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Thanks to a reissue of a Japanese 2018 Plug & Play TV Game I'm finally playing the PS2 Train Simulator, 'Densha de Go! Final'...fourteen years after this game first came out.
ADDENDUMS: (CLICK 'SHOW MORE' below - Go on, do it, do it - I dare you).
Initially I wondered whether the hardware in this could power a 'PS2 Classic'. However it’s been pointed out that it’s most likely running a custom version of the PC port of this game. Also it’s probably no longer the most polygon-capable plug & play console now that Sega’s Astro City Mini is out. That one can play Virtua Fighter. So forget I said anything. It was all a misunderstanding.
LINKS:
Here's Densha de Go! Plug & Play on Amazon Japan https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B08D...
FULL TEARDOWN HERE - Showing all the chips : https://mazu-bunkai.com/bunkai-wp/eng...
(Thanks for the link Robert)
EXTRA INFO :
I) The recess in the top of the controller is to hold a train driver's pocket watch (mimicking a real Japanese train).
II) The percentage shown when the train departs indicates how full the train is. (Thanks to Hale for that one)
III) Here’s the GameFAQs translation of the manual https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps2/921...
IV) Everyone (and their mother) is well aware of the Google Translate app. Suggesting it as a way to translate things has now become almost as redundant as suggesting Google Search for searching. I use the Google Translate App regularly - but whilst it can be very useful, it doesn't work too well with stylised text (as often used in games) - especially when that text is shown briefly and on the move...like in a game. However there's a very useful English language translation of the manual linked above.
V) Buying from Amazon Japan. You need to set up an Amazon.jp account - change the language at the top of the page so you can follow the process through. Mine cost a total of 18,782 yen (including all the taxes and postage costs) When I pre-ordered, the item itself was 13,455 yen
This 'DJ Turntable' definitely isn't suitable for DJs - but is worth considering if you’re just looking for a regular turntable on a limited budget.
This £5 component (or variants of it) is used in most novelty budget record players. That’s fair enough when you’ve paid only £30 for a player to listen to some worn old records as a bit of fun. Perhaps not so great when this same £5 component forms the heart of your £100+ record player bought to play new limited edition £25 vinyl albums. It’s your choice how to spend your money - but it’s also nice to know exactly what it is you’re paying for and just how much care and attention as well as respect for you as a customer has been put into making the thing you’re paying your hard earned money for.
This video originally formed the end of this review of a budget 'DJ' Record player
https://youtu.be/28lHS0r5cIw - a few people asked for it to be uploaded separately.
Voice controlled curtains - wow it really is space year 2021.
A review of a mini dishwasher that fits where others don't.
Available from https://daan.tech
It’s rare for me to feature anything I haven’t paid for, but when a manufacturer gets in touch and offers to send me something I was unaware of, yet seems to fit my needs perfectly - it’d be silly not to let them send one over to try out.
Note - I was sent this as a review sample by the manufacturer - no money has changed hands.
00:00 Why & What
03:49 Demonstration
06:14 Ongoing running costs
09:28 Opinion
11:49 Eco
12:38 Price
13:19 Wrap up
14:05 Credits
A review & demo of two entertainment-oriented audio displays. The ‘fungeneration RTA-31 Spectrum Analyzer’ and the ‘American Audio DB Display MkII’.
NON-AFFILATED LINKS
Products purchased from Thomann.de
Spectrum Analyzer https://www.thomann.de/gb/fun_generat...
DB Display https://www.thomann.de/gb/american_au...
00:00 Intro
01:18 Spectrum Analyser
04:40 DB Display
06:47 DEMO (both)
07:42 Prices
08:33 Credits
In 1971 Panasonic Introduced the first consumer Talking Alarm Clock Radio, the RC-6900.
Let's open it up and find out how it worked.
A look at JVC/Victor's Unique Touchscreen MiniDisc personal stereo.
My earlier video about some track titling options for home decks: https://youtu.be/5ufOfV40fx0
A fondly remembered childhood toy becomes a moderately underwhelming half-repaired shambles.
