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Apple – Final Cut Pro X – Software Update

Posted by Josh Mellicker on September 20, 2011

Final Cut Pro X Software Update

Version 10.0.1 introduces some new features that, while not addressing Final Cut Pro X’s major flaws, include XML import/export and a Camera Import SDK, both good things. And a highly uncharacteristic promise of two more features coming in “early 2012″, showing that someone at Apple wishes to send a vague ray of hope to those of us who believe that FCPX could eventually turn into a viable app for editing video projects.

Download the update free from the Mac App Store.

Media Stems Export

Apple says “Traditional, track-based editing systems require you to constantly rearrange and disable tracks to export audio and video stems. With the latest version of Final Cut Pro X, flexible metadata removes the burden of track management. Use the new Roles tag to label clips — dialogue, effects, music, and more — then export a single multitrack file or separate stems based on your tags. You can even apply Roles to video clips and graphics for a powerful new way to deliver separate files for versioning and localization.”

Josh’s take: While I’m sure there are good uses for “Roles”, they seem like an extra step that’s unnecessary in a track-based paradigm. Since an editor needs to take the time to add clips to an edit no matter what, it costs no extra time to simply put clips on designated tracks depending on what type of media they are.

Rich XML Support

Now you can import and export Final Cut Pro X project and Event information via a rich XML format. XML interchange enables a wide range of third-party workflows, including high-end visual effects, color grading, and media asset management. Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve, Square Box System’s CatDV, and many other third-party applications will offer XML-based workflows with Final Cut Pro X.

Josh’s take: Well, I predicted XML import/export in 90 days on June 21, so here it is is two days early! But, I predicted FCP7 project import, and was wrong on that. Here is the doc for AXEL.

Projects and Events on Xsan

Create and edit your Final Cut Pro X projects and Events on Xsan. Ideal for multi-user workflows, you can import media through Final Cut Pro X and place it directly on the SAN. Multiple users can access the same source media, and each editor can create separate projects and Events on the SAN. Users can then edit from any system attached to the SAN, making it easy to move between computers and continue working.

Custom Starting Timecode

Set the start time of your project to a custom timecode value to accommodate color bars and tone, or to meet broadcast delivery specifications.

Full-screen view in Lion

Use every inch of your display when working in Final Cut Pro X. And easily navigate to other applications with a swipe.

One-step Transitions on Connected Clips

Add a transition to a connected clip or between multiple connected clips without manually creating a secondary storyline.

Josh’s take: If the next improvement is, it doesn’t create a “secondary storyline” but an actual track, we’ll be getting somewhere!

GPU-accelerated export

Harness the power of the GPU on your graphics card to speed up foreground export.

New Theme: Tribute

Access the new Tribute theme, with four animated titles and a matching transition.

Camera Import SDK

Camera manufacturers can use the Camera Import SDK to write plug-ins for importing media from a wide range of cameras. For example, Sony is updating their XDCAM EX plug-in to support native import directly into Final Cut Pro X.

Coming in early 2012

  • Multicam Editing

  • Broadcast-Quality Video Monitoring

    • Apple – Final Cut Pro X – Software Update.

    Get your video to viewers’ TVs through the new Roku 2

    Posted by Josh Mellicker on August 17, 2011

    As filmmakers, we need to stay on top of not only video production, but also video delivery, especially in this rapidly changing environment. Creating great video projects is only the first step; getting your videos to your viewers is the next.

    From the 1940′s to 1970′s, delivering video content to the living room TV was controlled mainly by three companies: ABC, CBS and NBC. The 1970′s brought many more channels, with cable television, and later with satellite, but it still cost millions to have your own TV channel.

    Getting free video content to viewers on DVD just doesn’t make financial sense anymore, though some companies still offer DVDs as a marketing tool.

    Of course, now, in the internet age, you can create a video channel for free, on your own website or one of the plethora of video sharing sites, which are all easily viewable on any computer– but there is still the challenge of getting your content on that living room TV, which nowadays is likely to be a nice, big, LCD or plasma widescreen with a nice sound system– just the kind of screen you want your videos shown on.

    Here at DVcreators.net, we dropped down to basic satellite and got an Apple TV (only for professional research, of course!). It is a great Netflix box, and your viewers who own an Apple TV can watch your free video content if you create video podcasts or publish video on YouTube.

    But we just ordered the new Roku 2 XS, which delivers full 1080 HD (the Apple TV is 720) and offers more options for video publishers, like DailyMotion, or even streaming live events with LiveStream or UStream. You can even create your own channel on the Roku, which is interesting. The Roku is popular (see reviews at the bottom of this post), and will probably get more popular.

    No one knows who will “win the internet TV box race”, or when there will emerge a standard, as VHS emerged from the Beta/VHS wars, or Blu Ray chalked up a Phyrrhic victory in the HD-DVD/Blu Ray battle.

    But the new Roku 2, with 300+ “channels”, featuring Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu Plus, Crackle, and Pandora could be a contender.

    The Roku 2 HD ($60) is the 720p version, but we thought it’s well worth the extra $20 for the 1080p Roku 2 XD ($80):


    Roku + Netflix = Instant Movies on your TV

    If you’d like to order a 1080p Roku 2 like we did, click on the picture above and you’ll also be helping support DVcreators.net, we will receive $4 of each purchase.

    There is a $100 model that is also 1080p, and adds a new Bluetooth motion remote and Angry Birds.

    Here’s a video review:

    And some more reviews:

    cnet

    “The current $100 Roku XDS is the CNET Editors’ Choice in the bargain streaming-video space. In our opinion, it edged out the Apple TV because it delivered far more programming choices for the same price.”
    Read more

    Tech Republic

    “Internet TV: Roku still trumps Apple, Google, and Boxee”
    Read more

    Gizmodo

    “The Rokus are absolutely phenomenal streaming video boxes. They’re affordable, take minimal setup, and pipe in Netflix (most importantly), plus myriad other movie services.”
    Read more

    USA Today

    “Richard Doherty, an analyst at the Envisioneering Group, says that 25% of U.S. homes will have Internet connectivity through TVs or set-top boxes, or both, by the end of the year, growing to 50% by the end of 2012. “Roku was the first, and still the easiest to use,” he says. James McQuivey, a Forrester Research analyst, says the expansion into gaming is a good way for Roku to compete and differentiate itself from Apple.”
    Read more

    endgadget

    “Roku just announced its fourth generation of media streamers and they’re unsurprisingly the best yet. They sport more features, an even smaller physical footprint, and the same Apple TV-killing price points as before.”
    Read more

    Read this before installing Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4

    Posted by Josh Mellicker on June 24, 2011

    Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, Compressor 4: Installation best practices

    • Last Modified: June 23, 2011
    • Article: HT4722
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    Summary

    It is strongly recommended that you install Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, and Compressor 4 on a startup disk that does not have Final Cut Studio (2009) already installed.

    Products Affected

    Compressor 4, Motion 5, Final Cut Pro X

    If your Mac has only one hard disk and it already has Final Cut Studio (2009) installed on it, you can partition the hard disk to create a separate startup volume to install Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4. For instructions, see the section below titled “Install Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4 on a new partition”.

    If you must install Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4 on the same startup disk as Final Cut Studio (2009), see the section below titled “Install Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4 on the same startup disk as Final Cut Studio (2009).”

    Install Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4 on a new partition

    1. To create a new partition of your hard disk, follow instructions in Partitioning a disk. The partition must be large enough to contain all the files required by the version of Mac OS X you are installing, the applications you install, and enough room for projects and media.Note: By default, Final Cut Pro X saves imported and rendered media files in your Movies folder in your home folder (/Users/username/Movies/). Final Cut Pro X Templates (generators, effects, titles, & transitions) and Motion Templates created in Motion 5, are saved to the Movies folder as well.
    2. Install Mac OS X on the new disk partition by inserting the Mac OS X install media and double-clicking the Install Mac OS X icon.
    3. Follow the onscreen instructions. In the pane where you select a disk, select the disk partition you just created in step 1.
    4. If you want to control which parts of Mac OS X are installed, click Customize, and then select the parts you want to install.
    5. To start the installation, click Install.
    6. Start up your system from the new startup volume.
    7. From the Apple () menu, choose Software Update. Install the following updates if they appear in the list:
      • Mac OS X v10.6.8
      • ProKit Update Version 7.0
    8. Purchase Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4 from the Mac App Store. The app will begin downloading automatically, and the app icon will be added to your Dock with a progress bar below the app icon. Once the app is done installing, the progress bar below the app icon will go away.
    9. From the Apple () menu, choose Software Update to download ProApps QuickTime codecs and the Final Cut Pro X or Motion supplemental content.

    You can now use Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4 from this new startup volume. You can also restart on the other startup volume to use Final Cut Studio (2009).

    Install Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4 on the same disk as Final Cut Studio (2009)

    This is not the preferred method, but you can use it if you are unable to install on a separate partition.

    1. From the Apple () menu, choose Software Update. Install the following updates if they appear in the list:
      • Mac OS X v10.6.8 or later
      • ProKit Update Version 7.0
      • The latest versions of the Final Cut Studio (2009) applications
    2. Purchase Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4 from the Mac App Store. The app you purchase will begin downloading automatically, and the app icon will be added to your Dock with a progress bar below the app icon. Once the app is done installing, the progress bar below the app icon will go away.

      When you install Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4 on the same startup disk as Final Cut Studio (2009), the Final Cut Studio (2009) applications are moved to a new location (/Applications/Final Cut Studio).

    3. To verify that the Final Cut Studio (2009) applications operate correctly, open Motion 4, and then quit Motion 4.

      Important: Make sure to open Motion 4 first, before opening any other Final Cut Studio (2009) applications.

      You can now use Final Cut Studio (2009) and Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4 on the same system, from the same startup disk.

      Note: Final Cut Server, Podcast Producer, Software Updates for Final Cut Studio (2009), and some third-party workflows and tools may require that the Final Cut Studio (2009) applications remain in their original location in the Applications folder.

