EDIT: I'm looking for a reliable ffmpeg-friendly web host. Any ideas/stories?

[dogknob]

Over a year ago, Dreamhost urged me to upgrade my PHP to version 5.3, which I did in the Dreamhost control panel. Today, I uploaded a script to my domain that includes some functions available only in php >= 5.3 and got fatal errors. I checked the control panel and it says I am running 5.3, but when I ran php -v in the shell I learned that it is actually version 5.2.17.

I then selected the 5.4 option in the control panel and was informed that the change would take 5-10 minutes. That was yesterday morning. Still running 5.2.17

Dreamhost offers ffmpeg on their servers, which I now need, but their version was built in 2011 and they provide no support whatsoever for it. I am decent with the UNIX shell and managed to get my own up-to-date ffmpeg working on my account, but I see that there are many other ISPs advertising full ffmpeg support.

Here's what I want (in order of importance):

1. PHP >= 5.3 (preferably higher) with no gotchas such as exec() or finfo() disabled or some other deal-breaker shite like that.

EDIT: Lots of storage (preferably unlimited). One site I run has a lot of (40-70 minute) audio files.

2. support/updates for ffmpeg and libraries

3. $$$ < Dreamhost ($12/month).

EDIT: 4(!) OF COURSE green/no-SOPA/no-FCC-TollNet/no-loose-fundamentalist-arbitrary-definition-of-what-is-porn

EDIT: See post #5 changing title to "I'm looking for a reliable ffmpeg-friendly web host. Any ideas/stories?"

[steve2470]

1. try TotalChoice Hosting

http://www.totalchoicehosting.com/index.html

[dogknob]

2. Thanks. Storage limits a bit skimpy though...

I suppose I should edit my post to reflect that. One site I run has a lot of audio files.

[hootinholler]

3. Sadly I hate my hosting people also.

They have an ancient version of tomcat available and claim to support JSP, etc.

Those I've found that do support J2EE are too expensive to justify a site where I can put the occasional proof of concept app up.

Please let me know who you end up going with.

[dogknob]

4. This looks pretty good. Anyone have experience with Arvixe?

I chatted with one of their tech support people last night at about 1am PST. Answered my questions even after he learned that I do not currently have any business with them.

http://www.arvixe.com/linux_web_hosting

[dogknob]

5. UPDATE: Staying (for now)

After several hours yesterday and today scouring Dreamhost's wiki and outside articles about dealing with Dreamhost, I was finally able to piece together enough information to get everything running on my own.

During this time, not even so much as a "RTFM" reply from Dreamhost support.

Moving sucks, and my hosting isn't up for renewal until August, but I will still be looking for a new ISP.