The Balmuda Toaster Oven does things slightly differently - Is it a revolution in toasting or a case of the Emperor’s New Toaster. I imported one to the UK to find out.
I bought my Korean Balmuda Toaster from this ebay seller http://ebay.us/x8LlEd (AFFILIATED LINK)
If they’re sold out - look at the ‘other items for sale from this seller’ to see some other colours.
Alongside the usual touring equipment, the late rock star Lemmy took something unusual on the road, a Slot Machine...from Germany. A video with a bit of a mystery, a bit of history and a bit of a demo. EXPAND THIS TEXT BOX TO READ PLENTY MORE - INCLUDING A FAULT UPDATE
00:00 Intro
02:33 German Machines
03:20 International slot variances
06:25 The Allwins
09:30 Playing hard to get
11:04 The Lemmy connection
12:30 Why pick these?
13:09 Hernia time
14:02 A closer look
17:03 A look inside
18:39 Where there’s smoke
21:11 Is that it?
22:20 Virtually finished
28:00 The end
+++++++++++++++UPDATE +++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++ The fault with my machine +++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Since shooting the video I have replaced the components that blew. However this did not resolve the fault. Also refilling the coin tubes doesn’t resolve the issue (a few suggested the machine might be indicating to an attendant that it had run out of money ).
However if you look through the early comments you’ll see one from zapro-dk who mentions that his father had a machine from the same company and they discovered that if the battery dies it forgets its databank which effectively means it can’t work again, but there’s also a comment from TheNWDigital who has found a suggestion on a German forum as to how to reset this fault by bridging some pins on a connector.
I went ahead and tried this and whilst it did reset the machine and stop the light from flashing (which was great) - the components I'd only just replaced immediately went up in smoke again - so there's still another different issue elsewhere. Fortunately I've done all I needed to do with this one now, the machine was bought to use as a prop in a video. My original intention was to give it away after the video was finished. That’s not changed and I’ve been contacted by someone who still wants the machine even in its broken state. So trying to get it work
You know it’s not going to be good, but come on!
00:00 Why & What?
02:10 A Tanashin update
04:12 Physical Examination
07:32 Titanic’s piano bar
08:21 It doesn’t have to be this way
09:47 User error
11:03 Frequency Response
14:08 Wow & Flutter & Speed
16:01 Disassembly
19:24 Credits
This Bluetooth camera mic also adds an earphone output to Sony cameras like the A6400 and the ZV-1. However there is a catch or three…
I'm also pretty sure this model is discontinued now that the new ECM-W2BT has been announced (happened while I was editing this video)
00:00 Intro
01:05 In the box
02:19 Demo
05:49 Been & gone
06:49 Two-way chat
07:57 Earphone limitations
09:08 It’s a re-mix
10:25 The buzz about the Hiss
11:57 Not a fix
13:02 Summary
14:33 Credits
FAQ
Q) Hey why don't you get that camera repaired?
A) It's due to be replaced this year. The colour reproduction accuracy isn't a patch on that of a modern camera. I also need the next camera to be lighter as this one kills Manfrotto arms for fun - I'd like a fully articulating screen, the ability to record and power it from a USB C port at the same time, I need 4K60 and this list goes on and on (and on).
In a nutshell - it's an old out of date camera that is due to be replaced as soon as something suitable appears. It will then be relegated to a back-up camera and the mic input won't be used for that purpose.
Q) Hey I noticed the new version has a Mic-out socket - surely that’s a headphone output(?!?)!
A) Mic out is exactly what it says, a mic out. It sends the mic to a mic in. Picture a wired mic on a stand that you might speak or sing into - now if you were to plug the wire from that mic directly into a set of headphones you wouldn’t hear anything. That’s how this works. My Sony ECM-XYST1M hot shoe mic has the same socket.
