The only problem earlier this year was that I was limited to RealPlayer only to watch the video on my laptop since all the other players I had installed on my laptop did not support the Adobe Flash (flv file format). The other problem was locating the downloaded video for transfering to my mobile devices. Now RealPlayer has released the RealPlayer SP which allows downloading or syncing to most mobile devices including the Apple iPod Touch. Apple does not support Adobe Flash on the iPod Touch therefore syncing these files via iTunes is not a direct possibility.

The videos downloaded from Youtube do not have the best image or sound quality but at least allows me to watch something like a favorite music video whenever I please. With the huge popularity of Youtube, other video sites like video.google.com, Spike.com, Metacafe.com, ustream.tv and many others are becoming mainstream. Most do not support the RealPlayer download method though.

If you are not into installing another program onto your PC, then you can try anyone of the online video grabbing or conversion sites listed on this website located HERE.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Dec. 8, 2009 — Today Eye-Fi Inc. announced a collaboration with Google’s Picasa that makes sharing and storing memories effortless, just in time for the holidays.  Anyone who purchases 200GB or more of extra Google storage will receive a free Eye-Fi wireless memory card, which lets users send photos and videos directly from their camera to the Web.

Users can enjoy automatic backup of their memories with Google and Eye-Fi, and store up to 100,000 5MB photos under the 200GB plan.  The combined power of Google’s Picasa Web Albums and Eye-Fi’s automatic geotagging service also lets users easily view their photos plotted on a map where the image was taken, and search or organize photos by location.

Google and Eye-Fi have the common vision of leveraging the power of ‘the cloud’ to provide effortless ways for consumers to store and share their memories,” said Jef Holove, CEO for Eye-Fi. “Together we’re giving consumers the most convenient way to get their memories off the camera, and onto the Web.  We’re enabling users to focus on the memories, and not the chore of offloading images from a camera and storing them.”

Google’s storage solutions featuring the Eye-Fi card start at 200GB per year for $50 and are available for customers in the United States and Canada from www.picasa.google.com/eyefi.html. With this promotion, the free Eye-Fi Home video card (a $69.99 value) also comes with one free year of Web Share and Geotagging services (an additional $24.98 value), which can be extended with continued use of Google’s Web properties.

This marks the latest development in Google and Eye-Fi’s ongoing collaboration.  Picasa Web Albums was one of the first photo sharing sites to integrate with Eye-Fi, and YouTube became the first online sharing site where Eye-Fi users could automatically upload videos.  To date, Eye-Fi users have uploaded more than 2.7 million photos to Picasa. 

“By giving people a better way to upload and share their photos, Picasa Web Albums and Eye-Fi help people share life’s memories easily – with the added peace of mind that their information is backed up in the cloud” said Google Product Management Director Brian Axe.

About Eye-Fi

Founded in 2005, Eye-Fi is dedicated to building products and services that help consumers manage, nurture and share their visual memories. Eye-Fi’s patent-pending technology wirelessly and automatically uploads photos and videos from digital imaging devices, including digital cameras and the iPhone, to online, in-home and retail destinations. Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., the company’s investors include LMS Capital, Opus Capital, Shasta Ventures and TransLink Capital. More information is available at http://eye.fi.

The alternative for most of us is to use software in the $100.00 USD price range. Current price for PowerDirector 7 is $119.95 USD. This program is one that certainly has the power as the title of the software suggests. To really appreciate this product and to be fair in it’s evaluation, I have broken up the review into a number of sub categories.

- Introduction

- Video Capture and Playback

- Video Editing

- Audio Editing

- Effects

- Exporting

- Disc Mastering

- Conclusion and Final Score

INTRODUCTION

PowerDirector 7 is designed for Windows XP and Windows Vista based PCs with at least:

- 1024 X 768 16 bit color video support

- Minimum 450 MHz processor for AVI video and upwards of 2.2 GHz or better for DVD quality video rendering

- Minimum 512 MB memory for AVI and 2 GB for Hi-res DVD video rendering.

- Minimum 500 MB hard drive storage space free for AVI rendering and 20 GB for hi-res DVD rendering. 60 GB for Blue-ray Rendering and a Blue-Ray writable drive required

- Video and Audio input interface ( Only if you have old VHS or 8 mm video to transfer. Newer SD memory card or digital video recorders only need a compatible reader adapter or USB cable.

