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[ The Video Agenda ]
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Is it time to let go?
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by Mark J. Pescatore
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My wife was understandably concerned. My erratic proclamation conflicted with established behavior patterns. She looked at me, love and understanding reflected in her lovely brown eyes, and asked the question that had remained unspoken between us.
"Are you sure you want to sell your Star Wars toys?"
Yes, after more than 20 years of sitting in a box and taking up space, it was time for my childhood collection to find a new home. And for the record, they were action figures.
I freely admit that I am a pack rat, hopelessly opposed to discarding anything that someday might come in handy. I've amassed an astounding array of rubbish using that philosophy, but on occasion it's been a successful time-saving strategy. On rare occasion.
A little spring cleaning, anyone?
It's that time of year again, when manufacturers begin to parade a laundry list of new products and technologies in the hopes of winning your business. The 2008 NAB Show is right around the corner, which will be followed by InfoComm in June and our show, GVExpo, in December.
Over the next few months, you'll be tempted by bells, whistles, and promises of improved productivity. But before you decide on something new, perhaps it's time to consider what to do with something old.
Take a serious look at your storage area. Come on, do you really need all that stuff? Did you even remember you had that old audio mixer? Isn't that the monitor that hasn't worked right since the intern dropped it? Are you ever going to repair those lighting instruments? Do they even make the lamps anymore?
No one will fault you for keeping old equipment on hand for parts. But let's say your facility has changed tape formats or even gone to a server-based workflow. If your playback system went down, would you immediately rush to the storage area and attempt to re-integrate your old VTRs? If the answer is no, it's probably safe to cut ties.
Don't want to junk your old equipment? Maybe you can sell it. Someone was actually willing to pay for my old, used Chewbacca on eBay -- you might find an interested party for your U-matic or Beta SP deck by posting it on the Government Video Forums at our Web site. If you're not permitted to sell equipment, or you just can't find a buyer, consider donating it to a local school or the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center (see the story on page 18).
Yes, this line of thinking goes completely against the "I might need that someday" pack rat mantra. But it also makes room for lots of cool new stuff.
Mark J. Pescatore is the editor. Contact him at mpescatore@nbmedia.com.
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