Question about TimeCode breaks

Hopefully the questions will get less!!
Having discovered the HV30 can shoot in both HDV and DV mode, I am now trying to capture the scenes, which is going well. However, my ref book goes into quite a bit of detail about the issues of "timecode breaks".
I purposefully added some breaks to the movie I shot, by simply stopping and starting, nothing else. Used the Capture Now feature. FCE was able to find these breaks ( DV Start/Stop Detect) without problems, so I wonder what it is that I am missing about the significance of this method. {Capture is being done from HV30, FCE 4.0, 10.5.2) using a 800f/w cable directly to a drive on the computer).
Thanks in advance.

I have worked out a solution for timecode breaks which is easy and relatively uncomplicated.
Background:
I recently borrowed by Father's Canon ZR700 mini-DV video camera. I have an older ZR200. Both are decent cameras, especially for the price. However, when I tried to import video from the ZR700 camera using FCE 3.5.1, I experienced breaks in the time-code which produced an unworkably slow process as FCE looked for timecode breaks.
Solution:
After some thought, I decided to use iMovie 06 to experiment with off-loading the video to DV and then "sharing" it back to "video camera" via mini-DV tape.
By using this transfer technique and employing the ZR200 camera as the "sharing" camera - which takes a little extra time and loses the original time code information - I was able to produce a tape which created a smooth and continuous import into FCE without timecode breaks.
I went on to experiment with this same process using the original ZR700 as the "sharing" camera, that is to say, I shared the DV back to the same tape from which the original video was extracted, and it worked fine.
Although I can't exactly explain why this works, I suspect that the timecode is placed in the video using a different route than the record head and FCE can see it.
Why the Canon ZR700 model exhibits such random and poor quality timecode quality is unclear. It may be this particular unit or for some other reason associated with the design or production quality. However, the older ZR200 camera is great and gives solid timecodes on all my videos.
Last note: I also used a record speed of LP versus SP when I "shared" in iMovie 06, even though the original video came from an SP tape. I can't see any difference except that the tape lasts longer.
WARNING: This technique loses - or appears to lose - the original recording information which is imprinted on the tape, including the date and time when the video was recorded. In order to re-create that information, I place a note into the video in iMovie 06 which states when (date and time) the video was taken. Some people care about this information, others don't.
Well, that's my solution to dropped or irregular timecodes. I would be interested to know if this technique works with other cameras.

Similar Messages

PCMCIA firewire card for G4 laptop (follow-up to excessive timecode breaks)

1.) It was recommended that I get a new firewire bus to resolve excessive timecode breaks when importing from a Canon camcorder to an external hard drive. I've been reading through posts on this topic...and saw getting a new firewire port mentioned a few times... How come when I called Apple to check on the cost of a new firewire card for my laptop Powerbook G4, I was told that nothing could be added without replacing the entire logic board? Am I missing something? I didn't say "PCMCIA firewire drive" - is that something special? Any idea of the cost to purchase and install?
2.) Apple recommended just capturing to my internal hard drive, and transfering the projects. Apart from this being cumbersome... I need a little verification: if I transfer PROJECT X to my external hard drive, then do I also need to transfer my Audio Render, Autosave,Capture Scratch, Render, Thumbnail, and Waveform folders? [I realize this is basic, but I'm wary of losing the information the project needs and getting it all messed up]
Powerbook G4, Mac OS X (10.3.9) FCP 4.5, LaCie external HD
Powerbook G4, Mac OS X (10.3.9) FCP 4.5, LaCie external HD

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&kw=BEAFWT2&is=REG&Q=&O =productlist&sku=304014
pcmcia is an card slot. If you have a 12" PB you may not have one.
If you have a pcmcia slot, buy the card. Slide the card into your computer and start up. Put the camcorder on the card and your fw drive on the port built-in to your computer. Even if this does not solve the timecode issues, it will save you other headaches in the future.
Question. Does capturing to your internal drive solve the timecode issues you are having?
I disagree with the advice of capturing to your internal drive and transfering the project after the fact. There are a bunch of reasons why, and all of them are qualified, so I hesitate to go further until I know whether or not capturing to the internal drive is making your timecode headaches go away.
I suspect capturing to the internal drive will not help the timecode issues which will make the whole point moot. But hopefully I'm wrong :>
Tom
ps
When you talk to representatives from Apple, you have to be conscious that if they are not specialists in the area you are focused on their advice may be based on general recommendations from an IT or home user perspective. There is a difference between talking to a sales person on the floor of the Apple Store and someone from the Genius Bar. And the person at the Genius Bar may have a tremendous background in network installations, but never have opened FCP. Or you might get lucky and get a FCP savvy genius, who would be a bit weak when talking about some other area.
This is not a knock, just a reality. It is difficult to be deeply conversant with even one area. It is not realistic for the generalists you usually deal with to know the best answers to very specific questions.
I'm working toward becoming a certified trainer with FCP and it is not easy or cheap to become an expert at this one application, never mind all the possible applications and hardware combinations for wildly different needs and budgets.

