End Of Year Review (Patreon Exclusive)
In my former life as an company employee I used to dread this time of year. Chrimbetween, (the days between Christmas and the New Year) was the time for the end of year appraisals.
Yet here I am voluntarily doing my own end-of-year review, although this time I found it interesting to look back on any successes or failures. I can also give myself an A+ whether or not I really deserve it.
This is a Patreon exclusive and as it's one and three quarter hours long there's also the option to download an audio-only version here.
UPDATE - Finally YouTube has processed the re-upped version..
The section I deleted was a tangent I went off on that unintentionally came across as rather cynical/negative. I really just wanted to talk about the randomness of the YouTube subscriber numbers but it’s clear from the feedback that it came across differently to how I invisioned.
Taking this section out also chopped some bits about how dashcam reviews aren’t as interesting now that all reasonably priced dashcams can do a good job and I wondered how long smartphone reviews would remain relevant now that all phones could also be considered good enough. I went into how subscriber growth on the channel in 2018 had slowed and how I will be shortly overtaken in the tech channel league tables by youtubers who have much more subscriber momentum.
I also wondered how some channels that get a low number of views manage to attract way more subscribers - but ultimately came to the conclusion how it probably didn’t mean too much when 5 out of every 7 subscribers might not really exist based on viewing figures.
So that‘s what was taken out - but there’s still 1:45 (ish) to watch.
Comments (130)
Best Techmoan quote I've heard. "... kill me now, I'm an audiophile."
£500 on a Denon DP-31f, Pioneer SA 410, Technics M205 etc etc is fine. Until you get filthy looks from people. The same people who have spent £5k on new kitchen units that they'll replace in 6-7 years. I know who's got value for money here.
"Beginner Budget Hi-Fi Build" is my favourite of your videos. I constantly referred back to it while building my own H-Fi via eBay purchases. Didn't quite turn out as "budget", though. It's cost me (just go to the computer calculator for a few seconds here) over £500, so probably impatience did me in. Still, everything works. Even the Denon CD Receiver (the 2003 equivalent of the "hated" Casseiver - I just bought it for the CD player. At £26 I couldn't turn it down). Happy with my system, anyway.
The fact that budget isn’t what many people consider to be budget was one of the ideas I was hoping to get across. I think there are quite a few who feel that you should be able to get a great system for just a few pounds. They see posts from people “look what I found in a skip’ and it’s something worth thousands - But once you really start looking at what’s available and what would fit well in your house without causing a massive argument, it’s inevitable that the budget will creep up to something more tangible.
Enjoyed listening to this whilst working!
Funny you mentioning the old Nixie tube watch video that’s suddenly got a load more views. YouTube has just recommended two old kitchen gadget videos of yours in my feed the Rollie and YoNanas. Glad it did, I don’t know how I’d misssed them and they were a real laugh.
I hope they keep doing more of that - the back catalogue doesn’t get much love and much of my best work is behind me.
Happy New Year & thanks for all you do! Instant Pots and air fryers are the hot kitchen items in the States these days, it would be fun to watch you whip up some test meals.
Hi, Mat, just got around to watching this as I intended. It's always really interesting to hear the insider view of how YouTube works etc. Your mix of video subjects suits me fine, although I love the old tech in particular I have to say. (Still waiting to hear if there was anything interesting on those old wire recordings by the way!) The only videos of yours I skip are the dashcam ones, so I think you're right to consign those to history. Re the Hi-Fi nutters, you've met my brother-in-law, then! You know, the chap who won't hear of any speakers except his Quad Electrostatics from the 1960s. Like one of your commenters above, I too shall quote "Turn me on for Misery" from now on.There were quite a few out loud laughs in this video and watching it made a good start to the New Year. I wish you good health and vision, and look forward to following your adventures in 2019. Edit: Do you want a Uher 4000 Report S? I bought one off Ebay this year because I always coveted one as a teenager/20 something. Having bought it, and some tapes, new belts, and got it working, I have now satisfied my historical want, but have no actual use for it at all! Feel free to say no. :-)
I got through quite a few of those wire reels and didn’t find anything of note so I put it to one side. It’s been something that I keep meaning to get back to finishing off- but the early results didn’t fill me with the enthusiasm I needed to continue. Thanks for the offer on the Uher - it’s very kind. As you can guess it would probably just end up sitting in a storage locker if you sent it here - so I’ll have to decline. I understand the need to scratch an itch - that’s mostly what the videos are about. I just like to try something for myself but then I’m happy. Luckily I’ve got the convenient excuse that it’s all for ‘the channel’.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvcs01xVfT8" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvcs01xVfT8</a> Mat, why don't you cover those made for tv products, like these electric gadgets. Not just kitchen gadgets though, why not try out silly gadgets for all purposes? I think your most popular kitchen gadget review was the rolli thing
I haven’t seen any that have grabbed me for years. I’m always on the lookout, but very few would have enough viewer interest to warrant a video of more than ten seconds. I’ll keep looking.
