Updating software tools a tedious but essential task

Gary Adcock

I am such a geek about hardware. Even many of my friends forget that without the accompanying software tools, it would be difficult to understand and implement the hardware needs in production or post that I talk about.

Often, just keeping your software tools current can be arduous, as anyone knows, fighting with the multiple various OS, applications and firmware updates required to achieve some level of stability in your workflow.

No one is immune from these issues. I don’t care whether or not you work on a Mac or a PC, or if you prefer Apple’s FCPX over Avid’s Media Composer or Adobe’s Premiere Pro product to cut your projects on.

Apple’s recent El Capitan OS update cut a swath through the early adopters using the “public beta” with many of those same software tools rendered unable to function afterwards.

While the just updated version of FCPX lost some stability, it was Premiere Pro users that were crushed with the released version of Apple’s OSX 10.11x.

Requiring multiple updates via Creative Cloud subscription to regain functionality of the software and the separate issues related to lagging firmware updates for I/O devices from companies such as Aja and Blackmagic Design.

Windows users didn’t fare any better with version 10 updates. “Rree,” euphemistically, being all the time you spent waiting for updates and upgrades that the system seemingly required, before you could even attempt a re-install of your NLEs and the associated I/O devices — updates which turned many of those devices into a fancy brick on your desk.

Avid, as is their practice, waited until the first couple of OS updates landed, only releasing El Capitan support Nov. 11.

While Windows 10 is still being updated. The stability of 10.1 proves itself and the I/O devices professionals require are functioning up to par.

Staying up-to-date in a 4K world requires perseverance and persistence. It is not just about the latest and greatest new gadget. It is also about maintaining a consistent knowledge base of each OS’s needs and requirements, while trying to maintaining your computer to finish your work as scheduled.