Believe it or not I am still making DVDs with Encore in March of 2019.
One annoyance I encountered recently is that Encore does not make an empty AUDIO_TS folder when Building an iso file from the current project.
I know this has always been the case. Previously I did not make an iso directly, I created a DVD Folder, manually added a AUDIO_TS folder, and then used Toast to make the iso. Only I a not using Toast anymore. What to do?
Well I actually found a workaround:
1) Build the project as DVD Folder from Encore (Output=DVD Folder, Source/Create Using=Current Project.)
2) From the Finder add an empty AUDIO_TS folder to the newly created DVD Folder as usual.
3) Back to Encore! Select Source/Create Using=DVD Volume instead of Current Project. Select the newly created DVD Folder from the Finder.
4) Select Output=DVD Image instead of DVD Folder.
5) Build!
Voilà, new iso file that includes the empty AUDIO_TS, using only Encore.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Friday, February 1, 2019
FCPX Youlean Meter
A note re. the use of the Youlean Meter, (possibly other meters as well, to be tested), when using it in Final Cut Pro.
The way I do it, I bring my stems in FCP (VO/Dia, Music, Effects) and I group them into a Compound Clip. I apply Youlean Meter to the Compound Clip.
Now that's all fine and dandy, you will notice though that adjusting the level of the CC does not change the reading of the YLM.
So if the volume of the CC is anything other than "0dB", you could have too hot/too low levels on output while YLM shows everything is fine. Watch that one!
If you want to adjust the levels, you must do it on the Stems, inside the CC. Then the YLM actualizes accordingly.
The way I do it, I bring my stems in FCP (VO/Dia, Music, Effects) and I group them into a Compound Clip. I apply Youlean Meter to the Compound Clip.
Now that's all fine and dandy, you will notice though that adjusting the level of the CC does not change the reading of the YLM.
So if the volume of the CC is anything other than "0dB", you could have too hot/too low levels on output while YLM shows everything is fine. Watch that one!
If you want to adjust the levels, you must do it on the Stems, inside the CC. Then the YLM actualizes accordingly.
Friday, January 18, 2019
How to delete a color from the Apple Color Picker custom swacth?
The custom color swatch drawer is a great way to store custom colors that I repeatedly use in projects.
But how to delete colors from it? Click and delete does not work, click and drag it away doesn't work either...
Only way I found is to click and drag the pot of color to the Trashcan! Simple enough... When you know it.
But how to delete colors from it? Click and delete does not work, click and drag it away doesn't work either...
Only way I found is to click and drag the pot of color to the Trashcan! Simple enough... When you know it.
Monday, November 19, 2018
Apple Pro Apps and Apple Pro Video Formats Updates
Apple Pro Apps, Final Cut Pro, Compressor and Motion got an update on 11/15/18, showing up in App Store:
Apple Pro Video Formats 2.0.7 is also showing up in the Software Update on Mojave:
Apple Pro Video Formats 2.0.7 is also showing up in the Software Update on Mojave:
FYI here are the differences between 2.0.6 and 2.0.7:
cMP Boot ROM Version: 140.0.0.0
Mojave 10.14.1 also installs a new firmware update Boot ROM Version: 140.0.0.0
It allows for the use of NVME M2 blade SSDs! Yes!
Unfortunately for people who installed Mojave 10.14, the Firmware update is not mandatory when updating to 10.14.1 via Software Update, hence we get stuck with Boot ROM Version: 130.0.0.0 which DO NOT ALLOW NVME blades to be used in the classic Mac Pros.
MacRumors Forum and tsialex to the rescue! Here is the how-to update the Firmware.
Was real quick on my machine, now sporting 140.0.0.0.0
It allows for the use of NVME M2 blade SSDs! Yes!
Unfortunately for people who installed Mojave 10.14, the Firmware update is not mandatory when updating to 10.14.1 via Software Update, hence we get stuck with Boot ROM Version: 130.0.0.0 which DO NOT ALLOW NVME blades to be used in the classic Mac Pros.
MacRumors Forum and tsialex to the rescue! Here is the how-to update the Firmware.
Was real quick on my machine, now sporting 140.0.0.0.0
Groovy! Until next time for a report on M2 SSD inside cMP
Friday, November 16, 2018
Apple revamps its refurbished products website, and oversimplify things again
Apple redesigned its refurbished products pages, unfortunately Apple does not allow us to list every offer at once. One has to navigate through several pages without the possibility to see all products at once. Why?
Another even more serious limitation: Apple lists only the main specs for the machines, as in CPU and screen size, and color, that's it. And one can only filter results by model and screen size and sort by price. Excuse me?
There is no mention of the year the machine was built, which graphic card is installed, or what is the size of the RAM or the size and type of drive inside. When you buy a $3K+ machine you generally pay attention to the details. To me that's more important than the color.
These are SERIOUS LIMITATIONS Apple. There is no way to quickly assess how these machines compare to each other, something that was possible in the previous iteration of the refurb website pages. Now one has to go to each item single page to have access to the full specs. No way to compare quickly.
To me this is moving BACKWARD. Some crappy job of oversimplification here. I like to see much more filtering capabilities on this page, and more info AT ONCE. The complete Overview would be just fine. Thank you.
Another even more serious limitation: Apple lists only the main specs for the machines, as in CPU and screen size, and color, that's it. And one can only filter results by model and screen size and sort by price. Excuse me?
Can you tell the difference between these two Mac Mini machines? Me neither.
How about the difference between these two MacBook Pros? Good luck.
Or these two?
My! Two identical MacPros, why the price difference?
There is no mention of the year the machine was built, which graphic card is installed, or what is the size of the RAM or the size and type of drive inside. When you buy a $3K+ machine you generally pay attention to the details. To me that's more important than the color.