What a bummer this thing about your eye. Sorry about that. Good job this last year. Your videos kept me entertained for many hours while I had lots of down time in transportation and factories, last summer on business trips in China. Yes, YouTube can be seen there via VPN.
The eye thing makes me very sad at times - but got to keep going. I’m glad you were watching but please take care I heard VPNs aren’t flavour of the month there.
As somebody, somewhere, is bound to have said, "Long but curiously enjoyable" Thanks for all the videos, one of which I was privileged to be a small part of, and looking forward to more in 2019. Happy New Year!
I just wanted to chime in that I loved this video as well. I watched half of it and then listened to the other half in the car, so thanks for the audio version! I'm glad to see you had a good deal of successful videos last year. I hope this year is great as well! Keep up the great work and Happy New Year!
Thanks for the kind words and I hope you have a great 2019.
Happy 2019 to you! I'm hoping this year you'll be doing some old boombox restorations and reviews. It's always nice to see someone fixing old equipment.
As you know my repair skills are rudimentary at best, but I do have a couple of boomboxes I need to get around to featuring at some point.
Loved this from start to finish. Worth it if only for the "Turn on for misery" line, a sublime way to sum up the audiophile muppets attitude :)
I finally had time to watch this long one. Thanks for posting and happy new year! You mention something about the night vision camera video that keeps getting re-uploaded by others. I bet that's because people know that there were some night vision cameras that you could use to see through people's clothes. There are just some kinds of perverts who are on the lookout for that kind of equipment for obvious reasons and obviously that created another group of people who want to make money off the pervs so they put videos online with click-bait titles. Another YouTube channel I follow (12voltvids) had a video about one of those old cameras and a description how they work (or can be modified to work) and even a bit of video made with one of those cameras (made by the previous owner but he blurred out all the faces and bad bits). YouTube took the video offline.
I remember all that hoo-ha over the Sony see through clothes camera. Fortunately my video was a outdoor security camera, but because it has 2M+ views it's at the top of the list of IP camera reviews - so online retailers who want to sell their IP camera re-upload it with links to their product. I could just let it go - but I don't like the idea that it appears I'm endorsing their product that I've never used.
Hi Mat, finally got around to watching this while polishing off the last of the Christmas Baileys. Love these videos (yes even if they are as long as Gone With The Wind). Have a fantastic new year.
Take care Mat, We all are waiting to se/hear you again. Wish you all the best
Am I the only one that tried to scroll his monitor? Three days to watch, but always enjoy the frank and honest conversation. Two words... face tattoo. If you get the patch, get face tattoos. Also, it would be interesting to weight the videos against days live and rank that way for 2019.
Happy New Year, Mat! Thanks for this great video review, it’s only when one tries to watch a video of this length that one realises just how often one is interrupted all the time. Me, I mean, not you. I particularly enjoyed your reflections on audiophiles; I still remember that guy a couple of years ago who commented so splenetically because you touched the surface of a record-cleaning pad with your bare finger! Or was it because you were massacring the innocent? Either way, it REALLY upset him. I also wanted to comment on your outro thoughts on part 4 of the recent budget hi fi series, and say how much I agree and identify with your sentiment that it’s the journey rather than the arrival that gives the enjoyment. Like you and so many of your commentators, I am always looking for the next thing; what would make this camera/computer/hi-fi better for me? There is no target end point; just doing something different is better, even if the outcome is not perceptibly different. I think my wife is the same with handbags/purses - I can’t understand why anyone would need more than one or maybe two, but I have often had it explained in great detail why this new one, whilst superficially very similar to the others, delivers numerous advantages not immediately apparent to the uninitiated....
