Video News

reprinted from an Azden Corporation press release:

AZDEN INTRODUCES MOST COMPACT VIDEO DUAL-CHANNEL UHF WIRELESS RECEIVER

Franklin Square, New York––Azden Corporation, a leader in on-camera audio, is pleased to announce its newest, smartest, smallest and feature-loaded UHF Wireless Microphone Receiver, the 320UPR.

Following the universal acceptance and popularity of its predecessor, the 200UPR, the company’s first camera-mounted dual-channel UHF, this 320UPR is designed and engineered for the professional videographer. A discrete dual-channel UHF receiver with stereo output, the 320UPR measures only 4 1/2” Long x 1 3/8” Deep x 2 13/16” Wide and is compatible with smaller DV cams.

Features include: 240 user-selectable frequencies; Dual Digital LCD displays with multifunction readout and a dual function DC jack for charging the two AA batteries in the camera, or from an external source.

Other features include separate Power On/Off switches; flexible high-gain antennas; dual-plug XLR and Stereo mini-plug output cables, and a removable shoe-mount.  All 320 systems will come in a professional impact-resistant carrying case

Initially, the 320UPR will be offered in 2 systems packages, the 320ULT (320UPR receiver and two 30BT body-pack transmitters, and the 320ULX system (320UPR receiver, 1 body-pack 30BT and one 30XT plug-in transmitter for users who want to use their own handheld microphones).

The 30HT handheld mic/transmitter will be available in late summer.

Complete system prices including cabling and microphones start at $995 MSRP.
For more information about Azden Wireless products, please call 516.328.7500 or visit http://www.azdencorp.com/.

reprinted from a Blackmagic Design press release:

Blackmagic Design Announces Intensity Pro is Now Available Worldwide

San Jose, California, USA - May 30, 2007 - Blackmagic Design Inc. today announced Intensity Pro is now shipping and available now from Blackmagic Design professional video resellers worldwide.

Intensity Pro is a new low cost and extremely high quality video capture and playback card for professional videographers that features HDMI, analog component, NTSC, PAL and S-Video capture and playback.

Intensity Pro was demonstrated at the recent NAB 2007 show, where it won several leading industry awards.

Intensity Pro is the first card to combine the high quality of HDMI capture and playback with the wide compatibility of analog component, NTSC, PAL and S-Video and analog audio capture and playback. It enables users to capture directly from the HD camera’s image sensor, bypassing the video compression chip for true uncompressed video quality. Now users can go beyond the quality limits of HDV for editing, design and authoring with Intensity Pro.

Intensity Pro can be connected to any big screen television or video projector for incredible edit monitoring. Current computers don’t have the processing speed to render complex multi later real time effects in HDV playing back to FireWire cameras. Intensity solves this problem by outputting video on HDMI and analog outputs for big screen monitoring in both SD or HD formats.

“We think with the combination of HDMI and analog on a single PCI Express plug in card at a very affordable $349 will change the lives of thousands of professional videographers,” said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design Inc. “Intensity Pro’s new analog compatibility, combined with HD up and down conversion real time processing, allows videographers to now edit in either SD or HD, while keeping compatibility with older equipment and their archived video footage.”

On-Air 2.0 Software for Real Time Video Mixing Included with every Intensity Pro card for real time video mixing is the popular On-Air software. On-Air allows customers to plug in two Intensity or Intensity Pro cards into a computer for two camera mixing for live video production.

Intensity Pro instantly switches between the 1080 HD, 720 HD, NTSC and PAL video standards. Intensity Pro is fully compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro?, Apple Final Cut Pro?, Adobe After Effects?, Adobe Photoshop? and any DirectShow? or QuickTime? based software application on Windows and Mac OS X platforms.

