October 2007 Archives
The composer window in Adobe After Effects has many settings that you may not be aware of. When you open a new comp you automatically are given a background color. Make sure that you do not confuse this with an actual background. It may appear that you have a black, or some other color, background when in fact it is actually alpha. To make sure what is alpha and what is an actual layer you need to check the show alpha box in the comp window. This is often overlooked and depending on your project you may or may not need an alpha channel. Make sure to sign up for our latest After Effects training classes or let us come to you with our great On-Site Program!
Internap Network Services Corporation, a global provider of end-to-end Internet business solutions, today announced its route-optimized, performance IP services and content delivery network (CDN) are powering social networking site FanU.com. Dedicated to college sports fans across the nation, FanU.com is leveraging Internap's bundle of services and expertise in streaming media technology, managed server and scalability in the launch of their college sports-focused social network.
Mark Marchetti, director of broadcast solutions for Streambox, Inc., will be presenting at the upcoming GVExpo 2007 conference and exhibition in Washington, D.C. As part of a series of streaming media case studies, Marchetti will speak on the topic of "Streaming Media for Emergency Response" on Nov. 15 starting at 11 a.m.
"Getting live video reports from the scene of disasters as events unfold can be a logistical and technical challenge," said Marchetti. "Increasingly, relief organizations and government agencies turn to mobile video transport technologies, typically used for real-time news gathering, as a means to getting timely video and audio reports back to decision-makers for assessment."
Marchetti's presentation will focus on the innovative video technologies that enable field workers from local/regional government and relief organizations to get set up and start transmitting high-quality video reports within minutes, even when IP networks and phone lines have been knocked out. System flexibility, reliability, and ease of use are critical in these applications, especially because the systems are likely to be operated by non-technical staff. This video technology provides greater agility in gathering disaster intelligence faster, more efficiently, and at a lower cost.
Akamai Technologies, Inc., the leading global service provider for accelerating content and applications online, today announced TheHDWeb, a 'proof-of-concept' portal designed to showcase the experience consumers can have with high definition content online. The Website, available at www.thehdweb.com, showcases content from a variety of industries including music, movies, professional sports, games and news. Akamai customers are now delivering a consistent, high-definition video experience on Akamai's uniquely distributed edge delivery platform that is specifically tuned for optimal delivery of high-definition (HD) files online. As an industry leader and pioneer in online video, Akamai has raised the bar for what a service provider must offer companies in order to deliver this content effectively and efficiently online today.
Travel mattes can add another dimension to your Final Cut Pro project by allowing you to conceal part of a video image with a shape, while selectively focusing on an area of interest in your video. This same principle can also add some flavor to a tailor made graphic that reveals selective areas of video through it.
1 First, you must decide what you want to designate as a background and place it on V1 in the Timeline. This could be a still or animated graphic like a texture, a premade graphic, or video footage. In this example, I simply chose another video clip.
2 In the V2 track, place the clip that you want to be the matte. I simply went to the Generator menu in the Viewer window > clicked the twirl down menu > chose shapes, then picked the Oval.
3 Place the video that you will be masking in V3.
4 Click on the video clip in V3 to select it.
5 Go to Modify > Composite Mode > Travel Matte and choose either Alpha or Luma. Depending on which mask you have chosen you would choose from these two. In this example with the Oval shape, I chose Travel Matte Luma which uses luminance as the mask instead of an alpha channel.
6 Render this area of your sequence so it can be reviewed.
Keep in mind that you can make adjustments to the matte layer by double clicking on it in the Timeline and opening it in the Viewer. Under the Motion tab you will be able to manipulate its parameteres. You can also manipulate the area of focus in your masked video clip on V3 by clicking on it in the timeline > going into image and wireframe mode, then simply dragging the video around in the Canvas window until you have revealed the desired area of interest in the mask.
The winner of the Streaming Media Reader's Choice Award in the category of Global Content Delivery Network is Akamai. It's not surprising with all of the buzz that surrounds this company.
Category: Global Content Delivery Network
Winner: Akamai Technologies
First runner-up: RealNetworks Real Broadcast Network
Second runner-up (tie): Limelight Networks, Mirror Image, PowerStream
Here's what StreamingMedia.com had to say:
Telestream's Pipeline Network Encoder is now available and those that purchase the tool before November 15th can save $200.