    Restore the Final Cut Studio (2009) applications to their original location

    Follow these steps to move the Final Cut Studio (2009) applications to their original location while still being able to use Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4 on the same system.

    1. Create a folder called “Final Cut Pro X” (without quotations) in your Applications folder.
    2. Drag the Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, and Compressor 4 apps into the Final Cut Pro X folder you created.
    3. When prompted, type your administrator password.
    4. Locate the Final Cut Studio folder in the Applications folder. Modify the permissions on the Final Cut Studiofolder by selecting it and choosing File > Get Info.
    5. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of “Sharing & Permissions” to show the permissions for the  Final Cut Studio folder (if they are not already visible).
    6. Click the lock icon in the lower-right corner of the window.
    7. When prompted, type your administrator password.
    8. For the “admin” entry, click the current privilege setting and choose “Read & Write.” Close the Get Info window.
    9. Drag the contents of the Final Cut Studio folder into the Applications folder.
    10. Open Motion 4 (now located in the Applications folder). After it opens completely, quit Motion 4.

    What does the guy who led the original Final Cut Pro revolution think of the Final Cut Pro X release?

    Posted by Josh Mellicker on June 23, 2011

    Yes it did!

    In case anyone is interested in my take on the release of Final Cut Pro X, here it is.

    First, let me say this first article is just about the release, and not about the software itself. I promise that henceforth I will focus on the actual FCPX software and forget all the hullabaloo.

    But this article is about Apple’s business strategy (or lack thereof), my industry perceptions, and looking back a bit to see if we can predict the future.

    First, some background so you take this article seriously :-)

    I am the guy with a lot of the FCP “firsts”. From what I know, I have been editing with FCP longer than anyone in the world. (Outside the original dev team, of course.) With my wife Michelle (the brains of the operation), I produced the first FCP training course, Final Cut Pro PowerStart. I was the first to demo FCP 1.0 in public, launched the first FCP website (fcp411.net), taught the first FCP workshops, presented first FCP free seminar tours, hosted the first FCP user group meeting (May 1, 1999), co-hosted the first Apple trade show hands-on classroom (with Randy Ubillos), produced the first FCP marketing CDs for Apple, and I’m pretty sure I was the one that got Apple to start putting cool-looking reflections under all their graphics (okay, that’s not really an FCP first.).

    Remember, when FCP was released, Apple stock was at $11 and they were largely considered to be on their way out. FCP 1.0 was released only a little more than year after Michael Dell famously answered the question about what he would do were he in charge at Apple with, “What would I do? I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders”. At that time, FCP 1.0 was not in any way a foregone conclusion. It could have come and gone faster than Avid Liquid.

    In the first few years of FCP’s existence, through workshops, free seminars, disc-based courses, trade show seminars and our website, DVcreators.net (with huge help from Apple, of course) introduced well over a hundred thousand people to FCP, people from most cable channels, Hollywood movie studios, people from most major magazines and newspapers, most Fortune 500 companies, most major ad agencies, major universities and branches of government.

    Many believe that the massive efforts of DVcreators.net, along with people like Michael Horton, Phillip Hodgetts, Lawrence Jordan and a few other pioneers, to make the first impression of FCP a hugely positive one to thousands of core media professionals, and support the early adopters with quality training and resources in the first 24 months after release served as a major “tipping point“– creating a viral buzz in the pivotal early years at helping FCP achieve critical mass and become the standard for editing software.

    Okay, enough bragging, let’s get to the point!

    A brand new editing app has been released, called “Final Cut Pro X“.

    Here are some points, keep in mind most of the below is just my speculation and opinion. Bring on the flames and kudos in the comments! (I reserve the right to moderate)

    Totally Avoidable Branding/Product Management Catastrophe

    What I would have done [were I in charge], is continue to sell Final Cut Studio 3 and brand the new app simply as “Z”. A brand-new editing app. Think of the buzz! Think of the awesome logo!

    Of course, people would immediately ask, “What’s the future of FCP7″, and “Will there be an FCP8″ and Apple’s position would be, “We might add minor, incremental features to FCP7, but we feel FCP7 is a stable, full-featured app, and is working well for millions of people, so don’t expect major changes or a major new version anytime soon (or maybe ever). FCP is the standard for professional editing. We are focusing on developing Z until it has feature parity with FCP7 and is ready for professional use, and at that time we recommend pros look into switching to it.” Pulling the plug on FCS3 prematurely was a bad move– all downside, and what’s the upside?

    This positioning would have been a humble, honest approach to avoid the firestorm they should have known would ensue from releasing something called “Final Cut Pro” without even the ability to import the previous version’s projects. Major gaffe.

    Maybe they thought they had to put the words “Final Cut” in the name for it to sell? Huh?!? Like a brand new app called “Z”, with a beautiful grey blue gradient glowing behind it, wouldn’t have attracted attention and buzz (you know, positive buzz)? Come on, Apple, like no one knows who you are? It’s not 1999 anymore, have some confidence! You invented the smartphone and tablet, two things no one knew they needed before, and you are taking over the world. A brand new app would have avoided all this hullabaloo, (and made for a cooler logo as well).

    Pros would then look at the new app as a possible addition to their toolbox for certain projects, or not. At any rate, with my positioning strategy, how could anyone bash Z, it never promised anything! It’s brand new, and it is what it is. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. By not EOLing FCS3, the pressure would be off Apple (see below) and they could take their time adding features into Z.

    (Of course, I would have to figure out what to do about Motion 5. $49 is way too cheap for this app- should have been $299 as well. Maybe a baby iLife version would be $49. But I digress.)

    [bc_group slug="final-cut-pro-x"]

    Here come the “XFCP-ers”

    Even beyond the missing workflow features, I understand the editors that feel betrayed. After years of anticipation of what new magical new Final Cut Pro would emerge from the sparkling Apple castle on the hill, being delivered to us by flying white-winged yaks surrounded by rainbows and 3D particle-system-generated pixie dust, an reaction of shock from users at a “Final Cut Pro”-branded app that threw 20 years of non-linear editing conventions out the window was inevitable.

    Unfortunately, there is a growing, very vocal and influential group of “XFCP-ers”– this could have been mostly avoided. Articles like “Did Apple screw up with Final Cut Pro X?” and “The Final Cut Pro Backlash” are appearing by the hour. Even Fortune magazine has joined the fray, with “The Final Cut Pro X debacle“. Refunds are being processed as you read this sentence. At this writing, FCPX has a 2.5 star rating on the App Store, and even two days after release, even at $299, it’s not even the top Paid App, being beat by the .99 FaceTime.

    At Apple, they may be thinking, this will all blow over, no worries, when we add some features, the natives will calm down. But if that’s what they’re thinking, they should be taking this initial reaction a little more seriously.

    As Phillip Hodgetts has pointed out, FCPX has some not-insubstantial revenue potential for Apple, and as I added in the comments of that article, when you factor in the Mac Pros and MacBook Pros that Pro Apps sales drive, and let’s not forget that famous “halo effect” (how many FCP editors have you seen pulling out their iPhones in the middle of an edit session?), this has the potential to snowball into a real problem.

    If they lose a few thousand influential, tweeting, blogging ditchers, that could then virally turn into ten thousand, then a few hundred thousand, and so forth, and pretty soon you’re talking real money. It’s no exaggeration to say that billions, not millions of dollars, over time, are at stake. Do the math.

    But what does the future hold?

    Well, Apple may have a problem they haven’t thought of. Just adding in OMF/XML/multicam etc., at this point, may not put FCPX over the hump. At first glance, the footage organization and editing might look kinda similar to FCP7, but it’s not. When intelligent, experienced editors explore FCPX in depth, giving it a real, bona fide chance, and give up, you have a problem. Working with media, and editing, are as different from FCP7 and other editing apps as flying a helicopter is to driving a car. And FCPX is not as intuitive as FCP 1-7.

    Imagine someone used to driving a car upgrading to a helicopter. You can read the helicopter manual. You can watch hours of manufacturer-certified training movies of people flying helicopters. But when you try to fly one yourself, you will most likely crash and burn before you master it. Apple can say helicopters are cooler than cars, but who cares if there’s no good way to learn how to fly the dang thing?

    If most the people who download FCPX, whether professional, prosumer and consumer, have a frustrating first, second and third experience, give up and head back to FCP7 to cut that trailer, commercial, movie, industrial or kid’s birthday party, and Apple does not reverse course and put FCS3 back on sale (which I predict they won’t), it could mean trouble for the Pro Apps division. Think this is ridiculous? Maybe. It’s at least as ridiculous as saying Blockbuster’s dominance of video rentals will someday be over, or Tower Records will someday not be the place you go to buy records, or MySpace won’t be the cool place to connect with friends any more. Technology, and the way it’s introduced, has a funny way of radically changing the path of the future, and no one knows this better than Apple. As a company, Apple is fine. With the release of FCPX, the Pro Apps division is at a crucial juncture.

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    My Predictions:

    I WILL BET ANY DITCHER A SUSHI DINNER+BEER THAT APPLE WILL ADD THE FOLLOWING FEATURES WITH A FREE UPDATE IN THE NEXT 90 DAYS:

    • XML export/import (allowing FCP7 projects to be imported)

    It’s obvious to me that QC people inside Apple have been testing XML import into FCPX for a while, so the only reason they wouldn’t have enabled it in the 1.0 version is because there are so many problems importing FCP7 timelines with certain elements, like nested sequences, speed changes (especially reverse motion), embedded Motion projects and other oddities. They feared even more negative fallout from people screaming that their projects wouldn’t import than not including it at all. (With my “Z” strategy, they could have called it “limited” XML support, saying “Yeah, it will import FCP7 edits except for certain elements” and the pros would have said “cooool!”)

    FCP7 PROJECT IMPORT UPDATE: A few items have surfaced regarding FCP7 import. One quickly extinguished ray of hope is a Brazilian MacMagazine article in which someone digging around in the code found a function called “importFinalCutXML“.

