The Amiga was well known for creative expression; from music to digital art and desktop publishing, it could handle a lot of things that contemporary machines couldn’t. It output video in RGB, which was amazing if you had an RGB monitor, but if you didn’t, you had to purchase a separate TV modulator or composite conversion module. The AMYVIDHYBRID+FBAS is a modern solution that gives crisp, high-quality composite and S-video output, while still allowing use of the RGB outputs and the genlocking capabilities that go with it.
This module not only produces composite and S-video, but it does it in a way that produces much sharper and more vibrant video than the original Commodore-made composite video converter. To use it, you install it in place of the original Commodore Video Hybrid (often called the VIDIOT), which does require desoldering. If you’re not experienced at desoldering ICs, you should ask a hacker buddy for help, especially if they have a vacuum desoldering tool. Use lots of flux, and be careful not to lift traces. Remember, if you use solder wick, dab it on, and don’t drag it across the PCB while pressing with the iron — that’s a recipe for ripping up PCB traces and pads!
Once you’ve got it installed, composite output is available on the hybrid output pins leading to the video connector, and S-video requires soldering a simple RCA socket to the left side of the hybrid and connecting it there. Of course, you could always route the video in any way you want by adding new connectors. You’ll be happy with the boost in picture quality and the flexibility of having multiple video standards on your Miggy!
There’s a wealth of options to add small displays to microcontroller projects but it can be a little bewildering to know where to start; additionally, it can also be a little bit of a lottery in terms of getting a quality image and frame rate. The vPlayer is an innovative little ESP32-based touchscreen display that aims to make this easier.
The bespoke PCB design hosts an ESP32 and a smartwatch display as well as a collection of connectors and an SD card. In fact, the fully assembled and tested device comes with an SD card and an example test video file on board. Over on the documentation pages, there is a link to a custom Windows or Mac video converter application which allows you to convert video files to the correct format, which you can then copy to the vPlayer SD card and it will loop through all the files on the card. If you’re a Linux user then fear not! There is an example command also on the documentation page allowing you to use ffmpeg to convert files using the terminal.
Video playing aside, there are heaps of examples for the vPlayer listed on the product page and shown in the product video. Among the examples are direct ESP-CAM feed monitoring, a local weather station display, traffic webcam feeds, an external computer telemetry display and more.
Power comes via USB-C which also can transport data. As with all ESP32s, there is onboard WiFi and Bluetooth. The smartwatch display is small but crisp and there is onboard backlight control as well as a touch interface. Digging into the specs there are UART, I2C and I2S broken out to JST SH/SR connectors as well as further IO pads available on the PCB.
With a commitment to continued updates and examples being developed, this is a really interesting project which we hope to see incorporated into lots of projects!
Making visuals from music is very much en vogue at the moment, and what could be better than an 8-Bit Atari-inspired visual style?! Now you can achieve your lofi aesthetic dreams with the VID PIX – 8bit Animation Video Console Kit – generating pixel perfect interpretations of any sound you play into it!
Buy the relevant module for your region (PAL and NTSC available) and plug into the RCA out from a TV or monitor to see your gloriously generated glitches! Control the units sensitivity, auto/manual modes, color/patterns, gate/trigger input voltage and more to customize the audio-reactive-ultra-pixellated visual feedback! Choose from 2 menu modes – by selecting the Digital Diamond or PixelMusic3000 inspired visuals (the latter features classic game characters) and the glitch mode, which alters the amount of pixels and visual fragments on screen.
This is the console kit version which is fully programmable to code your own visual display unit – visit their Github page for more details on this! In case you want to see what the kit comprises of, you’ll find all the components on the available BOM.
The VID PIX is sold by Synthrotek who are based in Troy, in the United States of America. Check out their store for more incredible electronics! Here is the unit in action:
The original Sony Playstation changed gaming forever, bringing it out of the darkened, slightly sweaty bedrooms of gamers and into mainstream consciousness – ushering in new 3D worlds with big-beat soundtracks capable of being housed on super-cool black CDs. The PlayBaby DSUB (RGB|240p|480p) Adapter For PlayStation is a neat device to help rekindle your affection for the console, and its sequel – the Playstation 2, with a D-Subminiature output for 480p gaming, with no other gear required.
This A/V multi output adapter will output video from the console as well as sound from a 3.5mm socket. While it doesn’t do any upscaling or transcoding, it does ensure that your VGA signal brings a sharp quality to your gaming experience, surpassing any unshielded SCART cables you may have. It requires no power, has no buttons and works for both the PS1 (aka the PSX) and the PS2 – but do read the product page for specifics. As always, if you are unsure of anything before purchasing, send the seller a message and they’ll take care of you.
The PlayBaby is sold by Chipnetics Computing who are based in Canada, and seem to be pretty hot on making converters for a host of purposes. Can we also take a moment to admire these gorgeous images, too? Perhaps the best I’ve ever seen on Tindie!