Here’s how Sony describes the function of the MIC OUT jack
‘Usability with a wide range of devices
An extensive range of cameras and other devices can be connected to the receiver portion of the ECM-W2BT. Equipment such as PCs and digital voice recorders that support audio input but don't have a Multi Interface Shoe can be connected via the 3.5mm stereo mini-jack output port on the receiver unit.’
Q) Where's the picture of the dog?
A) I didn't get t
What influenced the Philips Compact Cassette?
This and more will be answered in this video event of the century.
Be the life and soul of any party by sharing the story of how 3M’s failed music cartridge made the Philips cassette possible. Learn why Philips' terrible deal with Sony was great for everyone else. Discover the only patentable feature of the compact cassette player.
00:00 Play
00:25 The ‘Inventor’
02:45 Proto-tapes
05:35 RCA’s attempt
09:15 3M’s attempt
11:09 Minifon attaché
12:30 It’s all about the width
13:59 Understanding the market
16:01 Cassette’s unique feature
17:06 Philips other 1963 cassette
18:09 Rivals
19:53 The deal of the century
23:00 Quick fire facts
24:30 Load “”
26:08 Eject
Have we reached peak connected device with Ember the Temperature Controlled, app connected mug.
In this video I’m showing the pre-recorded music I’ve received over the last couple of months. There’s also a story about how I helped give a name to an album.
For transparency I have tagged this video as a Paid Promotion as I have received most of these things for free. The Camera of Sound Cassette & LP was purchased via Bandcamp. No money has changed hands and the links shown below are not affiliated.
A clock with six tiny IPS LCD screens opens up unlimited customisation.
I'm finally taking a good long look at the GPO Boombox. Is it really worth £250?
My modern-day boombox recommendation remains the Panasonic RX-D50
As unusual cassette decks go - the 1970s Philips changers are some of the oddest.
00:00 Intro
04:18 The ‘Repair’
26:05 First Demo
30:13 Prices & History
32:38 More Demo
36:39 Wrap Up
38:22 Credits
Collectors aren’t interested in Mini HiFi systems from twenty years ago - this means their prices aren't getting jacked up in the same way as old boomboxes and separates. Therefore used examples can make a good buy for anyone on a budget who just wants a compact system to play various physical music formats with minimum fuss. I bought one to see what I got for my money.
An augmented reality globe seemed like a fun idea…and it nearly was.
AMAZON JAPAN AFFILIATED LINK: https://amzn.to/3um9Cbx
Importing used audio equipment from Japan can be tempting - but there’s quite a bit more to think about beyond the ‘sticker’ price. A video with hints and tips sprinkled in amongst demonstrations of three quite different systems imported to the UK with mixed results.
There are plenty of services to enable people outside Japan to buy from the Japan Yahoo auctions - including 'Buyee', 'Zenmarket', 'Jauce' and 'From Japan' to name just a few. I’m not qualified to recommend one above the others as I’ve only ever used one, for all I know it might be the worst.
This was the question posed by a Patreon supporter which resulted in me picking one of these up to find out for myself. Now we can all find out what a ‘Tore Sanchi’ slider adjusts.
If you're blind and you have a printed document that contains information you need to read, how do you go about doing that? You might be fortunate enough to have someone around to read it to you - but what if there's no one to ask or perhaps you don't want someone reading your private information...well why not get a computer to read it instead. That's the basic idea behind Kurzweil's Reading Edge.
Q) Why am I stood by the sea to talk about this device?
A) Unfortunately a very elderly relative who cares for another very elderly immobile relative was taken into hospital so I spent the week as a live-in carer for the person left behind. As you can imagine this all happened suddenly, so before driving over to their house at the other side of the country I just had enough time to pack a few clothes and pick up my laptop and a camera. Fortunately I had some footage on the computer that I’d recorded a couple of months prior, so I passed the time while they were napping editing this video together. I shot the to-camera segments at a location a short walk from their house (after making sure they had everything they needed and a phone within reach). I recorded the footage outside as I couldn’t shoot indoors without my usual studio lighting. This video will have a few rough edges here and there, especially when it comes to the sound, but this was the best I could achieve in the circumstances.
