Avid NewsCutter XP Release 3.0 Release Notes for the ...resources.avid.com/SupportFiles/attach/0517001A_NCXP30Web.pdf · 1 a Important Information Avid ® recommends that you read

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Important Information

Avid® recommends that you read all the information in these release notes thoroughly before installing or using any new software release.

This document describes compatibility issues with previous releases, hardware and software requirements, software installation instructions, and summary information on system and memory requirements. This document also lists known bugs or limitations.

ContentsSymbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3New Features in Release 3.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Avid Storage Manager Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Hardware and Software Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Installation Check List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Installing the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Removing Previous Releases of the NewsCutter XP

Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Installing NewsCutter XP Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Updating Your Application Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Performing a Custom Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Modifying, Repairing, or Removing Avid Applications. . . . . . 17

Installing the Companion Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Installing EDL Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

NewsCutter® XP

Release 3.0 Release Notesfor the Windows® 2000 Operating System

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Installing MediaLog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Installing Avid Log Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Screen Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Suggestions for Optimum Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Accessing the Knowledge Center for Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Special Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Creating a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29User Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Goodies Folder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Linking OHCI Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Information for NewsCutter XP Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31SCSI DVD Burner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Antivirus Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32AVX Plug-Ins and Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Importing QuickTime Files Created with an Avid Codec . . . . 34Black Striping Your Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Hardware Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Slot Assignments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35OHCI Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36FireWire Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Storage SCSI LVD Controller Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Upgrading the ATTO Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Documentation Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Using Match Frame to Locate the Source Clips of

Motion Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Using Advanced Keyframes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Known Bugs and Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Camera. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Digital Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

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Import and Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Title Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Workgroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

If You Need Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Technical Support Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Symbols and Conventions

These release notes use the following special symbols and conventions:

Courier Bold font identifies text that you type.

t One arrow indicates a single-step procedure. Multiple arrows in a list indicate that you perform one of the actions listed.

n A note provides important related information, reminders, recommendations, and strong suggestions.

c A caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to your computer or cause you to lose data.

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New Features in Release 3.0

Table 1 to Table 5 lists the new features that were added for NewsCutter® XP Release 3.0. For more information about each feature, see the Avid NewsCutter XP What’s New for Release 3.0 guide. This guide also includes features that were introduced in NewsCutter XP Release 2.1 that are not documented in the current NewsCutter XP documentation set. All of the features are included in the context-sensitive Help.

Table 1 Project and Bin Window Features

Feature Description

Project window and Bin window

The Bin window and Project window have changed for this release. Now you use tabs to access different bin views and different portions of the Project window.

SuperBin Allows you to open different bins in a single window and switch between the bins, keeping them open with only one bin visible at a time.

Sorting clips Allows you to sort a column by ascending or descending order from the column heading.

Changing font size in windows

Allows you to change the default font and point size of a Project, Bin, Composer, or Timeline window.

Choosing preferences Allows you to view in one step the settings for your project from the Edit menu.

Toolsets menu Predesigned work environments have been added that are suited to your most common NewsCutter XP tasks.

General settings Several options have moved from the user interface (UI) to the General settings dialog box.

Media tool Now displays four views; similar to those in the bin.

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Table 2 Timeline Features

Feature Description

Desktop play delay Allows you to adjust the offset that occurs between audio and video playback on the NewsCutter XP system.

Timeline settings A new option, “Highlight Suggested Render Areas After Playback,” has been added to the Timeline settings dialog box.

Alternate Edits Allows you to overwrite a selected clip in a sequence with several clips located in a special bin called Alternate Edits.

Slip or slide trim Allows you to select slip or slide trim through the Timeline shortcut menu.

Eight video and eight audio tracks

Allows you to create up to eight video and eight audio tracks in the Timeline.

Table 3 Audio Features

Feature Description

Audio meters Allows you to monitor audio directly from the Timeline.

Low latency audio Allows you to adjust the delay that might occur when you play audio.

Volume control Allows you to adjust your speaker or headphone volume from within the NewsCutter XP application.

Audio sample rate color coding

Allows the system to identify different audio sample rates by color.

Audio Project settings Several options from the General settings dialog box have been moved to the Audio Project settings dialog box.

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Table 4 Input and Output Features

Feature Description

DV50 support With this release, you can edit DV50 video.

Although you cannot directly record DV50 video over IEEE® 1394, the NewsCutter XP has the ability to play back and edit media that has been recorded using NewsCutter effects or the Editcam™ camera when in a shared storage workgroup. NewsCutter XP also has the ability to import DV50 for use in the system.

Pausing a deck while logging

Allows you to pause a deck to enter the name and comment for a clip.

DV Scene Extraction While recording, DV Scene Extraction allows you to automatically generate subclips and locators based on time-of-day information contained in the DV video format.

Transcoders added to Deck Configuration

A list of transcoders has been added to the Deck Configuration dialog box.

Loaded cues Allows you to add cues to your NRCS script that point to media files in NewsCutter XP.

Associated sequences Allows you to associate your NRCS script to sequences and clips in NewsCutter XP bins.

Post to Web Allows you to reformat and export a story in a Web-ready format through the NRCS tool.

When using the Post to Web feature in the NRCS tool, use the Browse button to obtain an HTML template. Avid provides generic HTML templates in the following location:

drive:\Program Files\Avid\Utilities\PostToWeb_Sample_Templates

Contact your Web designer to obtain the template used by your organization.

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Selecting the preroll method

New options allow you to record more efficiently when a source tape contains timecode breaks.

Client monitor display Allows you to connect a Client monitor directly through a dual-head video card to play back real-time effects.

Import layered Photoshop files

Allows you to import both single-layered and multilayered graphics created in Adobe® Photoshop®.

Exporting OMFI and AAF files

The options for exporting OMFI and AAF files have changed.

Avid NetReview™ Allows you to obtain the required reviews and approvals for your material during the production process.

Notes field in Deck settings

The Deck Settings dialog box now includes a Notes field.

Automatic Duck AfterEffects

Supports Automatic Duck AfterEffects.

QuickTime 5.0.3 Supports QuickTime® Version 5.0.3.

Table 4 Input and Output Features (Continued)

Feature Description

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Avid Storage Manager Support

Avid Storage Manager (ASM) is the next-generation disk exerciser and diagnostics utility used for testing Avid media drives. In NewsCutter XP Release 3.0, ASM replaces the Avid StorEx utility. ASM includes a context-sensitive Help. Most windows in the ASM utility include a Help button that when clicked, will open a browser window and provide information about the current ASM window displayed.

c Avid recommends you do not run ASM unless instructed by Avid Customer Support. Many of the utility’s functions can destroy the data on the drives.

Table 5 Effects Features

Feature Description

Video Real Time effects Allows you to preview real-time effects in NewsCutter XP.

ExpertRender Determines which effects you need to render to achieve successful playback of a sequence.

Top and Tail Fader buttons

Allows you to use the Head Fade and Tail Fade buttons to add a fade (or dissolve) for audio and video tracks.

New keyframe model The new key-framing capability available with the Picture-in-Picture (PIP) effect.

Avid IllusionFX™ plug-ins

Included with the NewsCutter XP. Contains 29 AVX™ plug-in effects.

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Hardware and Software Requirements

The NewsCutter XP application is available in a software only version as well as a complete system. Avid has qualified the NewsCutter XP software to run on the following platforms:

• Dell® Latitude® C610 and C810 — laptops

• Dell Precision™ M40 Mobile Workstation — laptop

• Compaq® Evo N600c — laptop

• Compaq Evo W8000 — desktop (Avid ships this platform when you purchase a complete system)

Supported but no longer available:

• Dell Latitude C600 and C800 — laptops

• IBM® ThinkPad® A21p and A22p — laptops

• IBM IntelliStation® Z Pro 6866 — desktop (Avid shipped this platform on earlier releases)

c If you have purchased the software version only and are building your own system, install the OHCI 1394 board before you install the NewsCutter XP application.