The hardware requirements may seen high for many users but if your main interest is to share the video with friends, family and posting on YOUTUBE, DVD quality video rendering is certainly not necessary. 1 GB memory with 5 GB free hard drive space should be plenty for most. If DVD quality video is yuor final goal then an investment of $500.00 USD or more for a new PC is recommended if you do not have the required hardware already. If you already have the interface cabling and suitable PC then all that is missing is a good video editing software program. 

Video Capture and Playback

If your video is not in a standard digital video format like Mpeg or AVI, you will need to import the video into your PC. Typically a 20 minute video will take 20 minutes to import. Basically you play the video on your video recorder and import/convert to a digital video file format. A standard PC does not have the proper video input ports therefore you will need an add-on to convert the video to a digital video file format. If the original video is already in a compatible digital video file format like quicktime, all you need to do is load the video into PowerDirector 7. Once you have imported the original video into PowerDirector 7, you can play the file back in the editor.

Video Editing

Editing the video can be a complex and time consuming process but it does not have to be. Most important is to have some idea ahead of time what you would like to have in your final piece. Once you have an overall idea, the first step is to cut down the video to a comfortable size using the Trim button. You select the Mark IN and the Mark Out points. Anything outside the two points will be deleted. You can also use the Multi Trim function. This function will separate your video into sections based on a number of conditions like lighting changes or complete scene changes. Then each unwanted section can be selected and deleted instead of trimming only the start and end sections of the complete video timeline. If you still find these steps too time consuming for you, PowerDirector 7 also has a quick and dirty edit called Magic Cut. You specify the total time you would like your video to be and also indicate the scene transitions you would like inserted. PowerDirector 7 will automatically insert the transitions and reduce the whole video down to the desired length. This is not perfect but can save you time on projects when available time is limited. If you have a section of video that has visible camera shaking, the section does not have to be automatically removed. There is a tool called Magic Fix that can remove some of the shaking. Try this first before committing the section of video to the cutting room floor. An old saying which was commonly used when actual analog film would be edited.

Once all the unwanted sections have been removed, you now have sections that can be individually rearranged in any order via the timeline or storyboard. Just click, drag and drop the section anywhere you like. You can also adjust various aspects like the lighting, color and white balance easily using Magic Clean. In a perfect world, the video will have the proper white balance, contrast, color and saturation. Unfortunately most videos we take will not have the perfect settings through out the whole video timeline. Making the adjustments before and during filming will really minimize the efforts during editing and also produce far better image results I feel. PowerDirector 7 does a good job.

Audio Editing

Audio editing can also be a time consuming process but thankfully PowerDirector 7 has a great feature called Magic Music. This feature allows you to select various types of royalty free music soundtracks. Magic Music will automatically create a beginning, middle and end to precisely match the length of your video section.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv7YH1cvqTY

You can also get additional audio to import into PowerDirecor 7 from FREESOUND.

There is also a robust audio editing tool for voice overs and other sounds. You have the ability to adjust the volume levels of the actual video audio, the added soundtrack and voice overs individually. I suggest a good external microphone and not something $20.00 or less for voice overs.

Effects

All video editing software come with a selection of special effects. PowerDirector 7 has a few that are not readily available in other programs in the $100.00 USD price range that I have used.

6 Track PIP Effects. This feature allows you to add images and animation on top of your video section. Upto 6 tracks of effects can be added.

72 effects in total ranging from various fades (IN/OUT) to filters that mimic traditional movies like the old movie texture.

Advanced Key Frame Effects. Allows you to set key frames for anmation and effects.

Video Freeze Frame. Allows you to highlight a section by freezing the image and adding animated titling to that freezed image.

Pro Like Subtitles. The subtitling feature is very good. The subtitles can be directly added to your video like captions or selectable when you burn the final video as a DVD.

Transition Effects. Hundreds built in. Many more effects can be downloaded for FREE from the DirectorZone.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5jd9tCiInI

Exportng

It is very important that you have the ability to create the final video in various formats to suit the end use of the video. If you want a DVD version, it makes sense to have the highest resolution possible when transfered. When uploading the video for hosting on YOUTUBE, a lower resolution and file size is recommended to reduce the upload time required since most personal highspeed Internet accounts have a slower upload speed. Also video to be emailed can be a problem when the file exceeds 1 meg in size with many email accounts.

