ReelSmart.com » Video

Remember When Pro User Meant Something Different?

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:37:57 +0000

VIDEO EDITOR returns home to find that his long-time companion has packed and left. His head swirls with multiple emotions, from anger to revenge. That’s basically the scene that played out in the heads of the Pro crowd when Apple unveiled Final Cut Pro X. ...Apple isn’t actually abandoning the Pros. They’re simply redefining what the word Pro means. FCPX is only the most recent indicator....In the world of Apple, a Pro product used to mean “designed for high-end professionals with needs far beyond those of mortal men.” Now it simply means “the high-performance model.” So basically, if you aspire to owning the faster/better/more advanced computer or software — congratulations, you’re a Pro.

Josh Mellicker from DVCreators on Final Cut Pro X

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:48:04 +0000

Josh was the first person to show me Final Cut Pro (version 1) at DV Expo many years ago when few had ever heard of it. I spent over an hour with him and another colleague while Josh showed me what Final Cut Pro could do. I was immediately sold and knew I saw the future of non-linear digital editing and bought a new Mac and FCP as soon as I arrived back home from Long Beach, California! I later meet Randy Ubillos, creator of Premiere, KeyGrip (later renamed Final Cut Pro) and Aperture, a brilliant and a true innovator. I will forever give thanks to these guys as it shaped my vision and career. Totally interesting read of Josh's opinion on Final Cut Pro X and the way Apple released it.

Final Cut Pro X New Trailer From Former User

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:12:38 +0000

Jeffery Harrell: I used Final Cut Pro X for a while. And I formed some opinions about it. Oh, and since it’s been asked: I cut this with Premiere 5.5 on my laptop. Never used Premiere before, needed a project to learn on.

The last time I checked the Mac App Store had 1269 ratings for Final Cut Pro X with one of the lowest ratings I have ever seen for an Apple software product. Over 70 percent of the comments on Twitter are negative and the gutsy lampooning that Conan O'Brien served up on the product that had just been released that is missing so many professional features I am wondering IF Apple is tone-deaf. Maybe this viral video from a former Final Cut Pro user will help clarify to Apple brass that they may just have a loser on their hands.

Hitler Reacts to Final Cut Pro X

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:06:56 +0000

Hilarious as always! See video.

Conan Makes Fun of Final Cut Pro X

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:48:15 +0000

The new version of Apple's flagship professional editor Final Cut Pro X released on Tuesday of this week has had mixed reviews. Most professional editors have been left perplexed as to what Apple was thinking. Now Conan O'Brien lampoons Apple's new editing product. Maybe becoming the punchline for late night TV will get Apple to re-think killing off Final Cut Studio which pros have depended on for years. The amount of missing features that professional editors is quite astounding. I have been using Final Cut Pro since version 1. In fact I used to teach it at a state college and my own training center years ago. I have spent many hours in front of Final Cut Pro, so I was quite excited to see a massive upgrade. BUT, upgrade it isn't! See what some are saying about Final Cut Pro X after the jump.

Netflix on PS3 Disc-free, 1080i Streaming and 5.1 Surround

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:33:15 +0000

On October 18th, Netflix for the Sony PS3 will now be native and no longer require a disc, hooray! Plus they will begin rolling out some content with 1080i resolution and/or 5.1-channel surround audio. I guess the Microsoft exclusive deal is over. The new UI of the app looks pretty nice. See video.

Google TV is Introduced

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 20 May 2010 17:37:32 +0000

Google: 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.

Steve Jobs: Thoughts on Flash – OUCH!