    However, Apple’s answer to:

    “Can I import projects from Final Cut Pro 7 into Final Cut Pro X?” is:

    Final Cut Pro X includes an all-new project architecture structured around a trackless timeline and connected clips. In addition, Final Cut Pro X features new and redesigned audio effects, video effects, and color grading tools. Because of these changes, there is no way to “translate” or bring in old projects without changing or losing data. But if you’re already working with Final Cut Pro 7, you can continue to do so after installing Final Cut Pro X, and Final Cut Pro 7 will work with Mac OS X Lion. You can also import your media files from previous versions into Final Cut Pro X.

    And, Randy Ubillos replied to a user email, saying:
    “FCP7 projects do not have enough information in them to properly translate to FCPX (in FCP7 all of the clip connections live in the editor’s head, not in the timeline). We never expected anyone to switch editing software in the middle of a project, so project migration was not a priority.

    Final Cut Pro X 1.0 is the beginning of a road, not the end.”

    So, it appears Apple tried, but could not get import to work, so my prediction is most likely wrong.

    • AAF/OMF import/export
    • SDK so Blackmagic/AJA/Matrox etc. can update their drivers for real broadcast monitoring support (not sure about tape/timecode)
    • a published plugin SDK
    • multicam editing (with way more streams than FCP7 on the same machine)
    • native support for RED and XDCAM
    • the ability for a network of edit stations to work from shared storage, and share clip metadata (I am kind of going out on a limb on this one)

    I have no “inside info” about these things, except that I’ve known Brian Meaney for 12 years and I can guarantee that he would not have stood idly by while a brand new app got built that did not have the ability to fit into the professional workflows he knows high end post houses require.

    With FCP, he has always had the product positioning philosophy of “get Hollywood first, everyone else will follow” (A philosophy I do not completely share, I recommended in the early days that Apple forget Hollywood and focus on making it “the editing software for the rest of us” (the millions of emerging education/industrial/training/science/medicine/politics/religion/documentary/independent video producers) and let Avid keep the couple thousand hardcore high end editors). But I understand the Hollywood strategy, and Brian has done a great job making sure FCP added the necessary features and codec support that would ensure it became a mainstay in the big post houses– and help win some Oscars!).

    Now, Brian, save me the sushi funds and make sure my predictions come true!

    (*By the way, by “any ditcher” I mean “any one ditcher”– not all of them! Sheesh!)

    The Truth about the Origins of Final Cut Pro X

    People have called FCPX “iMovie Pro”. Not true. (Not exactly true.)

    Randy Ubillos, creator of Premiere, KeyGrip (later renamed Final Cut Pro), Aperture and several other amazing programs, is brilliant, a visionary, and a true innovator. With the original Premiere, he added a new dimension to the editing timeline, allowing “vertical” (compositing) as well as horizontal (storytelling) editing. Key Grip took this further, with keyframes, blend modes and keying. Randy is on a short list of my all-time personal heroes, I’ve known him for 12 years, and taught alongside him daily at NAB. Though we’re not close friends, I have been privileged to talk with him on several occasions and I feel like I know how he thinks. (Like Randy, when I design software, I always start from a blank slate and let common sense and user experience drive the process without any influence from “this is the way things have always been done.”)

    I remember one time, probably ten years ago, we were riding in the back seat of a car after a trade show and I told Randy that I envisioned Final Cut Pro moving towards more pre-production features, like scriptwriting and timeline storyboarding, where FCP would print out shotlists and a shooting script, and then after shooting, the actual takes would drop in and replace the storyboard placeholders. I remember he didn’t seem to like the idea much, so I’m sure this conversation had little or no influence on any future development, but at any rate, a few years later Randy came back from a diving vacation and going through his footage realized that the standard UI paradigm of Avid/Premiere/Final Cut/Vegas/Liquid/etc. (all somewhat similar in media management) were not an ideal environment for the very first step in post-production: organizing raw footage.

    So Randy starting writing an app: “First Cut”, a professional-level “feeder” app for Final Cut Pro. You would launch First Cut, import all your raw footage, then quickly skim through, keywording, organizing, marking as good or rejecting, and finally building a rough edit.

    Then you would “Export to Final Cut Pro”, and import the rough cut XML into Final Cut Pro to fine-tune edits, color grade, add titles and effects, composite, key, mix sound and do your final mastering. First Cut was born for one purpose only– to make plowing through and organizing mountains of footage efficient and even enjoyable.

    I don’t know whether Randy decided to repurpose First Cut or His Steveness saw it and decided it should be the new iMovie, but somewhere along the line it was decided at One Infinite Loop that First Cut would become iMovie ’08. Other features were added, and iMovie was released– to decidedly mixed reviews.

    David Pogue wrote a scathing review for the NY Times: “Apple Takes a Step Back With iMovie ’08″:

    Most people are used to a product cycle that goes like this: Release a new version every year or two, each more capable than the last. Ensure that it’s backward-compatible with your existing documents.

    IMovie ‘08, on the other hand, has been totally misnamed. It’s not iMovie at all. In fact, it’s nothing like its predecessor and contains none of the same code or design. It’s designed for an utterly different task, and a lot of people are screaming bloody murder… …iMovie ‘08 is an utter bafflement… …What the [bleep]! What was Apple thinking?

    Sound familiar?

    (Ironically, Dave seems to have done a 180º, and now he loves FCPX, for some of the same reasons he hated iMovie ’08. Ah well, journalists…)

    The “Export to Final Cut Pro” option in iMovie ’08 bespoke of its roots, too bad only a few people used it in this way, I tried it and it worked great in this workflow. (Because people didn’t “get” the new paradigm, and there was no one to show them the way, due to public outcry Apple had to put a download link for iMovie 6 back on the iMovie page.)

    Although FCPX was built from scratch, and not from the iMovie codebase, it’s clear that Randy’s vision for a revolutionary new way to manage media (and find the right clip), as well as edit video footage, is at the very foundation of Final Cut Pro X.

    So, the people calling Final Cut Pro X “iMovie Pro” are wrong, like people who say humans are descended from monkeys. (We’re not, though we share a common ancestor.)

    Finally, Josh’s take on Final Cut Pro X

    [This paragraph has been edited.] I will post a full review in an upcoming article.

    Thanks for reading! Let the comments/flames begin!

    BlackMagic demos UltraStudio 3D capture box with two Thunderbolt ports | 9 to 5 Mac | Apple Intelligence

    Posted by Josh Mellicker on June 18, 2011

    Third-parties are prepping new Thunderbolt products ahead of the upcoming Final Cut Pro X release. Japanese site Macotakara.jp got a chance to play with Blackmagic Design’s UltraStudio 3D, a Thunderbolt-enabled 3D capture and playback for SD, HDMI and analog. Although BlackMagic’s site lists the device as having one Thunderbolt port, the unit on display has two ports. Engineers apparently haven’t yet made the final decision on that. The above clip shows a cool portable editing solution consisting of an early-2011 17-inch MacBook Pro, an UltraStudio 3D box, a Promise R6 Pegasus RAID and a Video-422 deck controller.

    The rig works in perfect harmony, allowing for video recording to the Pegasus RAID with real-time previews on an external display and real-time video effects in 2K and 3D. The same site noted Tuesday that Final Cut Pro X would be available next week.

    via BlackMagic demos UltraStudio 3D capture box with two Thunderbolt ports | 9 to 5 Mac | Apple Intelligence.

    Apple previews Final Cut Pro X – arriving in June for $299

    Posted by Josh Mellicker on April 12, 2011

    Apple revealed the new version of Final Cut Pro, dubbed “Final Cut Pro X”, at the FCP User Group SuperMeet in NAB Tuesday night.

    Here’s some creative video of the event:

    and a better video of the demo only:

    The editing software has been rewritten from scratch, here are the high points:

    • 64-bit, with OpenCL support
    • Uses Grand Central Dispatch to utilize all cores
    • Editing during import
    • Ingested media ready for editing immediately
    • stabilization, audio and shutter correction, shot detection and preliminary color balancing automatically applied during ingest
    • Scalable rendering
    • Color-managed based on colorsync
    • Resolution-independent playback system up to 4K formats
    • Background rendering built into application.
    • Media editing during ingest
    • Image stabilization – it “deals with rolling shutter on the way in.”
    • Ability to detect people
    • Shot detection, can detect medium shots, close-ups, etc. during import
    • Non-destructive color balance as media is being ingested.
    • Audio clean-up, with options to eliminate hum or rumble during import
    • New UI (screenshots forthcoming) with “magnetic timeline” and new clip sync method
    • Timecode-based keywording within clips
    • Auto-syncing clips via audio waveform analysis
    • Automated color-matching between clips
    • Clip connections
    • Smart collection feature, which categorizes media based on type, number of people in a shot and framing
    • Compound clips allow multiple clips to be combined into a single clip
    • Non-destructive auditioning feature allows users to compare edits and effects

    For a play-by-play of the demo, click here.

    Here are some handheld videos of the entire preso, shot on an iPad2:

    Part 1

    Intro, Market Analysis and FCP X Overview, where its come from, industry user base and competition.

    Part 2

    Ingest, Keywording and Magnetic Timeline

    Part 3

    DEMO: Keywording and Magnetic Timeline

    Part 4

    DEMO: Magnetic Timeline

    Part 5

    DEMO: Color, Rendering, Auditioning

    Some good screenshots here.

    Adobe Unveils Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium

    Posted by Josh Mellicker on April 11, 2011

    Sweeping Productivity Enhancements and New Creative Innovations Boost End-to-End Workflows for Audio and Video Professionals

    SAN JOSE, Calif. — April 11, 2011 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Creative Suite® 5.5 Production Premium, the complete software solution for video and post-production that helps deliver content to virtually any screen. Breakthrough performance, workflow improvements, creative innovations, and powerful new audio editing capabilities build upon the huge customer momentum Production Premium is experiencing with broadcasters, filmmakers and video professionals worldwide. New versions receiving major updates include Adobe Premiere® Pro CS5.5, Adobe After Effects® CS5.5, Adobe Flash® Professional CS5.5, Adobe Flash Catalyst® CS5.5, Adobe Story, Adobe Media Encoder CS5.5, and Adobe Device Central CS5.5. New to Creative Suite 5.5 is Adobe Audition® CS5.5, bringing its audio-for-video multitrack editing environment to both Mac OS and Windows® for the first time.

