Following on from our recent survey which was overwhelming in stating readers of all levels of experience wanted more online tutorials in lighting, audio, camera usager, special effects and more, this month a number of the magazine sections have been revamped and new sections includedto cater for these additions.
It may take a short time populating these sections with content, but rest assured we are working very hard at it!
For a full review of the Kymera Wand and its magic, click here. It's magical! Harry would want one! And Merlin ...
I’m in Sydney at the moment. At the airport more precisely, awaiting a flight back home after a lightning trip across yesterday/last night for the launch of two new camcorders from Panasonic. It is the second of these that is the more important, the SDT750 and therefore the subject of this First Looks.
Why? Because this is effectively the first true 3D camcorder for the domestic market.
Actually, that is not quite true; the SDT750 is actually a top-of-the-range 2D camcorder that comes with a 3D converter lens in the box. This is screwed on to the front of the main body of the camera and into the existing 2D lens assembly where a pair of lugs locks it in place and then a thumb wheel is used to tighten it to the main camera.
Every time the 3D conversion lens is re-attached, a small amount of calibration is needed.
There are sensors embedded into the lens that interact with the main camera, so unfortunately, it is not possible to add this conversion lens to another camcorder at this time. For those that hanker after 3D, and have just bought an SD700, this will be a bit of issue I suspect. And the cause of some amgst.
Once the lens is in place, zoom is locked to 50mm (38mm in the 35mm world) and the main point of 3D convergence is set at 1.5 metres.
Footage obtained can be edited by a package supplied in the box, and effectively, as the image created is a combo left / right set of images, Panasonic say only the right side needs to be edited. Until I try it, I am not sure how that works I hasten to add. I cannot confirm or deny if any existing editing packages on the market support the 3D format as yet, but am investigating this as we speak.
The camcorder can also be plugged in to a 3D LCD/Plasma TV and the footage played back in 3D, or the SD card used to store the footage similarly plugged into an SD card slot in a 3D capable TV, or an attached peripheral (DVD player, Blu-ray player etc). Of course, 3D glasses are needed to get the full “viewing experience” as they say. Demonstration footage we were shown using 3D glasses looked clean, but I would need to compare it to something else to give a definitive opinion. My benchmark is still 3D footage from an Audi R8 in full anger mode taken at Nurburgring…
Ignoring the 3D conversion lens for a moment, the basic 2D camcorder is an impressive beast in its own right – Panasonic say it is the most advanced consumer camera they have yet made and indeed, it is very reminiscent of the venerable and coveted GS400..
The SDT750 sports a 3MOS system with “improved” noise reduction, records 1080/50p in the AVCHD format and uses a new hybrid optical image stabiliser that incorporates some electronic elements for supreme handshake capability so we were told. A manual ring gives fingertip control over focus, zoom, iris, shutter speed and white balance settings.
Coupled to the 3MOS is a F1.5 Leica Dicomar lens and the overall package gives an effective 7.59 million motion image pixels.
Audio capture is via an inbuilt 5.1 channel sound system, but an external mic and also headphones can also be connected. And joy of joys, as well as a decent flip out LCD, there is a viewfinder that can be extended, but not tilted. Heavy duty batteries are also available.
In the hand, the SDT750, even with the extra weight – minimal as it is – of the conversion lens added is surprisingly balanced. All controls are at hand, and there is a fast startup time of 0.6 seconds. The launch had a “circus” theme, and even in the low light afforded by the venue imagery captured appeared clean and crisp. A three second Pre-record buffer allows spontaneous moments to be hopefully caught.
Other features of the SDT750 include wind noise canceller, touch screen icons (there has to be one downer-Ed), time lapse recording up to 2 minutes, interval recording in 3D and 50 frames/second high speed burst shooting.
A full road test is going to be necessary to see how the specs of the SDT750 actually stack up in real time and under real conditions of all types, but I for one am looking forward to this as in a quick play at the launch, it looks promising indeed.
