TecnoTur
Allan Tépper has been working with professional video since the early eighties, since he first learned to edit video using the open-reel 1/2” EIAJ-1 format with a Sony AV-3650 editing deck in his high school in Connecticut. Since 1994, Tépper has been consulting both end-users and manufacturers via his Florida company. Via TecnoTur, Tépper has been giving video technology seminars in several South Florida’s universities and training centers, and in a half dozen Latin American countries, in their native language. Tépper has been a freque...
Read More
By Allan Tépper | August 15, 2012
Back in July, I published JuicedLink video illustrates audio quality with DSLRs via RiggyAssist versus an H4n recorder. Since the original test was done with a condenser microphone (which already has a relatively high output), I asked Robert Rozak from JuicedLink to repeat his test using a dynamic microphone, since that way both preamps (the one in the H4n and the one in the Riggy-Assist from JuicedLink would need to work harder, since they’d receive a lower level on their respective microphone input. Handheld dynamic microphones are the most popular type of microphone used to do spontaneous in-field interviews for television news, so I am glad that Robert obliged me (us) and did the same test with a handheld dynamic mic, so we can now notice the huge difference between the preamp in the H4n versus the one in his Riggy-Assist as it feeds his 60D DSLR.
Read More
0 Comments
MacBook Pro Retinas’ hardware is kosher for DreamColor, but Apple software currently disqualifies them without a change of religion.
By Allan Tépper | August 15, 2012
When I published HP DreamColor Mac connectivity & functionality: update 2012.1 on July 3, I had a feeling that there would likely be plenty of more news this year. That turned out to be so, and that’s why i am now publishing HP DreamColor Mac connectivity & functionality: update 2012.2. Here you’ll find out the first round of strange and ironic results when testing the HP DreamColor Monitor with the Retina version of the MacBook Pro (June 2012), and wonder why Apple is -so far- favoring Windows 7 over Mac OS 10.7 and 10.8 for the DreamColor. Thanks to readers Andrew Huebscher and Noel Adams for their input for this article.
Read More
0 Comments
The new conforming function in ClipWrap is very welcome, especially since some software editors don't recognize 1080/50p and 1080/59.94p properly yet.
By Allan Tépper | July 24, 2012
USA-based developer divergent media (which prefers that we write their name in all lower case) just released a update to their ClipWrap application, about which I published a complete review back in November 2011. The new palindromic version is 2.5.2 and includes conforming (i.e. to create natural 2.5x slow motion by conforming AVCHD 1080/59.94p to 23.976p, or fast motion by conforming a slower framerate to a faster one) and a few other new features as you’ll see ahead.
Read More
0 Comments
By Allan Tépper | July 19, 2012
Many ProVideo Coalition readers may have noticed that I pardon the camera manufacturers (and even thank them) when they round shutter speeds (i.e. 1/60), but I protest when they round framerates to the closest integer (i.e. when they round 23.976 to 24, 29.97 to 30, and 59.94 to 60). In this article, you’ll find out why saloon talk about 24p is okay, why the rounding of framerates in camera menus is damaging to the video production community, while the rounding of shutter speeds is harmless.
Read More
0 Comments
By Allan Tépper | July 19, 2012
The NX70 camera from Sony (officially the HXR-NX70, followed by a regional suffix) is the waterproof NXCAM camera that may leave you with drops in your eyes, for many reasons. Of course, drops in human beings’ eyes can be cause by several factors, including allergies, deception, ecstasy, extreme happiness, sadness… or even raindrops falling in our eyes, as the NX70 invites us to experience. Thanks to Sony Professional’s Latin American office, I was able to spend some time with a sample of the segregated 59.94 Hz version before having to return it. In this article, you’ll discover everything I discovered about it, some videos, its specs, features, and comparisons to other similar cameras in its price category.
Read More
0 Comments
By Allan Tépper | July 11, 2012
JuicedLink just released a new video to illustrate the quality of an audio recording to a DSLR camera (the Canon 60D) via JuicedLink’s own Riggy-Assist low-noise preamp versus the same signal recorded on the popular H4n audio recorder. The same microphone was used in both cases. Ahead you’ll see the video, hear the audio, and discover why I am inviting JuicedLink to create a slightly different comparison for us.
