April 7, 2025

As you read this, the annual NAB Show is starting its second day. However, I'm writing this newsletter Saturday night before the show opens. I spent today setting up our booth where we will interview 65 key companies in media production and post. Here's our complete guest list. Interviews will post starting late this week.

Link: Larry Jordan’s Upcoming Interviews at the 2025 NAB Show – Las Vegas

Apple released macOS 15.4 last week. If you haven't upgraded yet, I suggest you wait a few more days. 

Link: CAUTION: Hold Off Upgrading to macOS 15.4 for a Week

The M4 Mac Studio is the ultimate performance tool for video editing. Here are my thoughts on how to configure the system to maximize performance, without breaking the bank. 

Link: Thoughts on Configuring an M4 Mac Studio for Video Editing

IN THE NEWS

I've lost count of how many news stories I posted this week - close to three dozen and growing daily. You'll find these posted in the news section of my home page.

The new Trump tariffs - and the developing trade war they caused - are playing hob with stocks and consumer prices. This article, by custom-computer developer Puget Systems is an excellent explainer of how tariffs affect technology prices.

Link: https://www.pugetsystems.com/blog/2025/03/28/2025-tariff-impacts-at-puget-systems/

Chris reports a bug in FCP 11.2, which affects 4K 50 fps long-GOP XAVC media. When imported it displays as black frames. This bug does not seem to affect XAVC I-frame video.

Adobe released a new version of Premiere Pro with multiple AI enhancements. Here's a summary of the new features, including links to Adobe's release notes.

Link: New Features in Adobe Premiere Pro 25.2

Blackmagic Design released a beta version of Resolve 20 with more than 100 features. 

Link: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

By the time you read this, the annual NAB Show will be in its second day. I'll already have two dozen interviews in the can. In this article, I describe our gear, why I picked it and how I expect to use it. (I'm writing this on Saturday night, having spent the day setting up our booth. Setup never goes as smoothly as I would like, but by the end of the day, everything was working as I expected. Whew!)

Link: Here’s the Gear We Are Using to Shoot Interviews at the 2025 NAB Show

Here's another caution: Be careful purchasing a USB-C to USB-C cable. If it says “Charging” on the box, it will not work to send data, connect a monitor, or even connect an iPhone. These are for charging devices only. I’ve already been burned three times. I really should read the package text more carefully.

Link: CAUTION: Not All USB-C Cables are Safe for Data

As I walk through the convention center on my way to our booth, I'm struck by how many vendors are working AI into their messages. I'm really looking forward, in my interviews, to learning how they are actually implementing AI into their products. Hype may not be running amok, but it is certainly making a lot of noise,

But, while AI and workflow and faster storage are important, overshadowing all are the new Trump tariffs which are decimating the stock market and, worse, driving up prices on virtually all technology hardware. Personally, I think these tariffs are incredibly stupid. Worse, though, is the devastating impact they will have on our industry, which is already struggling to recover from Covid and the economic downturn many of us are still experiencing. 

Just when we thought things couldn't get much worse, darned if real-life didn't find a new way to make our lives more difficult. In these challenging times, it is easy to get discouraged. Please keep in mind that, while we may not be able to affect events on a global scale, we do have control over how we respond to them locally - in our family, among our friends and in our local communities. 

We are not powerless.

Until next Monday, stay healthy, stay hopeful and edit well.

TUTORIALS & REVIEWS

» Thoughts on Configuring an M4 Mac Studio for Video Editing (Commentary)

  » My thoughts on how to maximize performance, without breaking the bank.

» Caution: Hold off Upgrading to macOS 15.4 for a Week (Commentary)

  » Waiting a few days gives time for any serious bugs to be found.

» Caution: Not All USB-C Cables are Safe for Data (Commentary)

  » A charging cable won't work for data or monitors.

» Here's the Gear We're Using to Shoot Interviews at NAB (Commentary)

  » Here's the gear we are using, why we picked it and where it fits in.

» New Features in Adobe Premiere Po 25.2 (News)

  » More AI features and bug fixes. Here's the complete list.

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