Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
PhotoStory 3
PhotoStory 3 Review
Overall Rating: 3/5
Features:
Transitions: transition options are unclear, however once you work out how the process works, it works quite effectively, allowing much changing and playing around with the settings, to make a creative and well presented video.
Editing : editing the videos is relatively effective, though the “how to” is yet again unclear. They have included extensive settings for creating music to accompany the imagery, and notes and captions, however it seems to be more of a slideshow creator than a video editing software device.
Positives & negatives
The main features which are good with this software program would have to be the level of editing they allow, and the extensive settings for music creating within your video creations. The negatives about using this program however, are the clarity of the navigation around the video. Unfortunately, it is quite hard to navigate around the program to find the settings you want, making PhotoStory 3 not always a pleasant experience to use.
Recommendation
Overall, I personally recommend Windows Movie Maker over Photo story 3 fundamentally because it has more options available, and is easier and more practical to use. Importing and saving, as well as editing the videos are very easy to do. It has a clear format and clear instructions to help create videos, whilst I personally found that PhotoStory 3 was complicated and the stages of editing videos aren’t very clear.
Overall Rating: 3/5
Features:
Transitions: transition options are unclear, however once you work out how the process works, it works quite effectively, allowing much changing and playing around with the settings, to make a creative and well presented video.
Editing : editing the videos is relatively effective, though the “how to” is yet again unclear. They have included extensive settings for creating music to accompany the imagery, and notes and captions, however it seems to be more of a slideshow creator than a video editing software device.
Positives & negatives
The main features which are good with this software program would have to be the level of editing they allow, and the extensive settings for music creating within your video creations. The negatives about using this program however, are the clarity of the navigation around the video. Unfortunately, it is quite hard to navigate around the program to find the settings you want, making PhotoStory 3 not always a pleasant experience to use.
Recommendation
Overall, I personally recommend Windows Movie Maker over Photo story 3 fundamentally because it has more options available, and is easier and more practical to use. Importing and saving, as well as editing the videos are very easy to do. It has a clear format and clear instructions to help create videos, whilst I personally found that PhotoStory 3 was complicated and the stages of editing videos aren’t very clear.
Windows Movie Maker
Windows Movie Maker Review
Overall Rating: 4/5
Features:
Transitions: The transitions are easy to use, and very effective in movie making. Windows movie maker gives you a timeline and shows where your slides change clearly, it is a very easy-to-operate feature.
Editing : editing is very straight forward in Windows movie maker, you can simply click and effectively, you can save the video in a format which allows you to go back and edit in new ideas and features, whilst you can save another copy which allows you to watch it as an active video.
Positives & negatives
Windows Movie Maker has definitely made a big effort to allow many user friendly settings, which results in the program being a very effective piece of movie making software, which is easy for almost anyone to use confidently and design good quality moving image film. There could be a bit of confusion when saving different versions of the file, because one file type allows the user to watch the film, and another has to be made in order for the user to edit their video. If the edited version was lost you would lose the ability to edit the video, but apart from that there are no other problems with the software.
Recommendation
Overall, I personally recommend Windows Movie Maker over Photo story 3 fundamentally because it has more options available, and is easier and more practical to use. Importing and saving, as well as editing the videos are very easy to do. It has a clear format and clear instructions to help create videos, whilst I personally found that PhotoStory 3 was complicated and the stages of editing videos aren’t very clear.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Features:
Transitions: The transitions are easy to use, and very effective in movie making. Windows movie maker gives you a timeline and shows where your slides change clearly, it is a very easy-to-operate feature.
Editing : editing is very straight forward in Windows movie maker, you can simply click and effectively, you can save the video in a format which allows you to go back and edit in new ideas and features, whilst you can save another copy which allows you to watch it as an active video.
Positives & negatives
Windows Movie Maker has definitely made a big effort to allow many user friendly settings, which results in the program being a very effective piece of movie making software, which is easy for almost anyone to use confidently and design good quality moving image film. There could be a bit of confusion when saving different versions of the file, because one file type allows the user to watch the film, and another has to be made in order for the user to edit their video. If the edited version was lost you would lose the ability to edit the video, but apart from that there are no other problems with the software.