    Today also sees Adobe debut an affordable and flexible subscription-based pricing plan, attractive to customers that want to get current and stay current on Creative Suite products, have project-based needs, or try the software for the first time. New Subscription Editions ensure customers with active subscriptions are always working with the most up-to-date versions of the software, without the upfront cost of full pricing. Now customers can use Adobe Production Premium CS5.5 for as little as US$85 per month.

    “Over the past year, we’ve received a phenomenal response to Adobe Creative Suite CS5 Production Premium for its performance, new features and expanded integration with hardware and camera manufacturers that makes metadata, collaboration and distribution a seamless workflow for video professionals,” said Jim Guerard, vice president and general manager for Professional Video, Adobe. “CS5.5 turbo-charges a product that has already taken the industry by storm and gives story-tellers new tools and features to continue to astonish audiences around the world.”

    Even Greater Productivity
    Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium delivers massive productivity enhancements that enable video and audio professionals to dramatically accelerate their workflows. The powerful Adobe Mercury Playback Engine, introduced in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, broadens its graphics processing unit (GPU) hardware support to include laptops and more supported cards, and allows users to open projects faster, get real-time feedback for more GPU-accelerated features, and work more smoothly at 4k and higher resolutions.

    Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 boosts performance by providing a smoother editing workflow, enabled by new trimming and editing tools that provide more precision and control. Dual-system sound support from the new Merge Clips command in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 lets users quickly sync video with high-quality audio recorded on separate devices like location recorders, ideal for DSLR or RED workflows. Leveraging an integrated workflow with Adobe Audition, Adobe Premiere Pro users can save time by sending individual clips or sequences, including reference videos, directly to Adobe Audition for audio editing and restoration. Adobe’s lead in file-based workflows widens in CS5.5 with enhanced support for RED and other tapeless cameras, including improved RED Source Settings dialog in Premiere Pro and After Effects CS5.5 and native support for up to 5k media from RED Epic cameras via an extension available on Adobe Labs. Providing a truly native editing solution, CS5.5 saves users time and eliminates the need to transcode or rewrap footage.

    Building on Creative Suite Production Premium’s industry-leading multiscreen capabilities, the new 64-bit Adobe Media Encoder CS5.5 has been completely redesigned to deliver Adobe Premiere Pro video sequences, After Effects compositions, and Adobe Encore® projects to multiple screen formats quickly, while doing the encoding in the background. Adobe Media Encoder CS5.5 also introduces new format support such as AVC-Intra and DPX, and watch folders so users can encode a single clip to multiple destinations with a simple drag and drop.

    “When you watch a film, it’s the larger experience that sticks with you, the combination of elements, not the individual details,” said Gareth Edwards, award winning filmmaker and the creative driving force behind the much-heralded 2010 independent film, Monsters. “That’s what I love about Adobe Creative Suite – all of the individual tools interlink seamlessly and blur the line between each part of the process so the focus is creating a cohesive work, not a bunch of different pieces. This interconnectivity coupled with the incredible speed of the Mercury Playback Engine makes for a powerful combination – if we had CS5.5 when we made Monsters, I know we would have finished two months earlier.”

    Game-Changing Innovations
    New innovations across the suite continue to help audio and video professionals push the boundaries of their creativity. After Effects CS5.5 introduces new features such as the Warp Stabilizer, Camera Lens Blur and Light Falloff to enable users to enhance footage in post-production. The breakthrough Warp Stabilizer eliminates unwanted camera movement by steadying shaky footage, making handheld footage appear as smooth as a camera mounted on a mechanical stabilizer. The Camera Lens Blur effect mimics the properties of physical lenses offering more realistic depth of field blurs. The Light Falloff effect enables users to simulate natural illumination falloff to mimic how light behaves in a 3D scene and can be used to create other light intensity effects.

    Already well-adopted in the audio industry, video professionals can now harness the power of Adobe Audition in CS5.5 Production Premium – for both Mac and Windows platforms. The completely re-written audio engine in Audition offers a robust toolset to record, edit, mix, master, and sweeten audio. With its professional editing and multitrack mixing tools, powerful noise-reduction and effects options, audio and video professionals on both platforms can now benefit from Adobe Audition CS5.5 for handling a wide range of tasks quickly and efficiently.

    Improved Collaboration
    Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium continues to drive innovation by enhancing how users collaborate with existing workflows, even if they use a variety of tools. Enhanced project exchange support for Final Cut Pro users provides maximum flexibility for video editors, while new or enhanced OMF support in Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Audition makes it possible to export high-quality audio projects to Avid Pro Tools, facilitating more efficient collaboration between audio editors, remixers and sound designers.

    Access to the new version of Adobe Story, an Adobe CS Live online service*†,  improves collaboration between users with email notifications of new script edits and a faster method of tracking changes through script elements and filters. The ability to import Adobe Story script data directly into Adobe Premiere Pro further strengthens XML-based metadata support found throughout the Production Premium suite, which is critical for everything from file-based workflows to media asset management. This industry leadership around metadata-driven workflows, plus the ease and flexibility of communicating with Adobe applications with critical third party solutions from news management systems to playback servers, is the catalyst behind many broadcasters and other organizations around the world switching to Adobe Creative Suite Production Premium.

    Pricing and Availability
    Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium is scheduled to ship within 30 days with availability through Adobe Authorized Resellers, the Adobe Store and Adobe Direct Sales. Estimated street price for Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium is expected to be US$1,699. Upgrade pricing and volume licensing are available.

    By subscribing to Creative Suite, customers can choose a one-year subscription plan for lower payments or a month-to-month subscription for greater flexibility. For more information about Subscription Editions, visit:www.adobe.com/go/cssubscription.

    Pricing for the new Subscription Edition starts as low as US$39 per month for Adobe Premiere Pro and US$85 per month for Production Premium.

    Education pricing for students, faculty and staff in K-12 and higher education is available from Adobe Authorized Education Resellers and the Adobe Education Store atwww.adobe.com/education/purchasing/education_pricing.htm. More information regarding education volume licensing for higher education and K-12 institutions can be viewed atwww.adobe.com/aboutadobe/volumelicensing/education.

    For more detailed information about features, OS support, upgrade policies, pricing and International versions, please visit www.adobe.com/go/creativesuiteproduction.

    Adobe Unveils Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium.

    March 2011 Editors’ Lounge discussion

    Posted by Josh Mellicker on April 7, 2011

    PreNAB Editors’ Lounge 2011 Part 1 from Editors' Lounge on Vimeo.

    The March 2011 Editors’ Lounge HTTP:/​/​editorslounge.com/​ was the 8th year of our annual NAB discussion panel and featured guest speakers Steve Cohen, Terence Curren, Mark Raudonis, Michael Bravin and Lucas Wilson. Debra Kaufman moderated a lively discussion on post-production trends and predictions for NAB 2011.

    Once the video is loaded you can jump to the subjects below:

    3:00 The New Final Cut Pro, as seen by Mark Raudonis
    10:16 What is a cord cutter?
    11:05 The Future of content delivery
    14:17 New hardware vs. user interface of NLEs
    14:50 Support, Apple vs. Avid
    17:09 The new Avid company
    18:30 Apple’s media future
    18:55 Speculation on FCP X

    PreNAB Editors’ Lounge 2011 Part 2 from Editors' Lounge on Vimeo.

    0:08 New GUI (Graphical User Interface) for NLEs
    3:17 Lucas talks about new media
    5:31 Storytelling, the basics of our craft
    6:30 Oblong Industries, the “Minority Report” GUI
    8:17 Adobe, Vegas, Lightworks
    8:43 Avid Media Composer 5.5
    9:58 Crowd-sourcing video editing
    11:57 The commoditization of media creation
    13:05 Demand Media, is it our future?
    14:58 The new business model for editors, producers, etc.
    16:19 We have to think beyond 1 screen

    Predict a feature of the new version of Final Cut Pro!

    Posted by Josh Mellicker on April 5, 2011

    Please add a comment with a feature you predict will be in the next version of Final Cut Pro, and you’ll have a chance to win a the Final Cut Studio 4 upgrade!

    Here are the contest rules:

    • You can post a prediction, or a wish!
    • There is a FIVE PREDICTION LIMIT PER PERSON!
    • Vote other people’s comments up or down by clicking the balloon!
    • The winner will not be determined by who is right. The winner will be chosen on how many “points” their prediction got from the community!
    • In the case of a tie, the earliest prediction wins!
    • No cheating! Don’t ask your friends to vote your predictions up, we’ll know and you’ll be disqualified!
    • The winner will be chosen and announced here on the day the upgrade is available for purchase.
    • Have fun and predict away!!!

    Click here to post your prediction

    YouTube Star Epic Meal Time Turns Viral Success Into Television Show Deal

    Posted by Smiley Katz on February 3, 2011

    So you’ve had all these ideas for shoots, webisodes, shorts, films or whatever, right?  But you figured, what’s the point, why produce them, it’s too much work!  Well, lets negate the negativity and take a look at this positive success story for inspiration.  These guys, had a vision, shot and executed it, put it up on YouTube, and now they’re getting a TV show.  No reason why you can’t get do the same.

    GET CREATING!!!!

    (via YouTube Star Epic Meal Time Turns Viral Success Into Television Show Deal.)

    Food and cooking shows on cable have been gradually getting more and more extreme over the past few years, as networks like The Food Network and the Travel Channel try to hook viewers with the promise of unique and edgy programming like Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives or Man Vs. Food. But nothing we’ve seen comes close to the raw “extremeness” of Epic Meal Time, the YouTube channel that will soon have its own television show.

