[Todd Roush]

You may discover as I did that DV cameras VASTLY outperform most HDV camcorders which I think the unit you are mentioning is.

Not sure what you can get for a cam like that anymore but we do have to do forward.

Funny, the audio quality of our music is getting worse and worse…video is worse than film…..but it’s new and easy so we go with it.

Funny world in that regard but people are more into fast than good generally and there are logical reasons for that.

Tough decision but you can always buy another one if you miss it too much.

Best,

Todd

Todd Roush
Dreamscape Digital Media
Canon XH-A1’s – Dell Studio XPS i7, 920, 2.66 gig,6 gigs RAM (soon to be 12) 650 gig SATA, 1TB eSATA external, 3TB USB(storage). 512gig ATI video card, 28″ HannsG Monitor, 24″ Dell Monitor.

[Todd Roush]

I had an odd issue with a setting in the audio section of the camera using a Sennheiser wireless. Threw a low pass filter on it to remove some of the sizzle but lost some crispness.

Unless its for TV or something REALLY important I don’t even bother taking lines anymore….especially from DJs as they are usually totally useless. Most of the people I know bring an SM58 mic, a boom stand and a Sennheiser XLR transmitter and mic the speaker instead. You can hardly hear the quality difference from a line if done well, it has more life and it’s never distorted if you do it right.

Remember to switch XLRs to line setting. Remember to switch them back when you go back to your Lav mic or shotgun.

Best,

Todd

Todd Roush
Dreamscape Digital Media
Canon XH-A1’s – Dell Studio XPS i7, 920, 2.66 gig,6 gigs RAM (soon to be 12) 650 gig SATA, 1TB eSATA external, 3TB USB(storage). 512gig ATI video card, 28″ HannsG Monitor, 24″ Dell Monitor.

[Todd Roush]

Interesting list of cameras. Curious about the SLR stuff….I’ve seen AMAZING low light results from the new Canon SLR.

AFTER ALL THE CRAP I’VE BEEN THROUGH WITH PC’S I WOULD LOVE TO SWITCH TO APPLE (like my Iphone)…..BUT…. See the computer spec’s below? I bought that for $999 and as far as I can see I’d have to pay 4-6x that for a comparable Apple.

I’d love to have one but I think I’d rather buy 3 more 8 core i7 PC’s and give em’ away when they have serious problems.

Some day. Plus, Vista 64 has been really damn good so far (knock on wood).

Best,

Todd

Todd Roush
Dreamscape Digital Media
Canon XH-A1’s – Dell Studio XPS i7, 920, 2.66 gig,6 gigs RAM (soon to be 12) 650 gig SATA, 1TB eSATA external, 3TB USB(storage). 512gig ATI video card, 28″ HannsG Monitor, 24″ Dell Monitor.

[Todd Roush]

Nice explanation Rob.

The problem is that my pay-per-video performing arts and dance business has moms buying one disk and copying them thinking they’re very clever. What they don’t realize is that they are losing their videographers because a once good business is now no longer financially viable.

There are 2 other methods that I use but I would love a software version.

1. “Disk contains special write protection that will damage the burning device.”
2. Leave a lot of black space at the end of the disk and slice the last few tracks with a jewelers knife. Have to be really motivated to do this.

Im not looking for foolproof, just a minor deterrent. $35 a disk worth.

Cheers,

Todd

Todd Roush
Dreamscape Digital Media
Canon XH-A1’s – Dell Studio XPS i7, 920, 2.66 gig,6 gigs RAM (soon to be 12) 650 gig SATA, 1TB eSATA external, 3TB USB(storage). 512gig ATI video card, 28″ HannsG Monitor, 24″ Dell Monitor.

[Todd Roush]

Hi Vince,

The last 4:3 project I did I letter boxed because the customer expected ‘modern widescreen’ and I was still shooting with my DVX, but that’s a different subject.

Maybe you can help me out with this because there are so many ways to do this now. I think that no matter how you slice it your are getting bars on top if you are doing widescreen. Is this not correct? In the following example I use AVIs instead of .mpg.

For instance:
1. If I export “widescreen AVI” from CS4 to DVD Architect, DVD architect reads that the content is 16:9 and essentially inserts it’s own bars.
2. If I export widescreen as a 4:3 AVI to DVD Architect with visible black bars as part of the actual source output, then CS4 is adding the bars.
***I have tried both of these methods and the net affect is exactly the same; a small image on a flat panel with large black bars on the sides and small black bars on top. If we used all the resolution of the DVD we would have a full square in the middle of the TV screen with no bars top or bottom but black bars on either side.

Either way I am guessing our effective widescreen resolution is something like 380×720? But, by doing this it allows the user of a flat panel (at least mine) to zoom in to eliminate both the bars on the side AND on the top so the image is not stretched making everybody look short and wide. I went down to check my Apocalypse Now Redux widescreen and it’s exactly the same way as I do it.

I hope I’m making sense. There are 3 wide/zoom choices on my Bravia.