Recommendation
Overall, I personally recommend Windows Movie Maker over Photo story 3 fundamentally because it has more options available, and is easier and more practical to use. Importing and saving, as well as editing the videos are very easy to do. It has a clear format and clear instructions to help create videos, whilst I personally found that PhotoStory 3 was complicated and the stages of editing videos aren’t very clear.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Codec Report
Codec Report
Codec is a technical name for "compression and decompression". It also stands for "compressor and decompressor" and "code and decode". All of these variations mean the same thing:
A codec is a computer program that both shrinks large movie files, and makes them playable on your computer. Codec programs are required for your media player to play your downloaded music and movies.
Codec's are necessary because video and music files are large, they become difficult to transfer across the Internet quickly. To help speed up downloads, mathematical "Codecs" were built to encode a signal for transmission and then decode it for viewing or editing. Without codec's, downloads would take three to five times longer than they do now.There are hundreds of codec's being used on the Internet, and you will need combinations that specifically play your files. For example there are codec's:
§ For audio and video compression
§ For streaming media over the Internet
§ Videoconferencing
§ Playing mp3's
§ Speech
§ Screen capture.
The most commonly used Codec's that people use are: MP3, WMA, RealVideo, RealAudio, DivX and XviD. There are many other more obscure codecs.The best ways to handle codec’s are to download "codec packs". Codec packs are collections of codecs gathered in single large files. The best examples are:
o XP Codec Pack: XP Codec Pack is a sleek, all-in-one, spyware / adware free codec collection that also offers a good, solid Media Player Classic. Currently just under 6MB in size, XP Codec Pack is truly one of the most complete assemblies of codecs needed to play all major audio and video formats.
o K-Lite Codec Pack: Very user-friendly and well tested, K-Lite Codec Pack is loaded with goodies. It will enable you to play all the popular movie formats. K-Lite comes in 4 flavors: Basic, Standard, Full and Mega. If all you need is to be able to play DivX and XviD formats, Basic will do just fine. Standard pack is probably the most popular - it has everything an average user needs to play the most common file formats. Full pack, designed for power users, has even more codecs plus encoding support.
o K-Lite Mega Codec Pack: Mega is a very comprehensive bundle...it has everything but a kitchen sink. Mega even contains QuickTime Alternative and Real Alternative.
Website:www.netforbeginners.about.com:
o Date Accessed: 30/3/2009
http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/multimedia/f/codec.htm
Codec is a technical name for "compression and decompression". It also stands for "compressor and decompressor" and "code and decode". All of these variations mean the same thing:
A codec is a computer program that both shrinks large movie files, and makes them playable on your computer. Codec programs are required for your media player to play your downloaded music and movies.
Codec's are necessary because video and music files are large, they become difficult to transfer across the Internet quickly. To help speed up downloads, mathematical "Codecs" were built to encode a signal for transmission and then decode it for viewing or editing. Without codec's, downloads would take three to five times longer than they do now.There are hundreds of codec's being used on the Internet, and you will need combinations that specifically play your files. For example there are codec's:
§ For audio and video compression
§ For streaming media over the Internet
§ Videoconferencing
§ Playing mp3's
§ Speech
§ Screen capture.
The most commonly used Codec's that people use are: MP3, WMA, RealVideo, RealAudio, DivX and XviD. There are many other more obscure codecs.The best ways to handle codec’s are to download "codec packs". Codec packs are collections of codecs gathered in single large files. The best examples are:
o XP Codec Pack: XP Codec Pack is a sleek, all-in-one, spyware / adware free codec collection that also offers a good, solid Media Player Classic. Currently just under 6MB in size, XP Codec Pack is truly one of the most complete assemblies of codecs needed to play all major audio and video formats.
o K-Lite Codec Pack: Very user-friendly and well tested, K-Lite Codec Pack is loaded with goodies. It will enable you to play all the popular movie formats. K-Lite comes in 4 flavors: Basic, Standard, Full and Mega. If all you need is to be able to play DivX and XviD formats, Basic will do just fine. Standard pack is probably the most popular - it has everything an average user needs to play the most common file formats. Full pack, designed for power users, has even more codecs plus encoding support.
o K-Lite Mega Codec Pack: Mega is a very comprehensive bundle...it has everything but a kitchen sink. Mega even contains QuickTime Alternative and Real Alternative.
