IPhoto 6 little better than V5.

Frankly I am disappointed. With all the hype you would think this was going to be a wizbang product. Having done a fresh install of Tiger and copied in 12.5 Gb of images into My Documents/Digital Images to run the beta tests on Adobe Lightroom, I then installed iLife 6. Sure some of the features are okay like iWeb and so on if that's your thing. I then set about an import of said /Digital Images and of course iPhoto STILL insists on doing a full import into it's own iPhoto Library directory rather than simply 'pointing' at the /Digital Images directory. The result, not a second 12.5 Gb of images but a full 13.99 Gb of images!!!!! This is so inefficient for a busy professional photographer, I could scream!
So, you have guessed it, I am about to uninstall iPhoto... Roll on Lightroom with one single directory of images with linked IPTC metadata visible in CS2 Bridge!

...iPhoto STILL insists on doing a full
import into it's own iPhoto Library directory rather
than simply 'pointing' at the /Digital Images
directory.
Looks like you didn't notice the check box in
"preferences" where you can tell iPhoto 6 to
make the copies or to make the pointers. It
is kind of hidden. The
default is to copy. Someone I'm sure will
post exact location of the checkbox but, I
think it is pref. -> advanced
It works just like iTunes where you have the option
to consolidate the library or not.
After you check the box, iPhots will only store
the thumbnails and book-keeping info and the
modified files in the library.
The other way to think of it is that disk space
is about $0.25 per gigabyte an so you use up
an additional 20GB it comes to all of
five bucks.

Similar Messages

  • Better than iDVD please

    Hi there friends,
    I was wondering if you can tell me a better DVD burning program a little better than iDVD please.
    I am ready to "up" my menu's ect and I looking for the best program.
    How much are they??
    Thank you

    Hi
    The Quality of DVD - is mostly not dependant on iDVD but on the DVD-standard
    (can't be better than SD-video - There are no HD-DVD that plays on standard DVD-players)
    If You need more
    • in iDVD keep movie less than 60 minutes and use Pro Quality or Best Performances
    • alt is Roxio Toast™ 10 Pro - where You can set higher bit-rate (less movie time)
    • or incl BD-component to Toast and burn a Blu-Ray DVD or by using BD-disk/burner
    a full Blu-Ray Disk (Need BD-player to be viewed eg PlayStation 3)
    • Or Copy back to Camera and connect this to TV/Screen
    • Or PlayBack via Mac on a large screen
    Yours Bengt W

  • I've lost my photos (crashed hdd, iPhoto library on Time Machine corrupt too).  Is there a way to create a picture from the thumbnail that remains in iPhoto?  The quality is obviously poor, but better than nothing.

    I've lost my photos (crashed hdd, iPhoto library on Time Machine corrupt too).  Is there a way to create a picture from the thumbnail that remains in iPhoto?  The quality is obviously poor, but better than nothing.

    Time machine should have a good copy - how are you determining that it is corrupt
    If you want the thumbnails as photos right click on the iPhoto library and make a copy of the data folder and then import it into a new iPhoto library - it contains your thumbnails
    LN

  • I'm working on my iMac PowerMac8,2 PowerPC G5 (3.1) 2 GHz machine and have been having problems with the computer shutting down unpredictably. After the problem becoming impossible to work with, I shut the machine down. Now a little better, but reoccuring

    I'm working with my iMac PPC G5, PowerMac8,2, 2 GHz machine running OS X 10.4.11, and was having a problem for a while with the machine shutting down unexpectedly. There was no clear pattern to when it was shutting down as far as I could tell. For a while, it would also not restart when buttoned on.
    I set the machine aside for a while, probably a month or more, and then got it back out after its rustication. It started up and runs significantly better than it had been, but I have noticed it shutting down sometimes now again, though not as frequently as before. Sometimes it runs for a good long time between active work, sleep mode, and active work again. Once in a while it does shut down when no one is working on it (while asleep). But now it always restarts when buttoned on.
    I've done the thorough vacuuming of any dust from the unit vents. I wonder if there's anything else I should try. In most other ways the machine works pretty well and has become the family desktop for basic uses, so I'd like to keep it running if I can. A little frustrating to not be able to upgrade all programs (iTunes) to useable versions, but that's another story....
    I would appreciate any ideas about the shut down problem.
    TCC