On2 Technologies Inc., a leader in video compression software and solutions, and RipCode, Inc. announced today that RipCode has integrated the On2 VP6 codec, which is used in Adobe Flash Player 8 and 9, for the industry's first hardware accelerated 2-pass encoding appliance for VP6 recently launched by RipCode.
On2 VP6 based Flash video is among the most widely used formats for Internet video. As a result of this agreement, On2 VP6 based services will be able to deliver dynamic transcoding for video on demand, enabling broadcasters, syndicators, or user generated video sites to eliminate storage of multiple file formats and deliver files from their entire video library for any application.
It is not obvious what each key stroke performs in the Adobe Encore interface. The most important keys you will use in Adobe Encore are with the timeline. Here is a quick list of my most used keystrokes when I am working with the Encore timeline:
- Play/Pause=spacebar
- Move current-time indicator to end of timeline=End or Down arrow
- Move current-time indicator to beginning of timeline=Home or Up arrow
- Move current-time indicator one frame left=Left Arrow
- Move current-time indicator one frame right=Right Arrow
- Go to next edit point=Page Down
- Go to previous edit point=Page Up
- Create a poster frame=Ctrl+Alt-drag from a chapter point
- Zoom out=, (comma)
- Zoom in=. (period)
Network Foundation Technologies, LLC (NFT) partnered with European broadcaster StadeoTV to broadcast, at no charge to the viewer, the "Millennium Series - Disney French Open" event, live over the Internet to fans worldwide. This Free-For-View event was broadcast live on Sunday, October 14th, 2007, beginning at 7 am Eastern, from the Millennium Center Court at Euro Disney, in Paris, France, and viewers were able to tune in by using NFT's patented NiFTy Online Television product.
Wowza Media Systems announced that Yonden Media Works Co. Inc., a leading provider of video and media services in Japan, has selected Wowza Media Server Pro as the official Flash streaming software server platform for its entire range of Flash media services, including live and on-demand video streaming.
The launch of Yonden Media Works�s Wowza Flash Streaming Service marks a new era in large-scale Flash streaming in Japan. Wowza Media Server Pro, the most advanced Flash streaming server software currently available replaces the outmoded Adobe Flash Communication Servers (FCS) which YMW had deployed previously.
Telestream today introduced Episode Podcast, a product developed specifically for seamless integration with one of Apple's new Mac OS X Leopard Server features, Podcast Producer. Telestream's Episode Podcast addresses a growing need for educators to provide students with anytime, anywhere access to content on mobile and personal devices. Episode Podcast extends format support for Podcast Producer to virtually any video or audio file format or platform.
"The convergence of broadband with portable media devices now makes it possible for educators to provide a virtual classroom experience for timely distribution of educational content," said Dan Castles, President/CEO at Telestream. "While Podcast Producer makes podcast tools more accessible to content producers, Telestream makes the content accessible to a broader audience."
In case you missed it, Avid now includes a time-shift audio plugin that is included with the Avid software. You must have at least 5.7.X in order to use this new feature.
In some ways, it is the same as the old time compression expansion filter, but I find it much easier to use since it doesn't deal with ratios. The time-shift filter is good for adjusting the speed of audio without adjusting it's pitch. For example, let's say you are editing a 30 second commercial, but your edited spot is a little too long. You could use the time-shift filter to make a 32 second spot into 30 seconds!
Here's a quick tutorial on how to use this audio filter.
The ViewCast Osprey line of high-performance video capture cards is playing a starring role in educational Webcasting and distance learning programs at the National University of Singapore (NUS). The university is using the Osprey devices for NUScast, an award-winning program for streaming video of university lectures and other events over the NUS Web site. In addition, as a participant in the Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA) educational consortium, NUS is using the streaming technology in a joint distance learning program with MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). The Osprey devices are provided by ViewCast Corporation (OTCBB: VCST), a leading global provider of high-quality audio and video encoding communication products.
