AV Video Multimedia Producer articles from December 2003

AV Video Multimedia Producer archives from December 2003

The next big thing.(Real Time)
December 1, 2003... IS THERE EVER A GOOD TIME FOR A GREAT IDEA? IF ONLY the economy were more sympathetic, perhaps we'd see cutting-edge equipment coming to market more quickly. The truth is, good ideas don't need boom times to prosper--though it certainly does...

New York State television goes high-def.(Studio Upgrade)
December 1, 2003... New York State's official TV network, the New York Network (NYN), moved this spring into a new $10.6 million digital facility in Albany, N.Y. The new studio took more than a year to build and is outfitted with a range of Sony production...

HD to the rescue: shooting a re-enacted crash from the ground and air.(Project spotlight: shooting tips)
December 1, 2003... A car careens across a quiet country road and tumbles into a ditch. Two sheriff cars, two ambulances, an EMS unit, a fire truck and a helicopter rush to the scene. It's a scene API cine (www.apicine.com) of Memphis captured perfectly on...

Conference news: CMMA.
December 1, 2003... OPTIMISM ABOUT BUDGETS and the use of affordable new technology dominated the discussions at the Communications Media Management Association's National Conference in Key Biscayne, Florida, from November 1--5. The 57-year-old organization for...

Overheard....
December 1, 2003... "LCD panels are now lighter brighter, and have 60,000 hours of lamp life. I've seen prototypes of screens that are 72 inches and larger Unfortunately, those plasmas you installed in your boardrooms may become rather odd-shaped boat anchors in...

Upcoming events.(Calendar)
December 1, 2003... NOVEMBER 20-22 MacExpo 2003 London, England 01895-454-499 www.macexpo.co.uk NOVEMBER 21-23 LDI--Entertainment Technology Show Orlando www.entertainmenttech.info DECEMBER 3-4 Government Video Technology...

Final Cut Pro 4 for Mac OS X.(Books in Brief)
December 1, 2003... By Lisa Brenneis * Peachpit Press * 756 pp. * $29.99 Another welcome entry in Peachpit's Visual QuickPro Guide series, Final Cut Pro 4 for Mac OS X walks you through installation and presets on up through the tool's more complex media...

Advanced Finishing Techniques in Final Cut Pro 4.(Books in Brief)
December 1, 2003... By Ramy Katrib * Peachpit Press * 350 pp. * $44.99 For the truly seasoned Final Cup Pro user comes the latest addition to the Apple Pro series, written by documentary producer Rainy Katrib and his post-production and training company,...

The media/IT connection powers up.(By the numbers: facts, figures and research to help you build your business)
December 1, 2003... COLLABORATION IS KING--AND MEDIA MANAGERS and IT specialists at large corporations, universities, government agencies and healthcare facilities are coming together to manage and support the kinds of robust and interactive media networks that...

New camera extras: recent releases will fill out your production tool kit.(Production)
December 1, 2003... Even if you're in the market for a new camera, the right accessories can extend the life of the gear you already use. The following add-ons are tailored to work specifically with MiniDV, DV, Betacam or HD cameras. FORMATT FILTERS ...

Web-based communication strategy: video-on-demand keeps SAS in touch with customers.(Delivery)
December 1, 2003... MEDIA MANAGERS AT SAS IN THE mid-1990s couldn't even entertain the thought of sending video over the corporate network. Today, it's a routine part of employee communications. Initially, says Bill Marriott, senior director of video...

Audiences talk back: response systems fill your meeting media with instant data.(Presentations)
December 1, 2003... HOW DO YOU HOLD AN INTERACtive meeting with 5,000 people? That was the challenge for Option Technologies Interactive (OTI), a specialized software developer based in Orlando, Florida. OTI (www.optiontechnologies.com) was asked to set up an...

Preventing brain drain: using video to capture employees' tacit business knowledge.(Managing Your Business)
December 1, 2003... WHAT IS YOUR COMPANY'S MOST valuable asset? It's the knowledge stored inside your employees' heads. If you lose an essential piece of equipment, you can easily replace it. But if you lose an essential employee, it could take years for the new...

The optical option: how to create and promote DVD for maximum buy-in.(Winners circle)
December 1, 2003... PRODUCING AN EDUCATIONAL DVD isn't necessarily easy, but compared to convincing clients of the format's value, it is. Here at the Culinary Institute of America, creating DVDs involves more than capturing the preparation of trout or a ganache;...

Outlook 2004: the future is now. 24 tech executives and producers predict which tools could make next year your best yet.
December 1, 2003... We posed this rather broad question to executives at major equipment and software manufacturers, knowing that their unique perspectives would form a template of what 2004 will mean for you both inside the studio and out in the field. We also...