These are SERIOUS LIMITATIONS Apple. There is no way to quickly assess how these machines compare to each other, something that was possible in the previous iteration of the refurb website pages. Now one has to go to each item single page to have access to the full specs. No way to compare quickly.
To me this is moving BACKWARD. Some crappy job of oversimplification here. I like to see much more filtering capabilities on this page, and more info AT ONCE. The complete Overview would be just fine. Thank you.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Final Cut Pro 10.4.4 is out, and so is a reminder that Apple is ditching legacy media
Today Apple released Final Cut Pro 10.4.4, Compressor 4.4.2 and Motion 5.4.2
As always before upgrading, wait until you are in-between projects, and backup your current apps, and your current Libraries.
On the news release page you will notice this small paragraph:
Compressor, the advanced encoding companion to Final Cut Pro, moves to a new 64-bit engine that takes advantage of all the memory in a user’s Mac for improved performance when encoding high resolution, high frame rate video. Compressor maintains support for 32-bit codecs, so editors can continue to work with key legacy formats. And the app now supports SRT closed captions, which is an important format for delivering captioned video to the web and international markets.
Nick Montgomery @Merch_Media Tweeted another notice from Apple:
Legacy media files are compatible with macOS Mojave, but they won't be with future macOS releases. Legacy media can include footage recorded with cameras like Sony HDCAM-SR cameras, footage from GoPro cameras recorded in the CineForm format, video files in the Avid DNxHD/DNxHR format created with software, footage shot with many other older cameras, or files modified with older software.
Here we are confronted with macOs Mojave being the latest of the OSes to support 32-bit apps. With the next release of macOs in fall of 2019, 32-bit no more. That includes Quicktime7.
We knew this was coming with the 2013 announcement of Apple transition from legacy Quicktime to AVFoundation. So Quicktime Player 7 will stop working, and any legacy media files will need to be converted.
For understanding this transition, here is a great article by Larry Jordan: Media Doesn't Last Forever from July 2018.
And a in-depth article by digital Rebellion: Thoughts on 32-bit codecs being phased out in macOS.
What are the concerned codecs one might ask? Apple is vague at best. Luckily Charlie Austin comes to our rescue:
Here is the list on my machine:
Most of these are obsolete and personally I have never edited with any of these in the past. I had many esoteric codecs coming from client, but the first thing for me is to always convert any exotic codec into an editing friendly codec.
I think this ditching of legacy codecs is a necessary move from Apple in order to make and keep FCPX fast and smooth. Just like I would not edit with h264, it makes sense to me that we need modern tweaked-for-speed codecs to work with. Not to mention codecs that are capable of more bandwidth to accommodate improvements in camera capture, although that's another subject.
That means yes, we will have to do more transcoding in the future. I am not too worried: there are tools for that, and there will still be tools to convert legacy footage into modern codecs to work with in FCPX for the years to come.
Here is a newer article by the guys at Latenitefilms/CommandPost: Legacy Media in Final Cut Pro that explains the situation even better, specifically the .mov wrapping part, and it confirms what I'm thinking.
As always before upgrading, wait until you are in-between projects, and backup your current apps, and your current Libraries.
On the news release page you will notice this small paragraph:
Compressor, the advanced encoding companion to Final Cut Pro, moves to a new 64-bit engine that takes advantage of all the memory in a user’s Mac for improved performance when encoding high resolution, high frame rate video. Compressor maintains support for 32-bit codecs, so editors can continue to work with key legacy formats. And the app now supports SRT closed captions, which is an important format for delivering captioned video to the web and international markets.
Nick Montgomery @Merch_Media Tweeted another notice from Apple:
Legacy media files are compatible with macOS Mojave, but they won't be with future macOS releases. Legacy media can include footage recorded with cameras like Sony HDCAM-SR cameras, footage from GoPro cameras recorded in the CineForm format, video files in the Avid DNxHD/DNxHR format created with software, footage shot with many other older cameras, or files modified with older software.
Here we are confronted with macOs Mojave being the latest of the OSes to support 32-bit apps. With the next release of macOs in fall of 2019, 32-bit no more. That includes Quicktime7.
We knew this was coming with the 2013 announcement of Apple transition from legacy Quicktime to AVFoundation. So Quicktime Player 7 will stop working, and any legacy media files will need to be converted.
For understanding this transition, here is a great article by Larry Jordan: Media Doesn't Last Forever from July 2018.
And a in-depth article by digital Rebellion: Thoughts on 32-bit codecs being phased out in macOS.
What are the concerned codecs one might ask? Apple is vague at best. Luckily Charlie Austin comes to our rescue:
ApplePlanarRGB
SorensonVideo
SorensonVideo3
AppleBMP
AppleCinepak
AppleH261
AppleH263
AppleMotionJPEGA
AppleMotionJPEGA
AppleMotionJPEGB
AppleMotionJPEGB
ApplePNG
AppleNone
AppleNone
AppleVideo
AppleGraphics
AppleTGA
AppleTIFF
AppleComponentVideo
AppleJPEG2000
ApplePixlet"
I think this ditching of legacy codecs is a necessary move from Apple in order to make and keep FCPX fast and smooth. Just like I would not edit with h264, it makes sense to me that we need modern tweaked-for-speed codecs to work with. Not to mention codecs that are capable of more bandwidth to accommodate improvements in camera capture, although that's another subject.
That means yes, we will have to do more transcoding in the future. I am not too worried: there are tools for that, and there will still be tools to convert legacy footage into modern codecs to work with in FCPX for the years to come.
Here is a newer article by the guys at Latenitefilms/CommandPost: Legacy Media in Final Cut Pro that explains the situation even better, specifically the .mov wrapping part, and it confirms what I'm thinking.
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