New Media Composer 3.5 Released

[Michael Hancock]

What version were you upgrading from?

I just installed the 14 day trial to play with the new features and it asked me if I wanted to register via the internet, the phone, activate the 14 day trial, or continue to use my dongle. Which one did you choose?

Michael

PS. I love the dongle and really wish they weren’t getting rid of it.

[Torv Carlsen]

I hadn’t gotten that far. Being the anal retentive type, I was following Avid’s instructions to the letter regarding that you were to update the dongle first before anything. I go stymied at that point. But what about having some guy in Romania handling tech support. Is this part of Avid’s “new thinking”?

[Dino]

I think part of the problem continues to be the way Avid organizes and makes available information. It might be helpful to look at a document called the “Installation Guide” The actual file name is: “Install_SWLicense.pdf” Unfortunately, I could not tell you how I found it. It is referenced in the 3.5 read me and some other places with no clues as to where to get it. I accidentally happened across it after looking for various things all over their website.

If you have a dongle, I would recommend keeping it active. Apparently though, dongles are dead once MC/Symphony 4 hits. If however, you hate dongles, validation/activation is available without it. Then just hang the dongle from your rear view mirror.

While I can understand that dongles might be a hassle, they can break, get lost or stolen, awkward on a portable in the field… I like the simplicity they bring in system maintenance or just moving licenses between systems. With software activation, reinstalling a system or restoring from a clone becomes a little more involved. I wonder how many times they let you screw up or how long it takes to get back up once a mistake is made?

[Terence Curren]

The best method is:

1: Pay for the upgrade, register, and get the dongle updater sent to you.

2: Install the new software.

3: Update your dongle with the newly installed dongle manager.

4: Start the software and choose between using your dongle or using software activation.

I recommend staying with the dongle for now. If you choose software activation, your dongle will be deactivated.

If you then want to go back to an earlier version of Avid, you won’t be able to without contacting Avid support and getting a special file to reactivate your dongle.

Better to stay with the dongle for now.

The next version (4) will eliminate the dongle option for good.

Terence Curren
http://www.alphadogs.tv
http://www.digitalservicestation.com
Burbank,Ca

[Torv Carlsen]

Hi Terrence. Long time, no talk!

Well, it’s too late for the dongle advice. I’m now dongle free, so c’est la vie!

But I do have another question regarding the new version’s support of the PMW-EX1 SxS card format. I’ve scoured the Avid web site, but I’ll be damned if I can find anything that explains how to import footage from an SxS card, other than the tried and true method of using Sony’s Clip Browser software.

I have found mention of AMA, but no where is there an explanation of how to use this to import the footage from an SxS card. By any chance do you either know how to do this, or do you know the Avid link that hopefully gives a logical and concise explanation (Mac related of course!).

Thanks.
Torv

[Terence Curren]

[Torv Carlsen] “I have found mention of AMA, but no where is there an explanation of how to use this to import the footage from an SxS card.”

Easy as can be. You mount your drive with P2 or EX media, then in Avid just select mount AMA drive under the File menu. Point your way to the drive and it will ask you if you want to open all clips in one bin or multiple bins. After you select that, it will open bins with all of your clips in them. You can play them, edit with them, transcode them, etc.

It’s that easy.

Terence Curren
http://www.alphadogs.tv
http://www.digitalservicestation.com
Burbank,Ca

[Torv Carlsen]

Thanks for the quick reply, Terrence. I followed your instructions exactly and yes, the footage appears in a bin and you can edit with it. But the footage in that bin is not on one of the computer’s hard drives. How does AMA move the footage off the SXS card and onto the hard drive?

[Terence Curren]

If you want it on your drives, just consolidate the clips over.

Terence Curren
http://www.alphadogs.tv
http://www.digitalservicestation.com
Burbank,Ca