Macgasm on getting iTunes copies of the horribly protected Ultraviolet Digital Copies

Macgasm has a good article on how Warner is now offering free iTunes copies for those unhappy with the Ultraviolet Digital Copies included with their recent blue rays.

I was one of those people, though I had thrown out my redemption code for one movie, so couldn’t get an iTunes copy of that, but was able to get one for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Got to Ultraviolet’s Support Web site, if you too are unhappy with Ultraviolet.

Personally I already don’t like Apple’s draconian copy protection, but to add even more and have to use another buggy application to watch or badly stream digital copies does not work for me at all!

Stu at Prolost on Pimping your After Effects

Stu at Prolost has a great article on pimping out After Effects, what settings he uses, and some must have scripts.

On the scripts, BG Renderer is a must, at $29.99 it allows you to not only render in the background, but also to e-mail you when a render is done, so you can walk way, and know right when it is ready continue.

And of course Stu’s own DV Rebel Tools are also another must have.

Scott Simmons on Media Composer 6

Scott Simmons from the Edit Blog at the Prod Video Coalition has a must have article on Media Composer 6. It is a must read for some of it’s gotchas on ProRES.

While it can fast import ProRES footage like it can with DNxHD footage, it cannot then Consolidate ProRES footage, which means copying without recompressing, it can still only do that with Avid compressed footage. You have to Transcode ProRES footage, so it adds another layer of compression into the mix.

Apple has released an FCPX Bug Fix to 10.0.2

Apple has released an update to Final Cut Pro X 10.0.2. Here are the bug fixes:

• Fixes an issue where a title may revert to the default font after restarting Final Cut Pro X


• Resolves an issue that could cause files recorded with certain third-party mobile devices to play back incorrectly


• Addresses a stability issue caused by changing the start time on a Compound Clip



No major new features, but at least they are doing bug fixes.

Speed up a slow updated Google Reader

For anyone else who relies heavily on RSS feeds, and Google Reader to read them, this hint is a real help. Google recently updated reader with an awful new look, and made it incredibly slow. Well someone on the Google Forums has found a solution that returns the old speed.

In either Chrome or Firefox Adblock add a new rule and enter the following text:

||plusone.google.com/u/0/_/+1/fastbutton^

This should return the old speed, but getting rid of the +1 button on other sites (like it gone from 500px). Not an ideal solution, but anything to get my speed back!

And if you added a custom google plus feed to the Send To it still works.

Walter Biscardi on AVID Media Composer 6 at Creative Cow

Walter Biscardi from Biscardi Creative, has a great article on beta testing AVID Media Composer 6 over at Creative Cow.

It is most interesting because he was a die hard Final Cut Pro user, who only used AVID when it first came out, but now seems totally sold on AVID. And says it is more rock solid with an AJA Kona 3 than Final Cut Pro ever was, and way better with it than Adobe Premiere is.

Way to go AVID! I just think they should permanently make the upgrade from FCP $1000 instead o $1500, but any which way they are going to slaughter the market, I just hope Adobe is up to making enough competition to keep the innovative, just like Apple did for them.

Mike Curtis from HD for Indies on Red Scarlet

Mike Curtis from HD for Indies has a good article on the newly announced RED Scarlet. And it’s pros and cons. It is well worth a read.

It does seem that the Scarlet is the better deal here, though the process is harder to shoot with, but the results should be better.

The Canon lenses issue is the same with both Cameras, and could actually be solved with the new Canon EF Cine lenses they are releasing with the EOS C3800.

I still think both cameras are a bit too expensive, and the Scarlet will have beta issues as it is s RED.