I finally made time to watch this video. Thanks Mat for all the great output in ‘18. I imagine I’d enjoy any review you’d put out. Ok, maybe not a review of a bidet. Or speaker cables. If the eye patch becomes a necessity, please consider a parrot. Oh, and Hi Mum!
I always wondered what came first - they eye patch or the parrot. I assumed one caused the other.
Hi Mat..as regards the AIO hifi for your folks, have you looked at the Arcam Solo's - My mum picked one up a few years back...it's got DAB/AM/FM and CD with MP3/USB capability - I'd imagine the newer ones may even have full iDevice/Android capability, and probably even internet radio! Fantastic wrap up of the year..looking forward to 2019!
Funnily enough after the video I ‘won’ a eBay auction for a ‘refurbished’ Ruark R4 at a very good price. So if it turns up I’ll make a video about it then pass it onto them.
On the subject of the audio quality of your videos: I watch your videos through my AV set-up so I often hear when you've changed a mic during the video. I thought the quality of your voice throughout this video was very good and stable. Sometimes in your videos you presumably swap to a different mic for some sections and your voice sounds thinner, then it swaps back to the better mic (I assume that accounts for the change in sound quality). I watched the Nintendo video straight after and I thought your voice sounded quite weird - were you experimenting with the new compressor in that one? I could hear all sorts of things going on in the back of your throat and the volume was too loud. My preference would be for some light compression applied in software, say 2:1, and then for all audio segments to be volume-matched using the EBU R-128 standard. That way, you retain loudness across various audio sources and the overall volume of the video is compliant with EU broadcast standards. <a href="https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/a-master-guide-to-voice-compression-how-to--compress-voice-recordings--cms-25105" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/a-master-guide-to-voice-compression-how-to--compress-voice-recordings--cms-25105</a> <a href="https://steinberg.help/wavelab_pro/v9.5/en/wavelab/topics/wavelab_concepts/ebu_loudness_recommendation_r128__c.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://steinberg.help/wavelab_pro/v9.5/en/wavelab/topics/wavelab_concepts/ebu_loudness_recommendation_r128__c.html</a>
Yes i’m experimenting - expect more of that while I dial the settings. Unfortunately I’ll never get as professional as your suggestions - but I’m working on some subtle improvements.
Happy new year mat! Sorry to hear about your eye, i've got some excellent life enriching medical issues myself. Ain't it great?? Anyway, just wanted to give a quick hello, love your videos, take care of yourself and smooth sailing for 2019!
Thanks old chap - best of wishes to you too.
Mat🤗that was a biggie - lucky it was very quiet at work today😉. What an excellent year of content you’ve done (again). I’m looking forward to 2019. The youtube function baffled me as well - being into motorbikes/ touring and cars as well as tech throws up all sorts. The hi-fi/ audiophile dynamic is an interesting and wacky world. Having invested time and money in it I could go on quite a bit about it l, but one comment I’ll make is that it appears, especially at the upper end, to be an industry that hates its customers and itself - very strange and I can think of no other example of it other than religions. Good sound is a underrated pleasure and, as you have proved, affordable. I look forward to seeing where you take us with it. p.s. if you really want to antagonise an audiophile tell them BOSE systems are brilliant🤯
Thanks for the review, Mat and Happy New Year and good health to you and the missus. Yes, YT views are a dark art. I know you and many others focus on subscriber counts, but you get paid for minutes viewed, not subscribers. The content matters in two ways. Of course something that is more interesting to the viewers would generate more views. What is more interesting? As you point out, it's a mystery. But content also drives the type of advertisements and advertisers that YT can attract to a particular piece of content. For instance, beauty vloggers make a ton of money because beauty companies pay high rates to advertise against beauty content. Car vloggers, by contrast, do not command the same premium for ad dollars so their revenue per video minute is lower than beauty vloggers. The more revenue YT can command, the more revenue you can make and so content _does_ matter beyond minutes viewed. This revenue effect almost certainly influences the YT recommendation algorithm. Subscribers are great, but for most content creators, perhaps only 1/3 or fewer subscribers end up being viewers of every video, so non-subscribers and those who arrive via the YT recommendation algorithm are also important.
i've heard you mention a dislike of detachable lens caps and behind you is what looks like an RX10 but is there some auto-open lens cap on the end? In another clip you show a micro 4:3 camera with panasonic 14-42 lens and that has an auto-open lens cap added (I think). At first I thought the cap was included with the lens but yours looks different to the standard cap which is not auto-open. Can you explain more or perhaps a clip on these kind of add-on lens caps. Any disadvantage to them?
