SPAUG Newsletter January 2003
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Notes from the Prez
by Jim Dinkey
Dear SPAUG Member,
The last time I wrote, the subject of how well a project to permit USB support of the Saturday Clinic would be reviewed.
As could be expected, there is no one answer.
The use of a Maxtor disk drive that can be plugged into the USB port works just fine. Only when the resident operating system is Windows 98, do I even need to have the software CD handy. In Win98, the CD is supposed to be called for, but that doesn't work smoothly sometimes. When preinstalled on Win98, all goes smoothly.
On Win2k and XP, just plug in the USB port and start writing to the disk. With the exception of speed, the external USB hard drive gives the capability of moving large files from one computer to another when the computer does not have a CD writer. Maxtor 3000LE ExternalUSB drive ($180 MicroCenter).
The CD/RW project is not a success. I would guess that it can work under certain limited circumstances. In my case I chose the SPAUG Sony Laptop as the test site and the objective was to use the USB interface to drive a CD/RW using Ghost - a simulation of the requirement to make backup CDs at the Saturday Clinic to protect both the user and myself from loss of data.
It didn't go well in that the first CD/RW unit did not work with Ghost and was not on the Symantec Hardware Compatibility List.
So I ordered one that was.
That didn't go very well either, but the Symantec people held in there until they got to the point where they referred me to the CD/RW manufacturer and suggested a conference call as they were quite sure the combo of personnel could get it going. This after having even flashed the BIOS.
The point is not that the CD/RW would not work but that it would not work consistently without a LOT of hassle including advanced procedures such as downloading and installing the latest BIOS fixes. This was not a procedure that could be applied to just any computer that happened to come in the door on Saturday morning and needed to be a quick fix. I'm sure I could get it running as long as I did not need to move it from machine to machine, and I didn't have to force it to interface with Ghost, which is the last remaining program that can create CD Images.
[ TOP ]
General Meeting Notes November Meeting 4 December 2002
by Stan Hutchings
Administrivia and CrossTalk
- There is a good PC Support Advisor, which has lots of useful information in PDF format. There are free technical support and networking articles from the huge PC Support Advisor and PC Network Advisor technical support library.
- The Late 2002 CD is available for sale. View the Club CD Contents as an RTF listing.
- The MicroCenter has 30 GB drives at a bargain price, and an IBM 17" CRT monitor for $89, $49 after rebate.
- The announcement was made that on 5 December Bob Mitchell would give a video editing presentation that will show how to put together a program from your digital video recordings.
- The Holiday Social was announced for 12 December. (N.B.- it was enjoyed by quite a few SPAUG members. The musicians added melody and harmony as the group joined the singing of Christmas carols and other songs.)
- Jim Dinkey briefly discussed the topic of his Notes from the Prez. The Maxtor external USB hard drive worked as expected; the CD/RW USB device was not reliable, and required lots of tweaking. Advice: if you're getting a new computer, be sure the USB is the version 2 (about 40 times faster then version 1.1).
- To reload only the IE browser with WinXP, first Remove Program to get rid of IE, reboot (this is a critical step, as rebooting gets rid of vestiges), then install IE.
- Older laptops can be upgraded to USB 2 with a PCMCIA card. This allows connection to other USB devices, such as printers, scanners, mice, etc.
Presentation - Maury Green
Maury gave his Networking 101 abbreviated class. It was a very informative PowerPoint presentation. If you missed the presentation, Maury may give you the PowerPoint file.
Maury clarified many of the terms used in discussing networking and connecting to the Internet, such as IP address, DHCP, Virtual Layer Protocols, etc. He demonstrated supporting computers from a distance using PC Anywhere.
By the way, if you are considering setting up a network, be sure to get the End 2002 club CD, which has a very comprehensive guide, WOWN-NetworkingHelp, 1600 pages of how to do networking between Microsoft Win98/Me/2000/NT/XP.
[ TOP ]
Planning Meeting Notes 9 January 2003
by Stan Hutchings
The meeting was on Thursday the second week because of New Year's Day and conflict with Jim Dinkey's schedule. Attendees: Bev Altman, Dick Delp, Jim Dinkey, John Sleeman, Nat Landes, Susan Mueller, Stan Hutchings.
- Jim Dinkey asked if we thought we need a new projector, since the current one cannot handle video presentations very well. The attendees decided that a video SIG sponsored solely by SPAUG is probably not likely, and the current projector will be acceptable for a while longer. DISIG, sponsored by SVCS, will probably be sufficient for video and digital photo interest.