    Option 1
    Reset your PRAM.  Press and hold down the Command Option P R keys while starting your computer.  You will hear the startup chime.  continue holding down those keys until you hear the startup chime a second time.  Release the keys.  If the computer restarts, you will need to reset your Date and Time.  It might be time to replace your PRAM battery.  The G5 iMacs require a 3 volt CR2032 lithium watch/camera battery like below:
    http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/CR2032/
    You can find these batteries at Walmart, Kmart, Target, most local drugstore chains, for between $3-$5, or at Radio Shack for $12-$20.
    If you have any G5 iMac model EXCEPT the iSight version, you can probably do the battery install yourself.  Watch this video on upgrading your iMac's RAM to show you how to remove the back of your iMac, if you don't already know how:
    http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/imac_g5_mem_m/
    While you have the back off, use a can of compressed air to blow the dust out the vents at the bottom of the iMac, the fans, and anywhere else you can.  Also inspect the 28-30 capacitors on the logic board.  Look for dark spots, if they look puffy or swollen, or leaks.
    Option 2
    Reset the SMC by removing all cables (USB, Firewire, Ethernet, Modem, Power cord) from the back of your computer.  Let it sit for one minute.  Press and hold the power on button on the back of the iMac while plugging in the power cord.  Release the power on button.  Count to five, the press the power on button again.
    Option 3
    Place your original, came with the iMac when purchased install disk, into the slot on the iMac, press and hold the C key while pressing the power on button on the back of the computer.  (If you have upgraded your OS from when you purchased your iMac, example your iMac came with OS 10.3 installed, and you're now using OS 10.5, then use the OS 10.5 Retail Install disk that you had used to upgrade your OS instead of the original, came with the iMac disk.) 
    Continue holding the C key until you see the OS starting to load.  DO NOT do an OS installation.  At the top Menu bar, select Utilities or Utility, and pull down to Disk Utility.  On the left side of the window that opens,select your normal OS drive.  Click First Aid at the top middle of the window if it isn't already selected.  Click Repair Disk from the lower right area of the window.  When that is done, click Repair Permissions to the left of the Repair Disk button you clicked earlier.
    When that is done, quit Disk Utility.  From the top Menu bar (I think its under Utilities) select the Start Up Manager, and choose your normal boot volume as the startup disk.  Restart the computer.  If successful, and you've rebooted from your normal startup disk, eject the install DVD/CD, and you're good to go.
    Good luck.

  • Are the screens on white iMac 20" better than those on new 24"?

    I have read so much about the troubles with the 20" and 24" Aluminum iMac screens that I'm afraid to buy one now, and was thinking of buying a refurb'd white (plastic) iMac from Apple. Is the screen tech in the white version better than that in the 24" Alum? I have an old 2.0 white iMac and have never had any trouble with the screen at all.

    Pier Rodelon wrote:
    Thanks for these pix. I have two more questions,
    1) Previous poster suggests that specs for the white iMac screens were lower
    than specs for ALU iMac screens--is this true and in what particulars?
    Other than viewing angle and brightness, Apple doesn't publish any meaningful
    screen specs.
    The ALU screens are a little brighter -- entirely too bright -- and they don't have
    sufficient adjustment range to reduce the brightness for comfortable viewing with
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    The 20" ALU viewing angle specs are much poorer than the white 20" or any of
    the 24" models. In practice, the difference is easily noticable even to the most
    casual observer.
    2) Does the 24" white iMac have the same screen that the 20" white iMac has?
    All 24" iMacs have expensive S-IPS LCD panels. That's the same basic technology
    and from the same manufacturer as the Apple Cinema Displays. (As discussed
    previously, some (many?) 24" ALUs have/had problems with uneven backlighting.)
    Some white 20" units use exactly the same S-IPS panel as 20" Cinema Displays;
    some others came with an excellent-quality S-PVA display. I believe all 20" iMacs,
    at least as far back as the G5 PPC, used similarly high-quality (gorgeous!) panels.
    The 20" ALU iMacs all have much lower-quality TN panels (from various sources).
    The 17" white Intel iMacs also use the lower-quality TN panels.
    To see what display you currently have, cut-n-paste the following command line
    into Terminal.app -- then look it up in the panel database at tftcentral.co.uk:
    ioreg -lw0 | grep IODisplayEDID | sed "/\[^<\]*</s///" | xxd -p -r | strings -6
    I don't know if the 24" white iMac refurb would be a better choice than the 20"
    white (or the 20/24" ALU).
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    If you're lucky enough to get a good display, the ALU 24" is very attractive; OTOH,
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    was $600 less than my 24" ALU reject.
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  • IMovie capture quality better than anything FCP can offer for consumer DV?

