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I wanted to pass on some of my XDCAM-EX footage (from my Sony EX3 camera) to someone using only iMovie. But would/could iMovie recognize that format, or possibly the “MXF For NLEs” rewrapped-format offered by Sony Clip Browser?

The best route is to provide iMovie with a ProRes version of the footage, because it converts anything else to (the older inferior format) Apple Intermediate Codec (IAC).  I can convert to ProRes (and deinterlace) via Apple’s Compressor, which comes as part of Final Cut Studo.

Web-search:

• Google: [xdcam ex imovie]
  • https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1882215?start=0&tstart=0
    •  iMovie converts all assets to Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC).
      • So does Final Cut Express. Only Final Cut Studio uses Apple ProRes as codec.
      • When going the Full HD and BluRay route you WILL see this. For instance when panning, you’ll see that Final Cut Studio is superior over AIC.
      • Yet I use the iMovie and Toast route because it is fast and good. Toast delivers better results than iDVD08. I havent tested iDVD09 yet but am about to do so. Remember that Toast can handle BluRay and iDVD not. Even for normal DVD you’ll see that Toast renders better than iDVD. The menus have improved in Toast10 but still cannot match iDVD. DVDstudioPro is very nice in results, but has a learning curve. Consider the Ripple Training DVDs to tackle the possibilities.
    • iMovie will edit many QT codecs directly including ProRes 422, H.264/AVC, DVCPRO HD. It converts to AIC only when you import from a camera.
      • So if XDCAM EX is converted to ProRes outside iM — then iM will edit the ProRes. Even HQ.
      • You do have export correctly — to ProRes — in order to get full 1920×1080 from iM for burning BD.

I had a go with iWeb (3.0.4) on the Apple Mac.  It is a mortal-friendly website-editor complete with templates and widgets etc.

Some non-obvious things:

• Opening & Closing the App (iWeb)
  • On opening the iWeb app, you are prompted to select a template. I couldn’t see any way to avoid selecting a template.
  • There is a [File Save] but no [File > SaveAs]
    • So how does it get named?  Where does it get saved?
      • In app’s left-hand pane, select the Site in question, it asks for a Site Name.
  • The [File > Close] action closes the whole app, not just the current project (or whatever).
    • So I guess (???) there is no concept of “empty default page” here (???).
      • Though under each theme is the option of a Blank page.
• Web-Page Editing
  • For the ??? template, you get a page with an elegantly paned “window” of assorted default images.
    • If you drag a new image on top of of one of the default ones, that new image becomes the replacement, and it inherits the “mask/zoom” capability.
    • If you simply drag an image to the same part of the webpage, it has no “mask/zoom” behaviour.  However you can add it via [Format > Mask] etc.
      • Format > Mask Shape ???
  • Setting a hyperlink on text involves an easy and intuitive-guessable method, but setting a hyperlink on an image requires a different and less obvious method.
    • [View > Show Inspector]
    • ???
• Publishing (to Web)
  • You need to establish a location to publish to.  This will typically be an ftp server with upload-access protected by username and password.
    • Before anything else, get your username and password (for that location) to hand.
    • Personally, I like to peek around first, using an ftp client.
      • Mac OS already has a read-only ftp client built-in.  From Desktop, do Control-K.  A “bare bones” instance of Finder appears.  Click the tiny oblong button at top-right if you want to see the usual explorer pane/sidebar.  HOWEVER: it is not really up to the job…
        • I discovered this at http://osxdaily.com/2011/02/07/ftp-from-mac/
        • However it is read-only, hence no ability to add or remove files or folders.
        • Also it appeared (for me at least) not to refresh properly.  Scope for time-wasting confusion!
      • For the Mac, favourite add-on clients (according to the same osxdaily article are Transmit and CyberDuck.
        • Which one is best?
          • CyberDuck runs on both Windows and Mac.
          • There is a review comparing them at http://pixelspread.com/blog/59/transmit-vs-cyberduck
            • CyberDuck is free (but “begs”), Transmit is not.
            • One user (at least) claimed that CyberDuck used to be good once but as more features have been added, it’s getting more bugs.  Unverified.
            • Some users say that CyberDuck runs (more slowly?) than Transmit.
              • A user-comment says that this is because CyberDuck is Java-vased.
            • Both programs have Bookmarks/Favourites and both have a Dashboard widget that lets you drop files into to upload straight to a specified folder on an FTP server.
            • Their main difference is in how Bookmarks/Favourites works.  Transmit has dual panes, for Local and Remote, and when you make a Bookmark it includes both these locations.  CyberDuck in contrast only displays and bookmarks the remote location, requiring you to use a separate Finder for local, hence you drag files between these apps.
          • I see also, from is website, that Transmit has handy peripheral features like a Sync button.
          • I tried them both, concluding:
            • CyberDuck is pretty basic but it appears to work OK.  Setting up my ftp account was easy apart from the password, which only gets asked when you first attempt to log-on to that account.  It seems more for the beginner and explains about Amazon s3 storage etc.
            • Transmit feels “cleaner” to use and the dual-pane is definitely handy.  Also the Sync function is not a bad idea.
  • Before publishing, you need to define the location-to-publish.
    • If you just hit the “Publish” button, it will only prompt you for a MobileMe account.
    • To define the location, first in iWeb’s left-hand “explorer” pane, select the Site (as opposed to the Page).  This brings up a form where you can define the upload (ftp) data etc.
      • One entry in this form is for an email address.  But how securely is that email address presented on the page?  I am in the habit of not making life easy for email-harvesters, so I don’t want the email address to be in plain text in the HTML, I want it encrypted.  So I chose to just put a “dummy” address in here.
  • The webpage (root .html file etc.) gets placed in the specified location as follows:
    • An [index.html] file is created there.
    • Any existing files (other than by that name) are unaffected.
      • That is “safe” and also useful e.g. if you are in the habit of placing “robots.txt” files at webpage root.
    • A folder is created there, named after the Site.
    • The subdirectory is named after the page-name
      • The page-name appears in the app’s left-hand pane, it can be renamed.
  • What happens if you delete a webpage in the app then republish?
    • The existing subfolders for the now-deleted pages are not deleted.
      • I guess one would then delete them manually or else delete everything and republish the whole site.

I bought a discount copy of Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium, because (after much discussion with others) its feature-set seems to match my typical and forseeable production requirements more than those of other NLEs, including my current mainstay, Sony Vegas 9 (which I am still trying to wean myself off, but when any proper job comes along, I tend to fall back on the familiar and trusted, for low risk including avoidance of learning-delay).

Being (so far) a one-man-band who is traditional Windows user, I purchased the Windows version.  But, confirming what I had heard, it does seem that most media people I have met use Macs.  So should I have purchased the Mac version?  Are the versions exactly the same or have they different functionalities?  Is there an option for the license to cover installing the same product on both Windows and Mac OS provided only one of them is run at a time? (e.g. when on the same physical machine).  Ideally at zero or negligible cost of course.  For example Avid Media Composer does have this flexibility.  While the uncertainty remains, I will not open the box (in case it turns out that I need to exchange it).

Here is what I have learnt so far (mainly from web-searching, unverified information):

Differences between the OS-Specific variants:

• It appears that for CS5.5 Production Premium (at least), the Windows variant has slightly greater functionality.
• However it remains to be seen what will be the case for CS6, when it becomes available.

Some options are:

• Volume licensing.
  • Intended not only for businesses but also for individuals.  If the “volume”is for two licenses, they can be for each of the OS’s.
• Crossgrade.
  • But as far as I can tell it’s intended only for one-off (or infrequent) crossgrades, requiring “destruction of the software” on the old machine each time.  Shame it isn’t simply happy with repeatable deactivation/reactivation on each machine / OS.

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One thing that might help when in W7, re-building the set of apps previously installed under XP, would be to migrate the whole XP instance to a virtual machine elsewhere, in practice my MacBook Pro, which has Parallels 6 under Mac OS.

