As we write this, Super Bowl Sunday is less than 48 hours away and video DJ Scotty B (aka Promo Only video programming VP Scotty Bucher) is about to hop a flight to Dallas where he’s booked three Super Bowl parties: Mike Ditka’s Miller Lite Gridiron Greats; Sports Illustrated Flag Football Event; and Pamela Anderson’s Playboy Party.

What’s he packing, besides a parka, snowshoes and a smile?  His trusty laptop. That’s right:  Scotty B kicks video Big VJ-style with a notebook. And so can you, with the right coach – and the right laptop.

PO: We know you’re playing beat the clock, Scotty, so ready, set, go: We’re looking for the perfect VJ laptop. Recommended minimum requirements?

PO: Got it. Hard drive?

SB’s Tip # 2: As for size, terabyte hard drives are super affordable right now, so be smart and buy a second drive to back up your media. All it takes is for your main hard drive to be stolen, dropped or crash to render you video-less. A backup drive at your gigs will also give you peace of mind. And think about transport (USB, FW800, eSATA) speed when buying your hard drive: the faster the file gets to your computer the less the software has to work to gather/buffer the video.

PO: Internal or External?

For BEST performance, keep ALL media
OFF your system hard drive.

SB’s Tip # 3:  You’ll thank me for this -- especially if you scratch, do tricks, or typically listen to a few songs before you choose one to play: You don’t want your media files on the same hard drive that’s busy processing your computer’s operating system, etc. That being said, if you still insist on an internal drive think about swapping out your laptop’s CD drive for more hard drive space. Here is a great option for Macs:  http://www.mcetech.com/optibay/

PO: Sound Card?

Serato users already have the SL box.
If your software doesn't come with its own breakout box,
consider the M-Audio Fast Track Pro.

SB’s Tip # 4: Many of the new MIDI controllers like Hercules, Pioneer and Allen & Heath now come with great sound cards.

PO: Cables?

GOOD: RCA (composite)     BETTER: S-Video/DVI     OUTRAGEOUS: HDMI out

SB’s Tip # 5: Good cables can make all of the difference in the world, especially when it comes to video. A good cable will filter out static and noise from AC outlets and cell phones. Go with Monster Cables as a standard.

PO: A good laptop VJ is well prepared and organized, which requires the proper labeling of his video files with Title, Artist, BPM and any other notes required. Best ID3 tag editor?

SB’s Tip # 6: Don't forget most of us already have a great ID3 editor – iTunes.

Get the drop on a laptop today and you could go… all… the… way!
Look for DJ Scotty B at NASCAR Speed Week, the Daytona 500 pre-race party, Le Mans 12 Hours of Sebring, at club gigs in Atlanta, Tampa and Charlotte, and every Saturday night on New York's B91. Visit DJ Scotty B at www.djscottyb.com.

For more info on our selection of laptop-friendly
video formats call 407-331-3600 or email customerservice@promoonly.com

Useless Information! - Fun facts, trivia, or just plain silly stuff!

"What's in the Closet?"

Often fans will acquire an item that their favorite star once owned. Here are a few of the more outrageous examples:

• WHAT GALL! Barton Lidice Benes, noted celebrity-relic collector, was a fan of J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman)-- the cutthroat yet charming baron from the TV series Dallas. Demonstrating his continued devotion, Benes had one of Hagman's gallstones placed in a setting, creating a handsome ring.

• ENTERPRISING BARBER: Elvis Presley's personal hair stylist, Homer Gilleland, so loved the King that he saved a fist-size ball of Presley's hair clippings. He later gave them away to an industrious friend who put them up for auction. Starting bid? $10,000!

• PRIME SUCKER: If you prefer presidential memorabilia, a half-sucked throat lozenge from President Bill Clinton might fit the bill.

• HEADS, YOU LOSE: Following Sir Walter Raleigh's beheading in 1618, his wife was presented with his embalmed head. She kept it for 29 years, and upon her death, the rotting heirloom was inherited by the couple's son Carew. The head was buried with Carew in 1666.

• EINSTEIN'S COMPUTER: Albert Einstein was one smart cookie. So it comes as no surprise that after his death in 1955, his brain was retained for examination to see what made it so far above average. Sliced into 240 sections for distribution, Einstein's gray matter was compared against other brains and found to be some 15 percent wider than the norm. Today, the bulk of Einstein's brain rests at Princeton Hospital in New Jersey.

• PRETENTIOUS PEE: In Nov 1996, a souvenir-hunting art dealer saw a grand opportunity. While dining at a celebrity-filled Los Angeles bistro, the man happened upon Sylvester Stallone in the men's room. Noticing that the muscular star had neglected to flush his urinal, the man leaped into action. He hastily emptied a pill bottle and scooped out a few ounces of Sly's "essence".

• A LEG UP ON THE COMPETITION: Some people save their own body parts as souvenirs. Such was the case with Union General Daniel Sickles. After having his right leg amputated after the Battle of Gettysburg, the unfazed warrior donated the limb to the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington, DC. Reportedly, the enterprising officer escorted lady friends to see the relic, regaling them with tales of his bravery.

• PINT-SIZED PHALLUS: Although the cause of Napoleon Bonaparte's May 1821 death is still open to debate, a certain part of his anatomy is thought to have been removed during his autopsy. Yes, THAT part! A priest by the name of Ange Vignali is said to have taken home the souvenir. In 1916, Vignali's heirs sold the item. The pint-sized appendage (approximately one inch in length) has since gotten around--perhaps even more than the famed general's life -- and it currently resides with an American urologist.

• PROUD APPENDAGE: The "Mad Monk" Rasputin is said to have left behind more than his legacy after being murdered in 1916. Tales of his castration have circulated since his death, and his surviving body part is purported to be of uncommon size. In 2004, the Russian mystic's alleged organ was placed on display at a St. Petersburg museum. "We can stop envying America, where Napoleon Bonaparte's is now kept," bragged the museum about their massive find. "Napoleon's is but a small 'pod''; it cannot stand comparison to our organ of 30 centimeters (11.8 inches)."