    As a newbie to FCP, I have not found Capture, sequence, and export settings that is equal to or better than what iMovie 08 can create. Prior to this, I've been using iMovie 08 which is extremely user friendly. Just plug in the fire wire connections and it auto detects only one setting for DV. I am not sure what format it captures in but it does a good job. When I export out of iMovie 08 I use "using Quicktime" and choose the Uncompressed 8-bit NTSC method. The result is a decent, non-interlaced looking .mov file.
    The first time I tried to capture with FCP I chose the easy setup, where I would capture in the NTSC DV, sequence would be NTSC DV and export using the current settings in quicktime. The result was an interlaced and lowered quality vid.
    I have also tried the following combinations with no success with quality comparisons w/ iMovie 08:
    capt: NTSC dv, seq: NTSC DV, progressive exp: Uncompressed 8-bit
    capt: Uncompressed 8-bit, seq: Uncompressed 8-Bit exp: Uncompressed 8-bit
    This last one came close, but still iMovie 08 was better.
    My assumption is that FCP would contain the settings to duplicate or even out perform iMovie's export quality for consumer video dv. I viewed iMovie as little brother and FCP as big brother. Shouldn't FCP produce equal to or better quality than iMovie 08? And what are the settings for this?
    Thanks

    Thank you for clearing up my confusion. How is my export from iMovie 08, using "Uncompressed 8-bit" coming out progressive (I see no interlaced, odd/even scan lines)? Is this export dropping lines/information? If so, uncompressed is not an appropriate name for the export.
    I understand what you are saying about "getting quality back" on export. My initial question was comparing the quality of an iMovie 08 export vs. FCP export and having the problem of a lowered output from the FCP export.
    If anyone has the time, would they try a short experiment:
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    Capture a short clip via iMovie 08 a short clip in standard 4:3.
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    2. From your DV source, camera or deck, connect to your computer.
    Capture the same short clip to FCP using Easy set up for NTSC DV. Export with current settings.
    3. Compare the two.

  • What's better than Illustrator?

    I've been using Illustrator for many years and several versions.  My usage is nominal and occasional/once a week, and I don't get very sophisticated for my needs, so it has been OK so far. I do not do commercial work but know Ai is the "de-facto std".
    But I read this forum often and see many criticisms of Ai and I do have occasional issues with Illy with tools and UI....just not as easy or robust as it could/should be...cumbersome at times.
    I see JET and others here make great use of Illy but also criticize (justifiably) it for not being as good as other vector tools.
    I know there are competitors, Inkscape is free, others less costly than Illy; and seemingly better/easier/faster to use...at least for some things.
    So my question: What is better than Illustrator (I'm using CS5) and why? What can they do better than Ai?  Is it worth having a second program and learning (tho I suspect the learning curve should be easy as they do similar things but have different GUI).  Or replacing Illy with something?
    Pro's/Con's that would make one make the effort to try/use something else?  I don't even know what out there is better than Illy.  I've searched www and got a few hints but nothing very significant.
    Am I wasting my time looking?
    Your feedback welcomed to help me decide whether to explore/trial other programs.

