Inside the Mac Pro 8-core 2.93 “Nehalen” processors

A couple quick videos showing the modular design, quality engineering, and ease of access inside our brand new Mac Pro 8-core Nehalen machine. [Click the image to see this machine on Apple's web site.]

• Yes it is super fast when compared to our former workstation.
• No you cannot have the old machine. Macs don’t retire.

The machine formerly known as “The G5″ has plenty of life now serving as our audio workstation, so our audio workstation is capable of posting HD should we need it, while providing a nice step up in sound design.

• Each clip is a bit over two minutes.
• It’s a GREEN machine, very energy efficient.

 

 Mac Pro 8-core look inside: Play Now | Play in Popup

 

 Mac Pro upgrade and install: Play Now | Play in Popup

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Rapidly changing technology can make last year’s great idea into a slumdog, and that is certianly the case with HDV. The 2009 show seemed to be a sort of catch up year, in that innovations of recent years are now very usable and ready to work.  RED for example: a few years ago the camera was a prototype. This year the accessories were out in big numbers.  3D is big. More on that in years to come.  It’s cool, but the technology has to develop to attract an audience.

NAB camera report

My favorite camera is from Silicon Imaging. Slumdog Millionaire Shot with the SI-2K Cinema Camera. The SI-2K series combine a DCI-spec 2K sensor with CineForm’s revolutionary Visually Perfect® CineForm RAW™ codec. All that- embedded Intel Core 2 Duo powered architecture. It delivers a direct-to-disk recording platform with unprecedented image quality, 11-F stops of dynamic range, an intuitive 7” LCD touchscreen interface that is off the charts, sharp OLED electronic viewfinder option, IT-friendly connectivity, battery powered operation, and up to 4-hours of continuous shooting on its hot-swap 160GB notebook hard drive. My friend Steve Waterford of ZennaTek has already invented an ingenious waterproof housing that has interior climate control and lens clearing airflow for housing lens.  This partial submersion bag is for taking it to the extreme.

Please note: There is no up-side benefit to my company if you shoot a specific camera.  In fact; I’d like to see all ocean videographers using HDV please. This is my NAB 2009 review of cameras I personally would deploy underwater.

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PodCast # 008 is about another predator. Why? Because the web is good for bringing quick hits, shock value, what I call “kick-in-the-ass” content. Suddenly here comes HD2O.tv underwater video where everything is soooo sloooow, or is it.

• Ocean Fun Fact: Did you know the baracuba can swim at speeds reaching 30 MPH? Take a look at this Great Barracuda he’s hunter and predator they may follow divers, as they do larger fish, in the hopes of scavenging remains.

About this shot: As quickly as I got “ICE” to turn the camera this cuda snapped up a small fish near his leg.  Look closely; the minnow is in his teeth as he turns off to eat what remains.

Good thing barracuda don’t like the taste of humans?  You bet! because he sees us long before we see him. We’d have no chance, so remember ” Do No Harm” in hopes that no harm come to you or your fingers which could be gone in a second if you mess with this magnificent animal in his domain!

Remember: these clips are HD so they are large.  I recommend using the ‘pop-up player’ and they may take a moment to start.  For best viewing jump over the iTunes and subscribe to our HD Podcast! For absolute best viewing get the DVD from our store here, Or we send a barracuda to your home for a little visit.

LAS VEGAS, NV–(FreePress - February 2, 2009) - hd2o cameraflyer Joe “ICE” Berg, is on assignment to capture the Manatee.

A date and time will be determined by weather (daily conditions of the atmosphere in terms of temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, and moisture), weather will determine whether (or not) ICE (the cameraflyer, not the weather condition) can get the shot (with a camera not a weapon). Any questions?   What’s a Manatee? <<Look it up link<<< or click on this handsome fellow below.  “Hey Manatee, why the long face?”

On assignment with HD2O

“We are speaking with local experts, seeking out the best ways to approach the animals without stressing them.”  ICE has a great presence with animals; they are somewhat comfortable around him. Perhaps it is his comfort level in their environment that sets the animals at ease?

But this post is about iTunes and a 30-second Barracuda clip posted there. You can watch it right now with the pop-up player, but for the best viewing experience I suggest viewing our HD2O PodCast withTunes. Check it out, Sign up, because Manatee clips are coming soon.

Do you want to see this guy’s video? Playing with our cameraflyer? (of course you do)

HD2O -  PodCast 007

The clip features a predator, the Barracuda! This animal is easy to find and fun to shoot because they don’t fear of man.  Our cameraflyer and crew were drifting to the end of a dive. The group (seen in this clip) was exploring the other side of the reef. Do you think they checked-out the ‘chops’ on this Great Barracuda?He was lurking under the ledge to duck out of the strong current, but barracuda rarely bother with humans, thank God.  This one is way more interested in its reflection in the camera, watch as he checks himself out in good light for our camera. One swish of that powerful tail and he can go from Zero to 30 mph instantly!  Click the in-line links for more detailed reading on the remarkable barracuda.

 

 Barracuda Admires Dental Work: Play Now | Play in Popup

Next in the series on predators:

Podcast 008 Lunchtime with a Great Barracuda up close and personal.  Clear and visible in HD, you will see a fish he just caught as he calmly swims away. Stay tuned.

tip: Have you tried our flog search?  Just type a word of interest, Ocean stuff such as ‘tug boat’ or ’shark’ or HD topics like ‘color’ and see all related posts.  Also try the tag cloud, filled with popular keywords from published articles.

