Digital Video Books

In dsp course we are using this book. The problem with this book is that it does not provide formulas for many dsp calculations. Thus, I need to find formula tables else where. Besides, there are not enough examples to further understandsings of the materials.

"Digital Signal Processing" by Oppenheim and Schafer was, until the publication of their revised book "Discrete-time Signal Processing", the best DSP reference book.

While I would not recommend this book for self-study, I would recommend it as a reference text for someone who has done or is doing a DSP course.

Be advised --- the new version, "Discrete-time Signal Processing", is more up-to-date.

Jpod by Douglas Coupland is hilarious. I was laughing throughout the entire book. Coupland creates great characters and takes them on a wild ride with a plot full of crazy scenarios. I have read some negative reviews on how Coupland incorporated himself into the book. These people said it was "egotistical" and "arrogant," but in all actuality it was for comical relief. Read it and see for yourself, Coupland does not seem like an arrogant man at all. Jpod will go down as another excellent book from the mastermind Douglas Coupland.

I read Microserfs ten years ago and loved it so I was very much looking forward to JPod. I purchased the audiobook from Audible and am just over halfway through it. What a disappointment. I'm about to give up and move on to something else.

1. The book is overloaded with geeky banter and pop culture references, including references to Coupland himself. Very tiring.
2. The book is very weak on plot; it just meanders, and not in a good way.
3. I don't really like the narrator of the audio version. Not a big deal if you're reading the book unless you're annoyed with the inner voice you use when reading this.

I'd probably slog through the rest of it if I thought there would be any kind of payoff, but alas, I don't think there will be one.

Douglas Coupland, clever guy. JPod, clever title, does anyone get it? What sense does that title make, did he pull it out of thin air? Or is it because he is from Vancouver, BC? "Vancouver, BC?" you ask, "what has that got to do with it?" Well, I'm glad you asked - There are Killer Whales (aka Orcas) off the Canadian coast and they live in groups called pods. Each pod is named after a letter in the alphabet - JPod is the group of Killer Whales that lives in the Georgia Straight, just off Vancouver, BC. Clever guy, Douglas Coupland.

I've read many of Coupland's books and this is the one I liked best. I'm a bit surprised to find that not everybody agrees but then in many ways I'm not an average guy. Can't wait to read his newest book!

I'm a big fan of Douglas Coupland and haven't read any of his books for several years. I loved this book. His cameo in this novel was very witty and made me laugh aloud. I love all of the insight into working in the tech world. I worked for AOL for a while and a lot of his observations are spot on. If you like Coupland's other novels, you will like this one.

Probably most of what is here can be found on the internet.
Seems very dated.

First: the majority of the content is not compatible with the current TIVO system, series 2 *** I got SKUNKED!
Second: This book is really for someone with very strong technical skills, particularly a Unix background.

I am fairly technical with a Computer Science degree and would not attempt to do anything with this book and passed it to another fairly tech savvy friend and he gave it right back to me. There is a page or two that has cute shortcuts for the remote but you can get that info off a TIVO user group site. I regard this purchase as a total ripoff. I'll be happy to send you this book to you for $5 + shipping. email: funbeach6@yahoo.com

I bought this book and "Hacking the Tivo, Second Edition". The two books cover a similar range of hacks and include Linux boot CDs. However there are key Series 2 hacks that are not covered in this book. For example, video extraction is a very valued hack. I want to transfer videos between my Series 2 Tivo and my PC.

"Hacking Tivo" backs away from this hack on Series Two claiming "legal reasons". Bah! "Hacking the Tivo, Second Edition" shows you how to do this and shows the likely reason why "Hacking Tivo" avoided it. It's harder! "Hacking the Tivo, Second Edition" is written by someone who loves every aspect of hacking the machine and it shows. Get this one instead.

This really is not a book on Hacking Tivo, rather a book on "Hacking First Generation Tivo's." I have a series 2 DVR and expected to see some hacks that would prove worthwhile for my DVR, however there is little for owners of Tivos manufactured in the last two years. Very simple recommendation-if you have a first generation Tivo buy the book, otherwise pass.

The Tivo has spawned a dedicated fan base that speaks to both the power of the TV [including cable] and of TiVo's time shifting usefulness. Naturally, many fans quickly reached the limitations of a normal TiVo and have chafed at these. Now comes Keegan with this book on how to lift many constraints.

