So I have this great cam, Canon XH-A1 1080i, capturing in 1080i 60 in Final Cut 2. Since most clients do not have a need for Blue Ray content, most still just want the standard distribution formats for the web, large format presentation files to run from hard drives, or SD DVDs with menu’s, etc. So what is the codec to export out for optimum clarity in video tracks in DVD Studio Pro? ProRess 422 HQ is the way to go. This format is high in file size, but clarity cannot be surpassed.
1. In FCP 2, select File > Export > Quicktime Conversion
2. Name the file and locate on a drive which has PLENTY OF SPACE. 1 hour of footage = 40+ GB file. The compression is little to none, interlacing/deinterlacing is retained based on the timeline codec exporting, no rendering required, and this outputs a file that in this case is retained at square pixels size of 1990 x 1080.
3. Select ‘Options’, then select ’settings’ under the video options section panel. Select ProRess 422 HQ from the drop down, then select OK.
4. Leave all other settings on the Options panel as they are and select OK. Then select Save.
5. This process is not a jank, “i can make a super compressed small video file to still display fairly decent video,”… This process to output the highest quality ProRess 422 HQ file, to then convert to an MPEG-2 m2v for use in the DVD authoring portion with the most optimum format for clarity preservation during the compression phase needed to get within the size/bitrate limitations of SDVD. So be patient, and even the best machines just need to be left alone during this process. I usually get this going right before going to bed, so when i wake in the morning, process done and i have had no machine production downtime.
6. Compressor - Open Compressor and drag the saved .mov file to the file bin. Drag and Drop the ‘Best Quality - 90 minutes - 2-pass VBR Mpeg 2′ template folder to the video file. This action will apply these settings in preparation of conversion to Mpeg 2. Select the video file settings layer of the video file, then select the Inspector panel. In the Inspector panel for the video settings, select the panel which displays the bitrate minimum and maximum and motion estimation. Change the minimum bitrate to 6.7, which should automatically adjust the maximum bitrate to 7.9. Insure the motion estimation is set to Best. Select the Audio settings layer, then select the Inspector panel. Change the min norm frequency to -31 dbps. This will set Compressor to not-Normalizing the audio. Also, go to the far right tab in the Inspector and change the option of compression from Film School Cinema to None.
7. Select the ‘Source’ location you would like to save the .ac3 audio and .m2v video files. Select ‘Submit’ then open Batch Monitor to view the logging and progress of the compression output of these files.
These steps I have been working to figure out for years now. Most people say, just export to NTSC DV,DVC, or DVCPro since it is an SD NTSC video format that is no HD, and let the DVD authoring app handle the encoding it prefers. Or, just output any file to the dvd authoring requirement of .m2v with the absolute best settings, and you will be good to go….oh that is not the case. Most notable of the output of these solutions are the fact that most often the render from the timeline is what gets converted, not the actual timecode base codec to the ProRess 422 HQ format. Interlacing, jagged lines, artifacts, all are symptoms of poor conversion to go to DVD. If you have any further suggestions, please pipe in on the subject. One Holy-Grail of video down, now 1080 more to go.
Posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago at 7:28 am. Add a comment
In the event that you happen to the reader who is involved in e-Learning, LETSI (Learning Education Training Systems Interoperability) has completely updated and enhanced their site. Previously, LETSI’s site: http://letsi.org - only comprised of a wiki for the functional working group bodies of LETSI, as well as a collaboration area for the SCORM 2.0 White Papers, SCORM 2.0 workshop, etc. Now, this wiki is one of may parts available to any and everyone interested in LETSI and the future of the next generation of interoperable learning architecture systems. Aaron Silvers, Mike Rustici, Ellen Meiselman, and Avron Barr have been frequently placing in blog posts to the LETSI blog: http://letsi.org/blog with a healthy amount of discussions occurring in these posts. Membership is FREE for site registration and use: Create My LETSI Account. Most importantly, provide your input on the SCORM 2.0 Assumptions Document. SCORM for the most part focused on the packaging/delivery of online, web-based content. LETSI is looking at the system as a whole and how other systems could overlap data. This provides top down approach to e-learning, as opposed to only focusing on a singular component.