Avid has qualified the following OHCI 1394 boards to run on laptops:

• ADS PYRO 1394DV for Notebooks, API-601, or API-602

• SIIG CardBus PC Card, NN-PCM012, or dual port, NN-PCM212

• IBM 1394 CardBus PC Card, 19K5678

NewsCutter XP systems require the following system configuration:

• Windows® 2000 Workstation Service Pack 2

• Minimum 256 MB of RAM (512 MB of RAM ship standard in the Compaq W8000)

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c Your system must have the Windows 2000 operating system installed and the required amount of RAM before you install NewsCutter XP Release 3.0. Purchase additional memory based on the manufacturer’s documentation.

To verify the version of the operating system and RAM:

1. Double-click the My Computer icon.

The My Computer window opens.

2. Choose About Windows from the Help menu.

The About Windows dialog box appears and displays the version of Windows, the service pack, and the available memory.

3. Click OK to close the dialog box.

n If you do not have Service Pack 2 (SP2), contact your authorized Avid representative or visit the Microsoft® Web site, www.microsoft.com, to download the service pack. Service Pack 2 is the only service pack qualified for this release.

Installation Check List

This check list covers the major steps required to install or upgrade the NewsCutter XP application. For more detailed information about each step, see the section referenced in these release notes.

To install or upgrade your system:

1. Read these release notes completely.

2. Make sure your system meets the hardware and software requirements. See “Hardware and Software Requirements” on page 9.

3. Turn on the system components as described in the Avid NewsCutter XP Setup Guide.

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4. If you are upgrading an existing application, you must use the Control Panel to remove the old version of the software. See the Avid NewsCutter XP Setup Guide.

n If upgrading from NewsCutter XP Release 1.5, you must update your Windows NT® operating system to Windows 2000.

5. Install the application as described in the Avid NewsCutter XP Setup Guide and the last-minute instructions on “Installing the Software” on page 11.

Installing the Software

You must remove any previous release of the application before installing NewsCutter XP Release 3.0. If you have a new NewsCutter XP system, go directly to “Installing NewsCutter XP Software” on page 13.

n To install or remove the application software, you need to use a login account with administrative privileges.

This section includes the following topics:

• Removing Previous Releases of the NewsCutter XP Application

• Installing NewsCutter XP Software

• Updating Your Application Key

• Performing a Custom Installation

• Modifying, Repairing, or Removing Avid Applications

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Removing Previous Releases of the NewsCutter XP Application

n To install or remove the application software, you need to use a login account with administrative privileges.

If you are currently running an earlier release of the NewsCutter XP application, remove the application before installing the new release of the application. You can use the earlier or new Avid application CD-ROM to uninstall the application. See the “Modifying, Repairing, or Removing Avid Applications” on page 17 for instructions. Be aware of the following concerns when removing the application.

• Avid Projects, Avid Users, Settings, and AVX_Plug-Ins folders will not be deleted when you remove the earlier NewsCutter XP release. However, as a precaution, you might consider making a copy of these folders.

• To completely remove all of the folders and files associated with the NewsCutter XP application, browse to the location that previously held the application and remove all files and folders from the application folder. For example:

drive:\Program Files\Avid\NewsCutter XP

• If supporting AVX plug-in files are deleted with the NewsCutter XP application, the plug-in might not appear in the Effect Palette. Reinstall the plug-in. For more information, see the Avid NewsCutter XP Effects Guide.

• If a dialog box appears asking if you want to delete a shared file, do not delete it. Other applications might be using that file.

• You might see dialog boxes asking if you want to replace existing files with the new version. Always accept the newer files.

• Delete the msmMMOB.mdb and msmFMID.pmr files from the NewsCutter XP\SupportingFiles\Avid_MediaFiles folder.

• Delete any shortcuts you might have created on your desktop.

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Installing NewsCutter XP Software

You can install NewsCutter XP Release 3.0 software on new Avid systems without any preparation. If you are upgrading from an earlier NewsCutter XP release, uninstall the old software first. See “Modifying, Repairing, or Removing Avid Applications” on page 17.

To install the NewsCutter XP software:

1. Quit all Windows applications.

2. Insert the NewsCutter XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.

If the installer doesn’t start automatically after you insert the application CD-ROM, do the following:

a. Double-click the My Computer icon.

b. Double-click the CD-ROM drive icon.

c. Double-click Launch.exe to start the installer.

The Main Menu window opens.

3. Click Install Products.

4. Click Install Avid NewsCutter XP.

The Welcome window opens.

If the NewsCutter XP application is already installed, the Welcome window for the Setup Maintenance program opens. Follow the steps in “Modifying, Repairing, or Removing Avid Applications” on page 17.

5. Click Next.

The Country Selection for License Agreement window opens.

6. Select the country in which you purchased this product, and then click Next.

The License Agreement window opens.

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7. Read the agreement, and then click Yes to accept the terms of the agreement.

The Choose Destination Location window opens.

c Do not install the NewsCutter XP application on a drive that will be used to store media.

8. Click Next to accept the default path for the application folder and proceed to the next window. The default path is:

C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid NewsCutter XP

The AVX Plug-in Location window opens.

9. Click Next to accept the default path for the AVX_Plug-ins folder and proceed to the next window. The default path is:

C:\Program Files\Avid\AVX_Plug-ins

The Application Data Location window opens.

10. Click Next to accept the default path for the location of the application files (project folders and user folders). The default path is:

C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid NewsCutter XP

11. Select the type of installation:

t Select Typical to install all components. This is the recommended installation.

t Select Custom to select the components you want to install. See “Performing a Custom Installation” on page 16.

12. Click Next.

The installation starts.

When the NewsCutter XP software installation is complete, the Setup Complete window opens and asks if you want to restart the system.

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13. Select when you want to restart the computer:

t To restart the computer now, select Yes, and then click Finish.

t To restart the computer later, select No, and then click Finish.

n If your system does not have DirectX 8.1 installed, a dialog box appears stating that some functions in the application will not work properly without DirectX® 8.1 installed. See “Creating a DVD” on page 29 for more information.

c You must restart the NewsCutter XP system before the NewsCutter XP software will work properly.

Updating Your Application Key

The application key, commonly referred to as a dongle, allows the Avid software to run on your system.

c Protect your application key from loss or theft. Your Avid software does not function without it, and acquiring a new key from Avid involves a fee.

There are two different programs to update dongles:

• A dongle versioner is a software program created to update many Avid systems and is normally included in a software Maintenance Kit.

• A dongle updater is a software program created to update a specific Avid system.

n If you are upgrading from NewsCutter XP Release 2.1 to NewsCutter XP Release 3.0, you will not be getting a dongle updater disk because your dongle does not need to be updated.

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To update your dongle:

t If you received a dongle versioner floppy disk with a Version Protection Kit or Maintenance Kit, you will need to use this floppy disk to update the dongle after installing the new software.

t If you purchased this version as an upgrade, you have received a unique dongle updater disk that reflects a specific System ID. You will need to use this floppy disk to update the dongle after installing the new software.

The floppy disk includes instructions for running the dongle versioner or updater.

Performing a Custom Installation

You can perform a custom installation to install particular files from the NewsCutter XP CD-ROM. For example, you might want to install only the serial drivers or only the utilities. You can also reinstall an individual component of the NewsCutter XP application if it becomes lost or damaged.

Depending on which file or application you want to install, the NewsCutter XP Installation CD-ROM provides two different procedures for installing the components from the CD-ROM:

• Selecting the component from the Avid Technology window

• Using the Custom option in the Avid Application Installer

To perform a custom installation:

1. Follow steps 1 to 10 in “Installing NewsCutter XP Software” on page 13.

2. In the Setup Type window, click Custom, and then click Next.

The Select Components window opens.

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3. Select the components you want to install.

A check mark indicates the component is selected.