Streambox Portable Video Transport, Rugged Version -- At GVExpo 2007, Streambox will highlight a new fully rugged version of its industry-leading Portable Video Transport system for mobile newsgathering, emergency response, and armed forces operations. The rugged encoder is ideal for use in environments where extreme temperatures are the norm and exposure to adverse weather and rough handling is expected. It meets or exceeds Mil STD 810F. The innovative video transport solution utilizes the Streambox ACT-L3 codec and advanced compression technologies widely used by news organizations worldwide. The new system, which features an extended battery life, is integrated into one super-compact portable device supplied with a sturdy carry handle for easy transportation. Measuring just 1.98 inches high by 11.8 inches wide by 9.65 inches deep and weighing 6.8 pounds, this video transport system gives the user ultimate flexibility in terms of mobility without sacrificing performance, reliability, and quality.
Akamai Technologies, Inc., the leading global service provider for accelerating content and applications online, today announced its Akamai Media Framework for Adobereg; Flashreg;. The Framework is designed as a valuable resource to help developers start building video players in Adobe Flash Professional software. The Akamai Media Framework for Adobe Flash Professional software enables the creation of video player applications for streaming and progressive download for content created in Adobe Flash player compatible video, Adobe Flex, and Adobe AIR.
For those that haven't used the tool yet, Netbriefing's Proclaim sports some new features. Netbriefings the large webcast experts with superior webcasting tools on the enterprise side launched a new tool earlier this year called Proclaim. The tool is simply amazing for the price and there is a free demo available for those that want to try the tool. Proclaim has supported live and archived webcasting to the Flash format with the ability to record a presentation via a web cam or camera attached to your computer via firewire. You can also present PowerPoint presentations with Proclaim and have it all recorded together.
Registration and tracking are the new features of Proclaim. The registration allows you to capture viewer registration and also monitors how long they stayed watching on your webcast. The tracking lets track recorded events.
If you have ever used the Time Remapping Tool to manipulate a section of a clip's speed, then you have realized that whatever speed change that you perform in the clip has to be made up elsewhere in the clip. For example, if you ramp down the speed at the beginning of the clip, the end of the clip will have to play back faster in order to maintain the length of the original clip. You will have also noticed that the speed ramp does not extend to the audio of the clip, meaning you will lose sync with your audio after you perform the ramping effect.
Perhaps a more practical way to perform time remapping in Final Cut Pro is to create through edits that encompass the section of video where you wish to perform the speed change and manipulate the speed of that particular section. The effect will also extend to the associated audio with the clip, therefore keeping it in sync and the time change does not have to be made up elsewhere.
1 Go to the FCP tool palette and choose the razor blade tool.
2 Make sure the Link Selection icon is turned on in the timeline 
, then make a through edit in the select clip, within the timeline, just before the action that you want to manipulate with the speed change begins. You can do this by clicking the area of the clip with the Razor Blade Tool active. Make another through edit where you want the speed effect to end in the clip.
3 Go back to the tool palette and choose the selection arrow.
4 Right cllick on the segement of video that you want to manipulate with the speed change in order to select it.
5 Choose the Speed option in the pop-up menu and enter 200 into the percent field to speed up that area of the clip. Click OK.
Keep in mind that in contrast to using the Time Remapping tool, you will be changing the overall length of the clip depending on whether you are speeding the clip up, making the clip shorter, or slowing it down, making the clip longer.
Try out both techniques to see which one is right for you.
Episode Engine 4.4 adds:
Encoding to Broadcast Servers with Episode Gateway option
- Initial support for Harris Nexio, Omneon Spectrum, Grass Valley K2
- Faster-than-real-time HD encoding directly to broadcast servers
- Supports time code, captions & VBI metadata with video frames
Image Sequence Importer
Wowza Media Systems announced that Wowza Media Server Pro, its increasingly popular Flash streaming media server software, has been named Second Runner-Up in the Server/Hardware Software category, in the 2007 Streaming Media Readers' Choice Awards.
Launched just eight months ago, this win places Wowza in the Top 3 position in the streaming server software space, just behind the well-established Adobe Flash Media Server 2 (FMS2) and Microsoft Windows Media Server, who captured the number 1 and number 2 positions, respectively. What's more, readers placed Wowza Media Server Pro ahead of streaming servers from long-time market players Apple and Real Networks.
In case you've missed this, Mattias Sandstrom offers some incredible free Final Cut Pro plugins. They are called too much too soon.
