Crawly for Videoscreens: SpyderPro
SpyderPro gets serious: anorganic filters, 12,000 nits, 3D LUT export, OLED support, and proper profiling tools make it fit for postproduction again. Let's see if the claims hold up!
Rack ’n’ Mini: Sonnet Turns Mac mini into Studio Hardware
No more desk spaghetti: Sonnet’s xMac mini (2024+) mounts up to two Mac minis in a 2U rack, adds PCIe via Thunderbolt, and finally brings order to your studio.
ProRes RAW vs. BRAW
BMPCC 4K just learned a new trick: ProRes RAW via firmware. We stacked it against BRAW Q0. One’s cleaner, one’s bigger. Which would you shoot?
ProRes RAW News – Fresh from the Freezer
Resolve 20.2.1 + Sequoia = real ProRes RAW. Sonoma users: no dice. iPhone 17 footage shows the difference...
Hell Froze Over – ProRes RAW for Resolve
For an eternity, it seemed, Blackmagic Design (BM for short) refused to support the import of Apple's ProRes RAW format into their flagship app DaVinci Resolve (DR for short).
Making it Soft – Diffusion in Post II
We looked at Halation and Diffusion before - but how about the new Tools from FilmConvert and Resolve 20?
„For Those Who Dare“
These days you wouldn’t always have to go for an expensive, professionally calibrated screen if you are not working for extremely demanding clients. Has the age of correct colors finally arrived? What about HDR? Let’s have a broader look!
Final Cut Pro:Mac mini or iPad M4?
Let's evaluate the M4 iPad Pro and Mac mini Pro for video editing, especially with DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro X. While the iPad shares advantages with integrated hardware for certain formats, the Mac mini excels in handling high-end camera sources in raw formats. Or does it?
Let's test! The Datacolor LightColor Meter Model LCM200 is designed for accurate light source measurement, addressing challenges in color matching across different light sources.
Mac mini or iPad Pro M4 for Post?
The iPad Pro, with its M4 processor, shows potential for video editing, particularly with applications like DaVinci Resolve. However, limitations arise, notably in memory capacity (16 GB max), affecting stability with high-resolution projects.
Cinemon 1.0: Signal Correction Done Right
Cinemon 1.0 is here. Color pipeline analysis, waveform monitor, and Scopes — now out of beta and ready for your iPad workflow.
Calibration for less – Part 3
Part 3 of the "Calibration for Less" series - we get into the settings with DisplayCal, Connect Software, Hardware and Wetware, and are chasing the elusive perfect colours!
Colour Monitoring for Cheapskates! Part 2
Now that your I/O-Hardware should be up and running, let’s get into equipment for profiling the screen (aka…
Color Monitoring for Cheapskates?Part 1
Colour Monitoring is cheap, easy, and fast. As usual, you can pick two of those adjectives — and in this series, we are going for cheap and will make it easy for you!
Out on its own: Twixtor Standalone
Twixtor standalone offers an easy-to-use solution for slow-motion video generation using AI, but it is slower than competitors. Topaz Video AI excels in speed and quality, making it the recommended choice, even if it doesn't come cheap. Which one is right for you?
CineMon 1.0: Correcting the Signal
Let's talk about using low-cost HDMI video capture devices for accurate signal representation, particularly with log formats like S-log3. And also the development and application of a correction LUT using Resolve to enhance the accuracy of color and luminance.
Hardware for CineMon (et. al.)
After looking at the software side of CineMon, it's time to take a look at the hardware - whats good and what's not?
The times of expensive hardware-based scopes are gone. Modern software scopes are versatile, flexible, and can be adapted to new technologies. Until now, Nobe OmniScope by Time in Pixels was the leading solution, both under Windows and MacOS. But there’s a new kid on the block for MacOS and iOS now, called CineMon (with a charming agnomination to a popular spice).
DaVinci Resolve Version 19 – Speech recognition
The public beta version has been available for some time and once again offers numerous new functions. Blackmagic Design (BM for short) is still releasing improved versions every few weeks, but many of the new features are already relatively stable and allow initial tests.
