VFCPUG Online

The Final Word

Final Cut Pro: Dropped Frames — Causes and Solutions is a comprehensive resource filled with information and links to help you troubleshoot your system. If it isn’t a fixture in your bookmark collection, it should be. Amongst the apparent suggestions about changing RT settings or checking your hard drive setup,…

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MXO 2.1

I haven’t really written a lot about my love for the Matrox MXO, but I feel it is my duty to report how completely smitten I have become with the little box. I started playing with one just after NAB this year and my experience grading Centigrade left me astonished.…

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New Forms

Earlier today Apple announced a range of new products including an impossibly slender iMac and even slimmer keyboard, as well as updates for .Mac, iLiFe and iWork, which now includes a spreadsheet application “for the rest of us” called Numbers. You can watch the QuickTime stream of the “Special Event”…

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More

While it’s been a while coming I’m sure the P2 users amongst you will be thrilled that Panasonic are finally shipping 16GB cards. The new cards have a suggested retail price of US$900. For those of you holding out for even greater capacity Panasonic are promising 32GB cards will be…

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Jonathan | 18 June 2007 | Comments (0)
Tags: P2 | Panasonic

8

Not that our appetites needing whetting ahead of NAB, but today Apple added the much-anticipated 8-core Mac Pro to the existing line of professional desktop systems. The new high-end Mac Pro features 2 quad-core Intel Xeon 5300 series, “Clovertown” processors. With Apple’s new “33 million” possible configurations, it’s difficult to…

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Transfer

The recent KB document, “Final Cut Pro: Ethernet network volumes should not be used for capture or playback”, addresses the fundamental issue of data transfer and media drives. Today’s Ethernet standards are just not equipped to support sustained transfer of even the smallest, least demanding video formats. This is paramount…

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3X

Earlier this week AJA announced the immediate availability of the KONA 3X, a PCI-X version of their popular KONA 3 card. If you’re familiar with the KONA 3 then you already know what the new card is capable of—SDI, HD-SDI, Dual Link HD-SDI 4:4:4, and 4:4:4:4, 2K. AJA stress that…

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On the Box

Courtesy of Apple After months of anticipation and speculation about what Apple would call their little box that puts your iTunes content on your widescreen TV, the other announcement on Tuesday was that the Apple TV will be shipping in February for CDN$349. The new device features an (as yet…

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MacBook SMC Firmware 1.1

Following all the chatter about the random MacBook shutdown problem some early adopters have been experiencing, Apple have released a potential fix. The firmware update is recommended for all MacBook systems, including those that have been repaired under warranty and is available via Software Update or direct download*. *If you…

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Booked

Courtesy of Apple Apple updated the MacBook Pro today. The new systems include the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, as well as larger hard drive capacity*, and the ability to install up to 3GB of RAM. There are still two systems in the line-up, the 15-inch model can be configured…

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Fine Tuning

If you’ve recently invested in a new high-end desktop system, you may find the new KB document, “Final Cut Pro’s performance benefits from symmetrical RAM configurations on Mac Pro” a useful read. Whilst we read yesterday that FCP isn’t currently able address more than 2.5GB of RAM, you can optimise…

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Insomniac

My Quad G5 has never slept. If you tell it to sleep the screens will go dark, but after a few moments the fans will whir into life and it will sit there roaring until you disturb it. While we were in heavy production last semester I wasn’t going to…

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Reddened

Courtesy of Red Digital Camera Mike from HD4NDs has the inside scoop (literally) from the RED booth at IBC. There are updates galore, with news about the first screening of footage from their Mysterium sensor, new features, workflow options, and revisions to the RED web site. Amsterdam IBC 2006 -…

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Jonathan | 09 September 2006 | Comments (0)
Tags: HD4NDs | IBC | Red Digital Cinema

Blink

Having recently met a colleague’s wayward MacBook that was suffering from random shut downs, I’m certain there are people out there who will be relieved by the new Apple KB document, “MacBook: Shuts down intermittently”. Direct and to the point, the article simply states you should contact AppleCare.…