Intensity Pro Features
- HDMI video and audio capture and playback.
- Analog capture and playback in component, NTSC, PAL and S-Video.
- Stereo analog audio capture and playback.
- Capture and playback DV, HDV, Online JPEG and uncompressed video.
- Use for edit playback monitoring on televisions and video projectors.
- HDMI and Component switches between HD and SD.
- Real time effects supported in Apple Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro.
- Live production editing with Blackmagic On-Air mixing software with two cameras.
- Video capture and playback with Blackmagic Media Express utility.
- PCI Express 1 lane for compatibility with 1, 4, 8 and 16 lane PCI express slots.
- Compatible with both Windows and Mac OS X Universal.
- Includes breakout cable with RCA-type connectors for analog video and audio.

Availability and Price
Intensity Pro is in stock now with a US domestic recommended retail price of only $349 from all Blackmagic Design authorized resellers.

ANAHEIM, CA—MAY 29, 2007— VeZoom is the newest, most powerful video search engine that combines the timeliness of a feed-based search with the precision of a crawl-based search and returns the most relevant and comprehensive results across the entire Web. VeZoom utilizes proprietary video search technology and an advanced algorithm that allows consumers to easily and efficiently sift through massive amounts of video content.

 

VeZoom incorporates several differentiators that are markedly different from its competitors.  The engine performs highly targeted searches, scouring over 15 million hours of video worldwide, encompassing both professional and user-generated content.  VeZoom’s power allows users to find the specific content they are looking for and provides unparalleled levels of video search accuracy that are unmatched by traditional search engines.  On average, VeZoom will return roughly 4 times more content than any major existing video search engine.

 

In addition to enhancing video searches through VeZoom, the user will have the capacity to personalize online video channels via the myVeZoom site. This customizable option simplifies the process of gathering specific video channels of interest, from the latest celebrity gossip to the day’s sports scores and more. Users select the channels from a list of available category options, then personalize the layout of the page by dragging and dropping their favorites into position.  myVeZoom continuously monitors for videos of relevance, providing an updated feed of new content for the user based on their favorite selected channels.

 

“There is an explosion of video online coming from all different mediums, but there is a problem in finding what you really want. With VeZoom, we have solved the problem of video search by providing an engine that is powered by the latest, most innovative technology to sort through extensive amounts of data to find the results that you really want,” states Founder and CEO TJ Modi. “The power of VeZoom and myVeZoom is that it makes a one-stop video source to find, filter and personalize video channels and program it to your tastes. No other video search engine does that,” states Director of Marketing Alan Sherin.

 

To experience VeZoom, visit http://www.VeZoom.com. 

Ahoy to all our loyal viewers! It’s Friday, and that means one thing in addition to all that is magnificent about Friday: it’s time for a new episode of Videomaker Presents. So here ’tis!

Video Bits and Bytes with Derek and John:

• Apple Final Cut Studio 2 gains third-party apps and hardware.
• YouTube partnerships demystified.
• Sanyo ships a waterproof SD Card-based MPEG-4 camcorder. It’ll survive depths of five feet for up to an hour.
• Photobucket adds basic online video editing capabilities.

Tips and Tricks: John takes us through some ways to acquire sound effects.

Take 20: Jennifer and I look at Untitled, a well-executed piece of animation from Rodrigo Albarron of Vista, CA.

Hands On: Andrew takes us through a Pelican 1560 case.

This morning we received a nice package from Anton/Bauer, containing their new ELIPZ 10k mega-battery. This battery powers a camcorder and it’s on-board accessories at the same time. Much more info to come, including a full Test Bench review.

But for now we’ve started charging, and we plan on extinguishing it by running our camcorder and the Anton/ Bauer Elightz on-board light for as long as we can. We’ll get back to you when we’re finshed.

-Andrew @ Videomaker

Here in my hand rests the Panasonic Pro AG-HSC1U, the first AVCHD camcorder from Panasonic’s pro division. It’s tiny, but it delivers some gorgeous images at 1080i, thanks to its use of three 1/4″ CCDs. But small comes at a bit of a price: there’s no eyepiece viewfinder–just a viewscreen. But it’s a wide 3″ viewscreen, so we’d say that’s an acceptable tradeoff. It ships with a 4GB SDHC card and a 40GB “media storage unit” that can accept the content of four such cards.
Brian just reviewed it, and it’ll appear on the Web in the near future. It’ll also appear in a future issue (to be determined.)