BMD Micro Color Panel
In addition to some new cameras, the Australians have also released a revised version of their smallest grading panel. Unlike the new camera models, it was already available for us to test.
Film with a Phone?
It's almost 10 years since Austin Reza shot a film for Bentley's luxury cars: on an iPhone 5S. At the time, it was still in stylish black and white and with high contrasts - no doubt also to prevent artefacts from becoming too obvious. Back in 2011, Park Chan-wook and Park
Chan-kyong from South Korea even shot the fantasy horror "Night Fishing" on an iPhone 4 in colour and won a Golden Bear for the best short film. Apple itself, on the other hand, has generally shot its advertising films on cameras such as the Arri Alexa.
SynthEyes at BorisFX
3D camera tracking, also known as "match moving" in the professional scene, is now offered by every better software for video editing or 3D. But when we compared a few such popular 3D trackers in DP 18:01, SynthEyes was already our high-end reference for good reason.
The discovery of slowness
Artificial slow motion, i.e. the calculation of additional intermediate images, has been around for a long time. The best methods to date have been called "optical flow", although this actually refers to the visual perception of movement in general. Now A.I. or neural networks are also establishing themselves here. We compare Twixtor 8, DaVinci Resolve 18.6 and Topaz Video AI 4.
Halation and diffusion – On the hunt for the ultimate film look
What do you do when digital cameras and modern lenses are too good? It's simple: you use software to simulate the technical weaknesses of analogue film or the filters that experienced cameramen use in such cases.
Nobe OmniScope – so far!
Tom Huczek from TimeInPixels must be a very busy man. We have already presented his Nobe OmniScope in detail in DP 21:02 and 22:02, but enough new things have been added to take another look at this comprehensive display tool.
Shutter Encoder – Multitool for video and audio
If you want to work with video on a machine that does not support all of today's codecs (preferably via hardware), you will often come up against limits. This ranges from a stuttering timeline to clips that are not displayed at all. Then there are the clips from smartphones, which are usually recorded with a variable frame rate. Professional editing systems usually don't like this either, which can lead to asynchronous picture and sound or even rendering errors.
Unlike most cinema films
Unlike most cinema films, new software sequels are usually released with new ideas - and DaVinci Resolve 18.5 and 18.6 (DR for short) are no exception. In particular, there are quite impressive new
AI functions among them. But this time, one wonders whether one has bought the cinema ticket too early without waiting for the criticism of others. Or whether you installed the update too early without consulting the relevant forums.
Topaz Video AI Revisited: V4
We only took a look at version 3 of Topaz Video AI (TVAI for short) at the beginning of the year, which had already been improved in terms of user-friendliness, but as we all know, AI is constantly learning. In version 4, the user interface has been revised again and technical developments have also been added in recent months. However, the latter also applies to Davinci Resolve (DR), which has just been released in a new version, so it's worth taking another Comparison.
What about Roundtrips? Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve
Professionals experienced in teamwork will probably already be familiar with the following. But what about everyone else who, after initial successes, approaches projects that involve real money and real customers? Mistakes in the workflow and the need to fix them can push your real hourly wage well below the minimum promised by your government, not to mention the loss of your first important client.
Tech demo or working tool? DaVinci Resolve on the iPad Pro
You would expect Apple itself to demonstrate the enormous performance of its tablet devices in practice. So far, only gamers have been able to utilise such an iPad, and they are rarely out and about with it. Otherwise, the many cores usually twiddle their thumbs. But instead of a port of Final Cut Pro X, Apple itself uses DaVinci Resolve in its own advertising, which has already been ported, albeit with a limited range of functions.
Can you seriously work with it?
Saving audiovisual cultural heritage with Topaz Video AI 3.0
In DP 04:20, we have already tested the artificial intelligence for upscaling video. Topaz Video AI (TVAI for short), as it is now called in version 3.0, has, according to the manufacturer, been developed from scratch
developed from scratch to incorporate additional capabilities and enable the stacking of AI models with filters and parallel operation.
