[Chuck Reti]

From Mac Help (Finder>Menu>Help>MacHelp?, enter Zoom in search field):

To turn on zoom and set zoom options:
Choose Apple menu > System Preferences and click Universal Access. Then click Seeing.
Select the On button under Zoom.

When zoom is turned on, you use keyboard shortcuts to enlarge and reduce the screen image.

Command-Option-equal (=) makes the screen image appear larger (zooms in).

Command-Option-hyphen (-) makes the screen image appear smaller (zooms out).
You can change these shortcut keys in the Keyboard Shortcuts pane of Keyboard & Mouse preferences.

[Chuck Reti]

“FCP Rescue”

[Chuck Reti]

A DIGITAL8 camcorder will play Hi8 tapes and output their content as a DV stream via Firewire.
Borrow, or find a used one, like Sony DCR-TRV320, 350, etc. The U.S. versions of these camcorders can also be used in pass-through mode for low-end analog to DV conversion, using analog composite or S-Video and audio inputs and outputting DV on the Firewire cable.

[Chuck Reti]

Thanks for the heads up on the bad llnk. All fixed, though the site’s not all that great. At least I’m not doing a blog 🙂

You will probably fnd more useful info on the .mac page, checking the FAQ and tutorials, and the user forums there.

The dot mac pref pane mentioned in my earlier reply is only on 10.3.x and up, so for 10.2, dot mac prefs are in System Preferences>click Internet>click iDisk. If you want to try using the iDisk utility app, it’s available on the apple site, downloads area.

[Chuck Reti]

yoiur iDisk will be named the same as your .mac user name. You should not be able to rename the remote iDisk. Anything you set in the old iTools should not be applicable to your dot mac account.
Use the “.mac” pane in System Preferences and/or the iDisk Utility app in Applications>Utilities to verify the iDisk name and set/manage available iDisk space. In Tiger you can also set up an iDisk image on your desktop which you can set to stay synced to the remote iDisk.
To manage how much of your iDisk space is allocated to email and to files, login to your account at http://www.apple.com/dotmac, click the “Account” button, and then “Storage Settings.” where you can set ratio of mail to files storage.
I’ve found that doing a “save as” from any app to iDisk has been unreliable. i always save to local directory then drag/copy to an iDisk folder.

[Chuck Reti]

[tony salgado] “it is head switching which you are seeing.

3/4″ and VHS all had head switching which would have showed up in any dubs.”

Doesn’t head switching usually occur near the bottom of the frame, a few lines before V blanking interval?. Flagging or skew at the top is usually the result of tension error or transport problems due to misadjusted or out-of-alignment guides or other mechanical issues. Since the flagging or head switch artifacts are dubbed into the Betas then masking it off may be the best and only workaround. Since there was no TBC or proc on the Beta output, it’s also possible that sync/blanking out of the Beta is distorted/jittery and maybe just stable enough for a monitor to lock onto but not other video devices that require tighter sync.

[Chuck Reti]

Some Yahoo services are problematic with Mac OS. Web-based Yahoo Chat (not the same as Yahoo Messenger IM client) is Java-based, and the few times I’ve tried it it didn’t do much for me either. Yahoo’s music and video always tells me I need to be using an old version of Netscape to view or listen to content, so I don’t bother with Yahoo.
Apple did recently update the Java client, but I haven’t tested it on Yahoo chat.

[Chuck Reti]

OS X can read but not write to an NTFS volume. Well documented and often asked.
Have you considered formatting the drive Mac OS Extended (HFS+) and using MacDrive on the PC?

[Chuck Reti]

[Kevin Monahan] “I’ve never used a CG except for linear editing back in the day. I am not sure how you can put this in the workflow for a software based NLE. Sorry to not be as helpful, but a CG would be more useful in a live situation.”

The corporate facility I’ve worked at has used a CG in its NLE workflow for many years. While the editor (me) is editing (Avid Symph in that shop), the graphic artist(s) prebuild the show’s graphics (Inscriber VMP). Upon approval by producer/client, CG files are exported as TIFF or PICTs to a designated directory on the TranSoft, and simply imported and keyed in the Avid. We also on occasion use Inscriber’s TitleMotion plugin for last minute tweaks, but have found the above system to be much more efficient and effective. It also allows for a uniform design and look across or within projects when worked on by different editors or artists. We’ve made sure the same fonts are installed on all editing and graphics workstations, and a common storage area for logos and backgrounds. This practice of course does preclude use of onboard GG effects that rely on the unit’s output video card or keyer, but that’s rarely been a problem. Same CG of course used for live studio production for sat network. I’ve worked at other facilities that use much the same procedure. The graphics folk use a graphics box to do the graphics, I use the Avid or FCP box to do the edit. Right tool for right job. Has worked well for me, at least.
—
Chuck Reti
Video Editor
Detroit MI

[Chuck Reti]

[Shane Ross] “YOu don’t want HFS+. Not if you intend to use it as a Media Drive. You need Mac OS Extended.”

“Mac OS Extended” is just the “long” name for HFS+, so yes, you do want HFS+. I’m sure what was meant is to not select
“Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” for a media drive. However, journaling can be turned off easily. Disk Utility, select volume, hold OPTION key while selecting “File” Menu, select “Disable Journaling.”

—
Chuck Reti
Detroit MI