Learning, Education, Training (LET) Use Case Assumptions
In designing SCORM 2.0 primary consideration will be to the LET use cases that it needs to
support. These include:
1. Blended learning and ILT integration
2. Knowledge management and formal learning integration
3. Learner data collection
4. Collaborative learning and assessment
5. Adaptive instruction
6. Adaptive assessment
7. Integration with simulations/games
8. Structural changes without requiring repackaging
9. Technical Requirements derived from LET Use Case Assumptions
SCORM 2.0 support for the desired LET cases entails the following technical requirements:
1. Offline and occasionally connected learning: The learner takes content offline and
when a connection is available, performance data is synchronized with system
2. “Out of browser” experiences: Some learning taking place outside of the Web
browser, but is integrated with browser‐based instruction
3. Data persistence/mining: Enabling and controlling access to data that has been
collected.
4. Read‐Write‐LMS: Allow an LMS to accept inputs about learner performance/status
from other sources and to export information about learner performance/status to
other systems or resources
5. Business systems integration
6. Alternate devices/formats
7. Roles and rights functionality: Authorization, authentication, rights management
8. Content lifecycle surveillance
9. Assessment interoperability
10. Backward compatibility with SCORM 2004
Interested in commenting, reading more, becoming a Member? Visit: LETSI.org
What if training games were developed for gaming consoles, where multiple users from around the world were able to participate? Now for the tracking integration, couldn’t there be some simple web services data feeds to not necessarily track everyone’s movement within the game, but to receive the input from the user as to basic updated status’, objectives accomplished/not-accomplished, number of points/credits/grades, etc.? Couldn’t this be accomplished through a standard set of code/methods/logic in gaming/server/group communications which are already implemented? I know, IP release of this information by commercial companies is just not going to happen. Well, isn’t that what the world was saying 20 years ago about database and os programmers?
One response I hear, “Oh, that is only for gamers, techies, and geeks.” or “These games do not fit into the corporate training environment.” Not really. I feel like i am the only one who doesn’t have atleast one, if not all of the game consoles on the market in their home. And only about 10% of my friends are gamers, techies, geeks, software programmers, developers, etc. Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, iPhones, iPhone replicant devices, and hand-held mini game systems are all platforms which have permeated across the age demographics, particularly with the success of the Wii. I know game/software development for these consoles are held in secrecy of limited knowledge. I think this is largely due to perception and the lack of full embracement of skills of developers to develop to these as platforms. With such demand and use, i don’t see how development companies could wait to jump on the consoles bandwagon of training development delivered through these platforms.
Where does the rubber hit the road? Couldn’t one envision being a manager which must go through leadership training, specifically facilitating and negotiating contract strategies. What if that manager were able to fire up the console game, log in, then participate in an immersive scenario based instruction. This is not far off from the tons of horribly written/scripted page turner training on this very topic that i have seen repeatedly. Reply, “Oh but the cost would be too expensive for such frivolous ‘Content’”. Knowing how much one pays for these poor packages of page-turner training, i know there are plenty of late teens and young twenty-somethings that are looking for breaks in the 3D gaming/programming industry who would jump at the bit to produce this very product for a company willing pay half the amount.
Now for the tracking….. I don’t think the entire immersive/responsive training scenario needs to be delivered via some LMS. What does need to occur should be looked at from the steps of the interaction by the user, not what the architecture of the lms does then shape the abilities of the learner.
1. The learner receives or attains a piece of training software specifically for the gaming console in use. Provided on either a disc, pre-installed, or through the web nav in the console to a location to install the game.
2. An internet connection must be available, at some point, to sync up basic user progress/tracking data…objective id completion/success info, performance numbers, etc.
3. A user must be able to have login/authenticated user access to his role in an lms system(this is the company’s LMS) via a basic authentication/preference screen the user sets up to track intermittent participation in the game/scenario. This is accomplished through the game console administration, not through navigating through a web browser, but through the setup/admin of the console. Services driven…
4. The game/scenario has a unique title and code which is used by the lms to add to the learner’s profile. So, rather than training being delivered through the lms, with learner’s assigned to the training,…lms systems have user’s which have training tied to them. This is the user centric approach of listing training to a user, users to one instance of training.
