Camcorder & Computer Video articles from October 2007

Camcorder & Computer Video archives from October 2007

Camcorders make nice with YouTube.(UPFRONT)
October 1, 2007... Unless you've been living under a rock, YouTube[TM], I Tube, We all Tube. Yes, I'm talking about YouTube[TM], the hub of online entertainment these days for millions of people all over the world. In business since December of 2005, YouTube[TM]...

World's first Blu-ray, high-def camcorder: new and unique camcorder technologies.(CAMCORDER INSIDER)
October 1, 2007... In the summer, not much usually happens in the camcorder world. Well, this isn't the case. Some of the most exciting camcorder announcements I've seen in years have just been released in the past few weeks. It's mostly about High-Def: the...

Sweet audio: software & hardware tools to boost your audio creation experience.(NEW TECH)
October 1, 2007... While audio is sometimes a stepchild, in our video-oriented world, it s an exciting time for enjoying and creating audio. Extending the excitement around iPod and portable players, now mobile phones are becoming full-fledged music players, and...

The tape debate: the 4 video formats vying for top spot.
October 1, 2007... These are the questions on everyone s minds these days. What s going to happen to video. Ten years from now what kind of camcorders are we going to be using? Are we still going to record on videotape, or will that format be long gone? Maybe we...

JVC GZ-HD7U: a tapeless cam strictly for the High-Def enthusiast.(CAMCORDER REVIEW)
October 1, 2007... JVC's GZ-HD7U is a glimpse into the future. It is one of the new generation of tapeless camcorders that record to the HDD format, with a built-in 60-gigabyte (60GB) hard drive that provides storage space for up to 30 hours of video. But...

Sony DCR-DVD108: gets top points for its ease-of-use and attractive price ($399).(CAMCORDER REVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Ease of use, an affordable price point, and the ability to record to DVD are three of the Sony DCR-DVD108's high points. A streamlined feature set that includes a no-brainer Easy record mode, combined with the ability to record directly to DVD,...

Panasonic HDC-DX1: unexpected results this compact HD DVD camcorder.(CAMCORDER REVIEW)
October 1, 2007... First impressions always last, and my first impression of the Panasonic HDC-DXI was that it was big and heavy compared to the diminutive camcorders I've become accustomed to. Weighing in a 1 lb. 12 oz. (with battery), this camcorder gives your...

Sony HDR-HC5: high-def camcorder for the masses.(CAMCORDER REVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Sony's HDR-HC5 (MSRP $1,099) is the high-definition camcorder for the masses. Its purpose is to wean you away from standard definition and carry yon into the world of 1080i HDV video. If you've made the move to a plasma or high-definition LCD,...

The drive to push tape out: are you ready for a hard drive cam?
October 1, 2007... I predict that one day, in the not too distant future, all camcorders that record to tape will disappear. Even though the signal recorded to Mini DV tape is digital, tape itself is a mechanical analog system. Even camcorders that record to Mini...

The right lights.(ZOOM IN)(LED light panel from Litepanel)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Getting the right light is essential for any video production, especially if you want to put variety in your lighting scenarios with different filters, etc. This is where a kit comes in handy, and Litepanels offers you ambient light in a...

Get animated.(ZOOM IN)(Digital Anarchy's ToonIt! 1.0)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... If you ever wanted to know what you, your video or film would look like animated, then here's your chance. ToonIt! 1.0 from Digital Anarchy is a series of advanced algorithms that creates cartoon shading in your favorite video editors, like...

Editor network.(ZOOM IN)(StudioNow)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... StudioNow is a network of videographers on the Web that +offer their clients an easy way to create quality videos. From music videos to corporate tapings, they offer services to companies and people who want to have a professional production of...

CD shredder.(ZOOM IN)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... You may ask, what do I need a CD shredder for, right? Well if you need to ask, then this product is probably not for you. Aleratec's DVD/CD Shredder Plus DS[TM] shreds CDs, DVDs, credit cards, paper, or anything you need to have destroyed....

HD signal restorer.(ZOOM IN)
October 1, 2007... If you're running a High-Def set up on a more than 30 feet of extension, you may want to consider the new Honeywell HDMI restorer to get the most out of your HD devices. If you have a HD-DVD or Blu-ray player connected to your HDTV or monitor,...

Field Mixer.(ZOOM IN)(Azden FMX-42 Field Mixer)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... To achieve the perfect sound and video while you're on location, you might want to get the refined Azden FMX-42 Field Mixer. It's a 4-In/2-Out portable mixer with four Balanced XLR line/mic inputs with individual Level and Pan controls, VU...

The boom.(K-Tek Avalon Traveler Boom)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Built to fit in the standard carrying case, and available in three separate colors, the K-Tek Avalon Traveler Boom pole is a must for shooting your video. At the very minimum the Avalon Traveler Boom pole is 20-inches, and reaches a maximum...

The producer.(Primera Bravo XRn Network Disc Publisher)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Professional-quality CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs can be yours with the new Primera Bravo XRn Network Disc Publisher. Embedded with an internal Windows XP computer, the Bravo XRn uses its proprietary PTPublisher software, and a Sonic...