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:09:51 +0000

Apple has posted Thoughts on Flash signed by Steve Jobs on their website. In this concise and informational explanation he takes Adobe and Flash technology to task. I consider this a must read for anyone interested in the latest tech controversy. I am sure there will be many to attack this claiming a bias against Adobe by Apple and Mr. Jobs, but I think he lays out his reasons quite well and factually. In his conclusion, Jobs sees Flash as the obsolete floppy drive in regard for the web video. It's just no longer needed for viewing video on the Internet. HTML5, CSS and Javascript is based on open standards, is easy to incorporate on websites and lack all of the problems he points to in his essay. See the entire essay after the jump below. Thoughts on Flash Apple has a long relationship with Adobe. In fact, we met Adobe’s founders when they were in their proverbial garage. Apple was their first big customer, adopting their Postscript language for our new Laserwriter printer. Apple invested in Adobe and owned around 20% of the company for many years. The two companies worked closely together to pioneer desktop publishing and there were many good times. Since that golden era, the companies have grown apart. Apple went through its near death experience, and Adobe was drawn to the corporate market with their Acrobat products. Today the two companies still work together to serve their joint creative customers – Mac users buy around half of Adobe’s Creative Suite products – but beyond that there are few joint interests. I wanted to jot down some of our thoughts on Adobe’s Flash products so that customers and critics may better understand why we do not allow Flash on iPhones, iPods and iPads. Adobe has characterized our decision as being primarily business driven – they say we want to protect our App Store – but in reality it is based on technology issues. Adobe claims that we are a closed system, and that Flash is open, but in fact the opposite is true. Let me explain. First, there’s “Open”. Adobe’s Flash products are 100% proprietary. They are only available from Adobe, and Adobe has sole authority as to their future enhancement, pricing, etc. While Adobe’s Flash products are widely available, this does not mean they are open, since they are controlled entirely by Adobe and available only from Adobe. By almost any definition, Flash is a closed system. Apple has many proprietary products too. Though the operating system for the iPhone, iPod and iPad is proprietary, we strongly believe that all standards pertaining to the web should be open. Rather than use Flash, Apple has adopted HTML5, CSS and JavaScript – all open standards. Apple’s mobile devices all ship with high performance, low power implementations of these open standards. HTML5, the new web standard that has been adopted by Apple, Google and many others, lets web developers create advanced graphics, typography, animations and transitions without relying on third party browser plug-ins (like Flash). HTML5 is completely open and controlled by a standards committee, of which Apple is a member. Apple even creates open standards for the web. For example, Apple began with a small open source project and created WebKit, a complete open-source HTML5 rendering engine that is the heart of the Safari web browser used in all our products. WebKit has been widely adopted. Google uses it for Android’s browser, Palm uses it, Nokia uses it, and RIM (Blackberry) has announced they will use it too. Almost every smartphone web browser other than Microsoft’s uses WebKit. By making its WebKit technology open, Apple has set the standard for mobile web browsers. Second, there’s the “full web”. Adobe has repeatedly said that Apple mobile devices cannot access “the full web” because 75% of video on the web is in Flash. What they don’t say is that almost all this video is also available in a more modern format, H.264, and viewable on iPhones, iPods and iPads. YouTube, with an estimated 40% of the web’s video, shines in an app bundled on all Apple mobile devices, with the iPad offering perhaps the best YouTube discovery and viewing experience ever. Add to this video from Vimeo, Netflix, Facebook, ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, ESPN, NPR, Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, People, National Geographic, and many, many others. iPhone, iPod and iPad users aren’t missing much video. Another Adobe claim is that Apple devices cannot play Flash games. This is true. Fortunately, there are over 50,000 games and entertainment titles on the App Store, and many of them are free. There are more games and entertainment titles available for iPhone, iPod and iPad than for any other platform in the world. Third, there’s reliability, security and performance. Symantec recently highlighted Flash for having one of the worst security records in 2009. We also know first hand that Flash is the number one reason Macs crash. We have been working with Adobe to fix these problems, but they have persisted for several years now. We don’t want to reduce the reliability and security of our iPhones, iPods and iPads by adding Flash. In addition, Flash has not performed well on mobile devices. We have routinely asked Adobe to show us Flash performing well on a mobile device, any mobile device, for a few years now. We have never seen it. Adobe publicly said that Flash would ship on a smartphone in early 2009, then the second half of 2009, then the first half of 2010, and now they say the second half of 2010. We think it will eventually ship, but we’re glad we didn’t hold our breath. Who knows how it will perform? Fourth, there’s battery life. To achieve long battery life when playing video, mobile devices must decode the video in hardware; decoding it in software uses too much power. Many of the chips used in modern mobile devices contain a decoder called H.264 – an industry standard that is used in every Blu-ray DVD player and has been adopted by Apple, Google (YouTube), Vimeo, Netflix and many other companies. Although Flash has recently added support for H.264, the video on almost all Flash websites currently requires an older generation decoder that is not implemented in mobile chips and must be run in software. The difference is striking: on an iPhone, for example, H.264 videos play for up to 10 hours, while videos decoded in software play for less than 5 hours before the battery is fully drained. When websites re-encode their videos using H.264, they can offer them without using Flash at all. They play perfectly in browsers like Apple’s Safari and Google’s Chrome without any plugins whatsoever, and look great on iPhones, iPods and iPads. Fifth, there’s Touch. Flash was designed for PCs using mice, not for touch screens using fingers. For example, many Flash websites rely on “rollovers”, which pop up menus or other elements when the mouse arrow hovers over a specific spot. Apple’s revolutionary multi-touch interface doesn’t use a mouse, and there is no concept of a rollover. Most Flash websites will need to be rewritten to support touch-based devices. If developers need to rewrite their Flash websites, why not use modern technologies like HTML5, CSS and JavaScript? Even if iPhones, iPods and iPads ran Flash, it would not solve the problem that most Flash websites need to be rewritten to support touch-based devices. Sixth, the most important reason. Besides the fact that Flash is closed and proprietary, has major technical drawbacks, and doesn’t support touch based devices, there is an even more important reason we do not allow Flash on iPhones, iPods and iPads. We have discussed the downsides of using Flash to play video and interactive content from websites, but Adobe also wants developers to adopt Flash to create apps that run on our mobile devices. We know from painful experience that letting a third party layer of software come between the platform and the developer ultimately results in sub-standard apps and hinders the enhancement and progress of the platform. If developers grow dependent on third party development libraries and tools, they can only take advantage of platform enhancements if and when the third party chooses to adopt the new features. We cannot be at the mercy of a third party deciding if and when they will make our enhancements available to our developers. This becomes even worse if the third party is supplying a cross platform development tool. The third party may not adopt enhancements from one platform unless they are available on all of their supported platforms. Hence developers only have access to the lowest common denominator set of features. Again, we cannot accept an outcome where developers are blocked from using our innovations and enhancements because they are not available on our competitor’s platforms. Flash is a cross platform development tool. It is not Adobe’s goal to help developers write the best iPhone, iPod and iPad apps. It is their goal to help developers write cross platform apps. And Adobe has been painfully slow to adopt enhancements to Apple’s platforms. For example, although Mac OS X has been shipping for almost 10 years now, Adobe just adopted it fully (Cocoa) two weeks ago when they shipped CS5. Adobe was the last major third party developer to fully adopt Mac OS X. Our motivation is simple – we want to provide the most advanced and innovative platform to our developers, and we want them to stand directly on the shoulders of this platform and create the best apps the world has ever seen. We want to continually enhance the platform so developers can create even more amazing, powerful, fun and useful applications. Everyone wins – we sell more devices because we have the best apps, developers reach a wider and wider audience and customer base, and users are continually delighted by the best and broadest selection of apps on any platform. Conclusions. Flash was created during the PC era – for PCs and mice. Flash is a successful business for Adobe, and we can understand why they want to push it beyond PCs. But the mobile era is about low power devices, touch interfaces and open web standards – all areas where Flash falls short. The avalanche of media outlets offering their content for Apple’s mobile devices demonstrates that Flash is no longer necessary to watch video or consume any kind of web content. And the 200,000 apps on Apple’s App Store proves that Flash isn’t necessary for tens of thousands of developers to create graphically rich applications, including games. New open standards created in the mobile era, such as HTML5, will win on mobile devices (and PCs too). Perhaps Adobe should focus more on creating great HTML5 tools for the future, and less on criticizing Apple for leaving the past behind. Steve Jobs April, 2010

