July 2006 Archives
Popwire releases version 1.1 of their Ingest Engine. The capture product was first released around the time of NAB 2006. The latest release adds support for NTSC and live video feeds. VTR or live feed is configured in the server preference pane. Ingest Engine 1.1 also includes several fixes in the client user interface and in regards to capture hardware. However, server is not supported to run on Intel platform.
Related article:
Austin, Texas is the place to be for this year's 2006 FlashForward conference which will feature sessions on delivering on-line Flash Video.
Here's some workshops and sessions to check out if you want to learn how to delivery Flash streaming videos.
Workshop
Flash Video Workshop with Robert Reinhardt of Schematic
Workshop highlights:
Part I: Acquisition/Encoding
Part II: Advanced Encoding Strategies
Part III: Flash Authoring for Video
Part IV: Flash Video Deployment
Nero Vision
Nero Vision also comes in the Nero 7 Ultra Edition suite. Nero Vision 4 is video capturing, authoring and burning software. The user-friendly interface makes it easy to capture videos from DV cameras and other external video devices and record them to DVD-Video, Video CD (VCD), Super Video CD (SVCD) and miniDVD. With the many features offered in this powerful piece of multimedia software, you will have numerous options for creating and managing your memories. Even those who are new to the world of video will find using Nero Vision 4 to be easy and enjoyable.
Nero Vision doesn't have all the bells, whistles and fancy interface of a Final Cut Pro or Avid Xpress DV editing application but users can does some basic level functions such as importing and editing video files together. Users can also adding titles and video effects to a project. This is a helpful tool with those that need to piece together video clips for a DVD, CD or Super Video CD.
Their are a growing number of studios out their who are seriously testing the waters with Final Cut Pro for long form narrative editing. If you were wondering just who had actually used Final Cut Pro to cut major league films out there, you just may be surprised! Take a look at these accounts of FCP being the tool of choice for producing these four major films!
Have you ever wondered how much storage is required for mini-dv footage? In today's world, it's not as much as you might think.
Mini-DV requires approximately 1 gigabyte of storage for every 5 minutes. This may sound like a lot. But consider this, the typical retail cost of a 250 gigabyte hard-drive costs around $150.00. This means for $150.00 you can hold roughly 1250 minutes of dv storage, or 20 hours of media.
Think about this. It may be cheaper to archive all of your DV media on a hard-drive instead of tape. Hour long DV tapes can cost as much as $10.00 per tape. To give you an idea of how far hard-disk technology has advanced, take a look at this old 9 gig hard-drive that used to cost as much as $10,000. This was the price 10 years ago!
We are now approaching the hard-drive capacity that could archive all words ever spoken by human beings. That's a scary thought. Here are some extra facts about storage capacities.
A binary decision 1 bit
A single text character 1 byte
A typical text word 10 bytes
A typewritten page 2 kilobyte s ( KB s)
A short novel 1 megabyte ( MB )
The complete works of Shakespeare 5 megabytes
A collection of the works of Beethoven 20 gigabytes
A library floor of academic journals 100 gigabytes
An academic research library 2 terabytes
The print collections of the U.S. Library of Congress 10 terabytes
The National Climactic Data Center database 400 terabytes
All U.S. academic research libraries 2 petabytes
All printed material in the world 200 petabytes
All words ever spoken by human beings 5 exabytes
The On2 Flix Engine provides many of the Flash 8 video encoding features the industry leading On2 Flix Pro video encoder in a powerful software SDK.
The Engine enables users the ability to add the power and efficiency of Flash 8 video with On2 VP6 encoding to their intranet, website and other server-based applications, create custom player skins, preserve alpha channel in the video output, and much more.
The major feature of the On2 Flix Engine 8 is support for Macromedia Flash 8 video with the On2 VP6 codec and FLV video output that can be played directly in the Flash Player, streamed through the Macromedia Flash Media Server, or imported into Flash Studio. The new FLV output also is fully compliant with FLV format metadata and Macromedia Flash Player 8 standards.
