Avid now lets you edit video on your iPad for US$4.99. Should you?

I was privileged to find out a few hours in advance of the public announcement of Avid Studio for iPad, since Avid contracted me to translate and localize the press release, as fortunately they often do. There was something about this press release that really intrigued me. It wasn’t so much the specific advantages that Avid Studio for iPad has over other editing apps for iPad, like offering both Storyboard and Timeline views in a single iPad app, or being able to import source material from anywhere inside or outside of the iPad. It was more the fact that the announcement was coming from Avid, and the spirit of the two quotes that appear at the end of the press release. In this article, I’ll give a first look at the app, define what it is (and what it isn’t), and extrapolate about what this can mean for video editing in the short, mid, and long term. Of course, I’ll include those two quotes that intrigued me so much.

Sony’s NX70 camera to receive its missing 29.97p framerate via free firmware update

Sony has just announced that the NXCAM camera model known officially as the HXR-NX70 (often followed by a regional suffix) —but colloquially known simply as the NX70— will receive the vital 29.97p framerate via a free downloadable firmware, sometime in the first quarter of 2012.  Well, let me get a little more specific: The 59.94Hz segregated versions of the NX70 will get 1080PsF29.97. This article will explain how vital this framerate is for many producers in ex-NTSC countries, and cover some other improvements included in this update, together with a few that are still missing.

To DRM or not to DRM? That is the question for today’s digital content producers

Whether you a a video producer, music producer, audiobook producer, or the author of ebooks, if you sell your content, there’s really no escape from the question: “To DRM or not to DRM?” If you aren’t yet familiar with the acronym, DRM stands for Digital Rights Management, and basically refers to technologies which can limit digital content. Some DRM implementations aim to prevent copying at all, while others aim to limit the number of permitted copies. To give a familiar example, Apple’s iTunes Store originally created its FairPlay DRM system which limited playback of a file to a maximum of five registered computers. However, as quickly as Apple was able to convince content producers (mainly record labels) that they were better off without it, Apple gradually began eliminating DRM and finished that process at the beginning of 2009. For me, the question “To DRM or not to DRM?” recently demanded an immediate decision when I decided to release my book Unleash GoogleVoice’s hidden power as an ebook. Previously, it had existed only as a printed book. Although I had previously created digital video tutorials, the DRM decision for them hadn’t come up because up until now, my digital video tutorials haven’t been sold by themselves: They’ve been included with seminars and webinars.

Google political move stifles web video distribution & complicates our workflow

In case you didn’t hear yet, Google recently announced the elimination of support for H.264 in HTML5 video in its popular Chrome web browser within the next few months, in favor of WebM (VP8) and Theora video códecs. Despite Google’s official justifications for the move in the name of openness, many analysts (including myself) see this as a political move against Apple, and even hypocritical since the Chrome browser has contained (and will continue to contain) an embedded Flash player. Our logical conclusion is that Google’s next step will be to drop support for H.264 in its Android operating system too. This happens after H.264 already has achieved support from Adobe, Apple, and even Microsoft. Up until now, Google’s Chrome browser has directly supported H.264 with HTML5’s video tag. Before this shocking below the belt punch, many content producers were well along the way of offering HTML5 video with H.264, playable as raw or automatic fallback to the same file embedded in Flash if the browser didn’t support it in HTML5, as I have covered in my seminars. However, as we see the writing on the wall, this will likely no longer be sufficient for the ever popular Android devices as they likely become updated to newer versions which would purposefully exclude H.264 playback, especially considering the poor Flash performance on most of the current Android devices that even support it at all. So within a short time, the preferred video códecs for Android devices will likely be WebM (VP8) or Theora, while for Apple iOS devices (AppleTV, iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch), it will remain to be H.264.