Apple Builds ‘iPad ready’ Showcase for non-Flash Video Sites

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:40:14 +0000

Apple has posted a website that showcases what they say are 'iPad ready' sites that have compatible with the iPad. Basically video sites that are non-Flash based and are using HTML5 to deliver their video content. The sites include: CNN, Reuters, NYTimes, Vimeo, Time, Major League Baseball, The White House, Virgin, Sports Illustrated, Flickr, People Magazine and TED. iPad features Safari, a mobile web browser that supports the latest web standards — including HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. Here are just a few of the sites that take advantage of these web standards to deliver content that looks and functions beautifully on iPad. You can submit your site here. Apple also has posted technical information so you can preparing your web content for iPad. I expect this list to grow pretty fast!

Hulu, Netflix, ABC, CBS ALL Plan iPad apps

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:59:29 +0000

Maybe the so-called shortcoming of the iPad, not supporting Flash will turn out to be moot. Seems plenty of sites serving online video are lining up to deliver iPad compatible video (HTML-5) and native apps. YouTube and Vimeo will be serving up video for the iPad (and iPhone). But seems like some heavy hitters like Hulu, Netflix, ABC, CBS will also be on-board real soon. The WSJ claims a leak shows that both ABC and CBS are gearing up to bring their own content to the iPad. ABC is said to be planning a native iPad app on launch day for viewing TV shows in a free, ad-supported format that would include major shows such as Lost. Hulu may be bringing a paid subscription model to the iPad. Netflix is reported to soon have a free app for their subscribers for full functionality to the iPad including watching full screen movies and TV shows from their instant queue. OK, now we need an optimized version of SlingPlayer and MLB.com which are both rumored to be in the works. Flash? Soon we may be saying we don't need any stinkin' Flash.

TV Magic or Fakery

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:39:55 +0000

This video from Stargate Studios illustrates is how TV and movie studios are using CGI to cut costs for travel and instead of adding details to a location.

ReelDirector Brings Better Video Editing to iPhone

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:15:33 +0000

ReelDirector, $7.99 now available in the AppStore is the closest thing to having iMovie right on your iPhone. Add titles and credits to your clips to editing and arranging clips to a timeline. Also add transitions, arrange positions for text, and offers four different text styles you can apply to your clip. Very cool see the video.

Camtasia Screen Recording Available for Mac Users

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:21:24 +0000

TechSmith has announced the release of Camtasia for the Mac. It will cost $149, though is now available for $99 as an introductory price. A 30-day free trial version is available for download. Camtasia is “screencasting” software that can record everything that’s going on on your Mac’s display. Edit, include mic audio and share it. Create marketing, sales and training videos is made easy with Camtasia. Camtasia will face some competition from Telestream's ScreenFlow ($99) that has version 2.0 coming in September and ShowU HD Pro ($59.99) which offers some of the features of Camtasia. Camtasia has long been available on that other platform so we are happy to see it made available for Mac users. Camtasia includes 2GB of storage and 2GB of monthly bandwidth on the Screencast.com Web site. The original quality and size of the video is maintained online, so you can generate “high definition” videos. Camtasia for the Mac also lets you share files using YouTube, burn them to DVD or CD, share them on iTunes, and export them to the iPod or iPhone. Features include “SmartFocus,” which helps draw the reader’s attention to specific areas on the screen, and Flash compatibility. System requirements call for Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later. TechSmith says Camtasia is compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard,” which makes its debut Friday, August 28.

The Making of a MacWorld Cover in Time Lapse

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:29:47 +0000

Fantastic time-lapse video from photographer Peter Belanger, showing the process for creating the cover of Macworld magazine. Very cool! See video.

Apple Updates Final Cut Studio

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:33:03 +0000

Apple releases a new Final Cut Studio this morning bringing updates to all apps including Final Cut Pro 7, Motion 4, Soundtrack Pro 3, Color 1.5, Compressor 3.5 and DVD Studio Pro 4 with more than 100 new features. FCP 7 includes three new ProRes codecs, alpha transitions, new sharing options including support for iChat Theater, automatic transfer of P2 media and more. Motion 4 includes new 3D shadow and reflection options, and the ever-popular bad film filter.