Limelight Networks, the world's leading content delivery network for digital media, and Internet Application hosting provider RIS Technology, Inc. partnered to host and distribute video content of the 55th Annual Miss Universe Competition. Video interviews of each of the contestants and many clips showcasing behind the scene moments of the Miss Universe pageant are online now at www.missuniverse.com.
"Limelight is the hands-down choice when it comes to delivering reliable, ultra scalable performance of video to large global audiences and, for an event of this size, this is absolutely critical," commented Nate Johnson, at RIS Technology, Inc.
Nero, announced that the Nero ShowTime application of its Nero 7 digital media software suite received Windows Media Center Edition (MCE) certification. The Microsoft Windows Logo Program is designed to help customers identify products that deliver a high-quality computing experience with Windows operating systems.
The Nero ShowTime application of the Nero 7 software suite allows consumers to playback all digital recordings. Providing improved H.264/AVC and DVD-Video playback, Nero ShowTime enhances consumers' enjoyment and ability to manage HD video content on a PC. Also, a new navigation jog-shuttle and the integration of the Nero Scout application provide faster access to all digital files in the home.
Telestream, the media encoding specialist, announced availability of Flip4Mac WMV version 2.1 software. Release highlights include universal support for Apple's Intel-based Macintosh systems and significantly faster Windows Media encoding for PowerPC Mac users. The Flip4Mac WMV update is free and available for download on Microsoft and Flip4Mac websites.
"We are pleased to offer Intel support for the large base of Mac users who have been eager to receive this release since our announcement in April," said Barbara DeHart, Vice President, Flip4Mac Products. "Considerable buzz has been generated throughout the Mac community as is evidenced by the immense number of users who offered to participate in our beta testing process."
Here's another update to a great plug-in from Red Giant Software that gives the ability to simulate realistic light sources in your projects. Knoll Light Factory 2.5 supports After Effects, Motion, Final Cut Pro, Avid Xpress Pro and Premiere Pro. Here are some of the new features in Knoll Light Factory 2.5 as listed on the Red Giant site:
- 25 new preset flares effects
- GPU Engine
- Added control for Light Factory Spectacular
- Integrated alpha generation
- New host support
Here are the many uses of the Knoll Light Factory Series
- Simulate a bright spotlight behind text or logos.
- Crate mood by emulating a fabulous sunset in seconds.
- Enhance the dramatic impact of explosions.
- Add sparkle and glows to any 2D or 3D object like text and logos. Frequently used on the Today Show and ESPN.
- Replicate sun flares around a planet or above water.
Just in case you missed it, there was a great blog written about Trapcodes plug-ins for After Effects that you have to check out as well.
Now that the biggest hit of the summer is out, biggest film of all time so far, the editors of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest can relax and enjoy it's success. Editors Craig Wood and Stephen Rivkin Share Storytelling Gold. They used Avid Film composer, Avid Unity, 3.5 Tb of storage and a six person editing team to tell a great story. There were significant time constraints at the end of postproduction, which presented a challenge on the project - the editors had less than six weeks to work with the director to finish the cut. This time period was tight as a result of shooting delays (due to last year's active hurricane season, which impacted filming in the Caribbean) and the preparation of a day-and-date release, which cut into the time usually reserved for final editing in order to prepare prints in multiple languages for a same-day, worldwide opening. Take a few minutes and read Craig and Stephens story about how they got started and what keeps them going and don't forget to check out the story of how Avid was utilized to tell this great story!
Sonic Solutions has recently unleashed the first ever Blu-Ray Drive (BD) supported optical storage ware for the Mac allowing Macintosh users to store 50 GB of data on BD- R (recordable) and BD-RE (rewritable) disks.
Toast 7 also includes what is being labeled "Toast Dynamic Writing," which will allow users to record files by simply dragging and dropping, much like the transfer of data to an external drive. The software is universal providing Mactel and Power-PC users a viable archiving solution.
Expect the first drives with Toast 7 and Blu-ray support to roll off the assembly lines sometime this quarter.
