[Tom Matthies]

Check with the station for exactly which file format they need to make it work. Sometimes a digital file might not be the best way to go. We do spots for one client who always pushes the deadline for getting his spots done to the limit…usually the day before it’s supposed to air.
We had a “request” from out local Fox station to FTP spots to them when this happens. After checking with the station, it was determined that a file sent as a Merdien Compressed (Avid) file would work. All we needed to do was to FTP the file to their site. The FCP site for the station was a corporate site (the “Flagship” station) in another city. After transferring the spot to the FTP site (about an hour to transfer) the local Fox station had to retreive the spot from the corporate FCP site to their station…about another hour to do that. After it was saved on their server (locally) they transfered it into their Avid system and played it out to Beta SP. They then took that tape into the engineering area, on another floor, and encoded it into their On-Air server for broadcast.
Whew! What a long trip and a lot of hoops to jump through to “save” a little time. Now, since the Fox station is about a five minute drive from our facility, I just drive it over there at the end of the day and it actually gets there hours sooner. I live a few blocks from the station, so it’s no big deal to just drop it off.
I guess that all digital file sharing is the way of the future, but sometimes you just can’t beat the “sneakernet” method of delivery.
The moral of the story: Technology ain’t all it’s cracked up to be…sometimes. The newest way to deliver a spot isn’t always the best. Ask the hard questions before delivering the spot and make it easy on everyone.
Tom

[Tom Matthies]

I export OMF files to our audio guy, using PrpTools, all the time and it works well…providing you have the OMF plug-in for ProTools.
Export out of FCP and import into ProTools is a snap. All the clips come into the audio program on their original tracks.
About the only thing to watch out for is any rubberbanding of audio in FCP does not come thru the process into ProTools.
Otherwise it’s pretty painless and reliable.
Tom

[Tom Matthies]

Ditto
I’ve always read that journaling was NEVER supposed to be used for media drives.
Tom

[Tom Matthies]

I had this problem with some of Lacie’s D2 series drives. They’d just go off line with no reason. I was using a Magilla (sp?) FW400/800 PCI card. I tried using a different firewire 800 card (Lacie’s) and the drives have been behaving since.
Just a thought…
Tom

[Tom Matthies]

Just bought and installed a G-Raid. I’ll be using it for the first time today.
🙂
Tom

[Tom Matthies]

Hey!
We actually having running HOT water and FLUSH toilets here in the Midwest now!!
Wow, isn’t this a great country!
Tom

[Tom Matthies]

I’m using a Graphire on all three machines and I like it. I use it more as a mouse replacement than a high resolution pointing device. I run dual monitors on each setup and the Graphire works for me.
Just my 2

[Tom Matthies]

Yea, I have a window AC unit in the studio. It gets pretty hot in there during the daytime. I normally go in and turn on the AC a little while before going editing. Last night, all I needed was to dub a few spots out of the computer so I didn’t turn on the air. The ambient temp in the room was around 87. Just a short time after turning on the computer, the Lacie drives were acting up. Dropping frames and just running sluggish in general. Eventually, while loading a project they will just quit. The blue activity lights will just start flashing at a rapid rate. At that point, you’re pretty much done for the day. These things are freestanding and not in a cabinet or something where the flow on air is restricted. They are basically at room temp…87 degrees in this case. Once they heat up, they are useless. They have no active cooling in the cases at all. I guess the aluminum case is supposed to act like a heat sink to cool the drives. Well, I hate to say it Lacie, but it doesn’t work very well. These drives run HOT on a normal day. I’m looking for something a bit more stable and fan cooled if possible.
I guess in a few months, it won’t matter. Whereas you enjoy 100+ temps in Phoenix in the summer, we, here in Green Bay will get to enjoy those below zero temps soon enough. I’m not sure which is worse…
Neither is much fun. Keep cool.
Tom

[Tom Matthies]

FWIW, I’ve using this filter and it’s great. It allows me to “correct” the cine gamma of my camera and restore the full tonal range of the clip.
Two thumbs up!
Tom

[Tom Matthies]

I did the updates tonight and FWIW, everything worked fine(!?)
All software is on a new 2.3Ghz, all clean install. I repaired permissions, did the OS update first, restarted and did another permissions repair just for grins.
I then did the other updates and everything seems to have worked just fine. FCP loaded and ran OK as far as my very limited tests could determine.

I’ll be attempting the first “for real” edit on the system this weekend. I’m knocking on wood right now… 🙂
Tom