Full feature list from Apple PR: CUPERTINO, California-July 23, 2009-Apple® today announced a significant update to Final Cut Studio® with more than 100 new features and new versions of Final Cut Pro®, Motion, Soundtrack® Pro, Color and Compressor. Final Cut Studio features Final Cut Pro 7 which expands Apple's ProRes codec family to support virtually any workflow and includes Easy Export for one step output to a variety of formats and iChat® Theater support for real-time collaboration. Motion 4 includes enhanced tools such as 3D shadows, reflections and depth of field for stunning motion graphics and visual effects, and Soundtrack Pro 3 features new multitrack audio tools to streamline audio post production. Color 1.5 includes better Final Cut Pro integration and support for full color resolution, and Compressor 3.5 adds new features that make it easy to set up and customize your export options. At $999, the new Final Cut Studio is $300 less than the previous release and is also available as an upgrade for just $299. "With 1.4 million users and 50 percent of the market,* Final Cut Pro is the number one professional video editing application," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "The new Final Cut Studio includes more than 100 new features and dramatically expands Apple's ProRes family of codecs so editors can work in the studio with the highest quality video or on location at low bandwidths." Final Cut Pro 7, the latest version of Apple's Emmy Award-winning editing software, includes new versions of Apple's ProRes codecs to support virtually any workflow with the addition of ProRes Proxy, for offline and mobile editing at low bandwidth; ProRes LT, for general purpose editing; and ProRes 4444 for editing and visual effects at the highest quality possible. Easy Export allows users to continue working on projects while encoding is done in the background and the sequence is exported to YouTube, MobileMe™, iPhone™, iPod®, Apple TV®, DVD or Blu-ray. iChat Theater support allows real time collaboration by sharing Final Cut® timelines or individual source clips with iChat users anywhere in the world, even if they don't have a copy of Final Cut Pro. Other new features include new speed tools to change clip speed with ease, alpha transitions to create dramatic effects using moving mattes, and native AVC-Intra support for the latest high quality Panasonic cameras. Motion 4 extends award-winning, easy to use animation tools so video editors can quickly create everything from basic titles to animated credit rolls to stunning motion graphics. Enhancing 3D compositions is faster than ever with new customizable features that add point and spot lights to cast realistic shadows or turn any shape, video plane or paint stroke into a reflective surface. Motion 4 gives editors the flexibility to adjust the depth of field within a 3D canvas by selectively highlighting a single object or using multiple objects to create a racking focus effect. Soundtrack Pro 3 adds powerful new audio editing tools including Voice Level Match which extracts volume information from the vocal content of one clip and applies it to another without altering any other audio content so editors can easily correct mismatched voice levels. An enhanced File Editor includes new tools to make sophisticated edits and fine tune volume adjustments by targeting specific frequencies such as the rustle of a paper or the bump of a desk without affecting dialogue. The new Advanced Time Stretch feature stretches and compresses audio with incredible precision using three Apple-designed algorithms or other algorithms available as third party plug-ins. Color 1.5, Apple's easy to use professional grading application, now works with a greater range of sequences and effects from Final Cut Pro and an integrated workflow allows editors to complete projects entirely within Final Cut Studio. New 4K support works natively with files from cameras such as the RED ONE and outputs directly to ProRes for HD or DPX for film. Expanded support for new high quality formats includes AVC-Intra, XDCAM 422 and ProRes 4444, for grading with the maximum amount of color information. Compressor 3.5 makes encoding and delivering in multiple formats easier than ever with the ability to automatically detect QuickTime® settings and create an Easy Export template or a mini "droplet" on the desktop that automates specific Compressor actions. New, customizable sharing options make it easy to publish to YouTube and MobileMe, or export for iPhone, iPod, Apple TV and mobile phones. For the highest quality HD material, menu templates and encoding presets make it fast and easy to create Blu-ray discs. Final Cut Studio also includes DVD Studio Pro®, a powerful DVD authoring environment with drag and drop tools, on screen editing and real time previews. Soundtrack Pro and Compressor are also available as part of the new Logic Studio®, allowing Final Cut and Logic® users to collaborate and share files. Apple today also introduced Final Cut Server 1.5, the asset management and automation tool for Final Cut Studio. Final Cut Server 1.5 includes powerful new features like lightweight, offline editing with ProRes Proxy, production hierarchies to organize media, and support for still sequences to easily view and manage image sequences for graphics and effects workflows. Final Cut Server now includes unlimited client licenses and is available for $999 or as a $299 upgrade for existing users. Pricing & Availability Final Cut Studio is now available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $999 (US) and existing Final Cut Studio and Final Cut Pro users can upgrade for a suggested retail price of $299 (US). Full system requirements and more information on Final Cut Studio can be found at www.apple.com/finalcutstudio. Final Cut Server 1.5 is now available through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers and includes unlimited client licenses for a suggested retail price of $999 (US) and existing Final Cut Server users can upgrade for suggested retail price of $299 (US). Full system requirements and more information on Final Cut Server can be found at www.apple.com/finalcutserver.

iPhone 3GS Time Lapse Video

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:02:44 +0000

Found this video on YouTube. Very cool! See video

Quiznos Goes Viral to Sell Sandwich

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:01:02 +0000

2 Hot Girls and 1 Long Sub, Quiznos new viral ad produced by Playboy for "Tasty Torpedo" Quiznos sure know how to sell a sandwich! See video.

Hulu Launches Desktop Client for Macs and Windows

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:20:47 +0000

Hulu has launched a free desktop client for OS X and Windows so users can view video content without the use of a browser. My guess is this has been in development for awhile and may be the reason they denied Boxee. I tried the software out on my MacBook Pro and my Asus EeePC 1000HE Netbook. I liked the interface quite alot, but found my Asus 1.66GHz N280 Atom powered netbook could not playback video well enough to be watched. Although I use my Asus netbook with Slingplayer 2.0 daily with fantastic results. The playback on the more powerful MacBook Pro was quite enjoyable and Hulu desktop even supports the Apple Remote. So connecting your large screen TV with your Mac or Windows Media Center to watch Hulu content may become a pretty common occurrence for many people. So it makes me wonder why Hulu was so against a deal with Boxee. Hulu Desktop is a free download and requires a Mac with a 2.4GHz Intel Core Duo or comparable processor, 2GB of RAM, and Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger or later. Windows users will need 1.8GHz Intel Core Duo or comparable processor, 2GB of RAM, and XP or later. Both will also need Adobe Flash 9.0.124 and a 2Mbps Internet connection.

MacBook Pros on Mount Everest

Stephen Antonucci — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:57:09 +0000

Extreme vide editing using MacBook Pro’s with solid state hard drives and foldable solar panels to charge them. Also shown are a couple Sony EX3 HD cameras. See video.

