New Dell high-tech hybrid

Dell is still trying to drum up some excitement in the tablet/pad market after the so-so reaction to its Streak device. Its new Inspiron Duo is powered by one of the fastest dual-core Atom processors, runs Windows 7 Premium and has a 10-inch touchscreen. What sets it apart is the hidden keyboard that flips out when you “have to do work,” as a Dell marketing executive explained at September’s Intel Developer Forum. Apparently Dell considers Apple’s iPad an entertainment device, which would be news to the many people who take advantage of CRE’s iPad rentals.

Hello – and good buy!

Three big cell phone carriers in the U.S. have banded together to create a new service called ISIS, based on Near Field Communication (bursts of short-range radio data). In addition to being great multitaskers already (as discussed in a blog about the unlocked iPhone), your smart phone can now use your credit and debit card accounts for purchases, and that’s just the beginning. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon plan to make ISIS much more than just another way to spend money by adding rewards, discount coupons, public transit passes and other goodies to the mix. Some 200 million customers in “key geographic markets” (if you have to ask, you’re not in one) will see ISIS unveiled over the next 12-18 months.

“Giftech” ideas for the holidays

Technology gadgets typically top the list for gift-giving ideas and this year is no exception. With prices for external Blu-ray recorders falling fast,  Sony has a new external Blu-ray burner and player that is Mac-and-PC-compatible product and at a very competitive price. You can also find deals on a Nintendo DS Lite which doesn’t offer 3D gaming, but the screen is bright, the action sizzles and the Nintendo label is still plenty chic.

We think it’s chic to work smart, frankly. Call or e-mail one of our experienced Account Executives, or use the Quick Rental Quote form, and we can help you figure out the smart way to handle that new project, upcoming conference or in-house training session. Whatever you need to do, CRE has you covered!

The changes that technology wrought in printing and recording took years to evolve into new workflows, as the technology was adopted and learned. It’s evolution, not revolution, that drives the creative arts. It is the same with digital filmmaking. Budding filmmakers must understand that just having the same high-tech tools as leading filmmakers doesn’t mean they can make Taxi Driver or Citizen Kane. Buying Apple’s Final Cut Pro doesn’t mean they are going to ace the post-production on that new TV pilot. To work at a professional level, one either has to put in the time to master these things, or get help with them. The reason the indie film industry is slowly but surely becoming an ongoing source of work for L.A. post-production houses is because smart indie filmmakers know when they need help, and are not ashamed to go get it.

Getting the right technology tools

The old saying, “It’s a poor carpenter who blames his tools,” makes the point that you need to develop expertise, gain experience and mature in your art and craft. When the soundtrack is weak and the spoken words indistinct, you need a pro’s help. Doing the ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) correctly and mixing the different sounds at the proper levels are all essential for a professional film. The kinds of post facilities that use CRE Mac Pro rentals are just the kinds of places that smart indie filmmakers turn to for those important pieces of the puzzle. For some it means just ADR and mastering, for others it may mean trimming, transitions and fades, rolling credits or even conversion to other digital formats (for iPods, iPads, phones, computers and so on).

As novice filmmakers continue to learn the craft, many will also learn to do post-production, and some will even form new companies to offer their services. For start-up and even existing post-production facilities, the technology tools available and their evolution are essential in driving innovation in digital film making.

CRE supports companies that, in turn, help a lot of up and coming filmmakers. By making everything from AJA Io HD rentals to fast iMac rentals available with a simple e-mail, phone call or Quick Rental Quote form, CRE enables post-production companies to take on work whenever it comes in. In no time at all, we can outfit you to get it all done – with PCs, Macs, Xserve RAID rentals, monitors and any other hardware you need, plus specialized software for your specialized work. Our #1 job is helping you get your jobs done!

Within the last few months, Apple has released new versions of Final Cut, Logic Studio and its operating system, Mac OS X. All of them tell part of the story about Apple’s plans. Lets see what Apple’s OS software changes tell us about the company’s hardware strategy.