    I see JET and others here...criticize (justifiably) it for not being as good as other vector tools.
    I can't speak for "and others", but since I'm the only one you mention by name:
    If you've already deemed the criticism justifiable, then you must already know what that criticism says. When I criticize Illustrator, I don't just say "Illustrator is crap" and leave it at that, unsupported. I'm careful to explain myself with facts pertinent to the context of the discussion. I actually own and know how to use the other programs to which I compare. I've often posted lists of comparitive features.
    I've always used my real name here and sign all my posts with my initials. So finding my comments is not difficult.
    I know there are competitors, Inkscape is free, others less costly than Illy; and seemingly better/easier/faster to use...at least for some things. So my question: What is better than Illustrator (I'm using CS5) and why? What can they do better than Ai?
    Didn't you just answer your own question? Other than the broadly general things you just mentioned, what program do you want to compare, and for doing what? Surely you're not asking someone to do an exhaustive feature-by-feature comparison between Illustrator and all similar programs in this one thread?
    All you've said about what you use Illustrator for is that your use is nominal, occasional, unsophisticated, and non-commerical. Mine isn't. Commerical graphics has been my livelihood for over 40 years. Vector-based illustration is both a speciality and a passion.
    I...knowAi is the "de-facto std"
    "Defacto standard" is self-fulfilling. It's effectively equivalent to saying "More people use Illustrator because more people use Illustrator."
    So what? More people ride Vespa scooters than KTM motorcycles. But which one would you call "professional quality"? You can use either one to pick up a gallon of orange juice at the corner store. But if you enter an enduro, the KTM will get the job done with alot less stress.
    The myth is that most software buyers choose the best. That's as naive as the faith that most voters do.
    Illustrator has been slothfully resting on its "defacto standard" haunches since the dark ages (AKA the 80s). "Defacto standard" be hanged.
    I do have occasional issues with Illy with tools and UI....just not as easy or robust as it could/should be...cumbersome at times.
    Okay. What issues? State something specific and users actually familiar with other programs can compare.
    This is the 21st century. There's really little new under the sun here. A 2D drawing program is just an interface pasted on top of mostly the same old geometric functionality. The competitive advantage goes to the offering that best (easy) and most fully (robust) empowers the user. The multiplication of easy and robust yields elegance. That's a term I've never applied to Illustrator. Illustrator is one of the oldest of the bunch, lounging under the sun for so long it's at risk of skin cancer. Yet it still fails to provide basic functionality users of other drawing programs have taken for granted for decades.
    Examples that may be germane to your casual, non-commerical use? Try these things in Illustrator:
    Star Tool: Draw a star. Now change the number of points it has.
    Arc Tool: Draw 36 degrees of a circular arc.
    Label that star with a dimension.
    Distribute a group of different objects along a curve.
    Uniformly space Blend steps along a non-uniform curve.
    Attach a Blend to a closed path and have the first/last instances properly positioned.
    Knife Tool: Cut across an open unfilled path.
    Connect a text label to an object that stays connected when you move it.
    Paste a simple graphic into a text string so that it flows with the text.
    Perform a Find/Replace on carriage returns.
    Round Corners: Apply it to an accute or obtuse angle and have it actually yield the radius you specify.
    Crop a raster image.
    Rotate something. Go back later and find out what its rotation angle is.
    Pathfinders: Use them without wrecking existing fills/strokes.
    I could go on (and have). How long a list do you want? All the features/functions associated with the above basic operations (and many more) are substandard, half-baked, or even non-existent in Illustrator. This is "professional"-grade software? No, it's largely consumerish rubbish sold at exhorbitant prices just because it's the "defacto standard."
    Is it worth having a second program and learning...
    Obviously, it is to me (and a third, and a fourth, and...). As I've said many times in this forum, I don't know how anyone can legitimately claim to compare two programs if they've only got workaday familiarity with one.
    As with any other endeavor, the more drawing programs you're comfortable with, the less arduous it is to pick up another, because you tend to pick up on the underlying principles involved, as opposed to just becomming habituated to a particular program's command locations and procedures by rote.
    But you've been using AI for "many years" and find it to be "OK". So if you're happy with it, use it.
    I have a cheap, consumerish Ryobi table saw and it's "OK." But I didn't pay a professional-grade price for it, either. And I'm sure not going to write glorious reviews on it, call it "professional," and get all fearfully brand-loyal defensive about it if someone dares suggest I might ought to learn to use a different one. My use of it, like yours, is merely occasional. But I also presently need to build a TV cabinet, and I'm dreading it. If I were to open a cabinet shop, I'd be much more discriminating, and would do my own homework to make an informed decision.
    Or replacing Illy with something?
    One doesn't have to "replace." There's nothing any more wrong with using more than one 2D drawing program than there is with using more than one 3D modeling program, or raster imaging program, or page layout program, or word processor, or video edting program, or....
    Pro's/Con's that would make one make the effort to try/use something else?
    That depends on what one is doing with it. Not knowing that, I can again only offer generalities that matter to me: If you've only ever used one program of a particulat kind, you're rather in the dark regarding functionality that you may be missing that may be important to you. (Second-degree ignorance: You don't know what you don't know.) If you're mission-dependent upon that one program, you're also kind of captive to the whims and agenda of its vendor.
    That very well may not matter to you, given your nominal, occasional, unsophisticated, and non-commerical use. And if so, that's fine.
    I don't even know what out there is better than Illy. I've searched www and got a few hints but nothing very significant.
    But you just said you've been reading a bunch of posts here which mention other programs.
    Am I wasting my time looking?
    Only you can answer that about your time. Time is all any of us have.
    Your feedback welcomed to help me decide whether to explore/trial other programs.
    No offense, but frankly it sounds like you're just not motivated enough to do your own homework. If you are  sufficiently motivated, visit the websites of other drawing program vendors. Read the features lists. Dowload the demos, read the documentation, and try them out. Visit the programs' user forums. Or, if it's really not that important to you, don't.
    If you've got questions about specific functionality and/or specific programs, be more specific about what you do (or want to do).
    JET

