Sorenson Media on the coming H.265 Standard

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Sorenson Media has an interesting article on the upcoming video compression standard H.265. It is supposed to double the efficiency of H.264, though with likely a higher processor hit. And that means half the size for the same quality, which is huge especially for bandwidth caps and the like. Of course it might also mean new Apple TV’s and ROKU’s to take advantage, as well as new iPhone’s and iPad’s too. The processor hit I am sure is enormous.

Still can’t wait to see that new quality.

Kodak selling it’s film division!

Can you believe it? Now it is really over. The age of film is officially dead. Sure you can still get some film for a while, but it has been years since any film cameras have been made, and now Kodak in it’s bankruptcy is selling it’s film division. So everything is officially done digitally now!

In some ways it is so sad, but in other ways it is exciting. Since you can get pretty high end cameras for not that much (but of course lenses are still expensive for good glass). And low budget filmmaking is so much easier.

Still there was something about film. I made my first films in college on Super 8. And later on 16mm (though cutting on a movieola was not too fun). There is certainly something cool about it.

And it is amazing how much digital can resemble shooting with film, though with a DIT instead of a camera assistant loading mags. And with RAW you still need to process the footage, though with a computer and not a lab.

And now everything is stored digitally. Lets hope there aren’t some enormous electromagnetic pulses because everything will be gone! Of course it isn’t like film doesn’t deteriorate, but still.

Just strange and amazing that the once mighty Kodak has been brought so low.

iChat theater has issues, but is still a wonderful solution that Adobe and AVID need to implement

I know, I know iChat theater is old technology and has been out since Final Cut Pro 7 was was released, but it is still awesome tech. If you have a web camera or iSight you can share what you are viewing in Final Cut Pro 7 using iChat (or messages in Mountain Lion) and you can hear the person on either end and see Timecode as well. It has it’s issues (audio often drops out and you have to restart the computer to get it back, and often it is hard to get the chat to actually start), but overall it works very well and allows for remote monitoring of an edit.

Sure you can share your screen with Skype, but that shared the whole screen, timeline and all, and the video is small. iChat theater allows you to share just what is playing back from Final Cut Pro. It is awesome for editors who like to work at home, and producers who like to do the same. And it works very well overall.

The problem is that Final Cut Pro 7 is EOL and will never be updated again, and is really showing it’s age. Sure many companies have such an investment that they are still using it before the go with AVID (though I prefer Premiere Pro, if only it were more stable). And neither Premier Pro or Media Composer have anything like it.

iChat theater and Final Cut Pro 7 is an elegant solution to a problem that is very relevant today (editors working remotely), and a new solution needs to be implemented in AVID and Premiere Pro.

I wonder if it could be done via a plug in like BlackMagic or AJA, as if it was going out via video to Messages or Skype or a proprietary messaging program? The thing is it is such a great piece of software that the competitors need it (even if FCP X doesn’t have it anymore either).

Working from home means companies need less edit bays, editors get more sanity from not driving, and it is better for the environment not having to drive, so someone please come up with a solution and fast!

Macworld on enabling 2 Step Authentication for DropBox

Macworld has an article on enabling 2 step verification via either text messages or via the Google Authenticator App on iOS.

I wish more places would implement this, but I have it for GMAIL, Lastpass, and now DropBox. It means not only do you need to put in your password, but a code that changes ever 30 seconds, from your iPhone. Much more secure than just a password.

NVIDIA admits issues with CUDA 5.0.17 and 5.0.24 driver with Premiere Pro

From Todd Kopriva at Adobe. And over at NVIDIA. Causes crashes when going from Safari to Premiere Pro.

  • There is a known issue in this release where forcing or allowing the system to go to sleep while running CUDA applications on 2012 MacBook Pro models with automatic graphics switching will cause a system crash (kernel panic). You can prevent the computer from automatically going to sleep by setting the Computer Sleep option slider to Never in the Energy Saver pane of the System Preferences.
  • There is a known issue in this release where CUDA applications will not automatically engage the discrete GPU on 2012 MacBook Pro models with automatic graphics switching. To run CUDA applications, it is necessary to uncheck the Automatic Graphics Switching checkbox in the Energy Saver pane of the System Preferences.

Hmm, doesn’t sound like the same issue that I have been having, but hopefully it is similar, and accounts for the Premiere Pro instability.

Sony has announced GoPro Competitor, the Action Cam.

Sony-Action-Cam1-1024x724

Cheesy Cam has the article on the new waterproof GoPro competitor from Sony.

Very cool to image stabilization, and a quick release plate, and even cooler 120FPS at 720p! THAT ROCKS!

There are two models according to Photo Rumors.

Sony HDR-AS10 HD action camcorder specs ($198):
• Capture Full HD 1920 x 1080/30p Video
• Back-Illuminated Exmor R CMOS Sensor
• Compact, Rugged Design for Action Sports
• Waterproof Housing with Tripod Mount
• Waterproof Housing Good to 197′ (60 m)
• Wide Angle Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens
• SteadyShot Image Stabilization
• HD Slow Motion Mode at 60 or 120 fps
• HDMI Output & Built-In Stereo Microphone
• Memory Stick Micro & MicroSD/SDHC Slot

Sony HDR-AS15 HD Wi-Fi action camcorder specs ($268):
• Capture Full HD 1920 x 1080/30p Video
• Back-Illuminated Exmor R CMOS Sensor
• Rugged Design & Built-In WiFi Capability
• Waterproof Housing with Tripod Mount
• Waterproof Housing Good to 197′ (60 m)
• Wide Angle Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens
• SteadyShot Image Stabilization
• HD Slow Motion Mode at 60 or 120 fps
• HDMI Output & Built-In Stereo Microphone
• Memory Stick Micro & MicroSD/SDHC Slot

Which looks like the higher end includes Wifi, like the additional GoPro wifi backpack.

And you can preorder from B&H.