Goodbye, PowerPC

Rather than making a broad announcement, Apple has quietly noted in the system requirements that its flagship audiovisual applications, Final Cut Pro and Logic Studio, need an Intel processor running OS X 10.5.

Requirements for 10.5, now one “rev” (revision) behind state-of-the-art Snow Leopard 10.6, are increasingly common in today’s third-party Mac software releases. The need for the Intel CPUs that came to the Mac just a couple of years ago is not yet universal. However, the high-end functions for film and music, the types of work that creative pros do on a PowerMac G5 with Kona card rental, now depend on the hardware capabilities of Intel chips.

The way forward

Not every company replaces or upgrades equipment at the same rate. In addition, A/V pros, like those using AJA Io HD rentals, are known to hang on to hardware/software combinations that work “just right” for them, even when (as in the case of Mac’s OS 9) that combo workstation is out of date.

The battle to save working OS 9 workstations is pretty much over, but battle lines are now forming to keep PowerPC Macs (G3, G4 and G5 chips) in the creative arsenal. For a company like CRE, with clients in all industries using all types of hardware and software, it is important to “meet them where they’re at” with the right tools. CRE stocks PowerPC Macs (primarily G5′s, with some G4 laptops) as well as the latest Intel machines.

Whatever kind of project you need extra help with, from graphic-intense creative assignments and video post-processing to PowerPoint presentations and Flash animations, CRE can match your PC and/or Mac configurations to get you the right tools to finish the job. Fill out the Quick Rental Quote form now and expect a swift, problem-solving reply from our experienced Sales team.

Pro specs at a consumer price

Panasonic’s newest, most compact “Micro Four Thirds” camera is the Lumix GF1, which has 12-megapixel resolution, a 3-inch LCD viewscreen and integrated flash. Professional photographers and filmmakers, many of whom have MacPro rentals, know that the “Micro Four Thirds” standard is an impressive extension to the “Four Thirds” standard that Leica, Olympus, Panasonic and other makers developed for their pro-level digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. The GF1 stores images on SD/SDHC cards, has a dust cleaning feature, boasts optical image stabilization and still comes in 35% smaller and 26% lighter than its predecessor, the G1.

Smartphone for video pros?

Philips is set to debut its latest Google Android smartphone, the V808. It is the firm’s second Android-powered unit and has a bright, detailed 3.2 inch touchscreen display, support for microSD storage cards up to 8GB and a full-featured 3.2 megapixel camera. Video post-production pros that use AJA Io HD rentals from CRE can now get up-to-the-minute samples of projects sent to their phones, as the device offers both “widget” support and an audio/video multimedia player. The V808′s 1000 mAh battery should give several hours of service at full-on use, and its GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity will interface every which way.

MacBooks get a boost

Apple just upgraded its MacBook with more powerful components, with CPU speed upped from 2.13 to 2.26GHz and the hard drive from 160 to 250GB. The 2GB of DDR2 RAM was replaced by the latest memory module technology, the faster DDR3 memory. Cosmetic changes include the new rubber bottom, the Apple-exclusive multitouch trackpad (made of glass), a seven-hour built-in battery and LED backlighting for its 13.3-inch display. As CRE integrates newer models into its MacBook and MacBook Pro rental inventory, users will find a unibody polycarbonate enclosure in the former and an aluminum one in the latter.

If you have questions about how the new technologies can help you, call one of our expert Account Executives today, toll free, at (877) 266-7725. You can also use our Contact Page or Quick Rental Quote web form for immediate assistance.  We’re here to offer first-rate service and support, and get you the solutions that you decide you need.

Watch for Part 2 of the CRE Tech Product Update, set to appear on Wednesday, November 4th.

Now, 25 years later, that little breadbox with the 9-inch grayscale screen has evolved into the potent Mac product line of laptops. iMacs, servers—and the creative pro’s number one favorite, the Mac Pro. Add Apple’s Final Cut software and an AJA Io HD rental from CRE Rentals and you have an editing and post-production solution that puts you in the big leagues. There are certainly some cutting-edge PCs out there, and some very good Windows software, too, but somehow the Mac made a splash with creative types, from art directors to filmmakers.