Wirecast 3.5 Adds Flash Streaming, Ustream & Mogulus Support

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:41:13 +0000

Telestream has just released Wirecast 3.5, an update to its live streaming video production software. Version 3.5 now allows for streaming live video using Flash platform. New control options provide the ability to turn streams on or off, or automatically recover a lost connection. Users can also turn off the automatic device detection. Wirecast 3.5 can now also work with live stream Mogulus and Ustream services. Presentations can include audio, multiple video cameras, movies, desktop content, images and titles. Chroma Key technology allows blue- or green-screen effects, while users can also add transitions between segments. Wirecast 3.5 is compatible with Mac and Windows systems and can be purchased for $450. Customers can also add support for HDV camera input for $100. The 3.5 update is free to current registered users of 3.07. As a longtime user of Wirecast I am very anxious to try this new version on an actual production. With simultaneous streams in Flash and QuickTime, this will certainly make my life easier!

Apple Starts HD Movie Sales in iTunes

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:27:25 +0000

Apple is now selling HD (high definition) movies in the iTunes Store as well as renting them. The HD version - is selling for $19.99 as compared to the usual $14.99 for SD (standard definition) versions. Pre-orders Quantum of Solace and Twilight are available as well as several others that can be purchased right now. The HD movies also come with an SD version for your iPhone and iPod. Guess we can see another reason why Apple claims Blu-ray is a "bag of hurt" as described by Steve Jobs himself. A guess it would be a "a bag of hurt" to Apple's bottom line!

Digital TV Transition Bill Defeated in House – UPDATED

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:46:14 +0000

In a surprise move the United States House of Representatives has failed to pass the digital TV transition delay bill that passed in the Senate just days ago. So February 17 it is!

Senate Delays Digital TV Transition to June 12th – UPDATE X 2

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 02:37:31 +0000

The U.S. Senate has just given its approval for a four month delay moving the switch to Digital TV from February 17 to June 12, 2009. For the millions of Americans still waiting for their $40 voucher before buying a DTV converter boxes, they get more time as Congress figures out how to fund it.

Avid Media Composer 3.0

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:52:24 +0000

With the release of Media Composer 3.0, Avid has completely rebuilt its flagship video-editing software from the ground up for Apple’s OS X 10.5 Leopard and is the first software-editing tool Avid has shipped without the need for proprietary hardware. Read the review at Macworld.com.

Ecamm Introduces The World’s First Bluetooth Webcam

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:59:47 +0000

Ecamm Network introduces the world's first Bluetooth webcam the BT-1 Wireless Webcam that will sell for $149.99 and will be available in late Q1 2009. Integrating advanced technologies, the BT-1 streams H.264 video and AAC audio, taking advantage of Mac OS X's rich multimedia capabilities with freedom from wires. The BT-1 includes a flexible mini-tripod for easy desktop mounting. Features include:

640x480 H.264 video and 48 kHz AAC stereo audio
Compact 2" x 2½" x 5/8" design
4 hour talk time
Compatible with iChat, Skype and more
Standard tripod mounting screw
Includes a flexible mini-tripod and USB charging cable.

Requires Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or newer and Bluetooth v2.0+EDR or better.

Digital TV is Coming

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:57:12 +0000

Time to take the time out of your day to explain in plain english to your grandparents about the Digital TV switchover coming in February 2009. See The Day Analog TV Dies - What You Need To Know.

Has Apple Lost Interest in Pro Users?

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:38:42 +0000

I thought about writing this early last year when Apple did not bring Blu-ray as an option to any Macs or DVD Studio Pro support. I also thought about writing this past April when Apple passed on NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) event that brings in content creators from all over the world. Well we are at the end of the year and it is now a question I MUST ask. Pro users and content creators have traditionally been among Apple's most loyal customers. It can be argued that it was the pro users and the content creators that kept Apple afloat in those dark years before Jobs and company turned the company around. When Steve Jobs returned he used the pro users to help Apple from sinking, introduced Final Cut Pro and made non-linear editing more affordable for content creators who bought up Apple products in huge numbers. Many third party companies built businesses around Apple products and the DV revolution. Apple was soon a prominent company at trade shows like DV Expo, NAB, and others.

VisualHub, AudialHub, and iSquint Discontinued

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:21:15 +0000

It is a sad day for me as two of my favorite Mac apps and the company behind them are gone. Techspansion has shut down while VisualHub, AudialHub, and iSquint have been discontinued. I have used VisualHub everyday since it was released. Tyler Loch the founder has closed down as a personal choice, and will be readjusting his priorities to focus on other things. Good luck, these apps will be missed in the Mac community.

Nikon’s D90 Does Video

Stephen Antonucci — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:44:59 +0000

Check out the sample movie footage for the upcoming Nikon D90 D-Movie. Why am I talking about video for a SLR digital camera? Interchangeable lenses and better control of depth of field to start. This may start to blur the still and video camera as a separate device. The D90 offers a movie function, allowing you to shoot movies in three different motion JPEG formats: 320 x 216 pixels, 640 x 424 pixels and 1,280 x 720 pixels fusing 12.3-megapixel image quality and a cinematic 24fps D-Movie Mode. The Nikon D90 will sell for around $999.95 [Amazon pre-order]. It may be time for me to upgrade my Nikon D70.

Netflix Having Technical Meltdown

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:23:06 +0000

Netflix is still in the middle of severe technical issues that has seemed to basically make the company go dark. The price tag for this glitch will be in the millions.

Playstation 3 To Get Video Store

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:22:10 +0000

Sony has confirmed today that it will be bringing video downloads to the Playstation Network starting in the US market later this summer. PSP and video-capable Walkman owners will also have access to this service spurring competition to Apple and Microsoft. Details for the new service is expected to be unveiled at the E3 gaming expo that opens on July 15th. Sony also says it plans to offer video streaming to all of its BRAVIA LCD TVs with the Internet Link.