Video storage.
October 1, 2007... A one-stop shop for your HD video, endless data, and a back up device is the brand new MicroNet Platinum RAID ProT, a multiple terabye eSATA RAID system. Available from 2.5TB all the way to 5TB, the RAID is a workhorse that has a 64-bit Intel...

B&W Filter.(ZOOM IN)(Schneider Optics Dual-Pak DV Filter Kit)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... If you want to get the shot Black & White before hitting your NLE, you can pick up the Schneider Optics, Dual-Pak DV Filter Kit. The kits comes with two filters, a B+W UV filter and one Schneider Top-Pol[R] polarizing filter, which both connect...

HDV Head.(ZOOM IN)(Fluid 501HDV)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Being able to get a steady shot on a tripod while shooting with your camera requires a good head, one that can handle payload and movement without problems. Manfrotto's new Fluid 501HDV head, designed for HDV camcorders, is just that. It has a...

Graphics Card.(ZOOM IN)(Quadro FX 4600)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Creating amazing graphics and special effects for your video project takes a workhorse graphics processing unit (GPU). NVIDIA gives you this with its ultra-fast Quadro FX 4600, which has 67.2GB per second memory bandwidth, 768MB GDDR3 frame...

YouTube videos you can touch: real solutions for downloading and converting online clips.
October 1, 2007... YouTube and other short-form video Web sites are a huge hit, partially because of the way Flash video makes them so easy to use--just click on the video window and the clip just starts playing. There s no fuss--no separate player, no additional...

High-Def video in a flash: recording video on flash memory just got easier.(Cover story)
October 1, 2007... Consumer High-Def camcorders are now available in four groups: tape-based or HDV, Hard Disk Drive or HDD, Mini DVD, and flash-memory based. The newest of these groups, flash memory, has gotten a lot of buzz lately because its uses memory cards...

Altered perspectives: creative shooting angles.
October 1, 2007... When I was a kid the TV Western series "Gunsmoke" was a Saturday-evening favorite at our house. I still remember the opening sequence to every episode where Marshal Matt Dillon shot it out on the deserted main street of Dodge City with an...

Zoom control: pushing in on the basics.
October 1, 2007... Zoom may be the most overused control on a camcorder. The zoom control looks so easy to use--zoom out to make your video look bigger, or zoom in tight for close-up shots. But there's a lot more to zoom than meets the eye. Let's begin with...

Third-part filters: our favorite effects for enhancing video (Part 2).
October 1, 2007... Want to maximize the look of your next video, or maybe you want to convert NTSC to PAL with a simple filter? Or export your audio mix into your digital audio workstation, while maintaining all your mixing keyframes? Take advantage of the...

NewTek SpeedEDIT: High-Def editing in real time.(SOFTWARE REVIEW)
October 1, 2007... The name NewTek should be familiar to long time desktop video enthusiasts stretching all the way back to the early 90s. It was NewTeks original Video Toaster hardware card and accompanying software, that literally started the desktop video...

Hot topic: spotlight on everything you need to light up your video production.(HARDWARE REVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Shooting solely with existing light will only enable you to take your videography so far. Eventually you will either run into a situation where existing light is inadequate (in quantity or quality), or you will want to achieve a specific effect...

Pinnacle Studio 11 Ultimate: a powerful editing solution that now handles High-Def.(SOFTWARE REVIEW)
October 1, 2007... Are you editing digital video ? Are you considering editing HD or AVCHD video? Well, if you would like an easy-to-use software package that does not have an intimidating learning curve, then you need to take a look at the latest video editing...

Cinema 4D 10 Workshop.(BOOK MARK)(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2007... Cinema 4D 10 Workshop by Arndt von Koenigsmarck $54.95; Focal Press; www.focalpress.com Using the latest version of Cinema 4D, von Koenigsmarck has put together a hefty guide that covers just about everything a beginner or intermediate...

Flash Animation for Teens.(BOOK MARK)(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2007... Flash Animation For Teens by Eric D. Grebler $34.99; Thomson Course Technology; www.courseptr.com Although targeted to teenagers, Flash Animation for Teens will help anyone interested in painlessly learning Macromedia Flash. Although...

HDV Filmmaking.(BOOK MARK)
October 1, 2007... HDV Filmmaking by Chad Fahs $49.99; Thomson Course Technology; www.courseptr.com Part of the Aspiring Filmmaker's Library, HDV Filmmaking is designed for the intermediate to advanced videographer. We think, however, that some dedicated...

Writing for Animation, Comics and Games.(BOOK MARK)(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2007... Writing For Animation, Comics And Games by Christy Marx $34.95; Focal Press; www.focalpress.com In keeping with the partial animation theme of this column (see Flash Animation for Teens) we thought it would be interesting to include a book...

Special Effects: The History and Technique.(BOOK MARK)(Book review)
October 1, 2007... Special Effects The History And Technique by Richard Rickitt; Foreword by Ray Harryhausen $75.00; Billboard Books/Watson Guptill; www.watsonguptill.com Unlike many history books that will put you to sleep before you get to the third page,...