This example uses the wind blur cross transition. He currently has 26 different filters and transitions available.
To install just drop the effects into the Final Cut Pro plugins folder. I reccomend placing them in the Mac HD / Library / Application Support / Final Cut Pro system support / plugins folder.
Here is a screenshot of all the free filters.
ViewCast Corporation, a leading global provider of high-quality audio and video encoding communication products, is now shipping its new high definition (HD) video capture card, the Osprey-700 HD. The Osprey-700 HD is an HD-SDI and SD-SDI A/V input card designed for broadcasters and content owners needing to repurpose HD and standard definition (SD) content for IP video distribution and video-on-demand applications.
"The Osprey-700 HD is a high-end capture solution for content owners and content aggregators using SDI video capture sources - both HD and SD," said Dave Stoner, president of ViewCast. "It is the first HD-compatible product from ViewCast and part of the new PCIe family of ViewCast Osprey capture cards developed for next-generation, high-performance systems."
Akamai and Starbucks announced a technology relationship that over time includes the deployment of Akamai-enabled content delivery servers within thousands of Starbucks stores to provide fast and reliable wireless delivery of digital music.
Akamai will serve as the exclusive content distribution provider in the U.S. for the unique partnership announced last month between Apple and Starbucks. Having Akamai-enabled servers located within participating Starbucks locations provides multiple benefits. First, by serving content from within the Starbucks local area network, last mile access has been reduced to a few feet, dramatically improving end user performance, and eliminating the expense and time-to-market of having to increase connectivity in each store location. Second, Akamai's technology creates a fast and reliable route for the delivery of content from the iTunes Store to Starbucks locations.
Understanding nesting within Avid Xpress / Media Composer is a critical when creating certain effects. For example:
If you want to have a transition (let's say a plasma wipe) between several PIP effects without affecting the background layer, it can be challenging to figure out. With Avid Xpress or Media Composer, an effect on any layer will affect all the lowers below it. This means the transition would also affect the background layer.
The trick is to nest your content within a single PIP effect. Here are the steps:
Streambox, Inc. announced that it is among the key partners behind CNN's digital newsgathering project, which has been awarded the 2007 IBC Innovation Award for content creation as well as the Judges' Award, the most prestigious award for innovation.
The complete digital newsgathering project incorporates the Streambox ACT-L3 Portable Video Transport solution which was used by the network in its remote coverage of the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict in July 2006. Utilizing Streambox's sophisticated encoding technology, journalists were able to file hundreds of live reports with portable IP transmission gear that fit neatly into a backpack and yielded images, delivered over IP-based networks in tandem with satellite uplinks, which proved significantly better than earlier technologies.
The U.S. Navy's E-2/C-2 program has selected Internap Network Services Corporation, a global provider of end-to-end Internet business solutions, as its provider of on-demand and live video streaming services. Using Internap's content delivery network (CDN), the Navy leveraged Internet delivery to unveil its newest aircraft to aerospace, defense, media and government personnel worldwide. The event debuted the latest version of the Navy's E-2 Hawkeye, the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, an all-weather, tactical Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft that is manufactured by Northrop Grumman.
Viewcast was able to capture a Streaming Media Readers' Choice Award is the category of Encoding Hardware for their Osprey Video Capture Cards. The cards have long been a "no brainer" solution for many in the webcasting space. The cards are a solid product and companies receives a well deserved award.
Category: Encoding Hardware
Winner: ViewCast Osprey Video Capture Cards
First runner-up: Digital Rapids DRC-Stream Cards
Second runner-up: Streambox Portable Video Transport, Rugged Version
The words "video capture card" and "Osprey" are practically synonymous. That's not to say that ViewCast doesn't have plenty of competition--most notably runners-up Digital Rapids and Streambox--but Osprey's been at the forefront since the first card hit the shelves in 1997.
A playlist is a group of timelines that play sequentially (from each one's specified chapter) and can include one end action. Playlists provide more efficient and robust navigation possibilities than overrides alone. After creating a playlist, you populate and edit it by using the Playlist Properties palette. You can specify different audio and subtitle tracks for timelines accessed from a playlist also. You can choose playlists as a link or an end action from other elements. A playlist plays back all the timelines included and cannot be interrupted, except by the viewer using the remote. You can also chain multiple playlists together using End Actions.