4. After you have selected the components to install, click Next.


5. When the installation is complete, a message asks if you want to restart the system.

t If you do not want to install any other Avid applications, click Yes.

The system restarts.

t If you want to install other Avid applications, click No.

The Avid Technology window reopens. Select the next application for installation.

Modifying, Repairing, or Removing Avid Applications

If you have the NewsCutter XP application installed (or any other Avid application) and need to modify, repair, or remove it, use the Setup Maintenance program.

To modify, repair, or remove an Avid application:

1. Quit all active applications.

2. Insert the Avid application CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.


3. If the installation program doesn’t start automatically:





4. Click Installers.

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5. Click Install NewsCutter XP (or other Avid application).

The Welcome window for the Setup Maintenance program opens. It presents three options:

- Modify: Select this option to add new program components or to remove currently installed components.

n If you select Modify to remove currently installed components, this option does not remove registry entries or icons from the Start menu. To completely uninstall NewsCutter XP, select the Remove option.

n If you want to remove Avid Codec for AVI or QuickTime, use the Add/Remove Programs dialog box. To access Add/Remove programs, click the Start button, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Control Panel Add/Remove program can also be used if the Avid application CD-ROM is not available.

- Repair: Select this option to reinstall the components you previously installed.

- Remove: Select this option to completely uninstall all components of the Avid application.

6. Select one of the three options, and then click Next.

- If you selected Modify, the Select Components window opens. Components that are already installed are selected. Select the new components you want to install. The installation proceeds, as described in steps 12 and 13 in “Installing NewsCutter XP Software” on page 13.

c If you deselect an installed component, the installation program will remove the component from the Avid system.

- If you selected Repair, the installation proceeds, as described in steps 12 and 13 in “Installing NewsCutter XP Software” on page 13.

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- If you selected Remove, a message box asks you to confirm that you want to delete the files. Click OK. When the Maintenance Complete window opens, click Finish. Click Exit to quit the installation program.

If you receive a message about removing shared files, click No.

Installing the Companion Applications

This section describes how to install the NewsCutter XP companion applications included on the CD-ROM. The topics include:

• Installing EDL Manager

• Installing MediaLog

• Installing Avid Log Exchange

Installing EDL Manager

EDL Manager is an application that allows you to generate EDLs (edit decision lists) from sequences exported from any Avid video-based editing product. For information on using EDL Manager, see the Avid EDL Manager User’s Guide.

You can install EDL Manager on another computer. For example, you might want to install EDL Manager on a portable computer that you can take with you to an online suite, or on a computer located at the online suite.

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To install EDL Manager:


2. Insert the Avid NewsCutter XP application CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.








5. Click Install EDL Manager.


If EDL Manager is already installed, the Setup Maintenance Program window opens. Follow the steps in “Modifying, Repairing, or Removing Avid Applications” on page 17.

6. Click Next.






9. Click Next to accept the default path for the application folder (on drive C) and proceed to the next window. The default path is:

C:\Program Files\Avid\EDL Manager

The Setup Type window opens.

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10. Select Typical, and then click Next.

The installation proceeds and the Install Wizard Complete window opens.




c If you select No, the EDL Manager software will not run properly. You must restart the NewsCutter XP system before the EDL Manager software will work properly.

Installing MediaLog

MediaLog™ is an application that allows you to create a log of your media and import that media based on the log to your system or another Avid video-based editing product. The log is used to record media automatically using your IN and OUT points. For information on using MediaLog, see the Avid MediaLog User’s Guide.

To install MediaLog:










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5. Click Install MediaLog.


If MediaLog is already installed, the Setup Maintenance Program window opens. Follow the steps in “Modifying, Repairing, or Removing Avid Applications” on page 17.

6. Click Next.







C:\Program Files\Avid\MediaLog







c If you select No, the MediaLog software will not run properly. You must restart the NewsCutter XP system before the MediaLog software will work properly.

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Installing Avid Log Exchange

The Avid Log Exchange (ALE) utility allows you to quickly convert shot logs created by other sources. You can then import the files directly into a bin. For information on using the ALE utility, see the Avid NewsCutter XP User’s Guide.

To install the ALE utility:




3. If the installation program does not start automatically:






5. Click Install Avid Log Exchange.


If Avid Log Exchange is already installed, the Setup Maintenance Program window opens. Follow the steps in “Modifying, Repairing, or Removing Avid Applications” on page 17.

6. Click Next.




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C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Log Exchange







c If you select No, the Avid Log Exchange software will not run properly. You must restart the NewsCutter XP system before the Avid Log Exchange software will work properly.

Screen Resolution

Avid requires a minimum Desktop Area of 1024 x 768 pixels, the Color palette must be set to True Color, and a Refresh Frequency of 75 Hertz (Refresh Frequency not applicable to laptops) as your screen resolution when running the NewsCutter XP application. For more information and a procedure on setting the resolution, see the Avid NewsCutter XP Setup Guide.

n Higher screen resolutions can be used. Screen resolutions will be limited by the system graphic board and the monitor specifications.

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Suggestions for Optimum Performance

Windows is a multitasking operating system. However, background tasks can interrupt time-critical operations, such as recording, playing, or rendering. Make sure that background tasks are not running while you are running the NewsCutter XP application.

The following list contains suggestions for ensuring optimum performance when running the NewsCutter XP application on Windows systems:

• Do not enable the Windows Display setting “Show window contents while dragging.” This setting hinders redraw performance on the NewsCutter XP system.

• Do not leave the Console window open when you are editing. The NewsCutter XP system performance slows considerably when the Console window is open.

• Do not leave a Windows Explorer window open. Windows Explorer will try to update file information.

• Do not leave an e-mail application open if it is set to do periodic checks for mail.

• Do not run any application that periodically “wakes up” and performs an action (for example, virus scanners and disk fragment utilities).

• Disable screen savers.

• Do not insert a compact disc in a drive during operation. Most CD-ROM drives and software perform an autoscan or autostart operation.

n The NewsCutter XP system ships with Autorun disabled.

• Do not keep media on the same partition that the application is installed on. Avid recommends external media drives.

• Always disable system sounds in the Windows Sound Control Panel.

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• Always use small fonts with the display driver to avoid missing characters in the application dialog boxes.

• After moving a drive from one system to another, you should restart your system. Windows will not recognize the drive until you restart the system.

• To ensure you do not accidentally delete locked items through your desktop, right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and select Properties. In the Recycle Bin Properties window, click the Global tab. Select the option “Display delete confirmation dialog.”

• When you are advancing by single frames through the Timeline, turn off Render On-the-Fly in the Clip menu to enable faster response time.

• Do not name files with special characters (/ \ : ? ” < > | *) because Windows does not recognize special characters in file names. Bin names are now limited to 27 characters (not including the four characters reserved for the file name extension).

• Do not schedule automatic backups at times when your NewsCutter XP system might be in use.

• Do not run any application that includes prescheduled or automatically scheduled activities, such as a calendar program.

• Do not leave other applications running. Some applications, such as Microsoft Office, run background processes.

• Do not allow the Find Fast background process (find.exe) to run. The process will try to update its cache of file and folder locations. Check your Startup folder, and delete the file if it is there.

n Locate the find.exe file using the Search function from the Start button.

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Accessing the Knowledge Center for Information

The Avid Customer Support Knowledge Center (Knowledge Center) provides additional information that is frequently updated.

n Some locations on the Knowledge Center require you to log in as a registered user, but you can access most of the information in the Knowledge Center without registering and logging in.

To access the Knowledge Center:

1. Go to www.avid.com.

2. Click support.

3. Click online support.

4. Click Documentation under the Avid Knowledge Center heading.

The Knowledge Center opens to the Documentation tab.

5. (Option) Click Login.

n If you are not already a registered user of the Knowledge Center, click Register and follow the on-screen registration instructions to register now. Registered users can access more information.

