New Year and some new ideas for purchase

I am considering some ideas what to buy. One of Which is to get a ticket to see Walt Disney's "Frozen" as it looks to be a very good film.

Lumi joins me as we talk about possible Iphone upgrade ideas and the problems Apple's lack of support for PowerPC has created for us. We can't use anything newer than an Iphone 4S as iTunes 10.6.4 was the last version for the PowerPC chip family.

Thus, if I wanted an Iphone 5+, I would need to replace my PowerMac G5. That is ONE EXPENSIVE IPHONE kit! Over $3000 for a new Imac with Intel chip and the Iphone 5+!

Likewise, Android phones don't usually work out well for Apple users either! They can't sync Calendars or iTunes music, as far as I know.

Merry Christmas everybody!

From Lumi Anne Finistra:
Merry Christmas and may the remainder of the year be good for you.

Michele worked on the color so I don't look PINK! Seems she had her white balance off and color saturation too high!

Merry Christmas to everybody 2013 from The North American Snow Queen

Merry Christmas from The North American Snow Queen.

Stuffed robotic kitties anyone? I talk briefly about The newer Animatronic toys from FurReal. In partictular Daisy, Play with Me kitty. I am amazed by how far we have come with robotics in 20 years.

I still need more helpers for the studio. Our studio productions have grown in complexity and I need more talent to make it more exciting.

Both Rusty and Fame (my real cats) join me in this holiday message.

Contact Information
http://www.youtube.com/user/bichela4  Michele's Youtube Page
http://www.tinyurl.com/lumifinistra  Lumi's Youtube Page

Email Addresses:
Michele Marie Dalene   bichela3@gmail.com
Lumi Anne Finistra   lumifinistra@gmail.com

Google Voice 860-469-2821

U.S Mail Address
Michele Marie Dalene/Lumi Finistra
112 Main St. Apt 9
Winsted, Ct 06098

Donations are always welcome. I accept hardware and financial donations.

Financial donations can be sent to Paypal at bichela3@yahoo.com

Happy Yule, from The North American Snow Queen

Happy Yule and Merry Christmas. May you enjoy this Yuletide time.

The PAL camera fully adjusted and set to my tastes

I am a fussy person when it comes to picture quality. Originally, I was a Amateur Photographer, I still shoot film on occasion.

I made an error in stating this camera has Shutter Priority. This model does NOT! that is because it lacks the needed drive circuit to automatically adjust aperture to allow a preset shutter speed. SecurityCamera2000 does have models that DO have this feature.

Being I started out using a Pentax K1000 35mm SLR camera, I am fully comfortable with manual setting my camera. That is one feature that I like that this camera can do.

It takes longer to get it right but. I prefer the results.

Contact Information
http://www.youtube.com/user/bichela4  Michele's Youtube Page
http://www.tinyurl.com/lumifinistra  Lumi's Youtube Page

Email Addresses:
Michele Marie Dalene   bichela3@gmail.com
Lumi Anne Finistra   lumifinistra@gmail.com

Google Voice 860-469-2821

U.S Mail Address
Michele Marie Dalene/Lumi Finistra
112 Main St. Apt 9
Winsted, Ct 06098

Donations are always welcome. I accept hardware and financial donations.

Financial donations can be sent to Paypal at bichela3@yahoo.com

New PAL video camera, unboxing and prelimary setup

I got my new PAL camera. This is the unboxing and basic setup. Since I did this video, I switched to manual white balance and got the colors, brightness and contrast properly set using a PAL color calibration test card.

This has a much finer picture than my Panasonic WV-CP234 camera which this replaces. The old camera will be used for its original intended use. Surveillance video.

This new camera offers MANY nice features for the amateur and Professional alike. It offers Manual controls for: Shutter speed, Aperture, Focus (it isn't auto focus), White balance, Motion detect and Privacy Zones. (the last two features will not be of use to me but it has them. This also have several program modes: Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Auto White Balance.

This model is from Security Camera 2000 (r) and as far as I am concerned. it is a decent piece of equipment.

It uses CS mount lenses but with an adaptor ring can use a C mount lens as well. This model ONLY runs on 12VDC, there are converters, available on Ebay and other sites that can convert the power to use it on 24VAC if you need them.

This camera is AWSOME! and for the price I paid on Ebay, (about $50). It is worth every penny!. The company also sells NTSC models of this as well if you rather not use PAL. I believe they also have HD 1080i cameras with SDI/BNC outputs. The distributors website is: http://www.securitycamera2000.com
Here is the camera's website of the model I am using.: http://www.securitycamera2000.com/products/Indoor-Box-Camera-1%7B47%7D3-Inch-700TVL-SONY-EFFIO%252dE-DSP-CS-Lens-BNC-Output.html

My Video camera status, CRI and CFL lighting. just an update

My camera has left Secaucus New Jersey, I have no idea where it is now as there is no updates to the tracking number since December 14th! So, I have to wait and pray it arrives soon.

My Doctors appointment was rescheduled to Monday as he had some things that needed to be done, with other patients.

