I made this table on casters with a 36" height surface to match with my basment arcade. Previously the consoles were in the way and didn't fit in.
Showing posts with label Anime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anime. Show all posts
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Monday, October 3, 2011
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Howto: High Quality Fullscreen Video on the T-Mobile Sidekick 2008
If you have a sidekick 08 and want to watch high quality video on it you will want this bash script.
When I looked online at the tutorials for converting video to the 3gp format that the sidekick supports all the output looked really bad. The resolution and bitrate was so low it wasn't worth watching. So I looked of the 3GP format standard and found that it supports other higher resolutions, but none of them fit the sidekick screen perfectly.
The solution was to convert the video to one of the higher resolution versions and pad the video with black bars in the non-displayed off screen portions.
Here is the script, you will need ffmpeg and mplayer installed, as well as the windows binary version of ffmpeg that supports encoding the 3GP format.
Please note: This script is written in Bash, meaning that it is primarily for Linux users. This could easily be converted for windows users as well. I may do that in the future if I get enough requests. If you want a windows version, send me a tweet
#!/bin/bash
#
# Script:
# Convert video to high quality 3GP format - http://www.tighelory.com
# filename: sidekick_video.sh
# 2010 Tighe Lory
#
# Requirements:
#
# You need to make the following directories:
# ~/Video/Convert
# ~/Video/Original
# ~/Video/3gp
#
# You will also need ffmpeg and mencoder installed
#
# You will also need the binary windows version of ffmpeg that supports the 3gp format and wine installed.
# Save the windows binary version to ~/.wine/drive_c/ffmpeg/
#
# Place the videos you want to convert in the ~/Video/Convert directory
cd ~/Video/Convert
#Begin Section 1: convert AVI format files to 3GP format.
for k in *.avi; do
out=$(ls "$k" | sed -e 's/.avi//g')
#First convert avi file 352x240 resolution
ffmpeg -i "$k" -s 352x240 -r 29.97 -qscale 2 -ac 1 -ar 44100 -ab 128 -vcodec mpeg4 -f avi -vtag xvid -acodec mp3 ~/Video/Convert/"$out"_temp.avi
#Now convert the converted file to 3gp format and add 24px black bars to the top and bottom of the video to make the final resolution 352x288
#the black bars will not be displayed on the sidekick, as the vertial resolution is 240px this is a trick to have almost full screen video.
#This step uses the windows version of ffmpeg in wine, this is because the version of ffmpeg that I have does not support 3gp format.
#If your version does you will not need to use this windows version.
wine ~/.wine/drive_c/ffmpeg/ffmpeg.exe -i ~/Video/Convert/"$out"_temp.avi -padtop 24 -padbottom 24 -vcodec h263 -acodec aac -ac 1 -ar 44100 -b 700K -r 15 -ab 128 -y ~/Video/3gp/"$out".3gp
#clean up when done.
if [ $? -eq 0 ] ; then
echo "~/Video/Convert/$out.3gp created"
mv "$k" ../Original/
rm -v ~/Video/Convert/"$out"_temp.avi
else
echo "Error encoding"
fi
done
#Begin Section 2: convert MKV format files to 3GP format.
for k in *.mkv; do
out=$(ls "$k" | sed -e 's/.mkv//g')
#First convert the MKV file to AVI and turn softsubs to hardsubs
mencoder "$k" -fontconfig -subfont-text-scale 3 -subfont-autoscale 3 -alang 0 -oac mp3lame -sid 0 -ovc xvid -xvidencopts pass=1 -o ~/Video/Convert/"$out"_temp1.avi
#Now scale the avi file 352x240 resolution
ffmpeg -i ~/Video/Convert/"$out"_temp1.avi -s 352x240 -r 29.97 -qscale 2 -ac 1 -ar 44100 -ab 128 -vcodec mpeg4 -f avi -vtag xvid -acodec mp3 ~/Video/Convert/"$out"_temp2.avi
#Now convert the converted file to 3gp format and add 24px black bars to the top and bottom of the video to make the final resolution 352x288
wine ~/.wine/drive_c/ffmpeg/ffmpeg.exe -i ~/Video/Convert/"$out"_temp2.avi -padtop 24 -padbottom 24 -vcodec h263 -acodec aac -ac 1 -ar 44100 -b 700K -r 15 -ab 128 -y ~/Video/3gp/"$out".3gp
#clean up when done.
