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Media Composer
Release 8.1 Release Notes
for the Macintosh Operating System
Important Information
Avid recommends that you read all the information in these release
notes thoroughly before installing or using any new software release.
The documentation describes the features and hardware of all models.
Therefore, your system might not contain certain features and
hardware that are covered in this documentation.
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If you are upgrading to Release 8.1, read about important changes to the
software and hardware described in Upgrades: Application Key (Dongle)
Updater on page 32 and Running Updaters on page 34.
Only Mac OS 8.6 and Mac OS 9.0 are supported at this time. If you
do not have one of these on your system, you must install it. For
instructions on uninstalling or installing the operating system, see
your Apple documentation.
Contents
Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Media Composer Installation Check List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Whats New for Release 8.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
New Hardware for Release 8.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
About the USB Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Dual Streams of Uncompressed Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1
In the margin you will find tips that help you perform tasks more
easily and efficiently.
Avid drive
A caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to
your computer or cause you to lose data.
Including the serial board in the system configuration prevents the use of ICE
PCI boards. The serial board corrects an infrequent and intermittent system
hang during batch digitizing. Avid is actively working on a solution to
correct the system hang and to eliminate the use of the serial board. For
information about the serial board, see Hardware Configuration Change
on page 67.
The Avid PCI Extender provides six usable slots for the
Media Composer system.
The Power Macintosh G4 system uses universal serial bus (USB)
devices. There are two USB ports on the back of the Power Macintosh
G4. A seven-port USB hub attaches to one of the USB ports.
Avid Technology does not support additional devices on Apples Ultra SCSI
bus.
The USB technology is rather new to the marketplace. While it offers some
major benefits in terms of connectivity and choice of peripherals, Avid has
experienced some intermittent problems with some USB devices. Avid is
continuing to work with Apple and a number of USB peripheral vendors to
improve overall USB reliability.
If you install the Macally software you cannot shuttle or scrub with the
mouse.
You can perform this procedure with the Media Composer application open
and the Macintosh turned on.
For information about the status of Avid products and Y2K readiness, see the
Avid Web site at www.avid.com/y2k.
Other versions have not been tested and might cause problems.
Table 1
Processor Speed
Mac OS
Version
ROM
Version
G4
350 MHz a
8.6
9.0
1.8.1
3.0.0
400 MHz
8.6
9.0
1.6
3.0.0
G3 (beige)
333 MHz
8.6 or 9.0
NAb
9600
8.6 or 9.0
NAb
10
Make sure your drive has sufficient space. Otherwise, the Macintosh
system might crash if you export any of the following file formats:
Alias
IFF
QRT
TARGA
BMP
PCX
Rendition
TIFF
Chyron
Photoshop
SGI
Wavefront
Cineon
Pixar
Softimage
X Windows System
Framestore
PNG
Sun Raster
YUV
Built-in RAM
Built-in RAM refers to the physical random-access memory installed
in your Macintosh system. Memory requirements vary, depending on
what applications you are running. Table 2 shows the built-in RAM
requirements for Release 8.1.
11
Table 2
Installed Application
Minimum Requirements
Required:
Media Composer
147 MB
30 MB
8 MB
Recommended 6 MB free
6 MB
Optional:
EDL Manager
21 MB
AvidNet
18 MB
6 MB
AVX Plug-Ins
20 MB
Total Minimum
247 MB
Total Recommended
256 MB
New memory kits are available from Avid for updating your existing
RAM configurations. For details, contact your Avid sales
representative.
12
Table 3
Power Macintosh
CPU G4 and CPU G3
(Blue and White)
Power Macintosh
CPU G3 (Beige)
Power Macintosh
CPU 9600
Type:
Banks:
4 (G4)
3 (G3 blue and white)
Modules/Bank:
Built-in RAM:
Standard Configuration:
256 MB
256 MB
256 MB
256 MB
32 MB
FPM:
NAa
NAa
Yes
EDO:
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
Parity:
NAa
NAa
NAa
Interleaving:
No
No
a. NA = Not applicable
13
If you have a system that has less than 256 MB of RAM, change the default
memory settings for Release 8.1 back to their original Minimum and
Preferred values.
You might need to increase the Preferred size if you are working on
large projects with Media Composer.
If you increase the amount of memory allocated to the application,
make sure to leave enough memory to run the Macintosh operating
system and other applications, such as EDL Manager, AvidNet, and
Help. The operating systems need for memory is dynamic; therefore,
the operating system might require more memory when running
certain processes.
