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[m0ds]

That's it!! Awesome, thanks jet!

[theo]

I realize this is a bit of a n00b question but it's time for me to step out of the closet and challenge my ignorance.

Who/what is oceanspirit dennis?

[Ryan Timothy B]

It was explained quite well right here with the release of Ponch's amazing pirate game. It was actually quite fun.

The thread that spawned the gay Oceanspirit Dennis was this one. Thanks to Icey Games, Ben and DDQ and Snake; and the rest who've created games with the amazing Oceanspirit Dennis character.

[ddq]

I'm so very glad you asked, theo! Prepare for a wall of text.

Oceanspirit Dennis is, at its most basic, a collective game universe that found its genesis in a thread where Iceygames asked about RPGs. He showed a picture of his JRPG protagonist named "Dave". I told him that Dave wasn't silly enough and instead suggested "Ocean, or Spirit, or Dennis". Snake then replied, "Oceanspirit Dennis?", to which I further added "Oceanspirit Dennis: Scourge of the Underworld". And a drew a silly picture of what someone with that name might look like, and a few days later, Ben304 made a funny little joke game with that title based on the picture.

Since Ben decided to make the game Open Source, more games followed, each expanding the character's personality and back-story, and eventually, his whole universe. What we ended up with was a Gay/Bi Pirate/Ninja/Private-Eye Adventurer/Warrior/Sex-Symbol. Of course, it's all satirical and I don't expect anyone to take it seriously, or even really like it.

If you like JRPG parody, give some of the OSD games a chance. You certainly don't have to play all of them to understand the whole universe, because you wouldn't even if you did. I hope this explanation was satisfactory.

[Dualnames]

This might help: http://ags-ssh.blogspot.com/2010/05/oceanspirit-dennis-osd-or-ron.html

[Anian]

There's a lot of tech savy people here, so I hope somebody will know this and help me:
so it's an mp4 video h264 - mpeg-4 avc (avc1)
resolution is 1280x528 (720 actually), 24 fps, the file has 3.4 gb
What I want to do is show this to my friends on my full hdtv panasonic tv which is connected to a panasonic bluray player bmp bd-80 by transfering the movie from pc to player via an usb stick or and SD card (both are 8gb). But the thing won't read it no matter what.

I tried Nero Visio Xtra and I made a sample movie work by making "avchd to sd" but when I try that for this bigger file, I get a 15 gb large file. I got a copy from another friend that works in this sd into bluray setup and this movie is about the same lenght and same quality but it takes up 7 gb.
The bluray really has trouble reading stuff unless it's divx or in the avchd format (with proper folder structure)

There are 99.99999% converters on the net that transform avchd into mp4, but very few go the mp4 to avchd, I tried a few, but they don't seem to work properly (avidemux, winx deluxe etc.). I'ts also hard to actually google it cause it just keeps turning out avchd to mp4/avi converters...

Help would be very much appreciated.

EDIT: there might be some restriction on the fact that SD card has fat format, so a movie of lets say 7 gb should be split into two smaller files, but I guess the softawre should offer an option for that or do it automatically...

[theo]

ok thanks yall. what an intriguing character. 

[m0ds]

Another computer tech question, I'm wondering if anyone here has suffered and recovered from an nvlddmkm.sys error? There's a lot about it when searching google, but meh, no valuable solutions. It's related to nVidia graphics card I believe, though someone suggested it may have been caused initially by sound drivers mucking up. I've never encountered this issue though, but that's probably cos this is my first major crash with Vista (which I only started using since the summer).

It appears the "best" solution is throw your PC out the window and buy a new one.

I was playing a game, not designed for Vista, but had no idea, and half way through it locked up my machine, so I turned it off. I tried playing the game again, thinking it was a temporary issue but it locked again, so I turned my PC off again. However, this time when it booted, it wouldn't let me into normal Windows mode, only safe mode. Normal windows mode would show me a black screen after "Microsoft Corporation" and 5 minutes later a BSOD with the nvlddmkm.sys error.

