Ben Holmes
Forum Replies Created
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In order to install XP you need a FULL version of XP home or Pro INCLUDING service pack 2 (SP2), so not even a full older version (SP2 is around a year old or a bit longer) will install. You also need to perform the brief and simple firmware update now available for your intel Mac.
The Avid question is an interesting one. I suspect they are not the only developers ‘considering their options’ at the moment. What about Autodesk for example? With talk that OSX 10.5 may include proper virtualisation (ie. no reboot required to run windows apps), and with low cost virtual solutions like Paralells around, we may see the day that Apple are the only pro app developers left on OS X.
Ben
Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd
EVS and FCP specialists
Current Mac systems All Dual 2.7Ghz with Kona 2 and Digital Voodoo cards, 6Gb Ram, Sapphire, SCSI320 Medea and Huge Arrays.FCP projects include Sky TV coverage of the Ryder Cup and US Open Golf – Live OB specialists. Edit/slomo vehicle.
http://www.editec.co.uk -
Wacky. Must have been a heavy night in the product naming department. What’s wrong with calling it the X1600 or Geforce 5600XT?
Can’t wait for the Cornetto.
Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd
EVS and FCP specialists
Current Mac systems All Dual 2.7Ghz with Kona 2 and Digital Voodoo cards, 6Gb Ram, Sapphire, SCSI320 Medea and Huge Arrays.FCP projects include Sky TV coverage of the Ryder Cup and US Open Golf – Live OB specialists. Edit/slomo vehicle.
http://www.editec.co.uk -
Apple have replied – on the Easter holiday in the UK, which has restored my faith (well, it is Easter) a little.
Apple Regent Street:
Dear Ben,
Thank you for your enquiry. To clarify currently the various pro software is available in Universal form to support Intel based machines. Apples system requirements state the system requirements for the complete Studio suite. As Motion is part of this and has specific graphics card requirements the Mac Mini is unsupported. This has always been the case with all Mac mini models. Admittedly it is not clear as it could be on the website, but the other elements will install and run on the current Mac Mini including Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro which you require. Please refer to the following tech document:
https://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303470
This document is not the same one I have seen links to previously, which was obviously considered vague or misleading by many.
Hope this clears things up – I have no interest in running Motion on my system so I’m a happy Easter bunny.
BTW Pete – what’s Gelato? Wow – must spend MORE time on the web instead of working…..
Ben
Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd
EVS and FCP specialists
Current Mac systems All Dual 2.7Ghz with Kona 2 and Digital Voodoo cards, 6Gb Ram, Sapphire, SCSI320 Medea and Huge Arrays.FCP projects include Sky TV coverage of the Ryder Cup and US Open Golf – Live OB specialists. Edit/slomo vehicle.
http://www.editec.co.uk -
Hi Dan
If you’ve already upgraded to FCP from express, the M9922B/A part number looks correct – although as per Walter’s advice, I DON’T WORK FOR APPLE (disclaimer…). I would also suggest you call them and get a full record of that call. Good luck with Apple Europe’s customer support phone system.
The deal you are getting is excellent – and it’s because Apple is ditching selling these apps seperately, so they have to give you a good deal so you have an upgrade route. We own FCS already, and still have to pay half that amount just to have the discs changed – so you definitely get the better deal. DVD Studio pro is an excellent product, Sountrack pro is also useful and Motion…. well Motion’s fun.
However – PLEASE ensure you keep all your serial numbers handy for every original bit of software you have. In all probability, to install the upgrade you will have to enter your FCP upgrade serial number and THEN your FCE serial. Not a hassle as long as you have everything still to hand. If you’re in any doubt about this, don’t send in your discs.
Enjoy.
Ben
Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd
EVS and FCP specialists
Current Mac systems All Dual 2.7Ghz with Kona 2 and Digital Voodoo cards, 6Gb Ram, Sapphire, SCSI320 Medea and Huge Arrays.FCP projects include Sky TV coverage of the Ryder Cup and US Open Golf – Live OB specialists. Edit/slomo vehicle.
http://www.editec.co.uk -
Are you saying that you are editing the two performances together to give you better coverage? So you end up with a single ‘multi-camera’ edit?
Surely you can use sections from the B performance that fit well enough for lipsync, so it doesn’t need to be continuous – in other words you will cut back to the other one at some point. In this case, don’t use speed changes, which at those percentages will ALWAYS cause judder or blur. Instead, use frame cutting to get the sync back, even if it means leaving gaps in the edited performance – so you add or remove frames from the B timeline to re-establish sync. Use as much of the B as you can before cutting back to the A coverage.
Maybe I have misunderstood your requirements here – If you are trying to match audio A with performance B throughout, you’ll never achieve a satisfactory solution. It’s an edit fix, isn’t it?
