Compressor Repair 1.1.0 released

We've just released Compressor Repair 1.1.0 with the following changes:

• Enhancement: Improved Qmaster relaunch process


• Enhancement: Improved feedback when errors have been discovered


• Feature: Command-line functionality (see user manual)


• Feature: Now refreshes Qmaster icon in menu bar


• Bug fix: Fixed "file exists" error when trashing qmaster spool

Compressor Repair is completely free and is available here.

Pro Applications Update 2008-05 is out

Apple just released Pro Applications Update 2008-05. This is identical to Pro Applications Update 2008-04 except it now comes with Color 1.0.4.

The news is still hot off the press so Apple haven't gotten around to updating their release notes at this point in time, however, given the timing and the fact that only one application was modified, it is safe to say that this patch was released solely to fix the dreaded XDCAM bugs in Color 1.0.3.

If you are currently running 1.0.3 and suffering from the XDCAM bug I would advise updating to this version. If not, the Golden Rules (TM) apply as usual:
* Never update in the middle of a project.
* Don't update if you don't actually need any of the features included in the update.
* Always clone or backup your system beforehand.
* Wait for at least a week to see if there are any reported problems with the patch.
* Wait even longer if you're using third party hardware or plugins e.g. the AJA Kona card or FXFactory plugins.

Update: Changelog is now up:

XDCAM Clip Relinking Is Fixed
XDCAM EX, HD, and 422 clips now relink properly.

ISO Changes in the RED Tab Appear Correctly
Instances where the Color UI did not accurately reflect changes made to the ISO parameter in the RED tab of the Primary In room have been fixed.

Improvements to the Blur Node in the Color FX Room
Adjusting the spread parameter of the Blur node no longer causes the clip to scale up.

Macworld 2009 to be the last for Apple

Apple just released a press release stating their intention to abandon all Macworld trade shows after January 2009. This is big news because Macworld is the most important trade show in Apple's calendar, and was the one they chose to use for announcing the iPhone.

Apple states that it has less need for trade shows due to the greater media presence it experiences nowadays, and I would say this is probably true. It's the reason they pulled out of NAB 2008 and it's the reason you shouldn't expect them at NAB 2009.

However, the more pressing question is this: why is Phil Schiller delivering the last keynote and not Steve Jobs? Surely Jobs should be present for the last one? Apple offers no explanation but this is likely to fuel further speculation about the CEO's health.

All I know is this - there are unlikely to be any huge announcements at the event, and it will become much harder to predict the best time to buy a computer now that Apple could spring new models upon us at any moment. But the computer industry is constantly changing and if you keep waiting for the next big thing, you'll be waiting forever. The best thing to do is buy what you need when you need it. Without the benefit of foresight, that's all you can do.

FCS Remover 2.0.4 released

We've just released FCS Remover 2.0.4. It's a maintenance release so there aren't any new features. This improves the window resizing code (thanks Andy) and now reports the application version when submitting an error. This is in response to several people reporting errors from earlier versions that had already been fixed in later ones. The bug reporter now prompts you to update older versions of FCS Remover before submitting a bug report in case the bug has been fixed in a later version, although you still have the option to submit the report regardless.



FCS Remover is a tool for removing Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Express and Final Cut Server. This is recommended practice when upgrading Final Cut Studio or for general troubleshooting. You can specify which elements to remove, and there are even built-in presets for common tasks. It works with Final Cut Studio 1 and 2, and Final Cut Studio 4 and above, and is compatible with Leopard and Tiger operating systems.

FCS Remover is completely free and is available here. We also have many other useful tools available here.

Mac OS X 10.5.6 released

Apple just released Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.6. Here are the most relevant changes for video professionals (not many as we're frequently overlooked unfortunately):

Graphics

* Includes general improvements to gaming performance (I think they are referring to improved OpenGL performance in general, which affects applications like Motion and hopefully will boost poor GeForce 8800GT performance).
* Includes fixes for possible graphics distortion issues with certain ATI graphics cards.

Networking

* Improves Apple File Service performance, especially when using a home directory hosted on an AFP server. Important: If you are using Mac OS X 10.5.6 (client) to connect to a Mac OS X Server 10.4-based server, it is strongly recommended that you update the server to Mac OS X Server version 10.4.11.
* Improves the performance and reliability of TCP connections.

General

* Includes Mac OS X security improvements (always good).
* Adds a Trackpad System Preference pane for portable Macs.

See the full list here.

The changelog (which I don't have access to but was leaked on the net) for one of the beta versions of this patch listed a fix for various hiding bugs. I know several people have had a problem with Final Cut Pro where they have been unable to show it again after hiding, so it would be interesting to see if this fixes the issue.

Once again, don't install this update until it's been out for at least a week (minimum) and you've checked around internet forums to see if people have experienced any issues. When you do update, always assume the worst WILL happen and clone or backup your hard disk first. Never update in the middle of a project and don't update early if none of the issues fixed affect you.

However, it is good to install security updates as soon as possible (again, wait to see if people report problems, although this is normally rare with security updates). Luckily Apple have included the security content of this update as a separate download for those who don't want to risk upgrading their OS. It is available in Intel and PowerPC versions.

P.S. It's good to know that Apple aren't rushing to patch the XDCAM bug with Color 1.0.3 as, clearly, improving the performance and reliability of Chess is far more important ;)

Update 12/16/08: Lots of people reporting problems with this update.

