Follow Slashdot blog updates by subscribing to our blog RSS feed

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
Music Media

The Who's Reunion Concert to be Webcast Live! 59

Posted by Roblimo from the our-favorite-webmaster's-favorite-group- dept.
KuRL writes "Entertainment Weekly is reporting (yeah, that's the right link, it's at the bottom of the page) that the one and only Who will reunite to play Vegas on October 29th. What? Not 'news for nerds' you complain? Well, the concert, entitled 'iBash '99' will be kick off the launch of Pixelon, and will be 'webcast' live." Caveats: most of Pixelon's content requires a Windows-only Netscape plug-in to view. I bummed my wife's (Windows) PC to try it - and it crashed repeatedly. And downloading a 30 second "preview" clip took over three minutes on my cable modem. It would take forever via dialup. I don't think the CmdrTaco/Pete Townshend online singalong we've all been looking forward to is going to happen quite yet. Oh, well.
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

The Who's Reunion Concert to be Webcast Live! More

The Who's Reunion Concert to be Webcast Live!

Comments Filter:
  • It should be said that if there was any choice, the webcast should have also been available in Streaming QuickTime. At least with QT, if you could get the URL of the actual stream, you could open it in the QT Client and watch it full screen, half, quarter, whatever. Heck you can even do a File>Present Movie, and watch the stream total-full screen (just like in a presentation) so it can be output to video or TV). From what i can tell with RealPlayer G2, you can only watch it in tiny-mode or somewhat-small mode. With Windows Media Player, ...well if that ever could actually be stable on my Mac I might be able to test it. Oh well.

    -----
    Linux user: if (nt == unstable) { switchTo.linux() }
  • Amarok rulez..

    lamer!
    --------------------------------
  • Whose reunion concert is being webcast?

    - A.P.
    --


    "One World, one Web, one Program" - Microsoft promotional ad

  • I was watching what it was doing and it seemed to be just another progressive download using a propietary file type. The video was good but you would expect that for the size of the downloads and the short time they played.
  • Ok it's flashy. it's a big pic. It doesn't work. Sorry folks but if this is the way you intend to watch the Who concert your in for a bad time all around. It seems they can't even handle the slashdot effect. I'm on a 1.5mbps down 728 up adsl connection AMD 450 CPU 100mhz bus on a 10mbps ethernet (Note I'm currently the only computer in up the office, it's Sunday) and I can't recieve the video smooth enough to watch it. (Unless I download the entire video stream first to my hdd.) Then of course once you've downloaded the video it's yours to keep right? I see a tonne of copywrite problems here. In fact as far as I can tell it's sortof a cross between AVI and MOV files. The Alanis Morrisette video took about 2.5 minutes to buffer on my connection and about 30 secs to play that buffer and begin breaking up. The video is clear, large and the sound is fairly good quality. It also says on the site that a 256k minumum line is needed. So that immediately means that if you are the average modem or cable modem user (most cable modems I've seen are limited to either 128k or 256k download speed even though they should be faster) You're not going to be able to view the concert. So in other words it's slightly less than vaporware. Not to mention I've now got some huge downloads on my hdd (about 200megs all total) In short I wouldn't hold my breath on this one. Some great ideas on the interface. Some really neat buttons that maybe might someday do something. But that's about it. I think I had better buy tickets because the net isn't the place yet. Now if they had, had Hazardous Media and Sokol and Assoc, do it like with HALS birthday and Eden Fest the picture would have been smaller but at least you could have watched it. Sorry if I bored anyone with the eval but it's in the blood. I do this for a living.
  • ...has gotten really cool in the last year or so.

    It's pretty easy to find *any* kind of music streaming over the 'Net. Not many people use it yet, maybe ~5,000 at one time, but as bandwidth grows (and it will like mad in the next few years) this will be an option to more and more people.

