EEVblog #899 - Extreme Mailbag

[EEVblog]

Extreme Mailbag!
2 minutes per mailbag item, can Dave do it?



SPOILERS:
Hobby Creek Pana Hand: http://amzn.to/2a3Grl2
PCB Rax from BenchWerks: https://store-benchwerx-com.3dcartstores.com/
SwissMicros HP Calculator replacements. Voyager landscape format scientific calcultors to replace the HP15C, HP16C, and HP41CX
https://www.swissmicros.com
Equil EMF Radation protection device Bullshit
Semikron IGBT hybrid VFD drivers bridge teradown,
https://www.semikron.com/products/product-lines/skiip.html
Silicon Labs Blue Gecko Bluetooth Smart Module Wireless Starter Kit:
https://www.silabs.com/products/wireless/bluetooth/Pages/bluegecko-bluetooth-smart-module-wireless-starter-kit.aspx
Low Jitter 10MHz Reference Clock:
http://www.bloguetronica.com/2016/05
Old ISA Bus POST Card
Simpson 269 High Sensitivity Volt-Ohm-Microammeter
Custom brass Widlarizer Hammer
GEVCU - the Generalized Electric Vehicle Control Unit
http://www.gevcu.org/
Garmin Edge 800 GPS
ISDN NT1 Teardown
DIY Custom Clock
http://www.eevblog.com/files/DigitalClockSchematic-DaniusKalvaitis.pdf
EEroots.com Integrated development platform
http://www.eeroots.com/EEroots.com Arduino

[dr.diesel]

That Simpson 269 is absolutely worth a complete series (2-3 eps maybe) of videos on restoration.  Very very cool.   

[ECEdesign]

Wonder if Chris has any more of those shirts they are pretty cool

[imidis]

Yeah, I like the normal format better myself. 

[dentaku]

It turned out better than I thought it would, I like not having to watch you open boxes but some of it seemed rushed.

Do this when you have an overwhelming backlog of stuff but otherwise I'm fine with your usual level of waffle.

[retrolefty]

Hey, I like this new 'fast food' version of the mailbag. No more watching you use a screwdriver, just get to the porn part. 

[boffin]

I'm going to say stick with the old format. I found it a bit too rushed. It is a bit like your channel in microcosm. I want the stuff I am interested in to go longer and I don't mind you rushing the stuff I am less interested in. The only advantage to rushing things would be to get through the backlog but you didn't do that so what is the point. I'll still skip past things that don't interest me so length is never an issue. Definitely no need to insert sped-up video in the mailbag.

I like to see the postcards. Inserting a full frame scanned image for a few seconds would be nice.

it seemed rushed to me.  Sort of like Dave on a lot of cups of coffee.

GOOD:
high-speed trying to cut into the box.  I like the fast-forward effect on (tricky) box opening, on 23 screws holding something down etc.

BAD:
lack of detail on anything

If I had to vote one way or the other, let's go with OLD FORMAT [X]

[10101]

Vote:

old format [X]

for the reasons given above 

[Roboshack]

Dave, it might be a bit overkill but maybe you can adapt the GEVCU for your Sinclair C5. It is easier and cheaper to mod something than it is to restore it.

My vote is for the old format.

[bktemp]

I prefer the old format. If something was boring I skipped forward, but now interesting stuff is simply missing because Dave skipped it.

If you look at the wiring of the IGBT module you can easily identify a 3 phase rectifier at the left, an IGBT + diode in the middle (braking chopper?) and the 3 phase halfbridge at the right side.
Semikron also makes custom modules. I found a similar looking module inside an online UPS. All power semiconductors for up/down conversion and even the bypass triac was on a single module.

[Towger]

Dave, it might be a bit overkill but maybe you can adapt the GEVCU for your Sinclair C5. It is easier and cheaper to mod something than it is to restore it.

My vote is for the old format.

+ and +

It would be nice to see the C5 restored, maybe by the time Saga would get use from it  Over all it seamed a little too rushed.  You could easily spend an hour+ on the on the principles and operation of the VFD drive, maybe in a separate episode.
Is Chris supposed to visit you this year, how about a two man episode/series along the lines of the microphone series with Doug?

Edit: As the saying goes, get him to sing for his supper [emoji57]

[vk2amv]

it seemed rushed to me.  Sort of like Dave on a lot of cups of coffee.

