carlgmi:

re-learning where features are as some have moved.  Batch capture for instance - its still there (of course) but not in the bin drop down but in the clip drop down?  Not near the top - half way down.  Sounds silly but I would have looked without seeing for 10 minutes before finding it!

A pet peeve of mine as well, Engineers, why must you always move things just for the sake of moving them?  Just to prove that you can?  Please, give us all a break and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I know you guys just LOVE to change things!

carlgmi:

its the same but different" suggestions.

sep:

 

applebuckets:

Q: What is the field order output in Avid MC

A: NTSC is always lower field first

PAL varies right?

There happen sometimes weird things, as mentionned in one of my recent posts. I had lately to encode DV 25 using Procoder 3, and had to sxitch to upper fileld first, using a QT ref coming from a pure DV25 sequence. Here I have NO EXPLANATION. Same bahavior with Sorenson 4.3.

 

Oddly enough, after I went to DVD I had a field jitter only on clips where a timewarp effect was applied. My settings were lower field first. When I changed the settings to progressive, the jitter went away and everything looked OK. Not sure why.

I think clear field order  explainations on the FAQ are a good idea.

Also, PAR and SAR involving 16:9 vs 4:3. I see a lot of questions on this forum pertaining to that, and a lot of confusion from clients as well.

 Editing workflows, especially HD, 24p stuff etc. Something similar to what I think is covered in the 340 course.

 I just downloaded a .pdf Working with HDV from the Knowledge Base. It is very detailed.

Mike Paterson:

Why not start a wiki?

I agree, I think a wiki would be much easier to maintain, quicker to find what you are looking for and subjects can be organized appropiately and structured better than just a long list in a thread.  Maybe just a sticky that points to a Wiki?  I think if done right a wiki good be a huge benefit for the community.  The DS already has one, yet there are more people that use media composer(and more who are going to soon with the upgrade and EOL for Xpress)

and after looking at the DS wiki it is very basic, i think a media composer wiki could work really well

thoughts?  comments?

A wiki is a good idea, but that involves changing the web site, which of course, I can't do.  But I will pass that suggestion along to the web guys.

In the meantime, I continue to take suggestions for the FAQ, which we'll be posting to the top of the forum.  I'd also like to focus on PC-related things, since there are other forums for other platforms and there are a number of PC-only related issues.

well i wasnt necessarily referring to changing this website, for example the DS wiki is used through wikispaces.com, and i think going a route like that would work well.  i dont see a wiki working well under avid's domain. 

so what do people think about FAQ/wiki through something like wikispaces.com?

 I can think of a number of FAQ topics - some of these fit more into workflow guides but i figure an FAQ could handle both.

Above all one of the most posted questions will be: I am thinking about buying X brand video card/Computer/hard drive - will it work with Avid? A note on using only qualified hardware and a link to qualified systems might forestall a lot of these (but I doubt it as we already have something similar..) 

User Settings and Site settings - how to use them to customise your workflow

Setting up recurring projects (I use a batch file for mine)

How to find corrupt media (slice and dice)

Using mixed field order codecs in the one timeline (video mixdown for export to DVD)

The practical difference between 10 bit and 8 bit codecs (chroma key, colour gradients etc)

A complete list of compatible decks which can be added to if a user finds one that is not in the list that does work with another template. This could also include hints on how to make particular decks work with Avid. eg - how do you make a UVW1400 deck work as an NLE feeder for Avid (you need an RS232 - 422 converter etc).

Why don't I hear any sound from my Avid (usually a sync/patching/hardware question)

How to manage project media (media tool and MDV Avid)

I sort of understand the reluctance to host a Wiki on another website - it breaks users away from the forum which is after all the main resource.  But an FAQ here will be limited to the most simple topics in forum format. My suggestion would be a simple FAQ here with a link to a Wiki for other topics and workflow guides.

I really like the wiki idea.

Several of us built a FAQ for Xpress DV a few years ago that is still out there and still generating hits to this day, though it is very out of date of course.

http://xdvfaq.tripod.com/

 It seems Multicam may be another topic that just needs covering..

Larry Rubin:

carlgmi:

re-learning where features are as some have moved.  Batch capture for instance - its still there (of course) but not in the bin drop down but in the clip drop down?  Not near the top - half way down.  Sounds silly but I would have looked without seeing for 10 minutes before finding it!

 

A pet peeve of mine as well, Engineers, why must you always move things just for the sake of moving them?  Just to prove that you can?  Please, give us all a break and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I know you guys just LOVE to change things!

They didn't really "change it" per se...  The menu locations of XpressPro more closely mimic those of NewsCutter.  I am firmly under the impression that XpressPro was a "stripped down" NewsCutter app and not a Media Composer as some have always suggested, based mainly on the menu locations, default snapping turned ON, clicking TC track did not dump out of a mode, etc. 

Kenton.VanNatten:

They didn't really "change it" per se...  The menu locations of XpressPro more closely mimic those of NewsCutter.  I am firmly under the impression that XpressPro was a "stripped down" NewsCutter app and not a Media Composer as some have always suggested, based mainly on the menu locations, default snapping turned ON, clicking TC track did not dump out of a mode, etc.  
 

Very intersting clues ! Never thought about Newscutter being the Xpress Pro's "grand brother"

However, I second Larry here, even Newscutter vs MC; why different menu locations for the dame thing ?

I like the idea of a 'wiki', a lot - from a link from within this forum.

Can I make another suggestion?  One of the thing I liked best about the DS wiki was it's Top 10 Wish List.  They got everyone to write in their wish list, "someone" collated it all and then made a top ten.  Obviously, most of these ideas have already been asked for in the Feature Requests section, but it was interesting to read what the majority of people wanted.

The obvious examples would be, Background Rendering; Background Import/Export; Alpha Export support etc...

well i guess now it just needs to get started, Id say pretty much that means someone stepping up and getting it rolling.

i wouldnt mind doing that leg work, i think this could be fun!  anyway any recommendations from anyone as to a wiki service?  dswiki uses wikispaces.com.  can anyone recommend any others?  ill do a little research myself but just wondering if anyone had any suggestions.

also, a domain name, i could register one for easy remembering, what about www.amcwiki.org? (www.mcwiki.org is already taken, i checked)  anyony have any other suggestions for a domain name? 

also is there anything i need to know, ie legal stuff, just wondering if avid would disaprove of the wiki or domain name idea.