The Panasonic HDT-STD750 will retail for $1999 including the 3D conversion lens, and be available in September.
See www.panasonic.com.au for further details.
I am an enormous fan of the TV show Dragon’s Den. For those that don’t know, it is a BBC UK show that has a panel of self-made millionaires who judge the worthiness of ideas, products and services from aspiring entrepreneurs. If they see one they like, they bid for the right to invest in it. (an earlier series is being shown on ABC1 and ABC2 at the moment - check it out).
Dragon’s Den is entertaining, inspirational and contains many gems of business wisdom such as make sure you have a business plan, know your numbers, have a marketing strategy and more. The books each of the panel has written (including Theo Paphitis, Deborah Meaden, Duncan Bannatyne and Peter Jones) are worth a read in their own right. They are all available on Kindle, and I confess, along with similar books fr
om Lord Alan Sugar (of UK Apprentice fame), I have used their ideas and advice to form what is the new incarnation of Auscam.
Anyway, approximately two years ago, a product appeared on Dragon’s Den that is an absolute game changer. A pair of technical whizzes had created a device that replaced the remote control for almost any device you’d like to name; it was a magic wand a la Harry Potter!
It could be waved, rotated, flicked, tapped (once or twice), swished, pushed forward or backward and more – 13 operations in total – to replicate the commands from your remote control(s).
I have resisted for a long time to order one, but a few weeks ago caved in. I have just added an XBOX Kinetic to my home theatre system and to perform the basic functions I do, whilst I have a Logitech Universal control and it is very functional, the Wand – called a Kymera– looked far more fun!
It finally arrived today in its elegant display box and instructions on Olde English parchment. Firstly you have to learn the various actions to perform commands, and this takes about 10 minutes. Next, you “teach” the commands you want to assign to each of the Wand’s options.
For example, to turn my Sony 52” Bravia on, I wanted to use the “flick up” command, and to turn it off, the “flick down”. It’s really very easy; you tap the side of the Wand twice while it is vertical to put it in learning mode, perform the required action and then point the sharp end at your remote’s infra red sender and press the button for that action. The Wand will respond with a vibration (every action has a specific vibration code to signify what is has done or it understands) and voila! Done.
In truth, it took me a few goes to get it just right, but this was down more to my ham fistedness than any error on the Wand’s behalf.
Once I had the knack of programming the wand, it was only a short time before I had the whole system setup; the Denon receiver/amp volume was controlled by rotate right and left, flicking between HDMI devices was flick left/right, XBOX options were taps and so on. The piece de resistance – the BIG SWISH was reserved for putting my Sony Blu-Ray player into play mode with something that starts with a bang!
When you use the Wand to perform an action, especially if there are others present, you simply cannot help but to ham it up a little – or a lot! And I confess, when I got the first command working, I burst into laughter. It’s just one of those gadgets that is a must have, for no other reason that it is Great Fun! You’ll want to turn things on and off, switch between devices or whatever you have programmed it for (lights, heating, iPod dock or whatever uses an IR remote) just for the sheer delight of it!
At $79.95 it makes a fantastic present. The Kymera is beautifully presented in its box, the instructions are almost worth laminating and framing and well… what more can I say. They even provide the AAA batteries it uses in the price.
In fact, I am so impressed that I have negotiated that Auscam can sell the Kymera Wand to our readers for AUD$79.95 including freight. Simply click on "STORE" in the menu bar above to order.
Or email us at david@auscamonline.com and you can call on 08 94675922 or 0413 632286
The FOXTEL TV Guide Gadget is available as a desktop application or as a ‘Web Slice’ through Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) web browser. As a Web Slice within IE8, the FOXTEL TV Guide simply sits on your IE8 Favourites Bar and allows you to keep track of that “slice” of the web easily throughout your day.
