DV Camps Launches JVC HD Event
 

Los Angeles, CA. (October 14, 2003)--A two-day hands-on JVC HD Camcorder workshop, the first such event in southern California, is slated for November 8-9 at Hollywood Studio Rentals, 2400 West Olive Avenue, Burbank, CA 91605.

Say hello to JVC’s groundbreaking JY-HD10U that puts high definition recording in the hands of everyone! Join us for a two-day A to Z HD Workshop and take an in-depth look at the world’s first affordable HDTV Pro-Camcorder. You’ll experience hands on camera shooting, learn sound recording techniques, compressed (Mpeg2 mp@ts) editing solutions with Premiere 6.5 and uncompressed HDSDI connectivity with Final Cut Pro 4.

Saturday’s session explores the cameras innovative technical achievements and allows plenty of time for hands on interior and exterior shooting. JVC’s tech pro’s will be available to answer all your questions.

Sunday’s session highlights post production workflow. You’ll see CineForm’s powerful Aspect HD software working transparently underneath Adobe Premiere 6.5 allowing real-time editing of HD (Mpeg2 mp@ts) video streams. Then get HDSDI connectivity with Aja Video Systems new converter as it takes the camera’s component analog out and converts it to an uncompressed HDSDI signal compatible with Final Cut Pro 4 and a majority of the HD equipment already in the marketplace.

Event fee $75

Call for more info (805) 640-7122 or visit www.DVCamps.com

Perhaps a true 16x9 is on the way to replace it.

Now that the new Canon MVX3i shows they are going forward to widescreen

Dell's new player ... as a recorder?
 

Check it out - The Dell DJ Player

It has USB 2.0 and I think it works both ways, also has a mic for voice recording, and stores 15GB with the basic model for $249.00 - now if only they'd put in a mic jack.

Would it be difficult to convert the built-in mic into a jack?

New computer revolution on the way?
 

There is a similar HD based MP3 player with mic and optical in. It records up to 320kb MP3, I believe. It was made by a company called River or something like that.

Glenn,
The subject of optical (or photonic) processors has been circulating for many years. It looks like someone's really hammering away at building a real processor, eh?

Biological-based processors (actually, bio-storage, I think) has interested me. It could put a whole new spin on the concept of having a "rotten computer".

Hmm.

Say, have you seen these "L-Cinerama" set-ups? Gotta love that "Grand Canyon" configuration.

These are popular with financial traders.

These things are definitely going to be ridiculously expensive to produce for quite some time, since manufacturing plants would have to be configured anew. But it's definitely promising.

Hmmm.... optical cpus.... so the next generation of hackers will just need a mirror and a pair of sunglasses.

The biological thing gives me an idea for a movie. Some criminal mastermind that starts using human brains to perform his complex calculations that will somehow give him control of the world.

It's probably been done.

Imran:

<< Some criminal mastermind starts using human brains to perform his complex calculations that will somehow give him control of the world >>

Actually it has been done, but in reverse. See Donovan's Brain.

Oooh, that's a goodie and a real classic. Also, see The Brain That Wouldn't Die. This makes Donovan's Brain look like Oscar material.

Here's something interesting - looking for clips for TV
 

Nash Entertainment is currently producing 8 half-hours for a FOX primetime series. The program will include a variety of clips from a wide range of sources and programming and will feature hilarious and outrageous moments.

As a producer/videographer, you may have the type of material we are looking for. We would be interested in learning more about your footage and whether excerpts would be available for license. We pay very fair rates. We are looking for a wide range of clips. A small sampling of what we are seeking includes:

TV/Film Outtakes
Funny Home Videos
Wedding Mishaps
Clumsy Children
News Bloopers
Outrageous Gameshow
Hidden Camera Gags
Crazy Promotions
Dumb Criminals
Bad Drivers
Jackass-style Stunts
Unusual Auditions/Wannabes
Outrageous Competitions
Animals Out of Control
Sports Bloopers
Stunts Gone Awry
Vacation Disasters
Outrageous Performers

We hope that you will be able to provide footage that would work on our show. Please keep in mind that, above all, we are looking for visually funny material. We are not looking for footage that has been staged or in any way shot with the intention of misleading viewers into thinking that it was anything but genuinely caught on tape unless it is a format that is, by nature staged, i.e. hidden camera, practical jokes etc.

We look forward to hearing from you and learning more about your work and I appreciate any attention you can afford this request. Please include a copy of this request. Thank You.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey SV Willerth
Associate Producer
Nash Entertainment
323-468-4717
jwillerth@nashentertainment.com

Yay, another season of bad TV shows is on the way!

The 500 Series from iRiver is coming out soon. Already here by Japanese import. Flash recorder with mic in (plug-n-power), digital out, half the size and weight of minidisc, backlit face, voice activated recording.

EVD released
 

Does anybody think these things will ever make good?

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/sto...MPLATE=DEFAULT

Not till Hollywood studios adpot it.

I have it. The iriver IHP-120 has optical/analog in/out and records stereo MP3 at up to 320kb. Includes a small clip on mic and a remote with lcd. I got it not only for music but hopefully to use as a secondary field recording device.

Has built in FM tuner that you can record from.

Plays mp3, wma and OggVorbis. Currently will not play lossless wma (400 to 500kbs). Will play OggVorbis at up to 500kbs. Can be updated with software from iriver for future features.

go to iriveramerica.com for more info.

Have you had any problems with it such as glitches, loss of data,
et cetera? Are you pretty happy with it? I didn't see any mention of the clip-on mic at iriver. Can you tell more about it? How does it connect to the unit?

