Blog

My girlfriend has one of these, ethernet-connected to her router and thus available on her home network.  However, in order for any computer, Windows or Mac (what about linux?) to access it, it is necessary (aside from any hacky-workarounds that may possibly exist) to install the Iomega Home Storage Manager.   This makes volume(s) offered by the NAS appear, on the Mac in Finder under SHARED, or on a Windows machine as additional drive letter(s).

To acquire the Iomega Home Storage Manager, go to https://iomega-eu-en.custhelp.com/app/platform/p/1031,1043 or else try https://iomega-eu-en.custhelp.com/ and click on [Desktop Network Storage > Home Media Network Hard Drive].  May need to establish and login-to an iomega support account (free) first.

I wondered at first about enabling the NAS as a Mac OS Time Machine (backup) disk.  An iomega article I saw suggested that should be possible, for iomega firmware 2.0 and above.  But the disk as it stands is NTFS-formatted - because when it was set up we had only Windows machines.  Now that disk contains much material in that NTFS.  I guess it might be possible to partrition the disk e.g. to keep the existing NTFS and add alongside it a HFS+ partition for Time Machine to use.  But it’s guesswork that carries risks (of disruption/damage to existing contents).  We want an easy geeking-minimal life, so maybe better to repurpose that NAS and get a purpose-made Apple Time Capsule instead. Either way, the evening wears on, so I’ll shelve that idea/investigation for now…

(more…)

Back in early 2010, I bought a MacBook Pro.  Like my existing Mac Pro desktop it had a FireWire 800 (FW800) port, but unlike the Mac desktop that port would only function under Mac OS, not Boot Camp > Windows.  The desktop had Windows XP 32-bit while the MacBook had Windows 7 64-bit.

In a prolonged attempt (the latter half of 2010) I did a lot of searching, browsing, emailing, phoning and conversing to try to find out if it was “just me” or a recognised issue.   The main source of misleading answers to the effect that many had never had that problem was that those same people had never tried (saying that at the start would have been a more useful answer).  Or else my question got “pidgeonholed” into a standard one about booting from an external drive - something I was definitely not trying to do. Next, it seemed that some older laptops had a different chipset, by Texas Instruments, and those did not have the same problem.

One workaround some people employed was to go via a FW800 ExpressCard adaptor.  But that only works on certain models and certain versions of Windows it appears.

In conclusion, the issue appears to remain in force, it’s not “just me”, and sadly there is little prospect of it being fixed.  I had this vain hope that maybe newer macbook models or newer Boot Camp releases might have sorted things a bit.  Doesn’t look like it…

(more…)

• http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/opening-my-mind-has-opened-doors
• http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/eitheror-both
• http://www.tolisgroup.com/products/

Trying to understand why Ozone 5 will/won’t show up in various Windows 7 applications,  I discovered that:

The folder on my system is:

• [C:\Program Files (x86)\Vstplugins]

The corresponding registry entry is:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Wow6432Node > VST > VSTPluginsPath
  • The name [Wow6432Node] sounds somewhat unprofessional, but I checked on my system and indeed that’s how it is.

In Registry Editor:

• In left-hand “explorer” pane, dial-down to [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Wow6432Node > VST]
• At that location:
  • Name: (REG_SZ) = [VSTPluginsPath]
  • Value: (REG_SZ) = [C:\Program Files (x86)\Vstplugins]