6. Choose your product from the Current Product pop-up menu at the top of the Web page.

You can access the following information from the Knowledge Center:

• Latest Supported Decks List

For a list of supported decks, search for “Supported Decks” in the Knowledge Center.

• Latest Supported Cameras List

For a list of supported cameras, search for “Supported Cameras” in the Knowledge Center.

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• Latest Supported Transcoders List

For a list of supported transcoders, search for “Supported Transcoders” in the Knowledge Center.

• Compatibility with Avid Video-Based Editing Products

For a complete description of moving projects, media files, and graphics to and from Avid products, see the Avid Products Collaboration Guide, which is available from the Documentation tab in the Knowledge Center.

• White Papers

To access white papers, click the Documentation tab for your Avid product, and then click White Papers.

Special Notes

This section contains important information about system-level changes that affect the way your NewsCutter XP software and hardware operate.

n You can have multiple users editing on a NewsCutter XP system, but all users must have administrative privileges. Without administrative privileges, certain functions such as accessing projects and recording might not work correctly. You cannot change users’ permissions in the operating system while the NewsCutter XP application is running. Quit the NewsCutter XP application, make permission changes, and then restart the application after making the permission changes.

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Creating a DVD

You will need DirectX 8.1 to create a DVD. If you plan on using the Create DVD option from the File menu, you might receive a message stating you need to install DirectX 8.1. Avid includes DirectX 8.1 (dxsetup.exe) in the DirectX81 folder for you to install when using the DVD AuthorScript® application. The DirectX81 folder is in the Goodies folder located on the Avid NewsCutter XP CD-ROM.

User Settings

User settings are not backward compatible. Avid recommends creating new user settings for this release.

Goodies Folder

Avid supplies a Goodies folder located on the Avid NewsCutter XP CD-ROM. Access the Goodies folder by browsing the Avid NewsCutter XP CD-ROM. This folder contains programs and files you might find useful when trying to perform functions beyond the scope of the NewsCutter XP software.

c The information in the Goodies folder is provided solely for your reference and as suggestions for you to decide if any of these products fit into your process. Avid is not responsible for the manufacture, support, or sales of these products. Avid is also not responsible for any loss of data or time, or any other adverse results related to the use of these products. All risks of using such products or accessing such Web sites are entirely your own. The Web sites listed in the Goodies folder are not under the control of Avid, and Avid is not responsible for their content, any changes or updates to them, or the collection of any personal data or information by the operators of such Web sites. All information and product availability is subject to change without notice.

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Linking OHCI Drivers

The NewsCutter XP application does not use the default Microsoft OHCI/1394 driver; instead, Avid uses a custom OHCI driver developed by Texas Instruments. When you first connect a camera or deck (DV device) to the system via OHCI 1394, if the NewsCutter XP application is running, it will install the custom Texas Instruments driver automatically.

When you plug in the DV device (such as a camera) and the application is not running, the Hardware Wizard will appear. Either manually install the driver using the wizard, or click Cancel and start the NewsCutter XP application. NewsCutter XP will recognize the DV device and install the custom driver.

Use the DVSelect utility to link the Microsoft driver if you want to use the Microsoft driver with a third-party application.

To connect DV devices with a particular driver:

1. Click the Start button, point to Programs, point to Avid, point to Utilities, and then click DVSelect.

The DV Driver Select dialog box appears.

2. Select one of the following:

t Microsoft DV Camera and VCR Driver

t NewsCutter XP/Texas Instruments 1394 DV Camcorder Driver

3. Select “Switch drivers for only those devices that are currently turned on.”

4. Connect and turn on any DV devices you want to link to the selected driver.

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5. Click OK.

The selected driver is linked to the currently connected devices that are turned on.

If you do not select this option, the driver is linked to all devices you have ever connected to the system.

Information for NewsCutter XP Users

Avid has made the user interface and functionality of the NewsCutter XP application resemble the NewsCutter application. Because of the physical differences in the hardware, some of the selections or capabilities in the NewsCutter system might differ. Some differences you might see include:

• NewsCutter XP systems do not provide an LTC input connector to accept an external timecode signal. Without this ability, you cannot add timecode to incoming external media.

When deck control is disabled, the system’s internal time-of-day clock will be used to generate an internal timecode.

• In Trim mode, use the arrow keys below the Trim monitor to move to the next and previous frames. The keyboard shortcut keys J-K-L do not operate in Trim mode on the NewsCutter XP system.

SCSI DVD Burner

If you plan to use a SCSI DVD burner (such as a Pioneer S201) to create DVDs (on desktop systems only), you need to install a driver. When you attempt to use the SCSI DVD burner without installing the driver, an error message appears stating that the ASPI drivers are not installed.

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To install the driver:

1. Locate the Sonic_driver folder where the Avid application is installed.

2. Copy the pfc.sys file from the Sonic_driver folder to:

C:\WINNT\system32\drivers folder

3. Double-click the pfc.reg file in the Sonic_driver folder to add the driver to the registry.

The Registry Editor dialog box appears.

4. To add the information to the registry, click Yes.

5. After you are informed that the information has successfully been added, click OK.

Antivirus Applications

Antivirus programs containing autoscanning features can interfere with the operation of the NewsCutter XP application. For example, some antivirus programs can be configured to run in the background and scan all files for viruses whenever they are opened, copied, or moved. Since virus scanning is a processor- and disk-intensive activity, it can interfere with recording and playing real-time effects in the NewsCutter XP application.

Avid recommends you do not scan all files or schedule any background tasks such as virus scanning when you are using your NewsCutter XP application.

File deletion protection utilities also consume system resources and could interfere with the proper operation of the NewsCutter XP application. These utilities automatically back up any files that are deleted, even temporary files created and deleted by the NewsCutter XP application. This consumes a large amount of disk space.

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c When you are in a workgroup environment using an Avid Unity™ MediaManager server with the Norton AntiVirus® utility, you need to turn off the Auto-Protection feature when you access Avid Unity MediaManager. You can then turn the Auto-Protection feature back on. You need to perform this each time you access Avid Unity MediaManager. In addition, do not perform a Live Update.

To turn off the Auto-Protection feature:

1. Start Norton AntiVirus.

The Norton AntiVirus window opens.

2. Click the Options button in the Norton AntiVirus window.

3. Select the Auto-Protect option under the System list.

4. Deselect the following options:

- Start Auto-Protect when Windows starts up

- Run or opened

- Create or downloaded

5. Click OK.

6. Close the Norton AntiVirus window.

AVX Plug-Ins and Memory

Multiple AVX plug-ins you have applied to a sequence are now kept resident in memory at the same time. When you close a bin containing the sequence, the plug-ins are also closed, freeing the memory.

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To close all currently opened plug-ins:

1. Choose Console from the Tools menu.

The Console window opens

2. Type closeallavxplugins, and press Enter.

This command closes all currently opened plug-ins. They will automatically open again when needed.

Importing QuickTime Files Created with an Avid Codec

If you are importing a QuickTime file created with an Avid codec, and the file’s resolution does not match the current Import setting, a dialog box appears by default. This dialog box asks which resolution you want to select, and to which files you want to apply your choice. Make your choices, and then click OK to continue with the import. See the limitations listed in “Import and Export” on page 49.

Black Striping Your Tape

Before you perform a digital cut, Avid recommends you black stripe your tape. This allows for timecode on your tape.

To black stripe your tape:

1. Rewind the tape to the point where you want to begin the black stripe. Put the camera into Record Pause mode. You will have to do this manually, without deck controls.

2. In the NewsCutter XP application, load a clip with audio into the Timeline.

3. Deselect video, and select audio (both tracks) in the Track Selector panel.

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4. Play the clip for a few frames and stop.

In your Client monitor, you should see a black frame. Once you stop, there should be silence. That’s what you will use to stripe your tape.

5. Press the Pause button to start the camera recording.

6. Stop the camera at whatever point you want to stop the black stripe.

n The silence you record will match the sample rate of your current project setting.