From a Sanyo Press Release:

SANYO DEBUTS THE WORLD’S FIRST WATERPROOF CAMCORDER
BUILT FOR FAMILY FUN ABOVE AND BELOW WATER

Ideal for the Beach or Backyard Pool and Perfect for Vacationers,
SANYO’s Submersible Xacti E1 is the Must-Have Camcorder for Active Lifestyles

CHATSWORTH, CA, May 22, 2007 – SANYO has introduced the world’s first*1 waterproof*2 camcorder, the SANYO Xacti E1. Ideal for active families, vacationers and water sports enthusiasts, the ultra-compact E1 can record high-quality video and 6-megapixel stills under water*3 to a depth of five feet for up to one hour at a time.
Designed for year-round use, the stylish SANYO Xacti E1 is the pocket-sized, “grab and go” solution for capturing special moments everywhere, every time – whenever inspiration strikes. Completely self-contained, the E1 requires no bulky, separate underwater housing.
Easy to operate with only one hand, it’s an ideal camcorder to take to the beach or lake for activities such as swimming, snorkeling, surfing and water-skiing, or for use in and around the backyard pool or water park. Compact and easy to grip, the E1 is also great for skiers and snowboarders*4. Away from water, the versatile E1 is a perfect choice for shooting video and still images of the new baby or recording all the fun at parties, children’s school or sports events and family outings.
The SANYO Xacti E1 will be available in the U.S.A. in eye-catching blue, yellow and white in mid-June 2007 at $499.99 MSRP*5. Consumers can visit www.sanyodigital.com for information regarding major online retailers accepting pre-orders for the E1.
The E1 shoots TV-quality MPEG-4 video and utilizes the state-of-the-art Advanced Video Codec AVC/H.264. Incorporating a special Qpixel brand H.264 chipset, the E1 delivers a significant 25 percent reduction in video file size, along with improved video quality versus traditional MPEG-4 recordings. Completely “tapeless,” the device records both video and still images to a standard SD memory card or high-capacity SDHC card. Users can record a phenomenal 10 hours of full-motion 640 x 480 pixel, 30 frames-per-second video on a single 8-gigabyte SDHC memory card (not included)*6. Once recorded, both video and still images can be easily uploaded and viewed on a PC or Mac, personal media player such as the iPod®, or shared on the internet via a video or photo sharing Website.
“More than just the world’s first waterproof camcorder, the SANYO Xacti E1 is really four cameras in one,” said John Lamb, Senior Marketing Manager, Audio Video Division of SANYO Fisher Company. “It’s both a video and still camera above water and a video and still camera below water. SANYO has created a stunning, exceptionally versatile camcorder that can be used virtually everywhere – including at the beach, in the pool and in rain or snow – while providing the high level of video and still image performance that today’s consumers demand. The E1 makes it fun and easy to record life’s special moments spontaneously both in and out of the water.”
Improved 9 pixel-mixing technology allows video to be shot even in darker places, such as indoors during a party. When using the “Automatic” setting, subjects may be recorded in light as low as 7 lux, and when using the “Lamp Mode” setting found in the “Scene Select” function menu, the frame rate will be automatically adjusted, enabling subjects to be recorded even in 2 lux low-light environments*7.
The included CD-ROM Software Pack features Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0 for Windows XP/Vista, Adobe Photoshop Album starter edition, QuickTime 7.1, iTunes 7.1 and Xacti Screen Capture for Windows. For Mac OS X customers, SANYO recommends using iMovie and iPhoto.
Regarding the agreement to distribute Adobe’s software with the Xacti camera, Garrett J. Ilg, president of Adobe Systems Japan, commented, “Adobe’s video editing software, ‘Adobe Premiere Elements’, through being bundled with SANYO’s new Xacti product, will provide users with new added value. The H.264 format which Adobe Premiere Elements is compatible with and that Xacti has adopted will hereafter be a mainstream format. In cooperation with SANYO, Adobe Systems will continue to provide solutions enhancing users’ personal movie experiences by using Adobe Premiere Elements in combination with Xacti.”
Included accessories are a USB Cable, AV Cable, Battery Charger, Li-ion Battery Pack, Soft Case and Hand Strap. Optional accessories include a specially designed “surf-style” camera leash (VCP-STB1 - $19.99*5) made by a leading surf gear maker, Surf More XM, that safely and securely tethers the E1 to the user’s wrist. A protective waterproof camera case (VCP-HCX2 - $19.99*5) is also available.

