September 11, 2023

I now have a much better appreciation of, and sympathy for, people recovering from a natural disaster. Last Friday, our part of Massachusetts was hit with severe thunderstorms and high (70 mph) winds. Hundreds of trees and dozens of power lines collapsed. Streets were blocked everywhere. We were without power and Internet for more than 48 hours. It was a very helpless feeling. Fortunately we and our house are OK, but this was a very educational experience.

Because of my enforced time off-line, I'm highlighting all the tutorials that ran during August; just in case you missed something on vacation. The most popular tutorial last month - of all those I've written - was:

Link: Maximize Performance with an SSD RAID

The most popular tutorial that was written last month was:

Link: Share Your Process. How Do You Log Video?

This is a very busy news week. Bild, from B&H, opened. Tomorrow, Apple shares the latest editions of the iPhone, Watch and goodness knows what else. Then, IBC opens later this week. There's a lot going on. Here are some highlights.

Maxon released Cinebench 2024. This latest iteration of this free industry-standard benchmarking software, which has been a cornerstone in computer performance evaluation for two decades, sets a new standard for performance evaluation, embracing cutting-edge technology to provide artists, designers, and creators with a more accurate and relevant representation of their hardware capabilities.

Link: https://www.maxon.net/en/cinebench

AJA announced the 3.0 upgrade to their HDR Image Analyzer and next generation Kona X video I/O card. The latest Image Analyzer release increases the number of video channels for simultaneous analysis, integrates new Dolby Vision tools, adds NDI connectivity options, expands support for the latest ARRI color science with ARRI LogC4 analysis, and enhances 8K/UltraHD2 compatibility.

Link: AJA Updates HDR Image Analyzer/

Marshall Electronics is shipping its new V-702W-12G professional broadcast monitor. This is a dual 7" LCD professional broadcast monitor with a feature-packed, economical solution perfect for fly-packs, control rooms, routing rooms and countless other video system applications.

Link: https://marshall-usa.com/monitors/model/V-702W-12G.php

Nugen will feature its AB Assist quick comparison tool at IBC 2023. Designed to remove subjectivity and biases, the plug-in allows users to compare multiple pieces of audio ― including different takes, plug-in options, mix revisions, versions of a master, and other elements.

Link: https://nugenaudio.com/ibc-2023/

Vizrt acquired New Tek in 2019. Last week, the two companies announced they are now operating under one name with a single product portfolio: Vizrt.

Link: Vizrt and NewTek Now One Product Line

This week's webinar is: "Ask Larry Anything." So far I have some very interesting questions - but still room to answer more. Email your questions so I have time to prepare a demo. And, to those that already sent queries, thanks! As always registration to my live event is free.

Link: Register for Larry's FREE Weekly Webinar

My lead news item is Maxon's release of the new Cinebench. This free software tests the capability of your hardware and compares it to other computers on the market. I use this in addition to AJA System Test or Blackmagic Design Speed Test to see how well my computer is doing compared to others. This also illustrates the big performance advantage of Apple silicon computers compared to earlier Intel systems. The utility is free and interesting to watch.

The fall season of new products and launches is fully upon us. While I am less interested in the latest iPhone than most, still, it is fascinating to see where technology is taking us. It is also challenging to focus amidst the increasing cacophony of cloud-based video editing systems - each promising to revolutionize the industry. I am not yet a fan, though I can see the benefit for some. Still the insistent drumbeat of cloud and AI and visual computing is hard to ignore. I wonder where story-telling fits into this mix?

Until next week, stay safe, stay hopeful and edit well.

TUTORIALS & REVIEWS

Aug. 7

» Improve the Speed of Your Computer System (Tutorial)

  » Boosting storage speed is the easiest way to speed up your computer.

» How to Expand a RAID's Storage Capacity (Tutorial)

  » Not all RAIDs can be expanded. But, for those that can, here's how.

» Export a Chapter Marker List from Premiere Pro (Tutorial)

  » Exporting a list isn't hard, but it isn't obvious either.

» Export a Chapter Marker List from Final Cut Pro (Tutorial)

  » FCP doesn't export markers. But here's a very cool - and free - workaround.

Aug. 14

» Manage Large Projects in Final Cut Pro (Tutorial)

  » Three options for organizing, managing and exporting large Final Cut projects.

» Compare the Speed of ProRes (Review)

  » All versions of ProRes export at the same speed - but this affects performance.

» Use Apple Compressor to Change Clip Timecode (Tutorial)

  » Apple Compressor does more than you think it does. And not just for Final Cut.

Aug. 21

» Review: OWC MiniStack STX Storage (Review)

  » Fast, convenient and capable storage for a Mac mini or Mac Studio.

» Routine Mac Maintenance (Tutorial)

  » Tools and techniques to help your Mac run smoothly.

» What's the Difference: USB-C versus Thunderbolt (Tutorial)

  » They use the same plug, but they are not the same in performance.

» How to Organize and Backup Media for Video Editing (Tutorial)

  » This focuses on getting media for a Premiere or Final Cut project organized.

Aug. 28

» What's a Final Cut Pro Camera Archive? (Tutorial)

  » Archives are unique to FCP - and worth knowing about.

» Share Your Process: How Do You Log Media? (Survey)

 » Featuring comments from dozens of editors, here's how to get organized.

Sept. 4

» Review: OWC Jupiter Mini Server (Review)

  » A capable, cost-effective, general-purpose desktop server.

» Explaining RAID "Chunk" Size (Tutorial)

  » Chunks are how RAIDs store data. Picking the right size improves performance.

» Export Chapter Markers from Adobe Premiere Pro (Tutorial)

 » Here's how to create, move, modify and export chapter markers in Premiere.

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