GeniusDV.com has a multi-part article for those interested in learning how to create audio for their Podcast using QuickTime 7 Pro. The article is called Creating Podcast Audio with QuickTime 7 Pro. For those that don't know QuickTime Pro, which usually costs about $30 dollars, is the swiss army knife for multimedia. The tool is amazing and now gives users the ability to capture audio directly to their workstation or laptop using a USB microphone. Our 3 part article shows you how easy it is to do. We take users through set-up, capture and conversion to an MPEG-4 (.mp4) AAC audio file. The article also provide some other useful tips.
Justifying Your Existence
For many producers of content for television often times they never know who if anyone is viewing their content. Specifically government, public, and education access facilities many times air exceptional programs but really never know if their videos are watched by viewers. On the other hand an analysis of streaming server logs can provide information about which videos were watched and how often. This information is valuable in situations where reporting needs to provided on viewership of public service announcements, talk shows, news and other television programs. Streaming reports also a great tracking mechanisism for governments that need to meet certain requirements for grants, agencies, and boards they are accountible to.
Democracy Player is the best way I've seen so far to experience viewing of multiple internet videos on the web. The experience is made simple and easy and media companies are taking note. As I surfed the Democracy Player Channel Guide I was able to subscribe to channels such as: CNN, NOVA - PBS and Comedy Central. Media companies are seeing the value of having a podcast or internet video available as one of the many channels on the Democracy Player. CNN, NOVA-PBS and Comedy Central are taking advantage of their well established brands. Brands such as these have a better chance of getting subscribers because viewers already know what to expect from the content. With so many channels to choose from via the Democracy Player Channel Guide many subscribers appreciate established media brands over unrecognized video content.
Learn about Participatory Culture Foundation's internet TV platform components
Related article:
Webcast attendees can recieve a free license of Real Producer Plus from Real Networks for attending a FREE streaming seminar that discusses large scale streaming deployment for educators. Real Producer Plus is a tool for creating and broadcasting RealAudio and RealVideo. You must pre-register and attend the August 8, 2006 webcast to get the software. In addition to Real Producer Plus software, attendees will get a 3-month trial of Real Network's Rhapsody unlimited music subscription.
Now that I have introduced you to the Avid Pan and Zoom there are a few parameters you need to take into consideration. Rendering options for Pan and Zoom are very important to the quality of output of your production. You might not always want the sharpest possible result. Images with many sharp edges might look better with a softer rendering. So here is the break down of your options and what they do. Remember to always try a few different ones until you get the results you are looking for.
- Real Time: renders most quickly but results in a draft-quality image.
- Triangle: results in fairly soft images.
- Quadratic: has slightly sharper images than Triangle filtering.
- Cubic: results in sharper images than Quadratic filtering although they are still fairly soft.
- B-Spline Catmull: When you use this option and shrink an image (zoom out) by a large amount, the result is similar to that produced by Cubic filtering. B-Spline Catmull produces a sharper image than Cubic filtering when you:
- Gaussian: results in an image that is relatively soft but sharper than B-Spline Catmull.
- Avid Hi Qual: creates sharp images when you shrink the original (zoom out).
- Avid Ultra Qual: creates extremely sharp images when you shrink the original (zoom out).
MainConcept, announced that it has licensed its H.264/AVC Codec Technology to MobiTV, Inc. MainConcept is recognized industry-wide as the leader in software H.264 encoding and decoding on the desktop, home and professional environments and now is presenting MobiTV with their mobile solution.
MobiTV, has implemented the MainConcept H.264 Encoder and Decoder for its mobile environment. Using MainConcept's H.264 codec implementation, MobiTV expects to have more efficient video delivery. With MobiTV the phone becomes a portable TV and the user is able to watch their favorite channels in the palm of his hand.
Analyzing Streaming Server Log Files
Analyzing streaming server log files has an added benefit because streaming server logs contain more detailed information than the information one might get from a web server. A streaming server is used to host real-time streaming videos and detailed information from each visitor can be recorded in the log files. You can find out how long certain videos were watched, the total bandwidth used for each video, click throughs for video content. Click throughs are valuable because you can see the first video viewed and the last video viewed per visitor viewing session. Click throughs also show all the video viewed in between.
