This past weekend, I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to solve what I thought was a simple problem. I had taken some video with my Kodak EasyShare DX4580 digital camera and because of what I was filming, I'd turned the camera 90 degrees to get the whole shot in the frame. I shot four small videos, ranging in length from one and a half minutes to about five minutes. The videos turned out reasonably well, considering the camera is four years old and well-used. I intended to put the videos up on YouTube for my kids to share with their friends and cousins, like I have with others I've shot. Yeah, we're hokey like that in my family.
So, I tried to rotate the videos 90 degrees so I could post them upright. Not an easy task. I first tried it using the Kodak EasyShare software I already had. I could rotate it for viewing, but it wouldn't save it in the rotated format. So I opened the video in QuickTime and tried to rotate it there. I couldn't do it there, either, unless I wanted to pay $29.99 for the "upgrade" to QuickTime to make it the Pro version.
This just rubbed me the wrong way. As much money as I've spent on Apple products over the years, and they can't give me QuickTime Pro? Of course, I had no choice but to buy it so that I could rotate the videos, because despite intense searching, there really is no freeware or even shareware alternative to QuickTime.
In the meantime, I spent a lot of time and got pretty annoyed trying to solve what should have been a simple problem, only to eventually solve it by letting Apple charge my credit card another $30 for a simple upgrade. Way to go, Apple.
Comments (4)
Quicktime player that comes with the machine has always been just a player, just like Windows Media or whatever they're using now. It sucks, but if you want to do video production of any kind you're pretty much stuck buying something. That said, I've [allegedly] probably borrowed as many QT reg codes as I've bought over the years because you shouldn't have to keep paying for the same software over and over when there's more robust vid production software out there for the same price.
I too know what it is to thirst [vaguely relevant White Men Can't Jump quote].
Posted by Nerraux | April 28, 2008 7:43 AM
Posted on April 28, 2008 07:43
I shot video that way myself, and ran into the same problem. In my case, once I had converted it to display properly I realized how useless video shot in portrait format really is.
Posted by Mike Staples | April 28, 2008 8:11 AM
Posted on April 28, 2008 08:11
Thanks for the comments, Nerraux and Mike.
Yes, Nerraux, I know I could have torrented a QT code if I'd wanted, but of course, we aren't pirates, right? :) And if I keep up this video thing with the kids, I may just have to invest in some real video editing software. The other thing that bugged me that I didn't mention was that it looks like QTPro is simply an advertisement space, much like iTunes is on its front page. That really annoys me, too.
And Mike, I will never take portrait-format video with this camera again. I'm assuming, maybe wrongly, that a newer model will auto-adjust orientation for me. It will be something I'll be looking at before I buy a video camera in the future.
Posted by Susabelle![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.geeknewscentral.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 28, 2008 10:59 AM
Posted on April 28, 2008 10:59
Huh? I don't get why anybody would complain about having to pay money for software that somebody has laboured over and gives value for money in some way. Is $30 really so much to ask for something that does quite a lot of useful things?
I would agree that paying over and over for newer versions of the same software at full price does indeed stretch the limits of value if that is the case but I cannot see how anybody can complain that QT ought to be ought right free on the basis that they spend a lot of money with Apple.
Posted by John Knights | April 29, 2008 9:54 AM
Posted on April 29, 2008 09:54