The worlds of audio and visual performance are crossing over more than ever with many musicians and sound artists using visuals to accompany online sets. The Tymkrs GlitchCRT Eurorack Module is a crossover eurorack device capable of mixing 3 user-generated visual inputs to the beat of your modular drum – or synth or sequencer!
It’s a 6HP Eurorack module with a unique reversible faceplate (what a cool idea!) and comes as a fully completed unit to load up into the modular mothership! There are 3 inputs for video, one for audio and a composite video output of the combined visual signals. Each video input has an intensity knob to create anything from radical image merging to subtle flowing flickers.
Possible video sources could be retro video game consoles, VHS players, or vintage camcorders. Whatever you plug in, this unit will mix and mash them to the sound of your unbalanced audio input. Time to dust off the vintage gear for an algo-rave!
The Tymkrs GlitchCRT Eurorack Module is sold by Tymkrs (The Toymakers) who have a store jam-packed with audio/visual goodies, sold from the USA. They’re compiling a playlist of videos for the unit as we speak.
Please note: the video below featuring the unit in action contains flashing images.
So you want a Nixie tube clock, but they seem too expensive and/or complicated? The good news is that you can buy them fully assembled, or you can get one of these MSP430 kits for under $50.
After writing it up at the end of 2016, along with a subtle hint, I received one for Christmas 2017. Naturally, I just had to record the build process shown below. The build took me somewhere around 4 hours, which I cut down to just under 9:00 in the video to keep it somewhat watchable. At the end, I show how it was installed, including placing it high in my shop in order to avoid exposure to the relatively high voltages experienced some parts of the PCB.
It looks like Robg is out of stock on this kit right now, but they have been so popular we’re sure he’s scrambling to pull together more kits. Put yourself on the waitlist and you’ll be notified when they’re once again available.
You may have previously seen my PCB assembly/filming work in this badge post. Since then I’ve make a few improvements, including filming at 4k for better zooming ability, and added another light. The improvement should be quite visible, and you can find these and other tips about filming an awesome product video in this post.
If you’d like a more thorough run through of how this is assembled, you can also check out the video below by 12voltvids. It is over 50 minutes, so you may want to grab some popcorn! Additionally, there’s a video of it in use on the product listing, so if you’re more interested in how it functions when assembled, be sure to check that out.
Of course I like showing off my creations, and I just happened to find the 12voltvids version when browsing. However, I’d love to feature more content by other Tindarians.
Tell Us About Your Tindie Builds!
If you have a video that involves a product you purchased through Tindie, we want to hear about it. Be sure to message us about it @Tindie on Twitter. You can also ping me directly @JeremySCook!
The biggest part of selling your creation on Tindie is making sure people understand what you’ve built. Making a great video to go along with your excellent photos and in-depth details is really important. Many times you just need to see what’s going on to really appreciate an object’s beauty.
As engineers and hackers, we’re interested in how things work and enjoy seeing them in action. For that matter, a verbal explanation can be quite helpful, both of which can be expressed in a product video.
Here are a few tips to help tell an interesting story with good quality audio and video.
Camera Equipment: In an era where the latest smartphones can take 4k video, there’s no excuse for not filming your project in a decent resolution. While “only” HD is fine for most applications, if you do film at a higher resolution than you need, this helps with your final quality if you need to crop video later. Likely you have equipment that’s good enough, but if you’re using anything less than 720p resolution it’s OK to upgrade or even borrow a smartphone from a friend. Better yet, ask your friend to help with the video shoot! Whether it’s a smartphone, a GoPro, or a prosumer video rig, make sure you frame the shot well and that your recording is in focus. These last points are far more important than what type of equipment you use.
Use a Tripod (or a Hack): Unsteady video is the realm of the “found footage” horror movie genre. Set your camera up on a tripod when filming. If you don’t have one, clamp your camera or smart phone to a leg of a ladder. Whatever you need to do, placing your camera on steady ground will help ensure proper focus and produce a much better product than going the handheld route.
Lighting: When shooting indoors—very likely if you’re showing off electronics projects—pay attention to lighting. A few clamp lights with a white bulb (4000°K or so) inside can transform projects in your shop from drab to wow. A bench-mounted desk lamp can also help you illuminate tabletop projects. Look at where light is coming from and watch for hard shadows and shining reflections that will disrupt the quality of the recording.
Narration: If you can verbally explain things during your videos—or edit your voice in later—this really helps personalize things, leading the viewer/listener to connect with you and your product. Practice beforehand and use a script if you need it. Keep your tone conversational, like you’re doing the demo for a close friend, and don’t let the script get in the way of this. A good microphone and office/studio setup can help with your quality, but don’t get too hung up on this at first.