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Jonathan | 07 September 2006 | Comments (0)
Tags: AppleCare | KB Article | MacBook

The Magic Number

Courtesy of Apple Apple today announced a 24-inch iMac. The new model debuts alongside updated versions of the familiar 17- and 20-inch iMac form factors. The entire line-up now features the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, with speeds ranging between 1.83 GHz in one 17-inch configuration, to 2.33 GHz in…

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Jonathan | 06 September 2006 | Comments (0)
Tags: iMac | Intel Core 2 Duo

My Space

I’ve been somewhat preoccupied this week playing with the edit suite set-up at school. We introduced a system built around Xsan last fall and initially deployed 5 workstations while the fibre installation was being completed. By the time the graduating students really hit crunch time in late March we’d…

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Pit Stop

Hot on the heels (pun only slightly intended) of Dell’s recent recall, Apple have announced their own “Battery Exchange Program” for certain iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 computers sold between October 2003 to August 2006. Instructions for how to identify affected batteries are available on Apple’s web site and every…

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Space Oddity

When Apple announced the Mac Pro last week and they released details about internal storage options, you, like me, probably wondered why they were talking about using 500GB drives—750GB drives are where it’s at today after all… The tireless souls at Bare Feats appear to have an answer for us.…

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Jonathan | 16 August 2006 | Comments (1)
Tags: Bare Feats | Mac Pro | Seagate

Top Gun

Courtesy of Apple The fervour around the Mac Pro continues and as people get access to the new systems, “real world”* benchmarks are beginning to spring up. With the exception of the second Geek Patrol post, most of the tests involve the 2.66GHz model in a standard configuration, which appear…

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Morning After

The first blush of detailed articles about the new Mac Pro are beginning to surface. Macworld (US), AnandTech, and ars technica have all posted detailed articles that address Apple’s latest Mac.…

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Jonathan | 10 August 2006 | Comments (0)
Tags: Mac Pro

Buzz

Courtesy of National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, England The chatter about the Red project continues apace. This time around it’s a recent flurry of jokingly contrite posts from Jim Jannard that has got people talking. The latest is that Red should be in a position to show 4K…

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Gutted

The race to be the first to dismantle every new Mac is a curious one—it clearly takes a particular mindset to perform the operation itself and I can only imagine what posting the resulting pictures does to your bandwidth! If you’re at all curious about what a shiny new Mac…

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Jonathan | 09 August 2006 | Comments (2)
Tags: Mac Pro

Full of Pixels

Courtesy of Apple Amongst the deluge of announcements from Apple yesterday was that the Cinema Display line has also been updated. There are price drops on all three models and the specifications of the 20-inch and 23-inch displays have been modified to improve brightness and contrast. Because I’m only…

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Jonathan | 08 August 2006 | Comments (1)
Tags: Apple | Cinema Displays | WWDC

It's Almost Here

Courtesy of Apple One quirk in today’s announcements that made me chuckle, was the idea that the transition to Intel was “complete” before the new Xserve was announced. To his credit Phil Schiller did catch himself to say the “Mac transition” to Intel was complete with the Mac Pro and…

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It's Here

Courtesy of Apple Following the prerequisite months of speculation and rumour-mongering the new Mac Pro has arrived. Whilst there are a number of subtle changes to the enclosure (reconfigured ports front and back, a redesigned latch, and most notably a second slot for an additional optical drive), the new systems…

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Downtown

Ken Stone has published a straightforward review of the HVX200 by MacVideo mastermind, Rick Young. Rick recently spent some time with the European version of the camcorder to put it through its paces and test P2 workflow. Overall it seems he was very impressed by the experience, especially by the…

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Seeing is Believing

Mike at HD4NDs has posted an exclusive report revised his initial post* on his latest adventures with the Red team. During his recent trip to LA he was able to see first hand the images produced by their “Mysterium” sensor. To say that he’s very, very impressed understates his reaction…

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Jonathan | 06 August 2006 | Comments (0)
Tags: HD4NDs | Red Digital Cinema