Many people now carry a videophone in their pocket (whether they use this feature or not) - but it's been a long road getting here. This video looks at Sony's Face-to-Face - a $499 video picture-phone from the late 1980s.
If you want a portable record player that looks like a suitcase and sounds about as good as one, you’re spoilt for choice. On the other hand you've got this - The Anabas GP-N3R, aka The Freestyle, it may look like a toy but it kicks those retro-styled ceramic cartridge sporting rejects into lost-luggage.
Here’s my AFFILIATED link for the Anabas GP-N3R on Amazon Japan https://amzn.to/34JczYp
(They frequently go out of stock but so far they always restock again…be patient). Also please read the paragraphs below…
If you want one then you’re importing it from Japan. I used Amazon Japan.
If you’ve never used them before you’ll need to set up a new account…an existing non-Japanese Amazon account won’t work there. However it’s easy to do..just change the language at the top of the Amazon Japan page to English (click the flag icon), then go through the usual account setup process, name address, credit card and that’s it - you can now order from Amazon Japan just as easily as ordering locally.
However not everything listed on there can be exported - usually you’re restricted the things that show as ‘Ships from Amazon’ themselves rather than from marketplace sellers. If you’re unsure, then don’t do it. This is a service for people familiar with buying internationally.
Also bear in mind if you import one of these then the guarantee is invalid as it’s not intended to be sold outside Japan.
I want to show you a type of Philips music cassette you most likely haven’t seen before. I was very fortunate to get one…but it turned out that was the easy part. Getting its 1970s player to work took a lot more effort.
00:00 Backstory
03:14 The player
06:40 Giving it a go
09:29 Inside the cassette
11:30 Inside the machine
12:45 The Repair starts
20:18 A look at the older machine
23:27 Back to the repair
27:15 The result
27:55 Summary
32:23 Groovy credits
UPDATES
1) Turns out that this system was known as Philips 'Functional Music' - What a fun name.
2) The symbol on the back showing a box with an arrow is the sign for ‘Remote’ not ‘Output’.
3) The tape speed is 1 7/8ips
4) If playback of the tape reels is attempted on a R2R machine only two of the tracks like up with the heads on a 1/4 track machine
Used medical video printers regularly turn up on Ebay.
Here's a video showing a couple of things you can do with one.
00:00 Introduction
01:18 Sockets and buttons
04:26 Printing video stills
05:39 Suggestions/tips
08:27 The ‘selfie’ machine
11:03 Credits
I’ve used one of these - most people I know have too, yet this is the first time I've seen one.
When it comes to the joy of watching things working, the Kinetic appeal of this is up there with a Lava Lamp. UPDATE: Here’s what happened to this machine next https://youtu.be/qvzH7DSsD3g
00:00 Start
00:51 What it did
02:58 A look inside
05:14 What’s on it?
08:22 This is what.
09:54 FAQs Answered
14:12 Credits
If you want to watch an hour of tape looping - here's the video https://youtu.be/fYVZ7GQhW3Y
Massive thanks to Neil for supplying this rare Machine.
FAQ) How did the machine know where the start of the announcement was? Did it use a foil splice or a cue tone - or was it something else?
A) It’s just a loop of tape with an announcement repeated a number of times which has then been stuck together at the end with normal splicing tape to form a loop. No metal foil. No auto-triggering pulses. Just a simple repeated audio recording on a loop of tape.
I double checked with Neil who dealt with these things for a living and he confirmed that there was ‘nothing clever going on, it was just a plain old loop of tape'.
A caller ringing up would just start the machine playing back from the point at which the tape last stopped moving. That would more often than not be some way into an announcement.
However back in the 1980s this was something we were very accustomed to. You’d ring up and if you heard an announcement you waited until it looped around back and started repeating and then you’d hang up. I remember doing this. It was only in the age of digital recording technology that we came to expect BT announcements to always start right from the beginning.
