The Tangled Webs We Weave…

My mission: To watch films from all around the world.  My problem: Many films are only available on Amazon Prime (US Edition).  My solution: Errr…

In this part of this (seemingly never-ending series) I’ve reached the point where I’m able to watch Amazon Prime videos, but taking screenshots while doing so (AND I HAVE TO DO THAT, DON”T I?  DON”T I?!?!?!) is still not solved problem.

Until today!

I can watch (and screenshot) on my Galaxy View Android device, but it seems to all be in lo-def, and I really want HD and on my TV.  So I got an Apple HDMI dongle for my Ipad and a box for screenshotting.

But that didn’t work, because DRM.  The box doesn’t support HDCP, so the Amazon Prime app just refused to output anything.

So!  I got a (euphemistically named) “HDMI splitter”, which is really an HDCP stripper.  Figuring out which ones work this week means reading the very newest comment on Amazon and taking a chance.

AND IT WORKS!

So here’s the setup tonight:

First the Ipad to the HDMI dongle…

Into the “HDMI splitter” (cough cough HDCP stripper cough cough).

Into the Aven screenshotting box.

Into an HDMI switch (that I had to add since I now have more than one HDMI source).

Into a CEC command injector device (that I added earlier).

Into the TV!  That’s just like 20 meters of cables and stuff.

And as you could see in the previous post, it works.  (I stuck a FlashAir card into the Aven box so that I can pull down the screenshots automatically into Emacs.)

See?  IT”S SIMPLE!

DRM.  Digital Customer Fuckery.  I’m sure that’s what it stands for.

But as you can see, the picture quality from this setup is fine, although it was choppy.  For the next film, I’m going to use the same setup, but download the film onto the Ipad in advance.

Stay tuned!  In about two hours you’ll know the results!

WFC Afghanistan: سنگ صبور

So for this film I watched it via Amazon Prime on the Ipad via an HDMI dongle. It works kinda OK, but there’s general jerkiness that appears irregularly. It’s like it drops a couple of frames every so often. It’s not very pleasant to watch, so I’, not using this method again, I think…

Perhaps it’s because it’s streaming? I could try downloading first.

Anyway! The film! Love the actors, especially Golshifteh Farahani. The shakycam isn’t my favourite, but the cinematography is fine.

It’s very harsh, and for most of the film I was going “nooo… doooooon’t…” Inevitably heading towards disaster, one way or another.

So not a delightful experience, but it’s a strong film.

(And to nit-pick, I don’t think anybody would survive on a bag of sugar once in a while for so long.)

The Patience Stone. Atiq Rahimi. 2012. Afghanistan.

Bubbly Afghan Cherry Cocktail

  • 1 part sour cherry syrup
  • 1 part vodka
  • 4 parts champagne
  • sugar
  • orange

Rim a champagne glass with orange and sugar. Pour the ingredients into the glass and stir lightly. Garnish with an orange slice.

This post is part of the World of Films and Cocktails series. Explore the map.

TSP1994: Visions of Heaven and Hell

Hey!  It’s time for that yearly Google session to try to find the missing films for my Tilda Swinton project. Unfortunately, nothing new seems to be available (although The Dilapidated Dwelling seems to have been available on Youtube for a bit of time before being deleted).  Boo!

But a kind reader had pointed me towards the last two episodes of Visions of Heaven and Hell on Youtube, so I saw that one, at least.  One more down.