’ve launched our last satellite.”

    DirecTV owner AT&T says it’s done buying satellites
    https://spacenews.com/directv-owner-att-says-its-done-buying-satellites/

    “We are seeing shifts in viewing from traditional TV viewing — cable, satellite — to on-demand viewing, and streaming on-demand viewing,” said Randall Stephenson chairman and CEO of AT&T Inc.

    Those shifts, he said, have accelerated an overhaul of business models among media companies that are “recognizing that they no longer have the luxury to rely exclusively on wholesale distribution of their content to customers going through satellite and cable companies.”

    Reply
  27. Tomi Engdahl says:

    How Sounds Effects Are Made For Movies
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elcOxmCBr3U

    Studio Unknown makes Foley sounds for movies and TV with every day objects. These simple objects are used in unexpected ways to create the Foley sounds, the sounds based on a characters’ movements and interactions.

    Reply
  28. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Sound effects – Behind the scenes
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6g5AzVDNRQ

    what’s behind the sounds that we hear in the movies?

    Reply
  29. Tomi Engdahl says:

    A MILLION DOLLAR AUDIO SYSTEM?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mimaImLrmfU

    The real sweet spot is in the wallet of the salesman who sold him the wooden sound sticks and feet.

    Here is the original video this video was commenting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr8O_jZhpl4

    Reply
  30. Tomi Engdahl says:

    This free online tool uses AI to quickly remove the background from images
    A handy utility if you don’t have access to Photoshop
    https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/19/18148020/remove-bg-ai-background-foreground-without-photoshop

    If you’ve ever needed to quickly remove the background of an image you know it can be tedious, even with access to software like Photoshop. Well, Remove.bg is a single-purpose website that uses AI to do the hard work for you. Just upload any image and the site will automatically identify any people in it, cut around the foreground, and let you download a PNG of your subject with a transparent background. Easy.

    https://www.remove.bg/

    Reply
  31. Tomi Engdahl says:

    REVIEW: mix:analog || ANALOG GEAR in the CLOUD?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymQgeUh330k

    mix:analog has accepted the challenge to make analog equipment accessible to everybody. But, is this thing for real?

    Check mix:analog yourself! https://mixanalog.com

    Reply
  32. Tomi Engdahl says:

    REVIEW: WAVES One Knob
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkSWQUjJlQo

    It sounds super easy, just One Knob to turn and no other settings to think about. Is it really that simple? Or do we need more knobs?

    LANDR vs CLOUDBOUNCE
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BinWO5X8jk4

    Automated mastering services! They are pretty new! But do they what they promise they are doing? That’s what I’m finding out in this weeks episode of Snake Oil or not!

    Reply
  33. Tomi Engdahl says:

    REVIEW: WAVES Abbey Road Vinyl
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl2qiaQPW80

    We’re rebooting Snake Oil with this review of the Abbey Road Vinyl plugin by WAVES. Waves promises to simulate the sound of a vinyl record with this… But does it really deliver?

    Reply
  34. Tomi Engdahl says:

    AIR? EARTH? CHARACTER? STRENGTH? – Eiosis AirEQ Premium
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8_Vtud_2A4

    The guys from Eiosis developed a new type of audio lingo… Is this really necessary?

    Reply
  35. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Can I hear the Analog/Digital difference?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6dlnqLSiCQ

    Comments:

    The point that I’m taking away from this video is that the differences, while possibly discernible, are not likely large enough to care about. If it is not immediately obvious which one is which, and if an average of two to three minutes of constant concentration is required to discern between them, I’d consider that a success for the digital tools outright.

    hardware doesn’t always sound better guys. 1- some hardware is just shitty and 2- what the hardware does also needs to fit for it to be an advantage. Bottom line is, when you wanna play it safe go digital

    Racing teams spend a whole lot of money to cut milliseconds to a second or two off their times.

    The listeners. The ones who consuming the music Will never hear the difference. Trust it’s not worth the time or money.

    If you have to Listen that hard then there’s no Difference just enjoy the music

    Nice video. I am just waiting till this digital vs analog debate is over. I am no digital nor analog fanatic. Frankly i couldn’t care less what i use if it sounds good. The funny thing is analog is that it’s pretty much at it’s peak in it’s evolution. Digital is just a baby and already sounds close to the best analog equipment worth dozens of thousands of dollars. Imagine it in 1-2 years. Just a thought….

    Reply
  36. Tomi Engdahl says:

    UNBOXING: Stam Audio SA-76!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJj_oEoD4nc

    REVIEW: Stam Audio SA-76
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO9OhCEIXnA

    SA-76ADG
    PREMIUM FET COMPRESSION
    http://www.stamaudio.com/sa-76adg.html

    The Stam Audio SA-76ADG is an exact replica of the 3 most revered revisions of the UREI 1176 FET compressor.

    Each unit comes with a Sowter input transformer O-12 replica and CineMag output transformer, Philip capacitors, Ohmite carbon comp resistors, tantalum and the correct output transistors, 20N3055 on the D revision and 2N5055 on the A revision.

    BETTER COMPONENTS
    We have gone to great length to faithfully reproduce the compression characteristics and tonality of the original.

