http://www.dvguru.com DV Guru http://www.dvguru.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.dvguru.com en-us Copyright 2012 Blogsmith, LLC. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/30/microsoft-vista-drm-subverted/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/30/microsoft-vista-drm-subverted/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/30/microsoft-vista-drm-subverted/#commentsFiled under: Software

Within the past month, both HD DVD and Blu-Ray's AACS protection scheme has been bypassed, and now news has broken of a researcher cracking Vista's DRM scheme. Mind you, Vista hit shelves all but one week ago. Boing Boing sums it up very nicely:

"As with previous multi-year DRM development efforts, this one disintegrated like wet kleenex on contact with the general public. Now that Vista, HDCP, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are all broken, it seems like the millions of dollars and thousands of work-hours sunk into these systems was mis-spent. The only benefit that these anti-copying systems confer to the companies that developed them is the right to sue competitors -- and that benefit could have been had by shellacking a one-atom-thick layer of token DRM onto their systems, just enough to be able to invoke the DMCA. Everything else was just gold-plating, wasted money."

So the trend continues. Anything meant to be protected will always be cracked. Researcher Alex Ionesco's hack bypasses Vista's anti-copying technology and allows for full-res, unencrypted high-def video streams. Due to legal concerns, he has not yet released his code. Check out Boing Boing's summary for the full scoop.

(via Hacking Netflix)

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]]>copyrightdrmhackingvistawindowsBrian Liloia2007-01-30T18:44:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/30/final-cut-pro-keyboard-shortcuts/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/30/final-cut-pro-keyboard-shortcuts/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/30/final-cut-pro-keyboard-shortcuts/#commentsFiled under: Editing, Software, Post-production, Beginner, Intermediate

Knowing your keyboard shortcuts will take you to the next level in your mastery of Final Cut Pro. For some help with memorization, try printing out this shortcut document and keep it on your desk while you edit. Thankfully, it's nicely organized so you can learn a block of shortcuts at a time. Thanks to Flippant for the tip.

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]]>editingfinal cut proFinalCutProflippantkeyboard shortcutsKeyboardShortcutspost-productionsoftwareBrian Liloia2007-01-30T17:00:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/26/gfx-pack-offers-customizable-video-graphics-packages/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/26/gfx-pack-offers-customizable-video-graphics-packages/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/26/gfx-pack-offers-customizable-video-graphics-packages/#commentsFiled under: Software, Post-production

You may be like me and are constantly on the lookout for graphics to add to your production library. Besides being expensive, you usually get-what-you-get with no easy option to make changes. Well GFX Pack is offering video graphics packages that also contain the After Effects project file so you can make changes yourself. Now that is sweet. There may be others out there that provide project files, but this is the first one I have come across. GFX Pack currently has 5 packages available for $99 each, or you can purchase them all for $399.

[via Digital Production Buzz]

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]]>after effectsgfx packGfxPackgraphicsproductionSheila Ward2007-01-26T05:38:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/25/speededit-finally-shipping/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/25/speededit-finally-shipping/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/25/speededit-finally-shipping/#commentsFiled under: Editing, Software

The 6 city launch party took place in November without a product, but NewTek has finally announced that SpeedEDIT is now shipping. Boasting a tagline of The Worlds Fastest Video Editor, SpeedEDIT breaks away from traditional NLE workflows that are based around the film mentality and focuses on a resolution independent digital workflow. I couldn't find a trial version on their website, but I hear one will be offered. If your curious (like me), you can download the user guide and get a better understanding of how the app works. SpeedEDIT costs $495 but if you are a Lightwave owner you can get it at a special price of $295.

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]]>editorlightwavenewtekspeededitvideo editingSheila Ward2007-01-25T23:21:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/25/using-ffmpegx-to-create-flash-video/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/25/using-ffmpegx-to-create-flash-video/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/25/using-ffmpegx-to-create-flash-video/#commentsFiled under: Software, Post-production

ffmpegX is an extremely robust open source video and audio encoding application for Mac OS X that supports a great number of formats, with Flash Video being the newest addition to the program's encoding capabilities. The number of options and settings within ffmpegX can be a bit daunting at first, but Jake Ludington has a sweet and simple little tutorial for how to successfully convert videos to Flash format while still maintaining acceptable quality. Worth knowing. And if you are not familiar with ffmpegX, be sure to check it out and experiment a bit.

