LG 29" Ultrawide sharpness question

I am not really sure if this is a Mac Pro issue, a Mac OS X mavericks issue, a Window 8.1 issue or the LG itself! Hence why I have no idea where to post this. I'm hoping someone will happen upon it that knows more than I do, and give me a clue to what's going on.
I have a 29" LG Ultrawide monitor ( http://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-29EA73-P-led-monitor ) which I really like a lot. I have used the Apple branded thunderbolt displays, but they are twice as much (Apple=$999 vs LG=$450 @ best buy) and truth be told, the extra vertical height feels too big for me at this point in life. Perhaps I'll change my thoughts on that someday.
On to the issue. I have a dual boot Mac Pro (late 2013). I'm using a thunderbolt port to achieve 2560x1080 on the screen (native). The screen was set to a sharpness setting of 5 out of 10. Now from what I know of how sharpness works on TVs and Monitors... you should basically always set that back to 0. Sharpness settings (IIRC), add extra artifacts to make the image seem sharper. I.e., whiter regions around dark lines, etc.
And at sharpness 5, Mac OS looked odd. Like there was jpg artifacts around all the menus text in OS X. So I set it to 0, and everything looked smooth and as beautiful as it previously had on my Sony 1080p display.
However, on the same computer, with the same display, by bootcamping into Windows 8.1, the display looks horribly soft at sharpness 0, and only looks crisp at sharpness 5 (the screen default). When I boot back into OS X, the screen looks horribly oversharpened at 5.
Anyone know why this is going on? Why the disparity? So confused!

I am also confused as to how it helped
Al this is doing is exactly as you say Mini DisplayPort side of the cable up to the late 2013 Mac Pro's thunderbolt port, and then the Dual link DVI up to the LG29EA93 but als ohave the USB cable connected to the MBP so it is powered.
I can get the same as you with a Mini DP - DP Cable full 2560 x 1080 but it looks like crap colours are unclear and text is over sharp.
If I adjust the shapness of the monitor it looks too soft on the Mac and then in windows it looks blurr.
I connect my PC windows 7 to the monitor on default settings and it looks great.
Dont know why but using the Dual link DVI Adapter and picking 2560 has sorted all of the problems out even with the sharpness set at default of no 5 ( same as Windows )
You could grab one from a apple store and return it within 14 days to see if it works for you.
I hope it will sort the issue on the Mac Pro as I have one on order and want to use this display when it arrives .

Similar Messages

Quality and or Sharpness question

Hello everyone!
So as of this moment I am using Adobe Premiere Elements 9 and I'm having some trouble with my video quality.
I am recording with Fraps. The setting are fine recording with 30 FPS and the raw footage looks amazing. I have a very good computer and it has no problem capturing at 60 fps let alone 30 fps.
regardless the raw footage look perfect.
Now my problem is that when I render out my videos are not the same quality. My setting are set to 1080p youtube and I am recording in 1080p.
My project settings are DSLR 30 fps 1080p
rendering with H.264 and everything to match my raw footage and max out my quality with youtube.
1920 1080p fps to match fraps (30) widescreen 16:9 level 4.2 use max render quality bitrate top 8 bottom 10
Its strange that it seems like the quality is worse and that its not as sharp. I am watching in full screen though and I am EXTREMLY picky. I don't know if this is just a result of my files being compressed and I lose a bit of quality? I believe I also did a test with the blue ray settings or whatever and I still got the same result. just seems to me that its odd that my raw footage is better than my rendered one but my best guess is that its it because it is compressed? any tips or advice feed back will be helpful!
I am not very experienced at all with this stuff but I do know that my setting match that of 1080p youtube and also match my settings of my raw footage. there is a significant difference though!To put in a nutshell am I being to picky or is there something I'm doing wrong?
P.S I am getting with the times just ordered Elements 11 and also I will not be able to reply asap as I am putting this out before I sleep but I will get back to you asap.

FRAPS video uses codecs that are, technically, not directly supported in Premiere Elements. So it's impossible to edit FRAPS natively or render it smartly. Your results are always going to have some compromise.
Bill Hunt, however, has compiled some excellent notes on working with non-camcorder video that you may find helpful.
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/453044?tstart=0

[IDCS5, Mac 10.6.3] Typography question: musical sharp sign

I have a range of common fonts, but can't seem to find the musical sharp sign in any of them. (It looks like an octothorp/tic-tac-toe/pound/hash only not quite. I'm not sure how to start looking!
Thanks in advance -- Jeremy

macinbytes wrote:
If only I could do that with my keys, I'd have as many points as Peter.
I'd gladly give you a few, but there's no way to do it. And I still don't have the t-shirt...

Sharp Aquos Crystal question

Hi friends,
Hope you have a great day.
I would like to know if I buy Sharp Aquos Crystal at this link: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/sprint-prepaid-sharp-aquos-crystal-no-contract-cell-phone-white/8776196....
and send to my friend in another country, can he still use it ? Or it only can be use inside US ?
Thank you so much for your time.
Jay

Hello Mancias-
It depends on what kind of network capabilities are available where your friend lives. Based on the specifications that this phone shows, I don’t believe that it will. I would also recommend consulting with either a Sprint store or your local Best Buy Store or Best Buy Mobile location for more information.
Thanks for connecting with us!
Bill|Senior Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
Private Message

Sharpness of Photos in Lightroom 5.3

Can anyone please provide an explanation as to why my pictures when edited in Lightroom 5.3 appear soft and seem to require too much sharpening for an acceptable screen view.    When pictures are subsequently made ready for printing from Lightoom 5.3, they then appear over-sharpened when previewed.          Lightroom 5.3 does not seem to show screen images at the same level of sharpness as the supplied RAW processing software supplied by Sony for my A7r camera.      Images loaded directly into Sony's own Raw processor (IMAGE DATA CONVERTER) look tack-sharp having been auto-edited with basic default presets within the programme.
I have invested in a high resolution monitor and this is kept regularly calibrated.       LR 5.3 knows it is dealing with RAW files from my Sony A7r because the Metadata transfers efficiently on import.
If I do any other photo work on my computer (WIN 8.1 64bit), all my pictures look acceptably sharp.     When loaded into LR 5.3, they always seem to require more sharpening to look the same.     Often the sharpness slider requires to be pushed to 100-120 in order for the picture to look correct........
Have I missed some important set-up procedure when installing LR 5.3?         How can I ensure that Sony RAW files look presentably sharp following basic standard preset importation (with the sharpness slider settling to about 25)
Some help with this vexing issue would be appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.

