Mitch Ives
Forum Replies Created
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[JeremyG] “If you learn anything, can you try and remember to post back here? I am curious about the H.264 based codec and what it means for quality and editing, or if that’s just vaporware.”
Isn’t that the first of the AVH264 cameras… using the H.264 codec to compress it down and record on a disc?
Mitch Ives
Insight Productions Corp.
mitch@insightproductions.comApple Certified Trainer: Final Cut Pro 5
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[walter biscardi] “But the ATI card is a solid performer on our end. We were running ATI x800XT in our Dual 2.0 where it was a solid performer there too so we stayed with that company.”
I agree with Walter… we have the same card and it performs perfectly… drives the 30″ very nicely. I intend to do as Walter suggests and stick with ATI in our next machine…
Mitch Ives
Insight Productions Corp.
mitch@insightproductions.comApple Certified Trainer: Final Cut Pro 5
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[Tom Wolsky] “Curious why you decided on the glossy version. Could you say why you pick that?”
Tom, I too ordered the glossy screen. I did the necessary research, actually worked with machines that have the glossy screen and came to the conclusion that it isn’t the problem everyone seems to think it is, and that in IMO (and others) video looks better on the glossy than on the matte. I live in Arizona… if the glare isn’t a problem here, it isn’t a problem anywhere.
As for the comments about the color being better on the matte, I find that comment humorous. I find the blacks much better on the glossy screen. FWIW, IMO all laptops are monitor challenged. Given that we use them for graphics, web, video and have to match output to PC stuff as well, we figured out that all Mac laptops need some serious adjustments to be accurate:
First, turn off the setting that adjusts brightness based on the room light levels. Having that on is like trying to take a survey without a brass pin, since everything is perpetually changing.
Second, all our machines have the monitors at 2.2 Gamma. Why… because it’s what video uses (and coincidentally PC’s too).
Third, calibrate the brightness, using color bars and an NTSC monitor. If you can’t get it there, then use third party monitor calibration solutions.
Doing this, we’ve had no trouble using laptops to work with video, and the glossy screen is no exception.
Mitch Ives
Insight Productions Corp.
mitch@insightproductions.comApple Certified Trainer: Final Cut Pro 5
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[gary adcock] “your blaming the Kona for FCP issues, trust your hardware, FCP’s metering and scopes are totally screwed up in 7.1.3”
What are you seeing with QT 7.1.3?
Mitch Ives
Insight Productions Corp.
mitch@insightproductions.comApple Certified Trainer: Final Cut Pro 5
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[Christopher Wright] “Now we are just waiting on 720PN support! It is definitely coming!”
Where is that in writing?
Mitch Ives
Insight Productions Corp.
mitch@insightproductions.comApple Certified Trainer: Final Cut Pro 5
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[Pipito] “Still i am noticing stroby kind of movement in the picture while slowly zooming in or out.”
1) Is this on the LCD when shooting or on an HD monitor?
2) Is it in the video when you play it back in your NLE with an HD monitor?One of the things I had to adjust to was seeing this phenomenon when shooting, only to discover it’s not in the video when we’re editing it. I’m guessing that the display circuitry is subordinate to the recording circuits (as it should be) so occassionally the display output will show some strobing that isn’t really there…
Mitch Ives
Insight Productions Corp.
mitch@insightproductions.comApple Certified Trainer: Final Cut Pro 5
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As it’s been explained to me, the camera does it’s sampling in 1080p60 at 14 bit, regardless of the mode you’ve chosen. In addition, internal processing is done at 19 bit. This would certainly explain why the 720 and 480 formats look so good. The 200 does better DV than our full sized DVCAMs.
If it’s all sampled at 1080p60, then I’d have to say that yes it’s 1080p native. Someone else explained how you achieve interlaced formats. Does FCP 5.1.2 now support 720 p50/25? I haven’t had time to check.
FWIW, we use 720pN almost exclusively. We like the simplicity of only recording the actual frames, since it saves media space and eliminates the whole “pulldown” process. Basically it’s a no-brainer bringing the footage in. We also use over-crank quite often, so 720p24N is our preferred choice.
Mitch Ives
Insight Productions Corp.
mitch@insightproductions.comApple Certified Trainer: Final Cut Pro 5
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[Markford Astina] “Seems like for people who mainly deal with P2, that it’s better to hang on to their Powerbooks with the PCMCIA/Card Bus Slots until all these ‘coming out soon’ hardware have been released (tested, bug free and with a proven track record)”
Absolutely
[Markford Astina] “I wouldn’t think there would be such a great advantage to switch to the new Macbook Pro unles you really need windows. Isn’t this right? Or are there essential things in the Macbook Pros that you can’t do on the Powerbooks?”
Speed… like in almost as fast as a G5 tower. Screen quality, glossy option as well, 2GB ram, which helps FCP greatly, etc.
[Markford Astina] “This leads me to another question – doesn’t this apply to the PowerMac Intel G5s & the Mac Pros? Been hearing a lot of discrepancies with the Mac Pros when it comes to compatibility issues. Seems like it would be wiser to hang on to your current PowerMac Intel G5’s as well, until all these bugs have been fixed.
Hmmmm…… ….looks like apple slipped a little bit with their new hardware.”
The firmware fix took care of the only problem I was aware of… along with the drivers from AJA. I wouldn’t say Apple slipped… given the magnitude of what they changed, it seems quite stable. The PC mags are rating them faster and cheaper than the Dell/Gateway option… and that’s running Windows!
Mitch Ives
Insight Productions Corp.
mitch@insightproductions.comApple Certified Trainer: Final Cut Pro 5
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Chris,
That was a well crafted response with great detail and quite possibly the most objective thing I’ve read from someone with so much money invested in something. Everyone owes you thanks for being so honest…
FWIW, we’re all P2 here and quite happy. Started with the laptop approach and have since gotten a P2 store, since it can function unattended.
When an HD recorder connects to the P2 slot, is completely transparent and acts like a giant P2 card, with no restrictions, then we’ll buy. Everyone knows the 4-pin firewire port is a part time connector. Thank Sony for that one… the 6-pin Apple developed when they invented firewire is a proper connector. The problem with the Firestore is that is one giant workaround. Read everyone’s posts… they’re contorting everything around the Firestore. IMO, the camera is the big dog and the HD recorder needs to accomodate itself to the cameras way of functioning…
Mitch Ives
Insight Productions Corp.
mitch@insightproductions.comApple Certified Trainer: Final Cut Pro 5
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[Shane Ross] “Pilot error eh? Since this issue is one that is known at three post houses that use FCP (one that is designed around FCP from the ground up) I don’t believe this is pilot error. You might be an anomoly, which isn’t surprising. There are things that I can do that 80% of FCP users cannot do. The fact that you get 100% accurate insert edits is great. Just know that it isn’t the norm. It is an issue that every facility that uses FCP knows about.”
Well, I suppose if they calibrated their decks and made the adjustments in FCP that I do that they would all be able to do it. Nothing supernatural about what I’m doing…
Mitch Ives
Insight Productions Corp.
mitch@insightproductions.comApple Certified Trainer: Final Cut Pro 5