SFTP: An open letter to all software developers with FTP-only support

You know who you are: Adobe, Apple, DVcreators, elGato, Telestream, and others. Even though we would love to have a utopian world —and a utopian Internet—, we are certainly not there yet. There are bad guys out there, and we can’t afford to make it easy for them. That’s why there are secure websites (https) and secure e-mail encryption (SSL). Fortunately, there are many good software programs that already support SFTP, including CoreFTP, Cyberduck, Fetch, Transmit, and Übercaster. And from Apple, even iWeb (starting with the ’09 version) supports SFTP. So why don’t Adobe Media Encoder, Compressor, DVKitchen, Turbo.264HD, and EpisodePro support SFTP too? All of these are professional tools, but for some unknown reason, they alarmingly all lack SFTP support as of the publication date of this article.

DreamColor direct interfaces

Whether you already own an HP DreamColor monitor, or you are considering buying one, you need to make sure your NLE or grading system complies completely with the DreamColor Engine. In this article, you’ll see a comparison chart showing available NLE/grading interfaces from three different manufacturers that are either completely or partially DreamColor Engine compliant, depending upon your formats and framerates. You’ll also learn why one popular manufacturer does not appear in the chart.

DreamColor from HP: an ideal tool for critical image evaluation

After several months of waiting, I finally received a DreamColor evaluation unit from HP. Back in May of 2009, I had included the DreamColor in an article called How to connect your HD evaluation monitor to your editing system properly: Let me count the ways! That article included a comparison chart that I had made called Affordable 1080 HD monitors for critical color evaluation. Even back then, the DreamColor looked attractive compared to the specs of the competition, which included contenders from JVC and Panasonic. Before receiving the evaluation unit, I had the experience of going to Guatemala to install a DreamColor. However, because I had to integrate an entire system while I was in Guatemala, I didn’t have a chance to spend enough time with the DreamColor then as I have had now. In this article you’ll discover many reasons why the DreamColor is probably the the most sensible monitor to purchase for video production or post-production when you need critical image evaluation, even if it may mean purchasing it with a converter box, if your current NLE or grading system doesn’t have an an ideal connection for it. Even after adding the cost of a converter box (if required) or otherwise upgrading your current system, the DreamColor will still cost thousands of dollars less than a comparable competitive critical evaluation monitor with a true 10-bit panel.

DreamColor converter boxes for non-compliant systems

This article is to help people who have determined that their current NLE or grading system does not currently comply with the DreamColor Engine, and are looking a converter box to make it comply. As stated in my DreamColor monitor review, the DreamColor Engine is very demanding: it absolutely requires a true progressive digital RGB signal over HDMI or DisplayPort. Interlaced video, PsF, and/or digital YUV over HDMI are not welcomed by the Engine. If you supply either or both of those, the DreamColor Engine will shut off, the settings for color space will become inactive, and the monitor will display full gamut, which is much more saturated than ITU Rec.601 or ITU Rec.709. These are some of the DreamColor monitor’s most important features. Make sure you take advantage of them by making your system deliver a compliant signal.

Who is the ITU, and why should I care?

Sometimes when I am talking with clients during one of my seminars or over a meal, they ask me who the ITU is and why they should care. That’s why I decided to dedicate a few minutes to answering their questions. Here you will find out who the ITU is, when it was found, its original name, where it’s headquarters is, and why you should care.

Why should I care if my monitor shows ITU Rec.709?

At a recent seminar I gave in Miami about HD image grading together with Rubén Abruña, one of the the attendees asked a good question which deserves a short article. He asked “Why should I care if my critical evaluation HD monitor in my editing suite is calibrated for ITU Rec.709 if my client’s monitor won’t be?” In this short article, you’ll find out what ITU Rec.709 is, and get an adaptation of my answer (since the analogy I gave there would be relevant only to South Florida residents).

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