Stuff like this makes me want to cry

... Unexpected Quit with Panasonic AVCHD HDC-SD9

I thought I was dealing with normal AVCHD issues, but I was sadly mistaken. I started following this blog to figure out how to use Final Cut Express with my HDC-SD9 (Job).

This downturn comes after a roller coaster of a day. I've been hard at work finding and installing kexts on my Hackintosh (Dot), and finally found success with the video card (the resolution was way off, DVD Player wouldn't start, and FCE wouldn't install). I was lacking the Quartz Extreme codec. Now I've got a beautiful Mac(ish) to play with.

I've decided to figure out the network card problem another day - apparently I need an Attansic L1 Ethernet kext (of which I have several versions, none that work). I may just buy a different network card. For now, I'm content downloading files onto my iBook (Cornelius) and transfering them onto an external hard drive.

Strangely, USB devices won't mount unless I restart the computer after plugging them in. And the front USB ports don't work at all. Again, something I'll look into later. One reason I'm so loathe to work on this is that the Insanely Mac Forums appear to be down.

I was super excited to get FCE on Dot. But apparently now it will take a WHOLE LOT MORE tinkering for me to get AVCHD support. I've already downloaded the Perian Quicktime plugin, but it wasn't enough.

Dot Project

As if I didn't have enough projects on the go. Enter the Dot Project.

I need a new computer for editing video - specifically, AVCHD. I was looking at a MacBook Pro, but I'm worried that whatever I buy will become obsolete within the next year (and that I'll have more trouble with external hard drives - AVCHD, when converted for editing, takes up a lot of space and I'd be basically living off of external hard drives. Not my idea of a good system).

I've been asking for many people's opinions on the dilemna. The cheapest and most exciting option so far is.... (drumroll please?) the Hackintosh. Unfortunately, that would mean building my own computer. Which, as I said, is exciting. It's also time-consuming, though. I'd have to track down the best parts, then assemble the thing. Then there are licensing issues with the Mac OS.

But wouldn't it be worth it?

Basically, I've given up mobility and convenience for a longer-lasting, more flexible system. Cornelius will be my mobile option - the iBook still has the audio software on there, which is (so far) what I mostly use the computer for (aside from web browsing) .

I'm going to pursue this option for today (tomorrow I may change my mind again).

And I'm going to name the new desktop Dot. So it will be a "Dot Hack-intosh". I'm a geek - so what? Thus, the Dot Project. I wonder if this project will actually work out?

Let's Get Reasonable.

So, Saturday I was acting a little unreasonable. I take back what I said about Advance - they're good guys.

I think I was overreacting. I thought I was in an unsolvable position, but now it seems that I have options.

AVCHD... is cool. If only it worked with my computer. Or ANY computer. I now understand that the intermediate format that it's converted into in the editing suite is 10x the size of the original file. No computer I will ever own will be able to hold that much information, and I would HATE to keep buying hard drives for some of this crappy video that I shoot. Yes, some of it is crappy, I'll admit.

I was misinformed when I bought the camcorder. I thought it could record SD. It can't. I thought I could find a converter for my computer. I can't. I thought that a newer computer would have no trouble editing the video. It wouldn't - it would run out of hard drive space after filling the camcorder's memory card 8 times.

Obviously, I could make it work. But I don't think any computer I can afford can handle AVCHD.


I hate to say it, but Job is gonna get replaced. And Cornelius is probably still going to get a younger brother. I wanted to wait until an exciting Macbook release came out, but it seems that now is the time to get a new computer. I had a blind spot when it came to my iBook - I didn't want to give it up or step outside of my comfort zone, so I kept making excuses. "It's four years old, so it can't handle it." "It has a crappy processor. But it does its job." No... it does not do its job. I need a computer that can edit video, and Cornelius is not going to cut it.

Misinformation

One thing I should mention... I was misinformed when I bought the Panasonic camcorder. I'd assumed that an HD camcorder would also be able to record in SD.

On Monday, when I asked the sales guy at Advance, "The quality of SD that this camcorder records is probably still better than the old SD cameras you've got here?" he replied, "Not really." Which I took to mean that the quality is the same. I did not know that there was no SD capability.

So, while I was stupid to buy the camcorder, it was not all my fault.

Now I'm off to work for eight and a half hours while my last day to return the thing expires. Hooray.

The Format

A friend introduced me to the music of The Format the other day. They're a great band, but I haven't had time to listen to them much. I'm a little preoccupied with another kind of format - AVCHD.

I've got some ideas, but I think each idea will require some form of payment. I may just ask my parents to use their (dare I say it) Windows computer. I haven't ever had to revert to the old PC, but there may be no other option - Windows software for AVCHD is more abundant and less expensive. And I have a feeling there will be at least a couple programs for XP.

