Working with Video in the SCS Labs
Working with video on the SCS Macintoshes
requires special configuration settings for the following programs:
- Final Cut Pro
- DVD Studio Pro
- iMovie
- iDVD
This FAQ explains why the settings are needed, how
to set them, and what the consequences of not settings them are.
Click on the link for the program you are trying
to use:
Other Related Documents:
On a standard Macintosh computer, these video
programs default to saving files in a user's home directory, which is on the
same hard drive as the application itself. In the labs, however, the application
programs are stored on each computer's hard drive while the user accounts are
stored on a server in McVey Hall and accessed over the network. When you log
into a lab Macintosh computer, that computer mounts your personal home folder,
which contains all your preferences, settings, and personal files, and you
are able to work as if that lab computer was customized just for you. As you
open and save files, that data is transmitted over the network to the server.
It doesn't look that different from working on your personal Macintosh computer,
but in reality, it is.
Working with very large files over
a network creates lots of network traffic and cause significant slowdowns for
you and others. To avoid these issues, we have created a [[Temporary_Storage
FAQ|Temporary_Storage]] volume on the local hard drive of each SCS Macintosh
computer. By following the instructions above, you can rip your video to the
computer itself instead of over the network, which will be must faster. You
can also set your configuration to rip to a personal external hard drive.
Depending on your quota settings, your video
import, render, or encoding may come to a quick stop and the software may return
an error message that you are out of disk space, or your computer, and the
computer of every user around you, may start beachballing and running very,
very slowly.
We have approximately 270 Macintosh computers
in 18 locations around campus. All connect to the SCS Macintosh server when
users log in and each one needs a certain amount of network bandwidth to connect
and work properly. One student working with video
over the network can take up almost all the available network bandwidth, leaving
very little for all the other users in all other locations. This
causes massive slowdowns, including 15-20 minute hangs on logins, logouts,
application launches, etc. Users become virtually unable to do any work at
all. As soon as the video
transfer stops, the bandwidth is released and the network returns to normal
speeds.
Our consultants and administrators work hard
to make sure this kind of problem does not happen, but you can help us do that
by making sure that you have properly configured your video settings every
time you
use one of the above programs. We appreciate your help!