The Power

Apple have announced a battery exchange program for certain 15-inch MacBook Pro systems. To find out if your battery is one of those affected, you need to check the serial number—instructions for how to do so and which numbers to look for are included in the linked document.…

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Jonathan | 03 August 2006 | Comments (0)
Tags: Apple | MacBook Pro

Material World

Apple have posted a new KB article, “Using Fibre Channel switches and hubs with Apple Fibre products”, which addresses configuration of technologies commonly used within Storage Area Network (SAN) and Network Area Storage (NAS) installations. The document specifically addresses different hardware requirements and the steps required to ensure constant communication…

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(Re)Booted

Having updated the SMC Firmware in Intel-based Macs earlier this year, Apple have now released a similar update for the 17-inch MacBook Pro, which adjusts the way the fan behaves.…

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Jonathan | 28 June 2006 | Comments (0)
Tags: 17-inch MacBook Pro | Firmware | Software Update

Desired

Somewhere it must be written, “Thou shalt not covet each and every gizmo released for your Mac”. And even though Barefeats are reporting excellent performance from FirmTek’s SeriTek/2SM2-E SATA ExpressCard Adaptor (shipping now), that doesn’t mean I’ve got to have one. Don’t get me started on the, NitroAV FireWire800 “ExpressWay”……

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Resolution

Courtesy of Focus Enhancements Following on from a recent discussion in the comments about the reliability of tapeless video workflows, Josh Oakhurst has picked up a discussion about recurring issues with the FireStore FS-100 HD recorder. Apparently there have been numerous reports of early adopters experiencing drop-outs and unreliable performance.…

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Jonathan | 06 June 2006 | Comments (1)
Tags: FireStore | Firmware | Josh Oakhurst

Boost

Courtesy of Intel Intel have been talking about their latest chipset technology and that has got Macworld (UK) all hot and bothered as they speculate about what this may mean for Apple and what we might see in forthcoming desktop systems—what the cool kids are calling, the “Mac Pro”. I’m…

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Congested

Early adopters of the recent MacBook may want to inspect it to see if the rear vent is covered by a “thin piece of clear plastic”. The strip is put there to protect the system at the factory and it seems some have escaped intact. In the KB article, “MacBook…

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Jonathan | 03 June 2006 | Comments (0)
Tags: KB Article | MacBook

Big House

Courtesy of Digital Virgin So one day you’re looking at your G5 and thinking, “How can I fit more storage into this beast?” And though you’ve considered the G5 Drive Bracket, you feel the need to go beyond three additional drives. Now, you might want to take a look the…

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Compatibility

If the new MacBook notebooks have caught your attention, you ought to know that the do not meet the minimum requirements for Final Cut Studio. According to a recent Knowledge Base article, “Final Cut Studio is not supported on MacBook”, you’ll be able to install the applications, but will not…

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Booted

Apple has posted a series of firmware updates to address start-up issues with certain Intel-based Macs. The updates are available through Software Update or direct download from Apple’s web site. Systems currently affected are, iMac (early 2006), Mac mini (early 2006), and MacBook Pro.…

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Better

Having spent most of yesterday ambling around in the dazed state that only occurs when you’ve spent the night stranded at an airport, today I unpacked my new 15-inch MacBook Pro, transferred my user account and set about installing software. Thus far it’s proving to be a zippy little fellow—a…

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Jonathan | 29 April 2006 | Comments (0)
Tags: MacBook Pro | Motion | Timbuk2

New Friends

I have to tell you, I’m having the strangest year. If you’ve been following the narrative that’s unfolding on this site, you’ll already know that towards the end of January I took receipt my G5 Quad.* Of course just before that momentous occasion, Apple announced the first of the Intel…

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Jonathan | 04 April 2006 | Comments (0)

Northern Lights

Courtesy of BrightSide Technologies Yesterday I took a trip out to visit some folks at UBC and a representative of BrightSide Technologies, makers of High Dynamic Range (HDR) displays. Though BrightSide have been around for a little while and have exhibited at numerous trade shows, I hadn’t managed to…