    Newspapers overtake broadcasters in video streaming

    Posted by Josh Mellicker on January 25, 2011

    Newspaper sites have overtaken broadcaster sites in the number of videos uploaded, according to a report by Brightcove and TubeMogul.

    Its quarterly report, which analysed a sample of US-based and global Brightcove customers for Q3 2010, found that newspaper sites streamed 313m minutes of video in the quarter, compared with 290m minutes uploaded by broadcasters.

    Newspapers saw 51% growth in video content, surpassing broadcasters for total minutes streamed for the first time, suggesting that newspapers are quickly adapting their once print-dominated businesses to multimedia production.

    via Newspapers overtake broadcasters in video streaming | News | New Media Age.

    NewTek TriCaster to Produce Live Video Streams for Winter X Games 15

    Posted by Smiley Katz on

    TriCaster to deliver coverage of X Games to fans in the audience and online.

    NewTek, a worldwide leader of video and 3D animation products, today announced that its signature streaming product, the award-winning TriCaster portable live production system, will be used to produce and live stream extensive coverage of the ESPN Winter X Games 15 from Aspen, CO, from January 27-30. Fans attending the X Games will be able to watch events on the in-venue video boards at various locations in Aspen—streamed exclusively with TriCaster. Fans at home and on-the-go will have access to the all the action, via the TriCaster-powered high definition (HD) live stream at Facebook.com/xgames.

    Last July, at the summer X Games in Los Angeles, live video streams of the event were available at Facebook.com/xgames on the “X Cast” tab and the X Games live stream page, with content that featured the Skate and BMX Park/street practice, daily “Inside X” show, athlete chats and jumbotron feed. With TriCaster, ESPN produced some 446,398 streams that garnered 2,253,380 viewer minutes and 124,776 unique viewers.

    With TriCaster, anyone can simultaneously produce, live stream, broadcast, project and record HD and SD network-style productions. A single operator or small team can switch between multiple cameras, virtual inputs and live virtual sets, while inserting clips, titles and motion graphics with multi-channel effects. In addition to the ESPN X Games, TriCaster is used by sports organizations, broadcasters, schools, houses of worship, government agencies and others to provide a new level of extended programming and content to their audiences.

    The TriCaster family of products in NTSC is available in North America starting at US$4,995, and multi-standard internationally starting at US$5,995. Educational pricing is also available. For more information, visit www.newtek.com, or call NewTek Sales at 800-368-5441. International callers dial +1-210-370-8000.

    via NewTek TriCaster to Produce Live Video Streams for Winter X Games 15.

    The future of TV

    Posted by Josh Mellicker on January 24, 2011

    Today, your average TV might have connected to it a cable or satellite box, a DVD and/or Blu Ray player, a gaming device like an xBox, PlayStation or Wii, a DVR, and maybe even a Roku, Apple TV or Boxee box, all ensconced in an HDMI cable spaghetti mess with a bevy of remotes to match.

    This is completely crazy.

    STOP THE MADNESS!

    This is the past of television. This is not the future.

    The future is, ONE remote, ONE box. And the box is not a special purpose box. It’s simply a computer, running an OS like Linux, iOS, Android, or Chrome OS, or even Windows or Mac OS, with ONE HDMI out and ONE optical audio output. And any content you want, you can get an app that will bring that content to you.

    I spent most of 2004 trying to put together a company based around manufacturing a cute little cube HTPC (Home Theater PC) that would take all these functions – disc playback, gaming, TV time-shifting, looking at pictures or home movies, and put them into one box, with one wireless keyboard and gyro mouse on the sofa. The vision was there, but not the software or technology. Now, 7 years later, no one has yet really done it.

    I just read this in an article:

    “I went to visit Lanzone at his San Francisco office. We plopped down on a low, green sofa around Clicker’s version of a conference table — a 55-inch screen. Boxes cluttered the pedestal on which it balanced as well as the floor beneath it. Lanzone picked one up — the cube-like Apple TV box — held it aloft with the cord dangling, and dropped it again. “All these boxes are like AOL circa 1995,” he said. The TV in front of us was connected to the web by a simple HDMI cord plugged into a laptop PC.”

    Lanzone (founder of clicker.com) is right.

    Here’s the whole article: What the hell is going on with TV? – Fortune Tech.

    Live TV and PVR Next on the Menu for Apple TV?: Apple «

    Posted by on September 20, 2010

    The Apple TV is admittedly a better bargain at $99, but it still isn’t really whetting my appetite. There are a couple of rumored new additions that could help that change, however. According to some, Live TV and PVR capabilities are next in line for Apple’s favorite living room hobby.

    A new licensing partnership between Apple and Rovi Corp, a company that makes interactive television guides, is the reason for speculation about live TV coming to the set-top device. Piper Jaffray’s resident Apple prognosticator, Gene Munster, predicts the arrival of more TV-like features to the Apple TV thanks to the new partnership.

    Munster thinks this is another step towards an all-in-one Apple TV, according to Business Insider:

    We believe this announcement is further evidence that Apple is developing live TV and DVR features for its Apple TV product, and will likely launch an all-in-one Apple Television in the next 2-4 years.

    While I agree with Munster that there’s a good chance Apple will try to introduce live TV and PVR functions, owing primarily to the looming competition they face in the living room from Google’s TV efforts, I’m not entirely convinced that an all-in-one device is on the way.

    It’s true that eventually people will be looking exclusively for connected TVs as their devices of choice. Having basic web capabilities and on-device storage are already popular options among manufacturers. But is it what consumers want?

    I’d argue that a cheap, portable device compatible with any potential viewing screen is a much better option from a consumer standpoint. With the current Apple TV, I can conceivably take it with me wherever I go, plug it in and get watching. An all-in-one device loses that, and costs a significant amount more.

    What do you see in Apple TV’s future? Would you buy an all-in-one if Apple did make it?

    via Live TV and PVR Next on the Menu for Apple TV?: Apple «.

    Biz Break: Forget 3-D; consumers want their Internet TV – SiliconValley.com

    Posted by on July 30, 2010

    You may be hearing a lot about expensive 3-D televisions. However, consumers are far more interested in buying TVs with built-in Internet capabilities, according to a report today from tech researcher iSuppli.

    “Despite aggressive promotions from the industry and intense consumer interest generated by the blockbuster ‘Avatar’ and other titles, the 3-D TV market in 2010 will be limited to a small pool of enthusiastic early adopters,” Riddhi Patel, iSuppli’s director and principal analyst for television

    According to iSuppli’s estimates, manufacturers will ship 4.2 million 3-D televisions this year. By contrast, they’ll ship 27.7 million Internet-enabled TVs, a volume that’s up nearly 125 percent from 2009.

    via Biz Break: Forget 3-D; consumers want their Internet TV – SiliconValley.com.

    Google TV

    Posted by on July 28, 2010

    TV meets web. Web meets TV.

    Google TV is a new experience made for television that combines the TV you know and love with the freedom and power of the Internet. Watch an overview video below, sign up for updates, and learn more about how to develop for Google TV.

    via Google TV.

    Mobile Video On Steep Growth Curve — Mobile Services — InformationWeek

    Posted by on July 19, 2010

    Mobile Video On Steep Growth Curve

    Revenue from video telephony, video messaging, and similar services is projected to grow from $121 million in 2010 to $2 billion in 2013, says ABI Research.

    By Esther Shein, InformationWeek

    Mobile video services revenue from video telephony, video messaging, video sharing, video on demand, VoD downloads, and other video services is expected to exceed $2 billion in 2013, according to the ABI Research Mobile Video Services annual global study.

    via Mobile Video On Steep Growth Curve — Mobile Services — InformationWeek.

    Can I cut the cable now!? | Home Theater | Playlist | Macworld

    Posted by on July 12, 2010

    NetflixWith Hulu Plus and better streaming content from Netflix, it may finally be time to cut the TV umbilical

    by Christopher Breen, Macworld.com

    Nearly a year ago, I offered tips for cutting the cable bill. In that article, I extolled the virtues of free TV ala Hulu; TV network sites; such media center applications as XBMC, Plex, and Boxee; and mentioned Netflix’s Watch Instantly as a then-limited streaming video service worth keeping an eye on.

    There have been some recent changes to streaming video that compel me to ask again: Is it finally time to disconnect the cable?

    Yes…

    The first change is Hulu Plus—Hulu’s $10-a-month subscription-based TV streaming service (still in limited beta release and not available outside the U.S.). While Hulu Plus demands that you watch as many commercials as you do using the free version of Hulu, it provides full seasons of some popular and current shows and streams a portion of its content in 720p HD.

    Netflix’s Watch Instantly service has also changed. When I looked at Watch Instantly’s offerings last year, they were pretty grim—B movies and ancient TV series abounded. In the last several months, Netflix has signed deals that bring better and more current content to the Watch Instantly side of its business. And Netflix continues to pursue such deals in the hope that it can buck up its online content to keep and attract customers. For example, Netflix has made arrangements with the independent film production company Relativity Media to stream its content a few months after DVD versions are released (during the so-called “pay TV window”).

    And then there’s the iPad. Both Hulu Plus and Netflix offer free iPad apps for streaming each service’s content wirelessly. And, with a fast broadband connection, that content looks pretty good. Plus, it’s affordable. For just under $20 a month, you have access to a decent library of movies and older and current TV series. Compare that to what you now pay for cable or satellite TV, and you may wonder just how much you’ll miss your current TV connection.

    Finally, there’s always the iTunes Store. Although talk of an Apple subscription service remains just that, you can still purchase and download TV shows a la carte or as complete seasons (saving some money in the process) to watch on computers or a bevy of Apple devices.

    via Can I cut the cable now!? | Home Theater | Playlist | Macworld.

