Routers, switches, IPs, MAC addresses - if those and dozens of other IT terms sound like different language to you, you're not alone!

In this episode of The Offset Podcast we’re discussing essential IT vocab, devices and workflows. Of course, in a single episode there is a ton that we can’t cover, but if as a creative, IT stuff is confusing to you, than this overview will certainly help. Being conversant with IT terms is a must in modern post production. 

Some of the specific topics we explore in this show include:

• Why IT knowledge is essential on lots of levels including communicating with other people in the industry
• Understanding the role of a router and WAN vs LAN connections
• The role of a switch
• IP essentials - public IP vs internal IP
• DHCP vs Static/Fixed IPs
• VLANS and their role in more complicated network structures
• The value of an IT ecosystem/product integration and a ‘single pane of glass’ approach
• Firewalls and their importance in VLAN setups & incoming/outgoing connections
• Exploring network speed and performance options - 1GbE, 10GbE etc
• Understanding jumbo frames/MTU size
• The role of WIFI in the professional environment 

Remember, if you like this episode please do us a favor and like and subscribe where ever you find it!

It’s widely known that the Blackmagic Design development team for Resolve is one of the best in the business. - coming up with great new features and squashing bugs quickly.  But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement!

In this episode we take a list of 50+ feature requests and cull that down to 10 (ish), touching on things like groups, potential interface improvements, and what AI could (should) be doing in Resolve.  

Of course, anytime a list of 50+ things is paired down considerably there are good feature requests that get left behind so we might have to do a part 2 on this later in the year. 

In this episode some of the feature requests/improvements we take a look at include:

• Complete revision of groups in Resolve
• More AI driven utility tools - auto conform, dead pixel analysis, auto grouping etc
• UI improvements - UI to dock/save presets, settings, DCTLS, favorite effects, momentary full screen panels
• Tracking & Stabilization workflow improvements including axis weighting, predictive tracking, depth based tracking
• Gestural support for pen and trackpad users
• Color management for saved/exported stills + contact sheet/webpage export
• Closed caption, & Dolby Vision/Atmos support for DCPs. DCP validation
• Info pallet improvements - shot stats, corrections list, more items available for smart filtering
• How to make good feature requests and bug reports

Be sure to checkout offsetpodcast.com to check out our growing library of shows as well as to submit an idea for a future episode.  

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Thanks as always to our amazing sponsor @flandersscientific for the support!

In this episode of The Offset Podcast we’re asking & discussing the question - Is HDR really taking off?

At first blush, the answer is yes, but the really, the answer is decidedly more nuanced.  

Specifics discussed in this episode include:

• HDR seems to be everywhere - streaming platforms, consumer electronics, professional gear with billions made in investment
• While wildly available, access to HDR content is still often based on  ‘level’ of plan. 
• Disconnect for consumers between HDR capable hardware and plans
• The role the iPhone has played in helping spread HDR
• Although available & accessible, HDR is still widely weighted to the ‘higher end’.  Mid and entry level productions aren’t utilizing HDR. Why? And how can that change?
• The language of HDR has become conservative and very similar to SDR versions making differentiation harder
• A safe approach to HDR may be tied to derived downstream HDR and SDR performance.   
• Investment in expensive gear (reference monitoring) for what many see as niche is also a contributing factor
• How to sell and consistency in selling HDR content is important
• Many feel that HDR is something that is being dictated to them…but for technical not creative reasons
• Important to remember HDR technology and workflows are still relatively new
• Stunning HDR content does exist and shows what can be done (Ian Vertovec examples)
• Given artists space and time to work on HDR can produce amazing results

If you like the show be sure to like and subscribe where ever you find The Offset Podcast

It’s no secret that the post production (and production) industry is in a bit of tumultuous period resulting in a lot of people wondering if they should stay in the industry and for young people who are drawn to postproduction, if they’re making the right move trying to pursue editing, color, mixing etc.

