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Refreshed Collection Videos from long ago

T

tezza

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Messages
4,731
Location
New Zealand
Hi, I used to live in this forum from about 2007 until towards the end of the last decade. In the last few years vintage computing has been on the back burner, but some old timers here might still remember me.

Here is why I'm posting. From about 2013 to 2016 or so, I uploaded a series of videos to Youtube, showing particular classic models of the late 1970s-1980s in my collection, and also covering a bit of their history.

People seemed to find the videos interesting, but they were produced in the dark ages of 10 years ago. I had no real video creators' gear at the time (still don't) and so produced the clips using an old camera, a very cheap set of headphones with mic and MovieMaker on Windows 7. The effort was pretty low-fi. I was lucky even to get away with it at the time. Now of course, most Youtube content is of the highest of production values.

Consequently, whenever I thought of my old videos sitting up on YouTube, I would always cringe with embarrassment at the thought of someone watching them, given at their less than stellar production values compared to modern day efforts. However, recently I came across a service where I could clean the audio up using AI. I've now started to refresh the videos with better audio, and I'll be uploading the improved versions over the next weeks or months. The resolution is unchanged so it still low-res but hey, they do represent primitive computers after all. One could argue the vintage style and quality (and the vintage presenter) fits the theme :)

I'm letting people on this forum know about this project for two reasons....

First, there may still be some old timers on this forum that still subscribed to my Youtube channel. They will get notifications that a new video has been uploaded. This may be surprising as they would not have heard of a new video being uploaded for the last 7 years! To avoid disappointment, I'm just letting them know there is no new content to these videos. They are in fact existing ones, but with better audio. However, if you are one of these old timers and have seen the video before, you might want to view it again (with better audio) just for old time's sake.

Second, if you haven't seen these videos before, you might want to take a peek. I'd suggest only looking at the ones published on Sept 10 (2023) or afterwards. These have the acceptable audio. Subscribe to the Channel, and ask for an alert so you will know when I've uploaded refreshed videos. These will be a more pleasant auditory experience than the older ones there. The channel URL is: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Q2xbLkv5s9xVKRWGShKnw

A shout out to anyone who remembers me. I hope you are all doing well.

Terry Stewart (Tez)
 
I have been a subscriber to your channel since I found it a few years ago so I've received the notifications that you have uploaded some new videos so I've been watching.

I actually thought your original videos were of fairly decent quality. Sometimes when I'm curious about some semi-obscure piece of hardware I go searching YouTube to see if I can find a video on it and often what I find is someone using their cell phone camera with no tripod, poor focus and lighting, and sort of making me nauseous with all the movement. Or, even worse, someone who can't stand the sound of their voice so instead of just talking like a normal human being they type out what they want to say into notepad and then, not knowing how to even screen capture that much, point their cell phone at their computer screens.

Believe me I've seen the full depth of abysmal quality on YouTube and your videos are quite watchable and I've enjoyed the in-depth look at the machines your collection.
 
I have seen quite a few of your videos and I never had an issue with the quality. It's the information that's important. I prefer authentic videos like yours to the super polished stuff with click-bait titles and sponsor pitches.
 
Thanks for the extra effort, Terry! I have been subscribed to your channel for many years, and have always enjoyed your work.

- Alex
 
I watched many of your videos back in the "day". I thought they were all fine quality (video and audio).
 
Thanks for the support guys. Interestingly, I'm finding the AI does too good a job on occasions and deletes the cheerful background sound effects of games software I might be showing. It means I usually need to do a little cutting and splicing of the audio so those segments remain whole :)

Terry (Tez)
 
Hi Terry,

I started my vintage computers hobby not so long ago (less than three years ago) and your Youtube channel was one of the first vintage computers channels I discovered. I haven't talked to you till this day, but I have to say I watched all of your videos cause I found them very interesting and informative. Since then my collection has grown from one IBM Thinkpad T42 to more than 60 different models and I still enjoy watching your videos.
 
Hi @tezza, Personally, I find your videos of very high quality. I never noticed any audio issues. You are one of the folks who inspired me to be in this "hobby" of mine. I especially like the reviews of those models that were mostly popular Down Under and not very common in the US, where I reside. I've learned a ton about a lot of systems I never knew existed.

I wish you continued success in sharing your videos with a new group of audio sensitive viewers :)

Seaken
 
Oh yeah, I remember you.
To be honest though, I never realized you had a channel. Now that I'm aware of it I can absolutely say your production quality is far better than even I had five years ago! :p
 
I am a subscriber and have been re-watching your new audio videos as you post them. The sound is much better. (y)

A side not, your video production is perfectly fine. If someone was to make videos in this style today I would watch them. Its the content not the quality of video. If you wanted to be like the "new kids" you'd be yelling the entire time in a shrill voice and I would'nt be watching.

Good to hear from you!
 
Also some videos have annoying music in the background. Sometimes too loud or just annoying. I don't watch those. Or you can go with the silent video where is there is no sound at all just text and whatever is being demonstrated. I find those hard to watch.
 
tradde said:
Also some videos have annoying music in the background. Sometimes too loud or just annoying. I don't watch those. Or you can go with the silent video where is there is no sound at all just text and whatever is being demonstrated. I find those hard to watch.
Click to expand...
Lets face it retro computing is a pretty nerdy hobby. Its RIDICULOUS when someone makes a video montage and you hear extremely loud fast tempo or techno (or any other music you would never lump in with retro computing).

But whats all the more common is everyone wants to have some kind of "Intro" which is really loud, noisy, and always it seems at a much higher volume than the talking in the video which in most cases is monotone mumbling.

This is why Terry even your decade old videos are completely fine and watchable.. You dont fall to those tropes.
 
Thanks Verault. Yes, I don't try to be flashy, or uber-hyped, or have "shocked face" thumbnails. I know these help the Youtube algorithm and so might increase the views but that's just not me. Better just to be authentic, have content that people might be interested in and hope that people get value from the effort. My whole Youtube product was to show off my collection as a kind of virtual museum, with some history of each computer and its place in the market, a review of the machine, views of it working and the kind of docs it often came with.
 
tezza said:
Thanks Verault. Yes, I don't try to be flashy, or uber-hyped, or have "shocked face" thumbnails. I know these help the Youtube algorithm and so might increase the views but that's just not me. Better just to be authentic, have content that people might be interested in and hope that people get value from the effort. My whole Youtube product was to show off my collection as a kind of virtual museum, with some history of each computer and its place in the market, a review of the machine, views of it working and the kind of docs it often came with.
Click to expand...
How did you happen to come across that early model Kaypro II by the way? Do you still have all the machines you made videos of a decade later?
 
That early one was given to me by someone. It's so long ago I can't remember the details now.

I only have a small, core group left from my original collection. I really didn't have any room to house them all properly or display them. My own health (a back injury plus deteriorating eyesight) made it increasingly hard for me to service them, and keep them healthy. I've passed most on to others to enjoy. I've still got around 15. I've flagged which ones have gone on the index here (https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/collection/index.htm)
 
@tezza thank you for your videos, I enjoyed watching many of them, I completely agree with @VERAULT it's all about the content. I started getting into Retro Computing some years after you, but your videos have been helpful and your website too.
 
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