Things online said to reinstall drivers, blah de blah, which I tried, no luck. One of the online solutions was to reformat, so I did that. I now have a partially installed Vista but it still won't let me into normal Windows mode, so I cannot complete the set up which also means I cannot enter safe mode. F***!

The "Dell" splash screen and all the DOS screens in the starup are mashed up, all the characters are screwed up like some kind of computer screen from the matrix. Both before and after my reformat and reinstall attempt.

So, has my graphics card been fried? Could it be a motherboard fry up? Any ideas are appreciated, but it looks like a new PC is going to be the only solution, as it's impossible to get into Windows, and for some reason I'm unable to install XP or Win 2K cos I get another BSOD when I try either.

Luckily though, this time I managed to back everything up. However it does mean a substantial delay to a certain movie. Gah! I don't expect anyone to have any solution regarding my problem, but if you've encountered this issue, I'd be interested to know how you solved it.

Mods

[OneDollar]

@Mods
Sounds pretty bad. I haven't come across that error, though a game that's 'incompatible with Vista' should never kill a PC, especially not to this level. It does seem like a hardware error if you're getting a messed up Dell screen.

Does the computer have an onboard graphics card? If so you could take your current card out and switch to using the onboard one for testing purposes (should be automatic, but if not there'll be a setting in the BIOS to change between them). Alternatively can you get another card to put in it (though don't put in anything you care about - if the motherboard's fried you might kill the new card as well)?

I'd also run through the Dell diagnostics before trashing the PC. Instructions here, but the gist is hit F12 on bootup. If you've reinstalled Windows you might have removed the diagnostics partition, so you'd need to re-download it and burn a boot CD or put it on a USB drive.

You could also try a Linux boot CD, just to see what you get with a different OS.

[Dualnames]

I'm trying to convert a 24 frame AVI into 24 images. I tried using VirtualDub but it's not working. I'm using Windows 7. Does anyone know any program that can convert an avi to images. I don't care about the images as long as it doesn't get necessarily converted to jpgs.

[Anian]

@Mods
Sounds pretty bad. I haven't come across that error, though a game that's 'incompatible with Vista' should never kill a PC, especially not to this level. It does seem like a hardware error if you're getting a messed up Dell screen.

Does the computer have an onboard graphics card? If so you could take your current card out and switch to using the onboard one for testing purposes (should be automatic, but if not there'll be a setting in the BIOS to change between them). Alternatively can you get another card to put in it (though don't put in anything you care about - if the motherboard's fried you might kill the new card as well)?

Well the BSOD suggests that there is a software problem, but the problem with display surely suggests graphics card (I saw the matrix thing, then the log on screen would appear, but I couldn't move the cursor or log in, it turend out to be the card).
Yeah, try the onboard gfx port (there should be one), make sure the card is out, before that you can also check if the fan on the card is working properly, cause basically it could be an overheating problem.

If it's not the card, I suggest these standard checks while in safe mode:
- in DOS prompt (which should be run as administrator or it won't work right), write "sfc /scannow" and after that "chkdsk c: /f /r" (c is drive where windows is installed, chkdsk will probably ask for a restart), you probably know these guys  
- if that doesn't work maybe try repairing Windows with the install dvd, make sure to put it right away when restarting so it boots up from the dvd
- try some of these suggestions: http://forums.techarena.in/vista-hardware-devices/689444.htm
Not sure how you actually partially reformat Vista though.  

Hmm, if you manage to get into normal start of windows, try leaving the pc on for 15 minutes, if it doesn't shut down or stop giving signal to monitor but for example you can still hear music then try running something graphic intensive (3dsmax, some modern game etc.) if the screen goes black but pc still seems to be working, it's the card.

[Ali]

I'm trying to convert a 24 frame AVI into 24 images. I tried using VirtualDub but it's not working. I'm using Windows 7. Does anyone know any program that can convert an avi to images. I don't care about the images as long as it doesn't get necessarily converted to jpgs.