    Stuff like the Phishcast will spring up and more people will listen to live music, or canned, from their favorite band all the time. Phishcast does streaming 128 (and 64,32) bit MP3s of shows as recent as last week. I get to follow the band from my desktop in Colorado, it's fun.
  • I saw Live last Friday night at the Roseland Theatre, and The Who played live at Portlands Rose Garden Arena October 13. Considering that I didn't hear about it until I saw the poster at The Roseland, i doubt it sold out.
  • Yes I agree it is overating ...... But it does prove that monkeys can type!!!
  • .. it's getting popular so be gentle.. :-)

    Phishcast [umn.edu]
  • Netscape for Linux is just as bad as Netscape for Windows.
    It's substantially faster, but I'll agree with you that it's just as unstable.

    So the thing that I'm really griping about is just the blanket dismissal of Windows due to a crash of unspecified scope.
    Point well taken. But there's something to be said (or unsaid?) that not many people would question his statement. There's a common belief that windows crashes alot and for no apparent reason. Is this still true? I don't know, I haven't used windows in a long time due to the aforementioned qualities. :^)



    --

  • Simon Phillips? Didn't he drum with Mike Oldfields band in the 80s? terrific drummer, BTW, didn't know he was connected with the who, good to know.
    --------------------------------
  • Zak Starkey, Ringo's kid. He's really awesome IMO.
  • I'd guess not. There are standards-based (RTSP and RTP/RTCP) servers available (PRISS, Darwin, and ELSA, for example - see streamingserver.org [streamingserver.org] for more info), and clients in the works for Linux (I hope Sun is working on a RTSP layer for JMF; likewise, I hope Apple is porting Quicktime Client too). I'd bet that in a year's time, streaming multimedia will be the norm for all platforms, and companies like pixelon will stand out from the background noise only if they have something more than a window-only, single-media-source solution.
  • Perhaps it's because Linux people push their machines alot harder than the average Joe, exasperating the bugs in the OS?

    Now, the only time I've ever *looked* at a windows box and had it BSOD was when it was running the 'Flying Windows' screensaver. :^)

    It's a logical fallacy to assume that simply because another person never has problems with said product YOU will not have problems with said product. It's like if I took my brother's truck up to the store and drove it back without having any problems. Now he goes out and drives it to work. The engine explodes. But it worked fine for me, so this can't happen! Or not. Different variables - for one he was on the freeway. I wasn't. For two he drives alot faster than me. And for three, somebody left the oil cap off from last week, and since I didn't get the engine hot enough to blow all that out of the engine on my short run to the store, nothing happened... but once drove it, it ran out of oil, and the engine seized up.

    "Assumption is the mother of all f-ck ups" -- Bruce Willis, Diehard 3.

    --

  • David Bowie's concert from Vienna, Austria will be webcast today using RealAudio. I think it starts at 2pm est.

    Oh yea, the website is here [bowie.lion.cc].

  • Yeah, that's totally fair to say, but I don't see streaming multimedia as a 'push' on the OS, and Robin never really specified exactly what was crashing. If it's the web browser (big surprise), it's not really the fault of the OS. Netscape for Linux is just as bad as Netscape for Windows.

    So the thing that I'm really griping about is just the blanket dismissal of Windows due to a crash of unspecified scope. In Roblimo's mind, Windows isn't good enough for him, but it's perfectly fine for his wife to use it (ahem). Sensation^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hjournalists like Mr. Miller *never* try to stir the pot in order to make their work more noticeable...

    BTW:
    I visited Pixelon's site with an NT machine, and it worked just fine, as long as we're talking about stability -- on the other hand, it took approx. six times longer for me to download each sample clip than it did for me to play one on a 256k DSL connection. So with a dedicated T1, streaming VHS quality (at EP recording speed) video can be yours.

  • Had some fun looking at the HTML source for the Angels B-ball feed page. It's MPEG1 served from an HTTP server. They just make it nifty by including a plugin (ActiveX?) to play it, and obscure it a little by giving the MPEG file a DMV extension.

    File specs from my Windows box:
    Picture Size: 336 x 208 (NTSC)
    Bit rate: 884000 bits/sec (!)
    Frame rate: 29.97 frames/sec

    Has anyone thought about making &ltObject... parser plugins for browsers on OSes that don't like to automatically receive binaries from websites in order to use 'em? A simple mapping of object ID to local program and parameters to commandline would about suffice.