What is real-time ... really? Vendors define what real-time means to them and to you.
December 1, 2003... IF YOU'VE EVER USED NONLINEAR-editing software, you've seen it: the great real-time exodus. Like an effect in The Matrix, your NLE groans, time slows down, and suddenly your real-time playback grinds to a miserable five frames per second. ...

Yamaha's 02R96 Digital Mixing Console (February).
December 1, 2003... Summary: Comprehensive and well-designed mixer at a great price Target Users: Sound designers, audio editors, musicians Each of the following products were reviewed in Test Patterns this year and earned fivestar reviews. They are...

Macromedia's Director MX (March).
December 1, 2003... Summary: This latest version of Director lets you import Flash files stream MPEG-4 video and add text-to-speech capabilities. It also features a redesigned MX interface. Target Users: Multimedia developers Platforms: Windows and Mac...

Sonic Foundry's Vegas + DVD (June).
December 1, 2003... Summary: Vegas dives head first into DVD production with an integrated DVD-authoring program and DVD-compatible 5.1 audio codec. The upgrade also beefs up the video- and audio-editing features. Target Users: Video and audio professionals...

Leitch's dpsVelocityQ (July).
December 1, 2003... Summary: dpsVelocityQ is a powerful and flexible real-time editing system that can simultaneously handle four video streams. The video can be compressed or non-compressed. Target Users: Professionals video editors Platforms: Windows...

Panasonic's AJ-SDX900 camcorder (September).
December 1, 2003... Summary: Panasonic premium camcorder may not do it all--but it comes close. And its price can't be beat. Target Users: Professionals videographers REPLACING A WORN-OUT CAMcorder brings on the format fog. The former king, Betacam SP,...

Studio management software.(Product Showcase)
December 1, 2003... The #1 choice of top studios worldwide, Studio Suite is the leading software for audio, video, and multimedia production management. Studio Suite easily and efficiently manages scheduling, billing, contacts, communications, media library,...

Cummunicate "hands free".(Product Showcase)
December 1, 2003... The TD 900 is a revolutionary "full duplex" wireless that allows videographers to communicate at whisper levels and work with their hands at the same time. This new system is not voice activated, and there are no buttons to push. To operate the...

Affordable blackburst generator.(Product Showcase)
December 1, 2003... Genlock your video system! The BSG-50 from HORITA has multiple blackburst and sync outputs, plus a crystal controlled 1-KHz audio tone. Provides up to 6 separate blackburst signals on BNC connectors, or mix outputs from a selection of black,...

Introducing Lowel fluo-tec studio fluorescent.(Product Showcase)
December 1, 2003... * Dimmable (via internal DMX or manually) & Non-Dimmable models. * Accessory IR Remote-Control handheld for DMX dimming w/out console. * ETL/CSA or CE approved models with new state of the art electronics. * Ten models for 2 to 8...

Anchor Audio.(Tool wise: snapshots of new hardware, software and notable upgrades)
December 1, 2003... Anchor Audio has shipped the UHF-6400 wireless receiver with 64 user-selectable UHF channels. It features two independent RF sections for interference resistant UHF band operation and Phase Lock Loop (PLL)-synthesized reception. The UHF-6400 is...

Automatic Duck.(Tool wise: snapshots of new hardware, software and notable upgrade)
December 1, 2003... Automatic Duck recently released Automatic Duck Pro Import 2.0 for both Windows and Mac OS X. Automatic Duck Pro Import 2.0 lets editors and graphic artists import edited sequences, complete with keyframed effects, from Avid editing systems and...

NEC.(Tool wise: snapshots of new hardware, software and notable upgrades)
December 1, 2003... NEC Solutions (America) recently introduced the LT170 portable projector. With a new design and weighing just 3.9 pounds, the projector features 1,500 ANSI lumens, XGA native resolution, AutoSense one touch setup and operation, color coded...

Sony Pictures Digital Networks.(Tool wise: snapshots of new hardware, software and notable upgrades)
December 1, 2003... Sonic Foundry's Sound Forge 7.0 is the latest version of the audio editing, recording, effects processing and media encoding software for the PC platform. The many new features include automated time-based recording; audio threshold record...

Managing until it hurts.(The Last Word)
December 1, 2003... YOU'RE WORKING ON A PROJECT WHEN YOUR BOSS stops by to see your progress and suggest some changes. There's just one problem: You only received the assignment an hour ago, and your deadline is still one week away. And the boss is already sitting...