Q) What kind of tape did this use
A) Standard 1/4" tape. A helpful commenter mentioned that he used to record the announcements for these on a ReVox B77. Neil told me that in his job they received reels of the tape with the announcements pre recorded. They would splice off the amount they needed
Are those little thermal printers any good - find out here.
00:00 Start
00:30 Printer
04:52 Camera
10:01 Greyscale vs Dithered
11:58 Patreon credits
A look at Sopic cap records - a 1970s Japanese music format that helped to kickstart an entertainment phenomena.
00:00 Start
05:51 History
07:57 Disassembly
12:26 How it's used
16:29 Audio demo
17:29 Deciphering titles
20:13 Nightmare fuel
21:02 Wrap-up & credits
A test of a portable monitor. Handy for dual-screen laptop use, a stow-able TV (when paired with a HDMI source) or a compact gaming screen - especially when it comes to the Nintendo Switch which can output to it in 1080p over USB-C. It's definitely not perfect though.
If you thought HD-DVD lost the HD disc format war to Blu-ray, you're right. But spare a thought for the third-placed format. One that could only dream of achieving HD-DVD's level of success. This is the story of HD-VMD, the other disc.
00:00 Utter nonsense
01:58 Moving on
03:20 HD-DVD vs Blu-ray
05:51 Who were NME?
07:03 VMD acquisition
11:05 The VMD USP
13:37 Launch problems
18:02 Downfall
19:55 THE PLAYERS
28:59 Lazy Town to the rescue
32:47 Lost?
34:02 The only way to win was not to play
34:48 Patreon credits
Here’s a link to the video from the chap with the Saw HD-VMD (amongst others) https://youtu.be/us-ioTyXyzU
A review of the Lenco L-30 turntable. A budget turntable - one of the cheapest with a moving magnet cartridge.
00:00 Start
03:16 In the box
09:34 Tracking force
10:34 First play
13:00 W&F/Speed Test
15:02 Speed adjustment
16:25 Snappage
16:58 Direct feed audio
17:31 USB Recording
18:16 Summary
19:23 Patreon Credits
Aired August 7, 2021
I've unlisted this as it was causing confusion. I just thought it was a fun coincidence worth sharing - but then once I’d posted it - the feedback came in and all the fun was gone.
The Amazon Basics range includes two Boomboxes (CD, Radio, Cassette). I bought them so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
Here’s an Amazon UK AFFILIATED link - but I’d recommend watching the video first https://amzn.to/2VmpY7P
At the time of typing the Panasonic RX-D50 & D55 are still available in Europe via Amazon.DE - Here’s a link https://amzn.to/3xxDKBk
- also on AMAZON US https://amzn.to/3xwikVp
Both these links are AFFILIATED
This 4K60 pocket gimbal camera arrived just in time to accompany me on a short break. In this video you can see a full review of the camera as well as some of the video and photos I took on my travels around the U.K. On paper the camera appeared to be exactly what I needed…but life isn’t made of paper
A look at a fascinating app that can enrich lives by narrating the visual world.
In 1979 a device that could read a letter aloud cost £80,000…nowadays that’s just one of the functions on a free app. That's progress.
FREE APP - Microsoft Seeing AI website https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/se...
(IOS Download links at bottom of the linked page - or search for 'Seeing AI' )
SUBSCRIPTION APP - Envision AI Website https://www.letsenvision.com
Envision IOS & Android download links https://www.letsenvision.com/envision...
Seeing AI Advert featuring my musician pal Andre https://youtu.be/DybczED-GKE
Of course he's got a YouTube Channel too. https://www.youtube.com/user/TheOnjLouis/videos
I was hoping to have better news - but nope, it is what it is. I have to call it - the likelihood of ever seeing a good new cassette 'Walkman' ever again is so close to zero…I’ll just say it’s zero.
I have to thank YoungSung Jeon (our man in Korea) for going to all the trouble of making a two hour round trip to pick this up from a store and then sending it on to me.