Two short questions on timecode

Hello,
I've got two short ones on timecode.
1) These days, I get quite a lot of HDV tapes. Since most of my other footage is shot on DV, I convert HDV to DV. However, when capturing that footage, I do get lots and lots of timecode breaks (I capture whole tapes), but the TC seems to be fine in the HDV player (Sony HVR-ME10). Does anybody else find that HDV tapes have TC breaks?
2) Totally unrelated, I just read that using Capture Now means that FCP ignores the TC that is on the tape and creates its own on. Is that true? Or is it true only when I choose Device Settings>Non-Controllable Device? I'm just curious, and also it could one day get me in trouble....
If anyone has any thoughts on these two questions, I'd be thankful.
And now the best part of the day: LUNCHBREAK!!!
Cheers,
Colin
PowerMac G5 2.5GHz DP and PowerMac G4 500MHz DP
PowerMac G5 2.5GHz DP and PowerMac G4 500MHz DP

It all depends on the project. I have a client who will mark up a transcription of an interview, numbering sections in the intended order. I zip thru the clip putting in markers, naming them with the appropriate numbers (and marking an out for the marker - a very useful feature). I simply turn the markers into subclips (by dragging them into another bin), do a sort by name and drag to the timeline. Very, very fast.
Oh and a hint. If you're intending to do a numeric sort, always add leading zeros to your clip names (if you have 99 clips, make sure 1 thur 9 are number 01 - 09 - if you have a 100 to 999 clips, make sure you add another leading zero).
FCP has many, many possible workflows. In my old avid days, I used to obsess about figuring out the fastest way to do things. Now, I concentrate more on doing the creative stuff. But everyonceinawhile, I do have a aha! moment.

Timecode Break Issues when Importing, but plays back in camera fine?

Hello,
I am having several timecode break issues. The tapes play fine on the camera in "playback" mode but once I try to import through firewire into final cut express it gives me multiple clips. I have tried using Imovie and QuickTime Pro for importing the footage. Imovie gives me delays in the footage and so does QuickTime Pro.
Why am I getting timecode breaks when importing through final cut express, but then it plays back fine in the camera? I am using a Macbook pro with Maverick and a Sony HVR Z5U camera.
Any helps would be great. The footage is in DV.
Thanks

Why am I getting timecode breaks when importing through final cut express, but then it plays back fine in the camera?
Because the camera basically ignores the timecode when you just play back a tape in the camera. While it may display the TC on the LCD screen as the video plays, the camera really doesn't care about TC during plain old playback. However, with 3 different apps all encountering problems capturing the video, it would appear there are actual TC breaks.
Questions
Is this a problem with one or a few specific tapes, or all tapes you try to capture from?
Also, the HVRZ5U is an HDV-DVCAM-DV camcorder ... are you downconverting HDV material to DV?
Do you have *ANY* other FW devices connected to you Mac when you try to capture video from the camera?
In FCE, you might try using the DV NTSC DV Converter easy setup, which ignores timecode, instead of the default DV NTSC easy setup.