Chips and dips

The 1980s and 1990s brought one pitched battle after another, which grew into a war between the Mac and everything associated with the PC. Apple’s CPU maker, Motorola, today a major cellphone maker, was the good guy, and even made a short-lived Mac clone. Intel, CPU maker for PCs, was the bad guy, but Microsoft, as the power behind all the various PC brands, was the chief villain in the eyes of Apple partisans.

And today? Today, all new Macs have Intel CPUs, and powerful ones, at that. On Intel Macs, like the iMac rental available from CRE,  you can run Windows both natively and under virtualization (with such products as VMware and Parallels Desktop). If you have a business and you’re upgrading workstations, you only need a couple of iMacs to replace whatever office PCs you’re running.

Covering all the bases

If your demands are a little greater, upgrade to the Mac Pro rental to keep all your work going forward in both OS environments. The quad- or 8-core Mac Pro will fill the bill no matter how much horsepower you require—for animation, video and audio work, Web and publishing layouts, 3D, texture mapping and the whole range of high-intensity creative jobs. In fact, no matter what the job—on a Mac or PC, for office applications, interactive presentations or video editing—CRE has got you covered when you need a potent computer workstation rental.

Truce time

There is little left of the bitter Mac-PC war. Apple’s devices, from its computers to its non-Mac products like the iPhone, iPod and iTunes money makers, prove their productivity every day. In addition, all tech professionals respect the power, affordability and utility of the best PCs, like the powerhouse HP XW 8400 that CRE rents.

Macs are shining so brightly these days that they may steal a little bit of the late-October limelight that Microsoft was hoping to keep focused on its Windows 7 release (learn more about Windows 7 features). Apple sales are big, for Macs, iPhones and iPods, and ongoing improvements to the MacBook line (like MacBook Pro rentals) have lifted Apple’s laptop sales figures to double that of its desktops.

Our expert Account Executives can show you how two former foes, the Mac and the PC, can work together to bring you solutions for events, trade shows, rush jobs and creative “crunch time.” Contact one of our Account Executives by e-mail or phone, or use our online Quick Rental Quote form, today.

Who do you think won the battle? We would love to hear from you.

The “near future” of imaging will find everything from the Web to the latest movies being enjoyed in more places, with amazing resolution all the time, while video will be following powerful trends emanating from a handful of major players and intriguing developments from a few smaller ones. Some of the prime movers in both fields-Samsung, Apple, Sony, the “New Asian Tigers” of China, Korea and Vietnam, and, interestingly, Google, which bought On2 Technologies in August-are, in fact, looking to move in multiple directions.

The post-conference reports are in from such important video/imaging conferences as DisplayWeek, and pre-conference press releases are already promoting such upcoming ones as the 6Sight event. The consensus at the end of 2009′s third quarter is that there are four particularly exciting R&D areas right now on the imaging side of things. On-demand printing, new synergies among and between camera phones and social networking, 3D imaging and displays, and the increasing dependence on amateur photographers by print and Web publishers all have industry-defining, even paradigm-changing, potential.

Ready for 3DTV?

This year already, FujiFilm demonstrated an amazing new consumer 3D camera (and viewer, too) while many other firms continue working on a broad range of new video and imaging product ideas. The technologies involved reach from Hollywood to Silicon Valley, which is dramatically demonstrated by the fact that a filmmaker and author, Lenny Lipton, is the driving force behind RealD (formerly StereoGraphics Corp.), a pioneer of “electronic stereoscopic display” technology.

In such industry groups as the 3D@Home Consortium, early adopters and the developer (“geek”) community are very excited about imminent production of 3D content—which wouldn’t be the case without some good inside information on various ways to display it. This is the way momentum builds, the kind that will ultimately lead to 3DTV.