FOXTEL Executive Director of Product and Sales, Patrick Delany said, “With so many people now online for a significant period of time every day, the FOXTEL TV Guide Gadget removes the need to search for the FOXTEL TV Guide or even type in a URL. The FOXTEL TV Guide Gadget is great for quickly searching for a program and recording it – if you’re logged on you can search for your favourite show and send a Remote Record request all in a few seconds.”
“The new FOXTEL TV Guide Gadget means you are always connected to FOXTEL’s 14 Day Online Guide and Remote Record functionality, letting you search for your favourite TV shows, program the FOXTEL iQ or iQ2, set Reminder Alerts, and many more handy functions,” he said.
Microsoft Australia Windows Consumer Product Manager, Melissa Dewick said, “I travel a lot with my job and I love having the ability to search, click and record my favourite programs from anywhere in the world.”
“How many times have you been away from home and realised you’ve forgotten to record the latest episode of Australia’s Next Top Model, or the football? If you love your FOXTEL then this is a must-have gadget for you,” she said.
For Mac users, a Mac compatible version of the FOXTEL TV Guide Gadget is expected to be available in the coming weeks.
How do I get the Online FOXTEL TV Guide Gadget for my Computer?
The FOXTEL TV Guide Gadget is available on any Windows PC running Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 as a Desktop Application. For those using Internet Explorer 8 the ability to install the application as a web slice is also possible.
To install the FOXTEL TV Guide Gadget:
The FOXTEL TV Guide Gadget uses the Microsoft Silverlight platform and users will be prompted to download the Silverlight plug-in if they don’t already have it.
Remote Record is a handy feature for FOXTEL iQ and iQ2 subscribers that lets them remotely program a set-top-unit to record favourite shows online at www.foxtel.com.au, by using an iPhone or with the new FOXTEL TV Guide Gadget.
For more information, visit the FOXTEL TV Guide Gadget page: http://foxtel.com.au/gadget
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August 12, 2010 – Verbatim’s new Blu-ray media is now available offering 25GB of storage capacity with a 6x burning rate. It is ideal for recording films in high definition, backing up large amounts of data and long-term archiving of files including photos and videos. The new Verbatim Blu-ray BD-R 25GB 6x is now available in stores in a 5-pack jewel case. |
Blu-ray media is getting more and more attractive to consumers - both for home and professional use - to record and archive data. Verbatim meets this demand with its new Blu-ray disc BD-R 25GB 6x , which offers up to 5 times the capacity of a DVD-R, guaranteeing reliable and safe long-term storage of files, from home photos and videos to office documents with a burning time of less than 15 minutes.
Verbatim MABL recording technology and HardCoat Protection
Verbatim’s BD-R 6x and BD-R DL discs use a newly developed inorganic recording layer called MABL; a patented technology that ensures superb quality recording, long archival lifetime and excellent “playback” performance. Verbatim’s proven production technology and experience ensures perfect recording on every Blu-ray disc. As with all Verbatim CD, DVD and Blu-ray media, the discs are supported by a lifetime warranty.
Verbatim´s Hard CoatTM technology - a special scratch protection layer - protects the disc from scratches, fingerprints or dust, thereby helping to avoid recording or playback problems. “Thanks to the hard coat protective layer and recording technologies developed by our parent company Mitsubishi Kagaku Media, customers can be confident they have media of the highest quality,” says Torsten Leye, Marketing Manager Optical at Verbatim EUMEA.
Verbatim/Mitsubishi Kagaku Media is a contributing member of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and as a leading brand in CD-, DVD- and Blu-ray media, maintains close relations with the largest manufacturers of optical players and recorders. Verbatim works with the hardware manufacturers by providing them with media to help test and optimise hardware being developed. This means that consumers can be assured that Verbatim-branded media will always have very high levels of compatibility with hardware from the leading brands.
“Our Research and Development team at Mitsubishi Kagaku Media enables us to be at the forefront of Blue Laser Technology such as the development of triple-layer 100GB capacity discs,” says Alan Kleeman, National Sales and Marketing Manager for Verbatim Australia and New Zealand. “The new media will be produced in Mitsubishi Kagaku Media’s Mizushima factory and is expected to be in the market by spring 2011.”