Unfortunately the lens caps on my RX10s are all manual - and often misplaced. I did make a video years ago about an auto lens cap for a micro 4:3 camera <a href="https://youtu.be/ahU6eal_lF0" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/ahU6eal_lF0</a> - it only worked with one specific lens though.
Hi Mat, hope you had a good Christmas and 2019 is good for you too. Really enjoyed the end of year video - was mainly listening whilst fixing some laptops!I
Yes definitely best to do something else while this is on - it also sounds more upbeat that way as my face has a tendency to look a bit miserable even if the words aren’t.
OK, a long but enjoyable video, and at the end of it I convinced myself I should join your 'cool' Three Thirty Three Club as 2019 kicks off and wallow in its exclusive benefits :)
Many thanks, it’s a very exclusive club.
Just checked out that Kihno format - that is ridiculously horrible! Not sure if Mat would even be interested, it's so bad.
Thanks for all the entertaining videos of 2018. This recap was helpful to remember if I watched them all. You know sometimes there are so many new videos in my subscription page that I occasionally scroll by videos without noticing. Since your subjects vary from one video to the next, it could perhaps be useful to put a small channel logo in the thumbnail, to indicate that it is your video? Anyhow, if you are on the hunt for more media types for an new audities episode, there is a really stupid one available in Korea - <a href="http://kihno.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://kihno.com</a> - You have to see it to believe it. That's it for the moment and Happy New Year!
Yes I’ve looked into it - did some research after the MP3 badges video. . The early ones used a headphone jack and the newer version use NFC. It made no sense whatsoever. It’s just an elaborate download code with stickers. I can’t really consider it a format.
I have been a subscriber for a While , I will always try to support Talented People with Great content , And the Content you Give is A great Contribution to this world In Technology History that would normally be lost to Time and For One I appreciate it in Every episode , Thank you Very Much .
That’s very kind of you. I like to show the kind of things I want to see. I’m glad other people feel the same way I do about them. It’s the tech that’s the star.
Well, I hope you are not frustrated by that. If your energy can stand up to it over time, your uploading a smorgasbord of topics sure makes for enjoyable and informative viewing. I have yet to find another technology channel that's as consistently interesting AND well-produced as yours.
Thanks for being so kind - I still feel the presentation is very amateurish at times (those times are the bit between the beginning and the end) - but I’m also quite contented with this. I’d hate for things to be flashy and perfect as that’s just not my style.
Thank you Mat, for giving us a year of fun learning about everything from vintage media to vinyl-eating toy microbuses. For the life of me, I cannot relate video topic popularity to anything specific. If you plotted, say, age of the technology in your video vs popularity ... or the amount of gimmickry in the product reviewed vs popularity ... there's still no apparent pattern. What have you concluded are the best topics to draw viewers?
At this point I still don’t really have a clue. Whenever I think I might have found a topic worth exploiting again, inevitably the next video along similar lines will bomb
I use subscriptions as bookmarks. Anyways, thanks for the blathering. You could start a podcast 😉. I wish you a good and healthy 2019, the year in which Akira, Blade Runner, and Running Man are set!
I love your in depth videos like the V2000 one Mat. That was one of my favourites you've done in ages. Hope the comparative lack of traction those videos gain doesn't dissuade you from making them because they're by and large my favourites. Really interesting stuff. Also funny to see in that whole list there wasn't a video I hadn't watched! Keep it up, best wishes for good health and a happy 2019 and looking forward to a new year of videos.
Re: views per video -- isn't it baffling? I can't tell you the number of times I've worked for MONTHS researching and writing a column or an article, and I'm SUPER EXCITED to see the reaction, annnd...nothin'. But then there are the ones where I had to pull something back at the last minute and conceive and write something REALLY FAST two hours before deadline and it took off like a tornado. It must be harder for you, given that views = revenue...I've learned to shrug and divorce myself from those kinds of expectations. Thanks for another year of great videos...it's always a treat when a new one lands.