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Jonathan | 29 March 2006 | Comments (0)

Boom

Courtesy of Apple This morning Apple announced a new Intel Mac mini and the iPod Hi-Fi. The Mac mini comes in two basic flavours, 1.5GHz Intel Core Solo and 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo. Both systems feature Front Row and include the Apple Remote. Incorporating several patent pending technologies, the iPod…

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Jonathan | 28 February 2006 | Comments (2)

Bumps

Courtesy of Apple Apple have just announced that the MacBook Pro is shipping! Curiously the processor speeds are higher than previously stated—there are now 3 configurations, 1.83GHz, 2GHz, and 2.16GHz, rather than 1.67GHz and 1.83GHz. If you’ve pre-ordered a system you should check to see which model you’re going to…

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Jonathan | 14 February 2006 | Comments (0)

7200.9

Courtesy of Seagate There’s been a fair amount of discussion around the compatibility of Seagate’s 7200.9 series drives and Apple hardware. Somehow that slipped my mind as I was looking at Disk Utility and wondering where my new internal drive was—I blame my cold! For those of you in the…

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Jonathan | 04 February 2006 | Comments (3)

First to Know

Picture Vasho Pekar I wanted you to be amongst the first to know that my Quad has arrived. I know, I know, I can scarcely believe it myself, but it’s sitting beside me right now, waiting for me to finish class and unpack it.…

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Jonathan | 27 January 2006 | Comments (0)

Impossible Dream

I’m not holding my breath, but tomorrow could be very exciting!…

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Jonathan | 26 January 2006 | Comments (0)

Kona 3

Courtesy of AJA If I hadn’t been sitting at my computer permanently hitting refresh to find out where my Quad, I’d probably have mentioned AJA’s Kona 3 before now… Announced at Macworld and shipping worldwide at the end of this month, the Kona 3 is a new 4-Lane PCI Express…

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Jonathan | 22 January 2006 | Comments (0)

Moving Right Along

After a worrying moment when the estimated ship date was pushed back a week, and few phone calls with my fabulously supportive Apple rep to find out what was going on, I’m very happy to report that my much anticipated G5 is on its way!…

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Jonathan | 21 January 2006 | Comments (0)

Identity Crisis

Courtesy of 21st Century 3D I’m not sure whether to classify this beast as a DVX100A hack, or whether it’s better described as an “extreme” Mac mini mod. The fact is, 21st Century 3D’s new 3DVX3 Uncompressed 4:4:4 Stereoscopic Camera System, is both! The 3DVX3 boasts two converted camcorders,…

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Jonathan | 18 January 2006 | Comments (0)

Eternal Question

For those of you eagerly awaiting news of my G5, I have an update! To summarize, the estimated ship date is one week today. (!)…

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Jonathan | 12 January 2006 | Comments (0)

Intel or PowerPC

Courtesy of Apple I like this new support document, “Does my Mac have an Intel or PowerPC processor?”. I can’t decide if it’s to help you with bragging rights as you show off your new system, or if it’s more to do with you staring at your system for hours…

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Jonathan | 11 January 2006 | Comments (0)

iMac Period

Courtesy of Apple iMac. Simply stated. 17-inch 1.8GHz Intel Core Duo 17-inch widescreen LCD with 1440x900 resolution 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo processor with 2MB shared L2 cache 512MB (single SO-DIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) 160GB Serial ATA hard drive Slot-load 8x double-layer SuperDrive ATI Radeon X1600 graphics with 128MB GDDR3…

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Jonathan | 10 January 2006 | Comments (0)

MacBook Pro

Courtesy of Apple The Powerbook is dead. Long live the MacBook Pro. 15.4-inch: 1.67GHz Intel Core Duo 15.4-inch TFT display with 1440x900 resolution 1.67GHz Intel Core Duo processor with 2MB shared L2 Cache 667MHz frontside bus 512MB (single SO-DIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) 80GB 5400rpm Serial ATA hard drive Slot-load…

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Jonathan | 10 January 2006 | Comments (0)

