The Best Journey Always Leads Us Home

[insane 0]

Yes Don't worry about sounding stupid, we all start somewhere

-Ely

Argh, so I should get a media player n store all the Blu rays inside! save space n $$ too! But will it be the same quality as the BR discs?

[Ely1 0]

Hi Ely! You're making good progress on the reno

I'm looking at the lighting points and I have some comments...

I think you have way too many downlights in the living and dining rooms. Like, way too many,

I personally think you need about 6 in the living and 4 in the dining... less lights but get the 26W ones. Makes the ceiling less cluttered... but maybe you like things super bright. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it's possible to dim PLC lights? If you want a cosy feel you should definitely replace the PLC with halogen, just because the light effect is 2000000 times better (but that's my personal preference). Plus halogen is dimmable.

Also, the light in the toilet. I think the point should be above the sink rather than above the toilet bowl... makes more sense that way.

Hope everything will go smoothly for u.

Hi January!

Thanks! We're definitely feeling like we're moving forward!

Thank you for your valuable input about the lights - You're right that we can't dim the PLC lights, so I've changed the switches to only dim the chandeliers and halogens. I actually believe I won't be using half of the lights, as we like super-dark environments.

As for the lights in the bathroom, the reason why the point is above the toilet is because practically speaking, there would be some light reading there The mirrors are all lit - common bathroom is the infinity led light, so don't want to distract the effect from it by using a light above, and for the master bathroom, it has a mirror cabinet with T5 lights above and below. I thought that since the mirrors at the sinks are all lit, we can focus the lights above the toilet. I insisted on two PLC lights in the common bathroom's shower because of the matte in-laid floral print - I need it to shine through or else my pick of the tiles would be redundant.

We have the halogen tracks above the couch because of the metal art pieces we'd be putting up. The artist suggests 3-5 halogen lights to fully bring out the effects of the metal, to give the art more movement and depth - but we don't see ourselves using it so much unless people come over. We'd probably use the T5 lighting at the sides of the feature TV wall console most, or the standing lamp, with lots of candles!

The halogen track along the corridor is also for a piece of metal art, but it also serves to look like a runway - we're having a mirror door at the end for a catwalk effect. So vain, right?! Can perfect the strut everyday with shimmying hips~

Plus, they're all dimmable, so it won't be so hot. Same goes for the chandeliers - we don't want the kitchen island to be burning hot. If you notice, we dont have a dining area at all. We eat in front of the TV anyway, but if guests come over, we'd use the island, or at the balcony. Our dining area is basically alfresco. Very few lights there too - I'm focusing on candles, and floor lamps, and probably only one light in the water feature.

Here shows how the lights are connected, and dimmable lights are boxed:

-Ely

[Ely1 0]

Argh, so I should get a media player n store all the Blu rays inside! save space n $$ too! But will it be the same quality as the BR discs?

You so should - We have three

Not so much quality loss - it also depends on the format, and if you're limited to 4GB due to FAT32. MKV and M2TS are popular, and you can still retain 5.1 DTS audio, but the file sizes would be much larger -some are above 20gb for one movie alone. Check the specs of the resolution: 720p or 1080p - some are widescreen (1280 x 694) (1920 x 1080), some are not (680 x 280), and the codecs and kbps of the audio - they all tend to vary, some 448 Kbs, some 536 Kbs, 640 Kbs some 1536 Kbps (esp for concerts) etc.

RimBlock will have better advice. I'm only a novice!

-Ely

[RimBlock 0]

You so should - We have three

Not so much quality loss - it also depends on the format, and if you're limited to 4GB due to FAT32. MKV and M2TS are popular, and you can still retain 5.1 DTS audio, but the file sizes would be much larger -some are above 20gb for one movie alone. Check the specs of the resolution: 720p or 1080p - some are widescreen (1280 x 694) (1920 x 1080), some are not (680 x 280), and the codecs and kbps of the audio - they all tend to vary, some 448 Kbs, some 536 Kbs, 640 Kbs some 1536 Kbps (esp for concerts) etc.

RimBlock will have better advice. I'm only a novice!

-Ely

If you have enough storage then you can store the raw M2TS file(s) but you are looking at 20->30+ GBs per movie. That soon fills up a hard drive.

M2TS (Mpeg 2 Transport Stream) is the standard for Bluray and holds multiple audio, video and subtitle streams in one file. If you use something like TSMuxer, you can strip the ones out you do not want (like Thai/Korean etc). You can also reorder the sound and subtitle tracks so if you like Chinese subtitles you can move those to the top of the subtitle list and it will be the first one when you turn them on. A M2TS stream does not hold any chapter information though .

MKV is also very popular as it allows minimal loss of definition with a reasonable reduction in size of the file. It is not uncommon to find 8GB movies around although the sound side of things usually suffers with it only having stereo or at best standard DD / DTS sound. MakeMKV or ClownBD are popular choices to convert to MKV. If you are doing it yourself then you can choose the sound tracks etc and so get what you want. Most people use this as a good compromise between quality and space. MKV can contain chapter info but last I heard, you had to process subtitles separately. There are lots of guides out there though to walk through the process.