Playlists, in effect, let you set overrides for several timelines at once, making DVD authoring more efficient. For example, if your project includes a collection of music videos, you can create a menu with buttons that let's the viewer play them all or select a specific music video (timeline). You create a Play All button that links to a playlist containing all the timelines and an end action that points back to the menu; you then create the individual music video buttons that link to each separate timeline with an end action pointing back to the menu. To create this navigation scheme without using a playlist, each timeline's end action points to the next video (the play all scheme) and you need to set an override for each video button pointing back to the menu (the play individual videos scheme).
Before you can mkae great DVD's in Adobe Encore you need to understand the language of the interface. Understanding each link and what it is called will help you make better DVD's and control there navigation. You can set links and defaults for the disc or project itself, as well as for each menu, button, timeline, and playlist. These links determine what happens after the following events:
* The viewer inserts the DVD into the player (called first play).
* The viewer activates a button on a menu (called link).
* A timeline finishes playing (called end action).
* The viewer doesn't make a menu selection (called end action).
* The viewer pushes the title or menu buttons on the remote control (called title button or menu remote, respectively).
Be Sure to tune into the DV Show as Host, Brian Alves and Co-Host Derrick Freeman, Video Streaming and Compression Specialist for GeniusDV, provide a bi-monthly podcast about Streaming Media. There will also be special shows coveraging many events such as: Flashforward, Streaming Media.com conferences and NAB. On the podcast you can learn about some of the most exciting streaming and compression tools on the planet. The cutting-edge quality and conversational style format gives listners an oppportunity to hear first-hand from top level executives about the tools that matter most. "The DV Show has become one of the most exciting podcasts to date and the production quality of the experience is simply amazing. It's a privilege to partner with the DV Show to reach the thousands that subscribe to their podcast", states Derrick Freeman.
The winner of the Streaming Media Reader's Choice Award in the category of Encoding Software is Sorenson Squeeze. It's not surprising with all of the features that it provides.
Category: Encoding Software
Winner: Sorenson Squeeze
First runner-up: ViewCast Niagara SCX
Second runner-up: RealNetworks RealProducer and Helix Mobile Producer
"If you're producing in multiple streaming formats, or producing the same file to multiple encoding parameters, Squeeze is the clear winner." So wrote Jan Ozer in his review of Sorenson Squeeze 4.5, and evidently Streaming Media readers concur. New features in the latest version include batch-encoding files to multiple formats (Real, Windows Media, QuickTime, Flash, MPEG, and others), VBR encoding of Flash Video, and batch-encoding of files to different encoding parameters. Add that with video quality that, in the case of QuickTime and Windows Media, bested that produced by those formats' "native" encoders, as well as advances in speed that Ozer called "startling, almost incredible," and this already feature-rich tool became a must-have for large shops that need to be able to move from format to format with ease. Sure, other encoding tools might beat it for particular applications--such as first runner-up ViewCast Niagara SCX for live encoding or second runner-up RealNetworks RealProducer and Helix Mobile Producer for the obvious outputs--but for all-around, multi-purpose encoding software that won't break the bank, Sorenson Squeeze is hard to beat.
For those that won't have a chance to attend this years Streaming Media West event, we'll be providing coverage of the latest news on GeniusDV.com. The event is slated for November 6, 7 & 8th at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. Some of the most exciting developments surrounding streaming and compression occur at the event so we look forward to providing you with all of the latest updates.
Make sure you download Microsoft's Silverlight plug-in. It's a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of media experiences and rich interactive applications (RIAs) for the Web. The plug-in is available for Mac and PC and unleashes the power of interactivity with the Windows Media format.
For those that are willing to take on the challenge with the true spirit of an entrepreneur, providing services for real estate streaming videos could a big opportunity. The key to being successful is this venture is having your own non-linear editor, a video camera, a connection with realtors and understanding of how to streaming videos on-line. The virtual tours on-line in the form of streaming media are becoming more popular as many are becoming used to viewing virtual tours hotel rooms, houses, apartments and meeting spaces on-line.
