Smooth Operator, Low Price Leader
Canopus DVRaptor-RT
When Digital Media Net's Charlie White first heard about the new DVRaptor-RT capture card from Canopus, he was wondering how much this real time video editing bundle would cost. Adobe Premiere alone retails for $549, so you can understand his delight when he saw that for a mere $50 more, in addition to the full version of Premiere we have here a DV card that can actually edit high quality video in real time. What's the catch? Well, there are a few, but if you do your homework, they can be sidestepped easily. Suddenly, you're editing video as simply as can be done for a price that just two years ago would have been ten times higher than this. Isn't technology wonderful?

Make Your Shooting Life Easier
I-Cuff: Professional Eyecup for Film and Video Cameras
Review by Paulo de Andrade
So what should we look for in a good eyecup? Good light blocking, a comfortable distance from the viewfinder's glass, non-fogging characteristics and a comfortable surface to touch your skin for hours and hours. Digital Media Net producer and reviewer Paulo de Andrade takes a look at I-Cuff, a new eyecup for video cameras that will make your life easier.

Works Well, Low Price
Pinnacle DV500 Plus
Digital Media Net Senior Producer and reviewer Charlie White takes a close-up look at Pinnacle's DV500 Plus editing system. If you like Pinnacle's DV500, you're really going to like its newest version. But if you want to create 3D effects in real time, you might want to look elsewhere.

Bringing Video Into the DV World
Dazzle Hollywood DV-Bridge
Digital Media Net producer and reviewer Paulo de Andrade reviews the Dazzle Hollywood DV-Bridge. He finds it a remarkable device that performs much better than you'd expect for $299.

Now With Premiere 6
Canopus DVStorm Revisited
Review by Charlie White
The last time I fired up the $1799 Canopus DVStorm here at Digital Media Net's Midwest Test Facility, I had a rather frustrating time with it. For reasons neither I nor the Canopus support staff could determine, the hardware was not able to solidly perform with Adobe Premiere 5.1. With the release of Premiere 6, that problem is now an ancient relic of the past.

IBM Intellistation Pro Bundle
Avid Xpress DV and Canopus DVRaptor
Avid, the most recognized name in professional nonlinear editing systems, offers Avid Xpress DV on IBM's IntelliStation M Pro. Here's a review of this bundle which includes a Canopus DVRaptor capture card.

Review by Charlie White
Canopus DVStorm: Acorn Destined to Become a Mighty Oak
Canopus DV Storm is a well-designed and value-priced DV editing system with real time features that increase in capability with the power of your computer's processor. But its Premiere drivers could use some work, and you'll need to buy a monster computer to get the most out of this new package.

Exclusive Review
Premiere 6: Thundering Hoof Beats
Reviewer Anthony Wood takes the brand new version of the industry-standard editing software package for a spin, and he likes what he sees.

Review by Charlie White
RT2000 MEGA Pack
Take a close-up look at the new RT2000 MEGA Pack from Matrox. It represents a tremendous value for under $1000, offering real time keyframeable transitions and lots of new effects.

Great PC Card, Lame Software
Dazzle DV Editor for Notebooks
The Dazzle DV Editor for Notebooks is a low-priced product ($99) that's so dirt-cheap anyone with a notebook and DV camcorder should be able to afford it. DVFormat.com Senior Producer Charlie White liked the hardware, but the included software left a lot to be desired.

Review: Canon ZR10 Entry Level DV Camcorder
Digital video camera manufacturers are having a good run with their consumer level DV cameras. Here's a review of the Canon ZR10, the company's entry level DV camera for the consumer space.

Review by Anthony Wood
Final Cut Pro: Old Dogs and New Tricks
This review of Final Cut Pro by industry expert Anthony Wood is based on careful notes he kept as he used Final Cut Pro to cut a variety of programs that utilized any number of transitions, effects and filters.

iFinish v80 Powergrade
by Charlie White
Read about iFinish v80, with tips and techniques mixed with value judgements of this highly versatile editing system from the makers of Media 100. We took at a look at the system with most of the options, including the DV enhancements. Here's our review.

Real Time Editing for a Really Low Price
Matrox RT2000
by Anthony Wood
Users who purchased the first wave of digital video capture/edit systems reveled in the idea of seamless full screen video streaming from their AV drives and RAID arrays. Although they were able to capture, edit and play back to tape, they still had to suffer through the endless minutes of rendered transitions, titles and effects; making pots of tea and cleaning the office while they watched that hated gray render bar plod along like an ancient tortoise across the screen.

How I Learned to Love This Small But Very Professional Camcorder
Three Weeks with the JVC GY-DV500
by David Jon Devoucoux
The title says it all. After three weeks of six day weeks with long, hard setups, multiple locations per day and multiple scenes per location, all with a very small crew (4 primary and three secondary), I truly appreciate the effort JVC made to produce the GY-DV500 camcorder (Street price $5,500 includes camera, 14x1 Lens, Tripod Plate, Two NMH-55 Batteries, Single Bay Fast Charger) with everything I needed to "get the shot".

Hands-on Preview
Matrox Now Shipping RT 2000 for $1295
by Charlie White
The unusually low-priced RT2000 nonlinear editing system from Matrox is now shipping, and we've had our hands on this beast, putting it through its paces. Real time DV editing for $1295?! Huh? This must be a misprint, you say. Nope. It's the real thing, folks, and I'm here to tell you, it's smokin'!