He explains several neat tricks. But perhaps the most useful is simply to increase the storage capacity. A default TiVo holds 14 hours at a basic quality of resolution. But a TiVo is really a special purpose computer. So just like you can add more disk space to a generic PC, so too can this be done to a TiVo. But there are many fine details that are specific to TiVo, and indeed to specific models. He gives you all the necessary help to build out your TiVo.

Why? In his experience, when you expand from 14 hours to 110 hour by adding an 80 Gb disk, there is a qualitative improvement in your usage. And this is for an 80 Gb disk. Keep in mind that as 200 Gb+ disks come on the market, you could potentially use his guidelines here to try installing those!

Some of you should appreciate this book.

This is indeed a good starting place for someone without any experience.

I trust the Macworld Brand, based off the Photoshop and Illustrator Bibles that are insightful, indepth, and cover all angles with the software. They are written by dedicated users.

This books appears to be written by weekenders with the sole credit of authoring one DVD. They are not heavies or pioneers. They just wrote about the software, and rely too heavily on the existing DVD SP manual.

This book is difficult and frustrating. The subtitling section would be great if they didn't jump forward and backward as they do. Plus they never distinguish accurately between 30fps and 29.97 with the quicktime movie for subtitling. This book left me questioning all its answers because of stupid oversights such as this.

The scripting section is readable and well thought out, and explains scripting for newbies.

I didn't get much from the sidebar folks. It was more "you can't do this..." in tone than "hey! Here's the workaround!" Also they parrot the same line that you can replicate a DVD-R from DVD Studio Pro, but don't go into specifics.

Perhaps I expected something inspirational and informative like the Hillman Curtis Flash book, or any of the Macworld Bible series. This is just poor technical writing filled with half thoughts and assumptions. Far from tried and true experience that would warrant the name "bible."

So that's my summation. Borrow, don't buy.

Anybody could have written this book by working their way through the menus. They went out of their way to make this book thick, but there's nothing in it that an experienced Mac user couldn't figure out in an hour or two.
What they DON'T tell you:
-How to write scripts.
-How to use "non-simple" hi-lites and overlays.
-how to do anything except make a pretty straight-forward chapter by chapter DVD
I use the Flash Bible and the Final Cut Pro Bible all the time. They're great, and really go in depth to teach you how to do the complex things professionals typically do with these tools. However, for the DVD Studio Pro Bible, these authors only describe the menus, and then fill up the rest of the book with useless interviews and commentary/promotions from third parties.
Big disappointment. I'd recommend another book, but I blew my money on this one and can't afford another, and feel guilty about selling a useless book to someone else.
My only thought is that DVD Studio Pro 1.5 is so new, that the authors didn't have time to do anything with the software except read the manual.

This book was missing pages 65-112. And had duplicate pages for 113-160!!

I spent several days deciding whether or not to purchase this book because some of the reviewers on this site hammered it pretty hard. I bought it anyway and I'm glad I did. This is a great book. Anytime a new program like DVD Studio Pro appears, many users need help. I know I sure did. After 16 pages in this book I burned my 1st DVD. I have gone on to read valuable information about making menus, files, and how photoshop works with DVDSP. This book is a great guide for learning. I can't believe anyone would give it such a poor review. It's well worth the money.

The majority of the book is working the TiVo at the operating system level to alter the software or to transfer movies. This is advanced stuff that requires a good deal of technical skill. The first chapter of the book does have some hacks that are done from the interface itself, like enabling the advanced season pass. The second chapter covers adding more disk space to your TiVo. Then beyond that you get into the advanced topics; putting your TiVo on your network, changing the software, transferring movies around, and then authoring code for the TiVo.

The book is very focused. The text is well written and the graphics are used effectively. The section on adding disk space is very well done and is better than anything I have read on the web for doing the same type of work.

I recommend this book for people who are familiar with Linux and hardware hacking and are interested in extending their TiVos. For just the average TiVo user you may want to review the table of contents to make sure that you are getting enough out of your purchase.

Book contains lots of hacks, but lacks clarity. Writing seems muddled at times, and instructions for hacks such as backing up TiVo's disk and adding a new disk are unclear/confusing (at best). Although I've not been a TiVo hacker, I do build & repair PCs as a business (and dabble in LINUX)...so I consider myself to be somewhat knowledgable.

Ultimately, the book disappointed me. I shall keep searching for one that's clear, accurate and useful.