(via FresHDV)

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]]>encodingffmpegxflash videoFlashVideoflvopen sourceOpenSourcesoftwaretutorialBrian Liloia2007-01-25T15:05:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/24/reduce-time-lapse-flicker-with-gbdeflicker/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/24/reduce-time-lapse-flicker-with-gbdeflicker/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/24/reduce-time-lapse-flicker-with-gbdeflicker/#commentsFiled under: Production, Software, The Shoot

Creating a timelapse movie can be daunting especially when you will be committing lots of time to your subject. A distracting side-effect that distorts the time-lapse illusion is flicker, such as parts of the scene that are lighter or darker in each frame. Granite Bay software has an informative guide on what causes flicker in time-lapse as well as cures to fix it. They even have a free Deflicker plugin for Adobe After Effects or Premiere because sometimes you can do everything right and still wind up with flickering footage.

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]]>AdobeAfter EffectsAfterEffectsflickerfreepluginPremiereproductionsoftwaretimelapseRussell Heimlich2007-01-24T14:27:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/24/videomakers-best-products-of-2006/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/24/videomakers-best-products-of-2006/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/24/videomakers-best-products-of-2006/#commentsFiled under: Cameras, Hardware, Software, Gear

Videomaker has whipped up a "best of 2006" list for consumer and low budget video creators, including a bunch of notable cameras, software, and other gear that stand out from the rest of the crowd. Camcorders receiving attention include the Canon Elura 100 (best consumer camcorder), Canon HV10 (best high-def consumer camcorder), JVC Everio GZ-MG505 (best hard drive camcorder), Sony HDR-FX7 (best prosumer camcorder), and the Panasonic AG-HVX200 (breakthrough camcorder of the year). Check out the full story for some other useful recommendations. 2006 has been another big year for upping the quality in affordable video production equipment.

(via Digital Camcorder News)

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]]>2006camcorderscamerasconsumergearvideomakerBrian Liloia2007-01-24T13:07:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/24/media-100-gets-positive-review-from-the-cow/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/24/media-100-gets-positive-review-from-the-cow/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/24/media-100-gets-positive-review-from-the-cow/#commentsFiled under: Trends, Software, Media, Post-production

I've long maintained that no one I know actually uses Media 100 anymore, but lots of them "used to." I've even called out the application's faithful here on this very blog, but to no avail. I was about to give up on the software, when I read this.

Nick Griffin over at Creative Cow is another person who used to use the software, but after a rather nasty separation, he seems inclined to give the old gal a second chance. (Griffin actually compares Media 100 to an old girlfriend.) He says everything old is new, with support for 99 video tracks, and 24 audio tracks. Yet, the software felt familiar on Griffin's hands, and imported projects from past Media 100 versions flawlessly.

The software also boasts full Quicktime support, and therefore will edit footage captured by Apple's Final Cut Pro natively. Other Media 100 features include Panasonic P2 support, and the ability to edit multiple formats on the same timeline. Click READ below for a link to the full review.

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]]>Creative CowCreativeCowMedia 100Media100Quicktime Final Cut ProQuicktimeFinalCutProAdam Nielson2007-01-24T09:14:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/24/ubuntu-studio-announced-for-april/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/24/ubuntu-studio-announced-for-april/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/24/ubuntu-studio-announced-for-april/#commentsFiled under: Business, Production, Software, Post-production

Wanna get into video editing, but can't afford the latest studio bundle? Never fear, Ubuntu will have you logging, trimming, and printing in no time!

The popular Linux flavor is planning an April release for a new distribution aimed at video production enthusiasts and professionals. The software package features Cinelerra as an editor, Jahshaka for compositing, and audio suite, Wired. The Ubuntu Studio wiki also states the building of an "alt" DVD authoring program as one of the team's goals.

I find this information cool, but I must confess, I've never tried any of the apps included here. I have always intended to try one or the other, mostly for comparison to the expensive software I regularly use, but the thought of having to install another OS just to get a crack at them seemed daunting. However, with everything bundled into a nice tight "distro" April can't come fast enough.

READ via Download Squad

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]]>cinelerrafreeLinuxstudioUbuntuAdam Nielson2007-01-24T08:30:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/20/aspect-aspect-ratio-widget/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/20/aspect-aspect-ratio-widget/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/20/aspect-aspect-ratio-widget/#commentsFiled under: Editing, Software, Post-production

Scott Simmons over at the editblog unearthed a pretty spiffy aspect ratio dashboard widget for OS X, appropriately named Aspect. This little bit of software takes 'popular ratios used in video and film and calculates any size you need based on the height or width and pixel aspect.' Simple, quick, and effective. Grab the 209Kb download here.