    Season Finale Of ‘House’ Filmed With Canon DSLR – PCWorld

    Posted by Smiley Katz on April 13, 2010

    Considering the TV series House centers around an unorthodox doctor, it isn’t too surprising that the production crew took an unorthodox approach to filming the Season Six finale.

    According to a tweet by director Greg Yaitanes, the production crew shot this year’s season finale using the HD video recording feature of a Canon 5D Mark II DSLR still camera.

    In replies to fans’ questions on Twitter (via PetaPixel), Yaitanes says that the $2500 Cannon camera was perfect for the finale’s many “tight” scenes. During filming, the production crew didn’t use any stabilization features or tools beyond a small tripod, and used only a couple lenses aside from the standard Canon lenses.

    via Season Finale Of ‘House’ Filmed With Canon DSLR – PCWorld.

    Blackmagic Design Intensity Pro $199!

    Posted by Josh Mellicker on April 19, 2009

    Want to view your project out to an HD monitor? Add the incredible quality of HDMI to your computer. Intensity features the latest HDMI technology for the highest quality capture and playback on Windows or Mac OS X computers. Now you can edit using big-screen HDMI televisions and video projectors, or capture uncompressed quality from HDV cameras. Intensity features HDMI-in for connecting to cameras and digital set-top boxes for the highest quality

    Intensity Pro is the first card to combine the high quality of HDMI capture and playback with the wide compatibility of analog component, NTSC, PAL and S-Video and analog audio capture and playback. It enables users to capture directly from the HD camera’s image sensor, bypassing the video compression chip for true uncompressed video quality. Now users can go beyond the quality limits of HDV for editing, design and authoring with Intensity Pro.

    Intensity Pro can be connected to any big screen television or video projector for incredible edit monitoring. Current computers don’t have the processing speed to render complex multi later real time effects in HDV playing back to FireWire cameras. Intensity solves this problem by outputting video on HDMI and analog outputs for big screen monitoring in both SD or HD formats.

    On-Air Software for Real Time Video Mixing
    Included with every Intensity Pro card for real time video mixing is the popular On-Air software. On-Air allows customers to plug in two Intensity or Intensity Pro cards into a computer for two camera mixing for live video production.

    Intensity Pro instantly switches between the 1080 HD, 720 HD, NTSC and PAL video standards. Intensity Pro is fully compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop and any DirectShow or QuickTime based software application on Windows and Mac OS X platforms.

    Tested and works when capturing via HDMI to FCP with the ProRes 422.

    Intensity Pro Features
     • HDMI video and audio capture and playback.
    • Analog capture and playback in component, NTSC, PAL and S-Video.
    • Stereo analog audio capture and playback.
    • Capture and playback DV, HDV, Online JPEG and uncompressed video.
    • Use for edit playback monitoring on televisions and video projectors.
    • HDMI and Component switches between HD and SD.
    • Real time effects supported in Apple Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro.
    • Live production editing with Blackmagic On-Air mixing software with two cameras.
    • Video capture and playback with Blackmagic Media Express utility.
    • PCI Express 1 lane for compatibility with 1, 4, 8 and 16 lane PCI express slots.
    • Compatible with both Windows and Mac OS X Universal.
    • Includes breakout cable with RCA-type connectors for analog video and audio.

    Blackmagic Design Intensity Pro

    Availability: Usually ships same/next day.
    Our Price: $199.00

    How to calibrate an NTSC monitor + New Pro Features!

    Posted by Josh Mellicker on March 17, 2009


    Calibrating a Broadcast Monitor from Guy Cochran on Vimeo.

    Read these simple steps for calibrating an NTSC monitor in the instruction manual of the Marshall monitor.

    1. Allow the monitor to warm up for at least 5-10 minutes.
    2. Display SMPTE split-field color bars on the monitor using an external source.
    3. Enable Monochrome mode.
    4. Locate the pluge pattern (super black, black, and gray bars) at the lower-right corner of the screen. Adjust the Brightness knob until there is no visible difference between the super black and black bars, but the gray bar is still visible.
    5. Adjust the Contrast knob until an even grayscale appears along the top bars.
    6. Disable Monochrome mode.
    7. Enable Blue Check Field mode and adjust the Color knob so that the outermost bars (white and blue) appear to match in brightness.
    8. Composite NTSC only: Adjust the Tint knob until the third bar from the left (cyan) and the third bar from the right (magenta) appear to match in brightness.
    9. Disable Blue Check Field mode.


    Read more info on the Marshall V-LCD70P-HDA 7″ LCD Monitor

    Rode Blimp

    Posted by duncan on November 10, 2008

    For the last few years we have been searching for an inexpensive wind protection system. While we have featured the professional Sennheiser set-up in the DVeStore, the price point was out of reach for many of us. We just couldn’t justify spending $800+ on a serious package. Alas, RODE has developed a solution for us mere mortals to be proud of owning – the all new RODE Blimp.

    We’re excited to bring professional quality wind protection to you for under $300! It’s an amazing value – no more ruined audio due to a bellowing gust. We’ve all heard it – that rumbling that is just so distracting and impossible to fix in post. Don’t be caught without a blimp on your next shotgun shoot outdoors! Not at this price – think about having to redo a scene over bad audio. This is the problem solver!

    The RØDE Blimp is a complete windshield and shock mounting accessory for the NTG-1, NTG-2 and NTG-3 microphones, as well as any third party shotgun microphone up to 325mm in length.

    • Greatly reduces handling and wind noise
    • Accommodates most shotgun microphones up to 325mm (12 ¾”) in length
    • Adjustable dual hoop suspension system
    • Dead Wombat windshield and tail cable included

    As said in the press release by Rode…

    “The new RØDE Blimp is a complete windshield and shock mounting accessory, designed to accommodate the RØDE NTG-1, NTG-2 and NTG-3 shotgun microphones in addition to the NT4 stereo microphone and most third party shotgun microphones up to 325mm (12 ¾”) in length.

    “During the design of the RØDE Blimp we continually focussed on adding tangible performance benefits for the user.” explained the RØDE Blimp’s Lead Industrial Designer, Matthew Hall. “None of the features unique to the Blimp were incorporated without careful analysis and consideration for their purpose. We took great care to ensure all elements worked cohesively and were integrated into the overall design in a manner to provide the best possible windshield product on the market today.”

    The Blimp’s main housing is based on a 10 frequency geodesic dome, with a triangular cross-section that allows the part to be injection-moulded in one piece. This geometry creates a high open-area ratio that greatly improves the acoustic transparency over existing solutions, yet an unparalleled level of robustness and physical protection for the microphone. The end-domes can be easily removed by twisting off, allowing easy access to the microphone. An oversize thread allows easy and intuitive re-attachment of the domes, avoiding clip systems that are difficult to use and vulnerable to breaking.

    A high quality ‘Dead Wombat’ synthetic fur cover and brush is supplied for additional wind protection in extreme environments.”

    RODE Blimp – Limited Time Free T-Shirt offer – Large or XL only – specify in Comments

    Availability: Usually ships same/next day

    Price: $299

    Chroma Key in HD

    Posted by duncan on October 22, 2008

    Click on the picture above to watch the movie!
    We want to give you the opportunity to explore the art of keying. Taking the background out and dropping in something different is a special effects technique that has been around for years. However it was not until recently that we have been able to get broadcast quality results in both a fast and inexpensive manner. Quality Chroma keying is now for everyone.

    Possibilities

    Think about being able to shoot a background plate in Hawaii to use in the middle of a New York winter (although you may want to make sure that you have plenty of heat in your studio for swimsuits and tropical Mai Tai’s on that one). Now how about being able to capture a restaurant atmosphere without having to rent out and hire everyone in the place? Really, the possibilities are endless. You can have a million dollar mansion, showy corporate office or a fancy broadcast studio with just a few clicks of the mouse. It’s up to your imagination to dream it up and you can pull it off.

    Worried about the Quality?With the many HD recording formats available, we now have more pixels to work with than ever as well as a color space that can adequately capture enough information to make keying more believable than ever. The good news is that its even at a price that a budget filmmaker can afford. A Canon HV20 is a good example of a sub $1,000 camera that can capture great quality footage at a phenomenal price.

    Worried about the Rendering?Right now even a base model laptop is capable of handling HD Chroma keying in a reasonable amount of time. This opens up a whole new dimension to video content creators looking to spice up their productions. We’ve gone from days of waiting to minutes, seconds and even real-time.

    Light your subject for the background.You’ll notice that we have included a few files to let you see for yourself what it is like to composite a foreground and background together. Two of the example backgrounds work and look realistic. You’ll see that the foreground subject was intentionally dimly lit. If we place our subject into a bright, sunny Hawaii beach background it just doesn’t work.

    Want to try keying HD?We’ve uploaded a few sample clips we shot for you to try your hand at compositing with Blue Screen. The clips were shot in our studio using the Reflecmedia Chroma key system. We found a few tips that may help you should you choose to try your hand at chroma keying:

    1. Light your Foreground Subject appropriate to make your Composite believable. Dim background? Use low-level lighting on the set. Sunny background? Brighter lighting. Take color cues from the background and match those colors onto your talent using colored gels on your lights. Also, watch for lighting placement, window on the left – light from the left.

    2. A slight Blurring of the Background can give more realistic results. You can intentionally shoot your background slightly out of focus to avoid Rendering a Blur in Post.

    3. The optional $495 Mattenee software chromakey plug-in produces the best results for drag and drop keying, but at the sacrifice of speed. In test after test, the Rendering Time is 10 times longer that of other keying plugins.

    4. In Production, watch for shiny surfaces and “Spill” – to avoid additional work in post. You’ll see both of these in our example.

    5. Fine hair, small edges, hands and fast moving objects shot in a compressed format such as DV/HDV can be challenging to key. Try to minimize shooting these types of subjects if possible. Shoot two versions if necessary, one close up, one wide.

    6. 3rd party plug-ins such as Chroma Smoother from the Nattress Big Box of Tricks can turn a bad key into a good key.

