Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Ep. 110: iMovie 09 Exporting Videos to DVD, Youtube, and other Devices


D.Lee Beard explains how to export iMovie videos for YouTube, DVD, iPod, and more. He shows how to make DVDs look professional by using iDVD's animated features, drop zones, customizable features, and more.
Click Here to Play Episode 110: iMovie Exporting

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Ep. 109: iMovie 09 Chapter Markers and More.


D.Lee explains how to add chapter markers to your videos, how to change the icon sizes, and how to print out a proof sheet of your videos from a specific event.
Click here to play

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

#108: iMovie 09 - Adding Titles, Transitions, and Maps


D.Lee Beard shows how to add titles, lower thirds, credits, and other text elements over a black background, images, video, and animated graphics.

D.Lee demonstrates how to add transitions between video clips in an iMovie 09 project including the new "theme" transitions such as "Photo Album."

He also explains how to add and customize animated maps to a video project. Mixing features and effects in the 09 version of iMovie really makes iMovie stand out.

Recorded in November 2009, 12min 25sec
Click Here to Play Episode 108: iMovie Titles, Transitions and Maps

Friday, December 04, 2009

Episode 107: Pt. 4 of 7 iMovie 09 - Working With Audio


In this video, D.Lee Beard explains how to add music and iMovie sound effects to your video project, how to duck the audio of specific tracks, how to fade audio in and out including adjusting how quickly it fades in or out, how to separate the audio from a video clip and move elsewhere or delete altogether, and how to add your own narrations to your video projects using iMovie 09. Recorded in November 2009, 8:25 duration.
Click Here to Play Episode 107

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Episode 106: iMovie Series Part 3 of 7 - Adding Effects


D.Lee Beard explains how to apply special effects to videos and photos including how to make color adjustments, applying a sepia and grayscale tone, how to blur the edges of a video clip, how to apply a slow motion and fast motion effect to video clips, and how to reverse a clip to play it backwards. He also explains how to apply iMovie 09's image stabilization effect to those jerky handheld video clips.

D.Lee shows how to raise and lower the volume level of video clips in iMovie 09 including the "ducking" effect and the fade in and out effect.

Hidden advanced tools are also featured including showing how to create a video picture in a picture effect with one video playing in a box over another video.

Click Here to Play Episode 106 iMovie Effects

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Episode 105: iMovie Series Part 2 of 7


D.Lee Beard explains how to add photos to an iMovie video project including applying the Ken Burns effect to your photos, cropping an image in iMovie, rotating an image in iMovie, adjusting how long the photo displays in the video, and how to adjust automatic settings when photos are imported (such as turning off the automatic Ken Burns effect or making all photos default to 6 seconds instead of just 4 seconds). D.Lee also shows how to grab a still image from a video.
Click Here to Play Episode 105

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Episode 104: iMovie 09 Series 1 of 7 - Interface Basics


In this part 1 of 7 series on iMovie 09, D.Lee Beard starts off by explaining the basic interface elements of iMovie 09.

Click Here to Play Episode 104 iMovie 09 Part 1

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Episode 103: Removing Flash Cookies


D.Lee Beard shows how to locate and remove those rarely found other cookies "Flash cookies" also called Locally Shared Objects (LSO's). Improve your privacy by selectively removing these items from your hard drive.

Show links are available at the AsktheTechies.com (episode 103, Computer Security Category).

Click Here to Play Episode 103

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Review of Kodak Zi8 HD Video Camera


As a follow up to the Flip cam Mino review, D.Lee Beard reviews the Kodak Zi8 competitor.  Features reviewed: 1080 HD, 5MP Camera, audio quality and external port, image stabilization, screen size, HDMI output, and more.

Click Here to Play Episode 102: Kodak Zi8 Review

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Episode 101: Viewer Questions on iPod, Compressor, and Installing Leopard Disks


D.Lee Beard answers viewer questions on an iPod not working, using Compressor to export HD video, and problems installing Leopard with certain deisks. This video is 9min 24 sec - recorded October 2009.

