 |
Articles By Jeff Sauer
|
 |
Jeff Sauer | CES 2006 offered another glimpse at the future of optical media, this time the high definition-capable replacement for DVD. But that future doesn't look very bright at all.
Jeff Sauer | Though the risk vs. reward ratio can be rather high for an event shoot, live switching can be both exhilarating and a highly efficient use of time.
For those who bet that Apple would soon lead the way in integrated multi-application postproduction suites, Final Cut Studio pays off handsomely. There are some nice feature additions found in the individual application upgrades—for example, Final Cut Pro’s new multicam editing feature—but the four-tool Studio suite is much more than the sum of its parts.
Avid Xpress Studio HD is far more expensive than the competition. That will and should dissuade some potential users, as will the somewhat steeper learning curve for most of the tools compared to Apple, Adobe, or Ulead. But consider what you’re getting: three industry-standard, time-proven editing interfaces in Xpress Pro, Pro Tools LE, and Avid 3D, and solid DVD authoring technology from Sonic in Avid DVD, that are continuing to evolve and grab features from their high-end siblings.
Jeff Sauer | To avoid the return of open-system horror stories, several open-system partners led by Adobe have introduced OpenHD Certification, a joint effort to offer pre-tested configurations of HD-capable editing workstations.
Jeff Sauer | The two new bundles from Avid and Apple are non-linear editing collections that include an NLE interface (Avid Xpress Pro and Final Cut Pro), as well as audio editing software, DVD authoring software, and other creation tools--Avid FX and Avid 3D in Avid Xpress Studio and Apple’s Motion 2 motion graphics application in Final Cut Studio.
Jeff Sauer | What does Avid's recent acquisition of Pinnacle mean to videographers, and users of Pinnacle Studio and Liquid Edtion in particular?
Jeff Sauer|When the digital video industry was born roughly a decade and a half ago, it was really more like the birth of twins--fraternal twins, to be sure.
Judging for the DVD Awards looked at not just the movie, but also how it's augmented by the options and features afforded by the DVD format.
Jeff Sauer| In the most basic way, Apple's "without any special hardware" claim regarding the G5 and HD is still rather misleading. For some 97% of the computer-using population, gaining access to any of Apple's increasingly impressive set of tools does require a significant piece of special hardware: the computer itself.
by Jeff Sauer
Jeff Sauer | Is the current trend of integrating video editing and DVD authoring the wave of the future or a passing ripple? Is treating DVD authoring as anything other than than a serious, self-contained discipline something that professional users should take seriously? And among current options, what works, what doesn’t, and in what situations?
Synopsis: In Final Cut Pro 4, Apple has addressed obvious weaknesses of earlier versions, bolstered workflow, and added features that make it a killer editing application virtually regardless of price.
Final Cut Pro 3.0 is powerful non-linear editing software that requires no special hardware to deliver proifessional performance and quality results (assuming you bring the talent). From the first version, Apple got enough right in terms if professional features and usability at a low enough price to turn any Apple desktop or notebook computer into a very capable non-linear editing studio. And Final Cut Pro 3.0 adds some impressive new features that only hammer the point home.
Apple’s Final Cut Pro revolutionized digital video editing, turning every modern Mac desktop into a viable video editing station. Meanwhile, Adobe and Avid have invigorated the Mac versions of Premiere and Xpress DV. But what are the relative merits of each, and how effectively do they help establish the Mac as the premier video editing platform?
Synopsis: With Edition, Pinnacle's first-release version of the mature FastStudio software they acquired from Fast Multimedia, DV video producers in particular have a new, very affordable tool that can work on anything from a desktop to notebook with professional functionality and results. Edition is a new tool in today's digital studio, and part of a new trend of capable, yet affordable tools. It stands rightly a notch above Premiere and is priced and positioned aggressively against the real competition from editing solutions like Final Cut and Avid's XPress DV. That alone should give you reason enough to take a look.
|