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Video Editing on iOS?
I’ve been continuing to figure out how to get the most out of my new iPad. Ever since I realized how much faster it is than my MacBook Air, I decided to look into what kinds of tasks I could use it for. One of the most intensive things I do on my computer is video editing. I actually have a really long history with this going all the way back to Media 100 on a Power Mac G4. That was around 2003-2004. Eventually the TV PEG station where I was working at the time got new hardware including a Power Mac G5 and one of the last G5 iMacs. With the more powerful computers, and newer versions of OS X, we started using Final Cut Pro.
Personally, I’ve never had any Mac powerful enough to run something like Final Cut Pro, nor do I really need it for the projects I work on. However, having used Final Cut for so many years, and knowing how to do non-linear editing, I tend to have high expectations of video editing software. On the Mac, I was aways impressed with iMovie. Sure, it’s fairly simple, but it is capable of quite a bit for a free, included piece of software. I remember the first time I used it on iOS. I was impressed that they could get something that even resembled the desktop version running on my iPad.
However, the iOS version of iMovie leaves a lot to be desired, at least by me. I wish it had any kind of key framing, better title support and more tracks. I started looking online for solutions, but I didn’t really expect to find any. For as much as Tim Cook likes to spout that iOS devices can be desktop replacements, the software just never seems to be there to back up the capable hardware. It might be getting closer though. I found a piece of software called “**LumaFusion**”:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lumafusion-pro-video-editing-and-effects/id1062022008?mt=8.
At first glance, the app doesn’t look as slick as some really nice looking apps like Procreate or even iMovie, but it’s incredibly capable. It has a robust key framing system and enough video filters and options to make your head spin. You can make text titles look exactly like you want and editing all different kinds of tracks including audio tracks is pretty easy once you know how to do it. My first task was creating a video intro for some other videos I plan on making. Check it out “**here**”:https://youtu.be/FotLonKRGGE. I made the same intro with iMovie on iOS and it came out like “**this**”:https://youtu.be/D8pUbIrvA-k. It’s short and it may not look like much, but it has a lot of pieces I don’t know how I’d do with iMovie on iOS. Most of the effects are keyframed and I was even able to control the frame rate of the exported product. (Hint: if you want to make your videos appear more cinematic, try a 24FPS frame rate.) There are even little things that go such a long way like being able to precisely control the drop shadow angle on title text. I personally prefer to interact with the interface using the Pencil, but they’ve designed it so that it can be used with touch alone easily.
However, all of this power comes at a price. It’s the most expensive app I’ve ever purchased for iOS. At $20USD you get this app as well as the LumaFX app which has additional video filter tools. I definitely prefer to purchase apps when I can because I feel you get a better product when you pay for it. Plus, as a developer myself, I know we need to eat too! That said, 20 dollars was a lot for a single app, but I do feel like it’s completely justified. I record a good number of videos and this app is going to help me make them look better.
A replacement for a desktop computer? It’s getting much closer, that’s for sure.
_Dear Friends,_
Which passwords are the most important to remember? I cannot tell you how many times we are faced with a customer needing help on their Mac or iOS device and when we ask for their password a confused look crosses their faces and immediately we know we are into a password recovery situation. Sometimes, the customer will pull out a dog-eared notebook with passwords written down and crossed out and more written in. Other times they mutter under their breath about passwords and use some unique language.
There are really only a few passwords that are essential for you to remember. Number one is the main password to your Mac or iOS device to unlock them. You use that password all the time, presumably, so it should not be too hard to remember but I do recommend stashing that someplace safe so you can get it when you forget. Second most important is probably your Apple ID. Your Apple ID is used for everything Apple from iTunes, to the App Store, to setting up iCloud and new devices. You can reset this password but that is time consuming and frustrating as you try to remember the answers to your security questions, i.e. my first dog was Skippy.
Email passwords and banking passwords are next but if you use Apple’s keychain or other Password programs like 1Password you should not have too much trouble retrieving those. In most cases, however, when we are called for technical support it is either the main administrator’s password for a Mac or Apple ID that stops the help in its tracks and starts the clock on our paid password recovery services.
I think Apple made great strides with Touch ID and they have brought that to the Touch Bar Macs but they need to make it even more useful to identify yourself. Why go through a complicated password recovery situation when you have biometric security. I don’t believe that I still have to enter my Apple ID and password every time I buy a book from iBooks, for example.
Okay enough of my password rant for today. Here’s an “**exclusive for Kibbles & Bytes readers**”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002756/kibbles-bytes-exclusive-bundle? that goes along with my review of the BenQ PD2710QC display. I am bundling the BenQ USB C display with an Apple Factory Reconditioned MacBook Pro 13-inch with Touch Bar. This MacBook Pro has the 2.9GHZ i5 Dual Core processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD drive and is Space Gray. It has been refurbished by Apple and has a 1-year Apple Warranty. We are also bundling Applecare+ which now has become almost essential as it also covers accidental damage (like spilling that glass of wine on your Mac) with a deductible. It covers this MacBook Pro for 3-years and provides 3-years of free Apple technical support, too. So, you get the “**MacBook Pro, AppleCare+ and the BenQ PD2710QC display for only $2099.99.**”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900002756/kibbles-bytes-exclusive-bundle? That is $200 off for Kibbles & Bytes readers while supplies last!
The weather looks good enough to ride this weekend. There is an Indian Motorcycle event down in Springfield, MA the home of Indian so maybe we will take a ride down route 100 for some fun.