Possible solution to Color 1.0.3 XDCAM issues

As reported earlier, the new Color 1.0.3 patch cannot seem to recognize XDCAM footage, reporting it as offline. Matt Bucy on the Apple discussions board seems to have come up with a potential fix though. It would appear that the problem is with the XDCAM codec that Sony's capture utility uses, and the problem goes away if you re-encode the video with Apple's flavor of the codec.

Matt recommends going to File > Media Manager and selecting Copy referenced media. You could also export to a QuickTime or put the files through Compressor (the latter being the least recommended option due to recompression taking place).



Let me know how well this works for you. Hopefully Apple will fix this soon.

Solving missing framework errors in Final Cut Studio

If one of your Final Cut Studio applications crashes the minute you open it, chances are it's down to missing frameworks. If you click the Report button on the crash dialog, it will tell you the reason. Alternatively you can fire up the Console in /Applications/Utilities to see the message.

You'll probably see a message like this:


Here's how to copy that file back:

1. Firstly, if you have another machine running Final Cut Studio, it's much easier to take the file from that machine (in this case /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/BrowserKit.framework) and copy it to the same location on the current machine.

2. If you don't have that luxury, you will need to extract it from your installation DVD. Put the disc in the drive and open up the Terminal in /Applications/Utilities.

3. If you are using Final Cut Studio 3, type the following:


If you are using Final Cut Studio 2, type the following:


Press enter after typing cd /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks, then paste the next part as one whole line. After typing the sudo gunzip... line you may be prompted for your password.

If you are using Logic Studio, substitute Logic Studio for Final Cut Studio. If you are missing a different file, replace BrowserKit.framework with the other file's name (ProKit.framework is another common missing file).

4. If this doesn't work, replace the cd /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks line above with:


Then copy the same sudo gunzip... command from above. This will copy the file to your desktop. In the Finder, browse to /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks and copy the file from your desktop to that folder. You may be prompted for your password.

5. If problems still persist after copying the file, it is likely that Final Cut Studio is expecting a later version of the framework than the one on the DVD. The only solution in this case is to copy it from a machine running the same version of Final Cut Studio as you, or to uninstall Final Cut Studio and then reinstall it from the DVD and patch it to the latest version.

Color 1.0.3 reportedly breaking XDCAM footage

A large number of Color 1.0.3 users are reporting that the latest version breaks XDCAM footage. Apparently their XDCAM media is listed as being offline, with no way to reconnect it. The symptoms vary - some report that 30p XDCAM works fine, others report that no XDCAM works at all. Some are saying it is an issue with 1080p clips only and that 720p is fine.

Currently no-one has managed to come up with a workaround and the only suggested course of action at this stage is to uninstall Color and reinstall version 1.0.2. As far as I'm aware, that is still available from Apple's site. If you experience problems with round-tripping from FCP you will need to uninstall the entire Studio, reinstall from the disc and then ask on some forums for the old FCP 6.0.4 update (included in Pro Applications 2008-02 I believe) because, frustratingly, Apple only posts the very latest updates on their site.

This is why it is recommended to not update in the middle of a project and to read up on the patch in some forums before updating. And to be on the safe side, clone your hard disk before you update as well. We can only hope that Apple fixes this issue soon (don't hold your breath) and in the meantime, all those experiencing issues should notify Apple so they are made aware that it is affecting a large number of their users.

Update 12/14/08: See the fix here.

Detailed review of new LED Cinema Display

AppleInsider has a 5-page review of Apple's new 24-inch Cinema Display. What I particularly like about this review is that it shows the professional viewpoint as well as the consumer one.

No review of this monitor is complete without a discussion of glossy screens (and I know that's the bit everyone wants to hear), so here it is:



I'm posting this review because, if the MacBook Pro is anything to go by, Apple will probably not offer matte alternatives when it upgrades the 20" and 30" displays. It's good to hear that the new displays are at least as color-accurate as the previous generation but the glossy screen will be a deal-breaker for many people. It all depends on the environment though. The best thing to do is buy one (when a compatible Mac Pro comes out of course), try it and return it within 14 days for a refund if you cannot stand it. Because, to my mind, this sounds like a great monitor for a well-lit environment - and if you are doing color-critical work, you should be in a well-lit environment, glossy screen or otherwise.

New RED announcements

RED just announced the new Epic and Scarlet specs after their retraction of the previous announcement.

I didn't really feel like comparing the two specification-by-specification but I did notice a couple of things:

* Some prices are now lower (e.g. the 28K Epic is now $2,000 less)
* Some frame rates are now higher (e.g. 28K Epic now shoots 30 fps at 28K instead of 25). There's also been some significant ramping of frame rates at lower resolutions - e.g. the 9K Epic can now shoot 2K at 350fps!
* The fixed-lens 3K Scarlet now has a price tag - $3,000 for the body and lens and $3,750 for the whole kit (I guess this means viewfinder, battery, etc).
* Epic X now offered as an upgrade path for Red One owners only.
* Full Frame 1080p now offered.
* Time lapse and ramping now listed (don't know if they were available before or not)

So definitely some nice improvements, and no-one can complain about better specs for a lower price.

If you want to go through the announcement in greater detail, here is the latest one, and here is the old one. And here are detailed specs for the old announcement.