  • Newbie-why is Indesign better than PageMaker?

    Ok, I know to be current, I have to upgrade, but I don't do long documents (really past 20 pages), I liked the window shade thing in PM7, and I'm afraid those windows for everything is going to make me confused and is more time consuming...
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    Even though I do have old version of PM and Ventura, I am really liking InDesign. I have been using it since CS3 came out. It is much more fluid like when designing. It is possible to not use tags(style sheets), but I recommend using styles anyway. I haven't really been using the program long enough to have a need for using character styles, but the paragraph styles are extremely handy, as well as the object styles. But then again my needs for the program are mild compared to most that roam this forum.
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  • Why does my PS work better than my Lightroom 5 exporting jpegs from raw files?

    So,
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    ok
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  • Is iPhoto 09 any faster than 08?

    I'm switching to Mac from PC and iPhoto, while it may be a useable program for keeping track of pictures, is so Godawful slow on my 2.4GHz iMac with 3 GB and a 7200 RPM 500GB drive that it makes me want to start smashing my iMac with a stick every time I open it.
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    If 09 is no better than o8, please suggest some fast Mac photo management tools.
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    I've found that '09 is about the same as '08 until you add places - that seems to slow it
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  • Does iPhoto '06 have better editing tools?

    I've read that iPhoto '06 has better editing tools than '05. Could someone explain?
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    John,
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    The MakerNote bug that slowed launching and shutdown of iPhoto 5 appears to have been fixed in 6.
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  • Hardware setup advice needed for 2 track 'better than demo' sound recording

    I've enjoyed browsing the forums and seeing of the good help that people get here. Hopefully, I'll be next.
    I have an accoustic guitar (Taylor 314-CE, Expression System) with onboard pre-amp, cable is 1/4 from guitar to XLR
    I have a dynamic mic, with XLR to 1/4 cable
    Key issues so far:
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    Right now I've got a unidirectional dynamic mic from RadioShack that was a gift. I think it cost $50, so I know it wasn't the cheapest one in the store. Of course using it with GB and line in, you have to practically swallow the mic and turn the levels up to get anything. So I don't really know enough about it's quality yet.
    (2) difficulty recording guitar
    It seems like I either get clipping or not enough input, so I end up with lots of noise relative to a quiet guitar track. To avoid clipping, I have the pre-amp on the guitar set way down, and the track volume way down too. Just doesn't seem that great.
    (3) one track a time
    So I need a system that will allow me to record two tracks at the same time, mic and guitar (not mic'd), and I am looking for 'better than demo' sound.
    Have I got this right:
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    How is the Behringer connected to iMac? USB? Firewire? I didn't see anything included - Do I need to purchase cabling separately?
    Is the sound quality going to be good enough for Home CD quality recording? If not, to what do I have to step up to? Firepod at $600? Its track count is overkill for me, but I need good sound, too, so maybe... Or is there something in between that offers great sound and just a few inputs?
    How much of a difference would a condenser mic be? Am I right that with that type of mic, I need phantom power on the (mixer / interface - which is it?) Have seen recommendations for MXL 990 ($60) and Rode NT1000 ($300).
    That's about it. Hope you can help.

    Nice guitar. Radio Shack mic were made by Shure not sure if they still are. A cheap mixer will just plug into the line in jack just a matter of getting the right plugs an cables. I would use a xlr cable pretty cheap from online music stores. You may want to consider a usb interface they tend to be a little cheaper then firewire check M-Audio. Condenser mic are great but they pick up everything and you should be fine with you mic you have and the fine onboard system taylor uses.