It just occurred to me that the conversion software I was looking for might have taken a lot of time to process anyhow.

I've been reading this blog quite a lot in search of an option for my camcorder. I have until the end of the day to change my mind, because tomorrow the store is closed. How does that work?? I had "seven days" to return it, but the store is only open for six... Is it seven business days?

I called Advance and some guy told me that returning it on Monday could be done, but it was an exception made for specific customers. What the fuck?

The guy was so uncaring when I asked him for advice, it really rattled me. First of all, he assumed that I knew nothing about computers, which is good retail smarts but FRUSTRATING when trying to get to the point. I told him that the FCP at school doesn't allow me to import AVCHD files and he said, "Come in and I'll show you that it works." That's all well and good, but if it doesn't work at my school, it doesn't work. And when I told him of conversion software, he said "It is what it is. There's no point converting it, because it will still be the format." What the hell does that mean? I left a voicemail message for some manager, asking him to call me back.

My experiences at Advance were great until just now. The salesperson did not attempt to empathize with me, just talked the technical stuff, and could not help me find any real solution to my problem. If there was no solution, then he should have just told me so. I was trying to work WITH the guy to keep the item I'd purchased from their store. But he merely blocked me at every opening. Did he bother asking if I had access to other computers? No. He just assumed that my Apple iBook was the only computer I could use, even after I told him about the computers at school.

Obviously, a $1000 camcorder is a big thing to a full-time student, and when I can't even playback the footage on ANY computer I have access to, I begin to worry that my money was wasted. I still want a camera. Actually, I NEED a camera. But I don't want a whole new computer system to go with it.

Technorant

I was extremely excited to buy a Panasonic HDC-SD9 yesterday. And I was extremely excited when one month ago I purchased a LaCie 500 GB external hard drive for a sweet deal. Unfortunately, both purchases have come crashing down on me.

Maybe I shouldn't criticize these items. Really, the problem is Cornelius*, my Apple iBook G4, which has carried me through four years of audio and video editing, amongst other things. Cornelius has a sad 1GHz processor, a measly 40 GB of hard drive, and 1 GB RAM, and it is struggling to stay alive through all of my resource-heavy rendering.

What bothers me most is that I love Cornelius and my new camcorder**. But they don't love each other. There is virtually no software for Mac OS 10.3 that supports the AVCHD format, and I'm working extra hard to find a codec to play/convert the video files I've captured. It doesn't help that most purchasers of said camcorder use Windows or more recent Apple computers.

Why is it that purchasers of new equipment are always forced to update in order to keep up? I can't afford this shit. I bought a gorgeous new camcorder because I thought it was snazzy and handy, and I've discovered that it'll cost me another couple thousand dollars to be able to do anything with it.

I still have 6 days to return the camcorder without charge.

On to an even more frustrating item, the LaCie hard drive. I bought one, loaded it with files, then discovered that my system would randomly disconnect the thing. I exchanged it for another and still encounter the problem, but to a lesser extent.

Then, Sunday, I accidentally disconnected the hard drive without ejecting it first. No files on the drive were in use, so I thought I would escape free of injury.

THE DAMN FILES WON'T OPEN NOW and I have to completely re-edit the videos I was working on. Yes. Videos, plural, because I tend to create more than one sequence in a FCP file. The vids were supposed to be up this week, and I'm SCREWED.

I can't return the thing because (a) all my Final Cut files are configured to recognize those specific pathways (changing them takes FOREVER) and (b) I'd need to buy another hard drive to transfer them to. It's important to note that file recovery (should the hard drive kick the bucket) is at least $80 where I bought the thing - almost the price I paid for it to begin with.

I've run into so many technical problems lately that I don't even want to look at my hard drive anymore. While I love playing with my camcorder, I don't record video because I know for a fact that it won't work on my computer, and I'll have to go to school and test the files out there. But I'm almost ashamed that I knowingly bought an item that doesn't work with my system, in the hopes that somehow everything will work out.

Why do the gods smite me so?


* ... Yes, I named my iBook "Cornelius". So sue me.
** I named my new camcorder "Job".

I'm not a total n00b

For years, I've been reading blogs and watching vlogs. I listen to podcasts. I subscribe to various websites. I'd like to think that I'm an active member of the blogging community. However, I've never had my own blog because I assumed that I wouldn't be able to commit to it. Even now, I think this may be an abandoned project.

But today I bought a camcorder from Advance. Having spent a large chunk of money on this thing, I think the best way to get good use out of it is to go ahead with my vlog project (that's been in the works for several months now). It's called To Be Educated, and it will be posted on my Youtube account very soon.

Hooray for a new beginning of my Internet life!