    The SA76ADG features a Sowter 1260 input transformer which is an identical replica of the original UTC O-12 (Ratio 1:1.58 200/500 Ohms) and a CineMag output transformers that precisely matches the ratio and frequency response of the original 5002 output transformer designed by Bill Putnam.

    Reply
  37. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Meet the Engineer Preserving The Last Analog Motion Graphics Machine
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wxc3mKqKTk

    Engineer Dave Sieg has spent the last 20 years preserving the only working Scanimate, an analog motion graphics machine that was the staple of film/tv animation in the 70′s and 80′s. Dave discusses the technical and cultural impact of the Scanimate and what the future holds for this iconic machine.

    Reply
  38. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Some people do NOT deserve to be an audio engineer.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NItxnvDNOwc

    Reply
  39. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Comparing Universal Audio Plug-Ins To Their Hardware Counterparts
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEy-DQALy3I

    One of the most common questions we get asked by customers at Vintage King relates to plug-ins and how they stack up against their analog hardware counterparts. Watch as Vintage King’s Dave Rieley compares Universal Audio plug-ins to the analog versions of the Neve 33609, Chandler Limited EMI TG12413 Zener Limiter, Neve 1073, Tube-Tech CL 1B and Universal Audio 1176.

    Reply
  40. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Seeing Like Bees With Ultraviolet Photography
    https://hackaday.com/2018/12/19/seeing-like-bees-with-ultraviolet-photography/

    When it comes to seeing in strange spectrums, David Prutchi is the guy you want to talk to. He’s taken pictures of rocks under long, medium and short UV light, he’s added thermal imaging to consumer cameras, and he’s made cameras see polarization. There’s a lot more to the world than what the rods and cones on your retina can see, and David is one of the best at revealing it. For this year’s talk at the Hackaday Superconference, David is talking about DIY Ultraviolet Photography. It’s how bees see, and it’s the bees knees.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz1H6-y7ZpU

    Reply
  41. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Listen to the radio at the Linux terminal
    https://opensource.com/article/18/12/linux-toy-mplayer?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY

    MPlayer is an extremely versatile open source media player that can be surprisingly useful at the Linux command line.

    Reply
  42. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: The Matsushita/Technics SL-1200
    https://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/gadgets/the-consumer-electronics-hall-of-fame-the-matsushitatechnics-sl1200

    The Circle Game: Introduced in 1972, the original Matsushita/Technics SL-1200 turntable was one of the early direct-drive turntables. It had a red strobe light, in the distinctive cylindrical housing on the front of the unit and to the left of the platter. The light was used with the strobe markings on the side of the platter to fine-tune the rotational speed

    Reply
  43. Tomi Engdahl says:

    This Viral 195-Gigapixel Photo Has To Be Seen To Be Believed
    https://www.iflscience.com/technology/this-viral-195gigapixel-photo-has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed/

    This astonishing 24.9-billion-pixel photo really has to be seen to be believed.

    The picture, which went viral on Twitter a few days ago

    Select any part of the photo to zoom in on, and zoom in. Then zoom in some more. Then some more.

    http://www.bigpixel.cn/t/5834170785f26b37002af46d

    Reply
  44. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The aesthetics of science fiction spaceship design
    https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/handle/10012/4935

    In this thesis, we present a detailed analysis of the conventions that appear in fictional spaceship design, including a discussion of their origins, their uses in emulating certain traits, and reasons these conventions might be followed or ignored. We uncover these conventions by examining and comparing popular spaceship designs from the past sixty years, which we present in a detailed survey.

    Reply
  45. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Netflix’s Worst Nightmare Is Coming True
    https://www.newsmax.com/t/finance/article/894372?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=mixi&utm_campaign=newsmax&section=stephenmcbride&keywords=netflix-stock-share-price&year=2018&month=12&date=13&id=894372&oref=m.facebook.com

    Netflix’s Best Days Are Over

    You can review my reasoning for why Netflix is doomed here and here. It comes down to the lifecycle of disruptive businesses.

    Read Newsmax: Netflix’s Worst Nightmare Is Coming True
    Important: Find Out Your True Retirement Date in Minutes Online! Go Here Now

    For years, it was the only streaming service in town. Early investors rode this first-mover advantage to 10,000 percent gains from 2008 to July of this year.

    Today I see three other companies in the same position Netflix was back in 2008.

    But for Netflix, the era of almost zero competition is over.

    It’s now coming up against powerful rivals like Disney (DIS) — which I recommended you buy in July.

    Netflix pioneered “streaming” video where you watch shows through the Internet rather than on cable TV.

    For years, it was the only streaming service in town. Early investors rode this first-mover advantage to 10,000 percent gains from 2008 to July of this year.

    Today I see three other companies in the same position Netflix was back in 2008.

    But for Netflix, the era of almost zero competition is over.

    It’s now coming up against powerful rivals like Disney (DIS) —

    Read Newsmax: Netflix’s Worst Nightmare Is Coming True
    Important: Find Out Your True Retirement Date in Minutes Online! Go Here Now

    Reply
  46. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Momo for Linux Improved
    https://scribblesandsnaps.com/2018/12/03/momo-for-linux-improved/

    What’s Momo? you may ask. Momo is a Bash shell script for importing and organizing photos and RAW files. It is also an essential part of my Linux-based photography workflow.

    https://gitlab.com/dmpop/momo

    Reply

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