[Tom Brooks]

Thanks. I came to that conclusion, since NTFS is read-only on OS-X. Jan, when will there be P2 drivers for Windows Vista? I’m having a heck of a time finding a new laptop that will run right on XP. Thank you!

[Tom Brooks]

That is great. Thanks.

[Tom Brooks]

Constant bit rate can result in a higher average rate than variable. CBR is often recommended if you have the space for it.
A shorter GOP can yield a higher average bit rate.
More compression markers will force more I frames, which will up the average bit rate.

What’s the nature of your movie? Are you using CBR?

[Tom Brooks]

The Software Update app puts packages in the MacHD/Library/Packages folder if you choose the ‘download’ or ‘keep and install’ options, but that seems to be an OK place for them. Thanks for the tip.

[Tom Brooks]

Photoshop or Adobe ImageReady have features for creating animated GIFs. This should be a good way to get them properly formatted.
Here’s a quote from the Photoshop 7.0 help.

You can easily create animated GIFs from existing one-layer-per-frame images in Adobe Photoshop file format or from a group of single-layer images.

You can make each layer in a multilayer Photoshop file a separate frame in the Animation palette. The layers are placed in the Animation palette in their stacking order, with the bottom layer becoming the first frame.

You can also import a folder of files and use each file as a frame in ImageReady. Files can be in any format that ImageReady supports. Each file becomes a frame in the Animation palette. The files are placed in the Animation palette in alphabetical order by image filename.

[Tom Brooks]

David,
Thanks for that. Isn’t it true that a lower third can take all morning? But maybe you get lower thirds for the next job, too.
-Tom

[Tom Brooks]

Thanks everyone. Your comments helped me search and ask the right questions to find out what I needed to know. I’ll be getting the Panasonic TH37PH9UK. The cost/benefit argument was very compelling. Everyone says the plasmas handle SD better. Can’t tell you exactly why, but the combination of the physical display technology and the video processing and scaling favor the plasma. The Panasonic is a professional display that does not contain features I won’t use in the edit suite.

[Tom Brooks]

It’s a good point. I realize this LCD can’t reproduce all of the video spectrum accurately and may go somewhat off color in some areas (they say the Sharp has a red push), but I won’t be using it for critical CC. In fact, I don’t have to do any really critical CC.

As long as the cow doesn’t have blue fur, the red car is not purple, and people have pleasing skin tones, my clients are well served. I have my Sony CRT for backup on that.

My purpose is to participate in the world of LCD-viewed video with a “monitor” that is reasonably accurate and makes my program look as good as it will look in the board room, the training room, or on the big screen at the sales conference.

Basically it’s a client monitor. Are you using this type of LCD as a client monitor?

[Tom Brooks]

Compressor is supposed to be useful. https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/speed_changes_motion.html

[Tom Brooks]

Tom,
I have no clue on your playback issue. My WMV player component was 2.0 earlier today and 2.1 now. Both work with the split clip. Yours?
-Tom