Ian Mantripp has created LiveSite, an unofficial LiveStage site, where you can find samples of QuickTime movies created with LiveStage, some tutorials on how to do some interesting things with LiveStage, and info about an upcoming tool called Shakespeare, which helps write QScripts. (LiveStage is a new tool for creating interactive QuickTime movies. To use it, you write scripts with QScript, a scripting language.)
The product released last month as PuppetTime Director has been renamed PuppetTime Producer, and a new version (1.0d22) has been released. A 4/23 PuppetTime press release has details about this product for 3D storytelling software; the PuppetTime web site also has lots of info, demos, and a free download.
Apple has a slew of Tech Info Library Articles on QuickTime 4 and related topics:
QuickTime 4: Public Beta - Current Known Issues (#60310)
QuickTime 4: Troubleshooting Installation (#60315)
Mac OS X Server: Capturing and Streaming QuickTime Video (#60316)
QuickTime 4: MP3 VBR Encoding Not Supported (#60293)
QuickTime 4: What's New (#60297)
QuickTime 4: Description (#60295)
QuickTime 4: Technical Fact Sheet (#60300)
QuickTime 4: 10 Great Reasons to Upgrade to QuickTime 4 Pro (#60298)
QuickTime: Windows 98 Support(#30965)
Plus there are nearly 50 TIL article that relate to Final Cut Pro. Go to Apple's Tech Info Library (TIL) and search for "Final Cut Pro".
QuickTime 4 in the media:
MacTimes review of QuickTime 4, coming from an iMac/consumer perspective.
MacFixIt report on Troubleshooting QuickTime 4
Macintouch QuickTime 4 Reader Reports
CNET News.com article "Apple Sees Big Rewards in QuickTime Plan" , talking about Apple's strategy regarding QuickTime streaming server software.
Daily iMac "QuickTime 4 Streaming: Bandwidth vs. Quality Comparisons" page
There's a Flash and QuickTime 4 page at Macromedia, where you'll find samples and info about integrating Flash media with QuickTime 4.
If you want some sample "hinted" (i.e. prepared for rtsp streaming) movies to test your QuickTime streaming server, you can find them at Apple's Software Updates for QuickTime Streaming Sample Movies page.
Macintouch has a Reader Report about Avid stopping development of Mac versions of their software. Robert Morgan, author of the RFI column at MacWEEK.com, has an interesting spin on AVID and the future, in his 4/23 report, "Forget PCI slots".
Holy brushed aluminum, batman! QuickTime 4 Preview Release (beta software, not the final release!) is now available at Apple's QuickTime web page, where you'll also find lots of info. The biggest improvement to QuickTime is its ability to do "true" streaming (i.e. RTSP streaming, the kind where a file isn't downloaded but you need a streaming server to send the data out). In addition, it's got a new installer, contains new and improved versions of web compressors (Sorenson and QDesign), has the ability to play MP3 and Flash files, and the ability to export a QuickTime movie as an AVI movie. QuickTime 4 comes with QuickTime Player, which is essentially MoviePlayer with a facelift. (New features include a bookmarking feature, the ability to open and play remote files, and a way to create chapter lists.)
Some significant places at the QuickTime web site you may want to visit:
Plus, there's an Apple Tech Info library article on Macintosh installation of QuickTime 4.
If you're looking for commentary from others about this new release, check out:
Of course, QuickTime 4 Preview has been released just in time for the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) conference. Other QuickTime-related product news:
In the world of other miscellaneous updates:
If you're thinking of getting a DV camcorder, go to Canon's Elura Sweepstakes page, where you can enter to win an Elura (Canon's new Mini DV camcorder that plugs into the Blue and White G3's FireWire port, so you can create QuickTime movies in a snap.)
The Panorama Tools page (which we reported last week as being down because of the threat of legal action) is back up. More info about the case is Kathy Wheeler's IPIX vs. VR Developers page.
The Sacred Worlds web site is now complete. It showcases QuickTime VR projects that utilize QuickTime 3 features.
The International QuickTime VR Association is initiating a "QuickTime VR Tools Awareness" campaign. As part of this they have a QTVR Trivia Game where you can win free software, and information each week about QuickTime VR products. (This week there's a review and demos of SoundSaVR, a tool for adding directional sound to QuickTime VR panos.)
If you try to visit Helmut Dersch's Panorama Tools site, you'll find that the site is temporarily down because IPIX (a QuickTime VR competitor of sorts) is threatening him with legal action. You can get lots of background info on the controversy by going to the International QuickTime VR Association's No IPIX page.
There's a new article in Apple's Tech Info Library concerning freezes when opening MoviePlayer on Windows.
For rumors and guesses about the future of QuickTime, there's an AppleInsider article on QuickTime 4 and an AppleInsider article on Apple products that are supposed to come out at NAB (including info on Final Cut Pro and QuickTime 4).
Digital Origin (formerly Radius) is coming out with EditDV for Windows, a $600 DV (FireWire) editing tool; read a 4/12 Digital Origin press release on EditDV for Windows for more info.
For the Mac, Digital Origin announced RotoDV and RotoWeb, video-painting and special effects tools. (RotoDV is for full-screen video and is more expensive than RotoWeb; introductory prices are $399 and $99.) A 4/12 Digital Origin press release on RotoDV and RotoWeb provides more info. You may also want to check out the RotoDV overview page and the RotoWeb overview page.
Buena Software has released Transition Maker, $20 shareware you can use to generate your own custom transitions within QuickTime. You can get more info, download the software, and register it, if you go to the Transition Maker site.
Apple released beta 6 of QuickTime for Java. You can read more QuickTime for Java and download this latest beta if you go to Apple's QuickTime for Java page.
The SQUAMISH Media Group has released revolVR, a $15 wired sprite tool that allows QuickTime VR panos and object movies to rotate automatically. You can read more, get the tool, and view samples at the revolVR Main Page.
Lots of reading this week:
AppleLinks has a glowing review of Electrifier Pro, the wired sprite tool.
There's an osOpinion piece titled "QuickTime: The Next Cross Platform Open Source OS?!". It makes for an interesting read.
The Mac Observer's April 1st Ask Dave column, notes a bug between File Exhange and QuickTime. (We've never seen or heard of this.)
There's a MacWEEK.com report on Commotion 2.0, the high-end effects tool released this week.There's also a MacWEEK.com article about the Apple FireWire 2.0 software we noted last week.
Apple recently released a specially priced bundle for the education market which includes a Blue G3 (with FireWire inputs), a 17" display, Avid Cinema software (easy-to-use video capture and editing software), and the XClaim VR card (for analog video capture). The price is around $2000. You'll find some information at an Apple Video Editing/Publishing for Education page, but will have to follow the links to the Apple Store for Education, and enter info about yourself and your school, before you can find pages with precise specs and prices.
And, on a sad note, BMUG has stopped production of its "newsletter" and closed its office. (For details, read A Letter to All BMUG Members and a MacWEEK article.) The Little QuickTime Page will continue, at least for the time-being.