Availability and Pricing
Verbatim Blu-Ray 6x discs are available now in a 5pk Jewel Case. Visit www.verbatim.com.au for stockists.
P/n 43715 BD-R 25GB 6X 5pk JC RRP AUD $29.95
DVS is staying true to its philosophy of open systems for customers in the digital film, video post production and broadcast business. While CLIPSTER now offers support for 3D depth grading, VENICE has been significantly expanded by a multi-camera view and channel grouping feature. The Atomix family of video boards is seamlessly interoperable with Final Cut Pro.
At this year's IBC from September 10th to the 14th, DVS is going to showcase outstanding innovations at its booth. By further strengthening its systems' openness, DVS easily meets the demands of both the post production and the broadcast industries. Customers will also benefit from Atomix's support of Apple's Final Cut Pro.
DVS products are sold and supported in Australia by Digistor. With offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Digistor has installed a number of DVS CLIPSTER and other systems into post-production houses, Blu-ray disk production and DCI mastering facilities.
At this year's IBC, CLIPSTER debuts with a convenient toolset for logging and linking digital material, which is particularly suited for the RAW deliverable process. CLIPSTER supports Avid's DNxHD and now also offers Apple ProRes 422 encoding (Proxy, LT, 4444). DVS's DI workstation supports the Apple codec in both reading and writing -on Windows. Customers with 3D projects will also enjoy CLIPSTER's latest features: Thanks to DVS's sophisticated hardware, the DI workstation now provides 4K hardware-accelerated DCI Mastering and 3D subtitling in addition to creating 3D Digital Cinema Packages in real-time. A full set of real-time stereoscopic workflows enables users to effortlessly handle 3D material, e.g. with 3D depth grading. Optimised as a 64-bit application and running natively on OSX, Windows and Linux, the new architecture is underpinned with metadata management, fully-integrated Python scripting, workflow customisation and a host of other features such as in-built rolling shutter correction and image-distortion tools.
VENICE, the multi-channel video server for broadcast, offers a range of outstanding features: With its new multi-camera view and channel grouping feature, multiple VENICE video channels and even several VENICE video servers can be combined to enable frame-accurate starting, play-out and recording. All selected channels can be controlled with one click. VENICE's new multi-camera view feature is a convenient tool designed specifically for the broadcast industry: The ingest and play-out operator is able to see all channels at a glance and control them individually without having to switch to other windows.
With its new 2.5-inch SAS technology and 48 hard drives, the DVS storage solution SpycerBox sets new standards for rack density and performance per rack unit. SpycerBox, which is described as highly flexible and versatile by DVS customers, again doubles its capacity to 28.8 TB. This latest version of the storage solution further improves the speed and efficiency of customer workflows.
Launched only recently at NAB 2010, the Atomix family of video boards for high-end film, HDTV post production, broadcast applications and high-end presentation already has new optional features available: In addition to DVS's proven Software Development Kit, Atomix and Atomix LT now provide support for Apple's QuickTime SDK as well as direct integration into Final Cut Pro. The QuickTime SDK makes further programming and adaptation unnecessary and guarantees smooth workflows.
Hans-Ulrich Weidenbruch, DVS CEO: "Developing open systems has always been an essential part of our business philosophy, and we're very much looking forward to presenting the results to our visitors at IBC 2010. Our customers in broadcast and post production are welcoming the latest steps we've taken in this direction: They will benefit greatly from our support of Apple's ProRes 422 and Final Cut Pro® as well as from VENICE's versatile design."
Over the years we've had a lot of bad press about HTML emails. Descriptions heard by this reviewer have gone from 'bad idea' to 'unholy'.