Ahoy to all of our loyal viewers! Episode 66 of the Vidcast will be showing up soon in better aggregators in a short time.

Video Bits and Bytes with Mark and Derek:

• Sony Creative Software and SmartSound make an agreement.
• MySpace and YouTube banned by Department of Defense… apparently on the basis of bandwidth usage.
• Vpod may be the alternative site of choice–it’s a new channel-based sharing site based in France.

Tips & Tricks: Jennifer interviews Andrew Burke and Morgan Paar on their recent video production journeys through South America. Be sure to see their work on Current TV, available on better satellite and digital cable systems everywhere. (Now playing online: Bombing Buenos)
Take 20: Jennifer and I take a look at Her Eyes on the Goal by Jeff Hillman of Newport News, VA. This sports video was a finalist in the 2006 Videomaker/Sony Short Video Contest.

Hands On: John shows us the Matrox MXO, a Mac-only capture device that also allows you to monitor HD video with perfect sync while you’re editing.

From A Blackmagic Design Press Release:

Blackmagic Design Announces Final Cut Studio 2 Support

Includes support for ProRes, open format timelines, new easy setup management,
and color software

San Jose, CA, USA - May 18, 2007 -  Blackmagic Design Inc. today announced the
immediate availability of a new software update that adds support for the new
features in Apple Final Cut Studio 2

The new software version 6.2 for all Blackmagic Design DeckLink and Multibridge
series capture and playback video products supports the new features in Final
Cut Studio 2 including ProRes 422, open format timelines, new easy setup management
and video output from Color.

ProRes 422 support allows real time capture directly into a compressed video
format for a dramatic reduction in disk space requirements. When editing long
form television programming, compressed video allows all source media to be loaded
onto a disk array, while the quality is high enough for final program production.

Now all Blackmagic Design cards support capture and playback natively with the
ProRes 422 format, and easy setups are included.

Unlike FireWire based products that require recompression before output to the
connected video device, all Blackmagic Design cards use an uncompressed video
link direct to the Final Cut Studio real time effects renderer. No FireWire recompression
means editors get all their computer’s CPU processing dedicated to more video
layers and effects, and improved video quality.

This update supports the new Open Format Timeline technology which allows various
video format files to be simultaneously played back in the editing timeline.
Also supported is the new easy setup management, and video monitoring from Color
software so you can see the exact color of your video work as customers perform
color correction of their programs.

“This is a big update with wonderful new features our customers will really love,”
said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design “We have worked closely with Apple for
months to make this update available the day Final Cut Studio 2 ships, and we
are happy to announce its availability today as a free update to all our customers.”

Availability and Price

DeckLink v6.2 and Multibridge v6.2 software, with support for Final Cut Studio
2, is available today for download from the Blackmagic Design support web site
at no charge.

Yup, it was bound to happen. Wedding videographers of all stripes can rejoice in harmony as this movie sets to hit the big screen. Lucky for us, the producers have several video clips on MySpace videos. They’ve also posted the official trailer on YouTube, but the link didn’t work for us.

Here’s the synopsis from:http://www.myspace.com/theweddingvideothemovie

“The Wedding Video is a comedy about a deranged wedding videographer who kidnaps a bride and groom who have broken off their wedding. He forces them to watch his wedding video footage in hopes that they will fall back in love and finally get married so he can finish his greatest film work ever: their wedding video. ”
Watch their clips here.