  • This subject shouldn't be affecting me this strongly, but...

    If anything, this proves that the poor status of duplicating traditional broadcast media on the unicast Internet is getting worse instead of better. While previous attempts simply ran out of bandwidth, this one can't even get a client stable enough to create the demand. Besides, the Internet isn't simply about changing the delivery method of traditional media, it's about changing the media itself -- most magazines have online content, but none of them simply reformat their page in HTML. It would take forever to download websites, and duplication issues would be regular problems.

    The television folks should figure this out, too. Why is there such a push to go beyond the capabilities of new technology, when the existing delivery technology has been working for more than 40 years? If it were such a golden idea, ZDTV wouldn't exist.

    Instead, they should be using the Internet as an extension of traditional programming. During a football game (since it is Sunday...), this would mean the delivery of detailed statistics and instant injury reports, instead of waiting for a break in the game. Instead of that annoying 'bloop' sound, relevant and fun facts about a video could be shown on VH1's website, and The Golf Channel could offer special package deals on trips to play at the same course where the tournament they're currently broadcasting is being played. This approach might even (ahem) make money!

    Have any of these large scale 'webcasts' ever been successful, or is the concept simply a bandwidth sucking "Spam From Hell"?
    </RANT>

  • Did anyone take a look at what Pixelon has done?
    It's pretty impressive to me anyhow -
    you can take a look at it here and bypass the shockwave intro (which is quite annoying)
    http://209.79.16.5/ricochet/teasergallery.htm

    With the increase in bandwidth, that complaint about it taking 3 minutes on cable is going away soon. (Note: I have ADSL and it took me 20 seconds to d/l it - in Canada).
    Keeping that in mind, what else out there provides high quality video? I just watched a video on broadcast.com, and it was anything but smooth.
    Given, it isn't providing real-time streaming video yet, but the promise to do so is there : isn't that what the live broadcast is all about?

    It's really something worth looking at.

    __ who needs a tv anymore!
  • First off, this would be reunion number 19 for the who, I might be wrong cause I stopped counting in the 80's. They've really been together since that mid 80's reunion, they're just lazy about playing anywhere. Still, I can't see how its a reunion without Keith.

    What many "I'm an internet savvy rocker" types are doing is little more than a waste of effort. The promise of the net has moved from global access to the coolest buzz-word in ten years. NetAid is a perfect example, they really could have named it anything but because its going to be available digitally its NetAid (how about eAid?), yet it was a available on VH1 with about 20 times the resolution.

    David Bowie, sure he's respectable in many geek-approved ways, but his downloadable Hours cd is nothing other than a marketing ploy. Its like both parties, marketers and Bowie,
    have fooled each other with this pathetic compromise. Bowie is glad his stuff is available, yet not aware(caring?) that its easier to drive to BestBuy and pick it up, cheaper too AND you get a CD and a case. Marketers love the aura of hipness they think surrounds them by being on-line. You have mail alright, its 74 megabytes and costs $16.95.

    Now its the Who's turn to disapoint us. Stick with cable or payperview and leave the net for low-fi access like porn and Slashdot. Slashdot porn anyone?

  • See technology helps. At least this time, there will be no stampede deaths for the concert! ;-)
  • He can't hold a candle to the legendary Simon Phillips, who has played on many (post Keith Moon) Who shows, many Pete Townshend or Roger Daltrey solo shows/albums, and who basically stepped in for Jeff Porcaro (Toto) after he died a few years ago.

    I had the priviledge of seeing Simon play a drum clinic a few weeks ago, and I must say, he is an incredibly badass drummer with a great personality. Chops from hell, and not at all stuck up about it (like some I've seen). I rank him right up there with my all-time favorite: Neil Peart. Tim Alexander and Mike Portnoy are also really cool as well.
  • so does anyone konw who the drummer will be? simon philips (i hope), kenny jones?
  • They are also playing two shows in Chicago at the House of Blues. They are fund raisers for a local charity, but $300/ticket is bit too steep for me. Too bad I would have liked to see them again.