To change the amount of memory allocated to the application:
1. Click the application icon to highlight it.
2. Choose Get Info from the File menu.
14
Show
pop-up menu
Minimum size
Preferred size
Do not set the Preferred size to less than the Minimum size.
6. Click the close box in the upper left corner to close the
Media Composer Info window.
7. Restart the Macintosh system.
15
The application might not start and you might see an error
message stating that the system was unable to load one of the
required libraries. The error message indicates that not enough
free memory is available to run Media Composer or that the
required libraries are not installed in the system. For more
information on allocating memory to the application, see your
Macintosh documentation. For information on installing the
16
AVXLibrary
DB Library
GT Library
HIIP Library
MT Library
Universal
coreLibrary
QAPSharedLibrary
MSL_RuntimePPC++.DLL
17
PGENIE.NDR
SVI.CF
PIM3.slib
TrilliumUtilities
Avid Codec
AvidDriverInit
ExpressRAID
E3ITF
USB Sentinel
ObjectSupportLib
QuickTime PowerPlug
DigiSystem_Init
The Avid system uses an extension called DigiSystem_Init to process
audio files. The installation software automatically installs the file in
18
If you do not have the correct version, delete or move the file
to another folder.
19
Table 4
Minimum Level
for Release 8.1
C1
20
Table 4
Minimum Level
for Release 8.1
The Avid System Utility is no longer part of the utilities applications. Board
functions that it performed are now performed by Avid System Test Pro.
21
To verify the ROM version of a G3 (blue and white) system with Mac OS 8.6,
click the Mac OS ROM file in the System folder and choose Get Info from the
File menu.
If you do not have the correct version of the Macintosh OS and ROM,
obtain and load the operating system as described in Obtaining the
Macintosh Operating System on page 23 and Obtaining the
Macintosh OS ROM Update on page 23.
22
Install the software from the Macintosh CD-ROM. You receive this
CD-ROM when you purchase a new Power Macintosh. Follow the
instructions in Guidelines for Installing the Macintosh
Operating System on page 24 of these release notes.
23
Check the internal hard drive and repair any problems by using
DiskWarrior Version 1.0.4 or Apple Disk First Aid.
Make sure the Destination Disk is the internal hard drive (usually
named Avid).
The Language Kit Updater is located in the Apple Extras folder. If you
don't use the Language Kit Updater, you will encounter Apple menu
problems.
24
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Do not install the Macally mouse software drivers. If you install the Macally
software drivers, you cannot shuttle or scrub with the mouse.
If the devices are connected to the Avid system before the software drivers are
installed, you will receive error messages. To eliminate the error messages,
install the software drivers and restart the Avid system.
25
26
Preliminary Information
Verify that the version of the Macintosh OS is a supported version, see
Verifying the Macintosh Operating System Version on page 22.
New systems are shipped with the current version of the Macintosh
OS installed, but you should still verify that you have the current
version.
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Installation Procedure
Before you install Media Composer, make sure the software for the
USB devices and serial board are installed, see Installing Software
Drivers on page 25.
27
28
Avid
Media Composer
icon
7. Drag the Avid Media Composer icon to the Avid Drive icon. The
installation takes several minutes.
29
8. Click Restart.
9. Install the FilmScribe software from the CD-ROM. For
installation procedures, see the Avid FilmScribe Release Notes.
Custom Installations
You can perform a custom installation to install particular files from
the installation CD-ROM. For example, you might want to install only
the EDL Manager files. You can also reinstall an individual component
of the Media Composer system if it becomes lost or damaged.
To perform a custom installation:
1. Open the MC 8.1 Install window by following the steps in
Installation Procedure on page 27.
2. Click Show Other Installations.
Click here.
30
Items you
can install
3. Click any item that you want to install. To install multiple items,
Shift+click additional items.
4. Drag the highlighted items to the Avid Drive icon.
The system proceeds with the installation. After the installation is
complete, the system asks whether you want to install additional
items or quit the installation procedure.
31
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The ATI Driver Update file needs to be disabled before using the
Media Composer application.
For systems in France, the Avid installer removes the
Mise jour gestionnaires ATI driver.
If the ATI Driver Update file is not disabled, the system will crash
when you quit Media Composer.
