BBC produces some of the best documentaries, on literally every subject. I collect the "Digital Age" series, for example, where you can learn about all things digital, from the first computers, to the Internet.
Wild Life documentaries are another strong presence in my collection.
History in general and War in particular are very well documented.
There are over 150 new CDs for exchange, in the Trade / Buy section. These videos correspond to my new (less than 6 months) private collection of documentaries.
ALL the videos (~ 450 different films on nature, history, technology, computer science, etc...) are realmedia (.RM) files, playable with the latest version of Real Networks realmedia player.
You can play many of the videos on the first CDs using version 7 of the RM player, but you'll need the latest version 8, for viewing the recent productions.
All the videos have very high quality at a resolution of 320 x 240. Most of the files are AV streams at a bitrate of 580 kbps, with two pass encoding, recorded live, as the source was being broadcasted.
The encoding configuration is such that the equivalent of a 800 Mhz Pentium 3 is needed to do the job. If you go for less, you'll risk frame drops. Unless using multi-processors, your computer should be doing nothing else, while encoding. For short: great quality stuff!
While producing such quality RM files is hardware challenging, playing them is a breeze. Any P3 machine should be able to deliver the goods, with no problems at all.
I will be reviewing many of the available videos, starting soon. These videos are to be exchanged for equivalent material, only.
All the files have digital IDs that identify me as their encoder. The tool used to produce the files also inserts its own control information, including a serial number that clearly identifies who should be the original source. What I want to say is that you shouldn't try to exchange these archives, with the intention to make profit from them. These files are for educational purposes ONLY, and are nothing more than the modern equivalent of VHS storage.
Since I replaced the VHS recorder, I also started archiving many other video material, on RM files. This material ranges from F1 qualifying sessions to TV series episodes, which will also be available for exchange, soon.
In a world of DIVX domination, why go RM? Well, the truth is that you can produce RM files in realtime, while the source is on the air, and no later processing and / or editing is needed, thus making the production very comfortable.
More: quality is very high, reaching "DVD quality" at a bandwidth of just 1 Mbps, on the words of Real Networks, though is not exactly like that... Still, at 320x240, the quality is REALLY SUPERB, nearly indistinct of the source.
DIVX is better for higher resolutions, at the same bandwidth, but it comes at a high cost, which I can't afford - it takes too much time...
Go check what is available at the Trade / Buy section, or download the full TXT description of each file, on each CDROM. If you have similar stuff and a strictly educational, NON PROFIT, attitude, do contact me.
Expect documentary reviews any day now. The WWW is really VOID of doc reviewing! Quite a surprise, considering that nearly everything else is on offer :).
War documentaries don't just talk about WW1 and WW2 stuff - the History Channel runs superb series on modern equipment and modern conflicts.
Politics can be interesting, if viewed from above, keeping a distance from regular reports. Great documentaries on this subject, too.
Again, wild life. Since most of the interesting life forms are getting nearly extinct, these documentaries can become our last resort to see the creatures that once ruled on Earth.