Click her to Play Episode 101 Video

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Episode 100: Skype 2.8 Review - Skype Screen & Video Phoning


Brandon Jackson returns for the 100th episode of Ask the Techies to join D.Lee Beard in explaining how to share your computer screen with a fellow computer user remotely using the free Skype application and service. This works on both Windows and Macs and between Windows and Mac OS X and can be a great way of offering and receiving technical support. They also show how to use Skype to video and audio phone people for free (who also sign up for Skype), in addition to the paid phoning landline phones service that Skype offers. This Skype review is 13min 08 sec - recorded 10-2009.

Click Here to Play Episode 100: Skype 2.8 Review

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Episode 99: Apple Tablet - E-Book: Truth and Speculation


D.Lee answers viewer questions on what is that computer that D.Lee Beard uses that appears to be an Apple Tablet PC. D.Lee also speaks on the rumors of a soon to be released Apple tablet ebook reader and shows you how you can get your own tablet Mac today! (11min 16 sec)

Now With Chapter Markers!

There is lots of information in this video but you can easily navigate to the topics you want by using the chapters feature in the Quicktime Player.

Click Here to Play Episode 99: Apple Tablet - E-Book: Truth and Speculation

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Episode 98: Quicktime X Review & Demo


D.Lee Beard reviews and demos Mac OS X Snow Leopard's Quicktime X. He explains how to trim the video in Quicktime X, how to view chapter markers in Quicktime X, how to view flash video .flv video in Quicktime X, where to find free public domain video content online, how to convert .ogg video files into MP4 video format, and more.

Episode 98: Quicktime X Review & Demo HD Version

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Episode 97: Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard Review


Should you upgrade to Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard? Host D.Lee Beard helps give you the information you need to know to decide.

In this episode, D.Lee explains how to change icon sizes, how to add the date to the time portion of the menu bar, how to easily substitute text for abbreviations or substitute abbreviations for full text (and save on typing), how to use the new features of the Mac OS X Snow Leopard dock, how to view thumbnails of all open windows or only one applictions windows using the new Expose features in Snow Leopard, how to scan and annotate pdf documents with arrows and text using the updated Preview application, how to use Apple's Services menu to make your life easier, and explains the new faster iChat.

Now With Chapter Markers!

There is lots of information in this video but you can easily navigate to the topics you want by using the chapters feature in the Quicktime Player version.
Play Episode 97: Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard Review

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Flipcam Mino HD Review


Is the Flipcam portable video recorder going to meet your needs? D.Lee Beard presents a review of the Flipcam Mino HD digital video recorder. Included in the review are ease of use, storage capacity, audio quality, video quality, user interface, and whether it is a good choice for lecture, interview, and/or field video recording.
Flipcam Mino HD Review

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Episode 95: Firefox Add-ons, Deleting Your Past


D.Lee Beard explains how to delete your browser history & other info., engage in "private browsing", and how to create new user accounts (and delete unneeded ones) in Mac OS X. The second half of the show explains how to use Firefox add-ons (plug-ins) to personalize your browsing experience, help you learn a new language, completely block animated ads on web pages, and speed up your web and video web searches in a very cool 3-D way.
Episode 95: Firefox Add-ons, Deleting Your Past

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Episode 94: Hard Drive Partitions


D.Lee Beard answers a viewer question on changed hard drive partitions on Mac. (3min 59 sec)

Episode 94: Hard Drive Partitions

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Episode 93: Moving iPhoto and iTunes Libraries


D.Lee Beard answers viewer questions on how to rip your DVDs, and how to move your iPhoto and iTunes libraries to an external hard drive.
Episode 93: Moving iPhoto and iTunes Libraries

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Episode 92: Final Cut Pro - Intermediate Tutorial


This Final Cut Pro tutorial, part 4 of 4, covers intermediate editing with Final Cut Pro 6. In this video, D.Lee Beard explains how to move only a selected group of clips, adding graphics, resizing graphics and video, capturing a freeze frame image from a video clip, creating and adding a background image to fill behind a graphic, applying transitions, correcting color, adding lower thirds to video, rendering video, and exporting video into different formats using Compressor. (42min 39 sec)
Episode 92: Final Cut Pro - Intermediate Tutorial