Ben
Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd
EVS and FCP specialists
Current Mac systems All Dual 2.7Ghz with Kona 2 and Digital Voodoo cards, 6Gb Ram, Sapphire, SCSI320 Medea and Huge Arrays.FCP projects include Sky TV coverage of the Ryder Cup and US Open Golf – Live OB specialists. Edit/slomo vehicle.
http://www.editec.co.uk -
Has anyone actually installed and run FCP 5.1 on a mini? Can’t get our own copy until our disks return from abroad to be sent back to Apple. I thought this was a done deal – It seems I have some hope. Not interested in running Motion anyway….
Thanks anyway. let you know when I know, will investigate more.
Ben
Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd
EVS and FCP specialists
Current Mac systems All Dual 2.7Ghz with Kona 2 and Digital Voodoo cards, 6Gb Ram, Sapphire, SCSI320 Medea and Huge Arrays.FCP projects include Sky TV coverage of the Ryder Cup and US Open Golf – Live OB specialists. Edit/slomo vehicle.
http://www.editec.co.uk -
Can’t access it Tom – I’m not registered with LAFCPUG and they don’t seem to be in a hurry to send me a password. I assume it’s something else I should have read before I bought “the little box that won’t?”
BTW – Bought my Mac Mini on the 12th March. Apple posted a kb article on the 14th of March stating that Mac Minis do not meet the required specs. Think this might qualify me for a refund?
Ben
Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd
EVS and FCP specialists
Current Mac systems All Dual 2.7Ghz with Kona 2 and Digital Voodoo cards, 6Gb Ram, Sapphire, SCSI320 Medea and Huge Arrays.FCP projects include Sky TV coverage of the Ryder Cup and US Open Golf – Live OB specialists. Edit/slomo vehicle.
http://www.editec.co.uk -
I fear this is merely the shape of things to come. Now you can purchase a low end system easily powerful enough to run Pro Apps, Apple need to find another reason to make you spend $2000.
Now I’ve gotten all cynical. British habit. Although I expect the new iBook (MacBook) won’t run it either. Oops.
Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd
EVS and FCP specialists
Current Mac systems All Dual 2.7Ghz with Kona 2 and Digital Voodoo cards, 6Gb Ram, Sapphire, SCSI320 Medea and Huge Arrays.FCP projects include Sky TV coverage of the Ryder Cup and US Open Golf – Live OB specialists. Edit/slomo vehicle.
http://www.editec.co.uk -
Interesting and informative as ever – and the first time I’ve seen anyone compare systems in the real world like this.
I was put off buying a quad for our company, purely because the only vaguely relevent benchmarks I could find suggested that the quad was SLOWER than our dual 2.7mhzs at Imovie renders. We recently purchased a reconditioned 2.7 from Apple because I didn’t think it was worth the extra cost for a quad, and I’d better wait for the Mac Pro (yuck) systems in August. Unfortunately, when the system came, it was dead (power supply dead, fan in backwards, CPU had dropped off. Thanks Apple), so I still need another system.
Why have Apple not been shouting these Quad figures from the rooftop – as well as the 5.1 speed boosts?
Walter – Can you post a comparison for FCP renders between your systems? Love to know if FCP harnesses the quad power…
Ben
Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd
EVS and FCP specialists
Current Mac systems All Dual 2.7Ghz with Kona 2 and Digital Voodoo cards, 6Gb Ram, Sapphire, SCSI320 Medea and Huge Arrays.FCP projects include Sky TV coverage of the Ryder Cup and US Open Golf – Live OB specialists. Edit/slomo vehicle.
http://www.editec.co.uk -
That’s interesting about AIM and iChat. Must try that. The other option is to set up an ftp site and host your own video for download, or mirror it from a webpage.
H264 Mpeg4 is the best format you can use for your requirements, at present. A Five minute video will still yield a pretty big file size, however, at decent quality. Best advice I can give is to reduce the frame size first – 320×240 is the absolute maximum. Keep the audio bitrate low – it does help.
However – a five minute video into corporate email don’t go, unless you crush it beyond recognition. Look for an alternative method of filesharing, not more compression. One think you might try is a website called http://www.youtube.com. It allows you to post a video free, and some of them are fairly long. I’ve only used it for personal use, but I guess it could be used for client viewing, maybe…
Ben
Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd
EVS and FCP specialists
Current Mac systems All Dual 2.7Ghz with Kona 2 and Digital Voodoo cards, 6Gb Ram, Sapphire, SCSI320 Medea and Huge Arrays.FCP projects include Sky TV coverage of the Ryder Cup and US Open Golf – Live OB specialists. Edit/slomo vehicle.
http://www.editec.co.uk