Hardware Configurations

NewsCutter XP Release 3.0 ships from Avid on the Compaq W8000 system. Detailed information on this platform includes:

• Slot Assignments

• OHCI Support

• FireWire Support

Slot Assignments

Table 6 lists the supported slot configuration for the NewsCutter XP application on the Compaq W8000 system.

Slot 1 is dedicated to the AGP board that Compaq uses for its systems. Slots 2 to 5 represent the 32-bit bus segment, and slots 6 and 7 represent the 64-bit bus segment.

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OHCI Support

The NewsCutter XP application supports Open Host Controller Interface (OHCI)-compliant IEEE 1394 chip DV boards with Texas Instrument (TI®) based technology. The TI 1394 Link and PHY chip is the only OHCI chip that Avid has qualified to use with the NewsCutter XP system.

FireWire Support

At this time, Avid only supports the use of one FireWire® port at a time. You can only have a single device connected to the NewsCutter XP system at one time. For example, if you have a camera connected to your system and want to use a video deck, you will have to disconnect your camera and then connect the video deck.

n This limitation does not pertain to FireWire drives.

Table 6 Compaq W8000 Slot Assignments

Slot Description

1 AGP slot Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)

2 PCI slot (32-bit bus) (Optional) Fibre Channel to Avid Unity system or second SCSI controller

3 PCI slot (32-bit bus) OHCI slot

4 PCI slot (32-bit bus) (Optional) Fibre Channel to playback device

5 PCI slot (32-bit bus) (Optional) Dual-channel SCSI controller

6 PCI slot (64-bit bus) Available slot

7 PCI slot (64-bit bus) Available slot

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Storage SCSI LVD Controller Support

The SCSI LVD controller included on the system board in the Compaq W8000 and the IBM IntelliStation Z Pro 6866 systems can be used for media drives on the NewsCutter XP application. Avid also offers an Ultra 160 LVD SCSI controller board if you want to add a second controller. This Ultra 160 LVD SCSI controller board offered by Avid is a dual-channel LVD SCSI controller board. If you already have an Ultra 160 LVD SCSI controller board, you need to upgrade the firmware on that board. See “Upgrading the ATTO Firmware” on page 37. The following Avid MediaDrives are currently recommended for the best performance with your NewsCutter XP system:

• Avid MediaDrive rS LVD enclosures

• Avid MediaDrive rS 160/LVD enclosures

n If you connect single-ended, fast-and-wide drives to the Ultra 160 LVD SCSI controller board, the controller reverts to fast, wide mode and you lose the LVD mode throughput.

Upgrading the ATTO Firmware

If you are upgrading from an earlier release and have a SCSI UL3D ATTO controller board installed in your system, you must update the firmware (Flash and NVRAM) before using this Avid release. Avid ships the required updated firmware on the Avid NewsCutter XP Release 3.0 installer CD-ROM. The upgrade can only be performed using a firmware floppy disk.

n When the SCSI UL3D ATTO controller board is purchased separately, the firmware is included on a floppy disk as part of the installation kit.

To create the firmware floppy disk:

1. Install a blank formatted floppy disk into the floppy drive.

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2. Copy the DOS folder from one of the following locations:

t If you have not installed the Avid application, copy the DOS folder from:

CD-ROM:\UpgradeDriver\ATTOSCSI\DOS

t If you have installed the Avid application, you can also copy the DOS folder from the application’s Utilities folder. The default location is:

C:\Program Files\Avid\Utilities\ATTOSCSI\DOS

n You must copy the DOS folder and its contents to the floppy disk. Do not copy just the files inside the folder.

3. Remove the ATTO floppy disk from the floppy drive.

To upgrade the ATTO firmware using the nonbootable floppy disk:

1. Restart the system.

2. Press Ctrl+Z when the ATTO banner appears on the screen asking if you want to enter the Setup utility.

The Main menu appears on the screen.

3. Use the arrow keys to select number 1, “Adapters Menu,” and then press Enter.

The Adapters menu appears on the screen.

4. Use the arrow keys to select number 4, “Update Flash Rom,” and then press Enter.

5. Insert the ATTO floppy disk into the floppy drive, and then press Enter.

The Flash Update File list appears on the screen showing the files that will be updated.

6. Press Enter to start the Flash update.

c Do not reboot the system during the Flash update.

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7. When the Flash update is complete, you might see the following message:

RAID has been enabled for your adapter(s).Remember to Save Parameters when you exit.

Press Enter. The message disappears and you are returned to the Adapters menu.

8. Press the Esc key.

The Adapters menu goes away and you are placed in the Main menu.

9. Remove the floppy disk from the floppy drive.

10. Use the arrow keys to select “Save Parameters and Exit,” and then press Enter.

The changes are saved and the system automatically restarts.

Documentation Issues

The documentation set for NewsCutter XP Release 3.0 includes an Avid NewsCutter XP What’s New for Release 3.0 guide. This guide describes the features that were added for this release. In addition, NewsCutter XP Release 3.0 now ships from Avid on the Compaq W8000 system. The Avid NewsCutter XP Setup Guide has been updated to include this platform change. The Avid NewsCutter XP Online Publications CD-ROM was not updated to include the new What’s New and setup guides. An online .pdf version of these guides can be downloaded from the Knowledge Center. For more information on accessing the Knowledge Center, see “Accessing the Knowledge Center for Information” on page 27.

The following sections outline the changes that have occurred since the documentation was printed.

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Using Match Frame to Locate the Source Clips of Motion Effects

You can locate the source clip (a master clip or subclip) of a motion effect using the Match Frame feature. For information on using match frame, see the Avid NewsCutter XP User’s Guide or the Help.

To use the Match Frame feature to locate the source clip of a motion effect:

1. In the Timeline, place the position indicator on the motion effect you want to match.

2. Select the track for the motion effect you want for a match.

3. Alt+click the Match Frame button in the Other tab of the Command palette.

The source clip of the motion effect is loaded into the Source monitor.

Using Advanced Keyframes

The effects guide describes how to use the new Advanced Keyframe model. An additional document, Supplemental Information for Standard Keyframes and Advanced Keyframes discusses some of the differences between standard keyframes and advanced keyframes, and provides suggestions about when you might want to use one or the other. Refer to Supplemental Information for Standard Keyframes and Advanced Keyframes for the most up-to-date information on using advanced keyframes.

This document is available on the Knowledge Center in the White Papers section. For information on accessing the Knowledge Center, see “Accessing the Knowledge Center for Information” on page 27.

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Known Bugs and Limitations

This section describes known software and hardware bugs and limitations. When a workaround exists, it appears in a paragraph following the description. Bugs and limitations are identified in each category. Limitations are beyond the control of Avid and caused by the hardware or operating system. The bugs and limitations are listed under the following categories:

• Audio

• Camera

• Compatibility

• Digital Cut

• Editing

• Effects

• Import and Export

• Play

• Recording

• System

• Timeline

• Title Tool

• Workgroups

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Audio

Bugs

➤ For a sequence containing rendered audio effects, if you consolidate the sequence using the “Do Audio Sample Rate Conversion” option in the Consolidate dialog box and then export the sequence to OMFI Version 1 or OMFI Version 2, an error message informs you that the composition contains mixed audio sample rates.

This message is incorrect; all the material in the sequence is at the same audio sample rate. If you have problems exporting this sequence, rerender it and then export it again.

➤ You cannot import DigiTranslator™ files into a NewsCutter XP system.

➤ When the Dell laptop wakes from Hibernation, the following error might occur:

Measured audio clock rate of 48000 is not supported on this system. Check audio project settings.

Clear the error message to continue. The audio project settings sample rate of 48K is a supported setting.

Typically this happens when the Dell laptop is set to hibernate in 5 minutes or more. This error sometimes appears behind another window and is inaccessible. The system appears frozen when the error is hidden.

Workaround: You must click OK to clear the message before continuing. If the error message is hidden, click the error message in the taskbar to bring the error message to the front.