Comcast Center’s New Video Wall Looks Impressive

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:39:33 +0000

Here is what $22 million can buy in high definition wow factor. The new Comcast Center in Phillie has a giant 27 by 87 foot high-def video wall that uses over 10 million pixels. Using six Barco DX700 LED digitizers, seven Encore video processors, and three Matrixpro routers pushing 27,000 GB of information around. Open to the public, in the lobby of Comcast Center it runs 18 hours a day. The Comcast Center is 58 stories, just under 1000 feet, it is Pa’s largest building. Very cool.

Porn Stars May Need Tidy Up as RED ONE Goes Blue

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:55:58 +0000

Wow the detail that viewers will see as Digital Playground, a premier adult film studio is going 4K using the RED ONE camera. Digital Playground's award winning director, Robby D. raves about the RED ONE camera exclaiming, "On set, we love the camera so much that we named it Baby. The RED ONE holds up where other cameras can't. Porno on 35 mm with 4k resolution is an amazing thing!" We will take Robby's word for it!

iPhone Shooting Video Using Qik

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:57:44 +0000

Video comes to the iPhone. Adding to Qik's 30 supported devices, Qik is now announcing support for the iPhone, bringing the full Qik experience to legions of iPhone fans the world over. The folks at Flixwagon are also showing the iPhone shooting and streaming live video.

Apple Brings QuickTime 7.5

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:40:16 +0000

Apple has released QuickTime 7.5 update for both Macs and Windows PCs. The software, according to the company, improves application compatibility and addresses security issues and "is recommended for all QuickTime 7 users." The download is 60MB and available via the Software Update for Tiger, Panther, and Leopard users.

WWDC 2008 Keynote Posted in QuickTime

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:32:58 +0000

Apple has posted video of Steve Jobs' keynote presentation from WWDC 2008 this morning. The video is available via QuickTime, and covers all the announcements of the iPhone 3G, the App Store, MobileMe, and more. Enjoy!

YouTube: Apple Mac Music Video

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:20:02 +0000

I saw this on YouTube and just thought it was cool! Song is "Again & Again" by the Bird and the Bee [iTunes link]. Here is the link to the actual music video [iTunes link]

Microsoft Says No Copyright Cop is Coming to the Zune

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:48:45 +0000

Yesterday, I posted a story from a NY Times blog, where it was reported that, as part of Microsoft's deal to get NBC TV shows, J. B. Perrette, the president of digital distribution for NBC Universal, said Microsoft had agreed to adding technology into the Zune that would scan a user's collection for unauthorized content. I copyright cop filtering system. Today Microsoft denies there is any agreement to filter a users' content. "Microsoft has no plans or commitments to implement content filtering features in the Zune family of devices as part of our content distribution deal with NBC," the software maker said in a statement. Adam Sohn, a spokesman for Microsoft now says, "We've agreed to work with these guys on a number of issues, but we have no plans or commitment to put filtering technology as part of this arrangement with NBC." So there you have it crystal clear, I think. Seems then NBC shows are on the Zune, that is not selling and has few users, at the same prices that they where on U.S. iTunes for. By the way iTunes in Europe still sells NBC shows. I am getting pretty curious who is running NBC these days. Microsoft’s official Zune blog claims that the company has “no plans to add content blocking features in Zune,” and suggested that NBC was “expressing hopes.”

Microsoft May Build a Copyright Cop Into Every Zune

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:50:11 +0000

According to a NY Times blog post, NBC is pressing Microsoft to add an ant-pirate filter into the Zune. Now this should should gain them market share against the iPod and the iPhone, don't think? I think making a better user experience could help. Which the Zune and its related software has suffered from. Adding filters and the problems that will surely come about from this will not make the user experience better and surely will not stop people who will pirate at all. I can see it now you load your own recorded material that the Zune cop thinks is copyrighted and will not play back. Microsoft's way of saying "welcome to the social?" What NBC should be worried about is getting their content in front of as many eyes as possible. Let us remember that that the TV shows they want to see is broadcast over the air for free. Surely, they have heard of VCRs, DVRs, TiVO, EyeTV, and the other dozen ways of recording content from the airwaves! Microsoft is the company that thinks that MSN Music buyers should re-purchase all their music whenever Microsoft decides to change the DRM. So nothing would surprise me. My take on this is copyright filters will probably not appear on the Zune. If they do Microsoft might want to rename the Zune to what they should have already called it, the Doom

Apple: Final Cut Pro Here To Stay

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:55:19 +0000

With rumors flying after Apple being a "no show" at NAB this year, Apple denies Final Cut Pro is NOT going anywhere. “I can categorically state, on the record, that is not the case,” Richard Townhill, Apple’s director of marketing for professional video applications, told the publication. He added that Apple recently sold its one millionth license for Final Cut Pro. According to research specialist SCRI, in 2007 Apple took 49 percent of the US professional editing marketing with Avid trailing on just 22 percent. And on April 8 Apple begain shipping Final Cut Server, a software solution for media asset management and workflow automation.

Apple’s No Show at NAB

Stephen Antonucci — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:17:09 +0000

I recently wrote about why I think AppleCare is well worth the money. I pointed out that I think that Apple provides what I consider the best customer support in the industry for consumers. With well trained Apple Genius technicians, free training, low cost one-on-one training, and fast turn-arounds on most repairs, Apple has certainly "nailed" it as far as consumers are concerned.

However, if you are a pro user or especially in the broadcast industry your take could be quite different. I wonder, how a company that is so good with consumer support, could be so mediocre at pro support. You may be asking, what do you mean?