Of course you need to get access to the movie files which are copyright protected. You will need to search around for a program to 'unlock' the files. There is one which has worked very well for me but you need to pay for it. It also works on ..... Any DVD ..... .

I use m2ts to save having to re-rip when better formats come out for compression and just in case the discs get damaged. I also only rip the movies so do not have the menus etc. I have just filled a 2TB drive with movies but that is the backup drive. My main media array is 3TB (3x1 drives). I need some more drives now .

If you have the movies on a portable hard drive then you should be fine with most HD players. AC Ryan and WD Live TV players are both good. Streaming from a PC or server over the network can be an issue with very big files. My WD Live HD is fine with 30+GB files (Avatar) but my AV Ryan HD Mini could not handle it via the network connection (USB hard drive was fine).

[insane 0]

If you have enough storage then you can store the raw M2TS file(s) but you are looking at 20->30+ GBs per movie. That soon fills up a hard drive.

M2TS (Mpeg 2 Transport Stream) is the standard for Bluray and holds multiple audio, video and subtitle streams in one file. If you use something like TSMuxer, you can strip the ones out you do not want (like Thai/Korean etc). You can also reorder the sound and subtitle tracks so if you like Chinese subtitles you can move those to the top of the subtitle list and it will be the first one when you turn them on. A M2TS stream does not hold any chapter information though .

MKV is also very popular as it allows minimal loss of definition with a reasonable reduction in size of the file. It is not uncommon to find 8GB movies around although the sound side of things usually suffers with it only having stereo or at best standard DD / DTS sound. MakeMKV or ClownBD are popular choices to convert to MKV. If you are doing it yourself then you can choose the sound tracks etc and so get what you want. Most people use this as a good compromise between quality and space. MKV can contain chapter info but last I heard, you had to process subtitles separately. There are lots of guides out there though to walk through the process.

Of course you need to get access to the movie files which are copyright protected. You will need to search around for a program to 'unlock' the files. There is one which has worked very well for me but you need to pay for it. It also works on ..... Any DVD ..... .

I use m2ts to save having to re-rip when better formats come out for compression and just in case the discs get damaged. I also only rip the movies so do not have the menus etc. I have just filled a 2TB drive with movies but that is the backup drive. My main media array is 3TB (3x1 drives). I need some more drives now .

If you have the movies on a portable hard drive then you should be fine with most HD players. AC Ryan and WD Live TV players are both good. Streaming from a PC or server over the network can be an issue with very big files. My WD Live HD is fine with 30+GB files (Avatar) but my AV Ryan HD Mini could not handle it via the network connection (USB hard drive was fine).

Wah.. Eh I think I just stick to the disc.. I don have so much time to figure out how to use the software. Looking after my little monster is already very tedious...

[Ely1 0]

DAY 42

Met up with the ID again a few days ago to reconfirm laminates as, like most people, we start to question our choices. Afterall, a thumbnail of the product can be so deceiving! Made a couple of changes, and whilst they're all boring and black/white - I'm hoping they become more lasting on the eyes. However, I tend to be very consistent with my likes/dislikes, so I'm sticking to boring Made more changes yesterday by doing mock-ups of the wardrobes using photoshop. It's going to be a lot darker, but I'm hoping the lights and accessories would liven things up.

I believe it's the accents that would make a home more personalised, and I love all my quirky objects, quotations, framed art, and have a lot more DIY projects planned! We also have a lot less built-in furniture compared to others because we want to be able to change things around. I'm making space for a foyer after scrapping the display partition-cum shoe cabinet because we realised huge objects like the bed would have a hard time getting through! So, still looking for a gorgeous modular open shelf that would serve as a partition and yet provide me the essential space for my many, many books. Saw a gorgeous one at Molecule but the styrofoam shelf cost $780 each!! Would need at least two and for styrofoam, The Husband was more than approving.

I definitely picked my vanity stool at Molecule - it's a whimiscal pop art piece, and I'm going to love it forever! The bar stools too are going to be bought from Molecule, and we're still contemplating their couches.

We had a great time at iwannagohome though - made MANY purchases I know would love forever. Picked an outdoor couch for two (sorry, cuddling party only meant for two!), a set of outdoor tables, a faux croc skin tray table, a chaise lounge for the bedroom, a rubbish bin for the dry kitchen, tissue box holders for the common bathroom and living room, cushions, artifical flowers, mugs, espresso cups, an ottoman for the walk-in-wardrobe - definitely an extremely fruitful trip! It felt like I died and gone to heaven when I entered the store - it beats chocolate ice cream, the heady rush of falling in love, a spa massage... It felt too **** good! I was so excited I could hardly contain myself - had to remind myself to breathe.