32
33
Running Updaters
If you are upgrading a Macintosh G3 or 9600 system to
Media Composer Release 8.1, you might need to update the various
firmware by running the updaters.
The updaters are:
Test Patterns
Test patterns are no longer located in the Goodies folder. They are now
located in the SupportingFiles folder and should be imported with 601
video levels.
34
Software Utilities
Table 5 lists software utilities, current revision levels, and the folders
where the utilities are located.
Table 5
Software
Version
ADU2
2.3
Utilities
ASTFlasherPro
2.0
Utilities/AvidSystemTest
AvidLogExchange
2.8
Utilities/ALE
AVIDstartup
3.0.0
2.0
Utilities/AvidSystemTest
9.2D1
AvidDriverInit
1.0.2
CommCloser
Utilities
CompactPro
1.51
Utilities/Compact Pro
DAE
3.4.2
DigiSystem_INIT
3.4.2
1.0b1
Utilities
DiskWarrior
1.0.4
Utilitiesa
35
Table 5
Software
Version
Dongle Dumper
5.0.0
Utilities
EDL Manager
8.1
EDL Manager
ExpressPCI_UL2D
1.4.4uf1 (G4)
1.3.6uf0 (G3 or 9600)
Utilities
ExpressRAID
2.3f0
Utilities/ATTO and
System Folder/Extensions
FilmScribe
2.0.1
FilmScribe
FreeTerm
3.0b3
Utilities/FreeTerm
MacsBug
6.6
System Folder
MediaLog
8.1
MediaLog
StorEx
1.4
Utilities/StorEx
SVI.CF
3.2.0.95
Vantage
Vantage Installer
1.6.1
Utilities/Vantage Utilities/
External Functions
VideoIOUtil
2.0
Utilities/AvidSystemTest
a. This is a third-party product. The folder location depends on the users installation process.
36
37
Table 6
38
The information in this section is accurate for Media Composer Release 8.1.
The available effects can change with a new release of the system and might
not be reflected in this document.
For a description of each effect, see the Avid Media Composer Effects
Guide.
39
Table 7
Effect
Category
Effect Name
Media
Composer
1000 XL
Media
Composer
Offline XL
Blend
3D Warp
RT
RT
Blend
Dip to Color
RT
RT
Blend
Dissolve
RT
RT
Blend
RT
RT
Blend
Fade to Color
RT
RT
Blend
Picture-in-Picture
RT
RT
Blend
Superimpose
RT
RT
Box Wipe
Bottom Box
RT
RT
Box Wipe
RT
RT
Box Wipe
RT
RT
Box Wipe
Left Box
RT
RT
Box Wipe
Right Box
RT
RT
Box Wipe
Top Box
RT
RT
Box Wipe
RT
RT
Box Wipe
RT
RT
Conceal
RT
RT
Conceal
RT
RT
40
Table 7
Effect
Category
Effect Name
Media
Composer
1000 XL
Media
Composer
Offline XL
Conceal
Bottom to Top
RT
RT
Conceal
Left to Right
RT
RT
Conceal
Right to Left
RT
RT
Conceal
RT
RT
Conceal
RT
RT
Conceal
Top to Bottom
RT
RT
Edge Wipe
Horizontal
RT
RT
Edge Wipe
Horizontal Open
RT
RT
Edge Wipe
Edge Wipe
Edge Wipe
Edge Wipe
Edge Wipe
Vertical Open
RT
RT
Edge Wipe
Vertical
RT
RT
Film
1.66 Mask
RT
RT
Film
1.85 Mask
RT
RT
Film
16 x 9 Mask
RT
RT
Film
Anamorphic Mask
RT
RT
41
Table 7
Effect
Category
Effect Name
Media
Composer
1000 XL
Media
Composer
Offline XL
Film
Blowup
RT
RT
Film
Film Dissolve
RT
RT
Film
Film Fade
RT
RT
Film
Mask
RT
RT
Image
Color Effect
RT
RT
Image
Flip
RT
RT
Image
Flip-Flop
RT
RT
Image
Flop
RT
RT
Image
Mask
RT
RT
Image
Paint Effect
Image
Resize
RT
RT
Image
Scratch Removal
Key
AniMatte
Key
Chroma Key
RT
RT
Key
Luma Key
RT
RT
Key
Matte Key
L-Conceal
Bottom Left
RT
RT
L-Conceal
Bottom Right
RT
RT