Support for professional Final Cut Studio, Aperture, Logic Studio, Shake, and Final Cut Server is nothing like what Apple's consumer customers experience. Much of the on-site support for these products are pushed to third-parties, resellers, and Apple Consultant Network members. Most will tell you that the support they receive from Apple is small.

For larger networks and video pros, taking their Mac to an Apple Store is no so practical. In fact in the case of Xsan or Final Cut Server it is impossible. As well trained as the Apple Genius may be at fixing a Mac and solving an OS X problem, they are not edit professionals. I do not see the executives that make the purchase decisions at CBS, ABC, NBC, or Fox coming to the local Apple Store to check out Xsan, Final Cut Server or even Final Cut Pro for instance.

Apple's recent "no show" at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas last week will certainly have some fallout from professional users. Especially major broadcasters and TV stations. With over 105,000 attendees at NAB this year (even in a sliding economy), it certainly seems there are still plenty of people interested in the annual Las Vegas event. But both Apple and Avid were no shows this year, leaving a huge hole in the event, that other companies like Sony and Adobe were happy to try and fill.

Apple claimed that pulling out of NAB was because there are better ways to reach customers.

"Often there are better ways to reach our customers. The increasing popularity of our retail stores and Apple.com web site allows us to directly reach more than 100 million customers around the world in innovative new ways."

Well, as much as I understand that Apple may have wanted to save the huge expense and trouble of the spectacle of NAB, their stores and website are NOT at all a place were industry professionals can get a demo, kick the tires, or meet Apple pro app employees face to face. The Apple stores sell Final Cut Studio in a box and can sell you hardware, but getting a demo of Final Cut Server or getting intricate questions about pro apps answered is not going to happen there. Apple has always been secretive about their roadmap and upcoming products and pro users have depended on NAB for announcements and demos, as consumer users have watched in anticipation at MacWorld. Apple's press event before NAB opens the exhibits has always been packed by the thousands.

Being a no show at NAB this year has exacerbated a perception that video pros have had with Apple in the last year or so due to Apple's lack of Blu-ray support and the very late arrival of Final Cut Server. Quietly dropping their own Xserve RAID to outsource it to a third-party, Promise did not help.

Apple has talked up Blu-ray in the past few years and claimed to be an early supporter of the Sony high definition disc format. However, they have failed to bring the format to the video pros that depend on it. Both Sony and Adobe now support Blu-ray as well as many other companies. Apple has not brought Blu-ray to the Mac with drives or adding support to DVD Studio Pro. Right now pros have to look elsewhere. Blu-ray should have been available last year from Apple in my opinion.

Sure the Apple TV shows that Blu-ray has a challenge against downloads. Video pros that need to produce Blu-ray disks will have to buy solutions from competitors. With many video pros it is all about "workflow." So if Apple does not soon support Blu-ray they may find some fast competition from others, maybe even on Windows.

While attending NAB, I spoke to several resellers, Apple partners, and video pros that are now questioning Apple wanting to be in the pro apps business. One reseller I spoke to from New York said, "If you are not at NAB, you are not really in the broadcast business." I had to agree. Apple being so tight-lipped did not even inform their own partners their intention of ditching NAB until the public announcement.

Maybe this is the writing on the wall that Apple now lacks interest in the professional market. They have never had the support offered by Avid for broadcasters. With Avid handing out "pink slips" and canceling NAB, maybe Apple felt they could skip this year. Apple may pay the price of losing some customers. Maybe they want to play only in the consumer world. Time will tell.

NAB: Boinx Shows New BoinxTV App

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:11:38 +0000

One of my favorite Mac developers Boinx Software from Germany was at NAB showing off two of their latest creations BoinxTV and FxChartz. Boinx is the maker of several apps I use regularly - iStopMotion 2, Fotomagico 2, iVeZeen and the recently updated Mouseposé 3. I have written about these Mac products in the past. I stopped by their booth and the guys were happy to show me their new wares. BoinxTV is an application for video podcasting and IPTV that I thinks will get a warm reception when it is released later this year. This Leopard only app allows for creating live TV on the web with layers, green screen support and recording. FxChartz is a charting tool for Final Cut Pro. FxChartz works as an extension to Apple's Quartz Composer system that allow designers to draw with dynamic data -- such as stock market information -- from SQL databases, and visualize that data using a charting tool.

NAB: Sony PMW-EX3 HD Camcorder Comes Alive

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:44:59 +0000

Sony showcasing the PMW-EX3 here at NAB, Las Vegas. Interchangeable lenses, 0.5-inch CCDs with Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution, native 24p support with XDCAM HD EX recording on dual SxS cards, HD-SDI output, USB / 4-pin FireWire sockets and an optional 60GB disk recorder that plugs in via a SxS slot. Studio and cinemas packaages are available. Depending on package starts around $13,000 list. Sony should see lots of orders for this baby,

NAB: Blackmagic Intros Video Recorder

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:33:16 +0000

Blackmagic Design has introduced new Video Recorder device that retails for $119, When I saw it, I said yes I need to buy this, The Video Recorder is a USB 2.0-based video capture device that records video files in H.264 format, for playback on the iPod, iPhone, Apple TV, YouTube and Web. Offering two versions — an analog unit for consumers, priced at $119, and an SDI-equipped version that will retail for $299. Both are expected to be released in mid-July. The consumer-grade Video Recorder features analog component, NTSC, PAL and S-Video input. The device is about the size of a USB thumbdrive, and includes Blackmagic software to help manage the capture of video, scaling it to the target output device and cropping of video edges to help get rid of analog blanking, VHS switching marks and timecode artifacts. The Serial Digital Interface (SDI) version is designed for video pros interested in ingesting standard definition video in H.264 format. It includes an RS-422 interface to manage broadcast deck control. Users with this version of the device can also use the software to enter in and out points for the deck they are capturing from. Reminding me of Elgato's Turbo H264 device looks like an extremely easy way to get analog footage (or digital if you op for the SDI version) ready for the digital world. Software that is included is simple and even allows for sizing and cropping.