if [ $? -eq 0 ] ; then
echo "~/Video/3gp/$out.3gp created"
mv "$k" ../Original/
rm -v ~/Video/Convert/"$out"_temp1.avi
rm -v ~/Video/Convert/"$out"_temp2.avi
else
echo "Error encoding"
fi
done
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The natural pie: Watermelon
I put wipped cream on a slice of watermelon today. It was awesome! I am sure that Melon-chan would love it.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
How to: Convert Anime with Soft Subs to Hard Subs
I like to watch Japanese Television. fortunately for me there are numerous fansubbing groups out there that will subtitle these shows for my viewing pleasure. In the past most of these fansubbed videos were Hard Subbed AVIs encoded with the xvid codec. Since the subtitles are right int he video you can watch these videos on almost anything that would play avi videos (Palm, PSP, older computer, etc.)
Today most fansub groups are releasing their videos in Matroska mkv format with an h264 codec. This format allows the original video HD video to be untouched and the subtitles can be turned on and off by the viewer. These videos are much smaller, can have multiple languages, and are easier to produce.
My problem is that some of my devises like my ASUS eee netbook, PSP, etc. Either doesn't have the power to decode HD h264 video or display soft subtitles.
So I made this little bash script for my Gentoo Linux computer to convert these videos into hard subbed versions. It will also convert AVIs using h264 codec to xvid. Please let me know if you find this useful.
December 18, 2009 - Please note, there was an error in this script which I have corrected and highlighted the change in green. PS I also had to change the case in the file move path.
#!/bin/bash
#
# Script:
# Soft Subs to Hard Subs - http://www.tighelory.com
# filename: softsubs2hardsubs.sh
# 2009 Tighe Lory
#
# Requirements:
#
# You need to make the following directories:
# ~/Video/Convert
# ~/Video/Original
# ~/Video/xvid
#
# You will also need ffmpeg and mencoder installed
#
# Place the videos you want to convert in the Video/Convert directory
cd ~/Video/Convert
#Covert AVIs that use H264
for k in *.avi; do
out=$(ls "$k" | sed -e 's/.avi//g')
ffmpeg -i "$k" -qscale 4 -ar 24000 -ab 64 -r 29.97 -vcodec mpeg4 -f avi -vtag xvid -acodec mp3 ~/Video/xvid/"$out.avi"
if [ $? -eq 0 ] ; then
echo "~/Video/xvid/$out.avi created"
mv "$k" ../Original/
else
echo "Error encoding"
fi
done
for k in *.mkv; do
out=$(ls "$k" | sed -e 's/.mkv//g')
mencoder "$k" -fontconfig -subfont-text-scale 3 -subfont-autoscale 3 -alang 0 -oac mp3lame -sid 0 -ovc xvid -xvidencopts pass=1 -o ~/Video/xvid/"$out.avi"
if [ $? -eq 0 ] ; then
echo "~/Video/xvid/$out.avi created"
mv "$k" ../Original/
else
echo "Error encoding"
fi
done
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Noooo!!! Nagisa Dies!!! - Clannad ~After Story~
After watching last week's episode of Clannad ~After Story~ I was starting to get worried -- and so I looked it up on the Wikipedia.
Nagisa dies in the next episode after delivering her and Tomoya's child Ushio!
I have been watching Tomoya and Nagisa since they were in high school and it will be difficult to see Tomoya go through such a tragedy. Yes I know that it is not real.
I just don't know how I am going to make it through the episode and all the following episodes with the chaos in Tomoya life having lost Nagisa. I will need some tissues.
- Official Clannad Site (TBS)
- Clannad ~After Story~ (Eclipse Fansubs)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Yahoo!! 3rd Season of Shakugan no Shana!
According Dengeki online it was hinted at the Dengeki Bunko Autumn Festival. If so I will be quite happy — that show has such great writing, artwork, and voice actors!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
School Rumble: The Third Term (スクールランブル三学期)
It is funny how easily it is to miss the release of something you like even with all this technology to like the Web with its RSS feeds etc.
The point is that first episode of School Rumble The Third Term was released in July! I just watched it -- first thing I noticed was that it started as if this OVA was episode 25 and 1-24 been produced and released. There is a short review of the whole fictitious season (based on the manga) and then it picks up (if you are familiar with the manga) right at the end of the walking festival.
