Switching to Mac

[XDelusion]

I'm getting a Mac mini for video and audio production. I'm a Mac virgin pretty much as I was raised on Amiga, then later downgraded to PC's. So I need to know where to get codecs so that I'm compatable with EVERYTHING. I need to know the best capture software, the best capture hardware (seems my Dazzle Video Creator 150 is not supported!?!?!), best playback software, etc.

Anyone familiar with Mac and OSX, please give me the hook up on links, info, and free stuff, thankx!

[tgpo]

The best codecs I've found to use are 3ivx andFFusion. Plus make sure you pick up Apple's MPEG-2 codec for QT.

[dnix71]

Visit www.sourceforge.net They have open source apps for every platform out there, including Mac OS X. There are going to be some things you cannot play in OS X because of licensing. Keep a Win98 pc around if you need to deal with Indeo(Ligos) codecs, or get Virtual PC and set up Win98 on your mac. IFOedit and GSpot will run in Virtual 98, you'll need those too.
MPlayer and Audacity (sourceforge) and VLC(www.videolan.org) are all worth having.
Toast6 Titanium is a full suite of easy to use cd/dvd burning apps, you can buy it for less than $50 if you look around.

[Frobozz]

Canopus and Miglia make the best hardware capture devices. If you'd rather capture in MPEG format I think Otherworld Computing still has some ADS USB Instant DVD for Mac boxes on closeout for about $100. They're site is at www.macsales.com.

[XDelusion]

Wow, Mac is seriously crippled when it comes to Multi-media. As is Amiga...

...the two best multi-media computers out there even. How ironic. :/

Thankx for the help. Got a PC, so I'll just do my work on it and use the Mac for "something" else I guess.

[SERBIAN]

Wow, Mac is seriously crippled when it comes to Multi-media. As is Amiga...

hehehehe...You are VERY wrong...Visit Apple.com, check their apps for Multi-media as You say and then try to find similiar regarding price/quality on some other platform...

Anyway for pro multi-media job on Mac you should get yourself:

QuickTime PRO /essential - from Apple/
DVD Studio PRO /from Apple/
iLife package /which you should get for FREE with your mini - I dont think there is a similar software package around for any other platform/
Macromedia Director - /Works and looks same as on windows/
Pro Tools - /BEST audio hardware/software production package - wont work on your mini/

If you just want to play LOT of different formats then just download MPlayerX or VLC...They will play it almost every format which exist...

The best capture hardware is Mac itself if we are talking about DV format...If you want MPEG2 capture hardware, just use Google to find it...If you want HD or HDV Uncompressed capture hardware get yourself BlackMagic Declink card or Aurora /Mac only/ card...If you want to work with low-res sources /analog/ like VHS then consider some AD /Analog to Digital/ converter...For all capture devices mentiond you will need G5 or G4 Mac except for AD converters or USB MPEG capture devices which will work on your mini...

[WiseWeasel]

Any external FireWire analog to DV bridge would work for DV capturing with the Mac mini, such as the Canopus ADVC 100. This will capture in DV format, which you can edit in iMovie or Final Cut with high precision, and then export to DVD using iDVD or DVD Studio Pro, however DV will require about 12 GB/hour of footage. Otherwise, the ADS Instant DVD device would work as well if you want to capture directly in MPEG2, though that limits your editing options, while reducing the required HD space drastically for captured material. If you want PVR functionality, something like this would be ideal. Obviously, anything requiring PCI is not going to work with the mini... so that limits you to external devices. Also, HD capturing would not be recommended with the mini's 2.5" hard drives.

[rumplestiltskin]

I'm getting a Mac mini for video and audio production.

-strongly- suggest you get the unit with its maximum (1GB) RAM. OSX isn't even happy with 256MB and all of your apps will not perform well without adequate RAM.

However, once you see the cost structure, you might want to simply get a refurb'd eMac at the Apple Store for $799 which includes an 80GB HD, a SuperDrive (DVD burner) and has the 17" monitor built in. Add AppleCare for cheap at onlinemicro.com and you'll have a heck of a unit even though the eMac is "only" 1.25GHz.

[rumplestiltskin]

...the ADS Instant DVD device would work as well if you want to capture directly in MPEG2, though that limits your editing options, while reducing the required HD space drastically for captured material. If you want PVR functionality, something like this would be ideal. Obviously, anything requiring PCI is not going to work with the mini... so that limits you to external devices. Also, HD capturing would not be recommended with the mini's 2.5" hard drives.

I've used the ADS Instant DVD device. It's okay for DVD mpeg2 but not very good for higher compression - lots of artifacts/ There's also an issue of overheating that produces artifacts in the resulting mpeg2 movie. Check out the ADS forums on the web to read about the problem.