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Limitations

➤ Audio does not get embedded when you select the option “Embed audio in OMF file.” This option is available in the AvidLinks Export to Pro Tools dialog box.

➤ The Voice-over (VO) button does not work in the Record tool when OHCI is selected for the audio input. For example, you cannot use a camera’s microphone to record a voice-over.

Workaround: Perform voice-overs using any of the other audio inputs. You need to disable deck control in the Record tool to perform voice-over using any other audio inputs (for example; Microphone, CD Audio).

➤ When running the NewsCutter XP application on an IBM IntelliStation Z Pro 6866 system, do not click the +20dB button that appears in the Audio tool after you click the microphone button. The +20dB button is necessary for other platforms. The Microphone slider works correctly on the IBM system only if +20dB is not enabled.

Camera

Limitations

➤ The Eject button in the Record tool typically doesn’t work for most cameras.

➤ Your camera must support DV IN to perform a digital cut. Many PAL cameras do not support this feature. To check if this feature is supported, see the manual that came with your camera.

➤ Digital-8 cameras (including the Sony® DCR-TRV310) do not recognize timecode on Video 8 tapes.

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➤ If your camera is connected to your computer and the NewsCutter XP application is running for a long period of time, large blocks of pixels might appear on your display monitor.

Workaround: Turn the camera off, and then turn it on again.

➤ DV and FireWire are not frame-accurate device-control protocols. This means that when you capture a clip, it might capture several frames early or late. The timecode numbers will still match the frames of the media (if properly calibrated). Also, when you perform a digital cut, the edit might take place a few frames earlier or later.

➤ With a camera connected, in Frame view in the bin, some of the frames do not play when you reduce the size. There are eight possible sizes to display when using Ctrl+K and Ctrl+L; the five smallest do not play. These sizes do display properly when a camera is not connected.

Compatibility

Bug

➤ Static titles are not supported in OMFI Version 1.0 or OMFI Version 2.0. When you import a static title from the NewsCutter XP system to another system, the static title will transfer as a Matte Key effect.

Workaround: Use the bin where the static title was created, and copy it to the other system.

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Limitations

➤ Avid applications do not always find slides that have been added to the OMFI Media Files folder. If you attempt to load a slide that has been added to the OMFI Media Files folder using the Load Filler command, the following error message might appear:

COMPRESSION_NOT_SUPPORTED

Workaround: Delete the .pmr and .mdb files from the Avid_MediaFiles folder. This forces the Avid application to scan the Avid_MediaFiles folder when the applications starts.

n The .pmr and .mdb files are not deleted when earlier releases are uninstalled.

➤ If you open a project from a previous release, you might see windows that are inappropriately sized and you cannot resize them. The size of the windows is specified by the project’s workspace settings, and some windows might not allow you to resize them.

Workaround: Create new workspace settings for the current release.

Digital Cut

Limitations

➤ Some DV cameras detect when a video monitor is connected to the camera and send video to all of its outputs, including the 1394 connector. (Even if the monitor is using an analog connection.) If you attempt to do a digital cut back to the camera using the 1394 cable, no input is allowed.

Workaround: Unplug the monitor cable when you want to send a digital cut back to the camera.

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➤ Digital Cut is not always frame accurate. You might see the following inaccuracies, especially when using MiniDV decks:

• Occasionally, the first frame might be cut one frame late. When this happens, the first video frame of the sequence appears on the first and second frames on tape. The audio remains in sync, so the first audio frame of the sequence is cut to the second frame on tape.

• Extra video frames might be cut to tape at the end of the cut. The number ranges from 3 to 5 frames.

➤ When you perform a digital cut on a partially striped tape, a message should appear and the tape should stop when the sequence timecode reaches the timecode on the tape.

For example:

• If you output a sequence using the sequence’s timecode and it reaches the end of the timecode on tape, it continues the digital cut without a timecode error message.

• If you insert an edit onto a tape and then insert a segment that extends beyond the end of the timecode on the tape, it will continue to insert video onto the unblacked area.

Workaround: Perform digital cuts only on fully striped tapes.

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Editing

Bugs

➤ With the option Show Headframes selected, layering a clip exactly on top of a clip on another video track causes the headframe on the “bottom” clip to be a duplicate of the “top” headframe.

For example, if you have a clip on track V1 and place another clip on track V2 at exactly the same spot, the clip on track V1 will display the same headframe as the clip on track V2.

Workaround: Enlarge V1 so it is not the same size as V2.

➤ Media dragged to the Timeline from a bin will automatically be placed on video track V1 and audio tracks A1 and A2. You cannot place it on any other tracks.

You cannot drag media on tracks that are physically apart in the Timeline.

Workaround: If you disable tracks, you can move the audio and video to the Timeline, but you must drag them separately.

Effects

Bugs

➤ If you import a graphic with a black background and place a Luma Key effect on the graphic, you cannot completely turn off the keying, even when the gain level is set to zero.

Workaround: Import the graphic using a white background. Alternatively, for a cleaner keying effect, create and import the graphic as a Matte Key effect.

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➤ A long video mixdown with unrendered effects causes an Insufficient Memory error. A video mixdown with many unrendered effects (such as a 15-minute sequence with 176 effects) will abort with the following error message:

Insufficient Memory error. Keep or discard?

Click Keep; the mixdown is good up until that point. This problem does not occur with Render In/Out or when rendering a long effect.

Workaround: Render the effects before creating the mixdown, divide the video mixdown into smaller segments, or upgrade the system memory.

➤ A redraw problem occurs with the monitor when you use the Clip Name menu to select clips or sequences.

This problem occurs when “Use transition effects for menus and tooltips” is selected in the Effects tab in the Display Properties dialog box. For example, if you load several clips into the Source monitor, and you use the Clip Name menu to select different clips, the highlighted area for the selected clip remains on the monitor when the menu disappears, and you can see the previous clip displayed.

n The “Use transition effects for menus and tooltips” option is normally selected on the Windows 2000 system by default.

Workaround: To prevent this problem from occurring, deselect “Use transition effects for menus and tooltips.” Right-click the desktop, select Properties, click the Effects tab, and deselect “Use transition effects for menus and tooltips.”

➤ The system might run noticeably slower or access violation errors might appear after performing hundreds of renders.

Workaround: Restart your NewsCutter XP application at least once a week.

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Import and Export

Bugs

➤ You cannot change the frame size or other settings when using an Avid codec to export a QuickTime movie.

Avid codecs are designed to provide a fast export or import at the native frame size. (If necessary, you can change the resolution, but the export will take longer.) If you change the frame size or other setting and then use an Avid codec to export a QuickTime movie, you cannot do a fast export or import and the codec might issue the following error message:

Unable to export bin.

Workaround: Use a different codec. Alternatively, export the file by selecting the Same as Source option and change the setting in another application, such as cleaner™ 5.

➤ If you export a PICT sequence that was created on a NewsCutter XP system and try to import it on a Media Composer® for Macintosh® system, the first file might be corrupt.

Workaround: Import the sequence starting with the second file of the sequence.

Limitations

➤ Importing a QDesign Music 2 file, formatted as a QuickTime movie, plays back with stuttering audio at the end of the sequence.

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➤ You cannot send a sequence to cleanerEZ™ if it is already running.

If you start the NewsCutter XP and cleanerEZ applications, select a sequence, and then send it to cleanerEZ, you receive the following error message:

cleanerEZ is already running. Please exit it and attempt the operation again.

Each time you want to process another sequence, you need to quit cleanerEZ.

Workaround: Do not start cleanerEZ before sending a sequence, or use cleaner Pro instead of cleanerEZ.

➤ When you import PAL OMF to a PAL project, the File Field Order Import setting should be set to Odd.

Currently, Even is the default PAL setting.

Workaround: Set the File Field Order to Odd for PAL.