The blueberries are getting ripe. Grace and our friend from Denmark, Beth decided to bake a bunch of blueberry pies to free up space in our freezer from last year’s bumper crop. So, not only did I get to eat some blueberry pie but we have space to freeze some more.
Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!
Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,
_Don, Emily & Hadley_
BenQ Display with USB-C Hub Shines
BenQ has been around for some time. Way back when, we used to buy CD drives from them and I have visited their booth at CES each year waiting for something that might be attractive to the Macophiles that we serve. This year I found it when I saw the BenQ PD2710QC Designer Monitor. It had an integrated USB-C hub as a base and seemed like an ideal companion to Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pros.
There have not been a lot of USB-C compatible displays out there other than the pretty nice but pretty expensive LG displays that Apple was offering. Things have changed and I have had the opportunity to check out the BenQ display myself over the past few weeks.
My evaluation did not start out great as I encountered difficulty with the ethernet compatibility on the USB-C base. But, then again, you do not have a true picture of a company’s commitment to quality and excellent customer service until something goes wrong. Well, I dropped an email with some questions and I had about three or four BenQ folks immediately helping me troubleshoot. First, they overnighted a replacement base but that did not solve the issue so they overnighted a new display and that worked. This could have gone sideways a number of times but BenQ not only resolved the problem but they were proactive and exceeded my expectations in doing so.
Speaking of sideways, did I mention that this display will rotate from the landscape to portrait mode? I haven’t used that kind of display since way back in the Radius display days. It is a handy feature but I digress.
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The BenQ PD2710QC is a versatile 27-inch, 16:9, QHD (quad high definition) 2560 X 1440 IPS 4-sided edge to edge panel.
Here is some other specs:
* 8-bit, 100% sRGB & Rec.709
* USB-C Dock with power, USB 3.1, Ethernet and 2kQHD video display (more about that soon)
* Darkroom mode, CAD/CAM mode, Animation mode
* HDMI, DisplayPort, MiniDisplayPort and DisplayPort out for MST(MST not supported on most Macs)
* HDCP 1.4The display comes in a lightweight box and includes all the cables you need. I don’t know why they did it this way but the power handling is a bit odd. There is a brick with a long cable to power the USB-C hub/base and there is a power cord for the display itself. I would think that they could have figured out a way to power both off one cable but there are two which is not a big deal.
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Speaking of power the USB-C base supplies power to your MacBook Pro through the included USB-C cable. For my 13-inch MacBook Pro the 61 watts delivered is enough to power and charge my laptop. It will charge both the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the 12-inch MacBooks, however, if you are running it with the 15-inch MacBook Pro the 61 watts will power your MacBook Pro but will only charge it very slowly.
Setting up the PD2710QC is very easy. There are three parts in the box, the display panel, the USB-C hub/base and the support arm. The support arm slips easily into the base and can be held in place by the thumbscrew. The panel snaps onto the support arm easily and there is a large release button if you ever want to take it off. The support arm allows the display to be positioned anywhere from 5-inches from your desk to 1-foot if you are really tall or like looking up. The support arm has the swivel that will allow you to rotate the display to portrait mode.
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Once you have the display put together (it literally took me about 3 minutes) you can begin to connect stuff. I ran the power and MiniDisplayPort cables through the included cable-management hole in the support arm. The MiniDisplayPort cable connects to the DisplayPort on the USB-C hub. I connected the USB-C cable (included) from the base/hub to my MacBook Pro and I was almost ready to go. I have a USB 3.0 back-up drive and a USB Scanner that connected easily to the base and I connected my ethernet cable to the base, too. Turn on the hub, turn on the display and you are all set. The hub has some other ports that I am not using. It has two more USB 3.1 ports for wired mouse and keyboard located conveniently on the side of the hub/base and a speaker jack, too.
Speaking of speakers, it has some but that is about all I can say, I am not looking for sound quality from my display. The hub/base is perfect to hold your laptop if you are running it in closed mode. I prefer to have that additional display so I position my laptop next to the display. Everything connects with one cable which is a huge advantage. I get display, ethernet, power and USB hub all from one cable with this BenQ display.
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The three modes that BenQ programs into the display are handy for those that have a need for precision. The CAD/CAM mode offers better contrast on lines and shapes of technical drawings. The Animation mode which lightens image areas to better visualize the details hiding in dark shadows. The Darkroom mode adjusts the brightness and contrast of image to give clarity and sharpness to details for work in darker post-processing environments.
Things I love about this display:
* Modern nearly borderless display
* USB Hub/Base
* Flexible tilt, height and orientation of display
* Display and color quality
* Customer service!
* One cable connection
* Three-year Warranty
* ValueThings I would like to see improved:
* One power cable, not two
* Another USB-C port on the hub/base
* 85 Watt power delivery
* Thunderbolt 3 supportIn comparing to the LG 4 and 5K displays BenQ scores some points. First of course is the value at less than half the cost of the LG 5K display. It has an integrated USB Hub with more ports including ethernet connectivity and audio out. It is more versatile in terms of how the display is articulated and has built-in cable management (that is a hole in the support arm ). The LG wins on 5K resolution and 85 Watt power delivery but unless you really need 5K resolution, I think this BenQ display is a perfect match for Apple’s new laptops.
I am very excited to offer this display to our customers. It sells for $599 and we do have them in stock and should be on display in our stores soon. The PD2710QC carries a three-year manufacturer’s warranty.