Agreed

GOOD:
high-speed trying to cut into the box.  I like the fast-forward effect on (tricky) box opening, on 23 screws holding something down etc.

Agreed 100%, that is one improvement at least.

BAD:
lack of detail on anything
If I had to vote one way or the other, let's go with OLD FORMAT [X]

Agreed completly.

If given the choice between the new format and the old format I vote the old format.

Though if given a third choice then I vote somwehere in between as per Boffin's post.

[StuUK]

I want the stuff I am interested in to go longer and I don't mind you rushing the stuff I am less interested in.

You'd better compile a personal interest list for Dave for your personal gratification then, otherwise how's he going to know what you like 

[T3sl4co1l]

I like it. I find myself fast-forwarding through things I don't much care about, or that I get the gist of, and on several occasions here, I found myself waiting it out instead of jumping ahead.


Hmm...  Structured video would be great, but that doesn't exist.  There's no way to do that without having people click constantly.  I suppose the easiest way would be to add a "jump to next item" annotation.  A "click here to see the teardown" (link to a separate video) would be great, but, you do that anyway (for the most interesting items), and those are entire extra videos, which would be a ton of extra work, so...

Tim

[Pinkus]

I prefer the old format. If something was boring I skipped forward, but now interesting stuff is simply missing because Dave skipped it.

+1

[Halcyon]

I think we can take a little from the old format and a little from the new one.

In the old format I thought there was too much time wasted actually cutting tape, opening boxes etc... more often than not I actually skipped that part so I could get to the good stuff (letters, postcards and the items enclosed).

Another point for the new format was that there were more items in the mailbag (which is a good way to get the pile down).

But, I think there should certainly be more than two minutes spent on the more interesting items (unless you plan to do a separate teardown), this is where the old format wins.

EDIT: Maybe come Christmas, you could do a "Santa's sack" mailbag episode where you've pre-opened the boxes and pull the items randomly out of a large sack? I think we'd all love to see you in a Santa hat.

[viila]

Another vote for the old format from me. You can be more discriminating when picking items to dedicate more time to than before, but definitely some items deserve more.

Especially the first industrial controller in the mailbag felt really rushed. It was like listening to a shopping list: "Atmel micro, motorola, interface card, d-connector, relay, resistor network, done!" 

[mairo]

The Atmel IC labelled VACON is probably related to VACON VSDs, which I think is part of Danfoss Group now.

[Dataforensics]

I think it was far too rushed and a little unfair to the people taking the time and trouble to send the stuff (although less so to the commercial samples seeking some advertising).
Mostly prefer the older slower format, although I would cut out the actual cutting of and fighting with the packaging using the mostly unsuitable tool. Still Dave likes to use the knife and seems to have fun doing so.

[Barny]

I may be a little bit old-fashion.

But I don't like the whole "extreme" thing.
I liked the whole mailbag section because there where manny different things shown in detail.
And that was exactly the thing that was different from other channels.

This mailbag looked a little bit rushed and was missing the whole interesting stuff when Dave found some interesting in a mailbag and took his time to make a mini-tear down and explain it.

If the whole Mailbag-thing is to slow for someone, there is a fast forwad funktion in the youtube player.
Sadly, there is no "show the interesting details" button in the player when they got cut out.

And the answer to the cell phone tear down:
Yes, it would be interesting to see the evolution of mobil phones in a tear down.

[woox2k]

Another +1 for the old format!
Speeding up unwrapping stuff is the only thing that's acceptable in the new format for me but i managed to live with it so far so theres no reason not to continue doing so. Like many others have said Youtube let's us skip things that do not interest us, so having a long video shouldn't bother anyone. Also it seemed you shot clips like in the old format and then just cut the "uninteresting" parts out of it. So you spend the same amount of time shooting the mailbag and probably bit more when editing to generate shorter video that has less content in it that might interest people... not a good way to go on.

[TheAmmoniacal]

Old format for me as well, feels a lot more natural. You should spend more time on the things that catches your attention and curiosity, less on the stuff that doesn't.

If you get another old mobile phone, chuck it in the bin asap!

When you get the old Simpson, spend a few minutes troubleshooting - see if it's worthwhile or not ('conclude' the item).

[tautech]

 
Like the quick overview Dave.

[Fungus]

Nah, didn't like it.