You will find it useful to group tracks in LiveType in order to protect the integrity of an effect that may involve multiple tracks. Just the slightest movement of a track that is involved in a multilayer effect could throw the timing off for the entire piece. When grouped tracks are moved, they move together, so you don't have to worry about tweaking the effect out of sync.
Lets Group Some Tracks!
1 When you first open LiveType, you are given a single empty track. Type something into the track via the Text Entry Box.
2 Create another track by going to Track > New Text Track and type something into it as well.
3 Select a track in the Timeline or Canvas and you will see the Grouping button to the far left of the track grey out (The Grouping Button looks like a chain link).
4 Select the Grouping Button in the track that you wish to group with this track and the chain link icon will appear.
Now when you move either track, they will both move in unison.
Let's say that you have been shooting footage at the Vans Skate Park and you've captured some serious stunts on tape to use as an intense sequence for a skateboarding documentary. Along with some pretty impressive airs you've also recorded some hair-raising wipeouts along the way. Perhaps for artistic purposes, or just because its cool to watch someone take a serious dive then walk away, you want to play the clip backward starting at the point of the skateboarder's crash. Having someone appear to fly off of the ground back onto their skateboard again is a very simple but attention grabbing effect that can be easily achieved with Final Cut Pro.
Getting A Clip To Play in Reverse in your Project
- Right click on the clip IN THE TIMELINE on which you want to perform the effect.
- In the speed field, you can either type a negative number (anything under or over 100% will also change the speed of the clip) or you could just click in the reverse box.
Now your clip will play in reverse within your project sequence.
Having the ability to make sure your final DVD will work in every way is very important before you burn your final project. The Check Project feature of Adobe Encore DVD lets you check for broken links, orphaned menus and timelines, and other common problems. Use this feature to identify and correct any problems before building your DVD. There are many options you may choose for Encore to check but it is wise to make sure you check every aspect of your DVD. Here is a breakdown of what each function checks:
Adobe Encore has many features that you sometimes need to do a little digging to find. I had a friend ask me the other day why he could not preview his project in a 16:9 ratio. Well, you can. By default, the Project Preview window uses a 4:3 aspect ratio. You can change the default ratio in order to preview widescreen projects. Preview preferences also specify the target language and region codes. Just remember that full-screen playback is not available. That is, you cannot resize the Project Preview window to occupy the entire computer monitor. It is simple to change your preview mode and here's how:
1. Choose Edit > Preferences > Preview.
2. Set TV options to either 4:3 or 16:9, and click OK.
Remember this is for preview only you will still need to set your final size in your render options.
If you're tired of the same old collection of transitions that you've been using time and time again, gradient wipes are a fresh way to change up the pace and the appearance of a program sequence. When you are using a gradient wipe, you are basically telling Final Cut Pro to use a designated matte image to create a transition between two sequences. The initial transformation from clip A to clip B will occur within the darkest areas of the image you have chosen with the brightest images transitioning last. If you watch any television at all, chances are you have seen this technique before. Well, if seeing is believing then lets get into it!
Reconnecting offline media is a pain, there is just no other way to describe it, but there are some things you can do within Final Cut Pro to narrow the search. You can designate which folders and drives Final Cut Pro should look in before you attempt to reconnect your offline media. If you go to Final Cut Pro > System Settings, under the tab search folders, you can designate specific areas where FCP will perform the search. This is especially great if you have a large number of drives and if you work in a SAN (Storage Area Network) envrionment.
Designating a Search Folder
1 Go to Final Cut Pro > System Settings, then click on the Search Folders tab.
2 Click on the Set button to navigate to a new folder or click Set to replace a previously chosen folder or drive. Choose clear to clear any choice.
3 Click O.K.
For those interested in video training total for Expression Studio you can get training DVDs from Total Training. This DVD bundle gives you the flexibility and freedom to bring your vision to reality--whether you are designing standards-based Web sites, rich user experiences on the desktop, or managing digital assets and content. Get up to speed on the Microsoft professional design tools and innovative technologies in Expression Studio with Total Training for Expression Studio which includes six DVDs of video tutorials covering topics on Expression Web, Expression Design, Expression Blend, and Expression Media.
The initial state of background textures and movies placed into the Canvas area of LiveType is locked, but you can unlock them fairly easily in order to reposition and resize them.