Capturing issues-audio sample rate & locating timecode break

I am a first time FCP user.
I am working on an educational video with hours of DV source tapes.
The source tapes are from a 2R50MC Cannon mini DV camcorder also used as the deck I am capturing from via firewire. My scratch disk is Maxtor III 500GB external drive hooked up via a firewire (I'm realizing the firewire is years old could that be a problem?)
In my first capture test I captured 1 minute of tape by setting in and out points and after completeing the capture I received an error message—"The audio sample rate of one or more of your captured media files does not match the sample rate on your source tape. This may cause the video and audio of these media files to be out of sync. Make sure the audio sample rate of your capture preset matches the sample rate of your tape."
For the past day I have been scouring the user manual, this discussion group and training tapes from Lynda.com and can not resolve this issue. I have determined that the source tape is 12 bit or 32 kHz and yet can not find a way to set up capture preferences to 32 kHz. Is this the problem/resolution? Page 320 of the user manual shows the QuickTime Audio Settings dialog box but I can't find it in FCP or Quicktime. Is this where I make the change to 32kHz?
After doing the first test, I tried again and ran into a new problem—it stopped capturing with the message: Locating timecode break [press esc to abort]. It never seemed to resume capturing and I pressed escape to abort. If I'm reading FCP time code window correctly I received this time code break message within a section I had already captured previously (with the audio sync warning).
I have done several capture tests at different points in the tape and on different tapes all with the same results. I've used the capture clip and capture now buttons. I've tested with drop frame turned on and off. Confirmed my setting of: At timecode break "Make New Clip." Confirmed my Easy Setup as DV-NTSC. My capture preset is DV NTSC 48 kHz. I've turned off and on FCP. Restarted my computer. Restarted my computer with the shift key down and ran permissions.
Any ideas are GREATLY appreciated, T.

I am concerned about available memory when capturing to my hard drive and the babysitting and extra steps involved considering the amount of tape I want to capture...but it does work that's GREAT!
This is always a concern, but in your case I think having the camera and external on the same bus was causing your problem. You may have to capture a little and then transfer, rinse and repeat. Just don't try to do too much at once and let your System Drive get too full, you'll run into other problems there. Slow and steady is the pace!
I shouldn't have stacked my questions since you answered one and Chris answered the other. Don't know how to apply the answered question and who gets the points.
No problem, just mark it answered and divide up the solved and helpful points as you wish. All in all we really don't care too much about the points, but they do make us feel good! Thanks for your desire to use the forums properly.
K

Re: Questions about Plan structure

Reply-To: "Duncan Kinnear" <[email protected]>
Q. if you have an Employee class with related EmployeeSubordinate and
EmployeeSalaryHistory classes, should these all be in the same plan?
A It is better to have them in the same plan.It depends on the design
you have
Q Why should the Managers be separated from their business classes?
A Managers are usually service objects which might require different
resources.
These managers when deployed might be required by several other
applications.
Seperating them as a different plan will help in just using one
installed partition to be
Used by different applications (refer about Reference Partition)
Q If you have the Database managers separate, what scope does each DB
manager cover?
A It is better to have the DB managers in user scope.
It depends on the numbers of users, u have for the system.
Since u are talking about 100 tables. It's a huge system.
It also depends on the user licenses u have for the backend.
Take care that u use proper load balancing of DB Managers for the
system.
Krishna CVSR
GoldStone Softech Inc
>
Hi there,
We are in the middle of designing the structure of a new system.
I have read/heard that it is best to break down the plans into the
following categories:
Business Classes
Managers/Services
Clients
I have a few questions about this structure:
Should related business classes be grouped together in Plans? E.g. if
you have an Employee class with related EmployeeSubordinate and
EmployeeSalaryHistory classes, should these all be in the same plan?
Why should the Managers be separated from their business classes?
E.g. if there is an EmployeeMgr service which deals with anything to do
with the Employee business class, why separate them in different
plans? If you need the manager to access the class, you will always
need both.
Some of the Forte documentation talks about "Policy" managers and
"Database" managers. How do the functions of these managers differ
for a simple CRUD (Create Read Update Delete) class?
If you have the Database managers separate, what scope does each
DB manager cover? I.e. do you have one for the entire database (over
100 tables in our case), or do you break it down by sub-system?
Thanks in advance for any answers.
Cheers,
Duncan Kinnear,
McCarthy and Associates, Email: [email protected]
PO Box 764, McLean Towers, Phone: +64 6 834 3360
Shakespeare Road, Napier, New Zealand. Fax: +64 6 834 3369
Providing Integrated Software to the Meat Processing Industry for over 10 years
To unsubscribe, email '[email protected]' with
'unsubscribe forte-users' as the body of the message.
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Reply-To: "Duncan Kinnear" <[email protected]>
Q. if you have an Employee class with related EmployeeSubordinate and
EmployeeSalaryHistory classes, should these all be in the same plan?
A It is better to have them in the same plan.It depends on the design
you have
Q Why should the Managers be separated from their business classes?
A Managers are usually service objects which might require different
resources.
These managers when deployed might be required by several other
applications.
Seperating them as a different plan will help in just using one
installed partition to be
Used by different applications (refer about Reference Partition)
Q If you have the Database managers separate, what scope does each DB
manager cover?
A It is better to have the DB managers in user scope.
It depends on the numbers of users, u have for the system.
Since u are talking about 100 tables. It's a huge system.
It also depends on the user licenses u have for the backend.
Take care that u use proper load balancing of DB Managers for the
system.
Krishna CVSR
GoldStone Softech Inc
>
Hi there,
We are in the middle of designing the structure of a new system.
I have read/heard that it is best to break down the plans into the
following categories:
Business Classes
Managers/Services
Clients
I have a few questions about this structure:
Should related business classes be grouped together in Plans? E.g. if
you have an Employee class with related EmployeeSubordinate and
EmployeeSalaryHistory classes, should these all be in the same plan?
Why should the Managers be separated from their business classes?
E.g. if there is an EmployeeMgr service which deals with anything to do
with the Employee business class, why separate them in different
plans? If you need the manager to access the class, you will always
need both.
Some of the Forte documentation talks about "Policy" managers and
"Database" managers. How do the functions of these managers differ
for a simple CRUD (Create Read Update Delete) class?
If you have the Database managers separate, what scope does each
DB manager cover? I.e. do you have one for the entire database (over
100 tables in our case), or do you break it down by sub-system?
Thanks in advance for any answers.
Cheers,
Duncan Kinnear,
McCarthy and Associates, Email: [email protected]
PO Box 764, McLean Towers, Phone: +64 6 834 3360
Shakespeare Road, Napier, New Zealand. Fax: +64 6 834 3369
Providing Integrated Software to the Meat Processing Industry for over 10 years
To unsubscribe, email '[email protected]' with
'unsubscribe forte-users' as the body of the message.
Searchable thread archive <URL:http://pinehurst.sageit.com/listarchive/>
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
To unsubscribe, email '[email protected]' with
'unsubscribe forte-users' as the body of the message.
Searchable thread archive <URL:http://pinehurst.sageit.com/listarchive/>