In this episode, we’ll explore these issues and more.  While we don’t have the fixes for the macro issues at play in our industry, we discus many ways to battle the current downturn in post including:

• The current challenges in post production are multi-faceted and no single way to solve them
• Post production requires a massive amount of effort other industries can be more appealing (and more lucrative)
• Jobs at post facilities are few and far between but its hard to recommend to young folks starting out to just start their own business or go freelance - there are significant challenges in doing so
• Medium and small size post production companies can be doing a better job with training, mentorship and recruitment.
• Better understanding were postproduction work has gone - social content, corporate communications etc
• Developing adjacent stills are absolute necessity for the modern post worker - programing, AI , IT workflows
• Understanding not all work is art, but all work is commerce
• The product of ‘production companies’ has changed drastically and leverages more than just traditional post skills
• Content creation really only works with a purpose and a goal
• Moving from an operator role to other roles in the industry - even ones you might think of like software creation/management
• Skills learned in post are highly desirable and portable in a wide swath of industries

If you liked this show, checkout our library of past episodes and please like and subscribe to the show where ever you find it!

In this episode we’re exploring a audience member submitted question about how to know when a grade is done and ready to present to a client.  It’s a more nuanced and complex question than you’d think! 

Specific topics discussed in this episode include:

• Color is very subjective thing - how to balance your ‘done’ vs a client’s done
• The importance of pre-grade goals
• How initial project evaluation is a vital part of the grading process
• Getting to know a client’s preferences, aesthetic, and things they focus on
• The immense value of working in passes
• Focusing first on ‘tone’, white/black point, and overall shot to shot contrast
• Moving to large feature matching
• Detailed work  - beauty, clothing, small features shot to shot
• Showing the client for the first time - balancing confidence and accepting constructive criticism  
• Putting the project back in front of client again after addressing notes and gauging success
• Evaluating ‘translatability’ on consumer devices
• Preparing for big changes, disasters etc with project backups, duplicated timelines, and versions
• Balancing perfectionism with staying on schedule and delivering
• The long term value of being committed to your work

If you liked this episode be sure to check out our growing library of shows. Also be sure to like and subscribe to The Offset Podcast where ever you find it!

In this episode, we’re continuing our discussion with monitoring experts Bram Desmet from Flanders Scientific, Nate McFarlin from Dolby, and David Abrams from Avical/Portrait Displays

Some of the specific topics we cover in this episode include:

• How are panels actually made? And why does it cost billions?
• The role of material science in panel manufacturing 
• Understanding the split between panel manufacturers and consumer brands of the same name
• The importance of viewing environment in regards to display performance
• Understanding preference vs accuracy
• The shift to consumer-sized panels as reference monitors and the ongoing challenges of using multiple monitors
• Building meter matrices with the four color method, and are there better approaches, like the Bodner method or the volumetric approaches used by some calibration software
• Revisiting using consumer displays in a professional setting & why consumer TV companies have little incentive to integrate reference capabilities
• Continuing challenges of Rec.2020
• Calibrating computer monitors, iPads, and mobile devices

If you like this episode, please be sure to subscribe to the podcast give the show a like wherever you're watching/listening! 

For our 30th episode we're discussing that topic we always seem to revisit - monitoring!  While we have some opinions on the state of reference and consumer monitors in 2025 we thought it'd be fun to celebrate our 30th episode with some good friends who also happen to be experts in their part of the monitoring ecosystem.  

In Part 1 of a two-part series, we're joined by Flander Scientific CEO Bram Desmet, Nate McFarlin from Dolby, and David Abrams from Portrait Displays/Avical.

We'll discuss their areas of expertise with each of them a little bit - monitor manufacturing, display testing and validation, and calibration.  