42
Table 7
Effect
Category
Effect Name
Media
Composer
1000 XL
Media
Composer
Offline XL
L-Conceal
Top Left
RT
RT
L-Conceal
Top Right
RT
RT
Matrix Wipe
Grid
Matrix Wipe
One-Way Row
Matrix Wipe
Speckle
Matrix Wipe
Spiral
Matrix Wipe
Zig Zag
Motion
Freeze Frame
RT
RT
Motion
Variable Speed
(Slo-Mo Forward)
RT
RT
Motion
Variable Speed
Motion
Strobe
Motion
Interpolated
Peel (2D)
RT
RT
Peel (2D)
RT
RT
Peel (2D)
Bottom to Top
RT
RT
Peel (2D)
Left to Right
RT
RT
Peel (2D)
Right to Left
RT
RT
43
Table 7
Effect
Category
Effect Name
Media
Composer
1000 XL
Media
Composer
Offline XL
Peel (2D)
RT
RT
Peel (2D)
RT
RT
Peel (2D)
Top to Bottom
RT
RT
Push
Push
Push
Bottom to Top
Push
Left to Right
Push
Right to Left
Push
Push
Push
Top to Bottom
Sawtooth Wipe
Horizontal Sawtooth
Sawtooth Wipe
Sawtooth Wipe
Sawtooth Wipe
Vertical Sawtooth
Shape Wipe
4 Corners
Shape Wipe
Center Box
RT
RT
Shape Wipe
Circle
44
Table 7
Effect
Category
Effect Name
Media
Composer
1000 XL
Media
Composer
Offline XL
Shape Wipe
Clock
Shape Wipe
Diamond
Shape Wipe
Ellipse
Shape Wipe
Horizontal Bands
Shape Wipe
Horizontal Blinds
Shape Wipe
Vertical Blinds
Spin (2D)
X Spin
Spin (2D)
Y Spin
Spin (2D)
Z Spin
RT
RT
Squeeze
Bottom Centered
RT
RT
Squeeze
Bottom Left
RT
RT
Squeeze
Bottom Right
RT
RT
Squeeze
Bottom to Top
RT
RT
Squeeze
Centered Zoom
RT
RT
Squeeze
Horizontal Centered
RT
RT
Squeeze
Left Centered
RT
RT
Squeeze
Left to Right
RT
RT
Squeeze
Right Centered
RT
RT
45
Table 7
Effect
Category
Effect Name
Media
Composer
1000 XL
Media
Composer
Offline XL
Squeeze
Right to Left
RT
RT
Squeeze
Top Centered
RT
RT
Squeeze
Top Left
RT
RT
Squeeze
Top Right
RT
RT
Squeeze
Top to Bottom
RT
RT
Squeeze
Vertical Centered
RT
RT
Xpress 3D
3D Arrow
RT
RT
Xpress 3D
3D Ball
RT
RT
Xpress 3D
3D Bumps
RT
RT
Xpress 3D
3D Center Burst
RT
RT
Xpress 3D
3D Multi Wave
RT
RT
Xpress 3D
3D PIP
RT
RT
Xpress 3D
3D Page Curl
RT
RT
Xpress 3D
3D Page Fold
RT
RT
Xpress 3D
3D Quad Split
RT
RT
Xpress 3D
3D Sine Wave
RT
RT
Xpress 3D
3D Slats
RT
RT
46
Special Notes
This section contains important information about system-level
changes that affect the way your Media Composer software and
hardware operate.
47
The family name of your drive can be found on the front of the MediaDrive or
MediaDock shuttle.
Table 8
Family Name
SCSI Type
RPM
Drive Type
Available
Capacities
iS
Fast, wide
7200
9 GB, 2 GB
iS Pro
Fast, wide
7200
9 GB, 18 GB
iS Plus
Fast, wide
10,000
MediaDock Shuttle
9 GB, 18 GB
rS Plus
Fast, wide
10,000
Fixed MediaDrive
9 GB, 18 GB
iS Plus LVD
LVD
10,000
MediaDock shuttle
9 GB, 18 GB
iS LVD
LVD
10,000
MediaDock shuttle
18 GB, 36 GB
rS LVD
LVD
10,000
Fixed MediaDrive
9 GB, 18 GB, 36 GB
Fibre Channel
7200
Fixed MediaDrive
9 GB
MEDIArray Drive
Fibre Channel
10,000
Fixed MediaDrive
18 GB
48
Eight channels of audio at 48 kHz with real-time downstreamkeyed titles and graphics
49
Table 9 is a guide for productions with typical edit densities. For projects
involving high-cut densities (extensive cuts at fewer than 10-frame edits),
Avid recommends increasing to the next striping increment.