Legality questions about Home Sharing

I have some legality questions about Apple's Home Sharing technology.
As I understand it, you can share (that is, copy it from one computer to another) your music, movies, applications and other iTunes-managed files amongst five computers. The only 'trick' is that each computer must have an iTunes Store account and must be logged in in order for it to work.
My question concerns the copying aspect and the legality of it. For content that was purchased through the iTunes Store I can see how Home Sharing can provide a limitation on content sharing, since all of the machines would need to be connected to Apple's servers in order for the validation process to happen. But what about content that was added to iTunes through other means, e.g., ripping my own CDs or converting my DVDs? These items can still be copied via Home Sharing and as there's no DRM on them there's no way they can be protected against "illegal" or "unauthorized" use.
It was my understanding that if I gave a copy of a song to someone else, that's illegal. Apple's Home Sharing technology seems to facilitate this action. If I rip a CD or DVD into iTunes and someone copies it out, isn't that making an illegal copy? Can I be held liable for distribution of content?
And how far does this extend? If I live in a house with four unrelated people, are they legally (?) allowed to copy music and media amongst each another? Is there a perceived or actual difference between using Home Sharing to copy a movie versus, say, using a USB flash drive? And what if one of them moves out? Am I legally obligated to go through that person's hard drive and remove content that they copied from me before they leave the building?
Does Home Sharing somehow retroactively change the copyright application on a given CD or DVD? Most of my CDs and DVDs contain notices and warnings against distributing copies. Can these warnings now be ignored, or at least amended with "...unless you're using iTunes Home Sharing" at the ends of them?
I am not trying to stir up a hornet's nest here. I'm only trying to better understand the legal issues surrounding Home Sharing and particularly how they relate to unprotected content. It seems very contradictory that the RIAA and MPAA would be fighting so hard against peer-to-peer services like BitTorrent and Gnutella while apparently allowing peer-to-peer services through iTunes Home Sharing.
Furthermore, I also understand that the intention of this system was to allow families who are living together to have common access to all of the "household" music, but my issues aren't about this. I envision, for example, a college dorm building where there's several hundred people living together on the same network subnet, and all of them have Home Sharing enabled and everyone is copying thousands and thousands of songs to/from one another. Is this now legal?
Any insights would be appreciated. Thanks.