I have to say I am very disappointed that they skipped over so much great School Rumble material from the manga. I was really looking forward it to being made into anime form. The leading seiyu(voice actors) Takahashi Hiroki and Koshimizu Ami really give life to the characters. Also animators really add the delivery of what is a awesome show.
Enough of my complaints because I want more School Rumble. The episode it very good! Watch it! I am looking forward to Episode 26 when it comes out at the end of this month!
- スクールランブル三学期 --公式サイト-- (School Rumble The Third Term Official Site
Friday, August 29, 2008
Fall Anime - What I will be watching
Fall is almost upon us which means a new season of anime fresh from Japan! Below are just some of the show I will be watching:
Gundam 00 Second Season
Gundam 00 has to be one of the best Gundam's ever, and the worst. It is created by the creator of Onegai Teacher! and Onegai Twins! -- Yōsuke Kuroda (黒田 洋介) -- two great anime shows both of which have no gigantic robots. Which can be seen in Gundam 00. Previous Gundam shows were much more shallow and the basic story was about the tradigy of humans fighting humans not because of race or economic standing, but because where they live. The visuals from the first season were amazing, and the story quite depressing and enthralling!
My daughter and I watched the show together, and we put together a Gundam Model. She followed along in the directions and removed and put each piece together! All I did was to put on the stickers and marker in the details! Not bad for a four-year-old!
Vampire Knight Guilty
The first season of Vampire Knight was good -- I haven't finished watching all the episodes, but it has some of the same darkness that Zombie-Loan had.
Rosario to Vampire CAPU2
Completely lacking of any kind of plot, this show is actually quite cute. Let's just hope that this season's story is a little more developed. It is like a very bad version Seto no Hanayome (瀬戸の花嫁).
Full Metal Alchemist (Second Season)
All you need to watch the original season of this show is to turn your TV to Cartoon Network. Yeah it's good. I am looking forward to it.
Clannad ~After Story~
This show really tugs at my heart. I really want Tomoya and Nagisa to be happy together! Just a really great show. I love the dangos! I bought some recently at a local Asian food market. Yummy and cute!
Ef ~A tale of melodies~
EF was also just as good as Clannad -- but the story is a little temporally (skips around) disjointed -- not as bad as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (great show!)
¿More?
This is just a vary short list -- I just got tired typing. Check the links below for more shows.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Zombie-Loan back for a second season? Wait no.
I was checking out the new anime fansubbed episodes on fansub.tv today when to my surprise I saw episode 12 of Zombie Loan! Zombie Loan ran for a very show 11 episodes last fall. This is a most awesome anime was adapted from the mangaka duo Peach-Pit. Peach-Pit also created my daughter's favoriate anime Shugo Chara.
Zombie Loan is a awesomely dark anime about a teenage girl who get caught up with two male teenage zombies. These zombies are working for "the riverman" to payback a loan. This loan is for making them undead from previously being dead. Once they pay back the loan they will become fully alive again. Of course as with all Japanese stories it is never quite that easy.
The style of the show's animation is quite striking with rich colors. The color read is always the most vivid of colors. The opening song "Wolf's Throat (オオカミのノド)" by The Birthday is raw and full of energy that really sets the mood for each episode. And the ending song "Chain Ring (チェインリング)" by MUCC caps off each episode and leaves you looking forward to the next episode!
But alas no new season of Zombie Loan -- just 2 new episodes from the DVD release, but I will take it! I highly recommend that you watch it as soon as possible!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Book Review: Learn Japanese the Manga Way
I have been "self teaching" Japanese for about 2 years now. Most of it has been very casual, primarily watching fansubbed Japanese anime, and listening to Japanese music.
I have several Japanese dictionaries and other learning materials -- but what I have always wanted was a book that would translate Japanese word-for-word literally. This year I was given this book by a very thoughtful coworker for my birthday. It does just that.
The book will show a panel from a manga with the original vertical Japanese, then it will write the Japanese right to left, then under that it will translate each word literally. Then below that it will have a properly constructed English translation! All I can say is that this book is AWESOME!!! And so is Mike for giving it to me! Thanks!
If you are teaching yourself Japanese I cannot recommend this book enough. Pick up one right away!!!
- Wayne P. Lammers - Author's Homepage
- Japanese the Manga Way - Google Books
- Japanese the Manga Way (Amazon's Look Inside)
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