TecnoTur 5 (English): interviews with SingularSoftware (PluralEyes + more) and OWC (iMac w/eSATA)

TecnoTur episode 5 (English) is now available. In episode 5, Carla Sánchez and Allan Tépper discuss RIM/Blackberry’s new podcast consumption application. Next comes Larry O’Connor of OWC (Other World Computing), creator of the revolutionary eSATA modification for certain Apple iMac computers, as well as SSDs (Solid State Drives) and other products. Finally, we converse with Bruce Sharpe of Singular Software about 3D/stereo editing workflow, PluralEyes, DualEyes and their latest application, Presto. Here are details about how to hear TecnoTur free, or become a subscriber.

An open letter to Apple’s iTunes Podcasting Team

Dear Apple’s iTunes Podcasting Team:
We love podcasting, and we love the fact that Apple’s iTunes has helped to facilitate the growth of this relatively new medium since 2005 with iTunes 4.9. Congratulations on releasing iTunes 10 now, in 2010. This letter is to point out three key areas where you need to improve the user experience of podcast subscription and commenting, especially with regard to podcasting in worldwide markets and with its use with mobile devices, and in some cases where some of your competitors (i.e. Google/Android and RIM/Blackberry) already offer podcast subscription apps which are much more user-friendly than the current iTunes podcasting experience. Oh, and of course, there will be one more thing!

Comparison of portable HD studios: BCC versus TriCaster TCXD300

Comparing the BCC and the TriCaster TCXD300 isn’t really about a price issue. If I included prices in the comparison chart you’ll see later in this article, it’s to show how close they are in price, not to let the price dictate your choice. The real factors that anyone who may be considering either one of these two fine tools should be taking into account are workflow philosophy and key features. In this article, I will emphasize those issues, and I will also explain why I designed the comparison chart the way I did.

Tépper’s remedy for Flash-lovers who are still in denial

I have been quite surprised about the comments sent to me by Flash-lovers who are still in denial, of which a few have been public on the ProVideo Coalition website, and many more have been private, sometimes desperate sounding e-mails. In the past, people used to say that some Mac-lovers were religious fanatics. I now realize that some Flash-lovers are perhaps even more devoted religious fanatics. Some of these Flash religious fanatics have made terrible criticisms about Steve Jobs and Apple regarding their position about Flash, despite both Google and Microsoft backing that position. The purpose of this article is to help Flash religious fanatics who are still in denial to come to grips with reality and get through their “mourning” period as gracefully as possible.

Microsoft diplomatically backs Apple & Google’s position, favoring HTML5 and H.264

From my perspective, the issue began back in 2008, when I was inspired to write an article called Encoding web video in the age of the iPhone. Now, the situation has become as suspenseful as the final chapters of a Latin American telenovela. On April 5th, 2010, I published Tépper is glad that the iPad doesn’t support Flash. During the last week of April, Steve Jobs publishes his open letter about why he has disallowed Adobe’s Flash on all of Apple’s mobile devices, including iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Then Adobe refutes Steve Jobs’ statements in a video interview with the Wall Street Journal. Now, Microsoft diplomatically backs Apple’s and Google’s position with a blogpost by the Internet Explorer manager, stating that the future is indeed HTML5 and H.264, which has been my position since my original 2008 article. Ahead you’ll find links to all of the mentioned incidents.

Adobe CEO rebuts Steve Jobs’ Flash letter in WSJ video interview

As many of ProVideo Coalition readers read yesterday,  Steve Jobs published his open letter regarding Adobe’s Flash. Now, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen rebuts Steve Jobs’ letter in a video inverview with the Wall Street Journal. Ahead you’ll find a link to Steve Jobs’ open letter, to my article, and to the rebuttal interview from Adobe.

Steve Jobs’ open letter regarding Flash

I thank ProVideo Coalition reader WSmith for pointing out to me that Steve Jobs has published his open letter regarding Adobe’s Flash. WSmith wrote his comment in my article called Tépper is glad that the iPad doesn’t support Flash. I am glad to know that WSmith saw that article, and at this point, I don’t know whether Steve Jobs did too. Ahead you’ll find a link to Steve Jobs’ open letter, and to my article.

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