Blog Archives

The Activity Monitor in OS X is one of those unsung utilities that I find indispensable. It allows you to look inside five key areas of your computer to tell you what’s going on. Best of all, you can’t hurt anything using it – because its simply a monitor.

Are you getting the “render error: insufficient disk space” message? You just need to create more free space on your hard disk by deleting files you don’t need.

I am not a fan of Capture Now, however, for some formats Capture Now is the best option. I like the workflow one subscriber suggests in this article.

Inevitably, adding too many FireWire devices will cause problems. In this article we discuss some things to think about to keep your system running smoothly and avoid, at all costs, the dreaded “beach ball” .

In this article we examine Final Cut’s usage of multiple processors to enhance rendering speed, the possible alternatives, and more.

An extensive email correspondence with editor/subscriber, Patrick Nugent, concerning some difficulties with video artifacting and the solutions he found, is summarized in this article.

Formats like HDV and XDCAM are compressed using MPEG-2 which is very hard to edit accurately. So, Final Cut Pro converts it invisibly in a process called “conforming”.

In this note we look at a hard-learned lesson regarding the perils of adding extension cables to Mini-DisplayPort cables.

A kernel panic is a complete crash of the operating system – probably the most serious software crash that exists. Kernel panics are generally not caused by a single application, but by the interaction between the software and hardware.

When using Media Manager to archive media the key point to remember is that you need to select what you want to manage BEFORE selecting it from the menu. And, I always select what I want to Media Manage in the Browser, not the Timeline.

Ben Balser, an Apple-Certified Trainer for Digital Media, sent me the following commentary on investing the time to get trained. By way of background, Ben is a long-time educator and trainer.

Having problems with Apple Final Cut Pro 7? This article provides dozens and dozens of techniques you can use to optimize your Final Cut 5, 6, or 7 system; plus trouble-shooting tips to prevent problems.

It’s enough to drive you nuts. Every time you start-up your computer, Final Cut Pro launches as well. It’s time to stop the start! And this article shows you a very easy way to do just that.

Larry explains in this article why a subscriber is having difficulty with a video transfer from his Sony hard disk recording unit (HVR DR60).

Trying to figure out the best way to setup scratch disks is very confusing. In this dialog with Lachlan Coles, I explain ways to minimize problems. This isn’t the same thing as having Final Cut do what you want; but it does mean that your system will be both reliable and smooth.

The video scopes in Final Cut, while accurate, don’t show the entire picture. If you use the scopes in your work, you need to read this warning.

Making sure you have the right equipment – and figuring out what equipment to buy – is probably the question I get asked the most. So, I put this article together to help you build the studio of your dreams.

Save As does more than just give your file a a new name. It can also prevent problems, as this short article describes.

In this article, various problems with playback are addressed and answered.

One of the Mac magazines published some seriously wrong information. Read this to keep from making a mistake.

QMaster allows you to combine multiple computers into a render farm to make video compression run faster. It also allows you to combine multiple processors on one computer to compress video faster. One of these choices works MUCH better than the other. This article explains what you need to know.

An important trouble-shooting technique is to create a new user account to eliminate corrupted preference files. This short article explains why you should consider doing this, and what the potential problems are.

File journaling is new in OS 10.3. This article explains what it is and what video editors need to know about it to optimize their systems.

Adding subtitles is something DVD Studio Pro is very good at. But sometimes, importing a subtitle file doesn’t work. This explains why and how to fix it.

Hard drives are essential to video editing. Which makes it really, REALLY aggravating when they stop working. Here are two techniques you can use to trouble-shoot hard drive problems: having too many disks attached, and not being able to boot from the system disk.

As we gear up for the 2010 NAB Show – where the Digital Production Buzz is the Official Podcast of the event – I thought you’d be interested in the gear we are using and how we are using it. Next month, I’ll report on what we did.

This technique shows you how to get the most from your FireWire drives, from partitioning through formatting to daisy-chaining.

Apple changed the algorythms FCP uses for scaling and rotation for FCP 5. This explains what the changes are, how to use them and how to convert to the new settings.

Preference settings have changed in FCP 5. This article shows you how to optimize your setting to get the most from your editing system.

Frame offset was invented to allow you to compensate for the delays between your computer and an external device, like a deck. Here is how it works and why you should care.

Here’s a short article that describes what to do if you are experiencing jittery video playback. We look at what could cause it and how to fix it.

Have you been mystified by all the different files FCP creates? This article explains what you need to know – and where they are hidden.

With the camera industry’s head-long rush into tapeless image acquisition, having a soild backup and archiving strategy is critical because video tape masters no longer exist. In this commentary, I discuss the sad state of today’s options and provide suggestions to keep you out of trouble.

Are you having problems getting Final Cut to render? It may not be a software problem. Eric Solstein sent us this cautionary tale on the problems of heat. If your system is acting up, read this article.

Here’s something to try when Final Cut won’t open after an upgrade. Most likely, it’s due to bad plug-ins. This article describes what to do to fix it.