PowerDirector 7 has the ability to create:

- Quicktime

- DV-AVI

- Mpeg-1 / Mpeg-2 / Mpeg-2 HD

- WMV-HD: High Definition Format created by Microsoft.

- AVCHD: High Definition format used by Panasonic and Sony.

Certainly a good selection of file formats supported for a program in the $100.oo USD price range. As mentioned earlier, if you want to minimize the final file size, Quicktime is the file format you should select.

Disc Mastering

The program has the ability to create a file on a standard CD, DVD or Blu-Ray disc. This section of PowerDirector 7  is pretty straight forward once you understand the selection options available. Viewing the video tutorial below is the quickest way to get a feel for this feature.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUz6-pgisXM

Installation Ease: 8 -- Very slow in loading the installation file in Windows Vista at startup. 

Fun Factor: 7 -- Does the job but includes little WOW factor to impress the seasoned video editor or beginner. The iDVD program on the MAC which is included FREE has a higher WOW factor.

Usability: 8

Documention: 8 - PDF file included plus online HELP

Online Support: 7 -- Email + Forum Support. Typical support options.

Various Other Example Tutorial Videos:

Slideshow

Creating a HD Video

Cons

- The user interface uses various shades of grey for the background and buttons therefore making it hard to see the overall program. Using white or pale yellow for each frames background would make a huge immediate difference in the overall screens visibility.

- Font colour should also be changed to a more contrasting colour or opt more for a more visible font style. 

- Missing the standard Windows menu bar at the top of the program. Long time Windows users need to see recognizable Windows features otherwise will find themselves hunting and looking for standard file/open or file/copy features and give up quickly. Not all users are comfortable or understand using icons that have no visible text displayed always. The option to use the standard Windows Menu bar or the PowerDirector layout should be readily selectable. Being forced to use a non-standard menu means many users will choose not to try the program or give up quickly.

- Disabled tab text is too faint to read. Unless you use the program regularly or have the patience to get comfortable with what is where, these non readable tabs are visually annoying.  

- No customization or preference options that I could locate.

- 20 Gb free hard drive space requirement for DVD rendering is too much for most users that have a PC that is at least 1 year old or older. Investing another $100.00 USD for an external hard drive can make or break the purchase of a software program costing around $100.00 USD. Unless you already have at least 30 Gb of free hard drive space, I would not recommend trying to render a DVD version. I was not able to create a DVD render since my FREE hard space remaining is under 3 Gb.

Pros

- Good low cost editor for High Resolution video and standard video.

- Great selection of automated Magic tools.

- Ability to create a video using a selection of still images. You can string a number of images taken from a still digital camera and create your own animated video.

- Easy to use once you spend some time reading the PDF manual carefully.

Conclusion

Certainly the program has much more than what I have covered in this review. If you have absolutely no need in creating a Blu-Ray version of your video production then the PowerDirector 7 Deluxe is the version for you. The  current price is $69.95 USD which is a substantial savings over the PowerDirector 7 Ultra version. Beyond the CONS I have mentioned, the program does have many powerful features and are relatively easy to grasp. The laptop I used has a 1.8 GHz processor with 2 GB memory running Windows Vista. Overall, this is one video editing I would recommnd. Be patient at first and once you overcome the CONS I have indicated  to you, you should be quickly on your way to creating some robust and interesting video files.

Overall Rating: 7.5

RECOMMEND

Available for Windows Desktop

Cyberlink

PowerDirector 7

YOUTUBE video clips inserted in to this review are created by authors not associated with this review and are inserted to provide a visual reference to the review details only.

“The magic of Eye-Fi’s new cards is that they work with the camera you already own to capture photos – and now videos – and send them directly to the Web for sharing,” said Jef Holove, CEO for Eye-Fi. “Whether you’re spending time with your kids or chatting with a friend, your memories will upload in the background for instant sharing – all by simply turning on your camera.”

