[Martin Curtis]

I like my Sony lavalier mic system.
https://www.videopro.com.au/p-7303-sony-uwpd11-ce42-wireless-lapel-mic-kit.aspx

Here’s a report on it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g9ueZVYazQ

I’ve only ever used Sony wireless mics, so I can’t compare them to others, but they all been rock solid.

Some contents or functionalities here are not available due to your cookie preferences!

This happens because the functionality/content marked as “Google Youtube” uses cookies that you choosed to keep disabled. In order to view this content or use this functionality, please enable cookies: click here to open your cookie preferences.

[Martin Curtis]

Last year I captured an event’s presentations using a scan converter and a DVD recorder. Since they were playing back ultrasounds, the quality wasn’t that great. This year I think I have convinced them to pay for the rental of a MediaSite box from Sonic Foundry for the weekend. It will take a VGA input and a camera input and create two streams plus the HTML to just drop it straight onto a web server. For a small cost, the rental company will handle that part of it as well.

It currently only captures the VGA as stills (it detects changes to the video stream) but the vendor assures me that a software update (currently in beta testing) will enable full motion video capture on both ports.

[Martin Curtis]

Wow. Amazing. Did you see the pants Julie was wearing?

[Martin Curtis]

[Craig Seeman] “Which is why they’re not posting availability on 8 and 12 cores IMHO. No promise on those because they’re not ready. “
It’s going to be the G4 Yikes! controversy all over again…

[Martin Curtis]

4K is a term used to describe displays with resolutions that are essentially four times that of a 1080p device – or roughly 4,000 lines wide by 2,000 lines high. The HDMI 1.4 specification supports multiple 4K formats:

3840 pixels wide by 2160 pixels high @ 24Hz | 25Hz | 30Hz
4096 pixels wide by 2160 pixels high @ 24Hz

https://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_1_4/hdmi_1_4_faq.aspx#21

[Martin Curtis]

[Todd Terry] “Thanks… as I said though I don’t need to buy one or even any parts to build my new one, got all that.”
My mistake. I read your post, then everyone else was talking about rods and plates and hardware…

[Martin Curtis]

There’s this:
https://www.prompt-it.com.au/en/10-prompt-it-maxi-teleprompter

and you can buy this:
https://www.prompt-it.com.au/en/rigging/18-full-rig-kit.html

They recommend this software:
https://www.bombingbrain.com/

Disclaimer: never used it. I made my own teleprompter from chipboard and perspex using instructions from teh interweb. It weighs a ton and looks horrible and wouldn’t mount a tripod even with viagra to help, but I still love it. So do the people who use it.

[Martin Curtis]

[Andy Branner] “That of course not being specifically indicative of the Magic Mouse but rather ANY mouse with a scroll-wheel.”
Absolutely true. In my case, however, the Magic Mouse feels heaps easier to use – much smoother. Too much mouse wheel usage gives me hand cramps whereas the Magic Mouse is … magic. I love that little guy.

[Andy Branner] And holding the shift key in TENS. As I alluded to, yes.
Learn something new every day.

[Martin Curtis]

Not as convenient maybe as keyboard shortcuts, but I find the Apple Magic Mouse to be a brilliant little device*. For kerning, I can slip the cursor between 2 letters, click on the kerning number to the right of the slider, and then use the mouse to slide up and down kerning values while watching the screen that the text is on, until it is “just right”. Kerning values move in whole numbers, while holding down the option key moves the values in tenths.

(* First Apple mouse I have like since Apple’s ADB Mouse 2)

[Martin Curtis]

I have just bought a Canon XA20 (for home) and think it’s the duck’s nuts. I also have an HFS10 (home), as well as a Sony VR1P (HDV) and a PD150 (both for work).

The XA20 records AVCHD (28 Mbps max) or MP4 (35Mbps) files to SD card and can relay record for long events. It has two XLR inputs and it’s handle allows it to be used nicely hand held. There’s start/stop controls, and a zoom rocker (single speed, able to be set in preferences)

In the shop, I compared it to the Panasonic AG-AC90 (summary: poor low light images) and the Sony NX30 (summary: nice but really really small and that makes it hard to use its features once your going, and awkward hand-held). (spent about 2 hours testing)

Canon XA20 Pros: great images, flip-out screen is great, touchscreen focussing is awesome, viewfinder is brilliant, progressive rocker zoom, controls on top handle, good audio, great zoom and excellent wide angle ranges, good low light video, full sized cold shoe, 35 Mbps MP4.

Cons: purple fringing under some circumstances (backlit scene with people in white), the single focus or zoom ring (selectable) is awkward to use compared to, say, a mid-sized camera (like Sony NX5 or HVR-V1P). The LCD screen gets in its way and it’s a little stiff.

Quick YT clip.

The Canon XF100 looks like a great camera and is well regarded and I could probably use the zoom ring properly, but what put me off it was the high bitrate video (crazy, huh…) and the CF cards. SD cards are around $1/GB… Also, it cost just a bit more than The Boss would spend.