Key to Table 9:
Table 9
Drive
Family
Single-Field
Resolution
NTSC/PAL
Two-Field Resolution
NTSC/PAL
Uncompressed
Two-Field
Resolution
NTSC/PAL
15:1s
4:1s
2:1s
20:1
10:1
3:1
2:1
1:1
iS
RT
RT
1 stream
RT
RT
1 stream
NS
NS
iS Pro
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
NS
NS
iS Plus
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
NS
rS Plus
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
NS
iS Plus LVD
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
NS
iS LVD
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
NS
rS LVD
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
NS
50
Table 10 is a guide for productions with typical edit densities. For projects
involving high-cut densities (extensive cuts at fewer than 10-frame edits),
Avid recommends increasing to the next striping increment.
Key to Table 10:
Table 10
Drive
Family
Single-Field
Resolution
NTSC/PAL
Two-Field Resolution
NTSC/PAL
Uncompressed
Two-Field
Resolution
NTSC/PAL
15:1s
4:1s
2:1s
20:1
10:1
3:1
2:1
1:1
iS
RT
RT
1 stream
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
NS
iS Pro
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
NS
iS Plus
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
NS
rS Plus
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
NS
iS Plus LVD
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
NS
iS LVD
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
rS LVD
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
a. Use two SCSI channels for fast, wide MediaDrives and MediaDock Shuttle packs, or one
SCSI channel for LVD MediaDrive enclosures or MediaDock LVD shuttles.
51
Table 11
Drive
Family
Single-Field
Resolution
NTSC/PAL
Two-Field Resolution
NTSC/PAL
Uncompressed
Two-Field
Resolution
NTSC/PAL
15:1s
4:1s
2:1s
20:1
10:1
3:1
2:1
1:1
iS
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
NS
iS Pro
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
NS
iS Plus
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
rS Plus
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
iS Plus LVD
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 streamb
iS LVD
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RTc
rS LVD
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RTc
a. Use two SCSI channels for fast, wide MediaDrives and MediaDock Shuttle packs, or one
SCSI channel for LVD MediaDrive enclosures or MediaDock LVD shuttles.
b. Four-way striping is supported for 1:1 resolution using iS Plus LVD (MediaDock shuttle).
Avid recommends switching to 8-way striping for projects that use extensive cuts of fewer
than 10-frame edits.
c. Uncompressed 2 streams for 1:1 resolution is supported only when you are using a G4
platform and you 4-way stripe across two SCSI channels by using the iS LVD and rS LVD
drive families. For projects involving high-cut densities (extensive cuts at fewer than
10-frame edits), you must render before you play back switching to 8-way striping will
not help.
52
Table 12 is a guide for productions that use extensive cuts of fewer than
10-frame edits. Use of 8-way striping for drives not shown in the table does
not gain you any functionality over 4-way striping.
Key to Table 12:
Table 12
Drive
Family
iS Plus LVD
Single-Field
Resolution
NTSC/PAL
Two-Field Resolution
NTSC/PAL
Uncompressed
Two-Field
Resolution
NTSC/PAL
15:1s
4:1s
2:1s
20:1
10:1
3:1
2:1
1:1
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
53
Table 13 is a guide for productions with typical edit densities. For projects
involving high-cut densities (extensive cuts at fewer than 10-frame edits),
Avid recommends increasing to the next striping increment.
Key to Table 13:
Table 13
Drive Family
Single-Field
Resolution
NTSC/PAL
MediaShare F/C
or MEDIArray
Drivesa
Two-Field Resolution
NTSC/PAL
Uncompressed
Two-Field
Resolution
NTSC/PAL
15:1s
4:1s
2:1s
20:1
10:1
3:1
2:1
1:1
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
1 stream
a. Use 10-way striping for MediaShare F/C drives, and 6-way or 10-way striping for
MEDIArray drives.
If you are not already a registered user of the Knowledge Center, register now.
Registered users can access more information.
54
3. Click Products.
4. Choose Utilities from the Storage + Networking menu.
5. Click Documentation.
6. Click Release Notes.
Links to the latest drive striping information are posted here.