Getting Serious

Kraz over at FilmDailies.com has put together a list of essential accessories* for anyone planning to shoot with the HVX200. Before the end of the entry he’s spent an additional US$6000-8000 without really trying. His list includes a decent tripod, a matte box, filters, a professional field monitor, and storage.…

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Jonathan | 07 January 2006 | Comments (0)

HVX200 @ HD4NDs

Mike’s in the process of producing an extensive set of notes about his experiences with the HVX200. He’s planning to work with a number of different shooters to gain a deeper understanding of the camcorder and its potential. Thus far, with some reservations about low light performance and focus with…

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Jonathan | 03 January 2006 | Comments (2)

iPod "Borg" Headset

There are a million and one iPod accessories to choose from, but none (I know of) that can make you you look like you’ve just stepped off your cube as eMagin’s EyeBud. According in an article on the SeattlePI the EyeBud is a tiny headset intended to create a “virtual…

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Jonathan | 02 January 2006 | Comments (0)
Tags: EyeBud | iPod

Year of the HVX200

And so it begins. The first shipments of the HVX200 have hit the street. Barry Green and Vancouver’s Jarred Land, at DVXUser, have posted a comprehensive article called, “Understanding the New Framerates on the HVX200”, in which they discuss one of the most highly anticipated features of the new camcorder.…

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Jonathan | 02 January 2006 | Comments (0)
Tags: AG-HVX200 | DVXUser.com | HD4NDs

Andromeda Preorder

Courtesy of Reel Stream If you’ve been following Reel Stream’s Andromedia project you’ll probably be very interested to hear that they’re currently accepting pre-orders for the DVX100+ version online. Andromeda is a data processing technology that enables the acquisition of 4:4:4 uncompresseed video from a standard MiniDV camcorder. The system…

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Naked Quad

Courtesy of Apple Hacking Apple hardware is not a new phenomena, and laser etching appears to be the new black (exhibit a, exhibit b); but I imagine dismantling your new Quad G5 to take a closer look at the cooling system is not a task undertaken lightly, or one for…

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Jonathan | 30 December 2005 | Comments (0)
Tags: Power Mac G5 | Quad

XL H1

Courtesy of Canon Canon’s first foray into HDV, the XL H1 is receiving a lot of attention as people get their hands on it for the first time. I like the XL2, so I’ve been following the commentaries, but like most, I’m not a fan of MiniDV tape, so…

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Jonathan | 22 December 2005 | Comments (0)
Tags: HDV | XL H1

Seagate Buys Maxtor

In a deal announced today, hard disk drive company, Seagate is to buy competitor Maxtor. All the details are available on a new joint website: www.seagatemaxtor.com “Seagate is excited about the opportunity to achieve greater scale, reduce supply chain costs, and leverage combined R&D efforts across a broader product set.…

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Jonathan | 21 December 2005 | Comments (0)
Tags: Maxtor | Seagate

Bah Humbug

Seems I can’t have been such a very good boy this year. The G5 I was getting all excited about last week is scheduled to be delivered to the school where I teach. I thought I had things covered as there are full-time shipping and receiving people to take care…

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Jonathan | 18 December 2005 | Comments (0)
Tags: HD4NDs | Power Mac G5 | Quad

BM Multibridge Extreme

This just in from ANNEX|PRO: The Blackmagic Design’s Multibridge Extreme all in-one bi-directional converter, is shipping in Canada. The Multibridge is a new I/O breakout box that enables you to connect your new PCI Express (PCIe) computer to any number of SD and HD devices without the need for…

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Jonathan | 11 December 2005 | Comments (0)
Tags: Blackmagic | HD4NDs

Quad

Courtesy of Apple Mike Curtis has taken delivery of his G5 Quad system. My order was finalised today. He and I appear to have opted for similar system configurations, so I’ll be following his commentary closely—though perhaps not as closely as I’ll be tracking my shipment!…

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Jonathan | 09 December 2005 | Comments (2)
Tags: HD4NDs | Power Mac G5 | Quad

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