A fixed amount of time for every item can never work - all items aren't equal. eg. That multimeter could have had a lot more time spent on it.

If the mail is piling up then it's time to admit there's simply too much of it and some stuff gets no airtime. Maybe the last two minutes of the mailbag could be all the stuff you opened but decided not to spend any time on. Just pile it up on the table so people can see their stuff.

PS: Phones? No thanks. Not unless they're something really non-generic. Same goes for Walkmen, etc.

[techie1234]

it seemed rushed to me.  Sort of like Dave on a lot of cups of coffee.

I didn't watch but rather listened to the episode - and that's exactly what it sounded like without the visuals!  I say keep the old format as well.

[mathsquid]

Format schmormat.  I don't care as long as Dave does a separate video on those calculators.  Drool.....

[Brumby]

Part of the charm of the mailbag is the surprise factor - and the time spent on the item being proportional to the interest each commands is essential to the purpose of doing mailbag (as I see it).  While I think the unpacking itself could be sped up, some of the banter can be entertaining - and I would prefer that be kept.

I was thinking of a post-production process where the audio track with the banter was trimmed of 'dead air' and played back at normal speed while the video track was played at double speed.  I've seen this done at the end of some movies on TV where they want to get through the credits quickly, but I don't know if the time taken for this would be worth the effort.  Besides, banter tends to be something that's spoken to fill otherwise awkward silence.

I'd probably suggest sticking with the old format, with a fast-forward through the unpacking.  If there were any interesting bits during the opening, they could be the first points made when dropping back to normal speed.


Changing things to try and please people, while understandable, can be counter-productive.  I believe viewer control is something that needs to be kept in mind.  Each person can customize for their own preferences - and they can change their mind.

If the mail is piling up then it's time to admit there's simply too much of it and some stuff gets no airtime. Maybe the last two minutes of the mailbag could be all the stuff you opened but decided not to spend any time on. Just pile it up on the table so people can see their stuff.

I like that idea.  Just lay that stuff out and acknowledge who sent in what.  It would acknowledge those who made the effort to send something in, while at the same time demonstrating that some items aren't all that interesting any more.

[coppice]

That Simpson meter seems to have a lot in common with this TMK one I used to own.

[digsys]

I got the biggest buzz, when Dave finally cut himself on the "letter opener" ! Am I a bad person :-)

[Fungus]

I got the biggest buzz, when Dave finally cut himself on the "letter opener" ! Am I a bad person :-)

It's not clear what he cut himself with. Could have been something else.

[iromero]

I liked the new format a lot, specially the sped up unboxings! keeps a better pace. It would be ideal coupled with perhaps one or two 10-30 min videos on the most interesting things (if any, or links to older videos related to the topics that come up). I really can't think of any items in this particular mailbag  that needed much more expansion on new videos. For the VFD Dave already made a video explaining how they work, he also made videos about HP calculators. Panahand, pcbrax, blue gecko and the eeroots would be mostly an ad/review video which perhaps he can't say much because he doesn't really have too much use for them. Teardowns of stuff like cellphones and gps units has already been done in the channel and they all look mostly the same.

Perhaps if Dave is interested, some more talking about the ISA probe card, and perhaps debugging in general could be called for. But TBH at least on this one he did devote about an optimal amount of time on each item IMO.

[rrinker]

 I think Brumby hit it on the head - it's not necessarily what *I'M* interested in, it's Dave's reaction to what *HE'S* interested in that make the Mailbag great. That "wah wah wah" look when yet another thing he's seen a million times, or the way he lights up when something new or unique appears in the wrappings.
 Perhaps something those with kids relate to better? Watching Dave open random Mailbag packages is like watching the kids open their presents on Christmas morning (hey that's when we do it around here - others may do differently). Yes, there are some things that interest me more than others, but one can skip past something they don't like. The even more than usual off the cuff randomness is probably why I went through and watched all the Mailbag segments before catching up on all the other videos when I first found Dave's YouTube channel.
 Those that dislike Mailbag altogether - well, I'll be nice and not tell you where you can go, but rest assured I'm thinking it. 

[boffin]

Part of the charm of the mailbag is the surprise factor - and the time spent on the item being proportional to the interest each commands is essential to the purpose of doing mailbag (as I see it).  While I think the unpacking itself could be sped up, some of the banter can be entertaining - and I would prefer that be kept.