Tivo is a software service, coupled with a digital video recorder, which changes the way one watches TV. O'Reilly's "Tivo Hacks", part of their outstanding "Hacks" series, explores how to tinker with these magical little boxes. "Tivo Hacks" follows the same format as the other titles in the "Hacks" series. Each chapter is an enumerated series of tips and tricks that will have your Tivo doing summersaults by the time you're finished going through all of them.

It is the first two chapters that the vast majority of Tivo owners will find the most useful. The first chapter explores hacks that may be performed with the remote control. This includes such hacks as the indispensable "30-Second Skip" hack, the powerful "Enabling Advanced WishLists" hack, and the why-would-you-ever-want-to-do-this "Italicizing Everything" hack.

The second chapter carefully details how to add more hours to your Tivo. This section carefully walks the more intrepid souls through removing and installing the necessary hard drives, backing up your original drives, and making your new drives Tivo-friendly. "Tivo Hacks" carefully explains each task step-by-step, as well as detailing the tools and materials you will need. The book certainly makes what may seem a daunting procedure very doable.

Tivo is essentially a Linux box. The remaining chapters offer hacks which exploit this fact, and these are definitely for the more technically minded. Herein we find out how to work with Tivo's shell, how to install software on Tivo, how to get Tivo speaking to other computers, how to bring the Internet to Tivo, and many more things that expand the capabilities of your Tivo. The book concludes with a chapter on writing and compiling code for Tivo. As in the first two chapters, each hack is carefully explained and due caution is clearly noted where applicable. Example code for hacks is given in Perl, Tcl, and C.

The author does a fine job throughout in making each hack clear and understandable. If you fancy yourself a bit of a hacker, then after reading this book you should feel comfortable undertaking any of these hacks.

Is this book for you? Well, if you have a Series 2 Tivo, really only the first two chapters are of much interest. The Series 1 boxes are much more "hackable" than the newer Series 2 boxes, and as a result the majority of the rest of the hacks will not work on the Series 2. This book, certainly beyond the first chapter at least, requires a certain level of technical ability, and as such is not for your average Tivo owner. In other words, I probably wouldn't purchase a copy as a gift for Uncle Irwin and Aunt Martha to go along with their shiny new Tivo. On the other hand, if you fit the target audience and want to get the most out of your Tivo, particularly if you want to expand the number of hours in your Tivo, this book will certainly come in handy. While you can certainly find most of the information in this book on the Internet, there is definitely something to be said for having it all in one place so that you may easily flip through it and reference it.

I have not read the other tivo books yet, but I think this one is pretty good. Yes, you can get all the information online from the forums, but this book does a nice job of organizing it all in one place that you can flip through in your leisure. I found the pictures helpful too. The other reviewers seemed a bit harsh on this book, but maybe since I borrowed it from the library, I'm a bit more forgiving.

As near as I can tell, all the material applicable to version 2, the current version, requires elaborate, dangerous procedures that will void your warrantee.

I knew nothing about DirectShow before I read this book. This book helped me quickly gain enough knowledge to start creating programs that use DirectShow capabilities. Yes, all the information is in the SDK document. But my learning time would have been much longer if I were to start by reading SDK documents. The author has digested the document and selected a subset of information to create this book. The book is self-contained enough that I didn't need to read other documents to understand the example codes. It is a good first DirectShow book for DirectShow beginners.

I bought this book several months ago but I've held off writing a review as I have been trying to learn DirectShow.

It is not exactly just the SDK documentation in a paper binding but it isn't a whole lot more either. Most people trying to how to use DirectShow will probably buy this book anyway and they probably should: it is at least better than nothing. But don't get your hopes up.

My biggest gripe is that at least one of the examples in this book which does not come directly from the SDK sample programs doesn't seem to actually work. It compiles, and it runs, but it just doesn't display anything.

I have to work with DShow for my job. This book is the only one available (afaik)... But it is awfully written.
Mark D. Pesce does not EXPLAIN anything, he just DESCRIBES a set of, more or less enhanced, SDK samples.
It is a shame.
I will read it from the start to the very end because I have to do so. I am really tired of this.

I wanted to like this book - mostly because I really needed a book covering some of the problems I was having with DirectShow. The company I work for has DirectShow as the core component of their customer-facing software. I wasn't brought in to work on that part of it, but it quickly fell under my umbrella. I had no DirectShow experience, so I turned to the SDK docs and looked for a few books.