“Gyroscopes” for image stabilisation in post-production
Why do I put the term in parentheses? Because it actually refers to classic gyro stabilisation. The word is based on the Greek word for "circle" or "turn" - which is why the meat from the spit is also called Gyros in Greek.
Cut faster – The Blackmagic Speed Editor
In DP 02:20, we already presented the Editor Keyboard from Blackmagic Design (BMD for short). It used to be close to 1,000 euros, but when it didn't become a big seller, it was lowered to around 600. Meanwhile, the manufacturer has removed the regular keys in the centre, moved the side panels closer together and added a few extra keys. The result is called Speed Editor (SE for short) and is still being offered at the competitive price of 380 euros including a licence for DaVinci Resolve Studio. Some folks are even marketing the device for 199 euros without the licence, but it remains unclear whether this is permissible on the part of BMD.
Assimilate Live FX
Assimilate Live FX brings post to set—live keying, LED walls, and DMX lighting, all in real time. It’s not quite StageCraft, but it’s definitely stage-crafty.
Kyno as an editing assistant for Resolve
Review: In DP 04 : 2020, our author Uli Plank took a look at the management app Kyno - and its support for Blackmagic Design.
Many loved the inconspicuous Blackmagic Pocket HD despite all its weaknesses - from short battery life to fragile sockets and a very flat screen.
The best light meter ..
... is the one you have with you. And what does everyone have in their pocket these days? Sure, a mobile phone. But can an app compete with a professional light meter? We did the maths. And aren't light meters terribly old-school? Not really for cameramfolks on a film set - except perhaps for solo entertainers on YouTube.
More image sharpness with Focus Chart
In order to calibrate the focus of a camera or the lens on the camera system as accurately as possible, expensive and above all manual focus chart systems are generally used, for which there is also authorisation and which are sometimes very sensitive, depending on the provider. For hobby filmmakers and young filmmakers, there is a small solution in app form.
Helper for ideal green screen lighting
For the most accurate key possible, the green or blue screen must be ideally lit. If there is no light meter in the immediate vicinity, you can use the app called Green Screener from Hollywood Camera Work. For just under 12 euros including tax, we get a helper for determining the ideal lighting conditions with sophisticated functions. The helper can be installed on Android and iOS devices and is available via the respective store. What exactly the Green Screener has to offer and how the app performs in use is shown below using an example.
Blackmagic Design: DaVinci Resolve and Fusion turn 16
For young people, 16 is considered a rather problematic age, but the roots of Resolve and Fusion go way back into the last century and you can expect a certain maturity. Does this also apply to a public beta?
Does Alex make Toni unemployed?
A look back: How does audio AI work in practice? "Alex Audio Butler" consists of VST plug-ins that are designed to handle the sound mixing independently. The big players in the VST game: DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro and Adobe Audition.
More pixels in your pocket – Blackmagic Pocket 4K in test
Many loved the inconspicuous Blackmagic Pocket HD despite all its weaknesses. The film images were simply too beautiful for a camera of this price range and size. As soon as 4K became an issue, many people wanted a new successor to the classic 16 mm camera with better resolution. Does the new camera have that much magic?
Blackmagic eGPU: Additional graphics with Apple’s blessing
Thunderbolt fuelled hopes early on that it could be used to boost the graphics performance of a computer. For a long time, however, it only supported the use of fast storage solutions, but not external graphics cards - now known as eGPU or eGFX. Read more....
The virtual glue press:CineXtools from Cinedeck
Non-linear video editing with computers (NLE for short) has given us enormous freedom. Not only the fiddling with adhesive presses and cotton gloves, synchronised tape machines or even toxic carbon tetrachloride in magnetic magnifiers from the early days of videotape are a thing of the past. today, "cuts" are non-destructive and can be altered at will (sometimes all too often). But the whole thing has one disadvantage .....
It's surprising when a company with black magic in its name skips version 13. Or do the new features alone justify a bigger leap? The integration of the recently acquired digital audio workstation Fairlight is brand new. There is also an extensive effects library, improvements in handling and the collaborative workflow for editing. Resolve 14 is also said to be "up to ten times faster". We took a closer look at the studio version of the fifth public beta. by Prof. Uli Plank