Your comments and those of others appreciated.
2 things to report since my last communication.
a)    I am now reasonably sure that the rendering of sharpened screen images within LR 5.3 do not display correctly when referenced with the amount of overall detail applied.       This is because images exported out of LR 5.3 and then viewed in a different photo viewer look so much better.
b)    By fortunate coincidence, I have now downloaded and installed LR 5.4 and my very first impression is that some improvement in the sharpening (detailing) facility has been incorporated.      I will work with this new version of the programme further before considering a further judgement.
Very best regards and thanks to all.
trshaner wrote:
Billtimepilot wrote:
Forgive my naivety but I feel I must make beg the question, 'why isn't the sharpening facility within LR 5.3 as efficient, effective and straightforward as it is in RAW processors such as SILKYPIX and SONY IMAGE DATA CONVERTER?           Within these programmes, the sharpening added to RAW files by basic default.......which I understand to be known as 'capture sharpening......is usually just right.
There could be a number of things going on that are affecting what you are seeing.The onscreen preview image inside the editing application may be using different scaling algorithms to make the image "fit" in the loupe window. If they are using the simpler and faster nearest-neighbor or bilinear algorithms they will appear sharper (i.e. LR Develop module preview), but on closer examination will also exhibit interpolation "jaggies." along straight edges. I also believe the editing applications you mentioned do not apply noise reduction to the preview image, which may also make the image look a bit sharper.
Run a quick test by applying Sharpening to a raw image at 1:1 view so that it appears cirtically sharp when viewed at 1:4 Zoom in the Library module. Next Export the image to 16bit TIFF, ProPhoto RGB profile with NO Image Sizing and NO Output Sharpening. Using the same raw file Export the image to 16bit TIFF, ProPhoto RGB profile, but with 1:4 Image Sizing (i.e. Long Edge = 1/4 raw file long edge in pixels) with Output Sharpening = Screen Standard. Next Compare the 1:4 resized TIFF export image at 1:1 view to the other two images at 1:4 view so they are equally sized. Let me know what you see.

CS4 NOT capable of sharp displays at all zoom levels

I must have been asleep, until now, and missed the significance and importance of what follows.
In post #11 here:
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/375478?tstart=30
on 19 March 2009 Chris Cox (Adobe Photoshop Engineer - his title on the old forums) said this, in a discussion regarding sharpness in CS4:
"You can't have perfectly sharp images at all zoom levels.". Unfortunately, my experience with CS4 since its release late last year has repeatedly confirmed the correctness of this statement.
What makes this statement so disturbing is that it contradicts an overwhelming amount of the pre- and post-release promotional advertising of CS4 by Adobe, to the effect that the OpenGL features of CS4 enable it to display sharp images at all zoom levels and magnifications. What is surprising is that this assertion has been picked up and regurgitated in commentary by other, sometimes highly experienced, Ps users (some unconnected with, but also some directly connected with, Adobe). I relied upon these representations when making my decision to purchase the upgrade from CS3 to CS4. In fact, they were my principal reason for upgrading. Without them, I would not have upgraded. Set out in numbered paragraphs 1 to 6 below is a small selection only of this material.
1. Watch the video "Photoshop CS4: Buy or Die" by Deke McClelland (inducted into the Photoshop Hall of Fame, according to his bio) on the new features of CS4 in a pre-release commentary to be found here:
http://fyi.oreilly.com/2008/09/new-dekepod-deke-mcclelland-on.html
Notice what he says about zooming with Open GL: "every zoom level is a bicubically rendered thing of beauty". That, when viewed with the zooming demonstrated, can only be meant to convey that your image will be "sharp" at all zoom levels. I'm sure he believes it too - Deke is someone who is noted for his outspoken criticism of Photoshop when he believes it to be deserved. It would seem that he must not have experimented and tested to the extent that others posting in this forum have done so.
2. Here's another Adobe TV video from Deke McClelland:
http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1584v1021
In this video Deke discusses the "super smooth" and "very smooth" zooming of CS4 at all zoom levels achieved through the use of OpenGL. From the context of his comments about zooming to odd zoom levels like 33.33% and 52.37%, it is beyond doubt that Deke's use of the word "smooth" is intended to convey "sharp". At the conclusion of his discussion on this topic he says that, as a result of CS4's "smooth and accurate" as distinct from "choppy" (quoted words are his) rendering of images at odd zoom levels (example given in this instance was 46.67%), "I can actually soft proof sharpening as it will render for my output device".
3. In an article by Philip Andrews at photoshopsupport.com entitled 'What's New In Adobe Photoshop CS4 - Photoshop 11 - An overview of all the new features in Adobe Photoshop CS4',
see: http://www.photoshopsupport.com/photoshop-cs4/what-is-new-in-photoshop-cs4.html
under the heading 'GPU powered display', this text appears :
"Smooth Accurate Pan and Zoom functions – Unlike previous versions where certain magnification values produced less than optimal previews on screen, CS4 always presents your image crisply and accurately. Yes, this is irrespective of zoom and rotation settings and available right up to pixel level (3200%)." Now, it would be a brave soul indeed who might try to argue that "crisply and accurately" means anything other than "sharply", and certainly, not even by the wildest stretch of the imagination, could it be taken to mean "slightly blurry but smooth" - to use the further words of Chris Cox also contained in his post #11 mentioned in the initial link at the beginning of this post.
4. PhotoshopCAFE has several videos on the new features of CS4. One by Chris Smith here:
http://www.photoshopcafe.com/cs4/vid/CS4Video.htm
is entitled 'GPU Viewing Options". In it, Chris says, whilst demonstrating zooming an image of a guitar: "as I zoom out or as I zoom in, notice that it looks sharp at any resolution. It used to be in Photoshop we had to be at 25, 50 , 75 (he's wrong about 75) % to get the nice sharp preview but now it shows in every magnification".
5. Here's another statement about the sharpness of CS4 at odd zoom levels like 33.33%, but inferentially at all zoom levels. It occurs in an Adobe TV video (under the heading 'GPU Accererated Features', starting at 2 min 30 secs into the video) and is made by no less than Bryan O'Neil Hughes, Product Manager on the Photoshop team, found here:
http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1556v1686
After demonstrating zooming in and out of a bunch of documents on a desk, commenting about the type in the documents which is readily visible, he says : "everything is nice and clean and sharp".
6. Finally, consider the Ps CS4 pdf Help file itself (both the original released with 11.0 and the revised edition dated 30 March 2009 following upon the release of the 11.0.1 update). Under the heading 'Smoother panning and zooming' on page 5, it has this to say: "Gracefully navigate to any area of an image with smoother panning and zooming. Maintain clarity as you zoom to invididual pixels, and easily edit at the highest magnification with the new Pixel Grid." The use of the word "clarity" can only mean "sharpness" in this context. Additionally, the link towards the top of page 28 of the Help file (topic of Rotate View Tool) takes you to yet another video by Deke McClelland. Remember, this is Adobe itself telling you to watch this video. 5 minutes and 40 seconds into the video he says: "Every single zoom level is fluid and smooth, meaning that Photoshop displays all pixels properly in all views which ensures more accurate still, video and 3D images as well as better painting, text and shapes.". Not much doubt that he is here talking about sharpness.
So, as you may have concluded, I'm pretty upset about this situation. I have participated in another forum (which raised the lack of sharp rendering by CS4 on several occasions) trying to work with Adobe to overcome what I initially thought may have been only a problem with my aging (but nevertheless, just-complying) system or outdated drivers. But that exercise did not result in any sharpness issue fix, nor was one incorporated in the 11.0.1 update to CS4. And in this forum, I now read that quite a few, perhaps even many, others, with systems whose specifications not only match but well and truly exceed the minimum system requirements for OpenGL compliance with CS4, also continue to experience sharpness problems. It's no surprise, of course, given the admission we now have from Chris Cox. It seems that CS4 is incapable of producing the sharp displays at all zoom levels it was alleged to achieve. Furthermore, it is now abundently clear that, with respect to the issue of sharpness, it is irrelevant whether or not your system meets the advertised minimum OpenGL specifications required for CS4, because the OpenGl features of CS4 simply cannot produce the goods. What makes this state of affairs even more galling is that, unlike CS3 and earlier releases of Photoshop, CS4 with OpenGL activated does not even always produce sharp displays at 12.5, 25, and 50% magnifications (as one example only, see posts #4 and #13 in the initial link at the beginning of this post). It is no answer to say, and it is ridiculous to suggest (as some have done in this forum), that one should turn off OpenGL if one wishes to emulate the sharp display of images formerly available.