Aimersoft DVD Studio: Rip-Convert-Copy for Macs

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:47:03 +0000

Aimersoft Studio has released DVD Studio Pack for the Mac. It includes three applications: DVD Ripper, Video Converter and DVD Copy priced at US$69. They also sell a version for Windows. With this bundle you can rip DVDs (removing the DVD protections like CSS, RC and RCE) to your Mac to MP4, AVI, M4V, MOV, 3GP, MPG, M4A, MP3 and other video and audio formats, Video Converter for Mac can convert to several media formats and DVD Copy for Mac can copy DVDs with 1:1 ratio. DVD Studio Pack requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher as Universal Binary running natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.

Apple Ships Final Cut Server

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:12:48 +0000

Apple has announced that Final Cut Server is now shipping. First shown at NAB last year, this media-asset management tool is a scalable server application that can catalog large collections of media assets. Allowing search across multiple disks and SAN volumes, as well as enabling viewing, annotation and approval of content from anywhere using a Mac or PC, this looks like a nice addition to any group using Final Cut Studio. Final Cut Server is aimed at both small editing firms and large, multi-national news and media organizations. It is integrated with Final Cut Studio, and both catalogs and organizes media, as well handling such tasks as monitoring changes made to those assets, and providing a cross-platform client for searching and accessing that media. "Whether producing a 30-second spot, the nightly news or a major motion picture, Final Cut Studio is the choice of editors around the world," Rob Schoeben, Apple's vice president of Applications Product Marketing, said in a statement. "With the introduction of Final Cut Server, collaboration just got a whole lot easier for millions of editors, producers and clients who work with Final Cut Studio." Interesting, Final Cut Server comes with a Java-based app that runs on Macs and PCs. Apple has posted a quick tour here. Final Cut Server is available immediately, and is being offered for US$999 for a license for one server and 10 client licenses, or $1,999 for a license for one server and unlimited client licenses. Would have been nice to see it at NAB next week, if Apple had not cancelled the show.

Walt Mossberg’s Take on Broadband & Video

Stephen Antonucci — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:30:48 +0000

WSJ Tech Guy, Walt Mossberg's take on the state of broadband. I found this interesting, especially the points of the Apple TV and what he says about a 3G iPhone going 3G in 60 days (around 6:53 in). I could not to agree more.

TiVo Updates PC Desktop with iTunes Podcasts

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:24:05 +0000

TiVo has introduced a "plus" version TiVo Desktop for Windows software that helps turn its DVR STB into a networked media hubs. This new version stresses the ability to pull podcasts and can either recognize them directly from iTunes on a networked PC or else pulls them directly through RSS subscriptions on the Series 3, including 720p HD podcasts. Customers can also use the Season Pass feature normally used for recorded TV shows to monitor web video sources and add new videos from folders on a local PC without adding them to the list by hand.

The software requires a Windows PC and can still convert recorded TV shows to formats playable by iPods and the PSP. A Mac version of TiVo Desktop that matches these new features is still in development in tandem with Roxio, TiVo says. The DVRs themselves are also still set to receive YouTube support later this year. TiVo Desktop is priced at $24.95 for new users but is a free upgrade to anyone running a previous version. The standard TiVo Desktop for Windows software is a free download with less features.

Primatte Keyer Comes to Final Cut and Motion

Stephen Antonucci — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:35:19 +0000

Red Giant Software has launched Primatte Keyer 4, ($499 or $199 upgrade) is an updated edition of a program that extracts keys from backgrounds for video production. Earlier versions only supported Avid and After Effects, version 4 now supports Apple's Motion and Final Cut Pro, and can operate directly from the timeline using 32-bit processing and is compatible with DV and HDV video, and can fix issues such as uneven lighting, compression artifacts and problematic shadows.

MetaX: Tag Your MP4 Videos

Stephen Antonucci — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:51:31 +0000

OK, you ripped a DVD you own using an application like Handbrake or downloaded a video file so you can add it to iTunes and play it on your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV. What you may have realized is the ID3 tagging system in iTunes is a bit limited. In fact it does not allow you to add information for some fields at all such as description and rating. Here is were MetaX comes in. It automatically retrieves tag information from Amazon and Yahoo!

MetaX is a meta-data tagger for MP4 and QuickTime movie files. It uses a modified version of Atomic Parsley at it's core to write the tags. MetaX will automatically search the internet for movie posters and search IMDb for movie and TV show information (Amazon and Yahoo). MetaX can use your iSight camera as a bar scanner to a lot of the work for you. Scan your DVD barcode and MetaX will search for the tags.

Files can be added to your iTunes library automatically after writing tags. Your tag data is automatically archived, and can be exported to share with your friends. MetaX also supports a preset feature so you do not have to add tags for TV shows as you get each episode. MetaX includes a plugin found in preferences that allows you at re-write the tags for movies and TV shows you already have in iTunes.

MetaX can directly write meta data tags to mp4, m4v, m4a, m4b, m4p, and mov files. Other formats such as avi can only be tagged if they are first placed inside a QuickTime mov container. This can be done with QuickTime Pro.

I found the application to work pretty well and be very useful. I did experience some bugs however. The bar scanner did not always work for me. It could not write ever file I asked it to, but this is to be expected since the files I was testing came from various sources. Most times it worked well. I found MetaX better than the other tagging apps I have tried.

MetaX 2.3.5 is available as a free download for Mac OS X Leopard and MetaX 2.3.0 is Tiger compatible. If you find the software helpful make a donation to the developer.

Two other tagging solutions for the Mac are vID Infiltr8 and Lostify.