And there's a good reason. Unless you want little animations of dogs with wagging tails, huge floral borders and everything in 18pt hot pink Comic Sans (travesties for which Microsoft is almost wholly responsible for making it so easy to do in Outlook), the best person to engage to create one is a professional web designer.
Since web designers are now used to the latest standards in HTML and CSS, it's surprising to learn that most email clients require such old programming and is no wonder standards-aware designers hate them. Forget referencing an external CSS file, putting everything in standards-compliant div tags or giving control over font size to your user. The only way to make sure your HTML email works in all major emails clients (and there are far more of them than web browsers) is to use tables. Yes, you read that right.
That's enough to put most people off, but Patterson – of Australia-based marketing email service Campaign Monitor – does a great job explaining not just why that doesn't have to be a bad thing, but how you can turn it to your advantage and stand head and shoulders above your competition.
Create Stunning HTML Email That Works is full of sage advice you can use from the absolute outset of your project before you even write a word of text or save a single jpg file, right down to semi-legal advice about opt-in permissions. There are also plenty of screenshot examples of companies that do it right.
Patterson's very clever – the book is by no means an ad for Campaign Monitor and nor is he only trying to talk about services the company offers so as to lead you there. It just so happens that both he (and the company he works for) knows what to think about in the process. An example is the very sensible idea to test your email in a bunch of different clients to see what the result looks like. It's a service Campaign Monitor happens to offer, but he's up front about others that do the same.
It's all written in Sitepoint's signature accessible style, and the layout, attention icons and structure mean you'll be through it in a jiffy and raring to go.
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/htmlemail1/
Create Stunning HTML Email That Just Works
Matthew Patterson
Sitepoint
RRP $29.95
This week the Australian Herpes Management Forum (AHMF) is launching the inaugural Live & Love Short Film Competition – an initiative designed to destigmatise HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus) – the virus responsible for cold sores and genital herpes – through the creation of short films.
The AHMF wishes to invite you to participate in the Live & Love Short Film Competition by creating high-quality, 30-second-long films that explore HSV and educate viewers about its prevalence, while encouraging open discussion about the virus in order to reduce its stigma.
A total prize purse of $15,000 is up for grabs, with finalists being invited to mingle with a host of arts industry representatives, including award-winning filmmaker and 2009 Tropfest Winner, Genevieve Clay and Beached Az creators Anthony MacFarlane and Jarod Green, at the Live & Love Short Film Competition Awards, to be held in Sydney on Tuesday 19 October 2010 – the evening prior to Herpes Awareness Day, 20 October 2010.
This groundbreaking competition, themed ‘Let’s talk about HSV’, encourages entrants to use short films to debunk myths about herpes and facilitate conversation in the community about a virus affecting one in eight sexually active Australian adults.
You have until 24 September 2010 to write, shoot and edit short films designed to destigmatise herpes. The Live & Love website, <http://www.liveandlove.com.au>, provides you with competition and voting details and information about HSV and support services, including a list of sexual health experts.
For further information, please feel free to contact me on (02) 9884 9011 / 0401 717 566 or <kirstenbruce@vivacommunications.com.au> or visit <http://www.liveandlove.com.au
Transfer Final Cut Pro Sequences to Avid Media ComposerBoris AAF Transfer is a custom Apple Final Cut Pro plug-in that lets you export AAF files from Final Cut Pro sequences for import into Avid Media Composer. Because the entire live FCP program sequence is transferred - with media, markers, cuts, dissolves, filters, and audio preserved - the transferred sequence can be edited and finished in the Media Composer timeline without returning to FCP.
Boris AAF Transfer makes working across multiple platforms in multi-user environments less challenging, allowing you to edit Apple Final Cut Pro sequences live in Avid Media Composer - either on the same system or any other Macintosh or Windows Media Composer system.
Available for Macintosh, ProxyMill is a simple-to-use tool that saves time. Directly convert any HD media, such as Canon 5D/7D, Panasonic P2 or AVCHD, Sony XDCam, JVC, etc. into sharable movie files in one automated step. Just select the media type to watch for, or Drag & Drop card's contents or folders into the process queue.