Thanks, Andrew, for bringing this up. I have seen comments and questions in different forums from several CS4 users who have had doubts about the new OpenGL display functionality and how it affects apparent sharpness at different zoom levels. I think part of the interest/doubt has been created by the over-the-top hype that has been associated with the feature as you documented very well.
I have been curious about it myself and honestly I didn't notice it at first but then as I read people's comments I looked a little closer and there is indeed a difference at different zoom levels. After studying the situation a bit, here are some preliminary conclusions (and I look forward to comments and corrections):
The "old", non-OpenGL way of display was using nearest-neighbor interpolation.
I am using observation to come to this conclusion, using comparison of images down-sampled with nearest-neighbor and comparing them to what I see in PS with OpenGL turned off. They look similar, if not the same.
The "new", OpenGL way of display is using bilinear interpolation.
I am using observation as well as some inference: The PS OpenGL preferences have an option to "force" bilinear interpolation because some graphics cards need to be told to force the use of shaders to perform the required interpolation. This infers that the interpolation is bilinear.
Nothing is truly "accurate" at less than 100%, regardless of the interpolation used.
Thomas Knoll, Jeff Schewe, and others have been telling us that for a long time, particularly as a reason for not showing sharpening at less than 100% in ACR (We still want it though ). It is just the nature of the beast of re-sampling an image from discrete pixels to discrete pixels.
The "rule of thumb" commonly used for the "old", non-OpenGL display method to use 25%, 50%, etc. for "accurate" display was not really accurate.
Those zoom percentages just turned out to be less bad than some of the other percentages and provided a way to achieve a sort of standard for comparing things. Example: "If my output sharpening looks like "this" at 50% then it will look close to "that" in the actual print.
The "new", OpenGL interpolation is certainly different and arguably better than the old interpolation method.
This is mainly because the more sophisticated interpolation prevents drop-outs that occurred from the old nearest-neighbor approach (see my grid samples below). With nearest-neighbor, certain details that fall into "bad" areas of the interpolated image will be eliminated. With bilinear, those details will still be visible but with less sharpness than other details. Accuracy with both the nearest-neighbor and bilinear interpolations will vary with zoom percentage and where the detail falls within the image.
Since the OpenGL interpolation is different, users may need to develop new "rules of thumb" for zoom percentages they prefer when making certain judgements about an image (sharpening, for example).
Note that anything below 100% is still not "accurate", just as it was not "accurate" before.
As Andrew pointed out, the hype around the new OpenGL bilinear interpolation went a little overboard in a few cases and has probably led to some incorrect expectations from users.
The reason that some users seem to notice the sharpness differences with different zooms using OpenGL and some do not (or are not bothered by it) I believe is related to the different ways that users are accustomed to using Photoshop and the resolution/size of their monitors.
Those people who regularly work with images with fine details (pine tree needles, for example) and/or fine/extreme levels of sharpening are going to see the differences more than people who don't. To some extent, I see this similar to people who battle with moire: they are going to have this problem more frequently if they regularly shoot screen doors and people in fine-lined shirts. Resolution of the monitor used may also be a factor. The size of the monitor in itself is not a factor directly but it may influence how the user uses the zoom and that may in turn have an impact on whether they notice the difference in sharpness or not. CRT vs LCD may also play a role in noticeability.
The notion that the new OpenGL/bilinear interpolation is sharp except at integer zoom percentages is incorrect.
I mention this because I have seen at last one thread implying this and an Adobe employee participated who seemed to back it up. I do not believe this is correct. There are some integer zoom percentages that will appear less sharp than others. It doesn't have anything to do with integers - it has to do with the interaction of the interpolation, the size of the detail, and how that detail falls into the new, interpolated pixel grid.
Overall conclusion:
The bilinear interpolation used in the new OpenGL display is better than the old, non-OpenGL nearest-neighbor method but it is not perfect. I suspect actually, that there is no "perfect" way of "accurately" producing discrete pixels at less than 100%. It is just a matter of using more sophisticated interpolation techniques as computer processing power allows and adapting higher-resolution displays as that technology allows. When I think about it, that appears to be just what Adobe is doing.
Some sample comparisons:
I am attaching some sample comparisons of nearest-neighbor and bilinear interpolation. One is of a simple grid made up of 1 pixel wide lines. The other is of an image of a squirrel. You might find them interesting. In particular, check out the following:
Make sure you are viewing the Jpegs at 100%, otherwise you are applying interpolation onto interpolation.
Notice how in the grid, a 50% down-sample using nearest-neighbor produces no grid at all!
Notice how the 66.67% drops out some lines altogether in the nearest-neighbor version and these same lines appear less sharp than others in the bilinear version.
Notice how nearest-neighbor favors sharp edges. It isn't accurate but it's sharp.
On the squirrel image, note how the image is generally more consistent between zooms for the bilinear versions. There are differences in sharpness though at different zoom percentages for bilinear, though. I just didn't include enough samples to show that clearly here. You can see this yourself by comparing results of zooms a few percentages apart.
Well, I hope that was somewhat helpful. Comments and corrections are welcomed.