➤ Several export options do not appear if QuickTime 5.0 Minimum Installation is installed on the NewsCutter XP system. The options that do not appear include those for exporting DV Stream, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, QuickTime, and QuickTime Reference. This problem only happens if you install QuickTime 5.0 on your system and select the Minimum Installation option.

The NewsCutter XP software installer automatically installs QuickTime 4.0 unless it detects a later version. If it detects a later version, it leaves the newer version intact and proceeds with the rest of the installation. QuickTime 5.0 is supported by this release but is not shipped with the release.

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Workaround: If you have QuickTime 5.0 installed on your system and you notice that the export options are missing, reinstall QuickTime 5.0 and select the Recommended installation.

➤ You cannot import a file larger than the 2-GB limit on file size.

Workaround: If you need to import a sequence of files (such as a TARGA® sequence), you can break the files into groups and import the groups separately. Once the groups are imported, you can make the imported clips into a sequence or subsequence, and then edit them into other sequences.

Play

Bugs

➤ When using the NewsCutter XP system as a source deck during VTR emulation, you might experience preroll, playback, and off-speed play problems.

Workaround: Use the NewsCutter system to perform these tasks.

➤ Some recorded media might “jitter” when played in the NewsCutter XP application. The jitter is most noticeable when there is a lot of motion in the clip. The source tape from which the media came looks fine. The jitter does not happen constantly. The media is not affected; it only affects desktop playback.

➤ Excessive mouse shuttling through a sequence might produce the following error:

Exception: AFIFO_TAKE_UNDERRUN or Exception: ADM_DSOUND_UNDERRUN.

This error does not occur under normal operation.

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➤ Desktop playback of video is not supported on the second monitor of dual-monitor systems. The video only updates once the clip has finished playing. At this point, the last frame of the clip is displayed. Audio plays normally. Playback through OHCI is working, but you see a corrupt signal when viewing the output of the deck. When you perform a digital cut to the deck and then play back the tape, the signal looks fine.

Workaround: Make sure Source/Record monitors are placed on the Boot monitor.

Limitation

➤ Using four tracks of video with additional editing features decreases performance.

If you enable four tracks of video, add titles and layered effects, and then view all four video tracks, the NewsCutter XP application performs very slowly.

Workaround: Reducing the number of video tracks and the complexity of your sequence improves the performance.

Recording

Bugs

➤ Timecode in the deck controller is not displaying non-drop-frame when a non-drop-frame tape is in the deck.

➤ Stop recording when your media drive has approximately 2 GB of space remaining. Due to unpredictable conditions such as disk fragmentation, the NewsCutter XP application determines that the media drive is filled before it is actually out of space.

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Limitations

➤ When doing a PAL 411 digital cut using a DVCPRO deck, you might experience the following:

• Digital cuts that exceed 10 minutes might produce an AdmAdm Overrun error.

• Digital cuts might not stop automatically when the digital cut is completed.

Workaround: Turn off “Poll deck during digital cut” in the Deck Preferences when using a DVCPRO deck.

➤ The video and audio might stutter while performing passthrough record. When the codec does not get enough processing time, it will skip frames to keep up with the video passing through. Faster systems minimize the stutter, but this can occur on any system when background tasks are using processor time. The resulting clip will not contain the stutter; it will play fine.

Workaround: Stop all background tasks to minimize or eliminate stutter during a passthrough record.

➤ If you choose Autoconfigure from the Deck pop-up menu, the application searches the first serial port (COM1) only.

If another serial port (COM2) has been configured previously, Autoconfigure will search that serial port instead.

Workaround: If you want to autoconfigure the deck, connect the deck to serial port 1 (COM1).

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➤ Recording across timecode breaks does not always capture the frames around the timecode break. This happens with products that use RS-422 for deck control. When you select “Use control track for preroll,” sometimes the system misses as many as 9 frames before the timecode break and 12 frames after the timecode break.

Workaround: Manually set mark IN to the first frame of the clip after the timecode break, or record on-the-fly with the timecode track turned off.

System

Bugs

➤ When you select a column in a bin, the column is highlighted. If another column is selected, the first column remains highlighted at a lighter shade.

If a third column is selected, the first two columns that were selected both change to the same lighter shade. This continues for each additional column selected in the bin. When you select a previously selected column, it then appears unselected.

Workaround: Refresh the window to show the correct selected column. You can refresh the window by resizing, minimizing, and maximizing the window, as well as dragging or opening another window over the Bin window.

➤ If you click Transfer in the Settings scroll list, an access violation occurs. To exit the violation, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to end the task using the Task Manager.

Workaround: If you are not a TransferManager client, do not click Transfer in the Settings scroll list.

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Limitations

➤ If you receive the following message when starting the Avid system, the Avid application will not start:

Exception occurred while initializing Media Stream Manager, exception: MSM no directory specified.

Workaround: To delete the necessary two files:

1. Locate the Avid application folder and open it.

2. Double-click the SupportingFiles folder

3. Double-click the Avid_MediaFiles folder.

4. Select the msmFMID.pmr and the msmMMOB.mdb files, and then press the Delete key.

5. Restart the Avid application.

➤ When you copy a bin from a Windows 2000 NTFS volume to a non-NTFS volume, the following error message appears:

Confirm stream loss. The file name.avb.

The stream data that is lost is cached bin data. The bin contents are transferred intact despite the error message. You can ignore this error message.

This message appears when you access the file from the Windows desktop. The error does not appear in the Avid application.

Timeline

Limitation

➤ There is a short delay when you play a sequence in the Timeline with multiple (eight) audio tracks and one video track. The delay is less when using fewer audio tracks.

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Title Tool

Limitations

➤ Processing crawling titles in Realtime (Green Dot) mode is not supported. Crawling titles will not appear in the Source/Record monitor while single-frame stepping or streaming. Crawling titles work as they always have in previous releases; they must be rendered before you can play them back in real time.

The following error will occur if you attempt to play a crawling title in Realtime mode:

SWFXCONS_DIFFERENT_SAMPLE_CNTS.

Workaround: Disable Realtime (Green Dot) mode in the Timeline. Crawling titles must be rendered in Legacy (Blue Dot) mode, and then the crawling title will play back in either Realtime or Legacy modes.

➤ If a title in PAL is repositioned, the first line in the even field is black when you play back the sequence.

This is a limitation of the PAL DV format.

Workaround: When the first line in the even field is black, crop the line out in the Effect Editor.

Workgroups

When your NewsCutter XP is a client connected in a workgroup environment, you might initially think these workgroup issues are caused by your NewsCutter XP. See the Avid Unity MediaNet, Avid Unity TransferManager, and Avid Unity MediaManager release notes for additional workgroup issues.

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Bugs

➤ If you have workspaces mounted on your system and the connection is lost to your workgroup, the workspaces are not dimmed to indicate they are no longer selectable in the Record tool.

n You can still work locally on your NewsCutter XP system.

Workaround: Reestablish the workspace connection to the workgroup. If the connection cannot be reestablished, choose Eject from the File menu to unmount all workspaces.

➤ The Drive Selection menu in the Record tool might not display an accurate list of available workspaces if you have been unmounting and mounting different workspaces.

Workaround: Choose Mount All from the File menu before you open the Record tool.

n Make sure you do not have the Record tool open when you choose Mount All.

Limitations

➤ If the connection is lost when you have a MediaNet workspace mounted on your NewsCutter XP desktop, an error will occur. Depending on the function you are performing when the connection is lost, different error messages will appear. For example: if you are playing back video through a MediaNet workspace served from a PortServer Pro, and the PortServer Pro is shut down or the network connection is disconnected, the following type of error message might appear:

Assertion failed: curlen> 0File: L:\coresw\core\filesys\diskrtnsWin.c, Line 327

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n To check the status of the MediaNet workspace connection, look at the Connection Manager icon in the Windows taskbar. See the Avid PortServer Pro Client QuickStart Card for indicator explanations.

