By David Hague   Tue, Nov 15, 2011

For a full review of the Kymera Wand and its magic, click here. It's magical! Harry would want one! And Merlin ...

By David Hague   Wed, Nov 09, 2011

I am an enormous fan of the TV show Dragon’s Den. For those that don’t know, it is a BBC UK show that has a panel of self-made millionaires who judge the worthiness of ideas, products and services from aspiring entrepreneurs. If they see one they like, they bid for the right to invest in it.

Dragon’s Den is entertaining, inspirational and contains many gems of business wisdom such as make sure you have a business plan, know your numbers, have a marketing strategy and more. The books each of the panel has written (including Theo Paphitis, Deborah Meaden, Duncan Bannatyne and Peter Jones) are worth a read in their own right. They are all available on Kindle, and I confess, along with similar books from Lord Alan Sugar (of UK Apprentice fame), I have used their ideas and advice to form what is the new incarnation of Auscam.

Anyway, approximately two years ago, a product appeared on Dragon’s Den that is an absolute game changer. A pair of technical whizzes had created a device that replaced the remote control for almost any device you’d like to name; it was a magic wand a la Harry Potter!

It could be waved, rotated, flicked, tapped (once or twice), swished, pushed forward or backward and more – 13 operations in total – to replicate the commands from your remote control(s).

I have resisted for a long time to order one, but two weeks ago I caved in. I have just added an XBOX Kinetic to my home theatre system and to perform the basic functions I do, whilst I have a Logitech Universal control and it is very functional, the Wand – called a Kymera– looked far more fun!

It finally arrived today in its elegant display box and instructions on Olde English parchment. Firstly you have to learn the various actions to perform commands, and this takes about 10 minutes. Next, you “teach” the commands you want to assign to each of the Wand’s options.

For example, to turn my Sony 52” Bravia on, I wanted to use the “flick up” command, and to turn it off, the “flick down”. It’s really very easy; you tap the side of the Wand twice while it is vertical to put it in learning mode, perform the required action and then point the sharp end at your remote’s infra red sender and press the button for that action. The Wand will respond with a vibration (every action has a specific vibration code to signify what is has done or it understands) and voila! Done.

In truth, it took me a few goes to get it just right, but this was down more to my ham fistedness than any error on the Wand’s behalf.

Once I had the knack of programming the wand, it was only a short time before I had the whole system setup; the Denon receiver/amp volume was controlled by rotate right and left, flicking between HDMI devices was flick left/right, XBOX options were taps and so on. The piece de resistance – the BIG SWISH was reserved for putting my Sony Blu-Ray player into play mode with something that starts with a bang!

When you use the Wand to perform an action, especially if there are others present, you simply cannot help but to ham it up a little – or a lot! And I confess, when I got the first command working, I burst into laughter. It’s just one of those gadgets that is a must have, for no other reason that it is Great Fun! You’ll want to turn things on and off, switch between devices or whatever you have programmed it for (lights, heating, iPod dock or whatever uses an IR remote) just for the sheer delight of it!

At $89.95 it makes a fantastic Chrissy present. The Kymera is beautifully presented in its box, the instructions are almost worth laminating and framing and well… what more can I say. They even provide the AAA batteries it uses in the price.

In fact, I am so impressed that I have negotiated that Auscam can sell the Kymera Wand to our readers for AUD$89.95 including freight. Simply click on "STORE" in the menu bar above to order.

Or email us at david@auscamonline.com (split your credit card number over two emails) and you can call on 08 94675922 or 0413 632286

By David Hague   Fri, Aug 06, 2010

Today is a momentous day in history. Really, it is! It is the birthday of the TRS80 and we should all rejoice.

I wonder how many remember what or who a TRS80 is? Well the TRS80 – also referred affectionately as the ‘Trash80’ was the first mass produced consumer level computer and was manufactured and sold by Radio Shack, also known as Tandy Electronics in countries outside the US.

And I was there. And it was a fun time.

My first exposure to a TRS80 was at the Karrinyup Shopping Centre in WA when I saw one at the local Tandy Store. It was the basic 4K Level I model, with a grey 12” screen. The cost was $699 back then, and the complete computer was in the grey plastic keyboard into which the (black and white)  monitor was plugged. Data storage was on cassette tape. The character set was upper case only and a “green screen” monitor was an option. A chipset came out later to allow lower case characters.

The BASIC language was inbuilt and you could also program the TRS80 in “machine language”, more correctly called Z80 Assembler. It was widely accepted, but I cannot confirm or deny, that the BASIC language in the ROM of the Level I and Level II (bigger memory, expanded BASIC language capability) was actually developed by Bill Gates himself.

As well as an expanded BASIC language, the Level II TRS80 could also have an expansion box attached, and onto this could be connected up to 4 disk drives (5 ¼” floppies) of 189K each. A range of printers were available as time went on from basic 9 pin dot matrix printers to colour plotters and daisy wheel “letter quality” beasts.

The TRS80 range expanded dramatically over the years as they went from being a hobbyist novelty to a legitimate business machine, way before the IBM PC was heard of.

The Model II was a mighty machine; 64K RAM expandable to 128K, a 12” screen,  500K 8” drive and an expansion box that could contain another three. The processor was still a Zilog Z80 and Tandy/Radio Shack stayed loyal to this workhorse processor as the base unit until the Xenix (UNIX) based Model 16 was released with an MC68000 Motorola.

One of the ironies of the Model 2 (and later the Models 3, 4, 12 and 16) was that Tandy bowed to popular opinion to build a machine that was all the components in a single case, including the keyboard. Of course, when the IBM PC was finally released, it was “revolutionary” in that it was modular, just as the original Model I TRS80 was, and the popular 6809 based Colour Computer (CoCo).

Within weeks of sighting my first TRS80, I was actually working for the company.( I also owned one having been bought it as a birthday present by my new mother-in-law).

This was more coincidence than design; my elder brother Stephen was a Computer Centre Manager – a new concept for Tandy – at the flagship Subiaco WA store, and as I was looking for work at the time, he organised an interview for me with the then Regional Manager as staff were needed as a flurry of new stores was being opened throughout Australia.

My first store, affectionately known as a “Junk Store” meaning a full Tandy Electronics shop, was at Maddington, a suburb south of Perth and luckily in the same suburb I lived. Starting out as a “company store”, Maddington was destined to become a “JV” or joint venture where a manager “bought” the rights to the store and shared the profits with Tandy. When this eventually happened, I was moved to the high turnover Carousel Store, and this is where my career in computers really took off. The main competition to the TRS80 Model I at the time was the Dick Smith System 80 – a clone – and Nintendo type games consoles. I managed to find a sales angle against the games consoles by letting people know they could play games on the computer as well as having an educational benefit. I taught myself the BASIC language and then Z80 Assembler and to this day believe this was a major success ingredient in my career as I could comfortably demonstrate the computer(s) actually doing things.

After selling a truckload of TRS80 Model 1s over a Christmas period (the year John Lennon died – when the news came over the PA in the shopping centre, I was actually signing an old boss up buying one!) I was shifted to the dedicated Subiaco Computer Centre, with my elder brother as my boss.

Initially I hated it. I was used to customers walking in through the day and selling to them, whereas here, I had to go and find them. Sure, there were some “walk-ins”, but even selling a system to each and every one of them would not cover the salary I was paid against commission from sales. And there wasn’t just me, with two other CMRs (Computer Marketing Reps) also vying for the business.

The turning point for me was my first sale of a “fully blown Model II” system to a Travel Agent. This was a $13,000+ sale, and the commission was very healthy indeed. Model II sales were rare. The base machine was $6999 without printer or software – or anything else for that matter. Tandy always made healthy profits on items with the average margin being a tad over 50%. The trick was to be a one stop shop for the customer so that they bought everything from you, thus upping the average margin to over 60% if possible. This affected commissions and bonuses dramatically, and as a consequence, a Computer Centre sold everything from the actual computers to the desks, covers, paper, ribbons for printers, floppy disks, binders for printouts - you name it, we sold it.

Software was off course the key and the big three were word processing (Scripsit versions 1, II ,III and 16) database (Profile, Profile Plus, Profile 16 and filePro) and spreadsheet (VisiCalc and Multiplan). Accounting per se was never a big seller and in truth, the packages we had were mainly adapted US based systems that were if we were honest, were not really suitable. Tandy – via big brother Stephen who by now had engineered himself as National Computer Marketing Manager based in Sydney – did commission some Australian made packages for accounting, the most notable being PABS (Personalised Australian Business Systems) but I recall the drama here was that PABS was CP/M operating system based, and while this did run on Tandy Model II computers, it was flaky with disk drive timing issues.