Thanks Andy - it’s always a pleasure to hear from you and see your contribution on Macbreak Weekly every Wednesday morning. Podcasts have become my calendar. I determine the day of the week by what’s in my Listen Now list.
Thanks for all the 2018 videos Mat. Audio especially voice and getting the levels right is a very dark art. I'm not an audiophile. I'm just somebody who turns the volume up on the amplifier to very loud when a good Slade LP is on the turntable. Louder when 'The Dragon' or 'The One Who Must Be Obeyed' is out! 😁 You sound fine to me. Best wishes.
I loved your comment about people driving to Top Gear filmings in boring family cars; I was lucky enough to get to go to a filming of one of the last episodes in 2014 and drove there in a battered Citroen Picasso. Hit close to home!
Can do the some old kitchen gadgets. Bread makers were huge here in the late 90's and possibly earlier 2000's. A shootout of "vintage" breadmakers sounds silly enough to work. Counterfeit omelet makers, sounds like a good cheese sandwich video. The title of the V2000 could be clearly, its not instantly obvious at a glance that its a obscure dead video tape format.
Good luck in 2019 with Health, family and revenue stream. I'll be watching, I just enjoy your content and style.
I watched it the whole way through. Admittedly in three 'bits', do I win tickets to the motor show?
You do - but it’s all identical SUVs - all the way down.
Anything's worth doing if it annoys the audiophiles!
HNY to you too Mat! I’m into my 3rd year as a supporter and feel you have a knack of nailing the subject matter - but those stats? I watch on Patreon and not YT directly, so does this mean what we like isn’t taken into account?! When you cover an item that I have (MD/DCC/Reel/V2000 etc) I keep your video and sell off the kit stored in my attic slowly, it’s becoming more manageable. So thanks - and keep up the good work!
Glad to help out with the clutter. As far as views go - yes embedded views count in with the others. Patreon views account for around 300-400 at most out of any total. However often the video gets re-jigged after patron feedback, so when it goes on release it’s a new version.
Great video, just what the doctor ordered to give me something to watch during the holidays. Thanks! :) Had to laugh at the high end hifi fanatics comments ... I've definitely scratched my head at some of the audio forums out there ... where people seem far more concerned at buying music releases so they can rip it to a computer and complain about what the waveform looks like, rather than this revolutionary thing I have also heard of called listening to and enjoying the music! Oh well, good luck to them I suppose.
I never read through those HiFi emails I got - I read a few words, saw the condescending tone and then noticed pages and pages of nonsense below with lots of capitalisation and overuse of my most hated word (Actually) - and pressed delete. I don’t know what they think they are trying to achieve - but by putting people off enjoying music on affordable equipment they’ve done more to kill the HiFi industry than anyone else.
Proud supporter here Matt, I know there’s a lot of work that goes into these videos and happy to put my change into that hat each month to keep the channel going... Hope 2019 is a good year for you and wish you and the family all the best. Side note: the HiFi videos are what grabbed my attention a number of years ago, and I always lead off with your “cassettes, better than you remember” video when I try to get friends into your channel... I find myself referencing that a lot as many friends in my age group are bitten with a touch of nostalgia and start dusting off their collections or see my listening room and ridiculous collections of media...
That cassettes video did very well and brought a lot of people in. Looking at it now - there are a few slow bits I’d tighten up if I were doing it again but overall it’s not an embarrassment. A few months later another YouTube channel did a remake of that video and got many more views. (Cassettes - everything you know is a lie). It was a bit like Chill Rob G hearing ‘The Power’ on the radio and believing his song was a hit - but it turned out to be the Snap!’ remake.
Thank you Mat for all your efforts in 2018. You were fortunate, indeed, to watch a segment of "Top Gear" (which plays in the U.S.) being recorded. What you might have missed is the director's gestures before calling ACTION! He/she would have raised their arms, palms toward the sky, and called... "Ready? Energy, energy. And action!" Not to be confused with an outtake of an annoyed director's voice from the control room talk back PA demanding from the news presenters, 68% more charisma. Happy New Year
This was old school top gear when they reviewed cars. I’ll have to dig out that video tape at some point and see exactly what was on it.
Great video as always Mat, didn't mind the length! Glad to hear you're getting a bit more into dynamic compression for that crisp VO sound.
