Video tasks

Post #268,448 by broomberg 9/23/06 1:57:13 PM Reply	Video tasks I've got a couple of tasks I want to accomplish and I wonder if anyone can give me some pointers. #1 - Provide certain TV shows to a friend that I pulled of the web. The shows are in an AVI file format. They play fine on my Linux box using Xine. When my friend tries on his Windows box, he gets sound but no video. So, either he needs a different player, or I need to convert them to a different format. I'm happy to do the conversion but I'm not sure what to use. I've got a Linux box free that I can install any recommended software. So, any recommendations? #2 - Provide my almost-blind brother readable PDFs on a portable DVD player. My brother has a lot of PDF files he would like to read. He spends a lot of time on a bus. He does not want to carry a laptop computer. He can read letters about 2 inches high panning across a screen. So, I want to be able convert pdf files into individual pages (I know how to do that), but and then convert them to video files, and the video files need to be the slow panning of the text across the screen. I have NO idea how I would do that. Anybody got any? After that, I will need to burn the files on to a DVD that will play in a regular DVD player,
Post #268,449 by drewk 9/23/06 3:12:27 PM Reply	Maybe wrong idea on the PDFs Lots of kids DVDs have interactive games as special features. I don't know what authoring software you'd use, but I'll be you can come up with something that will allow him to scroll interactively. === Purveyor of Doc Hope's [link\|http://DocHope.com\|fresh-baked dog biscuits and pet treats]. [link\|http://DocHope.com\|http://DocHope.com]
Post #268,450 by Another Scott 9/23/06 3:14:28 PM Reply	On #2 All of the things I've seen for low-vision folks working with PDFs involve screen-reader applications. I don't think you'll be able to get comparable functionality with a DVD player. Wouldn't a cheap laptop give him everything he wants without much work on your part? For example, [link\|http://cgi.ebay.com/T56-Apple-PowerBook-G4-Laptop-Needs-Repair_W0QQitemZ190033633340QQihZ009QQcategoryZ14909QQcmdZViewItem\|here] is a Powerbook G4 that needs a hinge repair that's at $81 at the moment. (Note that it says software is not included, so it may not come with OS-X.) The hinge repair is [link\|http://www.powerbookresq.com/detail.php?prodID=P009742\|$269], or less if you look around. You can also buy the parts to [link\|http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2005/03/powerbookhinge/index.php\|do it yourself], if you want. There are probably similar deals to be had on PC laptops, if you want to save cash. I think you're looking at a lot of time and a lot of pain in trying to convert PDFs to blown-up scrolling text for DVDs. HTH. Good luck. Cheers, Scott.
Post #268,453 by broomberg 9/23/06 3:21:42 PM Reply	His call He has laptops. He has difficulty carrying them. He wanted a small "embedded" system with a DVD size screen originally, that ran Linux, which we thought about, but it seemed the DVD option was workable. Until I started really thinking about it, of course.
Post #268,477 by tonytib 9/23/06 6:32:12 PM Reply	What about a Nokia 770?
Post #268,478 by broomberg 9/23/06 6:43:17 PM Reply	Looks perfect - thanks
Post #268,480 by Another Scott 9/23/06 6:53:37 PM Reply	That looks like a neat box. Thanks for the pointer.
Post #268,485 by folkert 9/23/06 7:02:44 PM Reply	Why not a PSP? -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* Freedom is not FREE. Yeah, but 10s of Trillions of US Dollars? SELECT * FROM scog WHERE ethics > 0; 0 rows returned.
Post #268,488 by broomberg 9/23/06 7:13:12 PM Reply	How? No PDF viewer that I see.
Post #268,493 by folkert 9/23/06 7:41:24 PM Reply	Look at: #268482 -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* Freedom is not FREE. Yeah, but 10s of Trillions of US Dollars? SELECT * FROM scog WHERE ethics > 0; 0 rows returned.