5. Select Start and go.
The piece here is the integration to perform some basic tracking/progress info to a consolidated company’s/organization’s lms for a specific user. In today’s military, where a 1,000 plus drones are roaming the skies and grounds of Iraq, people are sitting in cubicles not in the middle east, but here in the US. Drone development and training software is geared to bank on controllers used in game consoles and displays so that the learner doesn’t have to be trained on these devices. Why don’t they have to be trained, because everyone knows how to use these devices already. They must learn to control and react with the drone and make complicated decisions on who and what the drone is supposed to interact with or distroy. Given DoD’s complete support, development, and high acceptance/use of SCORM, there must be a gateway for SCORM data tracking to be used in the ever expansive new breed of devices used in real immersive technologies. I don’t think SCORM packaging fits this, but the SCORM CMI tracking data model could fit perfectly.
sorry,…for the inspiration of this over-extended thought, you must listen to P. W. Singer’s NPR Interview yesterday: http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=99663723&m=99729424
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago at 9:42 am. Add a comment
Immersive Media’s 360 video camera has performed most if not all of the ‘Street View’ documenting for GOOGLE.com. You have to look at the immersive video experiences. Well see below. You not only play the video on a timeline of the experience, but click and hold you mouse in the video area to drag in full 360 vertical & horizontal the experience.
Go on a Base Jumping Experience!
Visit an Aquarium
Go on a Army Combat Training Experience
This has strong promise for rapid training possibilities, as the first person user experience can be greatly enhanced in training for job tasks and retraining. However, i would love to be able to see more experiences just as Immersive Media has created. The fun stuff. Everyone is so accustomed to searching and finding videos of experiences they would like to view. Imagine if you could experience and entire concert sitting up with the actual band, relive a family experience in full interactive immersive 360 HD view, etc. While writing this piece i experienced my first Base Jump and experienced working with a unit to clear a hallway!
Posted 5 months, 4 weeks ago at 10:21 am. Add a comment
(www.conform2scorm.com) Jason Haag and i were just watching the updates Phil Schiller was spilling out at Macworld. Lots of cool ‘useful’ functionality is being dropped into alot of the Apple apps. One cool new feature in iPhoto is Faces. This will allow you to tag someone’s face in your iPhoto library, then iPhoto with facial recognition software will search your entire library and provide all the images with that person’s face.
Well we all know we have those pictures of us, friends, family, or spouse when they were young and fit. I wonder if is also programmed to account for things like ‘weight gain’, beards, mustaches, halloween makeup/outfits, etc. I bet one could eventually build an iPhone app that would look to your iPhoto library of your profile picture, analyze the facial features, then present you with a listing of ‘Celebrities’
you most look like. I wouldn’t care much for it, but you know you would get it just to run once to see who look the most like!
Other good points:
1. Image Stabilization in iMovie - “Randy Ubillos Chief Video Architect Apple ran through how it works with creating some examples. - try that with MovieMaker Windows nutz
2. More Great Garage Band updates
3. iTunes store on 3G
…more to add later
There is so much more cool stuff at Macworld, got to get back to checking it out.
Macworld - Macworld.com
Macworld Twitter - http://twitter.com/macworld
Engadget Coverage - http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/06/live-from-the-macworld-2009-keynote/
Posted 5 months, 4 weeks ago at 12:00 pm. Add a comment
Status-Seeker, Critic, Em-Cee, Lurker, Pundit,...Which are you in the Web 2.0 world?
The basic premise of the personality type, then correlated and referenced within the group dynamic, is the entire rationale behind why social interaction technology naturally developed in the virtual world back-boned on the internet. Why? Demand. You say demand?…from who?…, no one could anticipate why we would like ability to attach our blogs to other blogs, but the fact that we could was much like getting our voice and personality displayed in a newspaper, tv spot, magazine, book, article, or radio show. Most often on a much smaller scale of exposure, but vastly larger in the duration and accessibility of an audience to reach you or see you or reach the group or see the group. From the early days of message boards and message threads (all text i remind you with no colors, no graphics, no flash), it was like being able to ‘cross-pollenate’ message boards of users with ‘their’ message boards, not message boards of message boards. So now, much like in the ‘Real World’, we as humans socialize into groups and units. All of the groups/units, require a set of knowledge or to-be learned knowledge. All of us also fit, within a group, into certain roles statistically. This is the same in virtual group/social environments as well. So much focus has been placed in physical school and work environments to learn and work in groups. Why? Faster learning, better grades, higher output of production, group control vs. individual control, etc. The e-learning community is just now starting to focus on ‘How do we measure an individuals learning within the virtual online communities and dynamic components/modules/apis a user interacts with? What is a rising standard which e-learning technology can tap into that is currently being used by community/social driven sites in the commercial/social networks of todays internet environment?
