What size is acceptable for dialup users?

[Timmo]

Hi guys- Im just spending a bit of time on a new photo real scenery series which will be announced soon.

Ive just created a bit and the resultant Bgl is 53MB (just for the photoreal)....is this too big for dialup users to handle? (although surely if i can upload it on dialup then users should be able to manage the download!)

And....in order to keep download sizes acceptable, would you rather: 1) Better resolution but smaller area or 2) lower resolution but larger area??

(remember there is a squared relationship with image resolutions/sizes)

Cheers

[Jimmy]

I don't often download files more than 15mb, but I would if it was very attractive, such as the CS shuttle.

As a dial up user I proably woudln't download, say 100mb (around 6 hours) if it was only a small photoreal area, but I would consider it much more if it was a large area. Suppose area wins over resolution, but then were not seeing these awsome resalutions you can produce, so perhaps two download options? Or areas split up into smaller high resolution packages and then a few large coverage areas that maby come out at around 70-100mbs.

James

[ardypilot]

I've only recently switched to broadband, so I'd like to give my opinion here.

Firstly, I'd say anything over 150mb is too big. I used to happily download photoreal scenery and the VOZ packages on overnight. Most dial up plans are unlimited, so its only tieing up the phoneline which is an issue.

Secondly, I'd go for '2) lower resolution but larger area??' More scenic area to explore would suit me

[Timmo]

I tend to aim for around 20-30Mb download sizes....I agree that to a certain extent larger area/lower resolution is better but a) Want to use the new features of FSX and b) Future proof it a bit better.

These new areas are intended to merge into the default scenery so wont be 'tiles' as such: The will have their boundaries at the edge of natural 'outstanding features' (ie I wont include large areas of farmland since the landclass textures do an OK job of representing that type of feature)

The area im working on now includes a town so id like to keep the resolution high enough that houses are clearly visible (i.e. probably sub 2m pixel res)

[Jimmy]

Most dial up plans are unlimited, so its only tieing up the phoneline which is an issue.

There are often time limits thow, such as I have a 150hours limit here, I think others such as Nik have a similer limit, and man does that time go quick

James

[HardCorePawn]

*cough*get broadband*cough*

Before people start jumping up and down, I would like to point out that it is beginning to be a 'requirement' just the same way that things likes 1gig of RAM, P4 or higher CPU, 256Meg Geforce 7 series or better are beginning to become 'requirements'...

ie. they're not essential, but if you want the 'full' experience you need them...

And lets face it... @ $24.95/month for slingshots 'broadband for beginners'... with a 256k/128k line and 10gigs... its pretty affordable...

[Timmo]

hehe yeah true....It was a certainly a large step backwards coming from the middle of Tokyo with ridiculous speeds back here to dialup haha (i.e. over there id download a 800Mb Top gear episode while at work, back here ive been chipping away at one for a few days....not close to finishing haha)

Ill probably go to BB when i move to ChCh

[Timmo]

hahahahahah...man im such an idiot! Just re-read the SDK docs to get a better handle on QMID levels and hello, what is this, CompressionQuality?.....

One file went from 80Mb to 13Mb without an appreciable decline in quality......errr....so ignore this topic and my stupidity. I should be able to get those file sizes pretty small now

Idiot....gosh!

[G-HEVN]

It's an interesting dilemma. Instinctively I'd go for quality over quantity - the higher the resolution the better. But there's a guy over on avsim, been uploading photoscenery of Chile for months. Kudos to him for doing it, but with Avsim's 100MB file sixe limit, there are now hundreds of the things, and the prospect of downloading them all is daunting to say the least. (might try a few for my tour though...)

[Kahu]

I am still on dial up and just the other day downloaded a file that was 500mb (mod for operation flashpoint, took 2 days) but if the file is worth it and supports resume I would rather have the extra detail and longer downloading time.

To answer your question I would rather have better resoultion.

[creator2003]

i know im on BBand , but its a hell of alot easyier downloading one file than 2-3-4 part this and that ,to me if its spilt into lots of parts ill never download it as it just gets lost around my system ,
im on dial up once a month up in ak and id still keep the same opinion 1 file

[toprob]

A timely discussion, as I'm working on an FSX update for Real NZ Rotorua, and it is growing larger every hour. (there may be a freeware aerial imagery component included.)
I admit that I would aim for mid-level internet usage, rather that the low-end. This may include people on dial-up, but in an area like flightsim, where web distribution is the norm, I would suspect that download managers with resume would almost be a necessity.
These folk would need to think long and hard about downloading say 200MB, but it would be entirely possible.
On the other hand, it is important not to penalise those who have upgraded their connection specifically to serve their flightsim interest. There has to be a mid-ground.
At the moment I'd be inclined to keep downloads under 100MB.

[gokanru]

Quality is the biggy for me.I'm on dialup with unlimited account.I just set the computer to download and go to bed,must admit tho a download manager is essential for me downloading the 60mb files and over.

[HardCorePawn]

Besides... people on dialup can always subscribe to sneakerNET or postalNET... ie. a friend with broadband and a cd burner

You can get a CD through the post for like 90c and a blank CD these days is what... about 10c?