In addition to pushing the boundaries of on-demand digital printing, many firms are putting a great deal of money and energy into electronic ink, digital paper and flexible displays. Today’s displays, like the LCD monitors that CRE rents, are so exacting that it is hard to imagine how “new and improved” will look. The answer is “real,” in case you haven’t seen a new OLED display yet.

OLED panels are supremely expensive now, of course, but costs come down quickly on new technologies-and the technologies discussed here will have literally hundreds of applications and will change the world in ways big and small. The Fast-Fold Da-Lite screen that CRE rents is state-of-the-art today, but just imagine 4½-by-8 foot presentation screens that roll up into portable tubes. Combine flexibility with electronic ink, and you get magazines whose pages refresh with news updates delivered by WiFi. It’s all coming.

Video everywhere, all the time?

Camera phones, YouTube and computers with built-in Web cams have contributed to today’s “video everywhere” environment. With the “big bucks,” movie studios and TV producers could always do special effects work, but not on “a desktop.” Since the advent of the PC in the 1980s, there have been consumer-level image editing software programs, like Digital Darkroom (in grayscale, yet), for everyone to use.

Now the software is both affordable and powerful. The waiting time was due to the lag in low-cost and efficient digital still cameras and camcorders. The first camcorders used analog tape, featured in a famous but short-lived “Beta vs. VHS war,” and even the first digital models in the 1990s used digital tape. This meant a lot of extra work to get the footage into the computer, where small hard disks and slow processors made even the best applications hard to use.

Fast-forward a few years into the current crop of fast, huge storage systems, like the RAID arrays from CRE, and cameras have closed the “power gap” with the software. Meanwhile, video capture has come to cellphones, cheap wireless minicameras and—on Wednesday, September 9, 2009—to the newest iPod Nano. With the ongoing development of Flip HD cameras and other capable devices at stunningly low prices, the title of “videographer” will be available to anyone with $79 to invest.

Leading the way have been the professional animators and post-production pros, many of whom are CRE customers, using systems like CRE’s PowerMacintosh G5 with Kona card to ply their trade. They, too, should see increased demand for their services from millions of new filmmakers who have been coaxed into creativity with less costly, less daunting, less finicky cameras, but don’t know how to use an AJA Io HD system, such as CRE rents to production pros, to produce the final theatrical releases.

If you need some extra oomph in your production department, from high-powered PCs and Macintosh models to additional studio-grade Apple Cinema HD monitors, you don’t have to see into the future. You just have to count on CRE’s proven past to know that one Quick Rental Quote form, e-mail or phone call gets you plugged into what you need—not tomorrow, but today.

When it comes to computers and personal electronics, Apple is the company that the pundits (and Wall Street) keep an eye on. Yesterday, the firm was in the headlines again with a range of announcements concerning its iconic iPod line, but there was just as much interest in what wasn’t said, such as the all-but-confirmed rumor of a Macintosh tablet computer. Steve Jobs may have looked a bit frail after his liver transplant, but the company itself is as robust as ever, perhaps more so.

Last week, Apple shipped the latest version (10.6) of its operating system, dubbed Snow Leopard, which powers its line of computers. Upgrades have slowed a bit on their iMac models, which CRE proudly provides to many  firms, as sales tumbled some 25% over last year, as well as on the potent Mac Pro towers, which CRE’s customers rely on daily. The overall PC market dipped some six percent between 2007 and 2008, making production plans for 2009 a bit dicey. However, Apple’s laptop sales (MacBook and MacBook Pro) skyrocketed, growing some 70 percent in the first quarter of this year as compared to 2008.

CRE customers are well aware of the power and utility of the Mac line, which has been the computer of choice (with the OS of choice) for creatives since its debut over 25 years ago. The venerable, still-muscular PowerMacintosh G5, which CRE outfits with the Kona card, is a mainstay of the animation and video/film production sector. For the powerful AJA Io HD system, the Mac is an elegant, stable and efficient front end, bringing incredible power and precision to post-production in tandem with Apple’s own Final Cut Studio 2 software.