Good news for all of you who use Final Cut Studio. Award winning software developer for the Visual Effects Industry, Wondertouch, has created an extensive library of Particle Effects that are compatible with Motion 2. Wondertouch is the developer of the robust particle effects application, ParticleIllusion, which is powered by a very similar particle engine like the one used in Motion, and have created a collection of over 300 particle effects such as smoke, fire, motion graphic elements, water explosions and much more that will run on Motion’s very own particle system.
You will find many of these particle effects in Autodesk Combustion's particle system due to ParticleIllusion being licensed by Autodesk and integrated into Combustion by the effects wizards at Wondertouch.
You will be able to purchase the Wondertouch Particle Emitters for Motion in three sizes:
Small: 65 emitters - $39
Medium: 200 emitters - $99
Large: 337 emitters - $149
Analyzing Web Server Log Files
Analyzing web server log files is good for getting a snapshot of the traffic that comes to your website. The web server log files can show which websites your visitors are coming from and the most and least popular pages. Tools such as Sawmill, Funnel Web Analyzer and Web Trends enable you to process the log files from the web server. These software applications can easily generate total pageviews, total visitors, viewing for specific time periods and other important information such as errors and successfully loaded web pages.
Many companies are doing an analysis of their websites by creating web reports and as a result their gaining significant value and cost savings. This is also providing good customer service for end users. For example, I recently created a web report by analyzing the web server log files for a city government and was able to track the pages that visitors were coming from only to find that those pages had errors when visiting the URLs. As a result the web pages were fixed and now work properly. If the web server report had not provided the visitor URLs the pages with errors would have never been checked.
Related articles:
Analyzing Web and Streaming Server Log Files - Part 1
The Participatory Culture Foundation has released Democracy Player Version 0.8.5. This is their first native version for the new Intel-based Macs. The latest version of the Democracy player is also supported on Windows, Mac PPC and Linux. I had some time to try out the new Democracy Player version 0.8.5 and there are some really cool features that make for enjoyable viewing. Users will enjoy the channel guide and tabs for search, new videos and active downloads.
For those that are not familiar with Democracy Player, it's a media player that supports the viewing of Internet video and video podcasts. What Democracy Player does for the on-line video viewing experience is outstanding. You can easily search through video categories and find interesting content to view. Once you subscribe to a channels you can choose which episodes to watch then downloading begins. When the downloaded videos are available they show up in a tab called New Videos. Then you can watch your videos one after the other. This makes the viewing experience fun.
MainConcept, recently released the MPEG Pro HD 2.0 plug-in for Adobe Premiere Pro. Built from an entirely new code base, the new version brings frame-accurate, native MPEG editing with smart rendering to Premiere Pro 2.0. It also adds professional features such as H.264 import and export, MXF file support for Sony XDCAM HD, enhanced HD editing performance and various other improvements.
MPEG Pro HD turns MPEG editing (including HDV) into a fast, high-quality workflow without the need to transcode to other formats for editing.
General Overview
One of the best kept secrets is the ability to analyze web and streaming server log files. Many individuals, companies and organizations don't even realize that they have the option to do so. This only hurts them. If you analyze your web and streaming server log files you can find out all kinds of valuable information to assist your with your web site development and streaming media services.
You can use the information in the log files to see which web pages are the most popular and least popular. Log files also track information on errors and potential problems one might be having with their website. For anyone that is not analyzing their web and streaming server log files they are really approaching new media in a blind manner. They won't know if people are visiting the various web pages and they have no idea where folks are coming from. In this multi-part series we'll cover analyzing web server logs, analyzing streaming Server log, and justifying your existence.
Here is the last step for creating your Podcast audio using QuickTime 7 Pro.
Step 8. Convert Audio to MPEG-4 AAC
The last thing you need to do for creating Podcast audio with QuickTime 7 Pro is to convert your QuickTime .mov audio file to a .mp4 AAC audio file. To do this select Export from the File pull-down menu. A dialog window will open up. Navigate to the Export menu inside the Save Export File As dialog window. Select Movie to MPEG-4 from the Pop-up menu and click the Save button.