It will be mild for the remainder of the week so, I am washing my sheets today. I love the fresh open winter air smell of freeze dried laundry ;)

Some of the CFLs in the old studio have horrible Color Rendering Index (CRI).  However, for what I paid for those cheap bulbs several years ago, that can be expected. The new studio lighting is photographic CFLs that give a more true image but I wonder if incandescent/halogen lighting really would be better. I am very picky when it comes to quality. I may be a cheapskate, however, I still have high photographic and video production standards.

Contact Information
http://www.youtube.com/user/bichela4  Michele's Youtube Page
http://www.tinyurl.com/lumifinistra  Lumi's Youtube Page

Email Addresses:
Michele Marie Dalene   bichela3@gmail.com
Lumi Anne Finistra   lumifinistra@gmail.com

Google Voice 860-469-2821

U.S Mail Address
Michele Marie Dalene/Lumi Finistra
112 Main St. Apt 9
Winsted, Ct 06098

Donations are always welcome. I accept hardware and financial donations.

Financial donations can be sent to Paypal at bichela3@yahoo.com

Lumi and Michele, back in the old saddle again!

Lumi and I revisit the old studio for a nice informal chat with you. We talk about what is going on in the video world in addition to discussion of our feelings on how we see our original intent for the new studio.

The new camera will probably be here by Wednesday. I want to work with it before I review it to make sure it works properly.

This is a non structured, informal video. We welcome your comments/concerns and we ask that you let us know what you think.

Still using the OS-X Formac FS10 Studio TVR setup for this video. Will be using this same setup for the PAL camera for fair comparison of video quality.

Contact Information
http://www.youtube.com/user/bichela4  Michele's Youtube Page
http://www.tinyurl.com/lumifinistra  Lumi's Youtube Page

Email Addresses:
Michele Marie Dalene   bichela3@gmail.com
Lumi Anne Finistra   lumifinistra@gmail.com

Google Voice 860-469-2821

U.S Mail Address
Michele Marie Dalene/Lumi Finistra
112 Main St. Apt 9
Winsted, Ct 06098

Donations are always welcome. I accept hardware and financial donations.

Financial donations can be sent to Paypal at bichela3@yahoo.com

I take the time to answer some questions that someone stated that Michele had her fat to keep her warm. I can assure you, Michele and I are working on getting the weight down. It is an uphill battle as the funds make getting good, healthy, food very difficult.

Unlike Michele, I don't like her studio that much. it is too plain and austere.

Global warming is a joke, It wasn't the humans that heated up the solar system! it was our sun! How many think we heated up all the other planets? Our sun was running hotter. Now, our sun is cooling. We are going to have climate change alright, we are beginning to see GLACIATION! As we are ending our INTER-GLACIAL period.

CFLs, they are a fire hazard! a Mercury hazard! and a they contain E-Waste!. But, they are less heat producing than incandescent bulbs. They also give us nice 6500K light. Michele does like incandescent light too. but, not for our studio illumination. She rather see people have a choice of what kind of light they want to use.

Michele and I are preparing to upgrade to the new PAL camera, it shows, that the camera may arrive here in January. Michele has had problems with vidi 0.4.7 on OSX leopard as we are unable to force it to  PAL or NTSC. Which, is unfortunate as it works better than the Formac FS10 Studio TVR software. If anyone know where we need to hack the code to force it to PAL or NTSC... Michele and I would appreciate the information.

Contact Information
http://www.youtube.com/user/bichela4  Michele's Youtube Page
http://www.tinyurl.com/lumifinistra  Lumi's Youtube Page

Email Addresses:
Michele Marie Dalene   bichela3@gmail.com
Lumi Anne Finistra   lumifinistra@gmail.com

Google Voice 860-469-2821

U.S Mail Address
Michele Marie Dalene/Lumi Finistra
112 Main St. Apt 9
Winsted, Ct 06098

Donations are always welcome. I accept hardware and financial donations.

Financial donations can be sent to Paypal at bichela3@yahoo.com

Lumi's Latest video  Lumi's tinyurl to her youtube page http://www.tinyurl.com/lumifinistra.

I think it is time for a new hair color.

I think it is time for me to consider a new hair color. The color I have has been for 3 years with some slight changes. I feel I need a new start.

The problem is which color? I have two colors that I like, these are created by a virtual hair color program on my Iphone 3gs.The choices are  (names are mine as the program didn't give them names) Dark ash brown and Cherry red.

I kind of like the Cherry red but the last time I had Red hair, the sun faded it out fairly quickly.

The Dark ash brown looks nice too. I consider it as it would be easier to keep up as my natural medium brown hair grows in.

Which do you prefer? Pictures are in the video.

Also, I turned on Deinterlace video which appeared to have made this video look much nicer. (yes, I am always tinkering with my camera settings for better look. Nice thing with a fully manual analogue video camera.)

Contact Information
http://www.youtube.com/user/bichela4  Michele's Youtube Page
http://www.tinyurl.com/lumifinistra  Lumi's Youtube Page

Email Addresses:
Michele Marie Dalene   bichela3@gmail.com
Lumi Anne Finistra   lumifinistra@gmail.com

Google Voice 860-469-2821

U.S Mail Address
Michele Marie Dalene/Lumi Finistra
112 Main St. Apt 9
Winsted, Ct 06098

Donations are always welcome. I accept hardware and financial donations.

Financial donations can be sent to Paypal at bichela3@yahoo.com