New Boxx HD Windows NLE
 

http://www.boxxtech.com/asp/ulapp/get.asp?FID=2265

(Note: This links to a PDF of the product's announcement.)

So far no problems. The mic attaches to the unit just like you would with a PC I wouldn't use it for professional recording, but might be okay for voice notes
You can also attach optical in, just not sure how to do that since it's not the same as on an AV receiver. Same for Optical out. You could use an adaptor to hook up an external recording mic if needed, but no XLR hookups. It also has a built in mic. Has a 1/8 male to male connector for hooking up analog in or out. I need to read the manual some more before answering any more questions.(grin).

Joe,

Love to hear about any experiences using it as a "secondary field recording device"!

New 64 bit ATA & SATA RAID
 

Yummy!! This is the type of thing we want... i cant figure out why manufacturers dont intergrate drivers so its more transparent, like these guys have. Well done. :)

nVidia has cost-effective RAID implementation in their nForce3 motherboard chipsets. Check out the RAID technical brief.

http://www.nvidia.com/page/pg_20030918753381.html

Umm, am I missing something here? If it's truly 64bit, I would think it would be running at 66mhz too, something the article fails to mention. That means you're going to need a 64bit/66mhz compatible PCI slot, which "desktop" motherboards don't have. The only ones I'm aware that have these slots are "workstation" and "server" class motherboards, which are considerably more money than desktop boards. Also they don't say if this is a 64bit/66mhz controller. It would seem pointless if it wasn't. 64bit alone does nothing, it needs to run on a faster bus. Regular 32bit pci bus is limited to 33mhz, which has a bandwidth of 133mb/s. In theory, 64bit/33mhz operation should give a slight increase over 32bit/33mhz, but in reality it doesn't. So from the article this controller does nothing more than omit the need to load 3rd party drivers, which isn't going to get me to spend that much when there are plenty of good cards already out there for a quarter of that cost.

"New Format War Looms as DVD Forum Chooses Standard"
 

Reuters story via Yahoo! News.

That's an interesting bit of news. Thanks for posting the link. On another note, I'm a Reuters follower as a great news source.

Establishing a DVD Standard
 

From Wired Magazine:

Establishing a DVD Standard

New dvcpro 50 codec from Main Concept
 

MainConcept has released their new DVCPro codec that supports
8bit 4:2:2 50mb encoding/decoding. It ain't cheap either,though they have a free demo for download.

http://www.mainconcept.com

for more info.

HD DVD:

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/031128/dvd_format_2.html

Jake

Slightly Off-Topic Obituary
 

Julian Hirsch, a long-time icon in the world of stereo equipment reviews, recently passed away in New York. His name may not be familiar to young people but to those of us who followed "hi fi" to "stereo" in the old Stereo Review Magazine from the 1960's and on, Julian Hirsch was one of the most read and respected names in the business.

You can read more at the Sound & Vision Magazine site.

Julian Hirsch more or less invented the concept of "laboratory testing" of products being reviewed for consumer magazines. He did this for Stereo Review, of course. That magazine was owned by Ziff-Davis, which later also owned PC Magazine. ZD eventually created an in-house lab, consolidated for all its computer magazines but I think now used almost exclusively for PC Magazine. (I was an editor for ZD, the reason I know these things.)

Hirsch's notion of applying consistent tests that could be repeated and thus used to establish baseline results is something that is sorely lacking in the magazines in the DV industry.

R.I.P.

Will

There is a strong rumor that Griffen will be releasing a line-in capable voice recorder for the third generation iPods. Belkin already makes a voice recorder add-on but is lacks line-in capability.

Sony Truck Tour
 

From Sony's web site:

http://www.sonytrucktour.com/dloc.asp?pg=us&sort=2

This seems to be a professional product demo tour scheduled for various cities throughout the US. It's been going on for some time now. Hope they come back north when the weather gets warm.

This is the first time I ever heard of xdcam. Too chicken to ask what it costs.

XDCAM pro camera starts around 15K add another 15K if you want a deck too.

Is 2004 the real start of digital cinema?
 

Doesn't seem like it to me, but this article is hinting that it just might be.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/1...eut/index.html

The AP has a report out somewhere today saying it will be two generations before digital will displace film.

Yes, I too read that Reuters story on Yahoo! news. I suspect that the ongoing popular press chatter on the subject will, to a great degree, become a self-fulfilling prophecy by channeling the public's expectations. Here in Chicago the transformation is already beginning to take place at a few of the larger downtown theaters. People who have seen features on one of our digital screens have begun to rumor about how much better the image is (at least to their eyes) and thus the tsunami begins.

It will not be next year, but it certainly also not be "generations". And film projection houses will remain for the foreseeable future, even after Hollywood stops producing for that medium.

I think, and this is purely my view, is that digital will surpass film a lot faster than everyone expexts. Film has had over 100 years to mature, and in that sense digital is still a baby, but its growing up very fast indeed, think about it, look at how much computers have developed (only around for around 20 years!) i still remember playing with C64 and Amstrad 128K just as if it was yesterday and now look we have 128BIT consoles and AMD 64 BIT computers. In fact the technology is here already but its more political and ecomonics at the moment that is slowing the momentum of the digital wave. Not long now give it another 5~10 years then people will be saying "F..ILM...huh? what was that all about?"

I mean think about when was the last time you used a film based still camera after owning a digital still camera? :-)

Anyway just my View..

I didn;t know The Last Samurai was digital! HOLY SMOKES!

Digitally projected, not digitally shot. When a digital camera can produce images as good as "Last Samurai", then perhaps there will be some true weight to the "Film is Dead" battle call.