If you have never been to Guy Kawasaki’s blog (shame on you), this is as good a reason as any to check it out.
His “Art of the Start” video is fantastic. It’s not new, but it’s pure gold, and every entrepreneur should see it.
I was on the DVXuser forums earlier this week when I came across a post where a guy claimed his HVX200A camera was already being shipped to him. I had looked around at various Panasonic dealers but could not find anyone who had it. In fact, none of the vendors even knew when it would be available. So when I read that post, I immediately contacted that person to find out where he bought it.
He told me he got it from Specialized Communications, which is located in Maryland. I called them Wednesday and ordered mine. I got it earlier today. That’s impressive, considering this was ground shipping and I’m in Canada.
It came with one 16GB P2 card, Barry Green’s HVX Book, and an extra battery.
For anyone seeking more information on the new cameras from Panasonic and Red, check out FreshDV. They have some great interviews with Jan Crittenden of Panasonic and Ted Schilowitz of Red. Check out the FreshTV section and then scroll down through all the clips until you are near the bottom. The two clips are next to each other.
I’m a big fan of comedy, and if you are too, I suggest you check out the tv show Flight of the Conchords (FOTC).
FOTC are a comedic duo that get big laughs from their use of dry, witty humour and painfully honest songs that range in style from techno to rap to rock to, well, basically everything.
The show stars Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie as two struggling musicians from New Zealand trying to make it big in New York. Rhys Darby plays their manager, Murray, who is also from New Zealand and also very, very funny. For instance, every time they have a band meeting, Murray takes attendance. He doesn’t care that it’s only the three of them, or the fact that he can see them, he always takes attendance. That was the inspiration for the title of this post.
It’s an HBO show that I don’t believe we get here in Canada (hopefully soon), so you will have to download torrent files to view episodes. To give you a taste, check out this clip on YouTube.
A short while ago, someone forwarded this video to me. It is probably one of the most inspirational things you will ever see.
In his presentation, Professor Randy Pausch offers great lessons on how to achieve dreams, and more importantly, how to live life.
Enjoy.
In a recent post, I mentioned that NAB 2008 was approaching. Well, now it’s almost over and as expected, Panasonic and Red and both released some new cameras.
Panasonic did announce an upgrade to the HVX200 in the form of the HVX200A, as I predicted, but there was little fanfare about this news. Instead, more focus was given to a whole new camera from Panasonic, the HPX170.
The HPX170 offers a few new extra touches, but for some people, the big attraction of this camera may be for something it doesn’t have - a DV tape drive. This makes the camera sleeker and lighter (it weights 4.2 pounds) than the HVX200, which many users found to be a bit cumbersome, especially compared to the DVX100 cameras. The HPX170 also features an HD-SDI interface, waveform monitor, and the widest zoom lens in its class.
As for the HVX200A, essentially it’s the same as the HVX200, but now with ”improved progressive 3-CCD imagers, a DSP that increases sensitivity while lowering noise and smear, and a new 13X zoom lens.” This would be the camera of choice for anyone who wants to shoot HD on P2 but also needs to occasionally shoot on DV tape, which can still come in handy.
The HVX200A could be available as early as May, while the HPX170 is scheduled for a fall release.
Red also released information about their new camera, Scarlet. One thing’s for sure, it’s different. They have posted some of the specs, but there are still a lot of questions, including pricing and availability. Also, it only has an 8x zoom lens, and I would think, much like the Red One, it will require a lot of accessories ($$$ cha-ching $$$) before it’s truly “shoot ready.” Still, it’s very interesting and I will certainly follow all the updates along the way until it’s release in “early 2009.”
All of this news is obviously still very fresh, so I will need to do a little more research and wait until they announce pricing before I decide exactly which camera I go with, but I can say it will probably be one of the Panasonic offerings, and not the Red Scarlet. I just don’t see me waiting until next year for the Scarlet, as I am ready to upgrade now, and it just looks so different, I’m not sure what to expect from it. With Panasonic, I know what I’m getting - a tried and true fantastic camera.
Every now and then, something really big comes along.