Video, in fact, made the news in Apple’s Wednesday extravaganza, as the capability to record in the state-of-the-art h.264 format was added to Apple’s iPod Nano model, along with FM radio (with a Live Pause function). Along with incredible price reductions and flash memory upgrades to the entire iPod line, this capability can do nothing but further establish the iPod as the personal music and video appliance king. The line as a whole has an incredible 70% market share.

What was left unsaid was the future of the Mac tablet, rumors about which Apple is no longer deploying its famed (and feared) legal department to combat. Analysts now think that a touchscreen unit resembling a larger iPod touch (oddly, Apple doesn’t capitalize the name of this capital-earning model) will be a “connected device” offering movies, music, games, Web browsing and microcomputer capabilities at a sub-$1000 price point. Many industry observers expect it to be Apple’s next “growth catalyst.”

Finally, the iPhone, now available starting at just $99, was given short shrift at the Apple event, since the big announcements about it came from AT&T and Verizon. Both companies are promising “warp speed” for the iPhone with their revamped 3G networks. Apple’s App Store is doing a incredible volume of business, as is iTunes, which was just upgraded to version 9, on the music side. Apple is healthier than ever, its stock having doubled in the last year, and the only reason the price took a slight dive late yesterday was because the profit-takers cashed in on the company’s 2008-2009 growth and its sterling prospects for the future.

CRE customers know that they can expect all the best in Apple and other technology products, from WiFi tablets to office equipment, when they need to get that big job out the door or ramp up for a new project. As Apple pushes into the future (with a recovering Steve Jobs, one hopes), CRE is right there with them. Wherever Apple goes, it’s bound to be a happy journey for the millions of Mac, iPhone and iPod users, a large and talented contingent of folks that CRE proudly serves. Fill out an online quote request form, give us a call or e-mail our Account Executives today for all your technology needs, from Apple and other first-rank tech companies.

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is a big, big deal, each and every year, for all kinds of individuals and companies. Many firms, of course, debut their latest and greatest products at CES, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. For many high-tech types, including quite a few of CRE’s great customers and colleagues, the build up to the event is just as important.

Artists, animators, marketing managers, filmmakers, videographers, printers, banner makers and webmasters are hard at work for almost the entire year that passes between the end of one CES and the official beginning of the next. Some of our customers rent the AJA Io HD systems to make trailers, commercials and looping booth-display reels. A lot of cutting-edge art gets produced on CRE rental systems, in case you didn’t know.

Other customers will rent a HD plasma or a full projection system, screens and other technology for their premier display space. Still others make sure their representatives have WiFi-capable tablet PCs to take notes, check schedules and capture names, e-mail addresses and phone numbers of new prospects.

The build-up begins for CES

Before and during every CES, a variety of events are held that are ostensibly for members of the press alone. The fact is, with the evolving definition of “media” and “publication,” representatives of Macintosh User Groups have talked their way into these events. You can, too, if you work at it a bit. With just a little amateur detective work, you can get information that can save (or make) you money. Here’s how…

Building up toward the 2010 International CES, to be held January 7-10, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) will hold three important events. There are enough clues in the press releases about these “media meetings” to get any tech-lover excited about the “hot” areas of interest, and the build-up starts off with a bang.

From kick-off to game time

At “CES Unveiled@NY,” part of the CES New York Press Preview, media reps, bloggers and tech industry analysts will get sneak previews of products that will be grabbing headlines next January. “CES Unveiled@NY” takes place Tuesday, November 10 at New York City’s Metropolitan Pavilion. This event signals the official start of the CES promotional season, and is the one that you want to hear about for any new-product clues or confirmation of the “Apple’s going to CES” rumors.

The two days before the CES officially starts, a trio of events will set the stage and prime the pump. The “State of the Consumer Tech Industry and 2010 CES Trends to Watch” will take place at The Venetian at “CES Minus Two,” meaning January 5, 2010. CEA analysts will clue in the assembled press and pundits to the mix of market signals, consumer behavior and industry trends behind the technology set to bow at the 2010 International CES. This event can also hold important “stealth” info for you if you are looking to upgrade laptops or replace an LCD monitor with a newer, better, less expensive model.