1. Watch Square.
2. Stretch 4:3 to widescreen and make everybody short and fat.
3. Crop the sides AND the top allowing full screen 16:9 viewing of widescreen DVDs.

This is why I don’t do 4:3 anymore, because if you deliver 4:3 the user is stuck with either the full 4:3 square or the stretch. They could crop the top but might not be inclined to because there may be important content in the top and bottom.

Sorry to be so wordy but without pictures it’s interesting to explain.

I would love your thoughts.

Best,

Todd

Todd Roush
Dreamscape Digital Media
Canon XH-A1’s – Dell Studio XPS i7, 920, 2.66 gig,6 gigs RAM (soon to be 12) 650 gig SATA, 1TB eSATA external, 3TB USB(storage). 512gig ATI video card, 28″ HannsG Monitor, 24″ Dell Monitor.

[Todd Roush]

PS, sorry for the double post.

If you’re ACTUALLY working for local TV, you are probably very poor but doing exciting work. You are also most likely using VERY high quality but old equipment.

I ran into a local FOX news team covering a concert that my band played at, they were using my OLD camera, the Panasonic AG-DVX100.

Cost effective and why change the gear until their market actually changes?

Best,

Todd

Todd Roush
Dreamscape Digital Media
Canon XH-A1’s – Dell Studio XPS i7, 920, 2.66 gig,6 gigs RAM (soon to be 12) 650 gig SATA, 1TB eSATA external, 3TB USB(storage). 512gig ATI video card, 28″ HannsG Monitor, 24″ Dell Monitor.

[Todd Roush]

Hi Lillian,

It is really a matter of taste and market but I actually disagree with the previous post although it depends on your initial aspect ratio.

ALL of the DVDs I now product are letterboxed. The reason I do this is because it offers the best of both worlds to my clients.

1. They can watch in widescreen on their 4:3 TVs.
2. When they upgrade to 16:9 TVs they can use the Zoom or “Wide” function to zoom the picture to fill their entire screen rather than looking at a square in the middle of it.

The best option for resolution is to stick hard and fast to 4:3 but I have not produced a 4:3 product in over a year. 4:3 is old school but for some reason the Wedding market that is 40% of my business is driving HD…even more than TV networks oddly.

Since I edit exclusively in HDV currently I always product both a Blue Ray disk and a DVD since I will almost certainly be able to sell the upgrade to Blue Ray once the customer sees it down the line.

Nobody wants to view an image with everybody having that stretched “fat” look on a flat panel, PARTICULARLY a bride.

That said, you get more res with 4:3 on a DVD. A closeup on a subject is about 1/2 the size in 16/9 letterbox which hurts.

4:3 is a dead medium except for the ancient local TV channels who are too cheap to upgrade. Frankly, for intimate close ups I will miss “aspects” (get it) of 4:3. It’s not always best to have to fill a speech in with a shot of a tree.

I hope this helps.

Best,

Todd

Todd Roush
Dreamscape Digital Media
Canon XH-A1’s – Dell Studio XPS i7, 920, 2.66 gig,6 gigs RAM (soon to be 12) 650 gig SATA, 1TB eSATA external, 3TB USB(storage). 512gig ATI video card, 28″ HannsG Monitor, 24″ Dell Monitor.

[Todd Roush]

I haven’t used it in years due to time constraints but I’m guessing that’s Adobe After FX.

Can somebody confirm? I too need to utilize that feature on upcoming projects.

Best,

Todd

Todd Roush
Dreamscape Digital Media
Canon XH-A1’s – Dell Studio XPS i7, 920, 2.66 gig,6 gigs RAM (soon to be 12) 650 gig SATA, 1TB eSATA external, 3TB USB(storage). 512gig ATI video card, 28″ HannsG Monitor, 24″ Dell Monitor.

[Todd Roush]

I’m currently using CS4 and I have noticed it has a selection for AVCHD when you start the project so clearly it should be able to do the trick.

I also read a post somewhere about somebody editing from both AVCHD and HDV and I am curious how that works.

Best,

Todd

Todd Roush
Dreamscape Digital Media
Canon XH-A1’s – Dell Studio XPS i7, 920, 2.66 gig,6 gigs RAM (soon to be 12) 650 gig SATA, 1TB eSATA external, 3TB USB(storage). 512gig ATI video card, 28″ HannsG Monitor, 24″ Dell Monitor.

[Todd Roush]

I’ve never had the satisfaction with my Canon A1’s that I got using my DVX100. I suppose it’s a softer image but it always made me look better than I was whereas the A1’s tend to do the opposite.

Farewell DVX’s!

Best,

Todd

Todd Roush
Dreamscape Digital Media
Canon XH-A1’s – Dell Studio XPS i7, 920, 2.66 gig,6 gigs RAM (soon to be 12) 650 gig SATA, 1TB eSATA external, 3TB USB(storage). 512gig ATI video card, 28″ HannsG Monitor, 24″ Dell Monitor.