By far and away, the best seller was Visicalc. At the time, the concept of computer based row and column calculations was revolutionary. And even today over 30 years on, I would not hesitate to say it’s successors in Excel, Lotus 1-2-3 and the like – and there were many – are still the most popular applications used on computers.

VisiCalc fascinated me and I learnt it inside out. Modestly, I could make it sing and my two favourite sales of systems were both Model 3s with daisy wheel printers at $5096 a system. The first was to an ex-employer in the airconditioning business and I to prove the viability of using computers in the Estimations department, I successfully transferred a complex formula called the Carrier formula to VisiCalc. This reduced the time to calculate air movements and volumes from hours to minutes. The coding into VisiCalc probably took me three to four hours.

The second was to a housing/ apartment developer who had reams of huge sheets of paper with costings, estimations, cash flow progressions and all the other figures needed to go to a bank to get the finance for his multi-million dollar projects. The demonstration time with the customer to get this sale became a sweepstake! We reckon there was over 40 hours spent demonstrating how VisiCalc cold be used and actually setting up a real time system for him. This one sale led to another sales belief; if you can show a customer exactly what he wants working for him, especially if he helped build it, he or she has very little reason to go elsewhere to buy it. It also led to many, many referral sales.

VisiCalc also gave me a major foothold into sales to the State Government, Bond Corporation, Rothwells Bank and to anyone around in that time – popularly known as WA Inc – would know there were a lot of other “attached” companies. By now I was Manager of the Subiaco branch courtesy apparently of winning the CMR of the Year Award twice and CMR of the Month Award six times – and we managed to also pull off the Computer Centre of the Year twice. My staff at the time was superb I have to say.

We were also lucky in being in WA we were somewhat out of mind and sight to head office in Sydney, and managed to bend rules to make sales. Nothing serious, but as Tandy had a retail heritage, some things were very inflexible such as not allowing 30 day accounts, even to corporates or government departments, and discounting was a dismissable offence.

The peak of the reign of the TRS80 was in my mind the Model 16. As mentioned, this was a Xenix based machine and therefore was multi user. There was nothing on the market that could compete with the main computer and its maximum of five dumb terminals. By this time, Tandy had also released hard disks – a whopping 10Mb version that was double the size of a VCR, needed two to carry and had to be locked before being moved. It cost retail $8999. That’s right, 10Mb for nine grand! (16k of RAM back then was $449!) I remember dropping a client’s down the stairs leading to the service centre. It fell in slow motion and I died a thousand deaths as it bounced on every step. Once it was safely on the test bench though, it spun up and hummed along as if nothing had happened.

As testament to the robustness of the Tandy range, our secondary computer centre in Perth at Beaufort  Street in the City was totally destroyed by fire when the building behind caught alight, the rear wall collapsed and engulfed the store. The fire brigade was there within minutes, the place saturated, but basically by the time the time the fire was out, there was no store left. Two Model II’s that had been running in the window with self looping demonstration programs were taken to the service centre to see if any parts could be salvaged, and to our amazement, even though the ABS casing was totally melted, the machines booted!

But back to the Model 16. The secret weapon here was Profile Plus, a fully programmable 4GL language database system. At the time, the King in this sphere was undoubtedly dBase II which ran under CP/M, but with the flexibility of Profile, its multi-user capability and speed of development, we made a killing! I once demonstrated a customised rudimentary invoicing package created in Profile in around 30 minutes. It was subsequently developed for the Model 3 and 4 TRS80s (the new versions of the original Model 1 Level II) and we had the market covered with the Big Three applications of WP, database and spreadsheet.

Scripsit was a wholly developed Tandy word processing package, and would in my mind, still stand proud today in functionality and it too had basic programming optionality in terms of boilerplating, macros and the like. And it could share database information with Profile.

Tandy had two more major success stories, the CoCo and the Model 100. The CoCo – more correctly called the Colour Computer – was the first Tandy machine designed for the home with a library of purpose built entertainment and educational games, joysticks and even languages. It was powered by a Motorola 6809 processor and was incredibly powerful. A third party operating system was available through Tandy called OS/9 that even allowed multi-tasking and disk drives! I saw one on a visiting US warship with a staggering 512K (at the time) of RAM in it, and five terminals!

There was one flaw. Well two actually. The first was that the TV output from the games cartridges (as it didn’t have a dedicated monitor) was NTSC so half of them looked peculiar. The other was that the Chess game for it had the board laid out wrong, but not customer I had ever noticed. That’s true that!

The Model 100 was the first true Notebook computer. It ran on AA batteries (C cells for Australia), had the biggest – at the time – LCD panel yet made at 8 lines by 40 characters, 24K maximum RAM and a suite of built in programs for word processing, address storage, the BASIC language and calendar/diary. Importantly, it had a full size keyboard, which I still think is the best ever made, a built in modem (300 baud max) and an expansion port accessible by a bunch of things that started an entire cottage industry such as bar code readers, disk drives, printers and more. There was also a burgeoning third party software development industry.

I was given my demonstration unit at a convention in Sydney, and when I flew back to Perth that night, if I had had two hundred with me, I would have sold the lot by flight’s end. The Model 100 was $699 and for a Tandy product, incredibly inexpensive for what you got. I still have one and I still use it regularly. It can be said quite rightly that the Mod 100 revolutionised on-the-street journalism – reporters loved it. The Model 200 was an equal success, this one having a hinged clamshell design and a version of Multiplan (the predecessor to Excel in ROM.

Ironically, Tandy’s best ever computer was probably the smallest seller. This was the Model 2000 and designed and built to counter the now released IBM PC. It was faster, had better graphics, more storage and certainly aesthetically better, but there was one major flaw. To make it better, Tandy had opted for the 80186 Intel processor, the upgrade from the IBM PCs 8088. Sadly there were compatibility issues, so you couldn’t simply go and buy say a copy of Lotus 1-2-3; it had to be a Tandy version of Lotus.

This killed it in the Corporate eye.

Despite its obvious superiority, the public decided the IBM model was the way to go, and the later Tandy “fix”, the Model 1000 which was a true IBM “clone” came too late. That effectively was the end of the reign as Tandy leading the pack in business and home computers. Sure there were Apples and Commodores also selling in large volume and on the sidelines others such as Compucolour, Hitachi Peach and lots of others, but none came close to the sheer volume of TRS80s that were sold between 1979 – 1985.

There are many fond memories of those times, and the bunch of reprobates I worked with in those early days of computing as we now know it. I have kept track of some of them, but others have vanished into the mists of time. If any happen to read this, please get in touch! We have lots to remember and laugh over.

So Happy Birthday TRS80!

By   Fri, Aug 06, 2010

Motion graphics expert, Jeff Foster, shows you how to use the Sonicfire Pro 5 Soundtrack Workflow with After Effects CS5. Using SmartSound's customizable royalty free music library and Sonicfire Pro's features, he creates a custom soundtrack for one of his projects. You can download a free version of Sonicfire Pro 5 Express Track with 5 royalty free music tracks from www.smartsound.com.

By   Thu, Aug 05, 2010

In this After Effects tutorial I’ll show you how to make a fluttering 3D leaf effect using Zaxwerks 3D Warps  plug-in. I’ll show you several tips to speed up your workflow and quicken rendering and previews with the 3D Warps plug-in. I use particles and other built-in AE effects to create a realistic scene from a still image. And I also take a look at refining motion paths with After Effects graph editor to create smooth organic motion. All this, and more in this action packed tutorial!

About the Author

Jeff has always been captivated by film and video, so it was only natural that he would attend Columbia College Chicago. He graduated with top honors and began his career as an audio and robo-cam operator for World News Leader, CNN.

Following CNN, Jeff came back home to Chicago and found a position that truly expanded his creative abilities with an outdoor-travel television show. Jeff traveled all across North America--from Alaska to Mexico, capturing the beauty of nature through his lens

In between those video shoots Jeff was honing his editing skills by assembling both long and short form corporate videos, broadcast television, commercials, and documentaries.

It was his amazing shooting and editing skills that brought Jeff to Edit Creation’s attention. He joined our team in 2008 as a videographer and editor. With 8 years of experience and hundreds of projects in his archive, Jeff is a welcome addition to our team. As a videographer he shoots to edit, seeing the world through his lens. And as an editor Jeff’s vision goes well beyond the screen, tapping into the soul of the project.

See All Posts by This Author

By David Hague   Mon, Jul 12, 2010

An Evening will be held 10^th August at the AFTRS theatrette - http://www.aftrs.edu.au/ - for the Sydney launch of a new Manfrotto product! And you are invited.

Arrival will be 6pm with information evening to kick off at 6.30pm and finish at 8.30pm. The evening will be hosted by John Barry Sales and will feature footage shots using the Canon range of DSLR cameras and also footage shot with their new XF 300 and XF 305 camera

Guest DOP will be Phil Balsdon whose details are at http://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/film_video.html. He will be discussing his findings regards the new Manfrotto 504 head and also showing some footage shot with a range of the Canon DSLR cameras.