Another presentation on January 5, “State of the Global CE Industry,” is not so much about technology as it is about the countries with today’s fast-growing economies and evolving middle classes-like the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) that are poised to take the lead in the next decade’s CE revenue surge. This session is about global CE market trends, so it won’t help you much with a decision about whether to upgrade your desktop computers.

Getting close now!

Similarly, “CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES” is held on January 5, and is where the media gets an “official” sneak peek at the actual, on-the-floor CES product debuts. This is where the press learns about the Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase honorees—both Apple iPods and H-P office equipment have been winners—all before the show officially opens. “Press Day” is on opening day, January 6, and is a must-attend event media to get the major product and news announcements. Press Day wraps up right before the pre-show CES keynote address.

Once all the rumors are sorted out into products that actually showed up and others that remained “vaporware,” you can get back to figuring out where your company may need to expand, contract, hold steady or move forward. While you’re waiting for the more problematic tech issues to shake out before committing a good chunk of change to new equipment, CRE is here to keep you busy and productive with the computing power, presentation prowess and office efficiency you need every day. Whether you need an Xserve Quad Xeon 64-bit network server to pick up the pace, or just want to check up on that Mac 10-inch MultiTouch Tablet rumor, contact our experienced Account Executives or request a rental quote online.

Even the smallest home business or small office operation can afford to devise and implement a workable evacuation plan. The downside, of course, is that you can’t afford not to have one, or wait until you need one to develop it. The most devastating loss to a business or organization is human life, of course. Next to that (and animals) is the data that your business needs to survive. Not having a complete backup can mean the death of your personal or corporate mission and the end of your enterprise.

Ongoing preparations

In the event of an evacuation notice from authorities, you will normally have no more than half an hour to vacate your premises. This means that you need a plan ahead of time, and a clear, step-by-step program for what to do in that limited window you have for evacuating. A free, online, U.S government “e-tool” helps you put one together in no time.

Before any type of emergency happens,  you need to ensure that you are backing up every day’s work and storing it offsite. In the old days, this meant taking burned CDs or a tape drive cartridge home or to a storage facility every day at the close of business. Today you can use many online backup services (Apple’s iDisk, Xdrive, Strongspace, Carbonite, etc.) to store records, sales orders, address books, ledgers, etc., offsite for safe keeping.

Equipment-saving plans

In addition, your plan for what to take in the event of an evacuation needs to be figured out beforehand. You need to know how to take apart the cables that connect your computers to the peripherals like printers, networks, etc., and should have them all marked with colored tape or labels so you know what goes with what. A good introductory article on “home network security” will cover many of these topics for home businesses all the way to small companies.

Once you start moving things to evacuate, set a pace and keep it up. Follow a pre-planned route that you will take to a car or van, and plan to take anything that can be carried by a single person. This means you should have time to take desktop and tower computers as well as your laptop (but if you lose it, CRE will rent you one). Skip the inkjet printers unless you have a pricey photo-grade model or a multifunction device. Inkjets are cheap, so don’t waste your time. Take external hard drives, for sure, especially if they contain additional backups. Routers, scanners and miscellaneous hardware should go, too, if you have time after moving the more important computers.

If you lose hardware

If you are not well prepared on-site, or the emergency is so sudden you have zero time to move anything, then you will be glad you had the foresight to have an offsite backup. If you do suffer the loss of hardware, CRE rents new desktop computers with all the software you need to get back to business. Once you are set up again, from home or a temporary office, just get online and download your remote backup, or pick up your discs or tape from their safe, offsite location and copy your working files. Even if you need various kinds of office equipment, like scanners or multifunction devices, CRE is your one-stop shop for everything you need to keep going forward.