There are drives connected to the Fibre Channel board and they
are turned on.
The Fibre Channel driver searches for drives. If none are connected to
the Fibre Channel board or if the Avid Unity MediaNet connection is
off, the performance of Media Composer is affected.
Disable the Fibre Channel driver if no drives are connected to the Fibre
Channel board or if the Avid Unity MediaNet connection is off:
1. Quit Media Composer.
2. Choose Control Panels from the Apple menu.
3. Choose Extensions Manager.
The Extensions Manager window opens.
4. Duplicate the current set of extensions and rename the file.
5. Disable the Avid Fibre Channel Driver on the duplicated set of
extensions.
6. Restart the Macintosh.
55
56
Calibrating the audio I/O device requires a sine wave generator and a
screwdriver.
For example, if your audio I/O device is calibrated to 14 dBFS, you
can set the applications hardware calibration setting value to
14 dBFS. After you change the applications hardware calibration
setting value, the following settings also change to match:
Reference Level in the Set Reference Level dialog box (Peak Hold
pop-up menu Audio tool)
Calibration Tone in the Set Calibration Tone dialog box (Peak Hold
pop-up menu Audio tool)
57
58
If the calibration of your audio I/O device does not match the
new Hardware Calibration setting value, click Help for
procedures on how to calibrate the audio I/O device, or see
Calibrating Input Channels of the Audio I/O Device on
page 59 and Calibrating Output Channels of the Audio I/O
Device on page 61.
3. Click OK.
59
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To return to the default Audio tool display, choose Calibrate from the
PH (Peak Hold) pop-up menu.
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The availability of the Consumer Source option depends on the model of your
Media Composer.
If you continue to experience difficulty with a source that does not
include an internal TBC, Avid recommends the video signal be
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For more information on cropping, see the Avid Media Composer Effects
Guide.
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If you are digitizing audio only from a source that uses REF IN (with
black burst, for example) on the Meridien I/O box for sync, the
system will change the timing reference to the video input signal
when the option Always display incoming video in the
Client monitor is selected in the Digitize Settings dialog box. To
avoid losing the REF IN sync source, deselect this option before
capturing audio only.
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Operation of the Green Video Sync Light on the Meridien I/O Box
The green Video Sync light is lit whenever the timing is successfully
locked to either REF or to the video input signal. If the green light is
off, the timing is being obtained from the internal, free-running time
base.
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The first half of the top half line (line 283) will be below black, at
approximately digital 1.
The last half of the bottom half line (line 263) will be below black
at approximately digital 1.
When the video is played back as SDI, there will be negative pulses
that appear for this reason. If the output is NTSC with setup, these
pulses will be canceled out. If, however, the SDI output ultimately
goes to an NTSC-EIAJ encoder, these pulses will be below blanking.
This latter problem is common to other equipment as well and is a
property of the difference between the black levels of these three
formats.
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Documentation Changes
This section describes changes and additions to the Media Composer
Release 8.0 documentation.
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You must load the serial converter software prior to loading and
executing the Avid software, see Installing Software Drivers on
page 25.
G4 platform (rear)
1
2
1 2
Serial board
PCI slot 3
Figure 1
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The lock does not prevent you from deleting the media in a locked
bin if you have write access to the workspace. It ensures only that
you dont overwrite changes to the bin.
Sharing Methods
Before you begin copying or creating bins and projects on an
Avid Unity MediaNet workspace, you need to determine the sharing
method you will use for the project.
Shared Bins
When you use this method, you store the project on your Avid system
and store bins and media files on the shared workspace. This method
allows users in a shared environment to share only selected bins with
other users.
The Media Composer application uses the following methods to
identify the shared bins:
Stores the bin in a Unity Bins folder in the Project window. This
folder is similar to the Other Bins folder.
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Uses bold text to identify bins that are locked by other users.
Creates a project folder for each Avid system that accesses the
project. Media Composer adds the Avid systems computer name
to the folder name to create a unique name and stores any projectspecific information in the folder. This mechanism prevents users
from overwriting the project-specific data for other users.
The folder is similar to the folder created when you choose New
Folder from the Project Window Fast menu. For more information,
see Managing Folders and Bins in the Working with the Project
Window chapter of the Avid Media Composer Users Guide.
Uses bold text to identify bins that are locked by other users.
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Shared projects
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The Bin Lock Status button does not appear if the bin is not on the
Avid Unity MediaNet environment.
