Sunday September 07, 2008
- Sony HDR-TG3 Camcorder and the Mac - Lionel - 11:10:10
Several readers contacted us to get information about the compatibility between the Sony HDR-TG3 and our Macs and iMovie. As we use one unit since the beginning of this summer, it is rather easy to answer.
This camcorder model is perfectly supported by the last version of iMovie. Once the camcorder is connected, iMovie automatically launches and creates thumbnails corresponding to the different video sequences.
However, it is NOT a simple importation but a conversion from the AVCHD format to another format which can be edited by iMovie. You will need a powerful Macs (only Mac Intel are supported) to avoid having this importation/edition step to turn into nightmare, especially if you recorded in Full HD mode. You will also need a rather large space on your HD
As usual Apple offers a list of iMovie compatible camcorder, however it has been been updated: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1014
In summary, Mac Intel will support almost all camcorder, and all formats while Mac PPC will not be able to handle popular HD video format such as the AVCHD.
[translation by Linathael]
- VirtualBox 2.0 :The Open Source virtualisation software - Yoc - 08:32:55
Sun has just made available version 2.0 of its software VirtualBox, an Open Source multi platform virtualisation software. Even though the first versions for Mac (the 1.4) was not successful, this version 2.0 brings all the comforts and more compared to the software concurents like VMWare Fusion and Parallels:
- Support of a large number of OS: from DOS to Vista, and also many Linux distributions
- Support of the network in mode NAT or Bridge with several models of possible networks cards (to increase compatibility with the virtualized systems)
- Support of USB 2.0 with filtering of the peripherals captured according to their name, manufacturing etc…
- Support of the 64 Bit for the machine host and the machine guest
- Complete Manager of virtual machines
- Support of instantaneous (snapshots)
- Possibility of connecting to the machine running VirtualBox with a customer RDP (like Microsoft Remote Desktop). Very practical to install of VirtualBox on a powerful server without a screen and to then use from a work station. And it runs very well on a Mac server!
- Installation of the " client" additions to install the drivers of the emulated peripherals
- Mode of integrated graphics (like Coherence)
- Support of the VT-x mode of the Intel processors (although Sun explains why the gain in hardware performance is not inevitably favourable with the virtualisation, thus use this with care)
Once the additions are installed, one meets with fluidity. During my tests, I had some hang ups at the time of the configuration of the virtual disks, but not during the use of Windows XP. A software that one thus should not neglect at the time of your choosing the method of virtualisation since it can meet your needs perfectly. Only the support of BootCamp is missing, but who knows, perhaps it will be found in a future version?
VirtualBox is free, and if you wish a support for your business, it will cost of you only 30$ per annum per user.
[translation by crispin]