I agree, more time on the interesting stuff.

For example I would have liked to have seen the PCB stand assembled and how well it held a board; but I don't need (or could do the fast forward effect) of it actually being screwed together.

As for the meter, a restore video would be awesome, because that's a device that deserves a permanent place on your bench

[WN1X]

I think we can take a little from the old format and a little from the new one.

In the old format I thought there was too much time wasted actually cutting tape, opening boxes etc... more often than not I actually skipped that part so I could get to the good stuff (letters, postcards and the items enclosed).

+1

[Owen]

I think we can take a little from the old format and a little from the new one.

In the old format I thought there was too much time wasted actually cutting tape, opening boxes etc... more often than not I actually skipped that part so I could get to the good stuff (letters, postcards and the items enclosed).

+1

+1. I think it would be a good trade off sitting there with closed mail just telling the viewer the sender name + country. Next shot just waffling a bit close up on your typical desk view and shifting the mailbag parts opened in telling or showing the postcards/letters. That's actual the essential of mailbag for me .

[roli]

Can we get the old old format back? The one where a mailbag actually became a full length teardown? These days you usually leave interesting items for later, but that later never actually seems to come.

[ErikI]

Old format 

[ercapoccia]

I also prefer the old format. 

[twam]

I'm fine with the speed up of the package unwrapping, but for the rest stay with the old format.

And guys, please stop sending in old trash that we've seen many times before (Phones, Walk-men, Organizers, ...).

[Dr. Frank]

 

The faster style is MUCH better, the recent mailbags were really boring. Just like the recent European football championchip. 

For me, there's no thrill anymore to watch you opening packages, sloooowly unpacking and reading through postcards and letters. Got some charm also, but I'm more interested in seeing ancient or odd electronics stuff. Also a good share of items are boring, so a quicker walk over will have more dynamic.

Interesting stuff will have their own eevblog #, so nothing will be missed, especially not these quick teardowns, which I really didn't like so much.

Another advantage: you won't drown in these many un-opened items any more, and maybe people will send even more mailbag stuff, now.

Conclusion: Much more entertaining!

Another compliment: Even if this video is much faster than before, it's not superficial (compared to the other 'fast' format), and it's still well-founded (compared to the other, reaaallyyy sloooow format).


Frank

[Unixon]

I would stick with the old one. Recent mailbags were already hasty, another speedup makes EEVblog lose its charm.

[janoc]

@EEVBLOG

I didn't mind the old format neither, this new one feels rushed. You have don't have time to go over anything properly and then you are skipping stuff that might have been actually interesting - e.g. trying out those PCB holders or playing a bit more with one of the devboards. The sped up unpacking of boxes is a good idea, skipping/rushing the rest is not (well, unless it is yet another brickphone ...)

BTW, the Blue Gecko likely has display pins shared with those GPIOs you were touching, so that was probably causing those glitches. I don't think it was the battery - even when it was supposedly working at the end there were two glitched lines on the display and the entire thing was frozen.

[Jope]

I like this fast-paced format way better than the old one.

If Dave thinks that some items warrant a closer look, then that should be done in a separate video ("Follow-Up Friday"?).

[janoc]

Nah, didn't like it.

A fixed amount of time for every item can never work - all items aren't equal. eg. That multimeter could have had a lot more time spent on it.

If the mail is piling up then it's time to admit there's simply too much of it and some stuff gets no airtime. Maybe the last two minutes of the mailbag could be all the stuff you opened but decided not to spend any time on. Just pile it up on the table so people can see their stuff.

PS: Phones? No thanks. Not unless they're something really non-generic. Same goes for Walkmen, etc.

I agree. I would even say that mailbag doesn't mean that the mail has to actually get opened on camera. If there is too much stuff, well, open things beforehand, pick the interesting stuff worth showing and skip the rest. I am sure that nobody is going to get offended only because Dave didn't show their ancient "brickphone" or a wireless antistatic strap on camera.

[HighVoltage]

I liked this faster version.

Please do a teardown / review of the calculators.
I have one of the small versions, a few years old and it worked well for a while but the the foil keys broke and made it not usable anymore.
May be that is the reason, why they released the bigger versions with real keys.