Read More
2 Comments
By Allan Tépper | July 03, 2012
After a period of non-disclosure from HP, I finally have lots of information to report about news regarding DreamColor connectivity and functionality with Mac. In this article, you’ll find out about new DreamColor software for Mac (you no longer need temporary access to Microsoft Windows to calibrate the DreamColor in a pro video environment with a pro video i/o interface), problems and solutions resulting from Apple’s surprising switch to YUV instead of RGB on the Mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt output on Macs released starting in 2011, and more. I have called this article DreamColor Mac connectivity and functionality: update 2012.1 because I expect there to be several more this year.
Read More
0 Comments
Part 1: a general first look
By Allan Tépper | June 28, 2012
Yesterday, Google announced its first branded tablet, the Nexus 7, with a 7-inch diagonal, 1280x800 screen, and the latest 4.1 Android OS operating system. With a base price of US$199 for the 8GB model (or US$249 for the 16GB model), it is perfectly positioned to be a “Kindle Fire killer”… or at least for a few more weeks, since Amazon is expected to update its entire Kindle line during the month of July. This first look article will review the multiple “Nexus advantages” (known by die-hard Android fans) compared to other Android devices, and what we should know about it as content creators and consumers. Whether or not we actually end up producing any content with one, we need to understand the Nexus 7 as it shapes the market as a delivery platform.
Read More
0 Comments
than for new media. How ironic!
By Allan Tépper | June 26, 2012
Frequent readers of ProVideo Coalition magazine know that I have already published a few articles about the use of the iPad for journalism, thanks in part to the HD camera and higher performance in the 2012 model. Previously, I have complained about how much it “Hertz” me that currently the three leading iPad video apps record video with an inappropriate audio sampling rate. But that’s not the focus of this article. Ahead, I’ll point out another common flaw that currently exists in both Avid Studio for iPad and iMovie for iPad that ironically makes them more appropriate for traditional broadcast news editing than for new media.
Read More
0 Comments
An ebook inspired by a need among voice talent, and a vision of a workflow using little known tools and techniques
By Allan Tépper | June 21, 2012
Several times a month, I am inspired to write and publish an article about one of my varied interests. This happens less frequently with books that I write and publish, but it does happen. In this case, it has to do with a need I’ve seen for quite a while among independent voice talent and podcasters who generally work from home or an office (not from a recording studio). Often many professional voice talent just need to record audio (not to edit it), and are confused about what microphone to get, what non-editing audio recording app to use to record uncompressed AIFF or WAVE, and when (and how) to record either 44.1 or 48 kHz. So I wrote an ebook in two languages, with photos and appropriate screen shots for each language.
Read More
0 Comments
FiRe 2 - Field Recorder is an almost perfect app for iOS
By Allan Tépper | June 15, 2012
As of the publication date of this article, unfortunately none of the video apps I’ve tested on an iPad records at the proper audio-for-video standard of 48 kHz (kiloHertz). Apple still needs to get its act in gear with iMovie for iPad. Avid Studio for iPad and FiLMIC PRO, you too! It really “Hertz” me that all three of you are inappropriately recording audio-for-video at 44.1 kHz. But I am happy to report that we have found and tested an iOS audio app that records perfectly on an iPad from a digital source at 48 kHz, either AIFF or WAVE. Our tests have been with the Audio Technica AT2005USB, a hybrid mic covered in two other articles in ProVideo Coalition magazine and in a recent ebook I published. In this article, I’ll tell you everything I like, and the only thing I’d like added to this <US$6 app.