We have room for 110 people, so get your registration confirmed by calling either 0438 698 723 or 02 9355 2338. Alternatively, you can email your confirmation by clicking here - we'll need your name, address and telephone number as well as email address please.

By David Hague   Tue, Jul 20, 2010

20^th July 2010

Today has been all about getting my network and internet connection up and running. Yesterday, I ascertained via a support call to Netcomm that the problem with my wireless router was that the current (installed) version of the firmware did not support the Telstra Elite USB 3G modem. The fix was a quick 4MB download and install, and away we went. No difficulty there, although it did take four goes for some reason for the update to ‘take’.

Victory!

Well almost. The next step was configuring my network (2 NAS’, a netbook, desktop, laptop and printer) all talking nicely. My aim was to use a DLINK wireless 4 port switch in conjunction with the Netcomm (and its two ports). Now this is not an area I am not strong in.

Oh I understand the basics, but if something doesn’t work, troubleshooting is always an issue. Manufacturers (and Microsoft) would have you believe that creating a ‘Home Network’ is a breeze. Hell, even Telstra TV ads show a couple of surly looking teenagers using one. But simply, it’s not.

Oh it should be, but if I have a pet hate in the universe (second only to hypocrisy) it is Things That Should Work That Don’t. And with networks, mostly at first attempt they don’t.

And so it was here.

Thankfully I have access to a decent network of like journalists, many who specialise in networking, so a quick email to a specific internet list soon had me on track; it seemed that the Netcomm router and the DLINK switch were conflicting on both wireless settings and what are called IP addresses. For the uninitiated, an IP address is like a telephone number; every single device connected to the network (and indeed the internet) has one, and if two devices share the same number, conflicts appear. This is further complicated by the fact to make it simpler, and not chew more IP addresses than necessary (already the world is running out these special numbers that have the format, for example, of 192.168.0.1) home networks tend use a special series of numbers that don’t talk to the outside world so a conflict is not uncommon. In other words, the modem has a unique number (or talks to your ISP who suppliy a unique number) and the devices not directly connected to the ‘net but attached to your home or business network are all generally in a range of the aforementioned 192.168.0.1 – 192.168.0-100.

Once I had resolved this issue by manually setting an IP address for the DLINK switch, all seemed to be good. The Netcomm on occasion drops the PIN for the USB modem and I have to manually reset that – still not sure why – but all else is working nicely

You might ask why I needed to set an IP address manually? Normally, in a home or business network, one device will act as a number giver. That is, it will issue all the IP addresses automatically to any device that asks for one. Some devices however come from the factory with an IP address hard wired in, so this dedicated number needs to be overridden.

End result is I can use my desktop with twin monitors for my video editing, my netbook brings in my news via ABC, The Australian, The West Australian and other sites, plus Twitter, and my Acer Ferrari laptop is my workhouse. All the computers can share data across all hard disks and can print to the printer, and also have access to ‘net as needed.

Next is to setup my home theatre system and unravel the mysteries of HDMI, third party remotes (to eliminate 5 separate units) and network the Playstation 3 into the system. Stay tuned!

By David Smith   Fri, Jul 16, 2010

By Press Release   Thu, Jul 15, 2010

Sony Australia has announced the world’s first consumer HD camcorder with an interchangeable lens system, the Handycam NEX-VG10[1]. This innovative camcorder unites the best of DSLR and camcorder technology, enabling users to capture images and videos with beautiful background defocus effects and shallow depth of field.

“Sony’s expertise in digital imaging products is proven once again with the NEX-VG10, a unique hybrid camcorder that is unlike anything else currently on the market,” said Katsuya Watanabe, Marketing Manager for Digital Imaging at Sony Australia. “Similar to the popular NEX-3 and NEX-5 cameras, the NEX-VG10 offers new imaging possibilities with its interchangeable lens system and provides consumers with advanced features within a lightweight and portable body.”

Merging camcorder capabilities and DSLR technology

Featuring an Exmor APS HD CMOS image sensor, the Handycam NEX-VG10 produces Full HD movies and 14.2 megapixel photos with beautiful ‘bokeh’ or blurred images. Such effects were previously challenging to achieve with smaller sized sensors.

The DSLR sized image sensor in this new model makes shallower depth of field possible, which enables consumers to choose a subject to focus within the frame, separating that subject from its background. The results are a beautiful background defocus effect that is not possible to recreate using conventional camcorders. 

A breakthrough in digital imaging technology, the Handycam NEX-VG10 exposes consumers to the world of cinematography, as the camcorder provides the option to use a wide variety of lenses and achieve a myriad of visual results including fisheye, telephoto and wide-angle shots. With the bundled E-mount 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens, the VG10 has an 11x optical zoom, as well as optical image stabilisation with Active Mode, perfect for smooth, stable footage on the move. Additional features include silent auto focus and iris control, eliminating the lens noise that can often appear on DSLR and compact camera videos. Consumers can also use various A-mount lenses via an optional lens adaptor, expanding imaging possibilities – be it for stills or for video.

Features optimised for video performance

Reflecting the demands of serious videographers, the sound quality in NEX-VG10 matches its phenomenal imaging performance. The Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone uses advanced processing algorithms to combine signals from four separate omnidirectional microphone capsules. The result is exceptionally clear stereo audio with a highly directional response, allowing videographers to capture more sound from the subject they are shooting, and less of distracting sounds around them. There is also a jack for adding an optional external stereo mic, plus a 3.5mm input and 3.5mm headphone jack for audio monitoring. 

For advanced videographers and photographers who seek greater control over footage captured, the NEX-VG10 offers the option to manually control settings on the camcorder. For example, consumers can manually tweak aperture settings and shutter speed using the intuitive, easy-to-access jog dial and hot keys to achieve the desired visual mood and tone in both movies and photos.

The body of the NEX-VG10 is also designed to provide a stable grip for videography, especially when capturing subjects at high or low angles. Coupled with the 3 inch swivel Xtra Fine LCD screen featuring TruBlack™ technology and a pivoting EVF, the camcorder provides an ergonomic filming experience while framing subjects in desired perspectives. The camcorder also records in AVCHD format, allowing consumers to record in high quality Full HD with 1920 x 1080 resolution at the maximum bitrate of 24Mbps to capture moments with vivid detail.  

Extended recording times

Unlike digital still cameras and DSLRs, the NEX-VG10 allows for extended recording without time limit, an essential feature for consumers recording time lapse videos or event footage. It comes equipped with the NP-FV70 battery which supports approximately 155 minutes of continuous recording, while an optional NP-FV100 battery can record more than five hours of continuous video. It also supports two types of memory cards – Memory Stick and SD cards – allowing videographers more options in terms of storage capacity. With the Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, consumers can transfer their movies and photos up to 4 times faster than when using the Memory Stick PRO Duo Mark2.

When purchasing the Handycam NEX-VG10, consumers will also be entitled to a free download of Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10, which allows them make post-production edits on their videos, such as video compositing, colour correction and soundtrack creation. 

Handycam celebrates 25^th anniversary

This month celebrates the 25^th anniversary for Handycam and Sony’s latest addition, the NEX-VG10, marks a new era in capturing and sharing your own personal content. Proud of the fact that families have been capturing memories on Handycam camcorders for the past quarter of a century, Sony continues to improve technologies, ensuring the next generation will share their history with loved ones. To read further information on the 25^th anniversary for Handycam and its long history, please visit: www.sony.net/Products/handycam/25th_anniversary.

The Handycam NEX-VG10 will be available in Australia from mid September 2010. Further information on some of the unique features of the NEX-VG10 can be viewed on the Sony Australia YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxJiJH1YsrQ

By Steve Turner   Tue, Jul 06, 2010

Since HD came to the world of domestic cameras I thought the 3 chips versus 1 battle would be over. Surely the brilliant images captured by the new gen cameras would do the business. The 3ccd SD cameras were really good, my favourite being Panasonic’s GS400 which I only reluctantly sold to get the Canon HV30 – which is of course miles ahead. So when I saw the SD700 at Absolute AV I wondered whether the war was over. Paul kindly lent me one off the shelf to test drive. And I’m impressed.

The good stuff…

The immediate thing, or things actually, are the three chips. Ccds have given way to Cmos but numbers might still matter. Three ¼ inch chips separate the colour into red, green and blue elements. In theory this means much better resolution and richer colours. In SD land you could easily see the difference and it set cameras apart. More on that later. The engine runs at a very fast 28mbps in full 1920x1080. It records in the AVCHD format.