[bitwelder]

I also felt the pace was a bit too rushed out.
But one plus was speeding up the unpacking/unwrapping time

Repetitive/boring items (phones, n-th copy of the same calculator model, wireless ESD straps) and postcards could have just a few seconds steady shot at the END of the mailbag episode (with sender's name overlaid), with thanks, as 'video receipt' for the senders.

I think after an 'extreme mailbag' episode Dave should launch a forum poll on which items should be later taken for a deeper inspection. Then, depending on the available time (and upcoming stuff) he can decide how many items to pick from the top of that list.

[nowlan]

Was actually interested in seeing the gps fixed. If everything is gonna drift and become landfill. I realise its probably obsolete by now. Still seeing things repaired teaches me something in the process.

[bktemp]

A common failure in resistive touchscreens is the connection between the touch layers and the cable: You have two layers (one for x, and one for y direction). Because there are electrodes on both layers, they need to be connected to the output cable using a conductive glue. If the connection at that point becomes a bit intermittent, it screws up the calibration.

[Kilrah]

I will second that! For me, it could go slower, with more detail, not faster.

+1, definitely not liking that experiment. The whole point of mailbag is the surprise effect and the widely varying interest of various things. Some don't need more than a minute or 2 (PCB rails?) but some deserve more (I'd have liked a 2-min teardown of one of the calculators to see what platform was used for example) and Dave's been pretty good at allocating proper time to things until now.

If someone didn't like long videos about random stuff they wouldn't watch mailbags anyway, it's not limiting to 2min per item that will change it. The others can always skip forward if there's things they don't like or care about.

One thing I'd like is for Dave to look at things a little longer/documenting himself a tad more about some of the more "exotic" things before talking about them if he can't figure them out himself in a pinch, for example it's pretty obvious the eeRoots thingy is intended to be easily used on a little robot thingy with room and connections for 2 motors, the obstacle detection IR sensors and line follower on the bottom. Sometimes it's just a matter of reading the letter/doc, or 30 seconds to look at the website and see it pictured right there. Would certainly sound a little more serious than "I'm not quite sure what's going on there" after 3 minutes of looking at the thing... That's unfortunately happening often in mailbags, with Dave not seeing the point or even going wrong about it.

[HKJ]

Even the old format was sometimes to fast with items. Mostly when a separate video was promised (I believe David is about 100 videos behind on that).
For me it would be nice if items got the time they needed in the mailbag and then do two mailbags some weeks.

[Fungus]

For me it would be nice if items got the time they needed in the mailbag and then do two mailbags some weeks.

Yep.

All items are not equal. Some are worthy of two seconds (a phone), some are worthy of much more (that multimeter - does it work? Show it in action!)

[g0hjq]

I definitely prefer the old format - some things deserve more time than others.

I'm quite happy for Dave to fast-forward or even skip completely the opening of boxes part though.

[Fungus]

I definitely prefer the old format - some things deserve more time than others.

I'm quite happy for Dave to fast-forward or even skip completely the opening of boxes part though.

Maybe he could even cut the tape and open the envelopes before starting.

[orion242]

Put me down for the old format.

Why the hell do you need a goggle+ account just to leave a fricken comment on a video.  The borge just wants more I suppose...

[HeywoodFloyd]

Those calculators, they're like the coolest thing ever  I have an emulator on my phone...  BUT .. do the keys have the same clicky feel that those of the original HPs had? I'd buy them just for that.. and obviously the phone emulator can't do that 

And RPN is like the best thing ever for calculators, once you're used to it you won't go back... at least as long as your stack is deep enough, I think it was only four on the oldest ones?

And as regards the mailbag format, for my two post-brexit-penny's worth, I prefer the old format.

[Cerebus]

+1 for the old format.

I was really annoyed that the first thing to come up, and the first thing to get the rushed treatment, was the - to me - interesting packaging/construction techniques in that motor controller - I'd have liked to see more detail on that one for sure.

[German_EE]

  Add one more vote for the new format but maybe have a little longer per item, say 3 minutes?

[Halcyon]

I might be treading on uncharted waters, but hear me out...

I wonder what a live mailbag segment would look like where viewers get to "vote" on what they want to see more of or less of through the use of a "move on" button. Dave just goes through is motions and the viewers decide when they've had enough of a particular item. The less people that hit the "move on" button, the more Dave rambles. ;-)

Of course this wouldn't be a format for every week, but once in a while might be nice.

