Tattva-viveka
Swami’s DVD lectures in DivX format
Nanda-tanuja Dasa - September 22, 2006 12:30 am
Hello,
I’ve been noticing that DVDs in Audarya store are not selling that well. I would like to understand the reason for it. Price? General lack of interest? Lack of time to sit and watch? Please let me know your thoughts. I think buying DVDs is a nice way of making a donation to Audarya and actually getting something in return. Besides, watching Swami speak is an unforgettable experience. And sitting and watching the DVD might be much more beneficial then to listen to lectures as a background muzak.
Another question I have is anybody interested in Swami’s lectures in DivX format? DivX to movies is pretty much like MP3 to music. We can easily fit 4 standard DVDs on one in DivX format. Most DVD players can play DivX.
Thank you for your advice.
Madhavendra Puri Dasa - September 22, 2006 5:36 am
Great idea:)) This mp3 and audio example is perfect. If for the same price I could get on one DVD few lectures in divix format, I would be able to afford it more easly. If there is any such possibility I am voting for divix 
I have also othe question : if there any possibility, that you (I'm shy to say that I have no idea who is in charge of Audarya bookshop) make mp3 of all lectures you already selling on audio CD? I have no idea how these audio cd are selling now, but I know by myself I would buy them if they were on mp3.
Nanda-tanuja Dasa - September 22, 2006 5:21 pm
I think that Gauravani is actively working on transfer of all published CD to MP3 format. I’m not sure how far he is in that project considering building of the temple and that there are about 600+ CDs to convert. So, iPod generation wants MP3s?
Madhavendra Puri Dasa - September 22, 2006 6:16 pm
So, iPod generation wants MP3s?
He he, I don´t even know what is !Pod 
Mp3 is just more practical, isn´t it? Any way, I´am happy to hear about changing everything to mp3. Haribol.
!Pod generation?! Malcheek 
Syamasundara - September 23, 2006 12:30 pm
Yes!!! MP3!!!
We wanting!
I heard talk of converting the CD system into downloadable Mp3s in May, and I was hoping it was all happening when I moved to Sicily. I have a decent salary now, but I need to save every penny to make my way back to the USA, so it'd be great to keep donating, keep in touch with the sraddha stream, but spend less for now. Plus with the iPods it is much better, since many people, I am sure, upload the CDs contents onto their mp3 readers as soon as they arrive anyway.
Guru-nistha Das - September 23, 2006 4:55 pm
Yes, we are still working on turning our whole archive into an mp3 site that you could just pick your favorites from and download them on your MP3 player or computer.
But the problem is that we are fully engaged in other projects. The most time consuming thing about this project is to write outlines of the lectures and edit a sound sample for the customers to listen to. Guru Maharaja wants those features to be there before we publish the site.
Actually, this is a good place and time to revoice a request for all of you to write those outlines and write down a good place from where to clip that sound sample from! So please, if you want this to happen sooner that later, volunteer and help us out.
About releasing older talks as MP3 CDs, that's a good idea, but one problem is that it might affect the income we get from the CD subscriptions right now and we can't really afford to lose that since we need it for the temple project and putting out the CDs
Our priority is to make GMs talks spread as widely as possible, but do it without giong bankrupt.
What do you all think, would people stop subscribing to the monthly CDs if we had the older talks on MP3?
One possibility would be to start releasing those talks from more than 5 yeaers ago, that probably wouldn't have an effect on the subscribers...
What do you think?
Madhavendra Puri Dasa - September 23, 2006 7:36 pm
What do you think?
I completly dont know the system you have, but what about monthly MP3 subscription, instead of audio? Wouldnt people prefer that? Any way like I said I dont know how it works, but surely I would subscribe for monthly mp3 CD.
Robertnewman - September 23, 2006 8:02 pm
Actually, this is a good place and time to revoice a request for all of you to write those outlines and write down a good place from where to clip that sound sample from!
I volunteer.
Guru-nistha Das - September 23, 2006 8:11 pm
I completly dont know the system you have, but what about monthly MP3 subscription, instead of audio? Wouldnt people prefer that?
Yes, that's what we have been working on but don't unfortunately have enough time or (wo)manpower right now to set it up... but the idea would be that first we'd start to offer a possibility to subscribe to the monthly talks either as MP3s or CDs and if the MP3 format works and there's enough interest, then quit producing the CDs altogether after a while.
Nanda-tanuja Dasa - September 24, 2006 12:45 am
Another thing worth mentioning is that we have a large percentage of subscribers who do not own computers or MP3 players (such as iPod) and are nor very technically savvy people, so completely switching to MP3 for subscription would be impossible.
So, anybody else have anything to say about DivX? So far I don’t see much interest.
Babhru Das - September 24, 2006 4:32 am
If I had a regular income, I'd be buying the videos. That way I could get Swami on the cable-access station here, where I'm community producer. DivX sounds interesting. My daughters downloaded some LoTR stuff in DivX format before they came out on DVD.
With regard to the audio, maybe a pay mp3 deal, like Dhruva Maharaja's at sadhusanga.com, might work. I do think the idea of making older ones available for download might be cool--maybe some for free and some for a small fee. Gotta feed them cows, monks, and murtis. 
Premarnava - September 26, 2006 9:08 pm
Huh, my first post here, after 2 years of reading 
Well... if you're interested in streaming mp3 in browser... you know, no need to download, no need for mp3 players, just click and listen. Just let me know, I'm living from doing stuff like this 
This also applies to videos. I can prepare website with streaming videos (just like video.google.com or youtube.com) converted from DVD, DivX, Mpeg... whatever. So if you plan something like that, just let me know, I'll be honored to help.
BTW, welcome all of you!
Nanda-tanuja Dasa - September 27, 2006 2:03 pm
Thank you very much for your generous offer! Vrindaranya is currently working on a new website which might include some multimedia content as well. I’m sure she can engage you when the appropriate time comes.
Vrindaranya Dasi - September 28, 2006 2:29 am
Thank you, Premarnava for offering to help with the seva. We're completely swamped so it is much appreciated. At present we are working at an all-out marathon pace to get a roof on the temple and a new barn for our expanding herd before the heavy rain comes, so I don't have time to correspond about the video project; however, when things slow down here, I'll definitely take you up on your offer. Perhaps for now you could work with Nanda-tanuja to get some video clips ready and later we could integrate them into the site.
Thanks again!
Ys,
Vrindaranya
P.S. Thank you also, Robert!