Video Editing
Cut, Cut, Cut: While it might seem like a good idea to go over every little detail of your project, consider how you watch YouTube videos. Do you have 20 minutes or an hour to dedicate to watching a product get assembled and used while just browsing for interesting items? Probably not. Keep product overview videos short using fast-forward techniques as appropriate. You should consider doing an extended cut if you feel there is more that needs to be seen.
Audio Levels: Make sure the overall audio level is on par with other online videos so that playback doesn’t begin too soft or too loud for the viewer’s volume settings. If you’re adding narration, music, and perhaps sound effects from your products, be sure to mix them together at appropriate volumes. You’ll want to make sure you can hear everything clearly, and be sure to not have a sudden increase in volume—perhaps in an intro or outro—that causes listeners to be uncomfortable. Most multi-track video editing software has the ability to adjust levels of each audio track. You can do this throughout, not just at one level for the entire clip.
Music: Background music can be extremely helpful to keep viewers engaged. If you’re doing verbal narration it even helps disguise unwanted noises like breathing or static and hides “dead air” when you are not speaking. The Free Music Archive is a good source of background music that you can use on your videos—their advanced search has an option for tracks that are licensed for commercial use as long as you attribute the composer.
Give Your Video More Reach
Title/Thumbnail/Description: Make sure people actually watch your video: give it a compelling, well-lit, color balanced, and nicely cropped thumbnail image. Spend time refining a good title that quickly tells the story of what will be found in the video. This will appear in YouTube feeds and can help to reach customers who haven’t yet heard of your product. Make sure to include a well-written description that links to your Tindie product page, so that anyone interested can find where to get more info and make a purchase. If you used music that needs attribution, do so in the video description.
Outsource: If people have purchased your product, there’s a chance that they’ll produce a review video or clips of it in action. If their video allows it, by all means embed it in your Tindie listing. They’ll appreciate the views, and you’ll potentially get more sales—great for everyone involved. Beyond that, there’s no shame in paying someone to make a video for you, though you’d obviously need to look at the costs closely before making that leap.
Get Better
Watch Others: When you’re watching videos, take note of what people do well and poorly and attempt to integrate their techniques into your own clips. Others make videos specifically about improving your YouTube technique, such as Roberto Blake, who notes that one should “always be creating.” This would be a good motto for Tindie sellers, even those that choose not to post videos.
Practice: In the end, the first product videos that you make won’t be your best work. You’ll stumble over your words, and your angle/lighting/production will likely leave something to be desired. These types of videos can still add immensely to the appeal of a product, but as you make more videos, your technique will gradually improve.
As for what not to do, here’s one of my early videos, filmed with a handheld webcam under poor lighting conditions, with inconsistent background sound volume. As of this writing, the title of the video is “rev1_robot_for_youtube_0001.wmv.” Not exactly search friendly. I had to start from somewhere, and so does everyone else!
Like actually listing your products on Tindie, don’t be afraid to put your video out there. Things can only improve, and you’ll certainly learn something! On a related note, check out my thoughts on taking great product photographs here.
These tips are pulled from my own experience, and have helped me push what I can produce video-wise from quite poor to what I consider decent quality. On the other hand, I hope that a year from now I’ll look at the videos I produce and marvel at how comparatively bad they were. All that being said, while my production might vie for a “most improved” award, I don’t claim to be an expert. If you have tips on how to make your production better, especially in the context of showing off your products, please let me know on Twitter @JeremySCook. I’d love to do a followup with tips from other Tindarians!
For the last few months I’ve been working on a motorized device with Strandbeest-style legs called the ClearWalker. As seen in the image above, it looks fantastic. I’d like to think this is a function of its clear polycarbonate construction, or the array of LEDs attached across its body. Though I’m not going to be insincerely modest and say that had nothing to do with it, check out the picture I took in my garage below:
Photo: Jeremy S. Cook
From a mechanical standpoint, I’d argue that this is still an interesting photo. You can see the linkages, lots of LEDs, and wiring. All things that are appreciated by Tindie product connoisseurs, but it obviously looks much less pretty here than in the image. In fact, it’s very hard to envision just how beautiful these LEDs and the clear construction is in this drab backdrop, and rather lackluster photography. At least it’s an improvement on this one, taken with my smartphone:
Photo: Jeremy S. Cook
So I think you see what I’m getting at. Though this device isn’t for sale, you can see lots of examples of excellent, as well as poor photography on Tindie. If you’d like to make people think (hopefully accurately) that your product is awesome, don’t forget to take that final step and take great photographs and/or video!
Photo: PJ Accetturo
In this case, a better cameraman took video for me, which may or may not be worth it depending on your situation. Even if that’s not practical, a simple white background (e.g. a white sheet) and clamp lights can produce great results. But for spectacular backdrops it is hard to beat nature. Look at your neighborhood with new eyes and you’ll start to notice places that will make epic photo shoot locations like the wet sands shown above.