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You can click the Bin Lock Status button in the bin to view a history file
that shows which Avid systems and users have modified the bin.
To open a bin without taking the lock, Option+double-click the bin in
the Project window.
Overriding the Default Locking Mechanism
You can instruct Media Composer to keep a bin locked even after you
close it.
To permanently lock a bin:
1. Select one or more bins in the Project window.
2. Choose Lock Project Bin from the Clip menu.
An asterisk (*) appears next to the user name in the Project
window. In this case, the bin remains locked even after you close
it.
To unlock the bin, click the bin in the Project window and choose
Unlock Project Bin from the Clip menu.
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The lock does not prevent you from deleting the media in a locked
bin if you have write access to the workspace. It ensures only that
you dont overwrite changes to the bin.
AVIDdrive Utility 2
The following features and support have been added to AVIDdrive
Utility 2 since the manual was printed:
1. AVIDdrive Utility 2 (ADU 2) supports the Desktop FieldPak
Adapter.
When you use ADU 2 with the FieldPak Adapter, you can move
the mounted FieldPak to a Raw state (no file system) and then
place a Macintosh file system on the FieldPak. This allows you to
use the FieldPak like any other Macintosh hard drive (mount and
unmount it). Later, when you move the FieldPak back to the
camera, you must reinitialize the FieldPak for use with the camera.
2. You can use AVIDdrive Utility 2 to erase and partition Avid rS
MediaDrives, iS MediaDrives, all Pro MediaDrives, and Avid
MediaDock Shuttle LVD packs.
3. You can no longer create 2-GB partitions. A 4-GB partition is the
smallest partition allowed by AVIDdrive Utility 2. If you have a
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2-GB drive, you must choose maximum size when asked for the
size of the partition.
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Avid StorEx
The Options tab in the Main window of Avid StorEx has a new check
box, Remap Bad Sectors, located in the Error Handling panel (see
Figure 2).
Figure 2
The Remap Bad Sectors check box functions only when you are
performing destructive (write) tests (for example, during a sequential
write test). If you click the Remap Bad Sectors check box during a
destructive test, StorEx remaps any bad sectors found to known good
sectors on the drive.
Destructive tests write data to the hard drive. This test data
overwrites any data, the file system structure, and the partition map
that is currently on the drive. Avid does not recommend the use of
this check box unless recommended by a support technician.
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Limitations
Avid/Mezzo Archiver Release 3.1.9 or earlier is not supported with
Media Composer Release 8.1. Contact your Avid reseller for
availability of updated versions of Avid/Mezzo Archiver.
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You can move media files from Avid Symphony Release 2.1,
Media Composer Release 9.1 (Windows NT), Film Composer
Release 9.1 (Windows NT), or Avid Xpress Release 3.1
(Windows NT) to a Media Composer Release 8.1 (Macintosh)
system, and then consolidate the media without receiving errors.
You can scrub audio-only clips by using the step (jog) buttons or the
mouse without receiving an unmapped memory exception.
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Starting Apple System Profiler from the Apple menu with the PCI
expansion chassis turned on no longer causes a fatal error.
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Known Bugs
Audio
If you plan to use Pro Tools on the same system as Media Composer,
note that Pro Tools uses different versions of the following files:
If you plan to use Pro Tools on your Media Composer system, you will
need to keep separate copies of these files and copy them to the correct
location before you start the application. For the default AudioSuite
Plug-Ins, you should keep separate copies of the entire DAE folder
(located in the System folder).
After you replace the files, you must restart the system for
DigiSystem_Init to take effect.
An exception error occurs when you play a group clip with an audio
pan over the edit.
Audio fades do not get extracted from the OMFI file when pan/vol is
on the clip. When you import this OMFI file into another system,
the dissolve will be unrendered. You might want to perform an audio
mixdown of the clip before exporting.
If you eject a local drive from a system that has Avid Unity
MediaNet volumes mounted, when you select Mount All from the
File menu, the following error message displays:
Mac Error -65 (r/w requested for an off-line drive)
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Symphony Releases 1.0 and 1.1 do not support 10:1 video resolution.
Workaround: Redigitize at another resolution when bringing in media
to Symphony from Media Composer 8.1.
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When you use the function keys to digitize, press the F4 key to start
digitizing. This function was moved from the B key because of a new
feature that allows you to type clip names during digitizing. The
change to the F4 key allows you to type the letter B in clip names.