If you're using a Mac for video, frankly, forget about capturing in mpeg2. There's FireWire on every Mac so use a DV camcorder and capture DV-stream directly from the camcorder. Most camcorders can also be utilized as an "analog media converter" (like the Canopus or the old Sony DVMC-DA1/2 series) so, for just a little bit more than the cost of the converter, why not buy a camcorder and have more functionality?

As for PVR, the only Mac compatible item that really works is the eyeTV from El Gato. They also have a lower quality (mpeg1) unit that runs through the USB port but that's basically VCD-quality stuff. It also works well (but at the lower res).

I had forgotten that the mini uses 2.5" drives so the eMac becomes a better bargain (as it uses 3.5" drives that are easily upgraded).

I'm a Mac user and bleed in six colors but I wouldn't buy a mini (although I do see uses for them and they -will- sell tons of them).

[OmegaSupreme]

Another option to capture directly to MPEG is the LaCie FastCoder available in February http://www.macworld.com/news/2005/01/10/fastcoder/index.php?lsrc=mcrss-0105

[seikima]

Canopus ADVC 100 is the way to go for audio/video (sync'ed) capture. Dazzle is junk.

btw, don't by a refurb'd eMac! the monitor screens are horrid! they have some sort of purple "tint" that comes off so it looks like there are all of these strange 'smears' on your monitor, but you cant wipe them away because it's the 'tint' on the inside, wearing off, leaving patches... hard to explain, but it's very very annoying and unsightly. adding to the problem is since it's a refurb, techies get their fingerprints all over the inside of the screen... believe me, i've a few friends that did the "refurb'd eMac" thing, and they're really pissed. the one good thing about it is i told them each to complain to Apple's corporate office about it, and they each got a free iSight. for ME, that wouldn't make up for the crapola screen... but whatcha gonna do after you already have it set up with new memory upgrade, etc.

as for the MiniMac (as it was supposed to be called, before the lawyers decided they didn't want to take a chance of getting sued by Austin Powers, ) i don't like the 2.5" hard drives. those suck.

[rumplestiltskin]

btw, don't by a refurb'd eMac! the monitor screens are horrid! they have some sort of purple "tint" that comes off so it looks like there are all of these strange 'smears' on your monitor, but you cant wipe them away because it's the 'tint' on the inside, wearing off, leaving patches... hard to explain, but it's very very annoying and unsightly. adding to the problem is since it's a refurb, techies get their fingerprints all over the inside of the screen... believe me, i've a few friends that did the "refurb'd eMac" thing, and they're really pissed. the one good thing about it is i told them each to complain to Apple's corporate office about it, and they each got a free iSight. for ME, that wouldn't make up for the crapola screen... but whatcha gonna do after you already have it set up with new memory upgrade, etc.

I suppose there may have been some refurb's units that shipped in such a condition but I've never seen one (having installed a few dozen at schools and businesses - I used to work for Apple). Frankly, any eMac that ships in that condition would be replaced or a field repair would be authorized. It is also the reason why there is AppleCare (the three year warranty). AppleCare provides a higher level of service even beyond a simple extension of the warranty; AppleCare "subscribers" are treated much, much better than "normal" customers.

My 2+year old dual-1.25GHz G4 bit the dust in such a manner that the replacement (on site, under AppleCare) of the motherboard, CPUs, and RAM did not fix the problem. Apple decided to have me ship my G4 to them (at their expense) and, as soon as they had the tracking number, shipped me a new dual-1.8GHz G5. AppleCare should be considered an essential purchase.

I do suspect, however, that the eMac in question may not have been refurb'd by Apple; rather, there are many that are refurb'd by third parties and sold through the web or mail-order. Unless one knows that the unit is an *Apple* refurb, don't touch it; and then, if the tint or fingerprints appear, call Apple and double-check that the unit's serial number if one that Apple has, indeed, been through the refurb process at Apple; they keep track of such things. Then raise heck.

[seikima]

all (4 in total) were purchased direct from Apple... hence the "free iSight" after reporting such crappy service to Corporate. it was last year around Valentine's Day when they had a coupon for $30 or $50 (cant remember the exact amount) off any Apple Store purchase.
it's not an isolated problem, either. i remember my one friend telling me about a website or forum or something that had thousands of other complaints (it looked like only hundreds to me when i looked, but he said "thousands" when he spoke to me about it) and they were all about refurb'd units from Apple Store.

my one friend's unit came looking like it was previously in a mechanics garage! there was black "gunk" along the top of the unit and in the creases... finger prints all over it... and this was DIRECT FROM APPLE! 800mhz G4 eMac. it too (as they all did) had the same monitor screen problem.

i'd never buy their refurb'd junk after seeing this! if it was just ONE, i'd understand it was a mistake... but 4 within the same time period... that's just unacceptable.

