[Bob Cole]

That sounds fantastic, and I’m embarrassed because I did read your prior post (even replied to you) and didn’t remember it when I should have, recently. Oh well.

Did this material have a name? Or, is the fabric store part of a national chain? You said in your prior post that it’s in the section with shower curtain material, car headliner and upholstery fabric, but it sounds quite special.

EDIT — I looked back at the whole thread and found the answer: Hancock Fabrics # 1172766.

Thanks!

Bob

[Bob Cole]

The T Stop on some zoom lenses gets larger (i.e. the lens transmits less light) as you zoom in. Always a good idea, if you plan to shoot “wide open,” and to zoom in during a shot or an interview session, to make sure you set the lens to the “T” stop of its maximum telephoto setting.

[Bob Cole]

True about more than one location. But if you have enough lead time to use FedEx Ground, and you’re just going to one place, it is not expensive, and it’s more reliable.

As for the airline rules on size, it’s a tough call. Other people may want to share their experiences on this issue. Has anyone ever had a case rejected, or had to pay extra, because it exceeded the size dimensions? I haven’t… yet.

About the weight restrictions: I went from Pelicans to Lightware cases largely because the Pelicans weigh so much all by themselves. But I also heard recently that “media people” can exceed the weight rules without paying a penalty. Anybody know about that?

[Bob Cole]

A perennial problem. Some of my tactics:

1. Ship ahead by FedEx.
2. Call your airline. Some make exceptions for media folks and others. After all, skis are longer than 62″.
3. Look into Lightware’s cases. Very lightweight, strong enough.
4. Ship ahead by FedEx.

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

[Craig Seeman] “Free version of Episode Expression does WMV.
Paid version adds H.264 .mp4 (plus lots of other features).”

Does the paid version do any “better” encoding to WMV?

I already have Adobe Flash on a Mac for my h.264.

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

[David Chai] “even the free version…”

Would you recommend the paid version, and if so, for what special purposes?

[Bob Cole]

(Apology Section) A few weeks ago I found an old thread about this issue. For whatever reason, I can’t locate it today when I need it. (/Apology Section)

In the prior thread, someone advocated using vertical blurring on the HD; someone else advised using BitVice, and (if I recall correctly) intimated that BitVice automatically did a lot of tricks which helped HD look better on an SD DVD. (btw – now BitVice includes Video Purifier – is that even helpful with HD orginals?)

My new HD camera is producing great images, and I would love to learn the state of the art in bringing as much of that quality to SD DVD’s as possible. I’m willing to experiment, but I’d appreciate some pointers to start with. I’m using both 1080i60 and 1080p30, depending on the type of project. (I know about exporting to SD before using Compressor, but if I recall the prior thread, there were other techniques as well.)

Thanks!

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

[Craig Seeman] “Progressive means better keys if you’re shooting in a 4:2:0”

Thanks for that advice. Very timely. I’m totally amazed by the chroma-keying that I can do now with the EX1R, 1080p30. Practically effortless, and I’ll be willing to use chroma-keys a lot more as a result.

[Bob Cole]

I’m sorry to see the Flip go. It is a brilliantly-designed tool. I used a Flip last January to get a difficult angle for a nationally broadcast video, intercut with a Sony HD palmcorder, a GoPro, and XDCAM. The Flip’s angle was one of the best (and most-used), simply because it could fit in the most interesting place, and you don’t notice inferior video quality when the content is great.

On the other hand… using a Flip to replace a traditional video camera for a sit-down interview, when the viewer has lots of time to absorb every detail, seems silly. To people like us anyway.

otoh #2: I’ve noticed a disturbing trend, even in videos addressed to “people like us,” e.g. the endless NAB clips produced by various ezines, toward really crappy video quality. If we accept it, why shouldn’t our clients?

[Bob Cole]

This is a great question. I Googled to try to find a good answer and came up empty. Has anyone had better luck answering this question?

A modest suggestion for the incredible brainiacs who run the Creative Cow: if an online service for registering serial numbers does not yet exist, why not create one? I’m sure there would be lots of problems (e.g. someone forgetting to un-register an item when he sells it), but this is definitely a “central location” for video professionals.

Bob C