Top Gear Lost Media: A Prelude

A small video which is about a month behind schedule due to factors outside of my control. I do apologise for these unforeseen delays and hope to get back to a "regular" routine starting from this week.
I ordered these three items back in late January, and intended to make a video about them towards the end of the following month, a week or two after my MPH '05 upload. I filmed most of the dialogue and got the video to about 60 - 70% completion before deciding I wanted to include Laughing Gear in the video too, and to do this I needed a USB Audio Grabber, which only one company (VTOP in China) appears to make, at least in a reputable quality.
I placed an order for a well-looked after example via eBay so that the cassette tape could be transferred into a digital format (which also came with its own tape player) and waited. And waited. I waited for over a week, only for the seller to then inform me that his house had undergone renovation since listing his item, and that they were likely thrown out. So I had to start again. This time, I found another listing but had to wait a full week due to it being an auction. Thankfully, I won it for a fraction of the price of a new converter, and did not have to import one, which would have complicated things further.
Thinking of future endeavours, particularly the amount of time it took to process and render the MPH '05 video, I then decided to invest in a beefier graphics card, which now allows me to upscale and render videos much quicker than before. But in spite of having a PSU which was seemingly sufficient for this card, with a good 100W to spare, it wasn't actually enough. So I had to spend another day waiting for the PSU to turn up, and then spent the subsequent day putting it all together. This delayed the video further.
In the end, everything came together but way later than I initially intended. I hope you enjoy this analysis of some rare, old Top Gear media.
The GearKnob Wiki is online at the following URL: wiki.gearknob.org
Support me here:
ko-fi.com/alextgrf62537 - Ko-Fi
www.patreon.com/user?u=67242317 - Patreon

[@Grez6232]

I spent so much time playing with the 1997 CD-rom when I was kid. And I could recite every word of Laughing Gear. I even performed the Harry Enfield car bores sketch and the Two Ronnies policeman sketch in a school talent show. Yes, really.

[@WhiteBaron777]

The old manufacturer webpages got me nostalgic for a time that I wasn't even around to experience.

[@caio5987]

You did t miss much

[@aj3852]

I get this feeling quite a lot aswell , I think it’s called anemoia ? Nevertheless it’s quite strange why this happens.

[@404TVfr]

@@caio5987 did t?

[@caio5987]

@@404TVfr “didn’t” Bloody autocorrect that I have to keep correcting 😂

[@Craigmt12]

I remember the fantastic free CD ROM that came with the magazine in the late 90s. The screensaver was great. Loved it. Thanks for sharing. I think the hedgehogs usually won.

[@MetalheadAndNerd]

Are you sure that the hardware never existed? This software could have been for PalmOS, Windows CE or Symbian. I had a so called pocket PC, made by Casio. It ran Windows CE and had an extension slot that could host a GPS receiver. I even played Doom on the palm sized gadget. Do a Google image search for pocket pc to get a lot of nice pictures.

[@Zfrk]

Can imagine how hot that gps watch would have gotten? The people to buy that would have been the same people that bought 3D TV's on day 1, and still buy new navigation map DVDs for their E90.

[@FirstDan2000]

Pretty cool stuff. A bit of a time capsule. Have you any leads that would let you have copies of the unbroadcasted Pilot Episodes from 2002?

[@pitergriffin01]

there is something like that??

[@FirstDan2000]

Yes, according to Richard Porter in his book 'And On That Bombshell'.

[@revolume]

it won’t be possible to get the pilot episodes as the majority of the TG crew (including the CHM trio) left, and even if they were there - the tapes were locked in a drawer and never to be seen again

[@alfsmith4936]

@@revolume Someone has the key..

[@jorge2123jm]

That was really cool and fun to look at. And the nostalgia...

[@thesuperzfamilyvlog6607]

The travel assistant reminds me of an old palm

[@mully006]

I thought I was a big fan but you have taken the cake. Also you should rip the entity of the cassette, they do degrade over time so it will likely stop working eventually.

[@tylerkeenan4390]

I got pranked. I thought jezza was finally talk about my beloved prelude

[@hypnotised-clover]

There was a "smart watch" made by seiko in 1982, it had a digital LCD watch and a separate screen, but the wearer had to have this box on their belt and plug the watch into the box with a cable whenever they wanted to use it, without the box, it was just a watch. I assume this watch had a similar thing, which would not have been in the pre-prototype images.

[@thegodofhellfire]

That was a strange stroll down memory lane.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

I've still got the "Jam Packed" CD-ROM.

[@WoodsPrecisionArms]

It is WILD to see all the old manufacturer websites. That was cool and oh my how we have come a long long long way but I do miss the old school websites

[@caio5987]

Oh my god the internet in the 90’s was something else 😂

[@thb9926]

Another amazing video

[@Memecream184]

I remember an episode where they were talking about fake Ferraris, I think they were KIT cars or something. I’ve searched everywhere for the episode and can’t find it?

[@tazzmaniandevilboy42]

Nice bed sheets! You a Robot Wars fan?

[@homogenized]

These old school websites, omg 🤣 splash pages and gifs galore

[@ParallelSyntax]

I have a Laughing Gear cassette somewhere still. I wonder what other bits of media that Pre 2002 Top Gear released?

[@joyjoJ4ever]

love lost media videos

[@boigercat]

Great video mate

[@yeetithceetith]

Where is the Laughing Gear Cassette audio?? Definitely want to hear all of it.

[@CallMeClarkson]

solid stuff man!

[@JK061996]

19:55 look how they massacred the Kia Sportage. It went from a cute, capable body-on-frame 4x4 to a useless crossover with the looks of a mutant insect

[@sujalshetty5986]

that so cool

[@Gorb.cincoBoi]

Where did you go?

[@yeetithceetith]

Bro said jif, i almost regret donating💀

[@MarsofAritia]

that's the proper way to pronounce it

[@yeetithceetith]

@@MarsofAritia yea but it's still dumb

[@playlist9980]

@@MarsofAritia Is it? I've always said 'ghif'.

[@MarsofAritia]

@@playlist9980 the creator says it's jif.

[@BOXING_LOUNGE]

Let's Go Champ 🥊🥊🔥

[@kerokerocola99]

SOVL

[@molodoy..]

sVinoreZ

[@MarsofAritia]

not really lost if you found it that easily is it? lost stuff would be the pilot episodes and your wiki is covered in spam. would be better if you just made your own website

[@tomkandy]

14:00 You mean "comprehensive" not "concise"