Specific topics explored in this episode include:

• Staying on top of monitoring technologies
• Choosing display technologies for a monitor product line
• Determining what features make it into monitor software
• Addressing different needs of different users e.g. DITs vs Colorists
• How staying at the forefront of color science helps deliver the most accurate monitors possible
• The role that an R&D company like Dolby plays in the monitor ecosystem
• How monitor usability is just as important as performance
• The complexity of monitor display technologies and how they can complicate monitor evaluation
• Sometimes monitor evaluation brings with it things manufacturers don’t want to hear
• Consumer monitors can be considerably harder to evaluate than professional monitors
• What does Dolby Certification really mean for consumer TVs
• When will we hit a point where HDR is standard & SDR is looked at in a similar way to HD or 4:3 
• Professional vs Consumer displays when it comes to calibration accuracy out of the box
• Calibration is not a replacement for understanding & proper setup/use of a monitor
• Exploring how calibration has become both easier and harder
• How accurate is accurate enough and is the cost of reference calibration gear worth it
• Noticeable differences & degrees of accuracy with calibration
• Drift and the frequency of recalibration 

In part 2 we explore some monitoring topics provided by our listeners and ones that Joey and Robbie have been eager to discuss.

In this episode, we continue our discussion about ARM-based computing and its impact on postproduction. If you missed part 1 in this series, be sure to check that out, as we cover a lot of helpful background information. 

In this show, some of the specifics discussed include:

• How ARM will factor into our next workstation purchases
• Do we think Apple will deliver on a ‘beast mode’ Mac Pro
• Will Apple Silicon ever support discreet GPUs
• How ARM Linux systems are very appealing from a hardware point of view but have software challenges
• Is widespread adoption of ARM an inflection point for cloud-based workstations for the masses
• A side effect of cloud-based workstations might be faster feature/bug fix deployment
• Why the future of workstations is really exciting

Be sure to check out our library of episodes, and if you liked the show, be sure to like and subscribe to the podcast wherever you find it.

ARM SoCs (system on a chip) have become a hot topic in the computing world in the past few years. Apple branded ‘Apple Silicon’, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, Ampere’s Altra, and others have been disruptive in a world once dominated by x86/x64-based systems from Intel & AMD.

In Part 1 of a two-part series on ARM in postproduction, we explore some of the essentials of ARM systems, including:

• Basics of ARM vs x86/x64 processors
• RISK vs Non-RISK CPUs
• The flexibility & scalability of ARM
• The goal of a uniform product architecture and its advantage for a company like Apple
• GPU design/performance - the surprise of Apple’s ARM implementation
• The appeal and benefits of efficiency and low power consumption
• The benefits of unified memory
• Package scalability - faster/more cores, multiple SoCs
• Does clock speed matter with ARM SOCs?
• Additional benefits - onboard encode/decode abilities
• Are SoC GPUs ever going to be on par with discrete GPUs? Will discrete GPUs ever come to Apple ARM systems?

In part two, we’ll dive a bit deeper, exploring additional topics, including how cloud-based ARM computing could be a game changer for cost-effective, decentralized post workflows, what the future may hold for workstations from Apple and others, and much more. 

The built-in tools in grading applications like DaVinci Resolve are immensely powerful, but sometimes, you need a tool that goes further—or, at the very least, approaches a task in a slightly different way. 

In this installment of The OffSet Podcast, we're exploring how power grades, DCTLs, and OFX fit into a grading workflow.

Specific topics we discuss in this episode include:

• Defining Powergrades, DCTL & OFX
• The benefits of extending the toolset without cluttering the user interface
• Integrating DCTLS and OFX into fix node tree structures
• The DCTL ecosystem as R&D for Blackmagic Design
• Keeping DCTLs & OFX in sync, up to date, and on multiple systems and locations
• Exploring how to NOT paint yourself into a corner with DCTLs & OFX
• How DCTLS and OFX require a lot of steps and clicks for use
• There could be better interface & panel integration
• Some of our favorite DCTLs and OFX

Be sure to check out our library of episodes, and if you liked the show, be sure to like and subscribe to the show wherever you find it.