In addition to .mp4 AAC audio files, Podcast audio can be created in the .mp3 format. The benefit of using the .mp3 format is that you probably will have greater browser and media player support. Also, when you are finished creating your audio file you will upload it to a web server and not a streaming server because the files will be downloadable streaming files.
There is an upcoming session at the 16th Annual WEVA Expo which will give attendees a better understanding of Final Cut Studio. The session is called Final Cut Studio Tips & Tricks will be taught by Certified Final Cut Pro Instructor John Lynn and Video Streaming and Compression Specialist, Derrick Freeman both of GeniusDV.
This session will guide WEVA attendees through using the Final Cut Studio Suite but will also feature tips and tricks on how to easily author a DVD project using DVD Studio Pro and how to get good quality MPEG2 files using Compressor. In addition, attendees will learn how to apply various filters and how to create custom compression settings with Compressor.
Get more details on the WEVA session highlighting DVD Studio Pro and Compressor
If you are a producer that relies heavily on Adobe Photoshop for your video work, like most, you will be glad to hear that SFX-3D, developed by Skylark Technology, has given you the ability to create dynamic 3D and 2-D special effects in Photoshop and Adobe Premiere.
Add and manipulate light in your Photoshop art that matches real-world camera setups, create 3-dimensional shapes from Photoshop elements while adding patterns and textures to create unique surfaces. You can generate complex 3D effects such as netting, bubbles, fractal snowflakes, fur, and rain without complex rendering. There is also an entire library of 2D effects including increased color correction prowess headlining the top of list.
SFX-3D runs on Windows and OSX Systems and you should really take a look at its extensive features list.
JVC has been listening to producers and have announced that they have upgraded their HD100U High Def camera to the HD110U. You can expect the same physical design as the 100 model, but what you can also expect are some new features that have been highly sought after by producers. Here are the new features in the JVC HD110U:
- Black and white viewfinder display mode
- Simultaneous use of both eyepiece viewfinder and tri-mode LCD display when powered by Anton Bauer or IDX battery system
- Selectable mirror mode on vertically flipped LCD display
- Adjustable setting of FOCUS ASSIST function
- Choice of three image formats on composite out (letterbox, squeeze, side cut)
- User selectable DNR ON/OFF menu setting
- 13 segment audio level indicator
- Manual audio control within FAS (Full Auto Shooting) mode
- Audio limiter available in manual mode
- Parallel power off management of DR-HD100 hard disk recorder
The HD110 is expected to be listed for the same introductory price as the HD100, $6,295, and is expected to ship in mid July, which means any day now.
On August 24th, TV Land will be re-launching TVLAND.com complete with an on-demand streaming video library of classic television shows and some of the most memorable commercials ever produced. Expect full length episodes of vintage shows such as "Star Trek," "Daniel Boone," "I Pity the Fool," starring Mr. T, "I Love Lucy," "The Andy Griffith Show," and the Wendy's "Where's the Beef Commercials."
Be sure to tune in for your daily dose of nostalgia.
Here are the next steps for creating your Podcast audio using QuickTime 7 Pro.
Step 4. Stop Your Audio Capture
As you speak into the microphone you will notice a time display of the length of your audio file can be seen to the left of the QuickTime media player along with the estimated file size to the right. When you are finished recording your script or audio information click the Stop button inside the QuickTime media player.
Step 5. Playback Recorded Audio
ViewCast Corporation announced that its Niagara GoStream, a single-channel, portable streaming media encoder, is now shipping to customers. GoStream's availability has been highly anticipated since its market introduction at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show in April.
GoStream creates and presents video and audio over the Internet with a simple, easy-to-use operator interface, and is designed both for streaming experts and beginners. It is portable and can quickly transfer from indoor environments to remote locations. GoStream is targeted to organizations looking for a low-cost solution to meet their streaming video needs.
Learn more about Viewcast's Niagra GoStream for portable streaming
In this multi-part tutorial, I'll show the reader how to capture audio for their Podcast and convert it to a file ready for upload to a web server.
Step 1. Select Your Capture Device
A simple way to capture audio for your podcast is to use a USB Microphone. This will give you a very simple set-up. With QuickTime 7 Pro you can capture your audio but first you will need to set-up your capture device. In this tutorial I'll be detailing how this is done on the Mac platform.
