FreshDV NAB 2011 Video Coverage

Welcome to FreshDV’s coverage of NAB 2011! The FreshDV crew is in Vegas for NAB week, bringing you video coverage from the show floor. If you can’t be on-site at NAB, we are the resource to watch. Watch our coverage of the show in the playlist below. If you’ve enjoyed it, drop us a line on Twitter @FreshDV. Watch below…

Netflix vs Redbox rivalry shaping up

Have you seen those red kiosks at Walmart and McDonalds locations across the US? If not, you probably will soon enough. With about 15,000 existing locations in operation, Redbox is currently rolling their $1 DVD rental kiosks out at a rate of one per hour. Cinematech’s Scott Kirsner has a post about Redbox and their competitor, Netflix.

Both offer DVD rentals, but using distinctly different approaches. Netflix’s DVD title selection is extensive, with over 100,000 titles to choose from. In contrast, a Redbox kiosk carries around 200 titles at a given time. The difference is instant gratification…Redbox is an impulse purchase, made at a location you are likely shopping or frequenting. While Netflix does offer instant internet streaming options, it’s not always the same for folks who don’t have a computer hooked up to their entertainment system. I’ve used both services before, and while I wish the instant selection of Redbox was more extensive, there is no denying the price point and convenience. They also allow you to order a DVD online in advance (ala Netflix), for later pickup at your local kiosk.

I honestly did not see Redbox as that useful when I first used the service, but am finding that we use it more and more. Regardless of which you personally use, I think there is one thing we can all agree on…the good ‘ole fashioned Video Store is all but dead.

NAB 2009 Video - Adobe Flash and Story

Adobe’s big announcement at NAB seemed to be centered around the integration of Flash into settop boxes, bringing it into the livingroom. They also were showing a concept software product called Adobe Story, which helps round out their complete integration from initial creative concepts all the way through post-production. We stopped by for a demo of both announcements.

Practical Distribution Options for Indie Filmmakers

Many discussions about independent film distribution options seem to center around just getting your films and content seen, the search for eyeballs online. This strategy is all well and good when you are building an online presence and particularly for those just getting started. But for some months now, we at FreshDV have been interested in getting a snapshot of current distribution options that reward filmmakers for their investment, practical options that can earn indies money now. So we sat down with two special guests that have a unique knowledge of this field, and had a frank and practical discussion about what profitable options exist now, and how to market your film. The following audio podcast is a discussion with Jerome Courshon and Scott Kirsner, and is moderated by Matt Jeppsen and Kendal Miller of FreshDV.

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How to Create a DVD ISO Image from Files on a Mac

I had to create an .ISO file for a client recently, using the contents of a DVD (the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders). The resulting ISO disc image had to be compatible on Mac and Windows systems. This tutorial is a little offtopic, but since it took far too much Googling to find the right solution, I figured I’d share the process here for PVC readers. Hopefully these simple steps will save you some trouble. Here’s how I did it…

Showdown at the RWVC Corral: Mac Encoder Shootout Redux

After reading last week’s Real World Video Compression article that compared four Mac compression tools, I suggested a more comparative test that took time to standardize encoding settings to level the playing field. In the initial shootout, default templates and encoding settings were used for the most part. That’s not to say that the initial test isn’t useful information…in fact, it may be more useful to the majority of users that just want a “set it and forget it” approach to encoding (apologies to Ron Popeil for borrowing his catchphrase). But for more advanced users who will immediately begin pushing knobs and digging into the encoding templates, a comparative test is invaluable for determining what kind of quality and encode times you can expect from each solution. And reviewer Andy Beach has done just that with his latest update to the article.

Encoder Shootout of 4 Mac Compression Tools

Real World Video Compression has posted a Encoder Shootout between three common Mac software compression options, and one hardware assisted solution. The disparity in price between the tools tested is enormous…with VisualHub at under $25, and Episode Pro nearly $1000. Much like the pricing, the speed and quality of the results were varied.

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