Output quicktime movie choppy and less sharp than original

Goodmorning!
I am planning to make a stand alone movie of my footage that I can keep and watch on my iMac. My sequence was made on FCP 7 on 1920 x 1080 with Prores 422 codec.
I did a few tests with exporting to quicktime movie (standard settings), because I have read several times that converting this way results in more or less the same quality. When I compare the videoquality of the Quicktime movie with playing the footage on the timeline fullscreen (+view-external video-all frames+), I am very disappointed. Not only is the sharpness of the quicktime movie less than the original, the movie plays very choppy (not fluently at all) .
My question is: is that result to be expected? May I compare a quicktime movie with the original as described before?
Or maybe I should export the sequence in a more sophisticated way?
The quicktime outcome was about 30 seconds and resulted in a file of about 500 MB. My wish is that the size of the file will not be bigger.
I hope that you can help me. Thanks in advance.

Tom,
Three times "correct" to your three questions.
Opened the exported file in the QuickTime player, Movie Inspector said:
Structure: Apple ProRess 422 , 1920 x1080 (1888 x 1062) millions, 16-bit integer (little indian) Stereo 48000 khz
Bps: 25
Size: 561,7 MB
Speed: 118,53 Mbit/s
Current size: 1882 x 1058 pixels
If I run the sequence through JED deinterlacer, the movie gets a better flow. Of course the sharpness deminish a bit too.
I hope that you can help me.
Would export in H.264 be a better option?
Maybe the 25 Bps is too high? My Panasonic SD60 produces only 17 mb Mbps.

Apple Video Adapter question

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/StoreReentry. wo?productLearnMore=M9109G%2FA
I know this product works on our network providing an information service via a cable connection to TVs throughout the building, from a 1.25Ghz eMac.
My questions, however, are: Can I connect an 1.25GHz eMac directly to a single TV using a composite video cable or only via the s-video port. If a composite cable connection works what has to be done to tune the TV in to the eMac output?
If S-video is the way to go... are there any recommendations/restrictions with regard to cable length?
Hope I'm making sense (and that I have posted to the correct forum).
Thanks in advance.

If the TV has a S-Video connector, use it. It will give a sharper picture than composite video. If all you have is composite, use that. The TV should have an input selector to choose S-Video or composite. If the set has no video input you will need a RF modulator to convert the S-video or composite video to RF to feed into the TV's antenna input.

Open as "Smart Object" from ACR to PS questions.

I have 2 questions associated with opening from ACR as a Smart Object in Photoshop. I'm using CS4.
1. Is there a way to retrieve the original filename (complete with path) using a script or a setting somewhere to do this? I'm currently using Bridge Talk to ask Bridge what the active folder is then adding that to the document's .name property and taking off the " as Smart Object-1" part. Then I add a .psd extension to it and then I have to save it to retain that name unless there's an answer to #2 below.
2. Is there a way to change the Document's name as described above from "Filename as Smart Object-1" to "Filename.psd" without actually saving it?
It seems to me there would be a simple way that I might be overlooking here.
Thanks
Mike

Sorry, I guess I need to explain better.
I wrote a script to do this, but here is this portion of the workflow:
1. Open CR2 file in ACR and make adjustments.
2. Open as Smart Object in PS.
3. Script Events Manager activates this script on Document Open, checks to see if it was opened as a Smart Object. We'll assume it did.
4. The script asks me if I want to make another layer. I pick yes. The script copies the SO layer, sets an inverted mask, and opens to edit settings in ACR again.
5. I adjust the settings for that layer in ACR and click OK.
The script will keep looping between 4 and 5 as long as I pick YES.
This gives me more local control of areas. If I want to bring out eyes a bit, I can up contrast, saturation, sharpness, brightness, exposure, or whatever looks best for the eyes in ACR, then unmask the eyes as much as I want on that layer in Photoshop. There is more data to pull from in the RAW file vs trying to do the same thing within Photoshop.
Opening as a regular image file then converting to a SO doesn't give me the same control. I would have to reopen the file separately, make the adjustments in ACR, open to PS then copy that document and paste as a new layer in the original.
Duplicating the document might work also, but I can also just save as .psd at that point since I'd have to know the path name by then anyway. I'll give that a try, though, and see if it might work better. The only catch with the save part is it slows me down waiting for it to write the file and if I have 5+ SO layers, it takes awhile. Once I unmask where I want, I flatten to a rasterized layer and continue.
Thanks

Question on the A1038 Cinema Display

A friend recently gave me his old display. I have a couple of questions about it - one of which I'm guessing I already know the answer to.
First, I have the display hooked up to the DVI video on the G4. I did not hook up the USB cable. The power light flashes 3 times, then off and repeats as long as the Mac is on. Any concerns about this? What does this indicate out of curiosity? I'm guessing my hook up may be a contributor.
Second, I love the sharpness of the image - especially after using a CRT display for years. The screen is a bit darker at the top compared to the bottom of the display. I am thinking the back lights are bad. Can this be remedied by myself or is it something I'll have to get used to? At this time the majority of the work I do doesn't require an evenly lit display. If I start doing more image editing again I can always plug my older monitor in since I have two video outs on the G4.
Thanks for any thoughts or help that is offered.

First do an smc reset when changing system configurations. Do pram reset to just for the heck of it.
Next check or try to set your audio via Audio MIDI Setup (in Utilities). See if you have better luck with that instead of the Sound preferences.

How can I create sharp screenshots in PDF format?

I would like to create sharp screenshots in PDF format, but whenever I use Grab (Version 1.3(90)) for my screenshots the images turn out to be somewhat fuzzy. The shots that I want to take are of the whole screen, with the browser Safari open, showing webpages with significant detail. I use Grab, and then convert to PDF. I import those files into Latex using TexShop. The images turn out to be fuzzy. If projected on a large screen, I can't read the text in the webpage. It is as if someone with a trembling hand had held a camera at the screen. Is there any way of creating sharp screenshots in PDF? Many thanks for any help.

Hi tilmat,
first of all: WELCOME TO THE DISCUSSIONS!
The sharpness of screenshots is limited by the resolution of the screen. A normal CRT-display has a resolution of 72 dpi which is less than half the resolution of 150 dpi you would use for low quality print-outs. So, unless you make the screenshot smaller by a factor of at least 2 it will always be a little blurry.
You can change the format of the screenshots with utilities such as TinkerTool.
If this answered your question please consider granting some stars: Why reward points?