The next good thing is the multi-function front ring. Panasonic pioneered this a few years ago and it’s great. It can be focus, exposure or shutter at the press of a small button at the front. Very easy and fast to use on the run. It’s better than the small function rings Sony and Canon have employed on their cameras.

Of real importance to home film makers is the width of the wide angle lens and the length it can get to. In SLR numbers is a very useful 35mm at the wide end and around 450mm at the far end. This is at the 18x zoom length so gets you an excellent landscape width to a very cool long length in one lens. The optical length is 12x but Panasonic claim an additional 6x of useful digital. After that you’re on your own all the way to 700x nasty pixels. At the wide end the Leica lens is fast at 1.5 and 2.8 at the far end.

Staying stable…

Clearly there’s stable and then there’s stable. Both Canon and Panasonic now have powered stabilisers on their better cameras and both work very well. Even though the camera is very light at just 375 grams you can get away with a long shot hand held but don’t sell the tripod just yet! The power function corrects the slow movement caused by that irritating breathing thing you do while shooting. That’s after the initial vibration has been taken care of! It works well but the shot has to be static. Try to pan and there’s a lag as the stabiliser catches up.

Strength…

The SD700 records to SD/SDHC cards only so is totally solid state. There’s a big brother that has a huge internal drive as well. Having no moving parts makes the camera very sturdy despite the light weight. That makes it very cool for a holiday camera. Great for home snapping too as it fires up and runs ridiculously quickly.

To make sure you miss nothing you can set the pre-record function that permanently records for three seconds to a buffer until you hit the rec button. Solid state means low power and long battery life too so no need to hang a monster on the back of this kit. It will last days before you fill it up again. It wakes up faster than a bucket of water to the face. 

Screen scene…

Like most new gen cameras the LCD is touch screen. It’s a standard 3inch screen. It’s very clear and easy to use. The menus are nicely designed and easy to get around. Thankfully this unit also has a viewfinder. Thanks goodness they’re coming back. In bright light you just can’t see the screen well enough to be sure about what you are doing.

The menu driven tools and functions are all conventional. There’s no party trick here but a reliable bag of the normal goodies. The brightness of the LCD will adjust itself which is a neat trick. In bright light it’s a third of normal and in the dark ramps up to double the normal power.

The proof is in the pictures…

So how good are three chips? Very good as it happens. Images are sharp and the colour is vibrant. You can shoot professional programs on cameras like this. Is it better than a single chip? It’s too close to call. I compared it to the Canon HFS21 that has a single 1/3 inch cmos chip. Unlike the SD days the difference is too minimal to call. So I wouldn’t buy this camera just because of the three chip selling point. There are lots of other reasons to like though.

Sounds like…

The SD700 has a multi-function microphone built in. It’s 5.1 surround sound but can be menu changed to be a zoom, focus or normal stereo microphone. The zoom takes it from omni (wide) to uni directional (narrow) so the sound will follow the vision. Very nice. Levels can be auto or manual with AGC added. You can add an external mic too if you wish.

Turbo charged…
The SD700 has a speed burst function that can shoot 180 frames in three seconds – so 60 frames a second. This function is designed for capturing fast motion and allows the camera to snap up to 60 consecutive 2.1-megapixel still images per second for a total of 180 continuous images. Should be very interesting and fun to play with.

Still life…

The SD700 takes excellent stills at a whopping 14megapixels that are 4864 x 2736 pixels big! This is very large – bigger than most DSLRs.  You can make them lower res but than why would you? Like all video cameras though it does not pretend to be a DSLR. That’s because getting the manual settings right can be done but it’s fiddly and takes a too long.

The verdict…

This camera will appeal to the shooter wanting a light weight, fast starting and easy to use camera. The versatility of the wide angle lens and the possibilities of the manual controls make for a very nice all round camera. Panasonic will sell a load of these. Expect to shell out around $1200 for this version.

 THE TECH STUFF

Recording format : 1080/50p : AVCHD format compliant

Image sensor  : 1/4.1z 3MOS image sensor : Total: 3050 Kk3

Lens Auto Iris, :  F1.5 to F2.8

Focal length : 3.45 mm to 41.4 mm

35 mm equivalent: 35 mm to 420 mm (16:9)

Still picture: 38.8 mm to 466 mm (4:3) : Filter diameter 46 mm

Zoom : 12k optical zoom, 18k i.Zoom,

Monitor : 3inch wide LCD monitor

Microphone : 5.1 channel surround microphone (with a zoom microphone/focus microphone function)

By Press Release   Tue, Jul 06, 2010

Sony is adding a new solid-state camcorder to its line of AVCHD products. The new palm-sized HXR-MC50E offers professionals a small, lightweight camcorder combined with high-performance features.

“The HXR-MC50E is a top-notch compact camcorder that is a great tool for journalists and a range of field shooting applications that require optimum mobility. Its versatility is enhanced with features like Active SteadyShot, a battery twice the capacity of consumer models and 64GB internal flash memory,” said Nick Buchner, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Content Creation Products, Sony Australia.

“With Sony’s wide angle G-lens, 10x Optical / 20x Digital Zoom and Active SteadyShot image stabilisation, the HXR-MC50E delivers brilliant, accurate colour reproduction and sharp, amazingly detailed images, even in less than ideal lighting conditions,” Buchner added.

The HXR-MC50E is distinguished from similar consumer models with improved features including a professional shotgun microphone and mount, which coupled with the headphone input, allows acquisition and monitoring of location sound, larger lens hood and larger capacity battery.

Highlights of the new camera include:

• 1920 x 1080 HD recording
• Exmor™ R sensor – for high picture quality and high image sensitivity
• 64GB internal flash memory
• Memory stick PRO Duo and SD/SDHC compatible
• Wide angle 29.8mm G-Lens with lens hood
• 10x Optical / 20x Digital Zoom
• Infrared (IR) shooting capability
• Shotgun microphone
• Larger size battery (twice the size of similar consumer models)
• Active SteadyShot
• USB adapter (for USB host function)
• GPS receiver and map index

The HXR-MC50E will be available in Australia from July 2010 for a SRP of $2,299 inc GST.

By David Hague   Thu, Jul 01, 2010

Whilst most would aspire to shooting hi-def and viewing the handiwork back on a large shiny plasma or LCD TV, the reality is that hi-def is not the be-all and end all. It’s the content and the story that counts in the longer run.

As such, if marketed that way, the new Panasonic SDRS50 should fly off the retailer’s shelves.

At $399, this little camcorder has some features not found in units 3 times that price; the stand out being Optical Image Stabilisation which is far superior to the more common electronic version. Mind you, if you take the lens to its full zoom, with a whopping 78x you’ll need it. And make no mistake; this is not a pixelated digital zoom but again, a full blast optical one! At 33mm , the wide is not too shabby either.

Controls are minimal however. Flip open the LCD and the unit powers on; the mode (playback or record) is set by a slider switch above the battery compartment – where the viewfinder would be if there was one. The top of the camera has a rocker zoom / wide switch, single shot button and the manual override/Intelligent Auto and OIS switches. The bezel of the LCD has the AE/AF, menu and an enter button. Finally, on the body and under the closed LCD is a button to set long record, an A/V port, USB connection and an SD card slot.

The SDR S50 as the model name suggests, only has provision for recording to SD cards and indeed, the record button won’t even allow itself to be pressed if there is no card in the slot! This I think is a Good Thing as I have been caught many times with dSLR cameras that warn on the LCD but not through the viewfinder that there is no card installed! And still allow you to “shoot”.

One bugbear though – and I have said this before – is that no card is supplied with the camera. It staggers me why even a rudimentary 512MB card is not thrown in with these cameras. They must cost cents for the manufacturers to buy.

The Intelligent Auto (iA) function, which automatically selects the most suitable shooting mode includes an AF/AE Tracking feature that tracks a moving subject to ensure that it continues to be recorded in optimal focus and exposure settings, Alongside, an Intelligent Contrast Control feature automatically adjusts brightness to maintain the best possible contrast. Other functions include Face Detection, Advanced O.I.S., and Intelligent Scene Selector. There is also a YouTube timer built in to make sure you don’t exceed the 10 minute limit.

The SDR S50 is tiny, small enough to fit into a larger pocket – say of a jacket – and weighs only a shade over 200g and for a small, light camera it fits surprisingly in the hand very comfortably and doesn’t feel at all fragile. If you are thinking of getting a Flip or Vado camera which are very popular right now, but are not that fussed about hi-def and prefer a ‘proper’ camera body, then the SDR S50 will fit the bill and you’ll love it.

www.panasonic.com.au

Price: $399

We liked…

Price

Optical Image Stabilisation

78x optical zoom

Ttrack exposure

We didn’t like…

No viewfinder

SD card not supplied

Auscam Scoreboard

• Performance                     7
• Documentation                 8
• Features                            9
• Setup                                 9
• Value for Money              10

By Press Release   Wed, Jun 23, 2010

Milpitas, CA, USA - June 22, 2010 - Blackmagic Design today announced Videohub Smart Control is now available from all Blackmagic Design distributors worldwide.