Read More
0 Comments
These new mics from Audio Technica change the rules and open new opportunities
By Allan Tépper | June 15, 2012
In part 1 (1st handheld dynamic microphones with hybrid XLR/USB/iPad connectivity from Audio Technica) I covered background information, including the benefits & limitations of previous USB mics, and the need for hybrid models. I also defined “zero latency monitoring” and made some initial comparative performance tests via the analog XLR output against our reference mic (Heil PR–40) and the classic Shure SM58, and was quite impressed. Now in part 2, we go further and test the digital USB output, and even include some tests from two professional voice talent who are already using one with excellent results. As promised, we’ll cover how to switch them via software between 44.1 and 48 kHz when using the digital USB output.
Read More
2 Comments
If you agree, please sign the online petition requesting the required updates.
By Allan Tépper | May 11, 2012
Despite years of diplomatic prodding on my part, both via articles in ProVideo Coalition magazine and private emails, Blackmagic has still avoided and postponed offering RGB on its HDMI outputs. [If you’ve read my articles regarding HP DreamColor connectivity, you already know that the DreamColor engine demands digital RGB (not YUV/component) and true progressive (not interlaced or even PsF).] As a result, until Blackmagic updates their products (hopefully via a firmware and software update), you’ll have to spend an additional US$495 for an HDLink Pro 3D DisplayPort which will take the SDI signal from either the DeckLink HD Extreme 3D card or the UltraStudio 3D external interface. And that also means an additional SDI cable, an additional power supply, an additional power outlet, and having to make additional adjustments in another device. If you agree, please sign the online petition I’ve created.
Read More
2 Comments
By Allan Tépper | May 10, 2012
What are you talking about Allan? AJA, Matrox, and MOTU don’t manufacturer or sell cameras! How will the Blackmagic Cinema Camera take sales from AJA, Matrox, and MOTU? The reason is related to the DaVinci Resolve grading software that Blackmagic is including with the camera at no extra cost. Even though Apple bundled Color (which was an updated version of Final Touch) with Final Cut Pro 7, very few people I know actually used it, and it is effectively dead since Final Cut Pro 7 is no longer available for sale, and Apple doesn’t supply Color with Final Cut Pro X. Things will be different with Blackmagic’s inclusion of DaVinci Resolve with the camera, because almost all users (i.e. anybody who shoots in RAW mode) will need to grade their footage. Given DaVinci Resolve’s excellent historical reputation and the fact that purchasers of the camera will get a free license, many of them will likely want to invest in learning to grade with it, rather than spending cash on some other grading application. In this article, I’ll explore why this situation will mean less sales for AJA, Matrox, and MOTU.
Read More
0 Comments
Now you can compare the field of view of just about any camera and lens, free of charge!
By Allan Tépper | May 09, 2012
We applaud AbelCine for updating its unique interactive Field of View Comparator to include the recently announced Blackmagic Cinema Camera. This camera’s sensor size joins many other sizes and even some specific camera models from manufacturers and brands like Arri, Canon, Panasonic, Panavision, Phantom, RED, and Sony. Of course, the AbelCine Comparator continues to include standard HD sensors including 2/3“, 1/2”, 1/3“, and 1/4” used by several manufacturers. Just select one sensor size or camera model on the left side, another on the right, and select the lens’s native focal length in the middle, and voilà… Ahead in this article, you'll see some examples which compare the field of view of a Super35mm sensor, the Blackmagic Cinema Camera sensor, a 1/2" HD sensor, and a 1/3" sensor.
Read More
0 Comments
With an 1/2.88" sensor and 26mm wide angle (35mm eqv), the NX30 should ship in June for well under US$2500.
By Allan Tépper | May 08, 2012
Although during the past year I’ve written quite a bit about the Sony NX70 (officially, the HXR-NX70) here in ProVideo Coalition magazine, I haven’t yet published my review on it because I only received the NX70 loaner unit yesterday. While I prepare the review of the NX70 in the next couple of weeks, I feel compelled to let you know that at NAB 2012, Sony quietly announced the NX30 (HXR-NX30), a little sister (i.e. smaller and lower cost) to the NX70 which apparently shares the same sensor and almost identical specs on its lens. From my perspective, the NX30 is clearly focused by Sony to overtake the market space currently occupied by the Canon XA10 and the Panasonic AG-HMC40 (price/size/progressive/electric zoom/balanced audio inputs), about which I’ve already written a few times. In this first look at the NX30, I’ll highlight the NX30’s unique characteristics, make some initial observations & comparisons, and include some videos about it.
