The Sitting Hall

[Myozan Kodo]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Hi all,
So, it does not in fact look like you can record Hangouts direct to YouTube. At least not yet. So, Google + might only prove useful as a Zen Hall and meeting hall for up to 10 people (the usual Tea Party, say). Still, as a zen hall it is pretty useful. And who knows, maybe there is a way to record ...
Gassho
Soen

[Dokan]

Re: The Sitting Hall

I tried to spin up a recording on YouTube while running Hang Out and was only able to get the camera available to one or the other. But anyway, the sitting room feature is still pretty nice!

[Myoku]

Re: The Sitting Hall

If Jundo would run a screen capture software simultaneously, he could run the Zazenkai in Google+ hang out and later post the captured video on youtube.
_()_
Peter

[Dosho]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Hi all,

Just sat a little bit ago using the Hangout feature and it works pretty well, especially the green room part where I can check my hair (or lackthereof).

I did make the mistake of joining Chet's Hangout where he was not sitting zazen (sorry man!), but then started my own which Shawn was able to join for about 15 minutes.

It would definitely be cool if we could use this for zazenkai and include live sitters in the recording that people sit with afterwards.

Gassho,
Dosho

[Dokan]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Has anyone been in with more than 1 other person yet? I'm wondering how it looks. Would be neat to have Jundo on the main screen doing zazenkai and the other live sitters at the bottom. Then maybe use something like Debut video capture software (free) to record the whole thing for posting later...just some random thoughts.

Although I don't want to complicate things more than needed for Jundo.

[Dosho]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Shawn,

I have only been in Hangout with 1 person at a time, so I can't speak to that. However, Chet has an idea that seems workable to me which is for each of us to create a Zazen circle of people that we always invite to our Hangout when sitting zazen.

Gassho,
Dosho

[Dokan]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Yeah so maybe it could be done in two ways. Maybe we put together a list of regular zazen sitters (maybe from this google calendar Shohei is working on) and then whenever we do spin up a GHO we just put a quick comment that it's Zazen, just in case you are in both Treeleaf & Zazen but not looking to sit.

As a side note, I was playing with it to see if I could record it and post to you tube. Here's the outcome:

[youtube]

[/youtube]

I was hoping that the other sitters would be bigger but maybe it's best if Jundo took up the whole screen and then we were just little boxes around the bottom.

Gassho,

Shawn

[roky]

Re: The Sitting Hall

right, dosho, that seems to work -- whenever i become aware of another google+ who uses the zen hall, i add them to my "treeleaf" circle -- and i'm not sure what i did in settings, but when i set up that sit, it already automatically allowed anyone in my circles to join

and since i'm just starting my "retreat", i decided to do it in the "hangout", instead of koowy, since everyone seems excited about google+, might as well give it a go -- so far, just one sit, and someone did join me, not sure who -- i notice that it only presents the video, no name -- video quality was excellent -- sorry, i forgot to mute the mike, and i think that phone ringing got broadcast

so i'll be all over the scheduler, but remember, with the new scheduler, you can add yourself, i think even superimpose another sitting block, by just clicking on the entry -- and its nice to know who i was sitting with

gassho, roky

ok, just got an email, that was shawn -- great

[Dosho]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Shawn,

That's cool! I understand what you are saying in the video about being able to select any sitter, but I don't think it would be pointless to have Jundo in the middle and then everyone else at the bottom of the screen. I think that would be the point actually! Yes, the detail of the other folks would be rather limited but you'd know they are there and it wouldn't be that different from the other folks live in Tsukuba. Plus, I think some would be intimidated to know that anyone could select them individually...kind of stalkerish.

Regardless, the possibilities are rather interesting to say the least.

Gassho,
Dosho

[roky]

Re: The Sitting Hall

here i am first day of my retreat, and already screwing up :roll:

not sure about zen retreats, but theravadan are always silent -- and i've found that helpful over the years, though difficult -- and that even includes no letter writing, so that would also include electronic communication -- but before signing off, i just want folks to know i'm not being rude, just need to do it silently -- so won't be able to participate here or on g+ until the 21st -- but i will participate by my presence in the hall

gassho, roky(robert)

[Jundo]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Another issue for our Zazenkai is that the length is between 90 minutes and 4 hours. I wonder if there are any time limitations for recording onto Youtube. Of course, it is possible to break a long sitting into several shorter recordings.

Gassho, J

[Myozan Kodo]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Hi Jundo,
I think most films on YouTube are 10 mins. However, I have seen longer recorded, although I don't know how to do it.
Gassho
Soen

[Jundo]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Hi Jundo,
I think most films on YouTube are 10 mins. However, I have seen longer recorded, although I don't know how to do it.
Gassho
Soen

Yes, 10 minutes is too short to record anything for the Zazenkais. However, Youtube has given me special permission to load longer recordings lately, so I will just have to play with it and see what it lets me do.

I will report back.

Gassho, J

[Dokan]

Re: The Sitting Hall

As I currently understand it...

The current YouTube limitation has been changed to a size limit and not a duration. So as long as you keep the video under 2GB in size, it's unlimited duration. This of course can be controlled by adjusting the quality and even the codecs used. I'm doing some testing now to see.

Gassho,

Shawn

[Dokan]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Well now I'm not sure what the limitation would be...as I found this:

http://www.google.com/support/youtube/b ... wer=185316

Which seems to say that you can do up to 20GB if you use the Java uploader.

At any rate, to test it I grabbed a Ustream & a Justin.tv copy of the Zazenkai and uploaded them to my YouTube account:

Ustream video of 48 minutes:
[youtube]

[/youtube]


Justin.tv video of 1 hour 50 minutes
[youtube]

[/youtube]


Gassho,

Shawn