Unlocking Movie and Texture Backgrounds
1 Within the timeline, select the track that you want to unlock.
2 Go to Layer > Lock Position to uncheck this option.
Now, when you select a texure or movie background, a bounding box will appear, allowing you to move this element.
Adobe encore has a built in slide show producer. This is a great way to have the ability to add a slide show to your production and be able to modify ti later. A slide show contains a set of still images that viewers can play from a DVD. After you create a slide show, use the Slideshow Viewer to add still images. Supported file types include BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, PSD, and TIFF. In the Slideshow Viewer, you can also reorder slides, add audio clips, determine the duration of the slides, and change other settings. Each slide show can contain up to 99 slides. If your project requires more than this, create multiple slide shows. Simply select the slide show you want to work on from the menu on the Slideshow tab. Use the Properties panel to change settings for the entire slide show or for individual slides you select. After you add slides to the slide show and change the appropriate settings, set a link to the slide show from a menu button or other item.
You've just completed building your timeline, but something doesn't look quite right. The action in one of the clips seems to be a little off. Perhaps you didn't let the athlete follow through with her tennis stroke or maybe the actor didn't fully exit the screen before you cut-away. You're not looking to make the clip longer or shorter, you just need to modify the action within that clip. This is the perfect time to perform a slip edit, assuming that you captured enough media for that scene to make the adjustment.
Making A Slip Edit
1 Go to the tool window and select the slip tool 
or just hit the S key on the keyboard.
2 Click on the clip that you want to perform the slip edit on and drag it to the left or right to adjust the action within the clip. An overlay will appear showing you the amount of media that is available to you on either side of the clip you're adjusting.
3 When you are pleased with the clips content, Release the mouse button, then play through the clip to review your changes.
MainConcept Reference is the successor of the renowned MPEG and H.264 Encoders. The new transcoding application combines almost all available MainConcept codecs. It enables you to convert videos in numerous formats. The main application of MainConcept Reference includes all codecs as demo versions. The module based approach of MainConcept Reference lets the user decide which codec suits his demands. If the customer finds the desired plug-in, he only unlocks this specific codec and the rest remains in demo mode.
Streaming Media and Compression Specialist Derrick Freeman, from Genius DV, talks with David Trescot, VP of the Rhozet Business Unit at Harmonic on the DV Show podcast. The October 8, 2007 podcast also features Ben Waggoner, Digital Media Evangelist, Core Media Processing Technology at Microsoft talks about the features in Silverlight. For those interested in Silverlight and enterprise encoding this podcast is exciting.
Here is a great response from one of GeniusDV's Instructors to a producer who was having problems getting iDVD to recognize chapter markers he had set in Final Cut Pro. This is great information.
Here are the steps to make the chapter markers work correctly in iDVD.
#1.... Make sure when you add your markers, that you are adding them to the
Final Cut Pro timeline (NOT inside the individual clips)
#2 Make sure you are pressing the M (Marker Button) TWICE. And make sure
you press the add chapter marker button. This will then add the appropriate
meta-data to each marker so iDVD will understand the chapter makers.
#3 Highlight your sequence in the Browser window, Go to File Export -
QuickTime Movie, and select the pull-down to add chapter markers.
#4 Drag your exported sequence into an iDVD template, and you will see the
scene selection option which will list the individual chapters based on your
markers.
Pipeline is an industry-first shared network encoder that provides flexible tape ingest into Telestream's FlipFactory & Episode products and Apple's Final Cut Pro.
Features:
- User-selectable SDI encoding to DV25, DVCPRO25, IMX 30/40/50 & MPEG-2 I-frame
- Cost-effective access to the tape deck by multiple users
- Real-time, reliable, external DSP encoding
- RS-422 deck control for frame-accurate ingest
- Software-configurable to easily add new formats & features
- Single-channel Pipeline available now - Pipeline Quad available later this year
On2 Technologies, Inc., a leader in video compression software and solutions, and Justin.tv, a leader in live video online, announced that Justin.tv has licensed On2's Flix Publisher Live encoding and publishing solution for its live streaming service. Justin.tv publicly launched its live, free streaming services this week, making the power of live video programming available to anyone with a computer, a web cam and an Internet connection.