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center is the location for the upcoming Video on the Net Conference which is set to take place September 12-14, 2006. The event will cater to media companies, broadcasters, distributors, advertising agencies, content producers and digital media executives. There are a host of presentations for the three-day event.
Here's a list of some of the sessions:
- Industry Perspective: The Internet and the Future of Video
- Film Incorporates the Internet
- Digital Rights Management
- You Got Video! Who's Watching, Where?
- Innovative Video for the Internet
Find out more details about the Video on the Net Conference in Boston, Massachusetts
The Foundry, developers of high-end visual effects plug-ins has recently announced that they are allowing a free upgrade for artists using Tinder, Furnace and Keylight plug-ins upgrading to Shake 4.1. All Foundry plug-ins are now compatible with Intel-based Macs.
Just in case you haven't heard, there has been word circulating around the industry for sometime that Shake may be discontinued. In fact, GeniusDV has just received an e-mail from Apple stating that Shake will end with 4.1. Apple's unified 2D and 3D compositor, Shake, has been used in movies such as Peters Jackson's Lord of the Rings and King Kong.
Working with Audio Filters in Final Cut Pro affects uses up available real-time audio tracks. If you hear beeping within Final Cut Pro, the fix may be relatively simple. All you need to do is navigate to the Final Cut Pro > User Preferences menu and adjust the real-time audio mixing tracks. This will eliminate the beeping sound during playback.
Keep in mind if you have an audio filter placed on a stereo clip, it would use up two additional real-time tracks. Therefore, a single audio filter applied to a stereo clip counts as four real-time tracks.
The only draw back of adjusting the real-time audio mixing preference this to a huge number, would be the physical performance of your CPU. Adjusting it too high may result in dropped frames during playback.
GeniusDV has moved and upgraded its Orlando, FL video editing training center to include more amenities and additional space for the growing need of video streaming training. New upgrades to the lab upgrade a High Definition 62 inch screen for the instructor, and all new G5 iMacs for the students. Check out the QuickTime VR of one of our new training labs.
Click and drag through the QuickTime VR panorama to see one of our new training labs. This is a 360 panorama snapshot of an actual Final Cut Pro training class.
You are using QuickTime VR 5.0 or later versions plug-in to publish your panorama. If you can not see the panorama in the following area, please download QuickTime VR 5.0 or later versions plug-in at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/. Spherical panorama can only be viewed in QuickTime VR 5.0 or later versions. For more information about QuickTime VR, please visit http://www.apple.com/quicktime/.
Many wedding and event videographers, editors and production staff will be able to take advantage of a seminar at the upcoming WEVA Expo 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada at Mandalay Bay the week of August 21, 2006.
They can attend the session titled Video Streaming and Compression Tools Demystified which will cover the pros and cons of the newest video compression tools (Mac & PC) to help users compress their videos for the Web. Some of the tools featured will be Sorenson Squeeze Compression Suite, Compression Master, Flip4Mac, and ProCoder.
Attendees will also learn how to author Flash, Windows Media, QuickTime and Real Media streaming videos for the web as they learn about EMBED and OBJECT tags.
Get more details about the Video Streaming and Compression Seminars at the WEVA Expo
Many are taking note of the high quality production and valuable information about digital video found in the the DV Show podcast. The show was recently interviewed by by John Havens, About.com's Guide to Podcasting for a write-up titled Building Podcast Community Through Expertise. The host of the DV Show podcast, Brian Alves, has created 61 plus podcasts for the show and first launched his podcast around March 2005.
The DV Show format allows listeners to send questions to the DV Show via e-mail or through a voice mail machine. The podcast is definitely one of the Cadillac's of the Podcast community.
For all of you Final Cut Pro and Avid Xpress Pro editors out there who are looking to try your hand at some serious 3D animation, NewTek has just released it’s greatly anticipated Lightwave Version 9.
If you're already an avid user of the Lightwave 3D series, here are some of the new features you can expect in Version 9:
New node-based materials editor, optically correct cameras, adaptive pixel subdivision, sub-surface scattering and improved rendering speed.