If I rip a CD or DVD into iTunes and someone copies it out, isn't that making an illegal copy?
RIPping of commercial, encrypted DVDs (most of them) is illegal to begin with. Or rather, breaking the encryption on a DVD is illegal and in order to RIP the DVD, you must break the encryption. SO you have already "broken the law" by having a copy on your computer.
Most of my CDs and DVDs contain notices and warnings against distributing copies.
Most of your DVDs have a notice about even simply making a copy, not only distributing copies.
Much of your post has been cussed and discussed by many, many people (lawyers, corporations, organizations, individuals, etc.) and no one has come (or likely ever will come) to a complete agreement.
Generally, "sharing" in the same house hold amongst family members seems to be okay. Outside the same household/family is almost always not okay.
I envision, for example, a college dorm building where there's several hundred people living together on the same network subnet, and all of them have Home Sharing enabled and everyone is copying thousands and thousands of songs to/from one another. Is this now legal?
No.
This is exactly what Napster was and why they were sued & shut down.
I imagine Apple lawyers have done their homework as well as consulted with the labels to discuss these exact issues.
And it's called "Home Sharing" to indicate that it is not "Dorm Sharing" or "Workplace Sharing", or even simply "Library Sharing"etc. even though it may be possible to use it in other places than the Home.
Users on other computers need to know your iTunes ID and password to enable it Home Sharing. Likely this is how Apple got the lables to be okay with it.
Are you gonna give (and get) dozens/hundreds/thousands/any other users your iTunesID & password?
You can contact Apple Legal here -> http://www.apple.com/legal

Questions about mac mini iTunes server, streaming to macbook pro, ipads, etc.

I'm thinking about getting a mac mini to work with my NAS as a iTunes server. I have a bunch of questions about this. I will have two iPhones, a few iPads, and a laptop that will be accessing the files. I have iTunes match. This is basically to keep an always on computer for hosting the music/movies. My questions are as follows . . .
#1 Are there any good, comprehensive guides to show you how to do this?
#2 Can the movies be accessed when not at home on the shared network?
#3 Can the iPads or the macbook pro download the shared movies to be stored locally?
#4 Back to #3, how will it work on my macbook pro with listening to music (I have iTunes match)? Say i go to library and I break out my macbook pro and I don't have internet. What happens if I download music while at home onto my macbook pro to listen to it when I go to the library? Will i start a new library on my macbook pro? How will that mesh with the home server when I come back.
#5 Is there a way to mirror files or folders? So something that I have on my macbook pro will also mirror on the home server.
Thanks for your help on this. I'll post any follow up questions.

seanfenton wrote:
1. I want to replace the Optical drive with a 2TB SATA. can I use this 2.5 inch?
I do not know if it is the same model number, but this one will work in your MBP:
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/SEAGATE%20OWC/ST2000LM003M/
2. I want to replace the HD with a 128GB SSD 840. When I replace these drives, will my OS still be in tact? I have never done this job before.
No. You will have to format the drives in Disk Utility>Erase to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and then install the OSX by using the original install disks.
3.) I want to replace the ram sticks to max capacity. This is 2 2GB sticks, Correct?
No. An early 17" 2008 MBP will accept 6GB RAM with the following specifications: 200-pin PC2-5300 (667MHz) DDR2 SO-DIMM. The best sources of Mac compatible RAM are OWC and Crucial.
4.) Most difficult...
I want to extend the monitor wirelessly to a projector. I thought about using Apple TV and Airplay. However, support for airplay is for MacBooks 2011 and newer. I thought of using a PS3 and the media server, but I think this brings on a format compatibility issue. (my library is so large I could not afford to convert all my movies to MP4.) So, how would you recommend I put my extended monitor with VLC player onto a projector?
Could I possibly connect the MBP to a Mac Mini as an extension? would this work natively? I would rather use a VGA cord than F with 3rd party app BS.
Cannot help you there.
5..) I want to Bypass iTunes this time around. I would prefer to use Finder and VLC to manage all of my music. I mostly play all my music on shuffle, so, could I create a playlist on VLC with all of my music and play it randomly? (im sure this is possible but i'd like to organize all my plans with confirmation.)
You are not obligated to use iTunes.
6.) Can i upgrade the keyboard to backlit? i've read that this is possible.
All MBPs have back lighted keyboards. Your either needs a NVRAM reset or a repair.
Ciao.