Selectable compression settings and codecs allow ouput of multiple formatted clips at the same time, such as edit quality QuickTime files and lower resolution proxies. Burn in Timecode and watermark the clips with your company logo for web presentation or emailing to clients.
New in V3.1:
Canon Compatible: Now create Final Cut Pro XMLs from Canon 5D/7D files with camera metadata and timecode. (Avoid Log & Transfer plug-ins.)
More Formats: ProxyMill now supports GoProHD and Sony AVCHD file formats.
Add Timecode: Choose beginning timecode as time-fo-day or 00:00:00:00 for clips without metadata (e.g. Canon 5D/7D)
Log Files: Create HDLog files at the same time as proxies for immediate use in the videologger or uploading to Mac Digital Clip Library, etc..
Merge Spanned Clips: V3.1 features the ability to combine spanned clip proxies in an HD volume that were separated by camera file size restrictions for smooth, continuous playback.
Merge All Clips: Now you can combine all clips in a folder into a single 'master clip' including original timecode tracks. Burn-in visual timecode and make a single movie file for clients or logging purposes!
Blackmagic Design today announced the acquisition of all assets of EchoLab Inc., one of the world’s leading designers and manufacturers of production switchers. EchoLab has over 35 years of experience in designing and building production switchers since 1974. This experience has culminated in the latest ATEM range of production switchers that include cutting edge technology for world leading features such as up conversion on inputs, multilayer SuperSource™ input, Stinger™ transitions, and built in multi-view monitoring, all in a familiar and affordable, fully digital M/E style design.
The ATEM production switchers will be demonstrated at the Blackmagic Design IBC 2010 booth #7.B25.
For the thousands of people who use production switchers, ATEM will be instantly familiar. It uses the conventional M/E style of design that’s easy, safe and fast to use on even the most critical live production. ATEM also combines powerful features such as SuperSource™, which is a separate multi layer engine with 4 x 2D picture in picture DVE’s and 4 x keyers that provide the same power as adding a whole extra multiple M/E switcher to the ATEM input!
SuperSource can be called at any time, and connects into the switcher as an input. Only SuperSource gives you the power of 4 built in layers of keying, plus 4 picture in picture DVE’s, while keeping ATEM an easy and fast to use conventional M/E style switcher.
For connecting to the widest range of cameras, decks and computers, the ATEM 1 M/E model includes 8 SDI inputs that operate at SD, HD and 3 Gb/s SDI, plus 2 switchable HDMI/Analog video inputs. ATEM includes multiple SDI outputs for program, preview, and aux. outputs, plus an HDMI output for the multi-view monitoring output. The ATEM 2 M/E model includes 15 x SD, HD and 3 Gb/s SDI inputs, as well as 3 x switchable HDMI/analog inputs for a total of 18 video inputs. ATEM 2 M/E also includes two multi-viewer outputs, clean feed, aux., program and preview SDI outputs. All ATEM switchers include serial ports for camera and VDCP servers as well as genlock.
ATEM switchers allow previewing of transitions before putting them on air. Users simply select “Preview Transition”, and the preview output of the switcher will show all the elements of the transition, so users can have the confidence to make fast multi layering decisions during live production.
When working with multiple cameras and sources, ATEM saves thousands of dollars on expensive monitoring because it includes a built in multi-viewer that lets you see multiple sources on a standard HDMI television or monitor as well as program and preview outputs. When sources are on-air, ATEM multi-viewer displays highlighted borders, and multi-viewer windows can be custom labeled.
ATEM also includes Stinger transitions for exciting and creative transitions. Stingers can be loaded into the switcher, and are then available on the 2 built in media players. ATEM can hold 32 stills and hundreds of frames of real time clips with alpha channels, so users have a wide range of graphics and clips to play back as animations, supers and stingers. Media players can be selected into any of the 4 built in upstream keyers or the transition block for ultimate flexibility and creativity.