Videohub Smart Control is a new style of router control panel that’s designed to be lower cost and to distribute router control throughout television facilities for dramatically faster and workflow. Videohub Smart Control retails for only $679 (AU$ inc GST)

Videohub Smart Control is different to traditional hardware router control panels that cost thousands of dollars and are limited to being installed in small numbers and then shared by all router users. Videohub Smart Control is low cost, and features 40 YRGB illuminated crystal look buttons that can be set to any router output. Videohub Smart Control can be installed under each deck and monitor in a facility, so the router output to that monitor can be set with a single button press. This is a much faster way of working, because all routing only requires a single button press.

For example, if a Videohub Smart Control is installed under a monitor, then the router output connected to that monitor can be set to a different router source with each button press. Videohub Smart Control includes a USB connection and easy to use Mac and Windows software to set each button. Buttons are illuminated brilliant white.

Videohub Smart Control can also be used with multiple destinations, and customers can select to have a single destination for the whole control panel, or multiple destinations. When working with multiple destinations, buttons on the front panel become gold colored and customers can select as many destinations as they need. Videohub Smart Control also allows the use of a “take” button, and when enabled, the take button is the lower right button, and illuminated red. Multiple destinations and the take button feature allow a single panel to be used for multiple devices connected to the router, and dramatically lowers the cost in large facilities.

Videohub Smart Control has been designed to be easy for customers to self install. Videohub Smart Control uses standard ethernet networking and simply plugs into the existing computer network. If used in mission critical environments, Videohub Smart Control could be connected to a dedicated switch. Videohub Smart Control can be powered via power over ethernet (PoE) without the need for a power supply.

Because Videohub Smart Control has been designed to fit into creative post production facilities, it includes attractive crystal look buttons that are designed for high reliability. The front panel can be removed to allow labeling of buttons. For world’s best illumination quality, all buttons are illuminated by both RGB and white LEDs so that a wider range of rich and clean colors can be displayed. When used in dark rooms, all buttons can be backlit, so button labels can be clearly seen.

“We have been asked for a router control panel for our popular Videohub routers, and we think we have a fantastic solution that will make all our customers extremely happy!”, said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design, “It looks wonderful and I am so excited by its clean, simple and attractive design, plus the best part is Videohub Smart Control is low cost so we can place them everywhere. Now every device in our facility has buttons underneath so we can just select its input with a single button press. You have to see this working to really understand how fast that makes router control. It’s incredible!”

Videohub Smart Control Key Features:

• Ethernet connection with Power over Ethernet and non powered loop through.
• 12 volt universal power supply included for use with non powered ethernet.
• Single or multiple destinations supported.
• Supports optional “take” button set via software configuration.
• Includes Mac and Windows software for control panel programming.
• Button caps can be removed for easy labeling.
• Buttons are illuminated by both RGB and white LEDs for highest illumination quality.
• Compact 1 rack unit size, less than an inch thick. Works with all Videohub models.

Availability and Price
Videohub Smart Control is available now for $679 (AU$ inc GST) from all Blackmagic Design resellers.

By David Hague   Wed, Aug 04, 2010

Kaiser Baas is well known for making such things as digital TV receivers for PCs, digital photo frames, digital radios and the like, and has now released a little gizmo called Road Recorder.

What has this to do with video I hear you ask?

Well as I was once asked why a Dalek was on the front cover of a camcorder magazine, my reply would be “it has a camera in it.” Among lots of other things.

The Road Recorder is attached to the windscreen of the car in much the same way as your GPS is, and can be quickly removed without “unsucking it” to allow data to be downloaded to a PC via USB cable. Alternatively, a USB stick can be inserted and data transferred to that if you wish. Further, if you have an in-car video display, the Road Recorder can be connected to that as well.

So what data is there is the obvious question …?

By the use of GPS tracking, an internal three dimensional sensor, audio recorder and the aforementioned camera, what Kaiser Baas call “events” are recorded in real time. From these events – hard acceleration or braking, severe changes of direction etc – you can gauge how economically you are driving, G forces, speed over time and more. Further, audible notifications and a series of lights warn at the time of events out of the norm such as hard acceleration. And finally, in the event of an accident, the camera also kicks in and can record down to 0.8 lux and nearly 70 degrees wide.

This means if you are unfortunate enough to have an accident, then all the data you need is recorded for say, insurance or legal purposes, much the same as an aircraft’s “black box”.

You can even transpose the data to Google Maps using the GPS data!

The Road Recorder is an interesting gadget. It may not be for everyone, but it is one of those items that could pay for its $249 price tag with only one “usage” if you know what I mean, to prove another driver was at fault in the case of an accident. But it is also of use if you know you are an inconsistent driver and want to smooth out any habits to gain more fuel and tyre economy.

And I have just had a thought; if the errant son (or daughter) borrows the family car for a night out, any *cough* hooning would be recorded …

See www.kaiserbaas.com for more information.

By Press Release   Fri, Jul 30, 2010

I had the pleasure of being invited to Sydney last week to attend a Seminar by Norton on security. Anyone who is connected to the 'net *could* have issues, so I thought a small reprint of some information may be of interest.

• Norton Safe Web for Facebook - To counter evolving social networking threats and help keep consumers secure, Norton is introducing the Norton Safe Web application for Facebook.  This free beta application protects computer users by scanning their Facebook news feeds for malicious URLs, allowing them to identify risky sites before clicking through.  This is critical because nearly 60% of unsafe sites identified by Norton Safe Web are found to contain threats that can infect a PC without requiring the user to download or install files. Facebook members can find the free Norton Safe Web application here. 

• Norton Power Eraser - Some threats impersonate legitimate programs, modify browsers or boot screen graphics, and even redirect traffic. Due to their deceptive appearance, users will often times allow the installation of programs that may appear legitimate, but are actually harmful. Sometimes, these "scareware" programs can require special tactics to remove them. With Norton Power Eraser, these threats (and others) are specifically targeted, and effectively detected and removed. Learn about it and download it here.

• Norton Bootable Recovery Tool (only available to Norton subscribers) – This tool allows Norton users to boot a PC into a safe state when a system is so deeply infected that it will not properly start up. New this year, the Norton Bootable Recovery Tool wizard automatically creates a CD/DVD/USB bootable device in a quick and easy way. Learn about it and download it here.

By Press Release   Fri, Jul 30, 2010

  Special pricing for Toast Titanium - save USD$30

1. NEW! Save web video from your favorite web sites to view on TV or on-the-go

2. NEW! Move your home video, DVD-Video, and other video files from your Mac to TiVo DVR

3. NEW! Extract clips from DVD-Video discs and convert to the format of your choice*

4. NEW! Author and Burn HD video to Blu-ray Disc or inexpensive, standard DVDs for playback on most Blu-ray players with the included free High-def/Blu-ray Disc Plug-in

5. IMPROVED Capture, convert, and burn directly from AVCHD high-definition camcorders, trim segments from AVCHD EyeTV recordings

Click here for more details

By Press Release   Fri, Jul 30, 2010

Corsair Solutions has announced a new relationship with storage area network (SAN) manufacturer, Qsan Technology Inc, for the distribution and support of IP SAN subsystem products in Australia and New Zealand.

Qsan Technology Inc, headquartered in Taipei Taiwan, has developed RAID and SAN controllers for the OEM market since 2004. Since 2009, Qsan has focussed its research and development resources on the SAN subsystem market and now has a vast offering of VMware certified high-availability iSCSI and Fibre Channel solutions for the enterprise, broadcast and professional markets.

“We are really excited to be moving forward with Qsan to provide enterprise level shared storage products to the Australian and New Zealand market" said Mark Lampard, Managing Director of Corsair Solutions. "I have a firm belief that shared storage is going to become even more important to information systems in the future, and Qsan Technology Inc, with their innovative and competitively priced product lines are well placed to be a leader in this market growth".

Daniel Lin, Sales Director of Qsan Technology Inc. said “Mark and his team at Corsair Solutions are the right choice moving forward to bring Qsan's products to market. Mark's background in information systems coupled with his experience in the broadcast and professional video markets make Corsair Solutions the right partner for Qsan Technology Inc in Australia and New Zealand”.