Then, while installing apps to the new W7 instance, can do a side-by-side comparison with the virtual XP instance.  The only unknown is the Microsoft activation/licensing issue - could it “clog the gears” of this proposed process?  Presumably I need to transfer the activation(s) to the XP virtual machine.  But could the W7 Upgrade process itself absorb the XP activation, crippling the XP virtual machine?

Only one way to find out, and that time is not now…

I have a Mac Pro with Boot Camp running Windows XP (SP2), and want to upgrade it to Windows 7.  Not as simple as I had hoped.  It sounds like it will take maybe a week rather than an afternoon…

• I had purchased an upgrade version of Windows 7, assuming (very naively…) that this would save me from having to reinstall all of my apps currently installed under XP.  In practice, the “Upgrade” only works as such from Windows Vista; in the case of XP it essentially does a fresh install, meaning one does have to reinstall any required applications.
• Also, Windows 7 can’t use XP drivers.
• In consequence, the upgrade is likely to take a few days…
  • I have many apps, some of which take half a day individually to install.
  • There are also obscure things like device drivers.

1. My initial step was to backup and defrag
2. Next I will run [Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor]
   1. This requires all interesting USB devices to be live-connected during the advisor’s scan.
3. I ran it
   1. It made no major complaints about my system, which it says can also run XP mode (virtual machine).
   2. It does not return an inventory of applications automaticaly, so I’ll just have to make one manually.
4. ..to be continued…

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Just for the record, currently this works:

• On Mac Pro, in Windows (XP):
  • Choose any folder. For example:
    • On the RAID, this could be either of the two partitions:
      • NTFS_RAID (an NTFS partition)
      • RAID_ProAVIO (an HFS+) partition
  • Then [RtClk > Sharing and Security… > Sharing > Network sharing and security:
    • Share this folder on the network: YES
    • Allow network users to change my files: YES
      • Because some tools create “sidecar” files e.g. audio peaks or video indexes.
• On Mac Book, in Windows 7:
  • From a file-browser, be it Windows Explorer or part of the File>Open feature of an application, go to [ Network > aComputer > aFolder ]
    • Tested by playing file in Windows Media Player and in Sony Vegas (video NLE).  Worked fine.  Latter added a [.sfk] sidecar-file to the RAID-folder.
    • Worked both for source on NTFS partition and for source on HFS+ partition, except the latter gave rise to prolonged “hourglass” delays before the file was accessed/linked, following which the video played smoothly.
• What doesn’t work:
  • Unable to see Mac Book from Mac Pro.
  • Also, when MacPro is in Mac OS, MacBook W7 Windows Explorer > Network lists the MacPro as [MACPRO-2E4124] yet cannot connect to it, blaming a firewall (presumably the one on MacPro).
    • Network Error: Windows cannot access \\MACPRO-2E4124
    • Tried exiting Kapersky (on the MacPro>MacOS) but no change.
    • Tried stopping MacPro firewall (via Preferences > Security) but no change.

Before checking for updates, install the bundles, iWork and iLife.  Reasoning: they were designed at the same point in time, at which they were most likely to be compatible; it is possible that later Mac OS updates could (in principle) detract from this - so I opt to “play safe”.

• Install iWork
  • Occupies about 1 GB
  • Installed in about 10 mins
• Install iLife
  • Occupies about 3 GB
  • Installed in about 30 mins
• Apple Update
  • Estimated duration 6 hours - so do it overnight instead (set a reminder!).

Upgrading a Mac Pro from Mac OS Leopard to Mac OS Snow Leopard.  Now that I’m no longer mid-project, and have some “spare” time, I’m ready to have a go.  Experiences:

• Paranoia:
  • Will the installation offer an “Upgrade” (as opposed to “Fresh Install”) option?
    • It didn’t ask me
  • Will my Boot Camp partition be at risk?
    • Doesn’t seem so.  The installer recognises the partitions and asks which one you want to install to.
  • Any install instructions/advice/tips:
    • http://lifehacker.com/5345690/prep-your-mac-for-snow-leopard
    • There is installation-documentation on the disk itself…
•  Steps Taken:
  • Backup both partitions - Mac OS & Boot Camp.
  • Check installation disk appearance of quality
    • It was slightly marked.  Could not easily be cleaned.
  • Boot to install-disk
    • Prompted for default/custom install
      • Looked at Custom option, it installs everything except Rosetta.  That app is only needed when running old (PowerPC) apps.  It is being phased out (along with the apps…).  If an app needs it, you will be prompted to download it anyway, so no real disadvantage in omitting it, in fact an advantage - running any ancient apps will highlight them as such.
    • Installation started
      • From top-menu, selected option to display Logger.
        • Indicated that the process “migrated” my Preferences.  Sounds hopeful…
    • Run-time
      • Estimated 42 minute.  Still said that 10 minutes later.
      • The estimate was about right - maybe an over-estimate - it’s just that the progress was nonlinear.
    • Completion:
      • Prompted to Reboot.
  • Reboot
    • Started up with no apparent problems.
    • Prompted me for my contact details.
      • Some of them needed updating - I did so.
• Success!
  • So far…
• Backup
  • Prior to any Apple Updates (system, apps…)

I have never used Garage Band before, so had a play with it to see whether it could be useful as an audio editing/processing tool.  The answer is a resounding “yes” - despite its “domestic” looking interface.   Not only that, it can edit videos, leaving the video stream alone and affecting only the audio stream.  Just drag a file into it - I tried with a M4A audio file out of iPhone’s Voice Memo.  Some features I discovered were:

• Basic cutting
• Envelope shaping (on keyframes)
• Effects such as:
  • Dynamic range compression
  • Reverb etc.
  • An “Autotune” pitch-stabiliser

“Whatever gets the job done”…

I audio-recorded some lectures by using the Voice Memo app in-built on my iPhone 4.  How does one get such recordings out of the phone and into an audio editing (or indeed audio/video editing) app on Mac or PC?  Here’s what I found, mainly by experiment:

• For a Mac:
  • The iTunes app allows you to transfer/sync an iPhone’s Voice Memo audio recordings onto the computer.  In iTunes, under the device representing the phone, there is a Voice Memos folder. Inside this there is a list of recordings (objects) e.g. as follows:
    • 1  ✓ 21/09/2011 09:33
    • 2  ✓ 21/09/2011 10:43
    • 3  ✓ 21/09/2011 11:01
  • These entries correspond to M4A (FourCC=”MP4A”) files.
    • These files can be transferred (moved/copied) as follows:
      • Copy a file by dragging it out of Voice Memos folder in iTunes’ interface.
      • Move a file by dragging it out of iTunes’ user-specific Voice Memos folder in file system.  That folder is described below.
    • Additionally iTunes can export MP3 equivalent copies of the files:
      • iTunes (Voice Memos): Recording >RtClk> Create MP3 Version
  • The files are stored at (in my case) at:
    • /Users/davidesp/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Voice Memos
      • 21_09_2011 09_33.m4a
      • 21_09_2011 10_43.m4a
      • 21_09_2011 11_01.m4a
  • The nature of the files:
    • These files are stated by Mac’s Finder to be of type “MPEG-4 audio”, and are about 30 MB per hour.
    • VideoSpec is able to analyse them, it reports:
      • Container: M4A - QuickTime
      • Encoding: MP4A (FourCC), constant bitrate of 64 kbps, 16 bits, 44.1 kHz, stereo
        • However it makes no sense to encode stereo from a one-microphone device and indeed when imported to an audio editor (Audacity 1.3.13 beta) it only produces a single mono track.
  • Audio Editing/Processing (cuts/envelopes/effects e.g. dynamic range compression) was subsequently achievable by any of these:
    • Audacity (1.3.13 beta) can import the M4A file.  My (multi-platform) old-familiar.
    • Garage Band (e.g. as explained at http://macmost.com/editing-audio-files-in-garageband.html).
    • SoundTrack Pro (but can’t simply drag the file in - instead have to use File>Open).  OK but a little clunky (in my “newbie-to-this-app” opinion)