The 4GB Eye-Fi Share Video and Eye-Fi Explore Video cards can upload photos and videos directly to one of more than 25 online photo sharing and social networking sites. The Eye-Fi Explore Video card automatically geotags photos and videos with location information about where the image was captured, and offers hotspot access at more than 10,000 Wi-Fi locations for photo and video uploads away from home.

“According to our research, nearly half of consumers reach for their digital camera to take video instead of their other video capture devices, like phones or camcorders,” said Alan Bullock, research analyst with InfoTrends. “Solutions like Eye-Fi make it easy for consumers to use the digital camera they already own to shoot and share videos.”

The next generation Eye-Fi cards are available for pre-order at www.eye.fi for an MSRP of $79 (4GB Eye-Fi Share Video) and $99 (4GB Eye-Fi Explore Video).  The cards will be available in stores later this month.

Eye-Fi’s current line-up of photo memory cards are now available at new prices – $49 for the 2GB Eye-Fi Home and $59 for the 2GB Eye-Fi Share, both which upload photos only. All cards can be purchased at Apple Retail Stores and Best Buy locations nationwide, and at major online retailers such as Amazon.com, Walmart.com and Costco.com.

Tomorrow, Eye-Fi will release a new iPhone application that allows Eye-Fi users to store and share all their photos, from both iPhone and a digital camera, into the same organized computer folder and to one of 25 online photo sharing Web sites. iPhone users who own an Eye-Fi card can download the free application from Apple’s App Store.

Eye-Fi cards have won numerous product awards, including Good Housekeeping’s V.I.P. award in 2009 and “Last Gadget Standing” at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for the second year in a row. For more information, please visit www.eye.fi.

About Eye-Fi

Founded in 2005, the company is dedicated to building products and services that help consumers navigate, nurture and share their visual memories. Eye-Fi’s patent-pending technology works with Wi-Fi networks to automatically send photos and videos from a digital camera to online, in-home and retail destinations. Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., the company’s investors include LMS Capital, Opus Capital, Shasta Ventures and TransLink Capital. More information is available at www.eye.fi.

YOUTUBE

I love YouTube and so do millions of other people. Seems kind of strange that we have all settled for sub par quality when watching all these music videos on YouTube. It is only recently that YouTube has upgraded the service to support a wide screen and higher resolution Flash video format. I can understand that YouTube was originally limited by the Flash technology in how high a video quality that could be efficiently supported. At least we are able to watch many of the classic videos and many commercially copyright protected videos. I would like to share with you a classic video and song from Louis Armstrong -- The great SACHMO   -- What a Wonderful World.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQk2LtK680w

Awhile back I posted about another site that has commercial video content. The site is called JOOST. JOOST is definately the site to visit if you are into high quality video and sound. The music quality is far superior over YouTube and JOOST could easily take over YOUTUBE with higher viewership numbers in 2009. Watch a great video from PINK called So What. The amazing feature about JOOST is that the video play list will continue without clicking. Enjoy!

MOOG Anybody?

You maybe familiar with MOOG if you are a music junkie, into electronic music or where old enough in the early 70′s to recognize the name MOOG.  ROBERT MOOG changed the world of musical instruments as we know it today. By combining a traditional piano keyboard with electronic circuitry, MOOG designed the first analog synthesizers in the early 1960′s. Terms like LFO (Low Frequency Oscillation), and ADSR (Atack, Decay, Sustain, Release) were coined to explain how analog waveforms could be modified to create unique sounds to be played by a standard piano keyboard. The 80′s music scene was forever changed and lauched the success of MOOG Music and other synthesizer manufacturers. Later Robert MOOG consulted with another company called Kurzweil Music Systems which still manufactures high end musical synthesizers.

Kurzweil Synthesizer

If you are into synthesizers and have not heard of Kurtzweil, you have to check them out HERE.

I had to add another video from JOOST that is by Howard Jones. One of the 80′s greatest synth pop stars.

Internet TV

There are loads of TV channels and sites offering free online videos. I just wanted to mention this one which is one of the original sites that is still in operation today to list free TV online channels. WWiTV.COM Not really digital music related but I wanted to share this as part of this first ever digital music posting.

Pocket Sized DJ System

This product is so cool that I had to mention this again. Another reason is that it is almost midnight and I am running out of time to add more unique information before Saturday arrives. Thanks