• Installer for CS5.5 Production Premium
  • For viewing the license conditions, it offers language choices including [English (North America)] and [English (International)].
    • It’s not clear what the difference is.  I wish it showed some examples in each.
    • I’m not the only confused one, e.g:
      • http://forums.adobe.com/message/1227810
        • Peter Spier
          • 3. Jan 14, 2009 10:21 AM (in response to rpollack-2)
          • Re: CS4 English International vs English US
          • To add to the confusion, I think the difference is in the default dictionaries and the spellings in the interface, i.e. it presumes you want British-style spelling (as you have), and has nothing to do with licensing.
          • I have no clue how to change that election other than to re-install. If you can live with the funny spelling in the menus, you can set the default dictionary to US English in InDesign, and probably other apps.
          • With nothing open, click the text tool and set the control panel to character mode options. Change the language in the dictionary dropdown near the right end. This is also available from the character panel (which which is where you’d change it in Photoshop, it’s in the prefs under Hyphenation in Illustrator — and you may be able to reset the interface language in the Photoshop prefs, too)
    • I chose [English (International)]
  • Next it asked for:
    • Serial Number or else check the Trial button.
      • I did the latter
    • Also it asked for Language
      • I assume this to be the operating language for the app
      • Again I chose [English (International)]
  • Next, [Install Options]
    • Apps:
      • Flash Pro CS5.5
      • AIR for Apple iOS Support
      • After Effects CS5.5
      • Audition CS5.5
      • Encore CS5.1
      • Flash Catalyst CS5.5
      • Illustrator CS5.1
      • OnLocation CS5.1
      • PhotoShop CS5.1 (64..)
      • PhotoShop CS5.1
      • Premiere Pro CS5.5
    • Location:
      • [C:\Program Files\Adobe]
  • Next it began calculating the total time for install and began installing.  After a few minutes it returned its time estimate as around half an hour.  This (initial conservative estimate?) rapidly dropped to around 20 minutes.
  • Next it asked for web browsers to be closed
  • Finally it displayed what looks like a Launcher window for the Production Premium suite, withbuttons labelled akin to Periodic Table elements, except that one of them [Ps] (PhotoShop) appeared twice, identically labelled.
    • On mouse-hover it emerged (from tooltip text) that the second [Ps] was 64-bit, the first then presumably being 32-bit, though its tooltip text did not confirm this
• Possibly unrelated, Kapersky AntiVirus reported
  • <<Detected a potentially dangerous modification of the application BMDSTREAMINGSERVER.EXE without a digital signature>>
    • That application was installed yesterday, as part of DaVinci Resolve Lite for Windows.
    • (I got distracted by domestic events)
    • The Kapersky prompt appeared to time-out, I don’t know whatit assumed/did…
• The Launcher highlighted the followingTutorials link:
  • http://tv.adobe.com/?source=EWUMA
    • ?? Europe, …, Middle-East, Africa ??
• From Launcher, ran Adobe Premiere
  • A “First Use” dialog came up
    • Requested mu Adobe ID
      • Ientered it.
      • Response screen said: <<By providing an Adobe ID, you have set up access to Adobe CS Live Services during your trial period.
      • It also indicated it had sent email verification.
  • I received two emails.
    • First email
      • <<<
      • Thank you for providing your Adobe ID and downloading your Adobe Creative Suite® software trial. During your software trial, you will have access to CS Live services that further extend the capabilities of your Adobe Creative Suite software. Accessed from within your software, CS Live services enable you to accelerate creative reviews, streamline cross-browser testing, and easily host online meetings.
      • For quick and easy access to CS Live services, here is some important information you will want to save:
        • Access CS Live services: http://www.adobe.com/go/cslive_getstarted
        • Adobe ID (your login): …
        • Your Personal Meeting Room: …
      • Your complimentary CS Live services subscription will expire with your product trial.
      • >>>
    • Second email:
      • Verify email address
        • Strange that this was sent after the email containing Personal Meeting Room address etc.
  • Thank You dialog gave link to tutorials:
    • http://tv.adobe.com/?productID=328&release=5.5&platform=0&locale=en_GB&source=PCSTHX
      • Lookslike the same stuff as seen earlier.  Lots of promotions, whizz-bang and specialist stuff, when I kind of expected novice introduction stuff, especially since I indicated I was that level when applying for the download…
  • I clicked the [Done] button
• Adobe Premiere started up
  • Popup stated: <<Adobe Premiere Pro requires updated video card drivers for CUDA accelerated rendering.  Please download and install current drivers for your video card.>>
    • That’s what I was afraid of.  It’s making the same demands as DaVinci Resolve.  I cannot satisfy those demands, all updates are under Apple’s control - it is normal that laptops (as my MacBook Pro is) have customized versions of graphics card drivers…
    • I closed the popup.
  • Premiere prompted for [New Project] etc.
    • I clicked on [Help]
      • The Help panel, once populated (after a minute or so), included a [Getting Started and Tutorials] link.

Given my poor experiences on my [MacBook Pro (2009) > Boot Camp > Windows 7] with Boris Blue and with DaVinci Resolve, it is by no means certain that [Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium] will fare any better.  But it’s worth a try.

So I downloaded a trial.  As part of that I had to first allow [Adobe Download Assistant] to be nstalled and executed.  It prompted for my level of expertise.  I answered: <<Novice: I could use all the help I can get>>.  In response it gave the following link:

• http://tv.adobe.com/product/cs-production-premium/
  • Many videos, including films, feature-tour, hardware, software, …

The download is apparently 7.116 GB, estimated download time between 5 and 8 hours. Overnight in other words.

