To many, 2005 would seem like the years past -- an evolutionary step in the Digital Video world. However, paying close attention to the toolkit of the filmmaker, you will notice a new set of tools incompatible and foreign to its siblings . Since the mid-nineties, the trend has been that cameras (whether it be consumer or prosumer) got smaller and cheaper with editing software that ran lighter and more compact with little frills and little overhead. For the most part, it was plug and play. But with the rise of HD and demise of film (in the independent film world at least!), the toolkit has begun to grow.

Cameras have grown in size and price. A prosumer camera that ranged in $4k has a modern counterpart that costs in the $6k region. Software like Motion demand the latest and the greatest hardware. Few machines can handle ful res HD. The DV setup of a camera and a computer snuggled in the back of the bedroom is no longer possible. In the new HD world, a decent setup has to have the right video cards, the right capture card, enough storage, a back-up solution, the right camera accessory and so on.

The toolkit has gotten bulkier and certainly more expensive but all this is not neccessarily bad. For the first time in the history of  video and film, an independent filmmaker with a decent budget can shoot a film that can play alongside a Hollywood film and not be apologetic on its technical deficiencies.

And like the independent filmmaker, the movie-going public are also better equipped to find their own choices outside of Hollywood. The movie-theater is being abandoned by the movie-going public for a trendier place–their homes as the internet, DVD decks and big screen TV's have made the movie theater outdated. In 2005, the power of the internet as an attractive medium for displaying video content has become apparent as podcasting, iTunes and the iPod (video) reached acceptable maturity. It seems only matter of time when all content will flow some way or the other through the internet.

Ok, time for the list.
The word that appears most on every filmmakers mouth before they begin to drool in 2005: HD or High Def or High Definition. What DV was in the nineties. Like I have stated earlier, it puts the independents in the same league as the big boys. Now if they can only rewire the Hollywood distribution channels.

Most Exciting Product: The PANASONIC HVX200 barely makes it in the 2005 list as it ships a couple of days before the year end. With the HVX200, a new age seems to begin with its tapeless workflow and its P2 cards.

The biggest bummer of the year: That P2 cards cost so bloody much. Could this one thing hold back the success of a what is a sure-fire hit of a camera?

Best Camera Accessory: The FIRESTORE  devices. Cannot afford the P2 cards, then you need one of these.

Best Camera under $2k: The Sony HDR-HC1 provides HDV for an incredible price. What more do I have to say?

Best Video Suite: Apple's FINAL CUT STUDIO is a remarkable product. Final Cut Pro alone is worth $1299 price but with the inclusion of DVD Studio Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro and Compressor–it is a deal for a product that can do almost anything you would want or need to. Randall in his review of top non-linear systems gave his top honors to Final Cut Pro.

The Biggest Up and comer Editing software: In that same review of non-linear systems, Randall almost seemed surprised by the promise of Sony VEGAS. I have never used it but I have heard very good things about it.

Cheesiest moment by a Software company trying to screw with its competitor: Sony VEGAS not being compatible with HVX200 codec - DVCProHD.

Best Open Source Video Software: BLENDER is a cross-platform, 3D program that does not cost a penny. Now you if assume the product to be cheap or second-class, you would be mistaken.

Most promising Open Source software: I have spoken about CELTX in length. Celtx fills a big void for screenwriters by providing the only cross-platform, free screenwriting program. But the fact that it has done all that on the Firefox framework makes it even more exciting.

Best Mac Visual Effects Freeware: One of the jewels in Mac freeware is MORPHX. To get an idea of what it can do, check out a segment from my short.

Most Promising Software that can change the film distribution model like the new music distribution model in favor of the Independents: There is a dire need to restructure the movie distribution channels in favor of Independent cinema. The most likely candidate that could make such a change would be Apple's ITUNES. If you like to see what it has done with in the music world, check out this article.

Best Open Source sofware that I hope dethrones iTunes (and the like) for watching video content online: It would be scary if there were comes a time where only Apple's portable hardware could play video content acquired through iTunes, like it is currently the case with the music bought in iTunes. My hope lies with DTV, an open sourced project that desires to level the playing field. Currently, it is only available on the Mac platform but the creators promise it will be appearing on the other platforms soon.

Best online media format that is not used enough: H.264 only works with Quicktime 7 but it is a sweet, sweet codec.

Worst online media format used way too much: WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER, everytime I see those non-functional buttons, my lips purse. Add to that, the incessant stoppages...oh...lets move on.

Best Free Video Hosting site: When DVguru went looking for a place to host our first vodcast, we chose BLIP TV. Recently, on my personal blog I ran into some problems with crossing over the video, the Blip TV support staff were simply incredible.

Best Hardware for Post that does not cost in the 10's of thousands: The Power PC platform is a dying platform with Apple switching in 2006 to Intel's X86 chips but at least there was one last hurrah. Apple's QUAD G5 is one hell of a machine, with four processors and the potential to add 8 gigs of RAM. Check out this PC Magazine article for some test results.

Best PC Hardware for editing: I wouldn't know but Randall places his sticker on the Alienware 7700. I have heard the alien looking machine is also the ultimate for games.

Best Audio Hardware: The TASCAM HD P2 audio recorder has officially put the DAT machine to sleep. It records high quality audio on compact flash cards so you get all the benefits of the tapeless workflow. And unlike other flash audio recorders, you can input timecode to sync with video. All this for little less than a grand.

Best Forums: Creative Cow and 2-pop for the longest have been the places to go for matters dealing with digital video. But this year, with the approach of the HVX200, the DVXUSER forum were ablaze with breaking news and heated discussions.

A single Blogger that best puts DVGuru to shame: MIKE CURTIS at HD For Indies is a one-man digital video encyclopedia. His site is the first to load up on my machine before I start blogging.

Worst thing about Hollywood: HOLLYWOOD

Worst Trend In Hollywood: BLAME THE AUDIENCE. Call them thieves for wanting to download content (I would guess no more than 1% of the population knows how to do this), lazy for wanting to watch the film in the comfort of their homes, and bad for not wanting to see crappy, recycled, spineless movies.

Best person to read about Hollywood: Slate's EDWARD JAY EPSTEIN has provided a wonderful blow by blow analysis of how Hollywood has fallen apart this year. Recommended read for those wondering why I keep saying we need a change from the current movie distribution model.

Best Magazine: For a while now, RES was the magazine that maintained my love for cinema. But as they have moved from a film magazine to a cultural one, they seem less inclined to do any critical thinking. The feeling you get scanning the mag is "if you made it on these pages, then you must be cool." Every artist is placed on the same pedestal, it is hard to differentiate between the various artists whether it be their work, the genre or even the quality. It is time for the writers to throw away that template. So the magazine that gets the nod for 2005 is MILLIMETER. I found the magazine at NAB Post. And among all the ones that were handed out to us, this magazine had the right combination of writings that dealt with the artistic and technical side of filmmaking.

So that is it for 2005, stay with DVguru for all you digital video news and analysis. In early 2006, we will embark on a major journey to compare and catalog all video hardware and software. Stay tuned.