Resolve 9.1 released:
What’s new in DaVinci Resolve 9.1
• Mac OS X Retina support for MacBook Pro
• Support for FCPX Audition in XML
• Improved mixed frame rate XML support
• Includes CinemaDNG Input Device Transform (IDT) for grading Raw images
in ACES
• Playback and render support for DNxHD 100
• Playback support for XAVC and AVC-Intra100 MXF
• Playback support for Sony Raw F55/F5 files
• Faster rendering of Sony CineAlta SStP files
• NTSC DV playback now supports 4×3 and 16×9 aspect ratios
• Generation of new AAF for MXF audio renders
• Support for timeline audio when PowerMastering
• Chase audio offset can now be specified in either frames or seconds
• Option to automatically render the same number of audio channels as
source audio
• ASC CDL metadata extraction from ARRIRAW headers
• Matte clips can now be assigned to multiple clips in the Media Pool
• DeckLink 4K Extreme support
• Added support for the Red Mysterium-X Monochrome sensor (software
decode only)
• Red Rocket can now be disabled from Preferences
• General performance and stability improvements
My Take: Resolve 9 is a great update from Resolve 8. The interface has been simplified, databases are easier, and it’s screaming fast on my 2009 Mac Pro. I’m currently having issues with my Avid Artist Color board acting sluggish. Hoping an upgrade to 9.1 will fix that.
Review: Matrox DS1 Thunderbolt docking station (Macworld)
My Take: An interesting first in Thunderbolt hubs, but at $250, with no eSATA, no Firewire 800, only one USB3 port (with 2 more USB2 ports to confuse you) and no passthrough Thunderbolt port, this is a weak first attempt.
Cord-cutting’s moment is now, and Apple is missing it (Macworld)
My Take: An interesting opinion that Apple is uniquely positioned to lead the online-streaming-in-the-living room charge, but isn’t. Roku, as presented here, isn’t the savior, and only a piece. Yes, it does offer more streaming options than the Apple TV, but it doesn’t allow you to play content from a home server, such as XBMC, Apple TV, or a purpose built home media server running something like Boxee or Plex. In my home, I use a 3rd generation Apple TV to mostly access Netflix, Hulu Plus and my large library of movies and TV shows sitting on my iTunes server (a $200 MacBook Pro). To access the streaming media that the Apple TV doesn’t offer, I have a Sony Blu-Ray player. But really, I don’t use its streaming options much as there’s nothing really compelling, even Amazon. Amazon’s current offerings remind me of the early days of Netflix Streaming. Between these 2 devices, I don’t feel the need to look at options such as Boxee or Plex. But I agree, Apple would be well served to add the number of streaming options that Roku currently offers. With their market cap, how are they getting beat by Roku? Oh, and an a la carte version of cable/satellite programming will never happen. But that’s a topic for another time…
Keep track of important messages with Mail’s VIPs (Macworld)
An article about how to setup a VIP mailbox in Apple Mail on Macs with Mountain Lion, iOS devices, and iCloud. A great way to make sure your most important emails don’t fall through the cracks.
My Take: I don’t have Mountain Lion on my older Macs, so I do something different. I now treat my main Inbox as my VIP box. I want only the most important email to show up there. Things I need to handle ASAP. I’ve created multiple folders, the main one being “Almost Junk”. If you use only one computer, you can use filters to send email to your different folders. But since I use multiple computers, and I don’t use iCloud for my main account, I create server-side rules instead. Whenever a new email arrives in my Inbox that I feel should be somewhere else, I open up the webmail interface for erichansen.tv, and create a server-side rule for that sender (or subject) and which folder to send it to. After doing this for a month now, my Inbox only gets 10-15 messages per day. All the subscriptions, newsletters, forum updates, etc, go into other folders that I’ll check when I have some free time. Apple’s VIP is a great idea, but I like having a few more options in my filters.
Review: 27-inch iMac mixes advancements, compromises (Macworld)
The new iMac is a pretty powerful beast. Digilloyd has been doing some tests over at his blog. I still prefer the expandability of the Mac Pro, but with no new models recently, it was only a matter of time before the iMacs started posting similar and in some cases better numbers than the aging Mac Pro.
You’ve Got to See This Curved OLED TV (Wired)
Does this mean we’re going to start seeing curved TVs like curved IMAX and Cinemascope screens?
Facebook Wants New Breed of Flash Memory for Storing Old Pics (Wired)
Facebook wants a storage system with cost and reliability of tape, but is still actively accessible like hard drives. And they want it now.
My Take: This is a great article. Facebook is now so big that their demands can create entire industries. Their problem is old storage – think 4 year old pictures, videos, posts, etc. In a traditional storage scenario, you would move those items to LTO tape and access them when needed, even if it takes a few hours to a day to get your files. Online services are different as everything, no matter how old, needs to be accessible at any time. But massive data centers full of RAIDs full of media that MIGHT be accessed is a huge waste of resources and in the case of Facebook, electricity. It will be interesting to see who comes forward to fulfill Facebook’s request as it could mean a shift in how all nearline and archive storage is handled. I will be watching this closely.
Facebook Could Bury Video-Calling Partner Skype With a Tiny App Update (Wired)
My Take: Similar to the above story about flash memory, Facebook is now so large that any little thing they do can wipe out competitors overnight. Even ones that never saw it coming. I’m a huge fan of VOIP calling, especially overseas. I think VOIP is the perfect example of a technology that has changed your life so slowly that after 20 years, you didn’t even notice that you no longer have a landline and you don’t make “phone calls” so much as you IM people (but with your voice) on whatever platform you’re currently logged into (Facebook, Skype, Google, etc). Skype is great, but I have 300+ “contacts” already on Facebook. Facebook wanted everyone to use them for email, which I think was looking backwards. Voice and video, that’s the new frontier.