This version of Lighwave is being touted as possibly having the most comprehensive toolset for artists to realistically match real world camera lenses and mix 3D animation with live action scenes.
LightWave is selling for $795.
For anyone who does not already know it the on-line video revolution has begun and YouTube is playing a major role in it. The YouTube website provides the ability for individuals to watch, upload and share video content. Viewers can find on-line video content on YouTube.com from the following categories:
Arts & Animation
Autos & Vehicles
Comedy
Entertainment
Music
News & Blogs
People
Pets & Animals
Science & Technology
Sports
Travel & Places
Videos
If users create a free account they can share and upload videos to the YouTube service. In the uploading process users can provide titles, description, meta tags, and content categories for their videos. The sharing process allows users to send an e-mail link to a YouTube video to a friend, family member, co-workers or other individual.
Learn more about YouTube a free service that allows users to upload, share and watch on-line videos
Avid Technology recently released Avid Xpress HD 5.51 which is a software upgrade that finally brings both PC and MAC platforms up to speed in terms of supporting HD media.
*Also, we've tested the new 24inch iMac with Avid Xpress and Media Composer.
Although not officially supported by Avid Technology, GeniusDV was able to run Avid Xpress 5.51 on an intel iMAC in running Windows XP Professional. Yes, that's right! Previously, the ATI 1600 XL graphics card did not work properly with the Avid software, but apparently something has changed, and now the real-time playback works correctly. In addition, all the real-time effects work in open-gl mode.
Minus an error and warning message while launching the software, everything appears to work. We captured media, and edited a short commercial spot with no problems.
It is important to note, the Avid Xpress software does not work with OS X on an intel iMAC. Avid has announced that a binary version of the software will be available soon.
"This is fantastic for our training center, since we can now provide our students with a choice of running Avid Xpress HD on a MAC or PC, without having to have different computers. The new intel iMACs can be booted up with Windows XP or MAC OS X using Apple's bootcamp software."
For customers who have purchased their software after April 24th, 2006 the upgrade to Avid Xpress 5.51 is free. Otherwise, if you are running 4.X, it is $50.00 upgrade to Avid Xpress 5.51 for a downloadable version for the rest of us.
If you have been waiting to upgrade to HD editing or if have 5.X now is the time. Avid has the latest version of Express Pro HD to fill your needs. Native DVCPRO HD and HDV editing means no time- and disk- consuming transcoding before you can begin working. Just plug in and go. This new version also allows for 10-bit SD video processing for the highest quality SD output and for mixing SD and HD footage. Make sure you get the latest version of Avid Express Pro so that you can make the most of your editing!
There is an excellent on-demand webcast from Forrester Research to help those interested in taking advantage of on-line video. The webcast is titled How to Profitably Leverage the Internet TV Tipping Point. The webcast has some interesting research findings and provides details on the increases in on-line viewing of news videos, sports event highlights, full length movies and other types of on-line content.
Other valuable information from the webcast includes:
Internet streaming statistics
Statistics on videos sold by iTunes
Information on the market for streaming and downloadable videos
On-line viewing for young consumers
Best practices for navigation and ads for on-line videos
What if there was a place online where producers could trade video content, edit and remix all in one location. Eyespot Corp has unleashed the beta version of such an online community that will allow you to share images taken with a cell phone, camcorders, and digital cameras and edit them to be used as online content.
The service is free, but does require a broadband connection. After signing up, all you need to do is select the video in the format that you want and upload it to your account. Check it out!
Superman Returns is sure to be one of these summers' biggest hits. The entire movie was shot in the HD format which leaves the door wide open for special effects. The Avid editing and shared-storage systems were essential for handling the large volume of ever-changing effects. The Avid Unity MediaNetwork shared-storage solution provided instantaneous access to any specific element, shot, or sequence so Wiedmann could quickly access any media he needed. At the same time, the Film Composer system's comprehensive tools for effects-intensive editing, such as the AniMatte feature for compositing, helped him quickly mock up the extensive CG elements to show other members of the effects teams how sequences could come together. So even with the biggest tasks at hand Avid is there to get the job done! Make sure you sign up for one of our Avid classes to advance yourself to the next level!
