Editor’s NoteStudio MonthlyDecember 1, 2007 Supporting Players Why tripods and why now? This is the second time we’ve put a tripod, all by itself, on our cover. Frankly, we should do it more often. With the recent frenzied focus on new lighter-weight, handheld cameras— and the wide range...
100%
Jim Feeley on Year-End Bargain ToolsStudio MonthlyDecember 1, 2007 For years I thought the word "prosaic" meant something that approached the quality of good poetry, with perhaps a little 19th Century British countryside or Jane Austen tossed in. The true definition is more mundane, as in factual, dull...
34%
Ode to a Cheap VTRStudio MonthlyOctober 1, 2007 When Sony officially discontinued the venerable and cheap DSR-11 DVCAM VTR earlier this year, I shed a small tear. I own a DSR-11. The deck’s mix of infuriating shortcomings, useful innovations and reasonable price makes it both one of my...
34%
Surviving Pool Feeds (Without Drowning)Studio MonthlySeptember 1, 2007 As you may recall, a lab test indicated that cyclist Floyd Landis had synthetic testosterone in his body during his victorious 2006 Tour de France ride. Landis denied taking the drug, said lab mistakes led to an errant finding and declared that he...
34%
Why Formats Don’t MatterStudio MonthlyJuly 1, 2007 Sony F23 or Fisher-Price PXL2000: With the right lens, and the right vision, does it really matter? We waste too much time talking about acquisition formats. How DVCPRO HD compares to HDV and HDCAM. The benefits and drawbacks of 1080p, 1080i and...
34%
What I Do and Don’t Want to See at NAB 2007Studio MonthlyApril 1, 2007 Last year at this time, I listed 13 products and technologies I wanted to see at NAB 2006 ( www.studiomonthly.com/6267.html ). I built my wish list on existing technologies and user needs. I wanted mid-range HD cameras and lenses, new compressed...
34%
Hard Drive Storage for ProducersStudio MonthlyFebruary 1, 2007 At least once a week I’m asked, "what hard drive should I buy?" A bewildering number of options make choosing dedicated storage for media files seem like a tough question. For a facility that needs a massive RAID system or storage area network to...
34%
Great GadgetsStudio MonthlyDecember 1, 2006 As 2006 draws to a close, many of us will sit down to watch our expensive new HDTV sets, or will plan to save up to buy one in 2007. Consequently, we may have a little less year-end cash to spend than we’d like. So this seems like a good time to...
34%
Ethical DilemmasStudio MonthlyNovember 1, 2006 For every ethical question a documentary or news producer may face, there’s a standard answer. The problem is that the standard answers are often wanting. Heck, some of them are even unethical. Or so it seems to me. Here’s an example: When...
88%
$40,000 Worth of NothingStudio MonthlySeptember 1, 2006 Last weekend my town offered free recycling of electronic equipment. Great, I thought, a cheap and convenient chance to unload the old computers, NLE hardware, VCRs and other equipment I wasn’t using and haven’t sold or donated. I filled the...
34%
Digital Anarchy Data Animator 1.0Studio MonthlyAugust 1, 2006 In my corporate and factual work I often need to present numerical data. These may include budget and earnings numbers, survey results, scientific data and rising gas prices — anything that can be presented in a bar, line or other chart...
88%
Illusion, Image and Dehydration in VegasStudio MonthlyJuly 1, 2006 Every year I leave the NAB convention thinking I’ve lost weight. Miles of walking the Convention Center isles and Las Vegas streets, combined with missed meals, give me a little definition. Or so I think. A day or two after returning home, my...
33%
Red Alert!! Sizing Up Next-Gen Camera PrototypesHD StudioMay 2, 2006 This year's NAB showcased a full array of high-definition cameras, from Ultra HDTV (NHK) to a 1080i camera less than the size of a pack of cigarettes (Iconix Video) and everywhere in between. The winner is the customer, who now has a wide variety...
34%
Popcorn, Toothpicks and VideoStudio MonthlyMay 1, 2006 Ever get a piece of popcorn stuck between two teeth? Your world stops as you struggle to fix this minor dental problem. You frantically search for a toothpick, find one, get that pericarp out of your mouth and life continues. Video production is...
34%
Red at NABStudio DailyApril 27, 2006 Downloadable Podcast Footage shot by Crews Control www.crewsontrol.com Ted Schilowitz highlights the new features of the Red camera from the floor of NAB...
33%
NAB: Hot TopicsStudio MonthlyApril 1, 2006 HD everything, tapeless workflows, Blu-ray vs. HD DVD distribution, bigger and badder SANs — where will it all lead us? To NAB 2006 in Vegas, of course. HD-related products will be in more booths than ever at NAB this year. Now that HD is really...
34%
What I Want to See at NABStudio MonthlyApril 1, 2006 Every year I join the spring pilgrimage to Las Vegas and worship at the shrine of unaffordable and unavailable equipment. Every NAB I’m impressed, inspired and frustrated; sometimes all by the same vendor. But like a moth, every year I’m drawn...
34%
The Real Challenge of Web VideoStudio MonthlyMarch 1, 2006 I have here on my desk the remains of a V-Lite VHS videocassette. It was sent to my wife a few years ago, a promotional piece encouraging people to raise money for and run in a charity marathon. It was a cause my wife and I both support. I was...
34%
HD Dreams - HDV Often Looks Great, But Not AlwaysStudio MonthlyFebruary 1, 2006 I’m in a dealer’s showroom, stuffed with equipment used by Hollywood DPs—ARRI cameras, DigiPrime lenses, etc. The owner shows me a prototype HD camera so new it’s still in an unopened box. He hands me a cassette that looks like a shrunken...
34%
New Year’s Resolutions for Me, You and the IndustryStudio MonthlyJanuary 1, 2006 In addition to the usual "get taxes done earlier" and "exercise more" resolutions we all set at the beginning of each year, let me suggest a few video-specific goals for 2006. The first few apply to individual video professionals, but I also have a...