    While we are on music it you get the chance to see Elvis Costello on his current tour, by all means GO! We went Friday night and he played for over 2.5 hours, almost 40 different songs.

  • good. (Score:1)

    by UuCon ( 4853 )
    i'm happy for CmdrTaco, it is always great for your fav band to get back together. me, i'm waiting for SoundGarden to do it. It's unlikely anytime soon, but i can always dream. BTW, Chris Cornell's new solo album is great. Everyone should go out and get it. It's different but none the less good.
  • If I recall right the group played around 40 farewell gigs, now they must have changed their minds since they call it a reunion. Nice to know that they'll continue playing since I like their music a lot.
  • ...because he didn't get to post this one. You're gonna be in trouble Roblimo. I'm tellin'.

    ----------------

    "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
  • Pretty obviously "Rob Malda cares". See, I know Roblimo posted this, but CmdrTaco would definitely have if he didn't. Everyone who's been on /. for awhile knows how much he loves the Who and guess what? It's his site - he can put whatever he wants up. Don't like it? Go somewhere else.

    -----------

    "You can't shake the Devil's hand and say you're only kidding."

  • There is a version for IE users as well. A friend of mine wanted me to check out the movie clips for the movie "Fight Club". At that site, they give you the option of half-screen quicktime or full screen pixelon. Naturally, I decided to give Pixelon a try. Two words: Don't bother. It was very pixelated. I guess in that case, the branding name is apt.

  • they should webcast some of black sabbath's concerts
  • I hear ya - Elvis Costello is such an incredible musician. It's funny, I hear songs that he wrote in the late 70s still being played on modern rock "Mix" stations. That really says something about both his staying power and the fact that he was so ahead of his time. I'd love to see him on the current tour.

    -----------

    "You can't shake the Devil's hand and say you're only kidding."

  • The who were awesome many many years ago but...

    I saw their farewell tour in Philadelphia around 1983 and they were old and boring even back then. Just picking up the paycheck and going through the motions. Add 15 years and a few pounds around the middle and we'll all wish they had the smarts to just pack it in when they were on top.

    But I guess the upkeep of english manor houses must be really steep these days.

  • ... (Score:2)

    by Signal 11 ( 7608 )
    Rob, please - don't sing! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T DO IT! YOU'RE TOO YOUNG!!!!!!
    =)

    --
  • I read the article, and really, (no offense) but if the authors themselves didn't think enough of it to get a full-page, or even half-page article instead of the blurb that it got, I can't help asking, is it really that important??

    Anyway, in an attempt to get more information on the matter, (prepared with my Winbox up here at work, and I do like the WHO.) I went to pixelon.com, which appears to have no more information about it. All I got was a bombardment of Flash animation, and a big commercial before I got fed up with them.

    As a side note, how smart is it to market for the "highest end" of technology users. I mean, it was lagging pretty good on the T1 here at work, and I was really disappointed in the way I was _forced_ to view what I considered to be a very small window in FULL SCREEN! How smart is that? I for one think it's stupid to FORCE someone into viewing a window full screen that could easily fit into a 320 screen. Oh well, just my theory.

    The opinions represented here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of myself. No information above warranted to be true, or even make any sense. -i9mm-
  • This isn't the first time Netscape has crashed, so I don't blame MS or Pixelon (yet). This won't be the last time it crashes, either...

    On a positive note, this is by far the best installation of a plug-in or even of any program I have seen in quite a long time. It told me exactly what it was going to do *before* it began each step in the installation process. It was quite a letdown that the user friendly installation and snazzy graphics as it was loading only led to a fatal error.

    Can anyone explain why no one seems to be using streaming mp3s for these live broadcasts that are starting to pop up? Is it just not a mature and robust enough technology to support thousands of users?

  • Okay, so I was wrong. There apparently IS something of use at the end of the multimedia assault on the pixelon site. (nothing against multimedia, but I prefer to have a choice of bandwidth options.)