Question about the Documentation Tags for Source Code

Hello,
I have a question about CVI's automatic source code documentation. My problem is that is seems like you need to write all documentation for a specific tag on one line. If you don't, a line break will be inserted when the documentation is displayed. Suppose I want to write a large amount of documentation for the function itself, using the HIFN tag. If I don't want linebreaks to be forced in the documentation, I need to write all this documentation on one single line, which kinda messes up my code. If I split the documentation over several HIFN tags, the documentation displayed to the user might look messed up because of all the linebreaks. Is there any escape character I can put at the end of a line, allowing me to split the documentation of several HIFN lines without forcing linebreaks in the documentation?
Thanks!
GEMIDIS - Innovating Display Technology
HQ Ghent, Belgium

This information is certainly useful. Note, however, that it can also be found in the documentation
Tag
Description
/// HIFN help text
Specifies the help text for the function. Use multiple /// HIFN tags to display help text for the function on separate lines. To separate help text with an empty line, use /// HIFN on a line by itself. You also can use HTML tags, but you must enclose the tags in <HTML><BODY></BODY></HTML> tags.
Example
/// HIFN SampleFunction returns the value of a control.
int SampleFunction (int controlID, ctrlType controlType, char label[], double *value)
SomeAction;

Few questions about Lenovo G550

Hello, I plan to buy an inexpensive laptop, propably it will be a Lenovo G550L but I got few questions about this model. Here are my questions:
1. What 320GB hard disks are mounted inside G550L, Western Digital, Seagate or Hitachi (exact model if possible)?
2. How are the hinges of LCD screen in this model, cause they look pretty weak. Do they break easy, does anyone got any experience with this type of hinges which are "forward type" instead of normal?
2. I have noticed that there are two types of laptop chassis in this model one is matte black and another is grey glare. How to determine which model has which finish? Which finish got laptops with T4300, 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Intel IGP x4500, no card reader, no hdmi.
Thanks in advance.
Regards

my friend samsung any net, toshiba regza link, panasonic viera link is their special TM to support CEC
but just for their product not other products,for instance a samsung dvd player and a samsung lcd can sync easily with with hdmi cable
and in this case you dont need an extra remote control to control dvd besides tv.just with having a remote you can control both of them or the other audio visual products from that campany
please think???? how could you control your lenovo when it does not have a remote?
every device need to send signals to the remote not by just some wires like HDMI
lcd has a remote and a dvd player also has a remote and if those are from a unit company,they share a common signal with HDMI cable ,then you could control both of them with just one remote.
this can ease your work,as you dont need a lot of remote around your devices
but they should be from just a unit producer cause they uses different protocols
and of course they want to sell their various products and oblige you to buy other products from that producer to have the compability for having just one remote.

Question about Video Cards on Laptops

Hi everyone, and sorry if I post this in the wrong area. I own a few computers, some are consider ancient and others are somewhat old but can run Windows XP just fine. I have a question about the computers in the stores today.
I am looking to invest in a new laptop, possibly a desktop in the near future depending on my budget. The question I have about video cards today is that, I enjoy a good MMO game now and then, I don't expect to play heavy intensive games, just maybe some more advance games. I notice that for one game that I want to play, it requires a video card to have (Shadow Rendering, Vertex and Pixle Shaders). Do the computers today have those as standard for thier video card? Or do I have to invest in a little bit more expensive laptop/desktop. I am willing to invest money for some more RAM, if I need to improve its preformance. The reason I ask is because I have a 4 year old Laptop with a broken keyboard, and I was thinking about just replacing the laptop with a newer one. it has some pretty good specs and runs everything fine, but it can not play certain games because of those missing video requirements. (Current laptop incase someone is curious: 1.5Ghz Celeron M, 1GB memory 64MB video (Shared) ) Thanks to anyone who has the answer to this question. (P.S sorry if everything is scrunched together. for some reason the formatting is wierd on Opera web browser