Basically it won’t work on my MacBook Pro (2009) with Windows 7 running under Boot Camp (3.3).  I guess Boot Camp doesn’t make sufficient of the GPU’s capability available.

(more…)

I’ve been using Winclone, a Mac OS app, to back-up my Boot Camp - Windows 7 partition onto a HFS+ (Mac OS compatible) external disk drive.  However tonight it failed, early in the attempt, repeatedly.  Also when I asked it to look for updates, it failed to connect to the internet, whereas I could access websites OK over Safari.  Searching round, I found a later version, downloaded it, deleted the existing one (2.2) and installed the new one (2.3).

The new one similarly failed to access the internet.  On the other hand it did not fail early on in the process.  I aborted it anyhow, for reasons that will become clear (below).

Web-Search:

• Google: [winclone alternative]
  • Several posts stated:
    • Mixed experiences when using Winclone under Snow Leopard and the impossibility of using it (straight) under Lion)
    • To minimise problems under Snow Leopard, [Compressed] should be disabled.  Also select [.dmg] format.
    • This product (Winclone) was no longer being developed
  • Best Example:
    • http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1046365
      • Link to further information: http://www.google.com/search?q=http://twocanoes.com/discontinued/winclone/slwin7.html+site:forums.macrumors.com
      • <<I suspect that a big part of the change may actually be changes to hdiutil in the point releases of OS X that have been released since the Winclone authors posted their suggestion due to an uproar of issues in their forums. (Winclone is really just a GUI front end for hdituil, ntfsclone, and other tools>>
      • The “Demi-God (Moderator)”, balamw, indicated he might possibly develop a follow-on product.

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.

(more…)

Video-editing on-the-move (e.g. on a train) using a MacBook Pro (laptop) with Sony Vegas 9 (64-bit) as NLE (under Boot Camp / Windows 7), my practical experience was that a GRaid Mini external drive was far, far better than a 5400 rpm Western Digital “Passport” drive.   Consistent with the dual use of the MacBook, I partitioned the drive for both NFTS (Windows) and HFS+ (Mac OS), 50-50%.  Due to Boot Camp limitations (explained below), up till now I only ever used it “tethered” to its own mains-based power supply.  But now I see it can also be used mobile, powered from the MacBook - something that up till now I could only achieve under Mac OS, not under Windows.

When using Boot Camp / Windows on the MacBook, I initially tried the shirtpocket-sized Passport drive because it was small, light and powered from the laptop’s USB port.  While its data throughput wasn’t too bad, at least for single-channel HD editing (especially when only 1280720), when it came to cuts from one video clip (hence, in my case, video file) to another, there was a frustrating delay every time.

I also have a GRaid Mini drive, but it wasn’t obvious at first how to use it mobile when using Windows (on a MacBook).  That drive consists of two 7200  drives in RAID-0 configuation (striped, giving speed but no redundancy), and appears just like any single drive to the computer (no RAID management etc. needed).  The drive has not only a USB (2) port but also FireWire 800 (FW800) and eSATA ports.  While the latter two options work fine with the MacBook under Mac OS, they don’t work under Boot Camp / Windows.  I have tried many times and trawled many forums, no solution is apparent.  Under Mac OS the eSATA drive would ordinarily plug into an ExpressCard adaptor plugged into the laptop’s ExpressCard slot, but under Boot Camp / Windows, the ExpressCard slot doesn’t work, while for the FW800 port under Boot Camp / Windows, it appears to work at first but eventually crashes as a device when it attempts to communicate data (e.g. when copying files).

When connected only by USB to the MacBook under BootCamp / Windows, the GRaid Mini is not powered from that port, hence up till now I have relied on a mains power supply to that drive.  However, I discovered if, after first connecting by USB, you subsequently connect also by the FW800 lead, then the drive takes power from the FW800 yet communicates data via the USB lead.   Hooray!  I can use it on-the-move then!

The order in which the leads are connected is vital.  If by mistake the FW lead was connected first, then the drive would sense that as the data communications route, and subsequently fail in use.  It is vital that the USB connection is made first.  Likewise, on disconnecting the drive (following “ejection” by the computer’s file-system), disconnect the FW drive first.  The rule is FW lead: connect last disconnect first.

My experience of editing with the GRaid Mini is far more fluid hence more pleasurable and efficient.  Totally worth it.  None of the per-cut delay effects of the 5400 rpm Passport drive.  And now it can be used on-the-move, even with Boot Camp / Windows on a MacBook.  I just wish Apple would fix that Boot Camp isue with FireWire and ExpressCard ports!