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Video Post: Stupid people in South Africa sell the chance to jump into a cage for a cheap thrill while they jerk food from the sharks, from the safety of a boat. They take tourist to ’shark alley’ and tease these majestic animals. Sharks are the top of the food chain, and the operator is teasing them calling it Eco-Tourism.  If this is somehow appealing to your ego? Imagine someone knocked your lunch on the floor. Then your friends come along and they jerk their lunch too.  Would you bite back? What happens to the next diver who doesn’t feed the shark? Now resident sharks in these fast food feeding zones expect man to show up with fast-food which might one day be a human life. This activity has altered the sharks behavior.

Take a look at what happens in this video. I can only hope the government of South Africa takes immediate action against the exploitation of Nature’s most magnificent predator before the next…

Sadly, I report the tug boat “Captain Diane” is no longer in Key West. Tug boat use has slipped as new propulsion technology is used to land and launch giant cruise ships. Of course tugs are always used for salvage, distress, and disaster at sea. It is the Captain Diane that answered the call if the US Coast Guard got in a jam.

She’s being inspected in Miami for possible/ probable sale. Here’s a shot of the graveyard. She’s not ready for that yet. Not even close. She’s a former USCG icebreaker, converted into a power tug. With 9-foot props she could pull an island if necessary, and that’s where she is headed for a busier port of call. I hope to see her again one day, perhaps in Nassau. In the mean time, and I mean Greenwich Mean time; here’s a clip. Unfortunately the original HD content was corrupted and lost so I don’t have anything but this web video. I spent an entire week aboard the Captain Diane.

Each day I found myself praying for a shipwreck or just a simple pull or push into a dock would have been nice. That week in 2007 she was welded to the dock. I slept like a baby, dove like a seal. This also means we will miss out riding alongside Captain Dave for the sinking of the Vandenberg. Unfortunately the sinking has been postponed due to funding. That last million or two are the hardest… I guess. Plus this is hurricane season. Safety first.

Tribute to the tugboat “Captain Diane”.

VIDEO P R E S S R E L E A S E

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Las Vegas Company Takes HD Down Deep Video attached…

LAS VEGAS, NV – Paul Dymon films, inc signs underwater cameraflyer and pro dive instructor Joe Berg to their HD underwater team. His knowledge from both skill sets, video and scuba, helps showcase coral reefs and ocean animals. Berg is instrumental in showcasing “The Keys” as one of the great scuba location in the world. HD2O™ is shooting world class dive destinations fresh again in HD, the quality and format of a brand new generation.

Berg rounds out a team that includes a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer and former Navy rescue swimmer. “It’s no day in the park,” Berg says about shooting for Dymon. “The camera housing weighs about 60 pounds. The difficulty is propelling it in a smooth, fluid manor while maintaining neutral buoyancy.”
Following each shooting day the team gathers to review the content. “We no longer use video tape so clips are off-loaded as digital files to a drive system that is battery operable for total portability at sea. Sample clips can be compressed and uploaded on-the-spot for remote review and immediate client feedback from anywhere in the world. Back in Paul Dymon’s Las Vegas studio data is transferred onto a high-powered workstation for compositing, color correction, and eventually distribution.

DON’T MISS: “SHARKS COLLIDE” @ 2:00 minute mark

For highest quality images - videos are compressed with the H.264 codec.

Note: You need the latest Flash Player upgrade to play with these sharks!

The link above will analyze your version of Flash and offer the appropriate upgrade path.

Here is a peek into his collection of his shark footage.

Comments encouraged. Here’s a picture of Joe’s office and studio in The Keys… LOL

Welcome to a sample of our videos designed for public display, customize to each license. Audio designed for paging, voice over, and easy conversations.

Restaurant Video Menus: We invented the vertical plasma display for AquaKnox @ The Venetian. See the AquaKnox and W. Puck’s famous PostRio in-room commercial, both works produced by our boutique division; Las Vegas High Definition or LVHD. Content can be delivered on a standard DVD or for clients with dynamic content needs, changes are delivered remotely through secure network media playback units. HD and NTSC standards are available.

The first application uses graphics to present info for a friendly tavern atmosphere. Wait ’til you see the ‘friendly barracuda’ at about one minute.

Stick around and get hammered… at the Rusty Nail.

This application is designed for a relaxing hospitality in-room channel. Voice messages and graphics would be upgraded to the resort.

FYI: The tune is “TORTURED BEAUTY” from the featured DVD available in our store.

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By popular demand (one person suggested) we post Shaun White 2002 video for my X-gamer pal(s) around the globe. On YouTube this video has more than 36,000 views, 46 ratings 4 out of 5 stars, and favorited 83 times. So, KICK IT!

Here it is @ way better quality. Download the iTunes, iPhone version for FREE.

Listen closely…

Garry Lee Rosenberg is the composer scoring music for us. He finished a track and posted the results for the timeline, and I promptly dropped it in. I was crying when I got to this part. Question is; Should the audio stay? Yes or No.

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Video Post: One more favorite we had posted on YouTube, only you get to watch it here @ half-decent quality. Our Subscribers ONLY watch quality video while over 3,500 YouTubers got a rag-eye view first, then they come here to REALLY see