Well I have to say that if it wasn't for the SDK docs I would have been sunk. Both this book and Programming Direct Show have been real losers. This is better than the other book, but that isn't saying much.

Like previous posters I was disappointed by the audio. I have to support file playback, streaming, and control of a tv card through my interface. Its not rocket science, but the dearth of material on controlling tv cards in this book made it all but useless to me. The same material exists in the same form on MS DirectShow docs - the author added next to nothing.

I did give it 2 stars because sometimes it is nice to have the SDK documentation - with a little extra - to read when you are away from the computer. The author however should be ashamed for putting out such a cut-n-paste effort, pathetic.

I wanted to read more about the new VMR9, but the book disappointed me with the thin coverage of VMR9 and videoplayback in general. I guess the book is all right on the topics filters, video editing and video caption.

I am quite surprised by the mean-spirited reviews of this book. Perhaps the individuals writing them consider themselves "gods" in cyberspace, which causes me to wonder, if they know so much, why did they buy the book in the first place?

Published in 1998, the book is certainly outdated by the phenomenal advances in interactive multi-media technology, but I never-the-less consider it a superb introduction to new possibilities.

For me, although I have some exposure to technology, this book was an eye-opener. Initially I wondered why people would spend so much time in cyberspace "avatar-acting" but then I had two "aha" experiences from the book that easily earn it five stars:

1) In a similar vein to the early work in "cyber-cafe's" where interactive audio-visual was put into gathering places for Hispanics and for Negros (and perhaps whites and Asians also, but these are the two I remember), avatars break down barriers to sincere interaction. Of course they open paths for deception as well, but the key point here is that if in cyberspace no one knows you are ugly, you can focus on substance.

2) The second "aha" experience occured when I turned this book upside down and asked myself, if we can create avatars that are imaginary, can we go the other way? Can we feed real-time real-world information into a "serious" game and go to the next level, where the public can literally "be" the President, "see" all intelligence about anything that is available to Google, and experiment with alternative behaviors, policies and investment options?

I spend a lot of time reading (#66 over-all, #1 for non-fiction about global issues) and this book was a real pleasure to read, and an extremely valuable catalyst to my thinking. Dated or not, I recommend it very highly.

The book provided little insight or information about these virtual worlds, and completely failed to enlighten the reader as to the technology which made these worlds interesting. It provided an basic overview of the worlds, a brief history, and how to manuever around in them, however this failed to give any substance to the writting.

As the author notes in the forward, this was his first attempt at writting, and it clearly shows as entire text was written at an elementary school level. This made the reading uninteresting as well as uninformative.

For those uninitiated with the Internet, virtual worlds, or any other form technology, this might serve as a good spring board. However, if the (to be) reader is looking for anything more than a general overview, I would recommend finding a different source from which to learn.

Really, a hopelessly outdated book even at the time it was published. Mr. Damer fails to consider the online gaming community and how it is the GAMING COMMUNITY which will enable the Internet to truly become a 3D universe. A quick look at Mr. Damer's web site (www.Damer.com) also reveals how Mr. Damer just doesn't "get it"...he is still attempting to push the concept of "avatars" through his "company." Maybe Bruce should load up a copy of Counterstrike or Unreal Tournament and see what the future of "avatars" and the Internet will really be in the near future.

Bruce Damer's book is the perfect starting point for anyone wishing to take those first steps into virtual worlds. Readers can scour the text, getting a sense of what these computer spaces look like and how they function. AVATARS will give you courage and certainly peak your interest. Once you are online, the book is an excellent guide to how to maneuver, communicate and build in the various worlds.

AVATARS is an excellent how-to introduction to virtual worlds. However, it is an even better now-what discussion of the impact of virtual communication. Damer introduces questions of the place of computer communication within more traditional channels. He reassures readers that life can be enhanced through online interaction; however, he also cautions that family and friends can't be hugged through the computer.

AVATARS is an enthusiastic, informative and balanced introduction to virtual words. An excellent place to jump in with at least one foot

With all due respect to Mr. Damer, this book is basically an introduction to what Avatars and Virtual Communities are. Mr. Damer provides a guided tour of several online communities. One or more of thewe worlds no longer exist. This is another example of web-time and how difficult it is to publish a book with a technology topic. I found the book very basic. Visit his web site to learn all you need to know and be introduced to the awesome online worlds. . . and save some money.