  • HT4623 This really ***** that they sent out and update to the iPhone ISO6 and I can't send or receive pics! Being that its apple you would think they would know better than to send out a bad update like this! I'm paying for a service and I can even use it

    This really ***** that they sent out and update to the iPhone ISO6 and I can't send or receive pics! Being that its apple you would think they would know better than to send out a bad update like this! I'm paying for a service and I can even use now!!! I'm very upset! Think about canceling my iPhone 5 order! This is terrible!

    Wahhhhhhhhhh! Wahhhhhhhhhh!
    Are you over your little tantrum now?  Do you want help you would like to continue to act like a toddler?
    If you want help, try telling us what happens when trying to send pics.  Any errors?
    If you want to whine... go somewhere else.

  • DVD looks different/better than imovie

    I did a quick search in this forum to see if this has been discussed before. I'm sorry if it has; I'm new in this forum. Anyways...
    I'm trying to edit video that I dumped from a video camera and DVD onto my powerbook g4 1.33ghz w/1.25ghz ram. I'm not having any real issues with the editing process itself. My problem is that, when I burn a DVD of the movie (using iDVD) it looks entirely different than on the laptop. I've even tried using a secondary screen to do the editing on (regular computer monitor). The secondary computer monitor looks the same as the laptop. But, again the burned DVD looks totally different. On the computer, it looks kinda like it's in dropframe but I'm using 29 (or whatever that higher setting is). But when I burn the DVD and play it in a regular DVD player, it looks much crisper, smoother and less pixelated. Will it help if I max out my laptop RAM to 2ghz or is this just a problem inherent in the preinstalled 64MB video card? If it's the video card, I'm thinking about upgrading to a macbook. Will a macbook video card be powerful enough not to have this problem? Any help/suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

    bobwex123 wrote:
    I use DV tape (not HD), import to iMovie 09 and burn to DVD with iDVD....
    ... If I upgrade in FCE and spend some time with the interface, will the final DVD quality be better than iMovie 09?
    definitively YES.
    as widely known, iM08/09 has this little *skip-field problem* with interlaced sources (miniDV imports are always i, independently, what camcorder marketing says), plus a gamma-prob.
    details on our website:
    http://sites.google.com/site/theimovieoutputproject/
    you avoid these probs by using a 'real' dv-editor, as iMHD6 or FCE ..
    sidenote: settings in the editor, on transfer and iDVD have to be correct for best quality. as: sequence settings 'fit' to camcorder, NO 'Export using QT conversion', iDVD is set to same standard as camcorder (PAL vs NTSC); project length <60min (=for highest bitrate in iDVD).
    +disclaimer: I may profit from linking to my site.+

  • Is the macbook pro much better than any other laptop?

    I am currently wanting to buy a laptop, I am deciding whether to buy a macbook pro or just a regular laptop. Is it really worth it to spend so much more?
    Thank you! ~ mtumbler

    Don't forget where you're asking that question. 
    Since nearly all people here have Macs, we obviously felt they were worth the price.  "Much better than any other laptop" is a fairly subjective statement.  All the major manufacturers have excellent high-end options.  When comparing prices, you need to compare similar specifications and quality.  You can certainly get cheaper PC computers, but similarly spec'd machines with similar build quality are generally around the same price (and actually sometimes somewhat higher).
    The areas that most of us would agree puts Apple at the top are OS X, quality/design, and customer service.  Only Macs can run OS X.  For those of us that use OS X, we typically prefer it over Windows (by quite a bit).  However, this isn't always a positive for someone moving over from Windows.  There is a little bit of a learning curve.  If you are going to need to be able to do everything you want, you need to understand that it might take a little time to figure everything out.  You can install Windows alongside the Mac OS to help make the transition a little easier, but that requires that you purchase a copy of Windows.  So far as quality and design...  Apple has always been a leader in this area.  However, as I had mentioned earlier, most major manufacturers have caught up in this area... at least with respect to their high-end offerings.  It's really a matter of preference in terms of which you like more.  No one offers the same level of customer service that you'll get from Apple.  No other manufacturer has retail stores like Apple where you can go in with your machine and have someone (who knows about Apple products) check out your machine on the spot.  Their phone support is also excellent and their user support community (where you're at now) is second to none.
    So... most of us would agree that we feel Apple products are "better".  But if you were to go to a typica PC forum and ask the same question, you'll find people who would argue fanatically that they're not.  The reality is that there isn't that much of a difference in the hardware.  You need to decide if something like the OS (which you probably don't have much experience using), design, and support are important to you.

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