Corsair Solutions, established in 2009, and aside from Qsan Technology Inc. is the Australian Distributor for Grass Valley, Logickeyboard, Dulce Systems, XLNT Idea and builds custom duplicator systems under the Corsair Duplicators brand. For sales and support enquiries, please call 1300886590 or visit http://www.corsairsolutions.com.au

By Press Release   Fri, Jul 30, 2010

That's not a typo—students on a budget can edit like the pros with Media Composer for just $295. Check out our new Avid Education page for more info, plus get the latest resources for students and educators. Watch Video ›

By Various   Fri, Jul 30, 2010

By Press Release   Thu, Jul 29, 2010

The 3D lens will allow high-quality shooting in 3D as a new member of the lineup of interchangeable lenses for Panasonic's LUMIX G Micro System. As 3D content becomes ever more popular across a variety of media, Panasonic plans to release this new lens for sale before the end of 2010 and deliver the joy of 3D shooting to interchangeable lens system camera users.

This year has seen Panasonic Australia unveil its first 3D VIERA Plasma TVs, and 3D Blu-ray^TM Disc Player, allowing consumers to enjoy the excitement of 3D in their own homes via movies, sports broadcasts and gaming.

Alistair Robins, Group Marketing Manager, LUMIX, Panasonic Australia, said: “The next step is to put 3D technology in the hands of consumers who want to enjoy shooting 3D themselves.  The new lens meets these demands – allowing users to shoot landscapes, people, and a variety of subjects in high-quality 3D, to be experienced later on their 3D VIERA televisions at home.”

Until now, 3D shooting with an interchangeable lens system camera has only been possible by using panorama systems or a combination of two lenses and two CCDs, but these systems have drawbacks including the need for a dedicated 3D camera and the difficulties capturing moving objects.

Panasonic's new 3D lens for the LUMIX G Micro System features two optical systems installed within the diameter of the lens mount, creating stereo images from the left and right lenses, to be processed with a 3D image processing system. Thanks to Panasonic's advanced technologies in optical technology, image processing system, and lens barrel design, the 3D lens still manages to retain an extremely compact size.

This new compact 3D-capable interchangeable lens allows easier handling and instant 3D shooting with cameras without a special structure for 3D shooting. It produces 3D images without distortion or time lag between left and right images, even for moving objects. The 3D images, even close-up shots, taken with this lens are easy on the eyes when viewed on 3D VIERA Plasma TVs.

In the coming months, Panasonic Australia expects to make further announcements on the Australian release schedule and pricing for this exciting new lens. Panasonic has led the industry in bringing a true-to-life 3D experience to its customers, and will continue to expand its lineup of 3D products with innovative technologies.

By Press Release   Wed, Jul 28, 2010

Targus and The Good Guys are offering the ultimate all-in-one accessory bundle for laptop users. Featuring a messenger bag, wireless mouse and compact USB hub, the bundle not only protects laptops against bumps and falls but also offers reliable and practical tools to enhance your overall experience.

Give your laptop the protection it needs with the Targus Messenger Case, which accommodates widescreen laptops measuring up to 16-inches. The messenger offers plenty of room for files and folders as well as a dedicated padded laptop compartment to keep your hardware safe. The front flap provides easy access to essentials, while multiple zippered pockets offer additional storage for accessories, such as a power adaptor.

Turn one USB port into four with the compact USB 2.0 4-Port Travel Hub. This nifty accessory allows users to simultaneously connect up to four devices, including mice, digital cameras, transfer cables and memory devices. It offers a true plug-and-play experience with no need to install tricky drivers or difficult software.

The new bundle also features a Wireless Laptop Mouse, which offers ease of navigation for those working on the go. Offering an extended battery life of up to 12 months, the wireless mouse utilises 2.4 GHz wireless technology for control over distances of up to 15 metres and is moulded to fit comfortably in your hand. With a compact design that eliminates clutter, the mouse features a Stow-N-Go receiver that stores conveniently when not in use.

The Targus laptop accessory bundle retails for RRP $74.95 and is available exclusively from The Good Guys stores nationally from August.

For further information, please call 1800 641 645 or visit the Targus website at www.targus.com.au.

By Press Release   Wed, Jul 28, 2010

Cinedeck LLC (www.cinedeck.com) has announced it has signed a distribution deal with Blonde Robot, an Australian-based distributor of leading video and content creation solutions for the Australian and New Zealand production, post production and cinematography markets.  As a result of this deal, Blonde Robot will be the master distributor in the region for Cinedeck LLC of the Company’s award-winning ultra-portable monitoring, recording and playback device, Cinedeck EXTREME.

“We’ve watched the meteoric rise of Cinedeck EXTREME since its launch, and immediately realized the impact this new device will have on the production marketplace,” said Eamon Drew, managing director of Blonde Robot.  “The team at Cinedeck shares our vision of delivering best-of-breed solutions that solve real-world issues, and backed by a world-class service and support team.  We’re confident our customers will be as excited as we are when we show them firsthand how Cinedeck EXTREME will transform their field and post production workflows.”

Cinedeck EXTREME made its US debut in April 2010 at the NAB 2010 conference in Las Vegas, and began shipping in quantity in June, 2010.

Cinedeck EXTREME: Award-Winning Features

Cinedeck boasts a number of features combined in a unique, ultra portable footprint that delivers highly-desired capabilities for anyone who has endured production in the field using unwieldy, expensive and unreliable equipment.  These features include:

• Monitor: Cinedeck EXTREME monitors video in real-time, much like a standard on-camera focus monitor and possesses a collection of image analysis tools such as on-screen histogram/waveform/scopes for ensuring proper exposure.  Audio is monitored via on-board headphone jack and recording levels can be viewed on-screen.
• Record: Cinedeck EXTREME captures edit-ready, 10-bit 4:2:2 or 12-bit 4:4:4 CineForm files in MOV format, as well as other industry standard codecs and formats, that eliminate time-consuming ingest and transcoding when entering post-production.  Ingest occurs via HDSDI or HDMI and files are recorded to highly reliable, rugged standard 2.5” solid state drives for maximum compatibility, reliability and cost effectiveness. 
• Playback/Review: Cinedeck EXTREME plays back shots instantly via on-screen transport controls. Gestural-based touch screen controls enable selected playback of just the portion of the clip to be reviewed.

Pricing and Availability

Cinedeck EXTREME is available immediately with support for the following formats and frame rates:

• 8/10 bit 4:2:2 recording via HDMI/HDSDI
• 12bit 4:4:4 recording via dual link 1.5G HDSDI or single link 3G HDSDI
• HD Format Support: 720p50, 720p59.94, 720p60, 1080PsF23.98, 1080p23.98, 1080PsF24, 1080p24, 1080PsF25, 1080p25, 1080PsF29.97, 1080p29.97, 1080PsF30, 1080p30, 1080i50, 1080p50, 1080i59.94, 1080p59.94, 1080i60, and 1080p60.
• SD Format Support: 625/25 PAL, 525/29.97 NTSC, 525/23.98 NTSC and 480p (plus realtime up/down conversion with hardware de-interlacing and 3:2 pulldown removal, and 23.98 --> 59i on playout options)

*Not all frame rates available in all codecs/quality settings, and results may vary depending on recording media.

Cinedeck EXTREME is priced at $13,475 AUD including GST or $14,685 AUD including GST with the optional Hi-Brite display for maximum readability in bright sunlight.

By Press Release   Thu, Jul 22, 2010

Visit the Contour Design Shuttle Forum and download all-new settings for:

• Ableton Live
• Adobe After Effects CS5
• Adobe Encore CS5
• Adobe Flash Professional CS5
• Adobe Illustrator CS5
• Adobe Photoshop CS5
• Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 (Capture & Edit)
• Adobe Soundbooth CS5
• Apple Logic Pro 9
• Apple iMovie '09
• Apple Keynote
• Avid Media Composer 5
• Cubase 5
• Dubbing Brothers' ERytmo
• Lemkesoft Graphic Converter

What settings would you like to see? Let us know!

By David Hague   Wed, Jul 21, 2010

I have done a quick troll of the internet to find out about available Video Competitions. This list is in no way comprehensive - that would take forever - so if you have knowledge of any competition, please let me know via email.