A Case Study Question in the Use of Stills with Final Cut Pro

Believe it or not, for the last week I have been reading endlessly about pixels, resolution, aspect ratio, Photoshop resizing, the bloody battle over the usefulness of the term "dpi" in video discussions, and generally about what one should do in order to use still images in a film edited in Final Cut Pro. And yet, though I have a PhD from an Ivy League university, and can understand a lot of things, I am sorry to say I am still at a loss.
Much of the discussions of photos on forums like this one are either quite technical or broadly philosophical. But my questions are completely practical and specific. I am not a photographer or a printer, nor am I an experienced editor. I am just a fairly smart person trying to use photos in his film. So I am going to ask some specific questions and hope for specific answers, without any philosophical waffling or technical mumbo jumbo.
I have one of those HP all in one printer/fax/scanner machines. I am told this device, while not fancy, is perfectly adequate to the task. Some of my photos I scan with this device from prints. Some of them I get from other people. (I have stopped downloading photos from the web, as the quality is nearly always poor.) I have Photoshop Essentials (not Photoshop). I am making a 90-minute HDV documentary, 16x9. The doc is mostly HDV footage with a still here and there. I want to be able to move on the photos (zoom, pan, etc.). I want, obviously, for them to look good. My sense is that the work flow is: (a) scan the photo (or obtain from some source as a digital file); alter the photo in some way in Photoshop; and (b) import the photo into your FCP project.
Question #1: If I have a 6x8 print, what settings should I scan it in with -- is it possible there really is no difference between scanning in it at 72dpi and 300dpi? Is it really all about the dimensions of the image? Isn't a photo whose dimensions are enlarged in Photoshop to make it available for panning and zooming in my sequence going to look fuzzier and more pixelated if it was originally scanned at 72dpi than at 300dpi? Also: Does it matter if I save it as a jpeg or tiff? Bottom line: What settings do I use in my scanning software when I scan a photo for this purpose?
Question #2: Once I have the image file on my hard drive, I suppose I now have to load it into Photoshop Elements and do something to it. What is it exactly I am using this program for? I'm going to take a wild guess. I use PS Elements to (1) crop the photo so that it has a 16x9 aspect ratio, and (2) resize it so that I can do pans and other Ken Burnsy moves on it in FCP. Bottom line: What exactly do I do in PSE to the photo and what settings do I use to both (a) make it available for moves and (b) not injure the quality of the photo by increasing its dimensions?
(In passing, I will say that I have done experiments that show that if I increase a photo's dimensions to, say, 4000 pixels by 2000 pixels, the photo's quality definitely and obviously suffers. I don't understand how a picture can be increased in size without losing sharpness. So, what am I doing wrong? Is this a function of it having been scanned in improperly to begin with?)
Question #3: If I am obtaining a photo from an outside source -- say, a professional photographer -- what are the specifications I ask for in both a hard print and a photo file? If the former, what dimensions do I ask for? If the latter, do I specify resolution and dimensions and file type?
These are my questions. At this point, I really don't want to know WHY any of this is the way it is. I just want someone to say: "Do this; do this; and then do this."
Thank you very much.

Studio X is absolutely correct; while DPI has no meaning in the video world, it often has significant meaning in scanning (and, of course, printing). If your scanning program only allows image size adjustments in DPI, then you'll have to adapt to that ... keeping in mind that the scanner's DPI setting directly relates to pixel resolution. And it is pixel resolution (not DPI) that will make all the difference in the world for images used in video. You can test this yourself by scanning an image at 1000 x 1200 @ 72 DPI and again at 1000 x 1200 at 300 DPI. They will look identical on TV or projection as long as the pixel resolution remains the same.
As an example, my Epson scanning software allows me to adjust image size by DPI or pixel resolution. Wanting to maintain the correct aspect ratio for the image area that I'm scanning, I adjust the DPI setting which in turn adjusts the pixel resolution automatically. But it doesn't work the other way around; if I adjust the pixel resolution settings manually, the DPI setting does not change. Your software may vary.
As Jim Cookman suggested, a scan setting of 300 DPI works well for most images ranging from 3 x 5 to 4 x 6 (typical snapshot size) in a DV Sequence. I may scan smaller images at 400 or 600 DPI and larger images (8 x 10 and up) at 150 DPI. Other size images fall in between those numbers. But I'm constantly watching the pixel resolution numbers to make sure I'm getting what I'll need to support the animation I intend to apply to the images once in FCP. Also bear in mind that I don't always scan the entire image. I only scan the area of an image that I intend to use in my program.
So the answer is that it all depends on your scanner's software and how far you plan to push into an image once in FCP. Do a few experiments ... you're a bright fellow so it shouldn't take long for you to find the formula that suits your purposes.
I haven't edited an HD Sequence using images yet, so I cannot offer definitive pixel resolutions for you there.
On to your specific questions:
1. See above. There is no one correct answer It all depends on what you intend to do with the image once it's in FCP. If you only plan to push in about 10%, you won't need much higher resolution than the equivalent of your FCP Sequence resolution. If you plan to push in further, you'll need a higher resolution to support that move.
2. I've been doing these for many years (SD Sequences only) and I've never loaded them into Photoshop first. I import the entire folder into FCP and drop it on the Timeline so I can see what the images look like on TV; unless your program is for CD-ROM or web delivery, that's where it counts. When you place them on the Timeline, FCP will automatically scale to your Sequence settings and pixel aspect ratio. If I see that some of them need adjustment using an external editor such as Photoshop, then and only then do I use that program. And by the way, if you have a vertical image and a 16 x 9 aspect ratio in FCP, how do you propose to crop it to fit? Perhaps you meant another term instead of "crop."
3. If it's a print, it won't matter what size they supply because you'll control the image size when scanning. If it's a file ... once again, the size (pixel resolution) depends on what you intend to do with the image once in FCP.
I really don't want to know WHY any of this is the way it is. I just want someone to say: "Do this; do this; and then do this."<<</div>
With that attitude, how did you ever earn a PhD from an Ivy League university? But if that is truly all you want, you might consider hiring an experienced editor to do it for you.
-DH