This book is perfect for anyone just getting into the World of DCC. Mr. Strang makes it very easy to understand DCC. I read it before i started helping to wire the layout of the club i belong to along with a club member who has been in DCC for quite sometime. If you want alot of indepth information this book is not for you but it will help you get started. You want more indepth information on DCC go with one of the other DCC guides but you should start out with this guide first.

I was very disappointed in this book. It was sorely lacking in content, mostly it was like reading a big ad for a single model of DCC equipment. I was looking for something which would give more than a general overview of the DCC system. Coverage on the accessory DCC capable options would have been nice. After getting this book I had to still go to the internet and research; this book should have been my reference. I would suggest that you wait until version 2 or maybe 3 of this book before buying it, maybe then they might even add a table for the CV values and what they mean for a decoder.

This is not a book that will teach somebody all the aspects of DCC. Instead, it is a simple primer that gives the basics. It does so in a clear and logical manner that is easy to understand. A person could conceivably wire up a railroad layout after reading this book (probably with lots of luck and attention to the manufacturers documentation) but that would not be wise. A person should do some more in depth planning. This book will not help with that.

The strength of this text is to give an introduction to the subject to somebody who knows nothing about it. The basic understanding gleaned from that should help to determine if further effort is warranted. In my case it is. I will probably keep this book handy for a while until I become more familiar with the tracks and the products but I will soon graduate to a more substantial treatment. Still, this exactly fit the bill for what I needed as a beginner who knows nothing.

A good book, very helpful for begin in DCC sistem control for model railroaders.

there is no information giving. it took me 2 hours to finish whole book, which is less than 50 pgs.
dont buy it

While the writing sytle and the overall style of the book seems to ramble, there's actually a whole lot of very important technical information being covered in this book.
It's reassuring to me to have industry specialists writing a technical book as well as interview other working professionals. While the 1st edition might seem a little dated, the 2nd edition includes more information on 24P HD, among other things. The film information is very thorough and well-explained, and that's not usually the case! The same is true for the various audio issues to consider both in the field and in post. It's also one of the few books that provides information on the use of film timecode.

The Second Edition was published April 2000 and has a considerable amount of material about 24p and transferring DV or HDTV to 35mm motion picture footage. It is also an invaluable guide at gaining some insight into the changing world of film making.

Written like a bad stereo manual and padded with self-serving industry interviews, this title was an in-house product of Avid Press, and an unabashed commercial for their system as it existed at the turn of the century. Just one chapter was devoted to HD, with nothing useful about how to actually shoot in this medium, and there was no coverage of DV moviemaking either. The book was targeted towards Hollywood industry types who planned to shoot on 35 mm film, digitize their footage, and rent an expensive Avid editing suite for all post-production. Even Avid has had to rethink their business model in the intervening years, as competitors have offered more affordable software for desktop computers. Unless you just want an historical journey through obsolete editing systems, don't waste half a c-note on this book...

I found the audience for this book to be elusive. It appears to be aimed at those currently working in major film industry centers on one hand and then at the enthusiast with a digital camcorder on the other. Someone currently working in film-in whatever capacity-probably knows considerably more than is presented in this book. The enthusiast with a camcorder will learn a little, but much of the material assumes a level of knowledge that he may not have.

My background is in sound, both production and video post, and running a recording studio the 70s. I then migrated into computers. About five years ago I started getting back into multimedia via web audio and video. I have some clients who want to produce movies using 24p for distribution via film and was hoping to get a view of current industry practice. This book only lightly touches on current technical practice and is incomplete in this area. I have shot some 24p and almost all of my experieence with cvamera work is digital. The information on digital technology is incomplete and in some cases inaccurate and the information on originating on video and finishing on film is trivial.

While a few of the interviews are good, most just occupy space and a few are fatuous. Much of the material is dated-such as the interview with Larry Blake, and the references to DNLE (today there are only digital Non Linear Editors). This second edition appears to be some minor material plastered onto the first edition. The first edition was aparently from some time in the middle 90s. The bright spot of the book is an excellent description and explanation of 3:2 pulldown.

Overall I found this book very disapointing.