It would involve a little more setting up on Dave's end (you'd want at least two cameras, one overall shot and one close up of the desk which Dave can switch between).

Just a thought. 

[bryanrj1]

Stick with the old format please.

[bktemp]

I might be treading on uncharted waters, but hear me out...

I wonder what a live mailbag segment would look like where viewers get to "vote" on what they want to see more of or less of through the use of a "move on" button. Dave just goes through is motions and the viewers decide when they've had enough of a particular item. The less people that hit the "move on" button, the more Dave rambles. ;-)

I thought the same when Dave said he tries to empty the mailbag shelf. I have no idea if this could work, because Dave rambles even more when he is live, but it could be an interesting experience:
Live mailbag until all packages and letters on the shelf are gone. Just opening them, showing everything for a short time (like in this extreme mailbag) and in the meantime people can vote what items deserve more time afterwards, or if Dave should do a 2 minute teardown (or put them on the shelf next to the other 20 mobile phones waiting for a mass teardown).

[Brumby]

IMHO, live casting is not the sort of thing that would work for this segment.  You would need to spend more time preparing and setting up - and you would need to watch the clock - and every word spoken - ALL the time.  The current approach means, just shoot ... and edit later.

Add to that the need for an audience to be available at exactly that time in order to get real-time input and you not only tie down Dave to a specific time - but any audience participants as well.  Add to that the possibility that anybody available at the time may not be representative of Dave's wider viewing audience and the content may not end up being more interesting - but more frustrating.

Also - the current approach allows for interruptions during the shoot and editing, something that just isn't on for a live event.  Interruptions can happen - and when it is a higher priority or even urgent, the current approach can be dropped in a second and picked up again later.

[Fungus]

I might be treading on uncharted waters, but hear me out...

I wonder what a live mailbag segment would look like where viewers get to "vote" on what they want to see more of or less of through the use of a "move on" button. Dave just goes through is motions and the viewers decide when they've had enough of a particular item. The less people that hit the "move on" button, the more Dave rambles. ;-)

Of course this wouldn't be a format for every week, but once in a while might be nice.

He'd have to do it in the middle of the night of course...most of his viewers are in a completely different time zone.

And you'd probably find out how much dead-time there is between opening up each parcel, walking it over to the teardown bench, setting up the camera over there, etc.

[bktemp]

He'd have to do it in the middle of the night of course...most of his viewers are in a completely different time zone.

That shouldn't be a problem. If you look at Dave's recent live shows, he got hundreds of viewers almost immediately. But you are right, if Dave wants viewers from both USA and Europe, he has to do it in the middle of the night. He can pick 2 out of 3: America, Australia, Europe.

And you'd probably find out how much dead-time there is between opening up each parcel, walking it over to the teardown bench, setting up the camera over there, etc.

Dave can open everything on the mailbag bench first and then take only the most requested items to his other bench. So he has to move only once.

[System Error Message]

2 minutes only? What about 2 hours per item
Think Dave would have the endurance to handle 2 hours per item?

[Brumby]

Think Dave would have the endurance to handle 2 hours per item?

Dave would have a better chance than 99.999999% of his viewers.

[Falkra]

I see there are a lot of comments on Youtube. I also prefer the "old" format.
- some items are really interesting and deserve more than 2 minutes (and are not candidates for a full length episode)
- comments and explanations are cool, and interesting
- viewers can always skip if they think some parts are too long (but if it's too short...  they are a bit hungry for more)
- this test video looked rushed/hurried, I think Dave wanted to tell us more and auto-censored 

The good points (IMO) :
- automatic fast forward box opening
- well focused close ups when showing objects (again, because it is interesting to see, no complaints here)
- blood (new feature) just kidding

Also, mailbag isn't my favorite segment. 
Is dumpster diving gone ? Maybe they locked the door (or the new place has simply no good diving point).

[Zad]

To be fair, most of the results from dumpster diving are going to to be either generic PCs, or another monitor/TV with a faulty backlight driver or power supply. There is only so much you can say about those, and I think they have been "done".

[Falkra]

True. But it was quite fun. 
Everything has an end.

[Rolo]

My two cents, stick with the old format and fast forward the unpacking. And use a normal knive. This started as fun but now I find it's radiating a bit of agression.

[strangersound]

My two cents...