Read More
2 Comments
Video editors who use an iMac and can’t stand the glare have a free, non-invasive solution.
By Allan Tépper | April 30, 2012
For many years, those of us who prefer the Mac platform and a high-quality matte display have had to avoid Apple screens that are glossy (highly reflective) or use an invasive screen protector, which I dislike. Since several years ago, Apple began offering iMac computers exclusively with an ultra reflective screen, many have avoided the iMac in favor of either a tower (Mac Pro) or a Mac Mini. Many ProVideo Coalition readers will recall two of my 2011 articles which covered how STAFF HDTV/Alta Definición from Guatemala re-purposed its older Mac Pro tower for its DaVinci Resolve grading suite, and then found better performance in the editing room with a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac Mini together with a Pegasus disk array. At that time, they chose the Mac Mini over the iMac since they wanted matte monitors (not glossy). I have just become aware of a free, simple, non-invasive, and easily reversible approach to making an iMac become much more matte without using any screen protector.
Read More
0 Comments
Is T-TAP appropriate to connect an HP DreamColor monitor?
By Allan Tépper | April 26, 2012
As I have covered in great detail in several prior articles here in ProVideo Coalition magazine, the most complete and most reliable method of connecting your critical video monitor to your computer based editing system is via a professional a/v i/o interface, like those Thunderbolt models now offered by AJA, Blackmagic, Matrox, and now even MOTU. However, most of them are more than what many editors need today in the tapeless acquisition, file-based era. Often editors no longer require any audio or video input at all, since the material primarily arrives in file-based format. That’s why AJA decided to design and build a simpler, lower-priced, self-powered, output-only device called the T-TAP at NAB 2012. The outputs are SDI and HDMI. This article will cover all of the specs (even some vital ones that AJA hasn’t yet published), applications, recommended connections, and define whether the T-TAP is appropriate or not for use with HP’s DreamColor monitor.
Read More
1 Comments
A recurring theme at NAB 2012, but how true is it?
By Allan Tépper | April 24, 2012
If you’re involved in traditional broadcast news, you know that the most popular established way to send your urgent remote stories back to the TV station is via microwave. For those unfamiliar, I’m not talking about a microwave oven, but a microwave transmitter often installed inside of a news van (OB truck), and often with a parabolic antenna on top. At NAB 2012, a recurring theme was: “Starbucks is the new microwave!” or some variation thereof, for urgent (but not live) news packages. Of course, if you’re in broadcast news in Colombia, South America, then the phrase might be: “¡Juan Valdez es mi nuevo transmisor microonda!”. Obviously, this refers to the free WiFi service available at Starbucks (at least in their USA locations) and at Juan Valdez in Colombia, together with the comfort of editing (optionally) and uploading raw news footage or edited packages from a very cozy environment. Let’s review a couple of such examples from NAB, and compare Internet caf© WiFi upload speeds to that of “4G” LTE in the USA.
Read More
0 Comments
By Allan Tépper | April 21, 2012
iNEWS and iPad (photo courtesy of Avid)
Ever since I saw the 3rd-generation iPad (2012), I began to have visions of its use for video journalism. Many of ProVideo Coalition magazine readers sent me private enthusiastic comments about my pre-NAB iPad articles like Avid now lets you edit video on your iPad for US$4.99. Should you?, Why an iPad is like a 4-5 view camera, and why you'll need a black "focusing cloth" and later part 1 of my review called 1st handheld dynamic microphones with hybrid XLR/USB/iPad connectivity from Audio Technica. While I was translating/localizing brochures for Avid Latin America just before NAB 2012, I became aware that they were going to launch iNews Command for iPad. On the NAB 2012 floor, I saw several iPad video journalists. Ahead you’ll find several photos, a few videos, and comments about various iPad video accessories.
Read More
1 Comments
DBA Createasphere