Additionally, thinking about the issues your particular build will have when photographed will pay off too. If your project uses a lot of LEDs you’ll need to compensate for the unnatural brightness of a small part of the scene. You’ll also need to consider consider how PWM or multiplexing effects are used. In these cases, LEDs are flashing faster than the human eye can see, but not faster than the camera shutter. Here’s a guide to photographing LEDs, which you may find useful.
Think about the angle at which you are taking the photo. Does it show off the hardware in an interesting way? Often this is a camera angle that is not straight-on, but to one side or another and at a higher or lower angle. Take way more images than you need, and review them before you move anything in the scene. This gives you the chance to quickly reshoot if there are focus problems or the lighting needs to be adjusted. And frame the image larger than you need so that you have room to crop it to your desired view later on.
It’s also worth noting that Tindie sellers should consider at least two distinctly different types of photographs: those used to sell the item and those showing how to build/use it. You are marketing a product to pull in potential users; the first set of photos should serve that purpose. Show the item in a way that will immediately drive home its purpose. But don’t stop there. After you’ve sparked some interest, your target user will want to see what’s inside the case, and what’s involved in building a kit or setting up a product.
Look around and find images from other sellers that you find really stunning. Try to figure out how they did it (don’t be afraid to ask, Tindarians are a friendly bunch). And it never hurts to have a friend who’s into photography to show you the ropes, or even take some shots for you. If you’d like to see more of the Accetturo’s excellent images, check out his video edit below, or my longer howto video after that:
I’ve now been writing for Tindie for a few months, mostly talking about various items that people sell here. Admittedly, I haven’t listed anything on Tindie, so take my ideas with a grain of salt, but I have browsed around quite a bit at this point. Some listings are better than others, and here are a few things I’ve noticed that will hopefully help you sell your awesome and wacky items!
Listing a product on Tindie is free and each listing goes through approval before appearing in your store. In addition to making potential customers feel great about their purchase, ensuring you have great images and that you have done a thorough job of proofreading will get your listing approved post-haste. If you’re just starting out it is worth your time to check out this roundup of all the basics in this Tindie listing guide.
Text Description
Descriptions, in my opinion, should be longer than a paragraph or two, but not too long. From my perspective of writing up a summary on a project, even if the item looks cool, I need details on how it was made, what it could be used for, and what sets it apart from the crowd. This can, or course, take the form of a video, but if there’s just a paragraph and a picture, it’s tough to get a feel for what the product is all about. In many cases actual customers will be better convinced to buy something if they know a little more about it with a minimum of effort.
That being said, if it’s too long for someone to easily read, perhaps it’d be best to cut it down, or host an expanded description on another site like Hackaday.io or GitHub. Strive to do an excellent job of explaining your product, but instead of leaving out a wealth of details you can point the more motivated engineers to your “making-of” or “taking this further” page. When in doubt, sometimes it helps to put yourself in the place of many different types of readers. Are you appealing to the beginner, the ‘this just needs to work’ crowd, and the experts who want to know every component and why it was chosen?
Video
For some items, what it does is pretty self-explanatory with just a few pictures and some text. “Oh, it’s an adapter for a USB cable to plug into X-Y-Z?” On the other hand, if you’re showing off a new MIDI device or something that flashes LEDs, it’s really good to see and/or hear how it works! For that matter, even if you don’t need a video, it’s a great format to personally describe your item and what it’s good for.
The holo clock video seen above is a great example. It’s entertaining, fairly short, shows how it works, and how the device is assembled!
Though many of us build eclectic items, it might be helpful to keep your store focused on one theme, such as breakout boards, camera accessories, or 3D printing. Though I don’t have hard data to tell me this, if I were looking for a certain product, I might look for a store that sells “X” over one that sells “X, Y, Z, and sometimes Q.” For that matter, there is no reason one couldn’t open two or even more stores to keep things separate!
If you want to go even deeper into what can make your store a success, check out this analysis published last year by a data scientist.
When you think of Arduino boards, you generally think of turning lights or motors on and off. With this video experimenter shield however, you can now manipulate composite video in a simple, but interesting way.
As shown in the video below, this shield allows you to do all kinds of strange effects, including overlaying a graph on the screen, or even creating an effect where you can shoot whatever is being displayed. Interestingly, the shield allows for tracking of a laser pointer, so perhaps one could make a very simple version of Duck Hunt with it.
It also has the capability of using the video signal as an input, letting the Arduino board do simple computer vision tasks or even decode closed captions.
If interfacing with video isn’t really your thing, creator Nootropic Designs has several other interesting boards available, mostly dealing with audio manipulation. Most of Nootropic’s designs, including the board featured here, are available in kit form or assembled.
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