Adobe Encore DVD lets you link to practically any destination in the project, whether it be a menu, timeline, slide show, playlist, or chapter playlist. You can set the following types of links to create navigation:
First play Specifies what happens when you insert the DVD into a player. For Hollywood discs, the first play link typically invokes an FBI warning. The first play could also display the main menu of the disc, if the copyright warning isn't required.
Title button Specifies what happens when the Title button on the remote control is pressed. Typically, the Title button links to the disc's main menu.
Menu Remote Specifies what happens when the viewer presses the Menu button on the remote control while content is playing. You set Menu button links for timelines and slide shows. Typically, the Menu button links back to the menu for the current feature.
Standard link Specifies what happens when a viewer activates a button on a menu.
End action Specifies what happens when an item finishes playing, or when you have specified a duration for a menu and the viewer takes no action within that time. End actions specify the destination to display next; this could be a menu (including the button to highlight), a timeline (including the chapter from which to begin), or any other DVD element. If a DVD contains video clips that can be viewed individually or in succession (such as outtakes or topics in an educational DVD), you might choose to have the end action of each clip take the viewer to the next clip, or instead, you could have the end action lead back to the menu from which the viewer accessed the clip.
End actions for menus are optional. You use them when you want to control the display if a viewer does not activate a button on the menu. Menu end actions are useful in DVDs that remain playing in a public place or educational setting. If a viewer leaves, for example, the menu can jump back to the main menu after a reasonable wait period, to be ready for the next person.
If you are unable to change the duration of a Cross Dissolve while working in Final Cut Pro, chances are their is not enough pad on each clip to allow for it.
When I say pad, I'm talking about the fact that in order for FCP to perform a cross dissolve, their has to be enough media at the end of the out going clip and at the head of the incoming clip to allow for it.
Example: if your original captured media clip was 8 seconds long, when you set your in and outs for the clip, the in point should be marked somewhere around 3 seconds into the clip. It doesn't really matter where the in point begins Just don't place it at the very beginning of the captured media. The same goes for the end of the clip. Don't place your out point at the very end of the captured media, unless you know that you are definitely going to perform a straight cut into the next clip. The room that you are leaving at the beginning and end of clips is what FCP will use to perform the Cross-Dissolve.
One of the many new features in Final Cut Pro 6.0, is the ability to use Motion Templates. This means you can make changes to a template directly within Final Cut Pro, without having to launch Motion.
Final Cut Pro ships with a basic set of templates. You can access these templates from either Effects / Master Templates menu, or the Generators Menu (within the Viewer window).
The first step is to design an animation using Motion 3.0
Within Final Cut Pro you can make quick notes for clips, bins and sequences within the browser by assigning labels to them.
No Color: None
Orange: Good Take
Red: Best Take
Blue: Alternate Shots
Purple: Interviews
Green: B-Roll
Assigning a Label to a Clip
1 Select the clips in the Browser that you want to label.
2 Either control click, if you have a one button mouse, or right click, with a two button mouse, on top of one of the selected files and navigate to the Label option, then choose a label. Each of the clips, will be labled with the assigned color and if you pull over the lower right corner off the Browser Window to the right, your clips will be labled accordingly in the Label field.
Changing Lable Names
Go to Final Cut Pro > User Preferences > Click on the Label tab > Change the name > Click OK.
You can add a drop shadow to text and to a Picture In Picture effect (PIP) in Final Cut Pro by simply going into the Motion Tab in the Viewer Window and checking the Drop Shadow option. Double click on either the text or PIP effect in the Timeline to load it into the Viewer. You will then have the ablility to manipulate the drop shadow's angle, color, softness, and opacity over the video you are placing it on from within the Motion tab of the Viewer Window.
Apple's Motion software contains all the same LiveFonts found within the LiveType application. If you need 3D perspective controls, you'll need to use Motion instead of LiveType.
In case you're wondering why you might still continue to use LiveType instead of doing everything in Motion, it's because LiveType treats each character as an individual glyph on one track. Therefore, it much easier to create animated path's where characters follow each other in a timed pattern.
However, Apple Motion 3.0 has a 3D perspective tool, LiveType does not. So if you plan on moving objects around in 3D space, you'll need to create your effect in Motion.