Website:www.netforbeginners.about.com:
o Date Accessed: 30/3/2009
http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/multimedia/f/codec.htm
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Multimedia Computer System
Selecting a Multimedia Computer System
In order to run a business which can create and manage videos and music, I will need to buy a multimedia centre computer. I will need to research various aspects and look for the best possible dead available to me. Points I will need to consider when setting out to purchase such a computer system are:
o Price: What is my budget? Price Vs. Quality
Though price is an important factor, I must take this in context, I cannot expect a great computer which fulfils my needs for less than $1000, though as a small business any savings made will be significant. Therefore this is a classic example of “Quality vs. Price.”
o Features: Do the features match the criteria?
Obviously I will need a computer with features allowing me to access media editing. For example, a good graphics card is vital. I believe searching online for “media centre” computer systems will solve the problem of correct features. This is because a “media centre” computer system will have most of the requirements I need.
o Computer Brand
Brands are established by good reviews and proven quality. Therefore choosing a computer with a brand means it would be “quality assured,” which would be well worth paying a bit more.
o Where to buy: online or in store? Where can I find the best possible deal?
I will be conducting my search for a computer system on the internet for obvious reasons. You can obtain a broad review of computers on the web, find better deals, and also read the information first hand and, online you can buy computers cheaper.
o Desktop or Laptop: will I want a portable computer or desktop?
A desktop is more straight forward and easy, a laptop is much more complex and easier to break. Also with a desktop it allows for the establishment of an office, or “headquarters.” As far as organisation goes, this seems a wiser choice for the business I am running.
o PC or Apple: what are the pros and cons of each system?
For my business a PC would fill my needs better, I am familiar with PC and this experience will be a major factor to mark. Also, Windows has markedly better reviews than Apple overall.
Computer 1
Taking all these factors into consideration I searched online, and managed to find a site with strong reviews of Multi media computers, after analysing the top options in my price range I have to decide whether to purchase the “HP TouchSmart IQ504.” This computer system uses innovative technology to provide the user with a touch screen, and also has Windows Vista, and comes with great multi media features such as:
· 22-inch touch screen
· Convenient all-in-one configuration
· Great multimedia feature set—TV tuner, media remote and TVR capability
The “HP TouchSmart IQ504” has many good technical aspects as well, these include:
· 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5750
· 320GB hard drive
· 4 GB of RAM
Computer 2
The second computer I reviewed is the “Apple Imac” going from prices starting at $1374 the price is quite reasonable. The slim lines are very appealing and professional looking and have many good features including:
· 24-inch Screens
· A new iSight camera that blends almost perfectly into the black screen border
The technological aspects include:
· 1GB of RAM
· 320GB hard drive
· 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo
Computer 3
The third computer I compared and took into consideration was the “Sony Vaio VGCLS 1” with prices starting at $1999.00. It has a neat, professional look about it and some of the outstanding features are:
· 19-inch Screen
· The entire PC is built into the screen
· A pre dominantly wireless body.
Technical aspects include:
· 1.83-GHz Intel Core Duo T2400 processor
· 250GB hard drive
· 2GB of RAM
Overall, the “TouchSmart IQ504 TouchSmart IQ504” seems the best choice for my company, and at prices starting as low as $1300 before postage this is a very good deal. With Vista installed, it will have all the features needed for my business to be run smoothly off it and more than meets the requirements in terms of its capabilities.
