Vivian Stanshall_Canyons Of His Mind torrent

Perhaps not the best possible version of this documentary for reasons that follow, but it's something that I can't find online. so until someone can find a better one, it'll have to do.

Quality (subjective):
Video 9.5 / 10
Audio 8.0 / 10

***** The crap bits *****

Firstly, I recorded this from BBC4 on a Yamada DVR8000 DVD recorder (which has no hard-drive), so the BBC4 imprint is irritatingly to the top left throughout. I also caught the BBC2 broadcast, but only on VHS. Bear this in mind, it's all relevant.

Secondly, although I haven't tackled them about this as yet, Virgin (formerly NTL) are inexplicably supplying mono sound to my TV package.

Thirdly, The Yamada DVR8000 produces discs that, when ripped onto a PC, do not read all the way to the end of the recording (what? why?) and the last few moments get left off.

Fourthly, my entire @$&*ing life seems to be riddled with these frustrating gremlins, no matter what I do. For example, I recently upgraded my broadband connection, which is great, but when it's working at full-tilt my TV controls slow down alarmingly, presumably because my set-top box is also my cable modem but, then again, why should this be? Consequently, if I'm watching TV, or I'm using an internet browser, I ain't seeding.

In a nutshell, what's wrong with this DVD can be summed up as follows:
1. Restored (very slightly) inferior quality credits/ending.
2. Sound too loud
3. Mono

OK, so now you know. If you don't want it, don't download it. What do I care?

I bought another DVD recorder last week, because the Yamada was so crap that it didn't do the job that I wanted it to, ie dubbing my VHS tapes to digital. I now have an Hitachi DV-DS161E DVD recorder, with hard drive. So far so good. Remember that I have a disc of this show from the Yamada which doesn't fully rip to a PC for editing? Of course, I want the whole thing, especially as the ending credits are an absolute treat, but the rip misses them off. So what do I do? I dub the Yamada disc to the Hitachi, right? Wrong! The damned Hitachi seems to think that the Yamada disc has copy-protection and won't record. Remember that I only need the credits. So I dig out the VHS version from BBC2 in order to rip just the credits, but the bloody Hitachi detects Macrovision on that too and, again, won't record them. I had to take the original Yamada disc, dub it to VHS and then dub the resulting VHS to the Hitachi in order to get a copy of the credits at all. But I did it. I don't give up without a fight.

Details of rip:
1. Main programme: Yamada DVR8000 > SmartRipper > DGIndex > TMPGEnc Plus 2.5 > TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 > You

2. Credits: Yamada DVR8000 > Orion D4040 4 head VHS > Hitachi DV-DS161E DVD recorder > SmartRipper > DGIndex > TMPGEnc Plus 2.5 > TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 > You

In conclusion, it's not perfect, but it's pretty good and if you've nothing better, then download and enjoy.


Malkie


PS Highly recommended Bonzos torrents:

http://thepiratebay.se/tor/3706466/Bonzo_Dog_(Doo_Dah)_Band_-_Talking_Pictures_mk2_Disc_1
If you get to 99.9% and stick, just burn the DVD, it's only the text file that's incomplete...and you will need to exclude the mp3s from your DVD as they don't fit on a standard disc

http://thepiratebay.se/tor/3707296/Bonzo_Dog_(Doo_Dah)_Band_-_Talking_Pictures_mk2_Disc_2

These two discs are the bee's knees, a real labour of love but burn them to DVD-R as DVD+Rs have faulty menus for some reason. More gremlins, no doubt.