A number of teachers have asked how we manage the growing amount of video based teaching resources that are being produced. From screencasts to Moving Image Arts coursework, from video podcasts to clips edited from our EyeTV system we end up juggling a large amount of video files which creates both storage and bandwidth issues for schools.
Having been a massive fan of the AppleTV a number of friends have been pushing me towards the idea of a Mac Mini media server. To date I have fought the idea mostly down to the cost and complexity of such a system in a family living room.
Generally when I get a new gadget or bit of computer tech the excitement rushes a review out within a day or two of using it. This time with the EyeTV Sat I have been so engrossed I honestly haven’t had time.
I have been asked a number of times about our deployment of EyeTV and the role it plays in teaching and learning. We have been using Elgato’s EyeTV (review) for recording our film and television programmes for about three years now and this service is further offered to around ninety teachers.
The use of TV in teaching isn’t anything new and many departments have amassed dozens of VHS tapes over the years.
If you have been following DigMo! for even a few months you will know how much we love watching, recording and editing TV on our Macs. So far we have been restricted to the generic list of Freeview channels and although they are great there isn’t an HD offering.
A number of weeks ago I had a surprise invitation to the coveted Macworld UK awards. Having managed to sort the logistics at work with great excited I accepted the invite and sorted the onerous task of booking flights.
Elgato have pretty covered most of our video needs with TV encoders (and EyeTV) for our TV capturing and editing needs. The Turbo.264 HD allows us to encode footage directly from AVCHD camcorders and virtually any other video format. Now the company tackles our analogue video needs in the form of “Video Capture”
I still consider myself a bit of a switcher from PC to Mac. I have been using my trusty Mac for a over four years now and it seems to play a growing role in all areas of life.
I have decided to list my five essential Mac hardware add-ons that I use on a very regular basis in a range of both personal and work settings. These devices not only make life easier they work so well they are worthy of a dedicated blog post.