OH! i remembered some other stuff that happened... my one friend (who got the eMac 800MHz [F9150LL/A] "F" is for refurb, instead of "M") bought some extra RAM from another dealer who said it was eMac ram, but when he looked, it was the wrong kind, so he called Apple Tech Support to get the exact type of RAM needed, and they just told him "eMac RAM" he said something like 'yeah, i know, but what are the specifics? is it SDRAM, DDR, SIMM, DIMM, etc?' and the person told hiim "I don't know, just buy it from the Apple Store and tell them you want eMac RAM." he then had to explain the whole story about the mix-up with the other company sending wrong RAM, and while was talking, the person hung up on him. he got pissed and called back but this time to complain. this time he called SALES just because they answer faster and told the guy he didn't want to buy anything that he just wanted to know the number for Customer Relations and in mid-sentence of saying "i dont want to buy anything, i jus..." and the person said "OH, YOU DONT WANT TO BUY ANYTHING? BYE!" and hung up! i remember he told me the reps name was CHET. just so i could call Apple to complain about Chet, too.

ANYWAY, hope you had fun reading that

[OmegaSupreme]

...adding to the problem is since it's a refurb, techies get their fingerprints all over the inside of the screen... believe me, i've a few friends that did the "refurb'd eMac" thing, and they're really pissed.

CRT tubes are vacuum sealed, once the seal is broken the tube is useless. There is no way that a techs fingerprints could be on the inside of a tube. If a tube is defective, it would be replaced. Not even an Apple tech would have the kind of equipment necessary to service the inside of a tube, it would be uneconomical to put it mildly. This raises questions of accuracy about the rest of your post.

http://stuffo.howstuffworks.com/tv3.htm

[rumplestiltskin]

...bought some extra RAM from another dealer who said it was eMac ram, but when he looked, it was the wrong kind, so he called Apple Tech Support to get the exact type of RAM needed...

www.memorytogo.com
www.owcomputing.com
(and a thousand other websites selling RAM which will tell you exactly the RAM module you need if you only tell it "800MHz eMac")

Some folks are professional victims....

[seikima]

...adding to the problem is since it's a refurb, techies get their fingerprints all over the inside of the screen... believe me, i've a few friends that did the "refurb'd eMac" thing, and they're really pissed.

CRT tubes are vacuum sealed, once the seal is broken the tube is useless. There is no way that a techs fingerprints could be on the inside of a tube. If a tube is defective, it would be replaced. Not even an Apple tech would have the kind of equipment necessary to service the inside of a tube, it would be uneconomical to put it mildly. This raises questions of accuracy about the rest of your post.

http://stuffo.howstuffworks.com/tv3.htm

if you are the expert, what are all of the smudges from? they are on the inside of the glass screen. is it a double-screen? there is a purplish tint that is smudged up all inside of the screens, and it look like fingerprints.
you can doubt me all you want... who are you? no one. but i don't come on boards to make up stories. pick on someone else if you are that hard-up for a confrontation.

[seikima]

...bought some extra RAM from another dealer who said it was eMac ram, but when he looked, it was the wrong kind, so he called Apple Tech Support to get the exact type of RAM needed...

www.memorytogo.com
www.owcomputing.com
(and a thousand other websites selling RAM which will tell you exactly the RAM module you need if you only tell it "800MHz eMac")

Some folks are professional victims....

and some people of professional jerkoffs.
my friend was sent the wrong RAM by the third party... but he didn't know at the time because they told him it was correct eMac RAM. it was a shipping error... but at the time, he didn't know, so he contacted Apple to find out the specific DETAILS about the RAM.

your post doesn't some how justify Apple's response to my friend's phone calls.

any more second or third-degree interigations from the peanut gallery? WTF?

[seikima]

you need to get rid of these fluffs! hahaha

[OmegaSupreme]

...adding to the problem is since it's a refurb, techies get their fingerprints all over the inside of the screen... believe me, i've a few friends that did the "refurb'd eMac" thing, and they're really pissed.

CRT tubes are vacuum sealed, once the seal is broken the tube is useless. There is no way that a techs fingerprints could be on the inside of a tube. If a tube is defective, it would be replaced. Not even an Apple tech would have the kind of equipment necessary to service the inside of a tube, it would be uneconomical to put it mildly. This raises questions of accuracy about the rest of your post.

http://stuffo.howstuffworks.com/tv3.htm

if you are the expert, what are all of the smudges from? they are on the inside of the glass screen. is it a double-screen? there is a purplish tint that is smudged up all inside of the screens, and it look like fingerprints.
you can doubt me all you want... who are you? no one. but i don't come on boards to make up stories. pick on someone else if you are that hard-up for a confrontation.

There are three ways you could have responded to my post.

1. You could have done some research and admitted that whatever you saw, it was not a fingerprint on the inside of the screen.

2. You could have done some research and explained how it is possible for a tech's fingerprints to get on the inside of a tube (I would have apologized for my error).

3. You could have launched a personal attack.

You chose option 3.