RAD Video Tools should do it, and is free:

http://www.radgametools.com/bnkdown.htm

[m0ds]

OneDollar, Anian, many thanks. Just lost a long reply, but the long and short of it is I now have a working XP install screen thanks to your advice. I'll let you know what happens. The matrixy look hasn't gone away though, even after a format, etc. Hmm. Let you know soon...

Edit: XP is working, matrix look still there though, cant run any games, it says it cannot find the right screen mode or something. Installing nVidia drivers dont seem to work, I am left with the default vga setting. Hrmm!

Found this info too, this is what my display looks a bit like.

If you’ve ever seen strange graphics artifacts on your computer screen like in the adjacent image, chances are that you have experienced the failure of a display adapter.

If such a display adapter is built into your motherboard (usually called “integrated graphics”), it typically uses a portion of your computer’s RAM memory for displaying video. This can have drawbacks, such as “choppy” video playback speed, or poor video game frame rates.

If you have integrated graphics, repair usually consists of either replacing the motherboard or adding in a discrete video card and disabling the on-board display adapter in the computer’s BIOS.

http://cartierconsulting.com/2010/04/dell-inspiron-e1705-display-adapter-lcd-replacement/

So, a fried motherboard perhaps..

[LimpingFish]

Alright, give me a minute here, because I've been as depressed as a toothless dog at a mailman convention the last few days, and I'm pretty fed up at the moment.

I just discovered that two Duracell AA's leaked inside a Wiimote of mine. The leakage had solidified, so taking the batteries out wasn't very messy, and cleaned up fairly thoroughly. There is a very small amount of leakage crust on the contacts in the battery compartment. With new batteries, the Wiimote still works.

Everything Google threw up mostly concerns personal safety in the face of battery leakage, and not what's bothering me.

My question is twofold:

If I leave the crust there, will it continue to corrode the contacts? And can the solidified crust go on to corrode anew, if some of it happens to get into other equipment?

[Hollister Man]

Dualnames:

I've been using Animation Shop, the version that came with Paint Shop Pro 7, but the newer versions of Photoshop can do it too.  Otherwise, I don't know.

[Dualnames]

Personally I find myself a great fan of photoshop, but after CS they really messed it up. I doubt I ever used anything Adobe CS based, and didn't get totally pissed off. I'm gonna try Animation Shop though Hollister.

@Ali: Thanks for the RAD Video Tools!

[Calin Leafshade]

I just discovered that two Duracell AA's leaked inside a Wiimote of mine.

The exact same thing happened to me and i just carried on using it.

The crusty stuff is potassium hydroxide and can corrode copper fairly badly. However copper is only used on the actual circuit boards, not the battery contacts.

Once the batteries have been removed the crystals wont grow anymore so providing the crystals havent reached the circuit boards you should be ok.

[Ryan Timothy B]

I've had it happen to the OLD black and white Gameboy over 10 years ago and the thing still works. I doubt you'll have any problem. But then again, the B&W Gameboys were the size of a large brick and probably made out of lead and other heavy stuff.

[Anian]

I've had it happen to the OLD black and white Gameboy over 10 years ago and the thing still works. I doubt you'll have any problem. But then again, the B&W Gameboys were the size of a large brick and probably made out of lead and other heavy stuff.

It's a freaking Gameboy, that's part of the history of hardware manufacturing when they still made stuff that lasted. I found a freaking tetris game cartridge on the ground one time, it was in three pieces and in mud, took it home and dad cleaned it up a bit and glued it together (15 minutes of work tops), game still works today.

[Ryan Timothy B]

It's a freaking Gameboy, that's part of the history of hardware manufacturing when they still made stuff that lasted.

Yeah tell me about it. I've done the 3 year contract with my cell phone twice now, and BOTH times my phones haven't lasted longer than 2 years. I'll never do a 3 year contract again, it's not worth the punishment of putting up with a phone that crashes once in a while. Very annoying. I've even done a hard reset and it still has issues.