Digitizing
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Editing
The display of accent characters (set from the Apple Key Caps
window) in the bin is different from the display in the Timeline.
Scenes and takes can get lost in scene pull lists whenever
overlapping names or numbers occur.
Dual-sided trim does not function with extend edit and sync locks
enabled.
The Matte Key effect might cause a slight luminance level drop to
the background media under the matte key.
Effects
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The Stamp effect will not work on the first keyframe of an effect.
The 888 I/O audio meters do not always display accurately. The
meters could show a signal that is not present.
Hardware
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Help System
When you export a file larger than 2 GB, a system error occurs.
Workaround: Ensure that the file you are exporting does not exceed
the 2-GB limit. If the error occurs during a video mixdown, try to mix
down in smaller segments.
The position indicator will not be used if you export by pressing the
Option key and using the drag-and-drop method. Option+drag does
not use the position indicator and will always use mark IN and mark
OUT, even if Use Marks is disabled.
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Media Composer does not support QDesign Music audio. If you try
to import audio formatted with the QDesign Music codec, QuickTime
crashes.
Workaround: Choose to Import Video Only or cancel the import.
Monitors
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Output
When generating a cut list for a sequence that contains three or more
video tracks, you might receive a Serious Programming Error
message.
Workaround: Selecting separate channels allows a cut list to generate.
When you perform an audio-only digital cut, the audio will come in
approximately one field earlier. This occurs only when the source
audio track is selected in the Digital Cut tool.
Workaround: Select both the video track and the audio track in the
Digital Cut tool.
Play
Timeline
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Titles
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When you import an OMFI 2.0 file with rolling titles, the icons for
the rolling titles are blank.
Some 3D titles might not crop properly. The first letter of the title
might be clipped.
Workaround: Open the left crop bar and adjust until the first letter is
no longer clipped.
Media Composer does not support MSM media when you use OMF
utilities from Media Composer Release 7.1.
Utilities
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Trademarks
AirPlay, AudioVision, Avid, CamCutter, Digidesign, FieldPak, Film Composer, HIIP,
Image Independence, Marquee, Media Composer, Media Recorder, NewsCutter, OMF,
OMF Interchange, Open Media Framework, Pro Tools, and Softimage are registered trademarks and
888 I/O, AniMatte, AudioSuite, AutoSync, AVIDdrive, AVIDdrive Towers, AvidNet, AVIDstripe,
Avid Unity, Avid Xpress, AVX, DAE, D-Fi, D-FX, D-Verb, ExpertRender, FilmScribe, Intraframe, iS9,
iS18, iS23, iS36, Lo-Fi, Magic Mask, Matador, MCXpress, MEDIArray, MediaDock,
MediaDock Shuttle, Media Fusion, Media Illusion, MediaLog, Media Reader, MediaShare, Meridien,
Natural Match, OMM, QuietDrive, Recti-Fi, rS9, rS18, Sci-Fi, Sound Designer II, Symphony,
tools for storytellers, Vari-Fi, and Video Slave Driver are trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc., or its
subsidiaries or divisions.
Alias is a registered trademark and Wavefront is a trademark of Alias|Wavefront, a division of Silicon
Graphics Limited. Apple, Mac, Macintosh, Power Macintosh, and QuickTime are trademarks of
Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. Chyron is a registered
trademark of Chyron Corporation. Cineon is a trademark of Eastman Kodak Company. CompactPro
is a trademark of Bill Goodman. Disk First Aid is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. DiskWarrior is
a trademark of Alsoft, Inc. DragInstall is a registered trademark of Ray Sauers Associates, Inc.
FaderMaster Pro is a trademark of JL Cooper, a division of Sound Technology. Macrovision is a
registered trademark of Macrovision Corporation. Norton Utilities is a registered trademark of
Symantec Corporation. OMS is a registered trademark of Opcode Systems, Inc. PCX is a trademark
of Zsoft Corporation. Photoshop is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Pixar is a
registered trademark of Pixar Animation Studios. Sentinel products are registered trademarks of
Rainbow Technologies. Sun Raster is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Vantage is a trademark
of Baseline Software, Inc. Windows NT is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
X Windows System is a trademark of the X Consortium, Inc. All other trademarks contained herein
are the property of their respective owners.
Avid Media Composer Release 8.1 Release Notes Part 0130-04415-01 Rev. A December 1999
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