Friday, May 08, 2009

Episode 91: Final Cut Pro Basic Editing Tutorial


D.Lee Beard provides a tutorial in the basic of editing video with Final Cut Pro including working with layers, adding video to the timeline, zooming the view, turning off layers, unlinking audio from a video clip, trimming clips, slicing clips using the Blade tool, turning snapping on and off, when to use the Right Delete key and when to use the Backspace Delete key, using the pen tool to lower video and audio volume/levels, and turning on waveforms to synch two videos shot at the same time. (29min. 53sec)

Episode 91: Final Cut Pro Basic Editing Tutorial

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Episode 90: Final Cut Pro Basic Interface and Settings


D.Lee Beard provides a tutorial in the basic Final Cut Pro interface, system settings user settings. This is in preparation for Episode 91 where he will explain the basics of how to edit with Final Cut Pro. (12min. 35sec)

Episode 90: Final Cut Pro Basic Interface and Settings

Friday, April 24, 2009

Episode 89: Importing video with Final Cut Pro and iMovie


D.Lee Beard explains how to import video into Final Cut Pro and iMovie including HDV video, SD digital video, SD analog video, and video directly from a miniDV HD camcorder. This video uses a Sony HVR video deck, an analog to digital video converter, and a Canon Vixia HV30. Thanks to James Madison University for their assistance in creating this video.
Episode 89: Importing video with Final Cut Pro and iMovie

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Episode 88: Can Macs and PCs Get Along?


In this video, D.Lee Beard answers viewer questions on upgrading Mac OS X vs. upgrading Windows, is Vista more secure than Mac OS X, how to get music and videos off an iPod and onto another computer, and can you use an Apple Mac keyboard on a PC? (9min. 20sec)

Episode 88: Can Macs and PCs Get Along?

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Episode 87: Viewer Questions: Font Blurriness on Macs & Mac Remote Desktop


In this video, D.Lee Beard answers viewer questions on Mac font blurriness and remote desktop control on a Mac. (5min. 28sec)

Episode 87: Viewer Questions: Font Blurriness on Macs & Mac Remote Desktop

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Episode 86: ScreenFlow, Star Trek, Gaming: Mac or PC?


In this video, D.Lee Beard explains how the techies videos get that smooth zooming in on the computer screen, where to find you own Star Trek communicator plus other replicas. He also addresses a viewer question on which is better for computer gaming, Mac or PC? (7min. 7sec)
Episode 86: ScreenFlow, Star Trek, Gaming: Mac or PC?

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Are Macs Worth the Money?


D.Lee Beard shows off his new Star Trek cellphone, addresses an IT department security e-mail, and answers viewer questions on whether Mac laptops are worth the money, why is Final Cut Pro so much faster on the Techies' computer, and how to change your Mac system keyboard and menus to other languages.
Are Macs Worth the Money?

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Martin Luther King Day Episode


D.Lee honors the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and more viewer questions answered including thoughts on Apple's iWork, formatting a Mac, and backing up your hard drive. Also, in response to a viewer comment, D.Lee presents a call to action to viewers for new Ask the Techies opening/closing music. (17min. 23sec)

Martin Luther King Day Episode

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

VNC, iMovie, AC Adapter, & Everything (Ep.83)


In this episode, D.Lee Beard answers viewer questions on how to control a networked Mac via a PC (a follow up tip), when should you use the AC Adapter on your laptop, how to clear out those unwanted video clips in iMovie from your hard drive, and where to learn everything about computers in video format. (26min. 26sec)

VNC, iMovie, AC Adapter, & Everything (Ep.83)

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

We're Back and in HD!


HD version available at AsktheTechies.com . After a 6 month hiatus, viewer questions are answered on formatting Mac hard drives, iMovie stuttering, and can you connect to a Mac from a PC?
We're Back and in HD