Post #268,506 by tonytib 9/23/06 11:24:23 PM Reply	Nokia has higher res, more accessible Linux 800x480 vs 480x272 But PSP battery life might be better, and it's definitely better for games. Nokia has WiFi. There are other pluses and minuses. You could probably also use Nintendo GBA Advance, SP, or DS, but the screen is even smaller. Of course, the real reason to choose the Nokia is that [link\|http://pymaemo.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/moin.cgi/"\|it runs Python] --Tony
Post #268,574 by folkert 9/24/06 11:58:59 PM Reply	But the Nokia has problems with USB transfer speed, very slow as some have very broken USB implementations. E60s(60, 61...), E70s and other models, feature a small URB problem. The Linux Kernel in general is seeing this as a faulty device or packet, sends a CSW due to flakey URBs being malformed. This in turn causes a resend, slowing it even further. I like the fact it runs Python. -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* Freedom is not FREE. Yeah, but 10s of Trillions of US Dollars? SELECT * FROM scog WHERE ethics > 0; 0 rows returned.
Post #268,581 by tonytib 9/25/06 12:53:04 AM Reply	E60 runs Symbian, 770 runs Linux [link\|http://forum.nokia.com/devices/E60\|E60 is a S60 series cellphone ] running Symbian 9.1, Nokia 770 is a tablet running a form of Linux, so it's likely the USB transfer problems don't apply. Besides, the 770 has WiFi. If the 770 battery life were better (6-8 hours instead of 3) and the price the same (about $350), I'd get one myself. --Tony
Post #268,597 by folkert 9/25/06 8:48:54 AM Reply	Didn't know that... Thanks. -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* Freedom is not FREE. Yeah, but 10s of Trillions of US Dollars? SELECT * FROM scog WHERE ethics > 0; 0 rows returned.
Post #268,482 by folkert 9/23/06 7:01:36 PM 9/23/06 7:40:21 PM Reply	edit: Answers (and why the PSP) #1 - Provide certain TV shows to a friend that I pulled of the web. The shows are in an AVI file format. They play fine on my Linux box using Xine. When my friend tries on his Windows box, he gets sound but no video. Most of the AVIs you pull from the Internet are AVI Formatted containers with DivX Video and MP3 audio. I know, I've recently helped setup ripping farms for these tasks. Install the DivX video codecs (versions 4 and 5). MP3 audio is easily read. #2 - Provide my almost-blind brother readable PDFs on a portable DVD player. My brother has a lot of PDF files he would like to read. He spends a lot of time on a bus. He does not want to carry a laptop computer. He can read letters about 2 inches high panning across a screen. So, I want to be able convert pdf files into individual pages (I know how to do that), but and then convert them to video files, and the video files need to be the slow panning of the text across the screen. I have NO idea how I would do that. Anybody got any? Since you are going to convert them already why not just use html, javascript and array the data. Sort of like this: [link\|http://www.gregfolkert.net/umm-oops.html\|My error page]. It has a good basis for what you are looking for. You might need to add stop, reverse and forward functions... but hey you are open to new things... Right? As long as you can get the text out of the PDF. Providing these are not an IMAGE of text PDF he needs to read. And as far as the PSP thing, it has an HTML renderer and compliant javascript engine. -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* Freedom is not FREE. Yeah, but 10s of Trillions of US Dollars? SELECT * FROM scog WHERE ethics > 0; 0 rows returned. Edited by folkert Sept. 23, 2006, 07:40:21 PM EDT Expand All History
Post #268,487 by broomberg 9/23/06 7:10:52 PM Reply	Re: Needs to add DiVX to Windows (4 and 5) Huh?
Post #268,492 by Silverlock 9/23/06 7:30:42 PM Reply	I think he's talking about codecs Get [link\|http://www.headbands.com/gspot/\|gspot] for your brother. It will identify the codec required. Or get [link\|http://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli/\|Media Player Classic], it plays most every codec/file type out there. ----------------------------------------- Impeach Bush. Impeach Cheney. Do it now.
Post #268,494 by broomberg 9/23/06 7:43:41 PM Reply	Media player Classic hangs on my PC wheh I click on "File". But the Windows port of mplayer works for me, I'll forward that along.

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