Dave, some good ideas already mentioned:

- Definitely do a separate video for the Simpson 269. She's definitely worth the time.
- Annotations so people can advance to the next package/item. A good bit more trouble for Dave, but it would be handy for people with ADD. I like listening to Dave ramble, so the more the merrier, but I can understand people who want something different.
- And just do more mailbag videos to address the backlog. You've mentioned previously that Mailbag is a popular segment with your viewers, so just do more of them. I don't see a need to limit the videos to one a week or whatever.
- A separate video with all the cellphones that follows the timeline of their release showing the evolution of circuitry.

I like the above ideas. I didn't mind the FF of the actual unboxing. That helps trim the length a little bit. I was kinda shocked at the idea, because you already talk fast and usually appear to be doing everything you can to keep the Mailbag and other videos from going over the hour mark. You like to talk at length about things, which is the primary reason I became a regular viewer. I'm a fan of electronics, but I'm more an audio guy (yeah, I know...), but I like your personality and I've actually learned a lot from watching your videos.
Content is king, but presentation is what seals the deal. Just look at AvE. His content is all over the place and a lot of times is just filler...but for him, it's all about the delivery. He's a comedian, he just works an unusual niche.

So yeah, we already think your extreme and we love your inability to make a short video. I think that's why most are voting for the old format.

You could try some new hybrid. Like try the extreme version again, but with some 2 minute teardowns, and then wait for the viewers to vote on what we want another video on. Do like a poll when you post the companion thread for the video. When you are in the edit stage, you'll know which items are gonna be popular.

So I didn't mind the "extreme" version, but I did miss the 2-minute teardowns. And as somebody else noted, you do suggest a lot that you may come back to an item with another video, but most of the time you're just teasing us.

I don't know if people realize that the process of making a Mailbag video takes a lot more time than you think. I'd guess at least two hours to shoot one, a few hours to edit, annotations, uploading, making the related thread and social media posts. I'd assume he's got a day's work in one.

So I'm just guessing Dave's trying to streamline his process, not reduce content or attempt to be trendy. Calling it extreme mailbag I'm sure was totally tongue in cheek.

Anyway, thanks for all the work you do Dave. And please do the full treatment on that Simpson 269. Vintage test gear getting the Dave treatment is the primo stuff.

 

[Brumby]

So I didn't mind the "extreme" version, but I did miss the 2-minute teardowns. And as somebody else noted, you do suggest a lot that you may come back to an item with another video, but most of the time you're just teasing us.

I have to agree (not about the teasing part).

The item is there, and the interest is piqued at that moment.  A 2 minute teardown there and then deals with all that and takes the pressure off finding the time and justification for a separate video.  For those who are so motivated, any further interest can be discussed in comments or on the forum.  For those who are not, they can just let the mailbag video run or skip to the next item.

If things really fire up, then maybe it will give Dave an idea for a fully fledged video - perhaps exploring not only the item received in the mailbag, but of kindred tech.  It's been done before - and it works for me.


Dave - I suggest you read all these comments - and then just trust your gut.

Remember, your content and personality to date are what have brought you the following you have today.

[Bobson]

AIWA is NOT in business now, Dave. SONY quit AIWA in 2005.

The cassette player probably is AIWA HS-PX410, a high-end model from early 90-es.
http://walkman-archive.com/gadgets/series_aiwa_px_line.html

[Muessigb]

I personally do NOT like the new format at all.
The old, long style was so much better and more respectful to the people spending a little fortune to send items all the way to Australia.
While you could speed up the general unboxing, keep reviewing the items longer! A fixed two minutes just don't cut it!

EDIT: I am glad you found back to a fun to watch format for the latest mailbag

[Brumby]

Yep - that's how Dave has taken all the feedback on board.

Now the only thing I wonder about is what he's saying when fast forwarding through the opening of the packages.  Sometimes there are little gems of wisdom or other interesting snippets.  Now we just get a chipmunk on red cordial...

[rrinker]

 After a few dozen complaints about that horrible padding they use in some envelopes that gets all over, how many more do you need to hear?  I hate the stuff myself, for the same reason Dave does. And then there's the pull tabs that don't work - or the pull tabs that he notices only AFTER slicing the thing open with the Dundee knife. I did notice on the latest one that despite the chipmunk openings, he did leave in some, ie the one where he managed to slice the note while opening the package. Seems to me the chipmunk on speed ones are reserved for the boring ones only.