That $500 event streaming rig I thought was overkill...

I was sure those fancy portable encoders were just for big productions, but I cobbled together a little setup for a local music festival in Portland last month and it saved my butt when my laptop crashed 10 minutes in. The hardware just kept running without a hitch. Anyone else had a tool they ignored that turned out to be a lifesaver?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_laura7d ago

Ugh, that's such a classic scenario. You prep for every possible disaster and then the one thing you didn't think about bites you in the rear. I'm glad your backup rig saved the day, crashing that close to showtime is a nightmare. It's funny how the stuff we almost talk ourselves out of buying ends up being the real heroes. I had a similar thing with a backup battery pack for my phone. Thought it was dumb until my car battery died at a campsite with zero service. Little thing kept my phone alive for hours until help came. Definitely learned my lesson to trust the overkill sometimes.

the_faith7d ago

Bought one of those portable jump starters for my car last year and kept it in the glove box just in case. My buddy laughed at me for it, said I was being paranoid. Fast forward to last month when we're both at a trailhead and his truck won't start. Popped that little box out, hooked it up, and his truck fired right up like nothing was wrong. Now he's asking me for the link to buy his own.

victorhernandez7d ago

Man I read somewhere those things can jump a car like 20 times before needing a charge.