Soon-to-be Macbook Pro convert asks questions

Hi there!
I have had Windows PCs in the past and i want some change. i want to do things more quicker & simplier. I have been researching for the past week or so a comparison on Apple Macs and the latest crop of Windows 7 laptops and i wanted to ask questions so i can convince myself if a Mac (in particular the Macbook Pro) is the one for me:
1. Price
The Cheapest Macbook Pro is down for £999. with the same (or less) of the price for a Windows 7 laptop i can have a high-end laptop with a little more specs inside (disregarding wether you "need" the specs or not). Why buy a Mac?
2. Camera
Does the FacetimeHD Camera allow for 3rd-party chat like Skype, Facebook video chat, Google talk or Yahoo Messenger?
3. Bluetooth
With Bluetooth on-board will it allow sending or receiving files from a non-Apple device? and/or will it allow 3rd-party peripherals such as webcam,keyboard, mice or speakers to work (i.e. compatibility)?
4. DLNA
The Macbook Pro doesn't seem to have DLNA on-board. what if i want to "throw" files to my TV via my PS3 will i need another Apple peripheral to do that?
5. microSD card slot
Is the microSD card slot universal and is compatible with most if not all types?
6. Keypad
It does say somthing as "multitouch". would that mean pinch-to-zoom photos/videos/websites? swiping as well?
7. Software & Programmes
I like my Windows 7 laptop as i can download almost any WIndows-compatible softwares & programmes. things such as a browser (Firefox & Chrome), music management (3rd-party alternative to iTunes), anti-virus, etc. Will the Macbook Pro "in general" allow us to do that as well?
8. Web Apps
Much i am not familiar with these web apps. All i know is they are just like apps on a smartphone. The Google Chromebook was built for the web and has loads of web apps on its Market. does Apple have a similar system? can i download Apple and also Google web apps on the MBPro?
9. USB ports
The MBPro has USB ports but can i insert any 3rd-party external/portable hard drive in order to view files such as JPEG photos, MP3 files or AVI movies?
Do i need to download a 1st-party or 3rd-party software in order to view/play those said files?
10. Uploading & Editing photos
Say i have a 32GB microSD card with photos or videos. i want to upload them to Facebook or Flicker or videos onto Youtube. i can do that on the Macbook Pro can i? do i need a 1st-party or 3rd-party software to do that?
I'm also into basic editing of photos like with Picassa. is there a similar/equivalent product to edit a photo? (like cropping,sharpness, background effects, etc.) and after editing the photo can i easily save it on my Mac and attach as an email?
11. Hard Drive
I read its an SSD-type. but can i easily partition the hard drive into equal or uneven parts? do i need a 1st-party or 3rd-pary software in order to do that? (the reason being so to organise my files properly and avoid "errors" in them)
12. Fan Noise
I have a 1-year old HP Windows 7 laptop and after watching a movie for an hour the fan starts to become noisy and heats up after 2 hours. do i need to worry about fan noise or overheating with the MB Pro? does it have a fan or an exhaust?
13. Warranty & Buying
What is the standard local UK/EU warranty and what does it cover? do i have a choice of an "extended" warranty? or can i just bring in my MB Pro for repairs only on an Apple store or a PC World/Currys store? would it be free if its in an Apple store?
What are the advantages of buying one at an Apple store? more perks/benefits/deals,etc.?
14. Wallpapers
can i change the wallpaper easily on a MB Pro like in a Windows 7 laptop?
15. Startup & Shutdown
I have heard both processes are quick and fast but is it just a one-touch/one-button thing? (unlike with Windows 7 you have to go to the symbol then...you know what i mean)
16. Speakers & 3.5mm jack
Does a MB Pro have dual stereo speakers? do they have any other effects (or say equalizers) i can change or tweal to make it more louder or more surround in sound? can i connect any standard speakers on the standard 3.5mm headphione jack?
17. Games
Now, lets face it. most games are on the home consoles then second is for the PC. i want to ask first: can i download games on iTunes and be able to play them on my MB Pro? (e.g. an iPad game) and say if i have a Google account can i (in theory) download games off the Android Market to play on my MB Pro?
18. Browsers
Safari might be better & faster than IE but i like mine Chrome. can i download ANY 3rd-party browsers (like Chrome or Firefox) on the MC Pro?
19. Antivirus
No need? and why?
20. OS
Does the MB Pro come with the latest OS X and with back-up disc on the box?
21. Updates
Like any PC or smartphone how often does Apple release updates for its Macbook range? and how do i update mine?
That is all for now.

well..it is a long list but I will answer as many as I can.
onslaught wrote:
1. Price
The Cheapest Macbook Pro is down for £999. with the same (or less) of the price for a Windows 7 laptop i can have a high-end laptop with a little more specs inside (disregarding wether you "need" the specs or not). Why buy a Mac?
http://www.apple.com/why-mac/
2. Camera
Does the FacetimeHD Camera allow for 3rd-party chat like Skype, Facebook video chat, Google talk or Yahoo Messenger?
I know for sure it works with Skype, not sure about the others as I do not use them.
5. microSD card slot
Is the microSD card slot universal and is compatible with most if not all types?
Cards that conform to the SD 1.x, 2.x, and 3.x standards should work. The SD card slot can use cards that are Standard SD (Secure Digital) 4 MB to 2 GB, SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) 4 GB to 32 GB, and SDXC (Secure Digital Extended Capacity) 4G B to 2 TB. MMC can also be used in this slot. MiniSD, MicroSD, and higher density formats like MiniSDHC and MicroSDHC can also work with the use of "passive" adapters that conform to the width and thickness specifications listed above.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3553#3
6. Keypad
It does say somthing as "multitouch". would that mean pinch-to-zoom photos/videos/websites? swiping as well?
Yes. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3211
7. Software & Programmes
I like my Windows 7 laptop as i can download almost any WIndows-compatible softwares & programmes. things such as a browser (Firefox & Chrome), music management (3rd-party alternative to iTunes), anti-virus, etc. Will the Macbook Pro "in general" allow us to do that as well?
There are Mac compatible versions of Firefox and Chrome (I use both). You don't need anti virus on a mac unless you also have Windows installed on a seperate partition.
8. Web Apps
Much i am not familiar with these web apps. All i know is they are just like apps on a smartphone. The Google Chromebook was built for the web and has loads of web apps on its Market. does Apple have a similar system? can i download Apple and also Google web apps on the MBPro?
Apple has the App store where you can access free and paid apps. I have used Google Chrome Apps on the Chrome homepage (anrgy birds).
10. Uploading & Editing photos
Say i have a 32GB microSD card with photos or videos. i want to upload them to Facebook or Flicker or videos onto Youtube. i can do that on the Macbook Pro can i? do i need a 1st-party or 3rd-party software to do that?
I'm also into basic editing of photos like with Picassa. is there a similar/equivalent product to edit a photo? (like cropping,sharpness, background effects, etc.) and after editing the photo can i easily save it on my Mac and attach as an email?
Yes, Macs have a built in photo software that will do this. It is called iPhoto
11. Hard Drive
I read its an SSD-type. but can i easily partition the hard drive into equal or uneven parts? do i need a 1st-party or 3rd-pary software in order to do that? (the reason being so to organise my files properly and avoid "errors" in them)
Yes you can partition you hard drive as you like without any additional software
12. Fan Noise
I have a 1-year old HP Windows 7 laptop and after watching a movie for an hour the fan starts to become noisy and heats up after 2 hours. do i need to worry about fan noise or overheating with the MB Pro? does it have a fan or an exhaust?
MacBooks tend to run hot when doing intense things, such as watching movies or using demanding programs. The 13" models have 1 fan and the 15" and 17" models have 2 fans.
14. Wallpapers
can i change the wallpaper easily on a MB Pro like in a Windows 7 laptop?
Yes.
15. Startup & Shutdown
I have heard both processes are quick and fast but is it just a one-touch/one-button thing? (unlike with Windows 7 you have to go to the symbol then...you know what i mean)
You can shut down the mac in a similar manner like on a PC or use a keyboard shortcut.
13. Warranty & Buying
What is the standard local UK/EU warranty and what does it cover? do i have a choice of an "extended" warranty? or can i just bring in my MB Pro for repairs only on an Apple store or a PC World/Currys store? would it be free if its in an Apple store?
What are the advantages of buying one at an Apple store? more perks/benefits/deals,etc.?
Every new mac comes with a 1 year hardware warranty and 90 days of phone support. You can purchase an extended warranty which will provide a total of 3 years of hardware warranty and phone support. It is called AppleCare. Here is what it covers: http://images.apple.com/legal/warranty/docs/cpuwarranty.pdf
16. Speakers & 3.5mm jack
Does a MB Pro have dual stereo speakers? do they have any other effects (or say equalizers) i can change or tweal to make it more louder or more surround in sound? can i connect any standard speakers on the standard 3.5mm headphione jack?
In my opinion, the speakers on the 13" MacBook Pro are sub par. I can't say how they are on the other models. They only have basic adjustments for the internal speakers. You should be able to hook up any external speakers that fit in the jack.
17. Games
Now, lets face it. most games are on the home consoles then second is for the PC. i want to ask first: can i download games on iTunes and be able to play them on my MB Pro? (e.g. an iPad game) and say if i have a Google account can i (in theory) download games off the Android Market to play on my MB Pro?
You can download games from the App store and play them as long as your mac meets the games requirements. For gaming, I would suggest a 15" or 17" model as they have 2 graphics cards, the 13" only has 1 graphics card. Apps for iPads can not be played on mac computers, they are specific for iDevices or Macs. Not sure about the Android question.
18. Browsers
Safari might be better & faster than IE but i like mine Chrome. can i download ANY 3rd-party browsers (like Chrome or Firefox) on the MC Pro?
I have Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Chrome on my mac. Internet Explorer stopped support for macs in 2005.
19. Antivirus
No need? and why?
Read this: http://www.reedcorner.net/guides/macvirus/
20. OS
Does the MB Pro come with the latest OS X and with back-up disc on the box?
No. It has a built in recovery partition. Read this: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718
21. Updates
Like any PC or smartphone how often does Apple release updates for its Macbook range? and how do i update mine?
Yes, Macs have "software update". Updates are released as Apple determines they are necessary. You can chose to have it look for software updates in certain intervals or you can easily do it manually.
Not bad. 18/21 questions answered