Workaround: To deal with such an error:

1. Quit the NewsCutter XP application (using the Task Manager might be necessary).

2. Remount the MediaNet workspace after the PortServer Pro or MediaNet File Manager has been restarted, or after the network connection to the PortServer Pro has been restored. See your MediaNet administrator and documentation for details.

3. Restart the NewsCutter XP application.

➤ Errors occur when attempting transfers of sequences that contain unsupported effects, audio formats, or media formats. This can occur when you have checked in a sequence from an editing system that supports these features, and then an editing system that does not support these features checks that sequence out and attempts to send the sequence to a playback device.

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If You Need Help

If you are having trouble using your NewsCutter XP:

1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that task. It is especially important to check each step of your workflow.

2. Check these release notes for the latest information that might have become available after the hardcopy documentation was printed.

3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for maintenance or hardware-related issues.

4. Visit the online Knowledge Center at www.avid.com/support. Online services are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Search this online Knowledge Center to find answers, to view error messages, to access troubleshooting tips, to download updates, and to read/join online message-board discussions.

5. For Technical Support, please call 800-800-AVID (800-800-2843).

For Broadcast On-Air Sites and Call Letter Stations, call800-NEWSDNG (800-639-7364).

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Technical Support Information

Avid has built and maintains one of the largest worldwide Customer Support networks in the industry. All of Avid’s Customer Support representatives are trained and certified in a broad range of applications, new operating systems, and storage and networking solutions. In addition to this highly experienced staff, Avid Resellers and Rental Companies in the major regions of the world have the capability to deliver various levels of application and hardware support direct to the end user, with the full backing of the entire Avid worldwide Customer Support organization. Support delivery is designed to provide the most responsive service possible within the geography by adopting host-country language and customs.

Featuring a number of coverage options, Avid Assurance service offerings are designed to facilitate your use of Avid solutions. Service options include extended telephone coverage, automatic software maintenance, extended hardware warranty, and preferred pricing on replacement parts.

For more information regarding Avid’s service offerings, visit www.avid.com/support or call Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID (800-949-2843).

Program availability and details might vary depending on geographic location and are subject to change without notice. Contact your local Avid office or your local Avid Reseller for complete program information and pricing. However, if you need help locating an Avid office or Avid Reseller near you, please visit www.avid.com or call in North America 800-949-AVID (800-949-2843). International users call 978-275-2480.

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Copyright and DisclaimerProduct specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology, Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. You can obtain a copy of that license by visiting Avid’s Web site at www.avid.com. The terms of that license are also available in the product in the same directory as the software. The software may not be reverse assembled and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the license agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement. Avid products or portions thereof are protected by one or more of the following United States patents: 4,746,994; 4,970,663; 5,045,940; 5,063,448; 5,077,604; 5,245,432; 5,267,351; 5,309,528; 5,325,200; 5,355,450; 5,396,594; 5,440,348; 5,452,378; 5,467,288; 5,513,375; 5,528,310; 5,557,423; 5,568,275; 5,577,190; 5,583,496; 5,584,006; 5,627,765; 5,634,020; 5,640,601; 5,644,364; 5,654,737; 5,701,404; 5,715,018; 5,719,570; 5,724,605; 5,726,717; 5,729,673; 5,731,819; 5,745,637; 5,752,029; 5,754,180; 5,754,851; 5,781,188; 5,799,150; 5,812,216; 5,828,678; 5,842,014; 5,852,435; 5,883,670; 5,889,532; 5,892,507; 5,905,841; 5,912,675; 5,929,836; 5,929,942; 5,930,445; 5,930,797; 5,946,445; 5,966,134; 5,977,982; 5,986,584; 5,987,501; 5,995,079; 5,995,115; 5,999,190; 5,999,406; 6,009,507; 6,011,562; 6,014,150; 6,016,152; 6,016,380; 6,018,337; 6,023,531; 6,023,703; 6,031,529; 6,035,367; 6,038,573; 6,052,508; 6,058,236; 6,061,758; 6,072,796; 6,084,569; 6,091,422; 6,091,778; 6,105,083; 6,118,444; 6,128,001; 6,128,681; 6,130,676; 6,134,379; 6,134,607; 6,137,919; 6,141,007; 6,141,691; 6,154,221; 6,157,929; 6,160,548; 6,161,115; 6,167,404; 6,174,206; 6,192,388; 6,198,477; 6,201,531; 6,208,357; 6,211,869; 6,212,197; 6,215,485; 6,223,211; 6,226,005; 6,226,038; 6,229,576; 6,239,815; 6,249,280; 6,269,195; 6,271,829; 6,301,105; 6,310,621; 6,314,403; 6,317,142; 6,317,153; 6,317,158; 6,317,515; 6,327,253; 6,330,369; 6,336,093; 6,337,880; 6,339,531; 6,351,557; 6,353,437; 6,353,862; 6,357,047; 6,374,336; D352,278; D372,478; D373,778; D392,267; D392,268; D392,269; D395,291; D396,853; D398,912. Additional U.S. and foreign patents pending. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the express written permission of Avid Technology, Inc.

Copyright © 2002 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

Attn. Government User(s). Restricted Rights Legend

U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. This Software and its documentation are “commercial computer software” or “commercial computer software documentation.” In the event that such Software or documentation is acquired by or on behalf of a unit or agency of the U.S. Government, all rights with respect to this Software and documentation are subject to the terms of the License Agreement, pursuant to FAR §12.212(a) and/or DFARS §227.7202-1(a), as applicable.

Trademarks888 I/O, AirPlay, AirSPACE, AirSPACE HD, AniMatte, AudioSuite, AudioVision, AutoSync, Avid, AVIDdrive, AVIDdrive Towers, AvidNet, AVIDstripe, Avid Unity, Avid Xpress, AVX, CamCutter, DAE, D-Fi, D-fx, Digidesign, Digidesign Audio Engine, Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction, DigiTranslator, DINR, D-Verb, Equinox, ExpertRender, FieldPak, Film Composer, FilmScribe, HIIP, HyperSPACE, HyperSPACE HDCAM, IllusionFX, Image Independence, Intraframe, iS9, iS18, iS23, iS36, Lo-Fi, Magic Mask, make manage move | media, Marquee, Matador, Maxim, MCXpress, Media Composer, MediaDock, MediaDock Shuttle, Media Fusion, Media Illusion, MediaLog, Media Reader, Media Recorder, MEDIArray, MediaShare, Meridien, MetaSync, NaturalMatch, NetReview, NewsCutter, OMF, OMF Interchange, OMM, Open Media Framework, Open Media Management, ProEncode, Pro Tools, QuietDrive, Recti-Fi, rS9, rS18, Sci-Fi, Softimage, Sound Designer II, SPACE, SPACEShift, Symphony, Trilligent, UnityRAID, Vari-Fi, Video Slave Driver, and VideoSPACE are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

iNEWS and Media Browse are trademarks of iNews, LLC.

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Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. AuthorScript is a registered trademark of Sonic Solutions. cleaner and cleanerEZ are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. in the USA and/or other countries. Compaq is a registered trademark of Compaq Computer Corporation. Dell and Latitude are registered trademarks and Dell Precision is a trademark of Dell Computer Corporation in the United States and other countries. DirectX, Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Editcam is a trademark of Ikegami Tsushinki, Co., Ltd. FireWire and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. IBM, IntelliStation, and ThinkPad are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. IEEE is a registered trademark of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. Norton AntiVirus is a registered trademark of Symantec Corporation. QuickTime and the QuickTime logo are trademarks used under license from Apple Computer, Inc. The QuickTime logo is registered in the U.S. and other countries. Sony is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation of America. TARGA is a registered trademark of Pinnacle Systems, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. TI is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments, Inc. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Avid NewsCutter XP Release 3.0 Release Notes for the Windows 2000 Operating System • Part 0130-05170-01 Rev. A • May 2002

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