• MAFMAD http://www.mafmad.com.au/?s_kwcid=TC|9327|movie%20competition||S|b|5055604521&gclid=CKORuNHS-6ICFRe5bwod5wqEjA
  
• Atom.com http://desktopvideo.about.com/od/onlinevideocompetitions/p/atomfilms.htm
  
• Win a Private Football Coaching Clinic With Lucas Neill http://www.win-free-stuff.com.au/competitions/competitions-by-type/photo-and-video-competitions
  
• Call of Duty - Toy Warfare  http://www.win-free-stuff.com.au/competitions/competitions-by-type/photo-and-video-competitions
  
• Doc Sniper http://docsniper.com/
  
• SOO Airtime http://www.sooairtime.com/
  
• Mofilm http://www.mofilm.com/
  
• Youniversus http://www.youniversus.com/
  
• Neverdie http://www.neverdie.com/rocktropia-competitions/2069-one-more-crazy-summer-video-competition.html
  
• Movie Extra Webfest http://www.foxtel.com.au/whats-on/competitions/australias-biggest-viral-video-competition-79382.htm
  
• Funniest Home Videos  http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/australiasfunniesthomevideoshow/
  
• UWphotographer http://www.uwphotographer.net/contests.htm
  
• Bigstar TV  http://www.bigstar.tv/film-contests?gclid=CLTggszW-6ICFROnbwodRFhrig
  
• Underwater Competition  http://www.underwatercompetition.com/
  
• WCFO, Inc  http://www.worldcaninefreestyle.org/index.html?http%3A//www.worldcaninefreestyle.org/forms/forms_video_comp.htm
  
• YourKidsEd  http://yourkidsed.com.au/info/taxonomy/term/232/all
  
• Videomaker  http://www.videomaker.com/community/contest/
  
• Memelabs  http://memelabs.com/

By Press Release   Thu, Jul 08, 2010

Wondertouch has announced that trials are now available for particleIllusion for After Effects, the plug-in version of the popular particleIllusion 3.0. These trial versions are fully functional for 2 weeks and then will continue to work for an additional 12 weeks with a watermark. 

Countless particle effects
Create high quality particle effects such as smoke, fire, explosions, sparkles, fireworks and abstract effects directly within After Effects. Load over 2,800 existing particleIllusion emitters including the popular "Pro Emitters" and get access to all top level parameters to further customize particles in each project.

OpenGL-accelerated rendering and full HD support
Effortlessly create natural, high quality effects with speed.

Mac and PC versions are available. Click here

By Press Release   Wed, Jun 30, 2010

Infortrend has announced the expansion of its ESVA (Enterprise Scalable Virtualised Architecture) Fibre Channel (FC) Series with a new F60 8Gb/s FC to 6Gb/s SAS model. In addition to 6Gb/s SAS drive connectivity, the new storage system also supports solid state disks (SSDs). This brand new feature allows IT administrators to boost IOPS performance while reducing energy consumption and enhancing reliability. By mixing SSD, SAS and SATA drives in the installation, users can achieve ideal service levels for diverse applications in the most effective way.

The Infortrend ESVA FC Series of RAID storage systems is a midrange storage solution designed to support FC SANs. With models supporting drives with different form factors, speeds and capacity, users can meet diverse application requirements of performance, capacity, space, and cost. The ESVA FC SAN storage can help enterprises optimise return on investment, simplify storage infrastructure and maximise application productivity.

With vendors no longer shipping 3Gb/s SAS drives, 6Gb/s SAS drives are quickly becoming the new standard, and the new Infortrend ESVA F60 model offers users better transfer rates, more accurate troubleshooting and faster system initialisation and change detection.

According to James Hsieh, vice president of global marketing at Infortrend, "With built-in intelligence and agility, Infortrend's ESVA family enhances IT efficiency and helps enterprises prepare for business growth with minimal upfront investments. Through the integration of two of the latest technologies, 6Gb/s SAS and SSDs, our ESVA solutions have become an even more powerful facilitator of IT efficiency."

For more information, please visit www.infortrend.com

By Press Release   Wed, Jun 30, 2010

(Wednesday 30th June 2010)

Corsair Solutions and Playback Systems have today announced changes to the master distribution of Grass Valley Desktop and Enterprise Solutions (DES) products in Australia.

As of the 1st of July 2010, Corsair Solutions will be responsible for the marketing, sales and support of all product families except the ADVC Professional product line. This includes EDIUS Editing solutions, ProCoder software transcoding, FireCoder hardware transcoding, MediaEdge IP based video distribution, ADVC HD and ADVC Broadcast products.

Mark Lampard, Managing Director of Corsair Solutions said “I am excited to be once again involved with the marketing of Grass Valley DES products, and look forward to working closely with customers and resellers in this region”. Mark spent the period of 2002 to 2008 working as a Product Specialist for Canopus and then Grass Valley.

Mike Van Bremen, Director of Playback Systems said “Mark and his team at Corsair Solutions are the right choice moving forward to bring Grass Valley DES products to market. His considerable experience with the product line and Corsair Solutions’ focus on this market segment will be of ongoing benefit to all resellers and customers of Grass Valley DES products in this country”.

Customers and resellers of ADVC Professional products should continue to place sales and support enquiries with Playback Systems, whereas customers and resellers of all other product lines should contact Corsair Solutions. Contact details for both companies are included below.

Grass Valley's Frank Nicolaci told AusCam online, "Corsair Solutions is Mark Lampard who has for a long time been associated with Canopus/Grass Valley Desktop products as an employee and more recently as a Professional Products distributor and reseller.  Corsair is focussed on dealing with our professional range of Editing and Video over IP Distribution products and with his product knowledge and expertise he will do a sterling job of promoting our Edius and MediaEdge product line to the Professional market and take care of resellers, and reseller/end user Customer Support". 

"Playback Systems (Formerly Canopus Australia) these days is more adept at dealing with ‘consumer’ related products.  The  Grass Valley ADVC video converter range is product that is best suited to their distribution methods to the wider reseller market for Sales and Customer Support which this market needs and demands".

"We believe that such a distribution split was necessary for Australia, and in the best interests of our customers that they have clearly defined access to the best distributor and/or reseller for this broad product group that is Grass Valley (DES) Desktop and Enterprise Solutions".

Corsair Solutions, established in 2009, and aside from Grass Valley DES is the Australian Distributor for Logickeyboard, Dulce Systems, XLNT Idea, Qsan and builds custom duplicator systems under the Corsair Duplicators brand. For sales and support enquiries, please call 1300886590 or email sales@corsairsolutions.com.au

By Press Release   Tue, Jun 29, 2010

Blackmagic Design has announced UltraStudio Pro, the world’s first broadcast quality SD/HD apture and playback solution for USB 3.0 computers is now shipping!

UltraStudio Pro combines the latest broadcast technology into an attractive ultra-thin design that fits into modern client friendly post production environments.

UltraStudio Pro includes the mind blowing speed of the new USB 3.0 interface, which is ten times the speed of regular USB, and runs at a massive 4.8 Gb/s speed. USB 3.0 easily has enough speed for the highest quality uncompressed 10 bit HD video with the maximum real time effects possible!

UltraStudio Pro’s innovative design looks great on the desktop while hiding the cables behind the unit. With dozens of audio and video connections built in, the new style of design is critical to keeping cables hidden and editors can keep their studio neat and clean! UltraStudio Pro’s chassis is machined from solid metal with high grip silicon feet, so it’s strong enough to withstand harsh broadcast environments and won’t move around when heavy cables are connected. UltraStudio Pro also includes audio level meters for accurate audio level calibration.

UltraStudio Pro provides a massive number of video and audio connections including 3 Gb/s SDI, HDMI, analog component, composite, s-video, 4 channel analog audio, 2 channel AES/ EBU audio, genlock/tri-sync and RS422 deck control connections. UltraStudio Pro even includes a broadcast quality 7 foot/2 meter breakout cable, so users will save hundreds of dollars because they don’t need to purchase expensive professional video and audio cables!

An independent SDI output is included that is down converted for simultaneous HD and SD monitoring. A new built in hardware up, down and cross converter lets you edit in one format, and then output to any HD or SD format! Now its easy to edit in one format and then deploy in either SD, 720HD or 1080HD while leaving all CPU time dedicated to real time effects. Selection is possible between letterbox, anamorphic 16:9 and pillar- box 4:3 video formats!

“With USB 3.0 becoming more common on computers, we are excited to be able to completely rethink how broadcast products are designed! This new upright design really shows that high technology broadcast products don’t need to be ugly! I am so excited by how much leading edge technology we have been able to build into such a thin design”, said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design, “I think UltraStudio Pro will help make high quality editing more exciting because with USB 3.0, we have more freedom to be creative in how we design products, and the result is a wonderful solution that looks great, hides the cables, works as an audio level meter and is incredibly compact and portable. I have dreamed of being able to make products like UltraStudio Pro for many years, and it’s one of the most exciting products we have ever built!”

UltraStudio Pro Key Features
• 10 bit 3 Gb/s SDI for capture and playback, supports both SD and HD.
• 10 bit HDMI 1.3 for capture and playback, supports both SD and HD.
• 10 bit analog component capture and playback, supports both SD and HD.
• S-Video capture and playback, down converted when working in HD.
• Composite capture and playback, down converted when working in HD.
• Dedicated SD-SDI output for down converted SD output when in HD, or SD key channel out.
• Hardware up, down cross converter selectable Letterbox, Anamorphic 16:9, center-cut SD and more.
• Built in internal SD keying, or select to output both fill and key via SD/HD-SDI and SD-SDI outputs.
• 8 channels of SDI audio capture and playback in HD and SD.
• 2 channels of AES/EBU audio capture and playback with sample rate converter on input.
• 4 channels of XLR professional analog audio capture and playback.
• Genlock/Tri-Sync reference input for locking to large systems.
• RS-422 remote control for broadcast decks.
• Includes 2 meter or 7 foot breakout cable.
• Includes developer SDK for custom development.
• USB 3.0 computer connection at 4.8 Gb/s speeds for maximum real time effects.
• Includes Media Express software for real time capture and playback of media.
• Real time effects in Adobe Premiere™ Pro, supports After Effects, Fusion, Photoshop and more.