Graphics cards have all those standard today... or at least they should unless you get a really cheap Graphics card. The kind of graphics card and processor and other specs of the computer you want to get should depend on what you want to do with it. It also depends on the kind of games you want to play. If you're playing FPS [first person shooter] then you need a really good graphics card and processor. If you're playing something like Diablo 2 or something that's on the lower end of graphics then you just need decent specs. Graphics cards, I suggest something with aGeForce Nividia card... as of today, they are in the 9 series for high-end cards I believe. For processors... get something like Intel Core 2 Duo T9500 or T9600 or the Core 2 Quatros or Extremes. Extremes are intended for hardcore gaming and would be more expensive. For RAM you should have at least 2GB... you can always upgrade that later.
For laptops my suggestions are:
$3k+ get a customized alienware
$2-3 get a customized dell xps, or macbook pro [although if you're gaming i would suggest you dual boot with windows xp or vista]
$1-2k get a cheaper customized dell, or sony vaio
under $1k... well I don't know what to say... you can't really get a nice gaming computer for under that price.
I personally DO NOT like HP computers at all because they are so quirky and have so many problems and break down easily.

Question about Tritton AX 720 Dolby Digital Surround Gaming Headset

Hello, I have a question about the AX 720 that I hope someone can answer. I emailed Tritton and I'm not sure they understood what I was asking, so Ill try here. Ok, my question is this, Will I get audio through the headset if my set up is this: My X-BOX 360, my PS3 , and my Direct TV box are all hooked up to my TV via HDMI. My TV has an optical audio output, so if I hook up the AX 720's amp to my TV with the optical cable will I get the audio that is coming from that output into my headset? I'm using the Tritton AX 180's now hooked up almost exactly the same, except instead of the optical out, I'm using the red and white out that is right next to the optical out, and it works perfect. I get full audio from all 3, and the only time I have to change any cables is when I want to chat, but thats rare. I'm looking to upgrade to the 720 because I'm on my 3rd set of broken AX 180's. Ive read several reviews about the 720's and a few of them said that if your TV has an optical output that you can use that, and I hope its true. I hope this question makes sense, and thanks in advance for the help.

@Rockadile: You are totally right about the AX 180's breaking, like I said Im on my 3rd set. Thankfully for the first break it was within the return period, then I made sure to buy the warranty when I got the second. Now that the 3rd has broken in the same exact place Im done with these. The problem is my heads big (wide), and because of this theres extra pressure on the plastic piece that connects to the ear piece. I had to make a custom metal bracket to fix it. What I did was take 2 pieces of flat metal and bent them into the shape and angle of the plastic that attaches the earpiece, then I electrical taped them VERY tight. So basically instead of the plastic getting the stress, the metal does. And it worked great up until now, its breaking just below the adjustable part where the plastic goes into top of the headset. I looked at the AX 720's and it seems like there alot wider and stronger in that area. But if I do get them I will be sure to buy the replacement warranty. Sucks having a big head!

How can I prevent my Camera Archive import from being interrupted by timecode breaks?

I'm trying to create Camera Archives from my old mini-dv tapes. I have a Sony Handycam DCR-TRV22 connected via FireWire. When I start the Camera Archive import process, everything is fine for a while but then the process stops with a message about a break in the timecode preventing the archiving from completing.
Solutions to this problem I've seen online relied on changing import preferences in Final Cut 7. Unfortunately, I only have Final Cut Pro X and I'm not sure how to control this setting.
I don't really care about timecodes, I just want to dump the entire tape to disk so I have a backup of the tape but the timecode break is interrupting the process and making me get involved a lot more often during the import process.
Does anyone know how to force Final Cut Pro X to push through timecode breaks in a Camera Archive import?

To clarify, this problem is not simply making me get involved more, but is preventing the Camera Archive operation from completing.

Capturing issues looking for timecode break

I am using FCP 4.5 and capturing onto a G raid Sata drive. But the capture process is very fragmented it keeps taking in about 20 seperate clips per 40 min role of DV. The message that comes up in the capture window says it is searching for timecode break but there is not one on the tape.
Any tips?