    7. In camera, make sure Sharpening is set to Zero or Off. Artificially sharpened edges can actually introduce unwanted background artifacts on your foreground subject.

    Download Sample HD clips and project files

    Mac – Final Cut Pro

    PC – Raw files

    Click here to ask a question about chroma keying in Final Cut Pro.

    Let’s talk about mice teeth

    Posted by Josh Mellicker on August 12, 2008

    We have had a lot of questions on our forums about interlaced video, so I thought I would write a series of articles to clear everything up once and for all! :-)

    Where did interlacing come from?

    Back in the day, when me and my buddies were developing broadcast television, we were going to model it on film, which took a sequence of photos of reality, so, if a blue circle was moving from left to right, two consecutive frames might look like this:

    Instead of the 24 frame per second rate of film, for technical reasons we decided to match the frame rate with the rate of U.S. alternating current (60 cycles per second).

    But, we had a big problem… we could not fit 60 full frames every second over the old, flimsy airwaves we had back then.

    Just then, the new guy, Randy Interlacing, said “Hey, instead of full frames, let’s just broadcast every other line of the picture! And then, 1/60th of a second later, broadcast the in-between lines! No one will ever notice, with the slow phosphor fade of their RCA cathode ray tube TVs. This will cut our bandwidth needs in half!”

    By that time, we were all too tired and hopped up on root beer to think of anything better, so we agreed. We even agreed to call this method of chopping a picture up into every other line after its inventor: “Interlacing.”

    And nowadays, digital cable and satellite companies can cram twice the number of channels into the same bandwidth thanks to interlacing.

    What is the difference between a “field” and a “frame”?

    Randy said that a picture that only had every other line should not be called a “frame”. He wanted to call it a “Randy.” We thought that was weird, so we decided to call it a “field.”

    Two consecutive fields, recorded a 60th of a second apart, together are called “one frame.” Although you can understand why, cause each field is really, kind of a “half frame”, cause it only contains every other line on the picture, it CAN be confusing that two different motion samples are considered one frame.

    So, in interlaced video, the first picture that is stored is missing every other line, which is “field 1.” And a 60th of a second later, another picture is stored with the in-between (missing) lines.

    So in each second, there were exactly 60 interlaced fields, which equaled 30 frames.

    I said, “Let’s call this ’60i’ format, because the picture changes 60 times a second, and it’s interlaced. And they said “Umm, we’ll call it NTSC.”

    What about over the pond?

    In Europe, where the electricity ran at 50 cycles per second, they settled on 50 interlaced fields. I called their format “50i”, but they insisted on calling it “PAL” which they thought sounded more friendly. (France called their 50i format “SECAM”, because they always had to be different. Their format ended up being superior, like their bread and cheese, but that’s another story.)

    Did NTSC video stay at exactly 60 fields/30 frames per second?

    Nope. That would have made the math too easy. In the 1950′s, people demanded color TV. “What for?” I asked, cause I thought black & white looked cooler. But I was outvoted.

    Wanting to keep broadcast signals compatible with older black & white TVs they just squeezed some chroma info in the luma, dropping the field rate to 59.94 fields per second to squeeze the color information into the signal. Which came out to 29.97 frames per second.

    I refused to call it 59.94i, which took to long to say, so I kept calling it 60i, and that stuck, even today. So interlaced formats are named with the field rate and a lower-case “i”, like “50i”, “60i”, or 1080i”

    What is field “dominance”?

    As we know, interlaced video is a stream of pictures, each picture missing half the lines, alternating between the even and odd numbered lines. But which comes first? Even or odd?

    For each set of two fields, if a video format records the odd fields first, and then records the even fields, it’s called “upper field first”. HDV is an upper field first format. If the first field contains the even numbered lines, this is called a “lower field first” format. DV is lower field first.

    If you’re working with interlaced footage and somehow get the fields reversed, it’s extremely jarring and unpleasant to watch… so don’t do that. To help you prevent this, if you drag an HDV clip into a DV timeline, or vice versa, Final Cut Pro will automatically add a “Shift Fields” filter, to put the fields in the correct order.

    What is “combing”?

    Some things, like cars, people, birds, or blue circles, move so quickly that they have visibly changed positions in the time a video camera captures one field to the next, a 60th of a second later.

    If we look at both fields in the blue ball example superimposed over each other, meaning we’re looking at the whole frame, we can the see the interlacing artifact called “combing” on the blue circle, because it was moving between fields. Combing is also referred to as “interlacing artifacts”, “serrated edges”, “the jaggies”, “weird horizontal lines” or “mice teeth.”

    Here are visible interlacing artifacts on a dolphin nodding her head “yes” to the question “do you want a fish?”

    As you can see, interlacing is ugly on still frames. (That’s why DV Kitchen’s TimeFreezer™ has two kinds of deinterlacing for still frame exports- the movie is informative on some interlacing considerations, watch it here: http://dvcreators.net/dv-kitchen/features/timefreezer)

    When will you see combing artifacts?

    While working with interlaced footage, there are some times when you will see combing artifacts, other times when you won’t. For example, you won’t see interlacing in your camcorder’s LCD screen, or an attached video monitor. When the Final Cut Canvas Window is sized to 100%, you’ll see combing when you have playback paused on a moving subject, but not when it is shrunk smaller. In Quicktime Player, there is a checkbox that will allow you to view video interlaced or not.

    You won’t see any combing on an object that doesn’t move in relation to the camera… because it’s in the same position in both fields.

    If you are working on your project and seeing interlacing, and it is distracting, your editing software probably allows you to turn it off. If you can’t find out how, ask on our forums.

    When do I never have to worry about my viewers seeing visible combing artifacts?

    Combing will never be visible on a television set if you’re feeding it with a signal from:

    • any kind of DVD (standard def, Blu-Ray)
    • Apple TV
    • satellite, cable or over-the-air broadcast

    Even the latest LCDs and plasma TVs are designed to deal with interlaced source material in one way or another. So, if you’re delivering a project on DVD or broadcast, you don’t have to worry about visible interlacing artifacts.

    (If a TV is being fed from a computer, the TV is essentially a computer monitor, and will show combing artifacts.)

    When should I deinterlace my movie?

    For other screens other than televisions, you will almost always want to deinterlace your movie prior to delivery if it contains interlaced footage- including animations and effects, not just the original video footage.

    And all computer screens will show combing in movies, which is distracting and weird-looking. iPods, iPhones, and some other portable viewing devices will also show interlacing in different, almost always bad, ways.

    If you’re delivering your movie

    • on the web
    • on a disc designed to be played on a computer
    • in a video podcast
    • to portable devices
    • on a projector, either fullscreen or embedded in a presentation

    you’ll want to deinterlace it.

    Our recommendation for deinterlacing (and encoding) your footage, if you are using a Mac, is DV Kitchen.

    What if I shot my movie deinterlaced?

    Many “24p”, “30p”, “24f”, “30f”, “Frame Mode”, and other similarly named settings actually store an interlaced signal, but using buffer tricks to repeat fields. There is much more to be said about interlacing with different field cadences, but this will have to wait for a future article since everyone in my office is yelling at me to finish this article so they can send an e-newsletter.

    Here’s our friend D. Eric Franks’s cool movie about interlacing:

    The Joy of Interlacing from Videopia on Vimeo.

    11 Billion Videos Viewed Online in The U.S. in April 2008

    Posted by on June 17, 2008

    18-34 Year Olds Viewed Nearly 5 Hours of Online Video per Person during the Month

    RESTON, Va., June 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — comScore (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released April 2008 data from the comScore Video Metrix service, revealing that U.S. Internet users viewed 11 billion online videos during the month, with YouTube.com accounting for more than 4 billion of that total.

    More than 4 Billion Videos Viewed at Google Sites

    In April, Google Sites once again ranked as the top U.S. video property with more than 4.1 billion videos viewed (38 percent share of all videos), as YouTube.com accounted for 98 percent of all videos viewed at the property. Fox Interactive Media ranked second with 558 million videos (5.1 percent), followed by Yahoo! Sites with 352 million (3.2 percent) and Microsoft Sites with 268 million (2.4 percent).

        Top U.S. Online Video Properties* by Videos Viewed
    April 2008
    Total U.S. – Home/Work/University Locations
    Source: comScore Video Metrix
    Videos               Share (%) of
    Property                                (000)                   Videos
    Total Internet                         10,999,597                  100.0
    Google Sites                            4,159,850                   37.9
    Fox Interactive Media                     557,663                    5.1
    Yahoo! Sites                              352,359                    3.2
    Microsoft Sites                           268,033                    2.4
    Viacom Digital                            199,968                    1.8
    Time Warner – Excl. AOL                   138,771                    1.3
    ABC.COM                                   103,421                    0.9
    Disney Online                              98,740                    0.9
    AOL LLC                                    95,288                    0.9
    ESPN                                       83,424                    0.8

        * Rankings based on video content sites; excludes video server networks.
    Online video includes both streaming and progressive download video.

    Nearly 135 million U.S. Internet users watched an average of 82 videos per viewer in April. Google Sites also attracted the most viewers (83.7 million), where they watched an average of 50 videos per person. Fox Interactive attracted the second most viewers (52 million), followed by Yahoo! Sites (37.3 million) and Microsoft Sites (29.9 million).

    Other notable findings from April 2008 include:
    –   71 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video.
    –   The average online video viewer watched 228 minutes of video.
    –   18-34 year olds were the heaviest viewing segment, watching an
    average of 287 minutes per viewer.
    –   82.1 million viewers watched 4.1 billion videos on YouTube.com (49.8
    videos per viewer).
    –   46 million viewers watched 481 million videos on MySpace.com (10.4
    videos per viewer).
    –   The average online video duration was 2.8 minutes.

    To request more information about comScore Video Metrix, please visit

    http://www.comscore.com/contact

    About comScore

    comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world. For more information, please visit

    http://www.comscore.com/boilerplate.