    I still, however, couldn't find anything related to the WHO. Closest thing being the Spice Girls, and a Will Smith music video broadcast, but still, I didn't check that hard. I was already frustrated enough with the site as it was. Anyway, just wanted to make amends for my rash post earlier, and my impatience.

    The opinions represented here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of myself. No information above warranted to be true, or even make any sense. -i9mm-
  • Just to let you all know, The Who reunited for the closing ceremonies of the pan am games here in Winnipeg in augest for the first time. They Who are also winnipeg boys :)
  • Pixelon is quite possibly the most pretentious site I've ever visited. It AUTOMATICALLY takes over your entire screen, and won't let you view the site in a window. They only give you a Close button to work with *SIGH*

    Then Pixelon's video player has the gall to go fullscreen too (fortunately it can be windowed). And contrary to what it says, an aborted download for me did not allow a resumption of the video download.

    It also doesn't stream the video. You have to wait for the entire segment to download.

    Thank goodness I wasn't trying to do any serious work, otherwise I'd be really angry :)
  • Phillips has played quite a bit with Townshend and drummed on the Tommy/25th anniversary tour.

    Zan Starkey (who was awesome for the Quadrophenia shows) will be with them again.
  • Did you see him on the Saturday Night Live 25 anniversary special? The Beastie Boys started playing "Sabotage" and then he jumed up on stage and they turned into his backing group. It was rather sweet.

    CartMan: sweet....sweet...supersweet...

  • Every anti-MS (not necessarily Pro-SS) reader on /., had this mantra about their "trying time with Windows instability" as if they'd hopped up on a 15 foot unicycle and tried riding it for the first time. According to far too many of them, a Linux user can simply turn their head to look at a Windows screen, and it will BSOD. I use a Win98 machine at work. I regularly push it beyond its limits, and I know Win98 in general sucks rocks, but it takes about 60 hours of work time, or triple that if you count SETI@home time. If you'll notice, Roblimo is clearly pandering to those folks -- he didn't even specify what crashed. Could it have simply been the crappy plugin for Netscape, or maybe Netscape itself? Commercial Netscape sure isn't a shining example of well written code on any operating system, is it now? Aren't these webcast things just *lame*? I don't think unicast traffic for these things is ever going to work, even with regional mirror sites. I'd sooner pay $30 for something I really want to see on pay-per-view and actually be able to see it rather than try to watch it on the Internet. Do people just like the novelty, or do they consider "net congestion, buffering..." part of the wonderful Internet experience?

  • Please put the URL to these phishcasts up here please....

  • whoops (Score:1)

    by jrs ( 27486 )
    Note to self: drink at least 1 liter of dr.pepper before posting stupid msgs after waking up Sorry, i got that mixed up with The guess who :)
  • I visited Pixelon, and downloaded the plugin.

    With Netscape 4.7, it crashed for me too when I was doing what should be normal activity - you can choose which file to play, so I started to make selections, and the plugin brought netscape down. I doubt that Roblimo is just pandering.

    A second try, and everything ran smoothly. Didn't seem to be of much better quality than a realplayer broadcast, but you have to download the entire file before you view. (Question: How then would a netcast work???)

    And as for Win98 machines, they can very greatly. My desktop back at home crashes about once daily, while I can count the number of times Win98 has crashed on my laptop with one hand. (Dang plugin, killing my ratio :)
    ---
  • No, they did a 'farewell tour' in 1982. Never have they called each subsequent time they played a reunion. In fact, Entwistle readily says, without Moon, it isn't completely the Who and he likes to informally call themselves, TED. The ones that call them reunions are the press. The band will just say, 'yeah- we're playing some shows'. The band (esp. Pete) was a mess in 82 and killing it then was a good thing. They've worked sporadically since '89- and it's been entertaining when they do. So people get older and decide to work together- why do people have to be so cynical and heap shit on them just for playing some more shows? I'm not saying you are, liki but they get harped so much on for having had a 'farewell tour'. Hrmph.

Slashdot Top Deals

Arithmetic is being able to count up to twenty without taking off your shoes. -- Mickey Mouse

Close