1. Status Seeker - constantly posts ‘Cool’ ‘New’ stuff on their sites and works like mad to get 275,000 feed burners.
2. Critic - every write-up talks about everything ‘wrong’ with the subject matter at hand.
3. Socializer - puts out the event notices and party announcements for everyone and follows-up after the events personally to everyone’s emails, blogs, posts, and sites.
4. Em-Cee - the ‘Moderator’ role with a WebCam of cool performances of the latest hip info out - keep the folks watching is most important
5. Lurker - Most often will not be a high contributor, but will login often enough to keep up some site visits, last listened to song on Last.fm, make a face for the ‘online now’ status.
6. Buddy - This is just straight forward, all about relationships and friendships. Just like going to a friends house, talking on the phone, writing letters, socializing in communities at organizations, coffee shops, sports, games, outdoors,….the friend ‘buddy’ is there for the friendships and how the internet provides the outlet for this to be accomplished.
7. Creator - online/media development is their ‘trade’ or ‘craft’, just as if one were a banker, carpenter, doctor, teacher, etc. Often these roles are graphic designers, programmers, database developers, application developers, systems development, audio technicians, video engineers…you know, the people who make all the stuff we use on the internet.
8. Pundit - the ‘authority’ on their chosen field of industry and commentates as expected
9. Rebel - fully embraces new technologies and tries it all. Often thought of as against or opposite as ‘authority’. So why is embracing technology opposing ‘authority’????….that is a thought to consider of the ‘Rebel’. I think the rebel can be the pulse/heartbeat of any socialization/group/activity/initiative.
10. Officiator - well this is the project manager, blog leader, clan leader, or team leader.
If you enjoyed this read, please go see Adrian Chan’s site: Gravity7.com and his ideas on SOCIAL INTERACTION DESIGN - *the terms of 10 listed Personality types were pulled from his list and i defined the terms for this write-up.
Somehow this ties to e-learning, and hopefully i made the jump. So, be your personality type and correct me, complain to us, tell us we are right, tell us new ideas which throw us all off-course but makes us think, be idle and say nothing (this is most probable, as still no comments, maybe there are now readers…haha), wait for someone else to chime in then blast in your rightful and quality opinion, comment, feedback, or analysis.
I thought I would bring the XH-A1 along with a family outing during this Christmas Holiday in downtown Pensacola, Florida. Just the Bogan/Manfrotto tri-pod and the camera into the misty/foggy night on the streets and in the park. I focussed specifically on low-light shooting with gain +/-0, Shutter no lower than 60, and F-stop usually 1.6-2.0max for short depth of field (dof). The output was to full 1990×1080i HD, then used Handbrake to compress a 1280×720 H.264 .m4v optimized for web, deinterlace - fast, no detelecine, no deblocking.
The video displayed was also part of the new use i have been working out with the preferred quality of Vimeo. I notice little to no re-compression on upload to vimeo, if you follow their specifications in the instructions documentation for video compression/sizing/deinterlacing, etc. Vimeo has became my new favorite site, once again.
I cannot say enough about how HandBrake as Open Source has continued to create a solid stable tool for 2008. Last major release February 2008, today is December 19th, 2008,…a few more months and it will be 1 year. Why does this matter? This open source project is being used by many and the performance has spoken to its success. I have been only using it for a few months, since Anthony Aukamp turned me on to it. I have typically used Apple Compressor and the Final Cut Pro export suite for all my video conversions and size/type exports. I also had been kicking around, in light use, FFMPEG - which is a mostly command line app until recently. Whether you needed full size HD 1990×1080 or exporting out a dvd rip to put on your iPhone or iPod,….HandBrake is the only tool you need. Compression, the quality looks like no compression.
Posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago at 8:24 am. 1 comment
This is short, but i would like to hear anyone’s comments or listings of what they think are solid CMS systems listed by either open source or commercial. Of your listings or others listings, which do you prefer and your opinions on the use of.
Joomla - Joomla.org - best thing since white bread
Posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago at 7:25 am. 1 comment