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]]>aspectaspect raitoAspectRaitoeditingmacos xOsXpost-productionsoftwarewidgetBrian Liloia2007-01-20T15:19:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/18/final-print-for-fcp-users/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/18/final-print-for-fcp-users/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/18/final-print-for-fcp-users/#commentsFiled under: Software, Post-production

Digital Heaven just released a neat little app that might help Final Cut Pro users manage project workflows. Final Print reads an XML file exported by FCP and displays a list of clip and sequence markers with name, comments, timecode and thumbnail image.

You can check out an example here (PDF alert). Price is $99 and you can download a demo to give it a whirl.

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]]>digital heavenfinal cut profinal printFinalCutProworkflowxmlSheila Ward2007-01-18T17:15:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/16/sorenson-announces-squish-and-squishnet/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/16/sorenson-announces-squish-and-squishnet/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/16/sorenson-announces-squish-and-squishnet/#commentsFiled under: Software, Web, Online

Forget YouTube, start your own video sharing site. Sorenson Media has announced Sorenson Squish that will allow you to publish and share user-generated video. Squish is a Java based web app that encodes files within the browser using the Squeeze Compression Suite technology. Just drag and drop a file on the app or stream it from a camera and the video is compressed and sent off to the hosting server. Here are a few of the features:

• Client-side compression technology runs in a browser
• PC and Mac support
  
• IE & Firefox (PC) and Safari & Firefox (Mac) supported
  
• Input video formats supported: ASF, DV, MOV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV
• Input image format supported: GIF, JPEG, PNG
• Output format is Flash video
  
• Supports capture of video streams from attached DV camcorders or Web cams

Sorenson is also offering SquishNet as a place to host your videos. It provides an embedded Flash video player plus allows page customization so you can make the look your own, like matching your existing website. You can check out an online demo of SquishNet here. Pricing for Squish starts at $1 per user annually with an annual minimum of $5,000. Pricing for SquishNet, which includes Squish, starts at $1.50 per user annually with an annual minimum of $7,500. Both products will be available in February.

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]]>sorensonsqueezesquishsquishnetuser-generated contentvideo sharingSheila Ward2007-01-16T07:40:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/15/avid-best-tips-and-tricks-for-2006/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/15/avid-best-tips-and-tricks-for-2006/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/15/avid-best-tips-and-tricks-for-2006/#commentsFiled under: Software, Post-production

Avid users might want to check out this compilation of the Best Tips and Tricks of 2006 from Avid's InFocus newsletter. You can view all the tips and tricks from Avid and the community, plus loads of other info for Avid products from the community website. You never know when you might find a time-saving gem or two.

[via Videoguys]

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]]>avidinfocusliquidnletipstrickstutorialSheila Ward2007-01-15T23:59:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/15/more-boris-fx-updates-graffiti-and-fx-ready-for-intel-macs/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/15/more-boris-fx-updates-graffiti-and-fx-ready-for-intel-macs/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/15/more-boris-fx-updates-graffiti-and-fx-ready-for-intel-macs/#commentsFiled under: Software, Post-production

The folks at Boris FX are on a Universal Binary mission. They must love their Mac users because they are cranking out support for Intel Macs plus maintaining compatibility with PowerPC systems. The latest products to get in on the Universal Binary action are Graffiti and FX. Boris Graffiti 5.1 and Boris FX 9.1 are now available as free updates for 5.0 and 9.0 users.

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]]>borisboris fxBorisFxgraffitiintelpowerpcuniversal binarySheila Ward2007-01-15T21:49:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/15/sorenson-media-offers-unlimited-encoding-licensing/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/15/sorenson-media-offers-unlimited-encoding-licensing/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/15/sorenson-media-offers-unlimited-encoding-licensing/#commentsFiled under: Software

After the little encoding limit issue reared its head a few months ago in Sorenson Media Compression Suite, Sorenson now offers a solution for folks that need to process a higher volume of video files. A new licensing model is available for Sorenson Squeeze for Flash and Sorenson Squeeze Compression suite that will allow unlimited encoding for enterprise users. The Flash license is available for $1,238 per system per year and the Compression Suite license is available for $2,500 per system per year. If you have multiple systems running the software, discounts are available for higher quantities. There is no change to the pricing of the normal desktop version which has a limit of 1,500 encoded files per month.