- Future presentations plan (to be confirmed by the presenters):
Jan - Neil Scott (switched from February) (Susan Mueller will coordinate)
Feb - V-Communications/Jeff Hyman (switched from January) (Dick Delp will coordinate)
Mar - Hank Skawinski
Apr - ISP Broadband provider shootout (Stacey Wagner at SBC, AOL, MSN, EarthLink, Covad and any other providers that we can get to come)
May - Jan Altman presenting Karen Kenworthy's utilities, with diversions and tangents welcome
Larry Magid is available as an alternate in case of a no-show; Hank Skawinski can be shifted to another month if necessary.
- We need to have a vote of acclamation accepting the new slate of officers - it was overlooked at the November meeting. Since there were no other volunteers or nominations, it should be no problem.
- Patricia Corrigan has volunteered the dining room at her lodging for SPAUG functions. It would involve a Sunday dinner and then perhaps a social gathering. This might be a good way to introduce and start new SIGs, or present a longer-than-usual subject of limited interest (LINUX, Quickbooks, Computer Aided Design (CAD), etc.).
- Nat Landes suggested we should have more demonstrations of what various applications can do and how members are using their computers. He suggested numerous examples: audio CD creation, photo show creation, Internet radio, CAD, mailing lists, etc. The attendees agreed it would be good to dedicate some time at general meetings to allow volunteers to demonstrate their favorite applications. Getting volunteers and the appropriate hardware/software will take coordination - perhaps some members would like to volunteer?
- We decided to remove Milt Kostner from our resource box, since he has not renewed his membership. Also, Mildred Kohn has reluctantly given up her duties as Co-Editor.
- Jim Dinkey received no responses to his request for a volunteer Publicity C0-Chair. After some discussion, the attendees agreed to have Dick Delp attempt to share publicity duties with Maury Green. Dick Delp will report his success at the next meeting.
- To ensure timely receipt of the Newsletter before the General Meeting, Susan Mueller suggests we have the Newsletter ready to submit for printing by the Thursday following the Wednesday two weeks before the General Meeting (16 Jan 2003, 13 Feb 2003, 13 Mar 2003, and so forth). This allows the most efficient processing, lowest cost, and a buffer for mail delays.
- John Sleeman is still in the preliminary planning stages of organizing a LINUX SIG. Dick Delp has some contacts who may be helpful. Jim Dinkey said that Bruce Benz has LINUX experience, and may be available to advise/mentor. The potential SIG needs a location.
[ TOP ]
Video Editing presentation at MicroCenter 20 Jan 2003
by Kevin Lynn (SVCS)
DISIG did Adobe Premiere in November 2002, so I've got (alphabetically):
- Muvee autoProducer Cobalt,
- Pinnacle Studio Deluxe 8,
- Stomp (Veritas) RecordNow Max,
- Ulead DVD Workshop,
- Ulead VideoStudio6,
- and Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 (beta)
Monday 20 January at 7:30, at DISIG's meeting at MicroCenter, I'll start with Pinnacle, then VideoStudio, then muvee, which automatically makes movies. Might have to skip the other products for another day.
[ TOP ]
So You Want to Make a Movie
by Bob Mitchell
A number of weeks ago we held a SIG on video software for editing digital videotape. The following is a general recap of that SIG session.
Just a little bit of history first: My first encounter with videotape at a television station was in the 50's at KGO-TV. An hour of B/W (black and white) programming was on a reel 15 inches in diameter. It was 2 inches in width and it was analog. The quality of the picture was only fair.
Today you can record an hour of color programming at regular speed on a videotape cartridge that is 3" by 2". The tape is about 5/16 in width. The quality can be as good as broadcast videotape depending on the videotape camera that is used to produce the tape. Because it is digital, copies are exactly the same as the original. Progress!
Videotape editing has progressed from physically cutting the tape to selecting portions of original footage on one playback recorder and dubbing it onto a second recorder, to capturing it onto a PC hard drive, "editing" from the hard drive and downloading the edited program onto another tape. The cost of editing equipment has gone from hundreds of thousands of dollars to as little as the cost of a computer plus as little as a hundred dollars for video editing software. Again, progress!
Digital cameras (mini DV preferred) are a subject for another column. Suffice it to say that they range in price from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. The major difference is a single CCD (charge coupled device) as opposed to a 3 CCD camera, the accessibility of controls and the quality of the lens. If you are just starting out and are not sure you want to get serious, buy a single CCD camera for a few hundred dollars.
In answer to your question, a CCD is a sensor that captures the image. A camera that has three CCDs splits the incoming color, one for each CCD. This makes for better color and improved resolution. We'll get more in detail about video cameras in the future.