Few questions about unibody

So im getting rid of my white 2,16 this week and then getting a new unibody macbook 2 weeks from now. Im not sure which model im getting yet but most likely the 2.4ghz one. I have a few questions to ask that have kept me a bit curious.
1.How strong is the glass over the screen? Dont want it be like the iphone
2.Are the edges sharp?
3.How much ram can this system hold?
4.How big of a HDD can it take?
5.Any moisture problems being in the cold?
6.Any build issues I should keep in mind?
7.How great are these new graphics cards compared to mine?
8.Does the Macbook feel solid?
9.Pros
10.Cons
I know its alot of questions but I would appreciate it if someone would help me out with those. Thanks in advance!

1. I don't know but since the glass doesn't have the same function as the iPhone it probably is ok
2. No unless you really push your hand against them, I barely ever notice them
3. 6GB is the max for the Unibody Macbook, I believe the Pro's can hold 8GB
4. As big as it gets that is still 3.5 inches but still 5600 rpms is preferred
5. I haven't had any but I'm not in any extreme cold climate
6. Not that I know of other than no firewire if that's what you mean
7. They are a significant improvement, they run everything properly and much more fluid
8. It is really solid, compared to a Macbook Pro (non-unibody) it is much more solid.
9. Solid, Trackpad is awesome and time saving, graphics are nice, LCD screen is very bright
10. Glossy display (if you don't like it), No Firewire port

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) BEFORE you post, PLEASE read this first