For enhanced effects and transitions, ATEM includes a 2D DVE with borders and drop shadows that can be used with any upstream keyer or in the transition block. This means the built in DVE can be used for transitions, or it can be used for keying operations. Because the 4 built in upstream keyers are stacked, users have a wide range of layering options available, and completely independent of the SuperSource input.
When the 4 upstream keyers are combined with 5 SuperSource layers, the transition block keyer, the 2 down stream keyers and the stinger, even a 1 M/E ATEM switcher can have up to 13 keyers on screen simultaneously. This is the heart of the power of ATEM, and would require 3 M/E’s on other brand switchers.
This makes ATEM a tremendous value for money, while providing a compact and portable solution.
ATEM can be fully automated with macros, and also includes support for VDCP controlled servers and robotic cameras, all from the ATEM control panel. Customers can use the built in joy stick for controlling cameras, and then recall macros for incredibly powerful operation with very few people. No other switcher allows customers to produce powerful live productions with so few people!
“I have been using live production switchers since I was in school where we covered local theater, sports, racing and bands. I think it’s the most exciting way to do production because it’s all live and thousands of people are watching what you are doing! Production switchers need to be powerful while also being familiar and easy to operate. I think the ATEM switchers from EchoLab are the most exciting switchers I have ever seen, and it’s incredibly exciting to add these products and intellectual property to the Blackmagic Design family”, said Grant Petty, CEO of Blackmagic Design. “The ATEM switcher is a fantastic creative tool, and it includes powerful features not found in any other product. Since the acquisition, we have already dramatically expanded the engineering team working on ATEM. This fresh engineering team, which is a combination of new as well as experienced EchoLab staff, will allow us to move faster in adding new features to the ATEM product. It’s so exciting, I cannot sleep!”
ATEM Key Features
• 1 M/E model supports 10 video inputs, 2 M/E model supports 18 video inputs.
• SD, HD and 3 Gb/s SDI, HDM and analog video inputs.
• Full 10 bit HD operation for broadcast quality.
• Built in multi-viewer for monitoring switcher sources, includes custom labeling and tally borders.
• Built in SuperSource allows 4 picture in picture DVE’s and 4 keyers independent of the M/E.
• 2 Media Players are built in for animated graphics and stingers.
• Stinger effects are independent of keyers.
• Includes 4 upstream keyers with each including chroma, luma, linear and pattern keying built in.
• Includes 2 downstream keyers, and independent fade to black.
• Supports macros, and graphic and clip downloads via PC software.
• Up to 13 keyers active at one time.
Availability and Price
ATEM is currently being retooled for production and will be available late 2010 for US$19,995 for the 10 input 1 M/E model, and US$51,995 for the 18 input 2 M/E model from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide.
When you think of camcorders, we're betting Toshiba isn;t one of the brands at the top of your list. However, they're making a push into the market with the Camileo X100.
The Camileo X100 is a flash-based camera. The 4GB of in-built memory will get you started but the SD HC slot lets you boost that to a theoretical 32GB. It's a little surprising that the emerging SD XC standard, that supports up to 2TB of storage isn't part of the package.
In the hand, the X100 is comfortable to hold and the 3-inch touchscreen LCD makes it it easy to frame your shot. In video mode, the X100 can shoot in 1080p and includes image stabilisation. The 1-x optical zoom moves smoothly without losing focus - something we've found in other entry level, cheap camcorders.
Connection to your PC for editing, using the supplied ArcSoft software for Windows or with iMovie if you use a Mac, is via USB. This simultaneously charges the X100's battery. If you like to shoot and watch your footage straight away, there's a HDMI cable in the box as well an RCA lead in the box. The ports are all easily accessible under a cover on the camera.
The LCD was crystal clear. It can be turned so shooting your self from a tripod was straightforward - there's a remote control in the box for controlling zoom and other functions. It's also a touchscreen so you can control various camera functions from there as well as using the other buttons on the X100.Video quality was very good and sound was far better than we expected.