If you were working on an animated movie or a film project, CRE has you covered with high-powered workstations like the PowerMacintosh G5 with Kona card. If you are doing editing or post-production with Final Cut Studio 2, CRE even has the AJA Io HD unit in a compact and portable form factor for easy use anywhere. CRE has you covered no matter what your needs, and no matter what fire, earthquake, flood or other act of God has thrown you a curveball. CRE is here to make sure your business keeps moving ahead, no matter what the challenge. Contact one of our Account Executives today and talk about an emergency preparedness plan for your company.

Every couple of years since the early 1990s, sometimes more often than that, you’d see an article in the Sunday paper or some magazine about Hollywood jumping on the personal computer bandwagon. Often the pieces were Macintosh-centric, as the creative community—from graphic designers and audio engineers to fashionistas and filmmakers—really did take to the Mac. When you see the kind of power in the Mac Pro line, which CRE proudly provides to professional power users, it’s fun to recall that PC partisans accused early Macs of being underpowered.

Although they proliferate widely in the entertainment business, Macs are not the only computers helping push pixels for Pixar or dub background vocals at the Record Plant. In addition to Macs, there are plenty of potent PCs, like the H-P XW8400 available from CRE, doing mission-critical work from Hollywood and Burbank to the San Fernando Valley. Interestingly, the evangelical fervor at the moment appears to belong to the “open source” boosters, industry watchers (as well as workers) touting Linux as the platform of the future. Rather than be cordoned off in a developer’s cubicle, Linux folks want to get “back to the feature” and get into the rolling credits.

Movie studio tech

Although it’s difficult to confirm, it still appears that just one major movie studio, Dreamworks, has deployed Linux throughout its whole operation, from the editing bays to the receptionist’s desk. It’s not the only OS the company uses, however, and every studio has its own mix of operating systems, hardware and commercial applications. They also create their own high-tech tools. In the render farm niche, particularly, many production companies run proprietary software that is written in-house, while relying on Avid and/or Final Cut Studio for their primary video editing application.

Founded in 1997, SpectSoft developed a Linux-based DDR (Disk Drive Recorder) called RaveHD for storing raw, uncompressed video. In a conversation with Linux.com’s Robin Miller,  Founder Ramona Howard says RaveHD contains “some editing functions” but is by no means “a full-blown video editor.” She sees a “Swiss Army knife” model for the creative and technical sides of movie production, with a modular approach bringing the right tools to the right place (and time). “We could take everything we’ve done and apply it to an editor,” she says, “but it’s pointless to compete with Avid or Final Cut,” and seems to have concluded that any riches will be found in the niches.

Niches for all

Those niches are adding up now. Neither the resurgent Windows platform nor the new interest in Linux is detracting from the Mac’s solid spot in the creative arsenal, so there appears to be room for “all kinds.” Any entertainment industry pro doing modeling, video game development or special effects with CRE’s “render farm toolbox”—an 8-core Mac Pro with an additional 16GB of RAM and a 23-inch Apple Cinema Display—can attest to the Herculean strength of Apple’s desktop towers. Truth be told, plenty of audio, video and high-end graphics jobs are also being done on CRE’s powerful, flexible iMacs. A particularly potent and productive workstation can be fashioned by adding a 23- or 30-inch Apple Cinema Display to the iMac rental, creating two huge windows into the virtual world where you can work on animation, film and video editing, multitrack recordings or print production. And this same sort of power and flexibility is coming to computers running “the other” OS’s, too. This is good news for all creative folks.

Another metaphor used by entertainment industry creatives is the jigsaw puzzle. Depending on the task at hand, producers will bring the requisite equipment online to get the job done. Deadlines and job requirements can change at a moment’s notice—truth be told, often without any notice at all—which is why companies large and small call on CRE for AJA Io HD rentals and Pro Tools HD 3 systems to get the video processed, the drum tracks recorded and the finished job delivered. When you need the last few pieces to put your production puzzle together, call one of our CRE Account Executives at 877-266-7725 (toll-free), send a quick e-mail or fill out a rental quote web form. We’ll get right back to you, so you can get right back to work with the high-powered tools you need to get the job done.