It’s all new to me, so expect some teething issues - that may last a few years or more. I’m still finding features on my camera that would have been handy to know earlier.
I really enjoyed the long form video, watched it all the way through. It's always interesting seeing behind the scenes, what videos did well, if there's a pattern, etc. I appreciate you taking the time to break all this stuff down and give some additional insight into how things are created, the mindset and the results. You certainly earned my $12 in 2018 and I look forward to everything in 2019.
I’ve always found the stats fascinating. Ever since I uploaded that toaster video and saw the viewing numbers changing as people all round the world watched a corner of my kitchen. If those stats weren’t available I’d probably have never continued making videos.
Wow.. so... what can I say? I usually watch your whole blathering videos from beginning to end. But this one was just tooooo long. I watched the first 45 minutes or so, but then I just had to start skipping around. I did see the last bit about Patreon. I've had numerous emails lately from people telling me they were leaving Patreon for some reason or another related to their policies. I don't know what to really do about that either. I'm stretched as thin as I can go at this point. I'm having trouble managing all of the different things I already have my fingers in and I just can't deal with setting up at one of the other donation sites at this point. So I feel your pain.
I suppose this happens in any business, how you can be doing your own thing but it gets affected by the actions of others to which you have no connection or control over. That’s not to say it isn’t exasperating sometimes - when you’re doing your very best, yet something else is having a negative influence on you.
Still looking out for a copy of that Fox reel too. I'm a bit of a soundtrack collector and it sounded like that had some rare/unique stuff.
I’ll send you a PM
Perhaps there is some way to advertise in all your videos your personal top-10. "For those interested..."
I did put them into a playlist that runs at the end of some videos - but from my experience it’s very difficult to encourage any kind of activity - the viewer just does what they like and watches what they want.
Happy New Year! Good to see you looking less burnt out than a month ago. I hope you get a bit more time to take a break in Crimbetween (cool word, never heard it before :-) ). Ewen
It’s a term I made up - so you won’t have heard it before - and will probably never hear it again (until next year). However this lull between overhyped events is a good time for a video like this. By the time the new year has come around - talking about the previous year seems a bit like a hangover.
From a financial point of view, the number of views for a video is very interesting, and that is ok. But, please don´ t judge your videos as "good" or "not good" from the number of views. I don´ t care for views. There are real gems that not got soo many views. I do not know, why they do not earn many views. But i do know that i like them very much. So please continue to make videos, which are not "mainstream", there are people out there, who love them.
I find the numbers intriguing - but as you can see from the list, my personal favourites are often towards the lower end of the views, My B&W camera video especially stands out as a good experience and decent video without an audience. However that and a few other low ranked camera videos tell me photography is not the best great place for me to spend a lot of my efforts.
Hi Matt, just a quick message to say thank you for the fantastic videos that you put out, and appreciate you dealing with audio nerds and the remaining ‘YouTube’ noise. I’m about 40 minutes into this and thoroughly enjoying it. Anyhow, back to my main point! - I really love the videos you make about obscure equipment, purely because it is a very interesting subject to me! I’m sorry that your Hi-Vision experiment was a disaster (financially), but I loved the videos you produced on it, and I hope you enjoyed making them too! I do agree that it would be great for you to cover more standard Hi-Fi equipment too. Anyhow, enough rambling - hope you have a happy new year and all the best for 2019.
I feel that reviewing HiFi in a box devices might be fun - I might find the odd gem. It definitely feels that there’s a demand for reviews of attainable tech.
Well I really appreciated the Phillips V2000 - it spoke to a very specific time of my upbringing in the UK. Keep up the great videos - I really appreciate the retro tech videos, yet I'll happily watch the modern stuff too - even buying the odd flip clock, nixie clock, Mova globe and the rest. HNY from Texas!
I enjoyed the V2000 video too. One thing that comes out of videos like that is that during all the research and reading up I end up learning many things that will now stick with me forever. Often this leads to ideas for other videos, but sometimes it’s just things that I should really know but didn’t. Like how the prices of VHS and Beta were artificially increased by tariffs lobbied for by Philips - explaining why as a family we only bought our first video recorder in 1985 after they’d dropped in price to £399 once Philips had thrown in the V2000 towel.