PLEASE READ ALL OF THIS POST BEFORE POSTING ON THE FORUM FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Welcome to the Creative Labs MP3 Players web forum!
This forum is for discussing issues related to the MP3 players (digital audio players) made by Creative Labs for those in the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific . Although we're not going to turn away folks from other areas
The primary language of the forum is English, and posting in English is likely to get you a quicker response.
If your question does not relate to Creative MP3 players please find another more suitable forum to post in. If you want to discuss another player, or something not covered by another forum, please use the Off Topic forum.
CONTENTS
How to contact support
Hot topics
General issues
Before you ask your question
When you ask your question
After you ask your question
Low volume issue
Nomad Primer
Nomadness.net FAQs
More useful links
Wishlist and petitions
Suggesting changes
. How to Contact Support
Please note this is a peer forum and Creative's Support staff do not guarantee a reply here. If your issue is urgent, you are within your warranty period and/or you do not get a fast reply here you should contact Creative Labs Technical Support.
To contact support click the Support > Contact Customer Support link on this page.
When contacting Creative Support by email it's important to note that you must reply to the autoresponse email you first receive, as detailed in the email itself. Also make sure to check any spam trap you have on your email system if you have not received a reply.
It's also important if you feel that you have a bug or defect with your product to register that issue directly with support. Don't rely on the forum to raise awareness of an issue.
2. Hot Topics
This is dividied into 3 sections: General, Tag based players & USB mass storage players.
Make sure to also look at Section 3, which covers some of the other General Issues.
General
Where do I get the latest software, drivers and firmware?
Click the link Support > Downloads on this page.
In general, when installing on a new PC you need to download the driver, and some software to communicate with the player e.g. MediaSource, Media Explorer. For players using the v2.xx MTP/PlayForsure firmware drivers are not necessary, but you must have Windows XP and Windows Media Player 0 (this provides the MTP driver).
Important: Even though files are described as updates, none of the software requires a previous version to install. At worst they will prompt you to connect your player to verify you own a Creative product.
Note if you are downloading MediaSource make sure to download and install the relevant MediaSource plugin for your player. If MediaSource can't detect your player this is the first thing to check. For the v.xx PDE firmware the plugin is called the Creative Zen and NOMAD Jukebox plugin for Creative MediaSource , and for the v2 MTP/PlayForSure firmware it's called Creative MediaSource Plugin for PlaysForSure devices .
I am completely new to MP3 players, where should I start?
Have a read of my Nomad Primer, so called as Creative's MP3 player range tend to be prefixed with the word Nomad.
I think I have a bug, how can I check?
There's a known bug list hosted at my site here. If you want to add a bug then please
I have a wish request for the player, what can I do?
You can post it here (see the petitions listed in Section of this FAQ), email it to support, and/or add it to the public wishlist I host here by
I'm having connection problems with my player
If you can, the best test is to try your player with another PC, to see if you still have the problem. This localises whether the problem is with the PC (most likely the USB) or the player. See the link below (search on "connection problems") for a lot more troubleshooting on this.
What bit-rate should I encode my music at?
Ultimately it's down to your ears what bit-rate you prefer, and you should listen for yourself to determine it. If you ask on the forum you'll get many different opinions.
Make sure to look at the "MP3 vs. WMA" link below also.
How long should my battery last?
For the Zen and Nomad Jukebox players, to get some idea of how long your battery will last for a given bit-rate look at the battery curves thread. Ultimately battery life is dependent on how you use the player, make sure to follow the "why doesn't my battery last as long as expected?" link below.
How long does an RMA take?
Typically 2 weeks. But it might take a little longer, so don't start posting if it's 5 days.
I want to know how people feel about their Zen Micro/Touch/MuVo etc.
There's a long post titled Experience with your Creative player that has many posts from users about their players. Please search back for threads about specific players before starting a new thread.
Where can I buy online music or get legal downloads for my player?
See this thread.
My tracks don't play at the correct speed e.g. they play too slowly, why?
Chances are they are encoded in an unsupported sampling frequency. The tracks will need to be re-encoded at a supported bit-rate and/or frequency with something like Creative's MediaSource Audio Converter or dbPowerAmp.
Can a Creative player work on an Apple Mac?
It isn't officially supported, but some kind folks out there have written freeware applications to get your Creative player working with Macs. XNJB provides support for the Zen players, and requires OS X 0.3 or 0.4 (check the site for full details). MuVoHelper solves some problems with getting the MuVo to work optimally. The iTunes Zen plugin should support all Zen players. Note if the link to the plugin is broken just Google "iTunes Zen plugin" to find other sources. Also note there's no guarantee that these programs will work with the Mac, so if you have issues you should address your problems to the developer(s) of the relevant program.
Can a Creative player work on Linux?
Again it isn't officially supported, but again some kinds folks out there have written freeware applications to get your Creative player working. There's the Gnomad2 project. And don't forget the Linux forum at Nomadness.net if you are still having problems.
Tag Based Players
This section covers the players that use a hard disk and work using tags e.g. Zen Xtra, Touch, Micro, Sleek.
My Zen is not behaving properly, won't startup, or goes into rescue mode. What should I do?
If the Zen is not starting properly or not behaving correctly, first try to reset it. To reset all players except for the Zen Micro there is a small switch on the side of the player typically, that you should press using something like a bent paper clip. Don't use anything sharp. To reset the Zen Micro simply remove the battery and replace it.
If this doesn't work then access rescue mode, and try running a disk cleanup.
Next you should try reloading the firmware/OS, but beware if you are having connection problems also with your PC you may end up with a player that has no firmware and cannot be reloaded.
The last resort is to format the player. This will erase the contents from the player, including the content that ships with the player.
If none of these resolve the problem and you are under warranty you should get in contact with support to arrange replacement of the player.
If you aren't under warranty Creative will still repair the player, which you can arrange by contacting support.
How do I do a Disk Cleanup and/or access Rescue/Recovery Mode?
Refer to the sticky Rescue Mode thread. Disk Cleanup is accessed from this. Note that the MuVo players (with the exclusion of the MuVo? players) do not have Rescue Mode.
How long should a Disk Cleanup take?
It should only take a few minutes, and no longer than 30 minutes. Anything longer than this and there is a problem with the player and you need to contact Creative Support.
How long should a format take?
Only a few seconds. Anything more than a minute and there is a problem with the player and you need to contact Creative Support.
Although I can get into Rescue Mode, I can't select any option, or the options don't work?
If Rescue Mode is not working properly or commands can't be chosen the player is faulty. You need to contact Creative Support.
When are the Zen 20Gb/Neeon going to be released outside of the Asia Pacific region?
Due to popular request the Neeon is launched in the USA, but nowhere else for now. If you want the Neeon then contact your regions Customer Services to request it.
The Zen 20Gb is available from some shops in the USA and Europe e.g. Cambridge Soundworks, and Amazon.co.uk.
Is there a known issue with the Zen Micro headphone socket?
Creative Support have neither confirmed nor denied it officially. Some users have posted purported emails from Creative on the forum saying that the socket has been reinforced, but these have not been confirmed by Creative Support either. The exact incidence of the problem is unknown, but newer players seem to suffer less from it.
Should I buy the Zen Micro or Touch etc. and what colour should it be?
We can't tell you what player to get, or what colour it should be. Look at your collection size and the features of the player (see Nomadworld.com for the product pages) and decide yourself based on this.
Why does my Zen Micro battery drain so quickly?
The standby time (24 hours from turn-off) for the Zen Micro seems to use a lot more power than previous Zens. Creative have released both v (..0+) and v2 (2.20.05+) firmware that reduces the standby time to 4 hours. Make sure to update to one of these if you have a draining problem.
Also see JazzMC's detailed page on this problem.
Why is my Zen Micro/Touch Touchpad so sensiti've and/or difficult to use?
The Touchpads take some time to get used to.
continued below... Message Edited by SSR on 2-29-2005 04:03 PM

7. Low Volume issue
See here in the Zen FAQ at Nomadness.net.
If the firmware will not apply because it says the version number is the same use the Reload OS option, access to which is described in the relevant FAQ for your player below.
8. Nomad Primer
If you have ordered, or just bought a Nomad Jukebox, Zen, or MuVo?, consider reading the Nomad Primer.
It may be worth reading even for the more experienced User.
9. Nomadness.net FAQ's
General FAQ
Jukebox FAQ
Jukebox 2 FAQ
Jukebox 3 FAQ
Jukebox Zen FAQ
MuVo FAQ
Nomadness.net is the foremost peer site on the Web for the Nomad players on the Internet; with news, articles, web forum, download archi've, and more!
0. Some more useful links
Nomadworld.com - Creative Labs's International Nomad website (based in the USA)
Player Manuals - Downloads of digital manuals
Notmad Explorer - 3rd party software
Battery Uni'versity - very good, comprehensi've site on batteries
Chinese Support thread - with information on how to get chinese characters on your player
. Wishlists and petitions
Here are links to a number of general wishlist and petitions, so rather than starting your own you can add to those that already exist, or of course add your support for a feature you would like to see.
Also remember that the only collecti've public wishlist is maintained here at StainlessSteelRat.net (this is not affiliated with Creative Labs, but maintained by the author of this FAQ). There is also a bugs list here. So please
Wishlists
Zen Micro
Zen Micro (another)
MuVo Sports C00
MuVo N200
Petitions
AAC support
Lossless codec support
MP3 Pro support
Ogg Vorbis support
Audible support
Genre definable EQ
Gapless playback
Games support
Insert to queue
No "the" in Music Library
Open source firmware
Play count and ratings
TXT viewer
USB mass storage / dri've letter support
Track number duplicate checkAlbum art
Substring search
Dual firmware for both tag and dri've letter support
Rename "Reload OS" to "Erase OS"
Zen Micro alarm enhancements
Zen Micro always visible clockZen Micro Audible support
Zen Micro customisable standby time
Zen Micro EAX
Zen Micro radio enhancements
Zen Touch non-PlayForSure firmware with bug fixes
Zen Touch bookmarks
Zen Touch EAX support
Zen Touch random button changeZen Touch Audible support
2. Suggesting changes
To suggest changes to this FAQ please
Thanks for reading!

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