    Canon XL H1S

    Posted by on April 14, 2008

    New 20x HD Video Lens, Enhanced Image Control and Other Refinements

    LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., April 10, 2008 – Building on the success of its acclaimed XL H1 High Definition (HD) camcorder, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging technology, has introduced the new shoulder mount XL H1S and XL H1A HD camcorders, which include new advanced features requested by professional users for improved operation and image control.

    LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., April 10, 2008 – Building on the success of its acclaimed XL H1 High Definition (HD) camcorder, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging technology, has introduced the new shoulder mount XL H1S and XL H1A HD camcorders, which include new advanced features requested by professional users for improved operation and image control.

    Canon’s new XL H1S and XL H1A camcorders, which will be on display at the 2008 NAB Show (Booth #SU3020), feature an updated Canon 20x HD Video Lens with three independent manual adjustment rings (focus, zoom and iris), as well as enhanced manual focus and zoom control. Additionally, the XL H1S and XL H1A incorporate an expanded array of controls for customizing the image, display, and operation to match individual needs.<!–more

    Utilizing the industry's most affordable digital video recording media – HDV tapes – both models are ideal for such long-form production applications as wedding and event videography, digital filmmaking, documentary production and media education.

    Both the new XL H1S and XL H1A deliver superior HD image quality with their Genuine Canon XL interchangeable lens system, three 1/3 inch, 1.67 Megapixel CCD Image Sensors, and Canon's proprietary DIGIC DVII HD Image Processor. Both models also feature a durable six-pin IEEE 1394 terminal, providing a more robust connection to external hardware.

    The XL H1S model provides expanded connectivity by incorporating HD-SDI (SMPTE 299M)/SD-SDI (SMPTE272M) output with embedded audio and time code, providing a raw, uncompressed 1.485 Gbps signal for demanding live production environments, SMPTE Time Code input and output terminals, and a Genlock output terminal for multi-camera shooting situations.

    "The new XL H1S and XL H1A HD camcorders continue to meet the needs of producers, event videographers, and digital cinematographers with superior Canon optical and imaging technology, and with the most cost-effective medium for high-quality HD video capture and storage, which is HDV tape," noted Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. "Canon's unsurpassed quality is seen in our broadcast HDTV lenses and the Canon EOS digital photography cameras. This know-how directly benefits the quality of Canon professional and consumer HD camcorders. Recently, our consumer camcorders claimed the number-one position in total high definition camcorder unit sales above $200 in both January and February of 2008, according to The NPD Group's Retail Tracking Service."

    New Genuine Canon 20x HD Video Zoom Lens III
    Leveraging Canon’s expertise as a worldwide leader in optics, the XL H1S and XL H1A feature a redesigned Genuine Canon 20x HD Video Zoom Lens equipped with Canon’s XL lens mount. The XL lens mount enables users to interchange lenses, such as Canon’s optional 6x wide-angle lens, Canon EF photographic lenses, and many other lenses for specialized image capture. The XL H1S and XL H1A HD camcorders’ new Genuine Canon 20x HD Video Zoom Lens III offers independent manual zoom, focus and iris rings, which can operate simultaneously. These rings have been redesigned for easy access and comfortable operation. Other innovations of the lens include: three sensitivity settings for the manual focus ring; fast and slow zoom speeds; smooth movement when starting or stopping zooms; and selectable rotational angles between the tele and wide ends of the lens zoom. Simultaneous zoom and focus control are also possible in either Manual or Auto Focus mode. The new Genuine Canon 20x HD Video Zoom Lens III incorporates aspherical lenses to reduce flare and fluorite lens elements to minimize chromatic aberration. Additionally, the lens features Canon’s SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) system, which corrects camera shake instantly on hand-held shots at full telephoto, shots taken from a moving vehicle, or other challenging situations.

    User-Definable Operation
    The new camcorders provide users with an unprecedented range of image/color settings, camera-control functions, and viewfinder display choices. Video can be captured and output in multiple frame rates to meet the demands of diverse production assignments. These frame rates include: 60i for mainstream production; 30F for perfect frame grabs or Web delivery; and 24F for emulating the look of motion-picture film. Canon’s Factory Service Center can also provide an optional upgrade to add 50i and 25F frame rates. The camcorders can be switched in all frame rates between 1080-line 16:9 aspect ratio HD video and 480-line 4:3 aspect ratio SD video (or 576 lines in 50i or 25F mode).

    Both the XL H1S and XL H1A HD camcorders provide Total Image Control for customizing image and color settings, with a total of 23 custom presets available for image-quality adjustment, with the range of image color presets extended from +/-9 to +/-50 steps for fine-tuning the picture (an important feature for achieving the visual subtleties favored by cinematographers). Custom image pre-set files can be stored to an onboard SD/SDHC Memory Card and shared with another Canon XL H1S, XL H1A, or with Canon XH G1 and XH A1 HD camcorders for seamless multi-camera production work.

    Custom camera functions and operation settings total 21 items and 33 sub-items for achieving creative “looks” for footage. Among these new functions are: “shockless” white balance for smooth, color-accurate dissolves between two pre-set white balance values (adjustable from 2000K to 15000K); the ability to increase gain in 0.5dB increments from 0dB up to +18dB, and there is also additional -3dB and +36dB settings. A selective noise-reduction function is available for reducing the noise in targeted color areas, which is important for blue/green chroma-key applications in special effects work and for shooting insufficiently illuminated backgrounds.

    Using the custom display settings feature, a camera operator can tailor the display to their shooting style. These include 22 items and 40 sub-items for selection of status information that can be shown in the XL H1S and XL H1A HD camcorders’ 2.4″ combination EVF/LCD monitor.

    Audio Capture and A/V Connectivity
    User-requested refinements in the XL H1S and XL H1A audio capabilities include: two-channel audio performance; two built-in XLR terminals with separate audio-input sensitivity settings; the ability to simultaneously record sound from an external microphone and the supplied internal microphone; line output level switching; an audio (manual) limiter; a new metal headphone jack for reliable connectivity. Another important new feature is embedded audio (and SMPTE time code) in the XL H1S HD camcorder’s uncompressed HD-SDI/SD-SDI digital output via an industry-standard BNC connector.

    Other improved connections on the XL H1S and XL H1A HD camcorders include an external LCD monitor output for critical focus confirmation on an optional larger monitor simultaneous RCA and BNC video output for added monitoring and dubbing convenience, and a photo-flash accessory shoe to support use of Canon EX Series Speedlites.

    The new Canon XL H1S HD camcorder is scheduled to be available in early June for an estimated retail price of $8,999, and the XL H1A, which will have an estimated retail price of $5,999, is scheduled to be available in mid-July.

    Sennheiser EW 312 G2 Rackmount Wireless System

    Posted by duncan on January 10, 2008

    Evolution Wireless G2 300 Series Wireless Systems
    The new Evolution G2 series is redesigned from the inside out. With features such as much smaller body packs, larger backlit LCD displays, AutoScan® function on all receivers, 36Mhz switching bandwidth, and the most intuitive user interfaces available, Evolution G2 is one of the most advanced, best sounding, easy-to-use, road-worthy wireless microphone system available today.

    The Sennheiser EW 312 G2 is a complete wireless system combining the Evolution 300 series rackmount receiver, an SKM300 G2 bodypack transmitter, and an ME2 omni lavaliere microphone.

    Sennheiser EW-312 G2 Set At A Glance:

    • EM 300 G2 rack-mount receiver and GA 2 rack-mounting kit.
    • SKM300 G2 bodypack transmitter.
    • ME2 clip-on microphone (omni-directional).
    • Eight switchable presets.
    • 1440 available frequencies.
    • Peak-hold level and battery meter status indicators.
    • Variable-level balanced XLR and unbalanced TS 1/4″ connectors.

    Increased Flexibility and Power
    For increased flexibility and power, the 300 Series is an excellent choice. It gives you eight switchable presets (reprogrammable to any of the 1440 available frequencies), peak-hold level and battery meter status indicators, and variable-level balanced XLR and unbalanced TS 1/4″ connectors. In addition, an alphanumeric name can be assigned to the receiver.

    Sennheiser EW-312 G2 Set Features:

    • Autoscan on all receivers for simple and secure frequency selection
    • 1440 frequencies within a 36MHz switching bandwidth for greater tuning flexibility.
    • Robust metal construction for durability.
    • Smaller bodypack transmitters and receivers(30% smaller than current EW).
    • Pilot tone squelch(defeatable for backwards compatibility with original EW systems).
    • New battery concept(AA cells and rechargeable battery accessories).
    • Transmitter battery status telemetry on all models.
    • Audio signal metering on transmitter LCD display.
    • External charging contacts on 300 and 500 series bodypacks.
    • XLR jacks on all rack-mountable units(including 100 series).

    Call for info and availability on the Sennheiser MKE-2 lavalier or HSP4 headset.

    Availability: Usually ships same/next day

    Price: $879


    Super high quality Wireless microphone set-up for church, school, corporate, or live event from Guy Cochran on Vimeo.

    RODE Windmuffs for NTG-1, NTG-2 and NTG-3

    Posted by duncan on November 28, 2007

    The RODE WS6 Windmuff for RODE NTG-1 and NTG-2

    The Rode WS6 Deluxe Windshield provides excellent noise protection against high wind and adverse weather conditions. The slip-on design of the WS6 features dimensions that accommodate the Rode NTG2 and NTG1 microphones; as well as any shotgun or stereo mic with a length of 6.25″ (160.5mm) and diameter of 0.88″ (22.5mm).

    Rode WS6

    Availability: Ships same/Next Business Day

    Price: $99

    The RODE WS7 Windmuff for the RODE NTG-3

    The Rode WS7 Deluxe Windshield provides excellent noise protection for the NTG-3, as well as any shotgun or stereo mic with a length of 7.25″ (186.5mm) and diameter of 0.78″ (20mm).

    Rode WS7

    Availability: Ships same/Next Business Day

    Price: $99
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