Thoroughly enjoyed this whole thing! Considering doing a year-end retrospective myself actually, with yours and a couple other channels really engaging me with them this month. Looking forward to hearing your new recording setup next year too. Dialing in all the settings and eliminating icky mouth sounds is an absolute pain, I had people telling me my new mic was garbage the first few videos due to that stuff. But I'm sure you'll get it sounding right before long.
Now I think back I believe that when you mentioned applying compression it was something I’d never even considered. It took me down an audio rat-hole that I had no idea existed. So thanks for that. The audio hardware manufacturers and my credit card company thank you too. But yes - still plenty of knob twiddling to do. As my editing package is designed for pre-schoolers I’ve gone down the hardware compression route.
Just saw it...what did you change?
BTW: your time-travels in the video were great! :D
Hi Mat, I subscribed your channel (and be a patreon) not only because of the stuff you present... I love HOW you present it: the way you speak, your attitude, your opinions... your character seems to be very authentic. Keep your good eye on your health! I wish you the very best for 2019, many views, more subscribers and most: HEALTH! We are both around the same age (some years on your side maybe) and I know it's the greatest good we have. Beside the Missis, of course! ;)
Not able to view it here in the US, will hold my horses :)
It’s being re-uploaded veeeeery slooooowly.
OK, so I watched it straight through and, yes I had had several cups of coffee IN MY FLIPPIN 'ECK MUG! THANK YOU, Mat, and as someone else said you don't need to change a thing. You undersell yourself as a presenter and that may be why some of us like your videos so much. I don't think I've ever watched one of your shows (and I've seen almost all of them except a bunch of the dash cam shows) and thought "well, that was a waste of time". There are some I am less interested in, but that's to be expected, and then there are some I've watched numerous times (*cough*Pioneer SD-1000*cough*). They are all great in some way. I had not heard of a "Patreon controversy" but I don't much care as there is controversy over everything. Patreon is a way for me to support creators who create stuff I like and I don't plan to stop using it.
Haven't seen the video yet, but agree here. I really enjoy the presentation, narration, topics, puppets. Absolutely no complaints. Even the topics I wouldn't otherwise be interested in are fun to watch. I always look foward to a new Techmoan video. :)
You made a great point about why TV presenters need to appear more excited when on camera and how you appear stiff and dull if you don't, but I wonder if this behavior is somehow related to what you mentioned about the wide-eyed, open-mouthed poses some people do when having their photos taken (selfies especially). It seems as if when a person has a camera pointed at them they feel compelled to "switch on" that manic look. Anyway, I really enjoy your long, rambling Patreon videos as well as all of the main channel ones.
The subscriber thing is becoming more of a random number these days. I once started a channel with some old videogame footage but never continued with it due to time constraints. Out of nowhere I started getting loads of subscribers this year and I haven't uploaded anything there in 7 years. I'm fairly sure most of them are fake, probably something you would get when you buy subscribers. But I've never done that so I have no clue what's going on. So even if you do have the intention to keep it honest it can still happen. I wonder what percentage of YouTube accounts actually represent a real person...
Hi Mum!
Lol!
I just nearly finished watching it ,I was right near the end when Mat was talking about Patreon.Maybe when he used the term “fag” for a cigarette,the YouTube thought crime division pulled the video because they don’t understand context.
Hmm, I'm here in the US and it says the video is unavailable. I've been able to watch other Patreon videos in the past. I wonder what's up there?
oh no! what happened?? i only made it half way through and now the video is unavailable :(
just saw the update. i'll go take a nap and come back lol
I think term that fits the 5th gear analogy is “a bit manic” ,in order to come off on TV as lively,people become animated versions of themselves.
Another interesting video, happy new year to you and your family! :)
I think one thing that you may be missing, is that it is not always about quality or content that determine views. So for example, let's say you are a poor person in Bangladesh, and you have heard about this youtube thing, and you finally have worked for enough years in a deplorable factory to afford a smartphone suitable for streaming in a youtube channel, and you can finally afford a data plan to get the video in. But most youtube videos are in English, a language which you don't understand. Then someone has a video that is in the Bangladeshi language, even a moderately interesting, low quality one that might be cringe-worthy here in the west, well you and all of the ~170 million population just like you are going to be interested, regardless of the quality, because you have been content starved in your native language, Bangladesh has half of the population of America! <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_(United_Nations)" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_(United_Nations)</a>
*I’ve applied an edit to remove that whole section of the video as it doesn’t really come across the way I intended.* My point was that in December I had the 6th most viewed Tech channel in the UK resulted in a position of 19th on the 'most subscribed to in that month) - but the 14th most watched channel in the same period is the 2nd most subscribed to. My channel had 7000 subscribers and the second most subscribed channel gets 27,000. That seemed odd - no one else is getting results anything like that. Maybe I'm just terrible at convincing people to subscribe while other people are amazing at it.