Availability and Price
UltraStudio Pro is available now for $1239 (AU$ inc GST) from Blackmagic Design resellers throughout Australia, New Zealand and worldwide.

By Press Release   Tue, Jun 29, 2010

Blackmagic Design Inc. has announced that colourist Stephen Nakamura of Santa Monica-based Company3 used DaVinci Resolve and DaVinci 2K high-end Linux systems for all the color grading work on Universal Pictures’ epic action-adventure “Robin Hood,” starring Oscar winners Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, directed by Ridley Scott and produced by Oscar winner Brian Grazer.

Looking to show an overcast and gritty feel throughout the film, Nakamura worked extensively in the Resolve bay fine tuning the environment, arms, armor and every facet of each frame to capture the vision of medieval England that Scott sought.

“Ridley was looking for an overcast, old English feel for “Robin Hood,” and that would only work if every shot maintained that vision," Nakamura explained. "This meant that every link in a suit of chain mail had to be adjusted and every sword needed to be sharpened and made to look menacing.

“The grading of Robin Hood was a very exacting process, and Resolve gave us the power and feature set that we needed. I could not have done the work the way I did it by using any other system.”

By David Hague   Wed, Jul 14, 2010

14th July 2010

Having had the brainwave last night to video this epic on a day-by-day basis, I broke out Big Camera and got everything tested to start shooting this morning. The weather forecast had said "fog and cold" over night, and "fog" here DOES mean proper London type pea-soupers, not the whispy, misty things you normally get in Australia (except for the freeway down to Wollongong I hasten to add!)

And so it was. Dead silence except for lots of brids sharing the neighbourhood gossip in the trees, and a rabbit that decided he would test his 50 metre sprint timedown the gravel track to the main road.

Sadly though, when I came to dump the images off the tape, it appears that the firewire port in the camera has gone to meet its maker. So I have some fabulous imagery, but no way of getting it off! Getting this fixed at this point in time is a financial no-way, so if anyone out there has an old DV camera they don't use anymore I can borrow or whatever, I'd be grateful.

So I have reverted to Plan B for the moment, and that means using an SD based Panasonic unit - an SDR-550 - to at least get this project going. As such, I'll have the first video showing the locale of The Shed and its surrounds by later this evening.

Moving forward ...

Apart from that dilemma, my next has involved television. Having travelled 18 months ago travelled through Europe, I have become addicted to the Tour de France. The problem is, I can only get SBS via digital TV, and while there is a signal here, for some reason yet to be ascertained, SBS seems to come and go at will. Last night, I could not get a signal on the Sony Bravia, but could through the Kaiser Baas USB unit. But here's the thing; ABC Digital is perfect on all channels and this is broadcast from the same mast!

I can live with it tonight as it is Gruen Transfer night, and I have recorded (using Windows Media Center) a show on ABC 2 that really should be on ABC 1 called The Street. If you haven't caught up with it yet, check out iView (www.abc.net.au/iview ) which is a hidden gem of the ABC.

Tomorrow I am headed to Perth for an overnight stop. The Monaro needs 3 new tyres and I still have some goodies stored at a friend's place I would like to have here. Being rural and do-it-yourself in many situations (such as re-sighting a TV antenna), I need my toolbox. Never thought I would say that!  Tools and me are a bad combination.

I could also do with my Dyson vacuum cleaner. One thing I never considered would be an issue is dust and mud and gravel. Live and learn! I also need to get the car cleaned in and out. There is no car wash or even a hand car wash here (or nearby Manjimup), and I dearly hate to have a filthy car and especially the interior.

Tonight is going to be 4 degrees and tomorow foggy again so hopefully I can reshoot this morning's stuff before I leave for Perth ( 3 1/2 hour drive away) and then edit it tomorrow night.

Oh one last thing. I did get a new toy today I will be testing tomorrow - also from Kaiser Baas. It is a gizmo that sticks on your windscreen called "Driving Recorder" - a "black box" for cars. When driving to the freight depot to actually pick it up, good ol' Farmer Brown with his 20 year old Landcruiser and trailer sailed merrily through a stop sign meaning I had to throw the anchors out big time in the Monaro. If the situation had been worse, then this would have been a useful gadget to give the data it creates to any insurance company methinks.

As I mentioned last night, please don't hesitate to make any comments or email me at david@auscamonline.com. If you are in PR or distribution and have any products you think might help in this project, please let me know! To summarize, anything that allows me to use tech to be more comfortable, productive, informed and connected while living at "The Shed in the Field" will be most welcome!

PS: I am no further with my internal network either. Plugging in the wireless router (with 4 port cabled ability) simply causes my only 'net connection via the Telstra USB 3G stick to get confused

PPS: Sony has released a version of the NEX camera system as a camcorder allowing interchangeable lenses - that release up soon!

By David Hague   Tue, Jul 13, 2010

Two weeks ago, I moved from a big house in The City by the ocean, with all the mod cons including free-to-air digital on all channels, an across-the-board Foxtel package with IQ2, and digital PVR, ADSL2+, internal wi-fi network, big screen TV, DVD recorder, 7.1 sound system, recording studio with green screen facilities and full edit suite – you get the picture.

Now this move was not precipitated by choice; well not quite true, I made the choice to move as I had no other choice. The reasons are too long and varied to detail here, would probably bore you, and anyway are not the point of this story in the bigger picture of things. Well that’s my story and I am sticking to it. Suffice to say my new address is something like “The Shed in the Field, South West WA. Look for the REALLY cold place a long way from the ocean”. I have yet to register the URL by the way.

It’s true! I am in a shed in a field. A fairly big shed I’ll grant you, with room for the big screen TV, a desk, my laptop and desktop, a bed, kitchen 4 seater table and a workbench for preparing food on. There is an annexe acting as bathroom, shower and toilet and a wood shed outside as I have (and need) a wood fired heater. The type with the glass door on the front.

So minimal, but warm and comfy for myself and Budweiser the dog.

There is proper power,  water from a rain tank, TV is via fuzzy reception from the local GWN (Prime) and WIN stations plus country ABC and SBS. You can get a good enough picture to be amused by whatever drivel is on the two commercial stations as long as the wind is down a bit which stops the trees across the way swaying and mashing up the signal. Under these circumstances, digital 2 and SBS are both brilliant, but at the hint of serious cloud cover (and in the last week and it just stopped short of snowing), there is squat there. Foxtel at present is not an option for two reasons – one being cost and the other not. Radio is limited to local ABC and a commercial AM/FM combo. Average country fare.

Now the biggie. Internet access. Ah yes. Even though I am 11Km from the closest exchange, I am told that ADSL 1+ would be available. But by accident,  I found out my wireless 3G stick gives a far, far better signal and range than I had back in the previous place. Which was A City. I have yet to understand or interpret why it spends more time here in HPSA+ mode than 3G, but I’ll get to that. As long as I can at least connect, this is the least of my worries I suspect.

The downside is I am told NOW by Telstra, that it cannot be used power multiple connections on a  network. At time of purchase, I was told it could. My investigations show – and trust me, in this area, I know as much as the average Telstra Shop customer waiting-in-the-queue – it has something to do with IPv6  - I think that is what it is called.

I am going to persevere over the next 2 days, but then I have to go to Perth anyway, so I’ll get it swapped for the Proper Thing. I may have to shout a lot I fear.

So where to next? Well the aim of this story / serial, is to explain what pitfalls I have met and how I solve them to get as much use out of technology as I can, to make life as comfortable as I can, in a less than stellar location without spending a fortune or having to call in high charging “experts”. Perhaps, I reason, there are others who like me, could benefit from such a piece.

I hope so. After all, there is no point in having the latest vanadium powered terra flip-flop ‘net connection unless you can get it connected. Or a big screen TV that looks like Logie Baird’s first failure in progress. So stand by on seeing how I (hope to) see the latest movies, converse with relatives, friends and acquaintances, write freelance stories and keep publishing  AusCam Online from the “Shed in the Field”.

Feel free to comment and give suggestions by the way! I could do with the company.  And send wood. It's going to be cold again tonight.

Addendum: I have decided to also video document this journey. It'll be more fun that way! Keep watching!