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]]>compressionencodingflashlicensingsorensonsqueezeunlimitedSheila Ward2007-01-15T18:28:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/15/best-of-2006-for-visualists/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/15/best-of-2006-for-visualists/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/15/best-of-2006-for-visualists/#commentsFiled under: Software, Gear

For all the live video artists and VJ folk, Create Digital Motions offers up a list dedicated to The Best of 2006 for Visualists. It includes their choices in most significant technology, software, and hardware, plus other relevant stuff like "most distracting technology" and the biggest tech disappointments of last year. VJs are in a bit of a different league than standard video editors, so of course their recommendations might not completely apply, but still a neat read for anyone involved or interested in that scene.

(via Video Thing)

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]]>2006cdmcreate digital motionCreateDigitalMotionvisualistvjBrian Liloia2007-01-15T15:35:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/11/will-iphone-ui-ever-become-final-cut-ui/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/11/will-iphone-ui-ever-become-final-cut-ui/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/11/will-iphone-ui-ever-become-final-cut-ui/#commentsFiled under: Trends, Software, Post-production

Everywhere you turn online, all you see and hear is the iPhone. Video displays it best because you see the revolutionary user interface at work. Apple has been on patenting spree the last couple of years, mostly having to do with the iPhone user-interface. Will they use this with other applications? What about Final Cut Studio?

Imagine having a touchscreen monitor that let you work with your hands in Final Cut Studio. Pinch to zoom in (or zoom out), flick to scroll, type in timecode adjustments, change keyframes. The list goes on. Why should it be used just in iPhone? Why do I have to go back and forth between the mouse and keypad when I can do it all on the screen?

For screenwriting, I will always prefer the keyboard. But for the stuff that happens 70 percent of the time in Final Cut, touchscreen and the new iPhone UI would be sensational. Now mind you, it would need a lot of tweaking. The JKL (rewind, stop, play) buttons, for example, would be missed instantly. But in Motion and Soundtrack, the move would be fantastic.

It is not just about the touchscreen because we have tools already in the market that work with FCS. But the new Apple UI is a huge leap. This transition will surely happen sometime in the future, the question remains when? Final Cut Pro 6 seems out of the question but maybe 7.

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]]>applefinal cut studioFinalCutStudioiphonemotionprosoundtrackuiuser interfaceUserInterfaceAjit Anthony2007-01-11T11:13:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/10/a-look-at-media-100-producer/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/10/a-look-at-media-100-producer/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/10/a-look-at-media-100-producer/#commentsFiled under: Editing, Software

You might have used Media 100 in the past, or you might be curious about the product since there have been several announcements in the past few months. Media 100 is definitely trying to make a surge and get back in the NLE game. Nick Griffin used Media 100 around the 1995-2002 time frame, but switched to Final Cut Pro when new NLE's where hitting the market with additional features and Media 100 was kinda standing still. So Griffin decided to take a look at the new Media 100 Producer software and he shares his thoughts about where the software is today.

Previous users of Media 100 will enjoy this article that is written with the theme of "You never forget your first girlfriend, right?"

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]]>media 100media 100 producerMedia100nlereviewSheila Ward2007-01-10T23:26:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/10/adobe-production-studio-eseminars/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/10/adobe-production-studio-eseminars/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/10/adobe-production-studio-eseminars/#commentsFiled under: Software, Post-production

Adobe has a bunch of upcoming eSeminars aimed at Production Studio users that are relevant to video editors and post peoples. Sessions include Productivity 101 with Production Studio, Design 101 for After Effects and Flash, After Effects 101 for the Adobe Premiere Pro User, Discover New Features 101 in Adobe Premiere Pro and DV Rack HD, After Effects 102 for the Adobe Premiere Pro User, and others. The eSeminars are free, but you must must register for individual sessions, and they are scheduled January 16th through February 27th. Might be worth looking into.

(via flippant)

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]]>adobeafter effectsAfterEffectseseminarspremeire proPremeireProproduction studioProductionStudiosoftwareBrian Liloia2007-01-10T15:30:00+00:00http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/10/dvd-compression-using-apple-compressor/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/10/dvd-compression-using-apple-compressor/http://www.dvguru.com/2007/01/10/dvd-compression-using-apple-compressor/#commentsFiled under: Software, Post-production

StudioDaily has a nice video tutorial explaining optimal DVD compression using Apple's Compressor. Larry Jordan gives a simple, no nonsense explanation of the most appropriate video and audio compression settings when aiming for the highest quality DVD delivery. Compressor is fairly straightfoward, but it's good to know the small ins and outs of the application for achieving the best results, so check out this tutorial if you are looking for tips.

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]]>applecompressordeliverydvdfinal cut proFinalCutPropost-productionsoftwareBrian Liloia2007-01-10T13:13:00+00:00