The X100 can shoot still photos at 10MP and there's a flash for low light situations. Toggling between video and still modes, controlling the flash and moving from shooting to viewing video and photos was easy as the controls were perfectly placed and accessible with your thumb.
The Camileo X100's biggest issue is price. With an RRP of $499 it's placed in a very competitive category. However, for those looking for an easy to use, light camcorder the X100 is worth a
Pocket-sized camcorders have been all the rage. Since the Flip was released, almost every other camera maker on the planet has jumped onto the bandwagon trying to surf the wave of this form factor's popularity. Toshiba, looking to leverage off their popularity in the notebook market, has released the Camileo X20.
This $299 camera can record at 1080p and shoot stills at 5MP. It's about the same size as a smartphone - made to easily slip into a pocket or bag and weighs about 100g. There's no on switch - just flip open the 3-inch LCD and the S20 is ready to use. It's designed to be held in a pistol grip.
While video quality was very good for this sort of camera we did hit on usability issue. As the S20 is so slim, we found that we needed to grip it tightly. As a result it was very easy for one of our fingers to creep over the lens or flash. Otherwise, the other controls, for the 4x optical zoom and to toggle between still photography and video were easily accessible.
Unlike its big brother, the Camileo X100, the S20 lacks a touchscreen and internal memory. However, it does boast image stabilisation although this is limited to shooting at up to 720p.
In our view, the Camileo S20's competition doesn't come from the camcorder market. It's smartphones that it's battling with. If you've got a basic mobile phone and a spare $299 then the S20 is worth considering. But if you've got a smartphone with a decent camera then you might need to think a little harder.
While listening to a discussion on this subject at a recent video club meeting, I realised that this concept sometimes poses problems for those beginning to edit their videos. Hence this short – and hopefully enlightening - explanation.
In general usage, animation in editing means ‘making something change over time’ and is not necessarily restricted to e.g. animating a cartoon character, although here again, you are making something ‘change over time’.
In the credits in a movie, where the text is rolling off the screen, that motion is the result of ‘animating text’. When one video clip fades out (that is, it becomes less opaque) and the next one fades in (going from transparent to opaque) that is animating the opacity of the clip.
It is keyframes that contain the instructions to the editing program that enable it to animate - or apply these progressive changes - to the subject clip.
Keyframing can be applied to any feature of a video clip which can be changed. This includes things such as opacity, position of the frame (within the viewing space), scale, rotation and the application of various filters/effects such as colour, brightness. Indeed effectively, it is keyframes that are used in audio in cross fades and fade in/outs.
Obviously for a change to occur, there must be a starting point and an end point.
The first keyframe describes/defines the starting parameters, that is where the frame is in the viewing space, its opacity, its angular position in regards to rotation, its scale etc. However, since all these parameters are in the default position to start with, you usually don’t need to touch most of these for the first keyframe. An exception to this would be having something– say, an aircraft – appear to come into view from the distance, enlarging from invisibly small to visible size as it approaches the viewer. Here, you would set the scale to zero at the first keyframe.
The keyframe describing the endpoint of the change is a different kettle of fish. As our aircraft approaches the viewer, increasing in size as it does, the scale parameter might be set to 200% at this point. If the aircraft is to barrel roll five times over the duration of the clip, then the rotation setting at the end keyframe might show something like “5 x 0 degrees” meaning 5 rotations and finishing in the vertical position.
If you desire any deviation from a simple progressive change in the effect from the clip’s beginning to its end, then you can insert an intermediate keyframe at any point along the clip’s duration with additional ‘instructions’ to the program. The software will interpolate (calculate and apply the changes needed) through all the intervening video frames so your master piece will get the effect that you require.
The white diamonds in the grey bar above signify a keyframe where some aspect of the video such as brightness, opacity other effect is to be changed.
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