chahk

I recently got clued into the fact that you can enable side-loading on Roku devices. However, I have no idea where to get the apps for it. Since Rokus don't run Android, I can't install APKs like I did on my Nvidia Shield TV. Could someone please point me in the right direction?

I mostly make videos of my family vacations and such as a hobby.

A distant family member liked my edits, and now wants to hire me to shoot a video of a professional conference. I haven't accepted yet, and I'm reluctant to because I've never done anything on this level before. They're quite desperate because they can't find a "real" videographer for their budget ($500 USD for ~4 hour shoot). Money is not really a concern for me. I'd love to do this job, but I don't want to let them down if something goes wrong.

I only have one camera - Fuji X-T3, and one lens decent enough to possibly work in low-light indoor setting - Sigma 16mm f/1.4. I'm worried about data loss since even though the X-T3 has dual SD Card slots, it only writes video to one of them. I also don't own any lighting equipment aside from a GoDox flash (not even a remote trigger for it). I do have a gimbal for stabilization, but very little experience actually filming with it. And of course the fact that they're extended family complicates things even further.

Not sure what else I should be worried about. Should I bite the bullet and take the job? I'll be up-front with the client about both my (lack of) experience and limited equipment, of course.

I absolutely hate "smart" TVs! You can't even buy a quality "dumb" panel anymore. I can't convince the rest of my family and friends that the only things those smarts bring are built-in obsolescence, ads, and privacy issues.

I make it a point to NEVER connect my new 2022 LG C2 to the Internet, as any possible improvements from firmware updates will be overshadowed by garbage like ads in the UI, removal of existing features (warning: reddit link), privacy violations, possible attack vectors, non-existent security, and constant data breaches of the manufacturers that threaten to expose every bit of personal data that they suck up. Not to mention increased sluggishness after tons of unwanted "improvements" are stuffed into it over the years, as the chipset ages and can no longer cope.

I'd much rather spend a tenth of the price of my TV on a streaming box (Roku, Shield TV, etc.) and replace those after similar things happen to them in a few years. For example, the display of my OG 32-inch Sony Google TV from 2010 ($500) still works fine, but the OS has long been abandoned by both Sony and Google, and since 2015-16 even the basic things like YouTube and Chrome apps don't work anymore. Thank goodness I can set the HDMI port as default start-up, so I don't ever need to see the TV's native UI, and a new Roku Streaming Stick ($45) does just fine on this 720p panel. Plus, I'm not locked into the Roku ecosystem. If they begin (continue?) enshitifying their products, there are tons of other options available at similar price.

Most people don't replace their TVs every couple of years. Hell, my decade old 60-inch Sharp Aquos 1080p LCD TV that I bought for $2200 back in 2011 still works fine, and I only had to replace the streamer that's been driving it twice during all this time. Sony Google TV Box -> Nvidia Shield TV 2015 -> Nvidia Shield TV 2019. I plan to keep it in my basement until it dies completely before replacing it. The Shield TV goes to the LG C2 so that I never have to see LG's craptastic UI.

Sorry, just felt the need to vent. Would be very interested in reading community's opinions on this topic.

Currently, as I'm reading through a post and collapsing some replies, if I reply to one of them the app expands all of the previously collapsed ones. Same thing if I go back to the feed and then return to the post.

Refreshing the post functions normally though and keeps the collapsed state of replies.

For me it was Ezra Miller showing up in The Flash TV show a few years ago during their big "multiverse" crossover event.

On the big screen, gotta give it to the recent Flash movie. The poorly CGI'd Nic Cage was such a great fan service. Also I managed to square myself from all the media past premier, that G.C. showing up at the end was a pleasant surprise.

Hugh Jackman in X-Men First Class wasn't totally unexpected, but it was worth a good chuckle.