Strange maybe, but as a shooter, I've seen material show 'timecode' breaks on footage I've shot, knowing there was no break in tape....occasionally within a rolling shot. (JVC GY-DV500 camera)
Could be the camera not laying a strong timecode signal...I've read that Canon's are notorious for this, though I've not experienced it myself...yet.
Turning the camera off/on is very likely a culprit here. Not to be condescending, but here are my camera procedures to eliminate timecode breaks...not that you don't know this already...
- Get in the habit of always rolling 5 sec. of tape before action starts and 5 seconds of tape after action ends.
- Try not to turn the camera off.
- Try not to do 'searches' on tapes that are being recorded on.
- If the camera is turned off, or you need to search back into the tape, make sure you do NOT roll past the end of the last recorded frame...preferable stop a couple of seconds prior to the last recorded frame, and begin recording there.
- If your camera is capable of generating Bars, try to record 10 seconds of bars in between scene or location changes.
-if you have to pop the tape out of the camera at any point, follow the above listed practice of cueing up to a couple of seconds prior to the last recorded frame, and start recording there to pick up continous timecode.
-Really, really try not to... (IOW - DON'T) use 'free-run' timecode. It will make editing an absolute nightmare...particularly for NLE's.
not sure what mac os extended means
This is how the drive is initially formatted. Often drives are designed to work with PCs and MACs. If you drive is not formatted Mac OS Extended, you could see abbreviated captures as well...among other problems...
start/stop detect
This will take a long capture and place markers at the points the camera stopped/started rolling, allowing you to create subclips from the original long clip...Main Menu/Mark/DV Start/Stop Detect...the camera must have an internal clock running, and not all cameras support this feature.
Hope that helps,
Kevan

Several Questions about Aperture Problems

Having used Aperture for some time, and being a Mac user since 1985, I have a list of questions about Aperture that I need help with.
1. Periodically operating the sliders will make an image turn black. Sometimes this is early in a session, sometimes late. Various workarounds will bring the image back, but once this starts, quitting seems the only option. Can anyone help me with why this happens and how to stop it?
2. About 20% of the RAW files from my supported camera display the Unsupported Image Format error screen. These files operate perfectly in the manufacturers software and in other image management software that does not use the OS RAW libraries. Can someone help me with the cause of this and the solution (not a "workaround" but a way to make it stop happening).
3. ALL of my RAW files from my supported camera, when I try to lift metadata, return the error message that there is no metadata to lift. But in fact, the metadata inspector displays metadata. How can I stop this from happening and experience normal metadata lifting?
4. When I use the DNG format from my supported camera, a great many EXIF fields do not display, such as lens data. Can someone help me with DNG files, since these never generate the UIF error screen (cf. #2 above) as the manufacturer's RAW files do. I'm forced to use DNGs to have all my shots, but the EXIF data is not fully displayed.
5. Today I opened Aperture and no previews would display. Aperture froze while updating thumbnails. I'd not done any non-routine edits or imported any unusual files or formats. Aperture then would not quit. Is it safe to attempt to restart Aperture?
6. At times Aperture slows to the point of not working at all. Long pauses simply in trying to enlarge the selection circles for redeye removal, for example. What would cause Aperture to slow down without warning at any point in the workflow? How can I experience a more consistent operating speed from Aperture.
7. How do other image management programs like Lightroom compare on these points? Is Aperture typical or should I seek a change in my workflow, improvement in my hardware, or some adjustment in my installation?
Info: MacBook Pro, 4 GB RAM (apple), 320 GB drive, 45 GB free on drive; library of 3800 images. Fewer than 12 projects.
Thanks for your assistance.

n #3. It looks like you're absolutely right on this. I went back and checked on photos I'd edited and there was the altered metadata. +Many thanks for dispelling that concern!+ I love being a happy camper. Check that one off the list!
On 1, I've followed the black-screen issues and pretty much all we know is that a workaround exists--usually selecting the crop box restores the picture, but a lot of times it blacks out again. Having used Apple products over 25 years, all of which was in my adult professional life, I haven't seen Apple willing to just let users tolerate an irritating "workaround." I think this is something that needs fixing.
On 6--I don't understand how the rotational speed would produce erratic performance issues. I can go a month of reasonable performance, and then suddenly things bog down. Also, if that is the reason, this really ought to be part of the System Requirements, or at least, a recommendation. Maybe it is already--I should check to be sure. I confess this is one aspect I had not thought about.
Thanks so much for thinking about these. I love my Apple products and have owned almost every generation of Mac since the "Fat Mac" (512K RAM! 800Kb Floppies!) and hate to stare at the screen and think I've been given a truly poor product--not in my DNA--but these things break my heart.
Message was edited by: LawsonStone
Message was edited by: LawsonStone

Question about TimeCode breaks

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