Back to earth:

False ceilings are up and perhaps this shows the number of PLC lights better:-

This holds the 8 downlights and it suddenly doesn't look like it's too many:

The dry kitchen, with the weird step box to conceal the pipes, but I'm going to fancy it up to look like a feature. We could have it even with the other part of the false ceiling but I opted against it, it would make the ceiling look too low, and besides, I quite like how quirky it is:

The middle beam holding our kitchen island lamp:

Our finished roof, and view from outside:

A little regrettable about the window/sliding door frames being white, but they were the ones available at cost during that time so we took it. Would have gone black if we had the choice. The top hung windows look odd too, but we felt was necessary for ventilation whilst preventing the pets from going outside unsupervised. Oh well. At least from the inside, we'd have blinds and curtains to hide the eyesore!

-Ely

[demonyi 0]

I know where u stay lol.... Very near changi village. Nice and cosy place.

[martin1023 0]

Haha, someone guessed it from the floor plan much earlier. But the cat is out of the bag - yes, it's Loyang Valley We love the place so much because it's so quiet and idyllic.

-Ely

Just as I suspected bcos the photos you shown earlier looks familiar. Ur place is walking distance from my office. I pass by LV everyday

[martin1023 0]

If you have enough storage then you can store the raw M2TS file(s) but you are looking at 20->30+ GBs per movie. That soon fills up a hard drive.

M2TS (Mpeg 2 Transport Stream) is the standard for Bluray and holds multiple audio, video and subtitle streams in one file. If you use something like TSMuxer, you can strip the ones out you do not want (like Thai/Korean etc). You can also reorder the sound and subtitle tracks so if you like Chinese subtitles you can move those to the top of the subtitle list and it will be the first one when you turn them on. A M2TS stream does not hold any chapter information though .

MKV is also very popular as it allows minimal loss of definition with a reasonable reduction in size of the file. It is not uncommon to find 8GB movies around although the sound side of things usually suffers with it only having stereo or at best standard DD / DTS sound. MakeMKV or ClownBD are popular choices to convert to MKV. If you are doing it yourself then you can choose the sound tracks etc and so get what you want. Most people use this as a good compromise between quality and space. MKV can contain chapter info but last I heard, you had to process subtitles separately. There are lots of guides out there though to walk through the process.

Of course you need to get access to the movie files which are copyright protected. You will need to search around for a program to 'unlock' the files. There is one which has worked very well for me but you need to pay for it. It also works on ..... Any DVD ..... .

I use m2ts to save having to re-rip when better formats come out for compression and just in case the discs get damaged. I also only rip the movies so do not have the menus etc. I have just filled a 2TB drive with movies but that is the backup drive. My main media array is 3TB (3x1 drives). I need some more drives now .

If you have the movies on a portable hard drive then you should be fine with most HD players. AC Ryan and WD Live TV players are both good. Streaming from a PC or server over the network can be an issue with very big files. My WD Live HD is fine with 30+GB files (Avatar) but my AV Ryan HD Mini could not handle it via the network connection (USB hard drive was fine).

So is there a format that can contain the chapter info +various subtitles and languages. Similar to what you have on a disc but in soft copy instead?

[hafiizh 0]

oh oh share your furniture buys, i would love to see which pieces can go with my own place! hahaha.

can't wait to see your pets and their furniture too

[RimBlock 0]

So is there a format that can contain the chapter info +various subtitles and languages. Similar to what you have on a disc but in soft copy instead?

MKV can but there are more steps to go through as MKV does not support the format used by Bluray for subtitles.

The 4th post here also has a suggestion of some software which will auto convert the subs for use in MKV for you.

The issue is that backing up Bluray discs for using with media players is not yet very mature so the software either requires quite a few steps or might miss something. MakeMKV is very good as is Clown BD for making MKVs but as of last time I looked they do not auto convert subtitles so you have to do that manually and re-mux them in the the MKV. There are lots of guides out there though so it is not too hard.

I very rarely use chapter info so am happy with m2ts.

The other option if your player can play Bluray iso is to rip the Bluray to your hard disc and then make a ISO file from it. This should contain everything but will be very large and some media players will not be able to handle the menus so you will only get the film anyway.

It is still in the try and find the best solution for you stage but it is getting better.

RB

[Ely1 0]

oh oh share your furniture buys, i would love to see which pieces can go with my own place! hahaha.

can't wait to see your pets and their furniture too

You must have not read every page of my blog! Humph. Those were actually my first few purchases for the home haha!

But here's a recap anyway:

For the doggie, in our bedroom:

Cat litterbox stand, for the laundry area:

Dog/cat end table + bed, for living room:

The spoilt ones:

-cont'd

[Ely1 0]

New collar for the kitty:

For doggie:

+

Haven't found a suitable scratcher lounger bed for the cat yet, as the ones I like are too expensive, but I'm hoping to find something soon, and will DIY some cat steps so he gets some time-out from the energetic Chihuahua

-Ely

[EmptyDivided 0]

Excellent choice of collar for the cat. The blue goes marvelously well with the cat's grey fur. You have got exquisite taste.

[Ely1 0]

oh oh share your furniture buys, i would love to see which pieces can go with my own place! hahaha.

can't wait to see your pets and their furniture too

Didn't take any photos, and the delivery is scheduled for end of the month but I'll post pictures when everything is in place!

-Ely