"The advantage of using Avid is the flexibility and ease of use. The system doesn't seem to have any restrictions."
- Guy Wiedmann, Visual Effects Editor, Superman Returns
If you edit for television you have a whole level of color correction issues. You must conform to the broadcast standards. The one over looked issue is your IRE values. You spend a lot of time getting all of your levels perfect and then find out your pedestal black is to low and your whites are too bright. The sure way to fix this after you have watched your scopes to get everything as close a possible is to set you clippers. Avid defaults to 16 -235. In broadcast you need to set your pedestal black to 7.5 IRE and your white to 100 IRE. The main problem is the Avid color correction tool is set to low at the 16 value. You need to set this value to 32 and keep the upper value at 235. The best way to do this is to dedicate top video line to your IRE values this way the whole sequence will be within tolerance. Just do not forget to set the lower value to 32!
Today editors and compressionists must output video and audio into many formats and Rhozet's Carbor Coder does this well.
Carbon Coder has a wide range of format support which includes standard definition, high definition, DV, MPEG2, PAL, NTSC, broadcast, IPTV, mobile streaming and web.
With the Adobe Premiere Pro and Canopus EDIUS export plug ins, editors can export their timelines directly to Carbon Coder PE. This means you won't have to spend time rendering to a file before transcoding to your desired format.
Carbon Coder supports the following formats:
Video Codecs
* MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4
* H.263, H.264, VC-1, Flash
* DV25, DV50, DVCPro
* HDV, DPS (input only), DivX, JPEG 2000 (import only)
* Image Sequences
* Windows Media, RealVideo
Audio Codecs
* PCM, MP3, DTS (input only)
* AAC, AMC, AMR-NB
* WM Audio, RealAudio
Media Containers
* MXF (including D-10/IMX)
* MPEG-2 PS, MPEG-2 TS
* GXF, LXF, QuickTime
* WMV, ASF, AVI, VOB
* 3GPP, 3G2
* WMA, WAV, Broadcast WAV (input only)
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Carbon Coder Makes Video and Audio Compression Easy - Part 1
Learn more about advanced processing filters and media filters available in Carbon Coder
GeniusDV is inundated with technical support calls regarding compatibility issues with Final Cut Pro and various DV devices and cameras. We urge customers to make sure their particular camera or deck is compatible with the latest Final Cut Studio software.
When it comes to purchasing Final Cut Studio it is a big mistake to assume it is going to work with your particular camera. Fortunately, Apple has published a document listing Final Cut Studio 5.1 qualified devices.
In addition, it is also highly recommend that you read the technical specifications listed for Final Cut Studio. We see a lot of individuals who assume Final Cut Studio is going to work on their old Macintosh system. Final Cut Studio has become a powerhouse application requiring a relatively new Macintosh. It is also important to take a look at the graphics card installed in your computer. In particular, Apple Motion requires a high end graphics card. Many Apple G4 owners may be forced to upgrade.
One of the featured guests on Creative Planet's Digital Production Buzz Podcast was James Engwell, Managing Director of the Frameline Project, integrating the MPEG-4 media specification with the MPEG-7 metadata description protocol. The Podcast provides some excellent information to get a better undertstanding on how the Frameline 47 application works and utilizes MPEG-4 and MPEG-7 standards.
Listening to this Podcast will give you a better understanding of what's happening in the Frameline 47 application. The Frameline 47 application is about making content searchable and explores the shift in delivering digital media content while taking advantage of MPEG-4 and MPEG-7. You can find Creative Planet's Digital Production Buzz Podcast in the Apple iTunes Directory or on the Link listed below.
The Digital Media Conference took place June 23, 2006 and one of the sessions for the day included a panel discussion on mobile media titled "Mobility is the Message". The session included representatives from Verizon Wireless, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Proteus, and Wireless Internet & Mobile Computing. This panel discussed the future of mobile media consumption, including the outlook for games, music, SMS messaging and video on wireless devices.
