Tag Archives: Mac

Video Tutorial: Editing Windows Video Files under Mac OS – Part 2

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Mac video tutorial

Occasionally, some people ask us how they can edit (under Mac OS) AVI files they got from friends who use Windows OS. Also, we’ve been making game play videos for latest PC games for the past several months. Thanks to Apple’s Boot Camp, we can play PC games natively on our iMac 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo. Suppose that we use screen-capture applications for Windows OS. Then how would we import them to Mac OS so that we could edit them with Final Cut Pro?

The following video tutorial shows steps to use video clips created under Windows OS for the purpose of editing them under Mac OS. A simple scenario is that one recorded a game play video with Fraps. And he wants to edit this game play video with Final Cut Pro. In another scenario, one recorded desktop activity, using Camtasia Studio or ZD Soft. And he wants to edit those screen-capture clips with iMovie. In this video tutorial, we record a short game play video under Windows OS. The ultimate goal is to edit a rendered video clip natively with Final Cut Pro under Mac OS. Of course, you can edit the same rendered video clip with iMovie and Adobe After Effects/Premiere Pro.

In the first video tutorial, we recorded a short game play video. In the second video tutorial, we import a rendered video clip to Final Cut Pro.  Continue reading →

Video Tutorial: Editing Windows Video Files under Mac OS – Part 1

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Mac video tutorial

Occasionally, some people ask us how they can edit (under Mac OS) AVI files they got from friends who use Windows OS. Also, we’ve been making game play videos for latest PC games for the past several months. Thanks to Apple’s Boot Camp, we can play PC games natively on our iMac 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo. Suppose that we use screen-capture applications for Windows OS. Then how would we import them to Mac OS so that we could edit them with Final Cut Pro?

By the way, the following is a rough list of screen-capture applications we’ve used in recent months.

  • SnagIt by TechSmith
  • HyperSnap by Hyperionics
  • Super Screen Recorder by Zeallsoft
  • Fraps by beepa
  • ZD Recorder by ZD Soft
  • Camtaisa Studio by TechSmith

    • We won’t discuss which one is the best for what particular purpose unless you are interested in our subjective amateur opinions. Anyway, that’s not the purpose of this post.

    The following video tutorial shows steps to use video clips created under Windows OS for the purpose of editing them under Mac OS. A simple scenario is that one recorded a game play video with Fraps. And he wants to edit this game play video with Final Cut Pro. In another scenario, one recorded desktop activity, using Camtasia Studio or ZD Soft. And he wants to edit those screen-capture clips with iMovie. In this video tutorial, we record a short game play video under Windows OS. The ultimate goal is to edit a rendered video clip natively with Final Cut Pro under Mac OS. Of course, you can edit the same rendered video clip with iMovie and Adobe After Effects/Premiere Pro.  Continue reading →

    Fallout 3 Debuts in North America for PC, XBox 360 and PlayStation 3

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    Ahh… It’s October 28, the debut date set for the release of Bethesda Softworks‘ new role playing game Fallout 3 in North America. Bethesda Softworks is the developer of hit role-playing game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The company says Fallout 3 will be released in October 31 in Europe and December 4 in Japan.

    Fallout 3 Mac Boot Camp
    Screenshot by courtesy of Bethesda Softworks    		   Fallout 3 Mac Boot Camp
    Screenshot by courtesy of Bethesda Softworks    		   Fallout 3 Mac Boot Camp
    Screenshot by courtesy of Bethesda Softworks

    So what kind of story line does Fallout 3 have? According to its official website, it’s not totally related to Fallout or Fallout 2. The story evolves around Washington, D.C., which they call the Capitol Wasteland. Survivors are long locked inside Vault 101 after the global atomic war of 2077. The year is 2277, 30 years after Fallout 2 took place. More particularly,

    Yet one fateful morning, you awake to find that your father has defied the Overseer and left the comfort and security afforded by Vault 101 for reasons unknown. Leaving the only home you’ve ever known, you emerge from the Vault into the harsh Wasteland sun to search for your father, and the truth.  Continue reading →

    Playing FarCry 2 with Boot Camp – FarCry 2 Game Play Video

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    Playing FarCry 2 on Mac Boot Camp Mac

    FarCry 2 is a sequel to the successful 2004 action/adventure game developed and published by Cryteck and Ubisoft, respectively. FarCry 2 debuted in North America in October 23. It’s a stand-alone game. So you don’t need the original game to play FarCry 2.

    There is no ‘Jack’ in this sequel. Instead, you have 9 characters such as Marty Alencar, Warren Clyde, Josip Idromeno, Paul Ferenc, Quarbani Singh, Andre Hyppolite, Hakim Echebbi, Frank Bilders and Xianyong Bai to choose from. And depending on which character to play, the game story and map and available weapons will be a little bit different. You will choose one character from the list. But that doesn’t mean at all that this is a role-playing game.

    This QuickTime video shows the first 26 minutes of a game play movie of FarCry 2 with no interruption. After a character is chosen, a long cinematic scene will continue for the next 6 minutes and 30 seconds.  Continue reading →

    Product Review: A-DATA USB Flash Drive PD9 16 GB (for Mac & Windows): Using USB Memory on Mac OS X Leopard and Windows XP

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    A-Data USB Flash Drive PD9
    Mac product review

    More than 15 years ago, Apple introduced System 7. It was an unprecedented operating system, compared with its predecessor System 6.0.8, that came with many new software features. One of them is RAM Disk. RAM Disk allows the user to create a volatile, virtual disk where you can store data. Mac OS X doesn’t support RAM Disk. But there are several freeware/shareware solutions for creating RAM Disk under OS X. One advantage of using a virtual disk is its fast Read/Write speeds. One major disadvantage is… Of course, it’s volatile. If a Mac suffers a sudden system error, you can lose entire data stored in a virtual disk.

    If you don’t want to allocate a small share of fast, random access memory, there’s a different way of creating a virtual disk at low cost. How about using a USB memory stick? Prices for USB memory sticks are quite affordable these days. You can find a 16-GB USB memory stick for $50 to 60. And we purchased A-DATA USB Flash Drive PD9. In fact, it’s our first experience in using a USB memory stick. And our initial, innocent questions were

    1. Are Read/Write speeds different, depending on whether you use it with USB 1.1 or 2.0?
    2. Does the disk format matter when it comes to the Write speed?

    One major reason why we wanted to test a USB memory stick is to find a good data storage medium for swapping data between Mac OS and Windows through Boot Camp. And the USB memory stick can be a good candidate because its memory is not volatile. And many USB memory sticks are compatible with both Mac OS and Windows without an additional hardware driver.  Continue reading →