YouTube certainly fits that bill. YouTube is more than just “big,” it’s pop culture. It allows anyone, anywhere, to upload any video (within reason) they’ve captured. It’s brilliant. The next logical step would be to broadcast video live.
Enter Ustream.
Ustream.tv allows anyone with a camera and an internet connection to broadcast video live to a global audience of unlimited size.
Wow!
Broadcast video on the web has been around for years, but from my knowledge, it was quite costly and not worth investing in unless you were guaranteed a large audience. The beauty of Ustream, and why it is destined to become the “next thing” is because, like YouTube, it’s free.
Think of all the possibilities. It could be used for business, education, entertainment, and personal events, like weddings and birthdays.
As of this posting, there are 267,919 users with Ustream.tv accounts. I am very interested in seeing where those numbers are at one year from now.
I have created an account for Delirium Media, which is called Delirium Stream. There’s nothing there just yet, after all, this is something I just discovered, but I will be sure to post any updates on this matter.
The very definition of “delirium” is intense excitement. I think that’s how I would describe what I’m feeling now that I can say Delirium Media is proud to offer live broadcast video as a service to you.
As an owner of two dogs (Bambi is the dapple dachshund and Lucky is the terrier/poodle) myself, I found it very difficult to watch Friday’s episode of Oprah. If you saw it, you know what I’m talking about.
It was about the horrible world of puppy mills.
I really did not know anything about puppy mills, but here’s what I learned. The dogs are put into tiny cages. Usually there is just enough room for them to fit and maybe stretch, but definitely not enough room to pace around in. They are never groomed. When the winter comes, they remain outside in their cages, and surely some die from the cold. They never receive any veterinarian care. If they get sick, the owners shoot them.
Apparently, there are about 10,000 of these puppy mills in the US. I’m not sure how many we have here in Canada, but rest assured, they’re out there. It is believed that 99% of the dogs (and cats) at pet stores are from mills. The experts on Oprah suggest that you rescue an animal from a shelter instead, or if you prefer going to a breeder, at least verify that the conditions are humane.
Back in late January, I decided that this would be the year I would switch over to high definition. I’ve already purchased a new 8-core Mac Pro computer, and now it’s time to choose a new camera.
I currently shoot with the Panasonic DVX100A. The HD version of this camera would be the Panasonic HVX200, and if I had to buy a camera today, that’s what it would be. But just as the DVX100 was upgraded to the DVX100A and eventually to the DVX100B, I have a feeling that the HVX200 will be upgraded very shortly.
The NAB Show is an annual event that showcases all the latest technology used by media content creators. Companies often choose to announce new products at this event, and I have a feeling Panasonic will upgrade the HVX200 to an HVX200A. I have no evidence of this, but given the life cycle of the DVX100 cameras, I just think it’s due. Many on the DVXuser forum feel the same.
So that’s the camera I’ve been waiting for, but…
I was talking to another video professional in Windsor last week and he informed me that Red will be announcing a new camera as well. And he was right. It’s called the Red Scarlet. There is very little information available about this camera, other than the fact that it’s made by Red, which actually is pretty exciting in itself.
Why?
Because Red is a new company and the only camera that they have produced, the Red One, is a state-of-the-art revolutionary camera. Many Hollywood directors have one or are getting one. Now, with this camera being priced at about $18,000 (body only, lenses are extra), it’s not for everyone. But the buzz around the Red Scarlet camera is that it will be very similar to the Red One, but smaller, with a few less options, and almost certainly under $10,000. There is virtually no other information available, but it has been confirmed that they will release all the details at the upcoming NAB Show.
Which one will I buy?
The HVX200 has been out for a couple years and everyone knows what it can do. It’s a fantastic camera, and a proven winner. I know that any upgrades Panasonic can make to it would just make it that much more attractive. With the Red Scarlet, we know very little, but the potential is very high. Therefore, until I have all the facts about both cameras, I will not be partial to either one.
The NAB Show runs from April 11-17, so it’s now only days away. I can’t wait to see what Panasonic and Red release at the event.
I will certainly post updates on this topic and of course mention which camera I decided to purchase.