I will say that the Mrwhosetheboss channel is as professional as yours, with top notch camera work, graphics, editing, etc. And I am a subscriber of his, because sometimes I want a to buy a flagship cell phone, and I need a very in-depth review, similar to your dash cam reviews, and he is among the best on all of youtube in thoroughly reviewing high end phones. Very polished!
I wouldn’t suspect anything less - he must be top for a reason. Both him and the number two chap seem to be doing really well. I’m amazed I’m at number 4 - there are a lot better channels below me with much more professional productions and some household names - like Robert Llewellyn and his fully charged show. I was really just trying to further illustrate how youtube is often an enigma. I’ve applied an edit to remove that whole section of the video as it doesn’t really come across the way I intended.
why not do a video on the instantpot?
It always seemed a bit too broad a device to cover. It would take an age to demonstrate all the different features.
Another cracking 12 months of excellent videos. Happy New Year! It's very nice to have a UK big beast in the techy area.
1:52:20???? OK! Here goes! :-D Will likely have to listen in sections.
Interesting commentary on YouTube comments. They're a necessary evil because people "want to engage" and all of that. But I love your people in the window analogy - it's spot on. The percentage of people with low self esteem who comment on YouTube because it's the one place people might listen to them is way too high.
Skipped breakfast and watched the whole thing. Your thought process is interesting and the gap between what the videos produce as far as views and your expectations is interesting as well. Try to stay as healthy as possible so we can watch the 2019 review in 12 months.
Interesting is a very polite way to put it. I’ll try to be healthier in the coming year. I’d like to do a bit more walking as I think I spend too long sitting.
A good bit to digest. Seems like Youtube is trying to sabotage itself or they really have gone to the extent that they don't know what they're doing. I have noticed that if I subscribe to a channel, I get barraged with their videos upon the new subscription and see almost nothing from other channels. My feed repeats a good bit and buries others. I don't have that many and I think it comes down to money and they spike new subscriptions. Some videos I have shown to friends and rewatched for fun. The whole algorithm and breakdown is just going to drive you crazy (and it gives me a headache too!) Love from the USA, and don't worry about not making it here. I mean, we got so many screaming 17 forever boys and girls that I don't feel much with any serious train of thought will make it. I love the randomness of the tech and you're practical which is so nice, like some interesting neighbor who goes out on little shopping trips and shows off the stuff he/she buys and talks about it. You don't patronize or talk down, but don't do that fake enthusiasm that's so irritating. Practical vids with a dash of the odd retro is great. BTW I found and old electric adding machine that is on my list but I'm afraid to plug it in and right now is just sitting in a corner. Hope the New Year finds your health better and best for your family.
If I found that I’d have to immediately plug it in just to find out if it worked. Only during daylight though so I could still find the fuse jumper box in the hall if it tripped the power.
Make a million pounds from home every ten minutes with this simple trick! Thanks Matt for your videos and have a great start into the new year!
Funny that the video about the "little rubbishy robot" had the most views. Many parents shopping for gifts I bet.
Watching your video and paying bills, makes the time more enjoyable.
"turn me on for misery" That is now my slogan, I will pay royalties
Will watch it this evening. What a nice late Christmas gift.
Nixie Watch number L0004 owner here. Bought in April 2016 based on your video. Worth every penny.
Worth every penny to me too. Even if I rarely wear it - it was a great investment.
I don't care about the lighting. Just happy to see an techmoan Video between the years. I don't know how many times I rewatched the RCA Victor tape, DCC Elcaset, Reel to Reel .. videos. As in my late 20s its interesting to see the history of hifi around my birthyear and before but also grown up with the audiocasette while playing lego.
Holy cannoli! 1:52:20 ... :O (I gotta space this one out in parts :D)
almost 2 hours of Techmoan! Ya