This fabulous book is a must for anyone considering shooting a project on digital video or HDTV. Timely issues are addressed, such as what happens when you shoot video (approx. 30fps) and then transfer to film (24fps). One of the chapters is titled, "24p: Twenty-Four Frames, Progressively Scanned." 24p and video was a major issue at the NAB Convention (National Association of Broadcasters) last April.  The book describes the new digital frontier, and also takes time to review traditional film making process. Also, rather than just deal with digital cameras and nonlinear editing, Ohanian and Phillips also take a look at digital technology uses in other areas of film such as storyboard and costume design. There is even a section on the use of Storyboard Quick and an industry viewpoint with Storyboard Quick's co-developer, Paul Clatworthy writing about the future of digital previsualization. These highlighted areas, called "Industry Viewpoints" create compelling interest throughout each chapter where industry experts such as editor Pietro Scalia (JFK-Academy Award for best editing) contribute much insight.Will film editing and other traditional film methods become obsolete is a question the book addresses. The authors point out the many innovations that editors have achieved, moving from film to digital video editing, such as the method of "cheap telecine." Here, the editor uses the conventional flatbed film editor modified to include a CCD camera. Rather than spend thousands transferring at a facility, the editor simply transfers with his flatbed and then edits on an Avid or other nonlinear system. This is so much faster than film editing.Digital Consultant Van Ling points out that "like in many fields, it (digital technology) can be easy to fall into the temptation of the technological imperative it that if the technology is out there, you should be using it or you'll be behind the times." He continues, stating that filmmakers need to focus on "weaving a good yarn." The authors stress that "adoption of a new methodology or a new technology must take into account two issues: 1) does the new way decrease the cost of getting the film into distribution, or 2) is there a different benefit, such as increased creativity?" Any filmmaker who knows how to harness the digital technology with taste and creativity so the story telling is enhanced will be the successful storyteller.The second edition looks at industry standard programs such as Movie Magic Budgeting and unveils many unique features. Digital technology has influenced today's film making from script, budget, storyboarding, and costume design programs to the way the film or digital video is shot. The Director of Photography often has his laptop near the camera with storyboards loaded. Many camera operators now wear on their belt a BE Logger which is a wireless time code reader. The logger detects camera starts and stops for automatic logging of takes. The unit display indicates camera roll, scene, take, time code start, time code out, duration of take and other factors. After a days shooting, the unit is plugged into a master logging software program where all events and attributes are easily manipulated. For instance, it can tell an Avid editor where to cue to a particular scene. Many other digital aids to production are described in the book.What might be of most interest to film makers is the aspect of shooting on digital video or HDTV and transferring the final product to 35mm motion picture film for theatrical release. The authors cover this topic thoroughly by looking at many different avenues to shoot and methods of film transfer, including interviews with lab and sound professionals. The various aspects of conversion and quality of the sound track is expertly covered. This is now a very popular way for independents to produce features for about $100,000. Most theaters don't have digital projectors yet so this section of the book will be very valuable to a producer who is contemplating digital to film as a method of production.Included in the book is a lengthy discussion of the Association of Independent Commercial Editors (ACE) in June 1999.  A full transcript of the event with streaming audio is available at www.24p.com. This book should be required reading for those in the industry and will be an invaluable reference for upcoming productions.

Usually Peach Pit Press is good for the money, however, this
series on FCP is NOT useful. It's so NOT useful, I would feel it incorrect to re-sell it. I see a trash fire in my future. : )

I ordered one of the top seller FCE books and needed to add to my order to get free shipping. I added this book and to my surprise it has met my needs much more than the best seller. It has lots more pages and reference materials.

This book does explain terms like "slip edit" and "roll edit". Maybe not in a separate glossary, but right where they are used which to me is more useful. If that's the only gripe, you don't have a gripe

Don't waste the money this book is all over the place. One would have to thumb constantly back and forth to find information, every example starts you from the beginning, material is extremely redundant. And to add insult to injury where it is redundant different verb-age is used making you question what you have read in previous chapters, thus making you go back and double check what you have already read. Book also wastes a lot of space in pictures instead of straight forward instruction, many pages are wasted only showing one step of example, space waster. Case in-point, go to index and look up Transition, creating, not there, author runs on about editors and doesn't focus on getting to work immediately. I can't believe someone has taken an Apple product, something that's meant to be easy and simple to use, and created such a confusing guide to it.

I have used several books (Adobe Premiere 5 & 6 and Adobe Photoshop 7) from this publisher and I came to the conclusion that these are not instruction or how-to books. They work best for reference. Their structure is not first step, next, next then final step; more like here is how to do ___. Here is how to do ___.