Editing software can cost as little as $99 for entrance level Pinnacle Studio 8, to $800 for Adobe Premiere 6.5 (prosumer level) [See note at end of article] to Avid hardware and software packages that are a few thousand dollars. The latter would be for industrial and broadcast level producers. If you just want to dip your toe in the water I would suggest Pinnacle Studio as a very good starter. Then if you decide this is a really neat and productive hobby you may want to spend a little more money to include more bells and whistles in an editing package.
There is a major difference between editing in what is referred to as linear editing (selecting clips from a source playback recorder and dubbing to a second recorder) and non-linear editing (NLE) as you would have using a computer. Linear editing is something like stringing beads together (somebody else used this analogy before me). When you have strung all the beads and discover the beads were put together incorrectly, you have to start all over again. In linear editing videotape, if a segment is too long or out of place you must likewise go back to that segment and redub every segment that follows. Very inefficient!
In NLE on a computer you really are not editing at all. You are merely creating a file which contains a set of instructions for the computer. Those instructions tell the computer where you want to have a clip start, where you want it to end and where you want to locate it in relation to all other clips that you have selected. Those instructions also include what transitions you want to use and where you want to place them. If you want to make a change you need only change the instructions by merely dragging a clip from one location to another.
Most editing software looks somewhat the same on your monitor. There will be
- a window that shows the files containing your source video,
- a window for viewing your source video,
- a window for viewing your edited footage, and
- a timeline on which to drag your edited clips, transitions and if desired, your music and sound effects.
It looks like you are editing, but as I indicated earlier, by moving clips around on the timeline, you are merely issuing or changing instructions already given to Mr. Computer.
Click the thumbnail for a screen shot of a typical Adobe Premiere editing screen in a new window - the image is quite large, and may take a while to download on slow connections; after viewing, close the window (Back will not work, since it is a new window): 
The first thing you must do with this software however is to "capture" your camera footage. That is you must playback the digital videotape from your camera via an IEEE (firewire) cable to your hard drive. That is a relatively simple matter of clicking FILE/CAPTURE and pressing a RECORD button with your mouse. If you have a really compatible combination of software and camera, the device control in the software will start and stop your camera. If not, you may have to start the camera playback right after pressing the RECORD button on your screen. The capture process will create individual files as it captures and asks you to name the files. When completed, you will see a list of the files in your edit window.
Next you must drag your files, one at a time onto your source window for viewing. You select "in" and "out" points on each clip and then drag the "edited" clip to wherever you want it to be in the Timeline window. Do this with each scene in your movie. When you have finished placing all of your clips on the timeline, in the order that you have selected, you can play them back in sequence on the final program window. You can then make any additional trims to clips as you wish. All subsequent clips in the timeline will be moved forward to fill the vacant space. Once you have the desired clips appropriately trimmed and in the right sequence, you can then add transitions, if you so desire, between clips. Transitions are the fades, dissolves, graphics (page turning, twirling blocks, screen sweeps) that move you from the present picture to the next one in succession. You can then add music, titles and sound effects. The latter moves are also a subject for a future column.
When editing is fully complete, it is a matter of reversing the "capture" procedure that you read about earlier. You merely place a new tape in your camera and set it in the video record/pause position. On your computer you click FILE/PLAYBACK TO MOVIE, start the play on your camera and hit the "PLAYBACK TIMELINE" on your screen. As with capturing, the device control in your software may do this for you. This will vary somewhat between different versions of edit software and different versions of cameras.
Please understand that what you have just read (as complicated as it may seem) is somewhat of an over-simplification of what actually takes place in the editing process. Don't panic. When you have this all on a computer screen in front of you and there is a little hand holding along the way it is indeed fairly simple. More important, the end product will look very professional and be very satisfying. More to come!
ARE YOU INTERESTED?
In making plans for future items to discuss and topics for guest speakers at SPAUG meetings and SPAUG SIGS, Jim Dinkey and the rest of the SPAUG board need to know what you want. In particular, video cameras, shooting tips and editing. It may be that what has already been offered about video production has satisfied your curiosity and you really don't want to know any more on the subject. On the other hand it may have piqued your interest to the point you might want to know more about it. Please let Jim know.
Note at end of article
Prosumer is a well-accepted category for camcorders, VCRs, and other video playthings. - [The first of several definitions given here is]. "A consumer who is an amateur in a particular field, but who is knowledgeable enough to require equipment that has some professional features ("professional" + "consumer").
[ TOP ]