While I had hoped that this would have shown that it's still possible for a company to make a reasonable quality cassette "walkman' type device in 2021 - it demonstrated the opposite. However this result does have a value of its own. Rather than fruitlessly buying each new device that comes out only to get the same results - we can see that the problem lies with the mechanisms that remain available.
Since it seems extremely unlikely that anyone is going to start making a new high quality personal stereo cassette transport ever again - we can now draw a line under this period of history. Finding a newly manufactured high quality cassette 'Walkman' has now become as impossible as finding a newly manufactured high quality Edison Cylinder player. Things move on. These devices have passed into history. As a result you now either choose to buy an old one with the understanding that you deal with whatever issues come from making that decision - or you just don't get one.
This was mistakenly advertised as a Karaoke machine. It isn’t a Karaoke machine. Nevertheless I took a punt on buying it as I had the feeling that I owned the unusual cartridges it plays. In this video you can see if my hunch paid off and learn more about a rare format through an even rarer player.
My earlier video about this format https://youtu.be/Q_9IBIcsYj4
UPDATES:
I) The machine appears to date from approx 1976. A helpful person on Patron spotted a date code on the speaker.
II) Crown? Weren’t they a US/U.K. brand? (delete as applicable) - not this Crown https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Crown_(audio_brand)
See how long can you maintain your interest while I look at random old Minidisc players.
I've finally got my Coturn CT01. It's a clever, stylish, portable rechargeable bluetooth-equipped record player with an aluminium body…but there are some issues.
The Coturn site is here: https://www.coturn.de
Stating the obvious -
I) The Coturn link is not affiliated
II) There will be likely still be a long delay before you get any CT01s pre-ordered now and that's assuming nothing else goes wrong in the meantime
45rpm 7" record - O mio babbino caro EP - was provided by https://paweljanetta.bandcamp.com/album/o-mio-babbino-caro-ep
12" record from https://bloomypetal.bandcamp.com
A full length review of the Sony HT-A7000 Sound-bar, its optional RS3S Wireless surrounds and the SW5 Subwoofer. Will this set-up perform as well as or perhaps better than my previous traditional home cinema speaker system made up of an AV amp and separate speakers?
AFFILIATED Amazon Links
UK: https://amzn.to/3zCebQw
US: https://amzn.to/2Zw8fwp
DE: https://amzn.to/3lSh3nx
CA: https://amzn.to/3o382Li
00:00 Start
06:52 Unboxings
14:54 Everything else
42:36 Credits
THE ACCOMPANYING VIDEO I MENTION NEAR THE START - is here: https://youtu.be/Hn_KF1WrilI
Sony UK’s page on the HT-A7000 https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/sound-bars/ht-a7000
A review of the compact and comparatively low budget HumminGuru ultrasonic vinyl record cleaner. How well does it work? You can determine for yourself by listening to this series of tests. Best experienced through headphones.
00:00 Start
01:13 Unbox & set-up
04:38 The dirty record
08:29 The cleaning process
11:35 DEMO 1: Before cleaning
12:58 DEMO 2: After one clean
14:31 DEMO 3: After three cleans
15:40 DEMO 4: After anti-static gun
16:40 Results summary
17:22 TriMicron test
18:02 Unrealistic expectations?
21:10 Patreon credits
MANUFACTURER'S WEBSITE https://humminguru.com (Note prices are shown in $HK (that's Hong Kong Dollars).
AFFILIATED LINKS to the real star of the show -
The ANTI-STATIC GUN
AMAZON USA https://amzn.to/3rgjJjb
AMAZON UK https://amzn.to/3rgjJjb
AMAZON DE https://amzn.to/3rh6sqA
AMAZON CA https://amzn.to/3o4k8U6
MY PREVIOUS VIDEOS ABOUT RECORD CLEANING
A selection of options tried out: https://youtu.be/alTn6j0D8pI
Orbitrac 3 Pro: https://youtu.be/lW7xkQ8pN6M
You can still get a new Personal CD player - but you probably shouldn't.
Here's what happened when I tried.