24/3/09
www.epinions.com:
http://www.epinions.com/content_978624644
24/3/09
www.toptenreviews.com:
http://computers.toptenreviews.com/multimedia/hewlett-packard/hewlett-packard-iq504-reviews-24195.htm
http://computers.toptenreviews.com/multimedia/list-multimedia-computers-prices-1000-1500.htm
http://computers.toptenreviews.com/multimedia/apple/apple-imac-reviews-21989.htm
In order to run a business which can create and manage videos and music, I will need to buy a multimedia centre computer. I will need to research various aspects and look for the best possible dead available to me. Points I will need to consider when setting out to purchase such a computer system are:
o Price: What is my budget? Price Vs. Quality
Though price is an important factor, I must take this in context, I cannot expect a great computer which fulfils my needs for less than $1000, though as a small business any savings made will be significant. Therefore this is a classic example of “Quality vs. Price.”
o Features: Do the features match the criteria?
Obviously I will need a computer with features allowing me to access media editing. For example, a good graphics card is vital. I believe searching online for “media centre” computer systems will solve the problem of correct features. This is because a “media centre” computer system will have most of the requirements I need.
o Computer Brand
Brands are established by good reviews and proven quality. Therefore choosing a computer with a brand means it would be “quality assured,” which would be well worth paying a bit more.
o Where to buy: online or in store? Where can I find the best possible deal?
I will be conducting my search for a computer system on the internet for obvious reasons. You can obtain a broad review of computers on the web, find better deals, and also read the information first hand and, online you can buy computers cheaper.
o Desktop or Laptop: will I want a portable computer or desktop?
A desktop is more straight forward and easy, a laptop is much more complex and easier to break. Also with a desktop it allows for the establishment of an office, or “headquarters.” As far as organisation goes, this seems a wiser choice for the business I am running.
o PC or Apple: what are the pros and cons of each system?
For my business a PC would fill my needs better, I am familiar with PC and this experience will be a major factor to mark. Also, Windows has markedly better reviews than Apple overall.
Computer 1
Taking all these factors into consideration I searched online, and managed to find a site with strong reviews of Multi media computers, after analysing the top options in my price range I have to decide whether to purchase the “HP TouchSmart IQ504.” This computer system uses innovative technology to provide the user with a touch screen, and also has Windows Vista, and comes with great multi media features such as:
· 22-inch touch screen
· Convenient all-in-one configuration
· Great multimedia feature set—TV tuner, media remote and TVR capability
The “HP TouchSmart IQ504” has many good technical aspects as well, these include:
· 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5750
· 320GB hard drive
· 4 GB of RAM
Computer 2
The second computer I reviewed is the “Apple Imac” going from prices starting at $1374 the price is quite reasonable. The slim lines are very appealing and professional looking and have many good features including:
· 24-inch Screens
· A new iSight camera that blends almost perfectly into the black screen border
The technological aspects include:
· 1GB of RAM
· 320GB hard drive
· 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo
Computer 3
The third computer I compared and took into consideration was the “Sony Vaio VGCLS 1” with prices starting at $1999.00. It has a neat, professional look about it and some of the outstanding features are:
· 19-inch Screen
· The entire PC is built into the screen
· A pre dominantly wireless body.
Technical aspects include:
· 1.83-GHz Intel Core Duo T2400 processor
· 250GB hard drive
· 2GB of RAM
Overall, the “TouchSmart IQ504 TouchSmart IQ504” seems the best choice for my company, and at prices starting as low as $1300 before postage this is a very good deal. With Vista installed, it will have all the features needed for my business to be run smoothly off it and more than meets the requirements in terms of its capabilities.
24/3/09
www.epinions.com:
http://www.epinions.com/content_978624644
24/3/09
www.toptenreviews.com:
http://computers.toptenreviews.com/multimedia/hewlett-packard/hewlett-packard-iq504-reviews-24195.htm
http://computers.toptenreviews.com/multimedia/list-multimedia-computers-prices-1000-1500.htm
http://computers.toptenreviews.com/multimedia/apple/apple-imac-reviews-21989.htm
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