Video Hobby vs. Video Profession, Part 1: What’s the Difference?
At least once per month, somebody asks me how to get a job working in the video transfer/post industry. Most of them are seeking advice on how to start their own tape-to-DVD business. While this seems to be a fairly direct question, it’s really not. Most people fail to understand the complexities of video, including the many ways in which professional work differs from home-based hobby/do-it-yourself methods.
Understand that experience recording a few programs off TV, and converting a handful of your own homemade videotapes, is not an adequate background. No more than knowing how to take aspirin qualifies one to be a doctor, or being good with LEGO makes one an architect. While it’s true that such skills are basic to each profession, it’s superficial at best. For the field of video, knowing the location of the record button is simply not enough.
In Part 1 of this four-part editorial series on hobby versus profession, I’ll explain the most important differences between hobby work and professional work.
DVD Player fire? Durabrand/Walmart Snafu
Apparently the stove isn’t the only item in my kitchen that can start a fire.
About three years ago, I bought a Durabrand DVD player at Walmart to accompany a 13-inch television, where I watch my cable recordings and TV DVD box sets while cooking.
According the the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the lid-style player’s circuit board can overheat and pose “a fire and burn hazard to consumers.”
Walmart has confirmed 14 complaints, with seven of them involving fires that damaged property with no injuries. The retail chain is encouraging customers to return the players for a full refund. [Read more]
