Reader reports (most recent first)

" As a FYI, I was able to automatically uninstall everything by opening a Terminal window, dropping the "uninstall...command" file into the window and hitting return (Iíve read of several persons removing the listed files manually). The .command file will ask for an administrator password and remone everything (even the package receipt).
D.J."

" I just found this on the Avid Free DV forum. Apparently a problem with 10.2.8 and Avid Free DV:

" posted October 07, 2003 04:54 PM
We posted a new version of the Mac installer named AvidFreeDV_1_0_1.sitx. It will be available soon for download. You can fix this problem without running the new installer:

1. Boot into single-user mode by holding down the command-s key combination. (Or boot from another drive. You can hold down the option key on boot to access alternative drives connected to the system to select a different startup disk.)

2. Remove the following list of kernel extensions from the affected OS X disk's /System/Library/Extensions directory:
Avid_SCSI.kext
Avid_SCSI_RBC.kext
ATTOExpressPCIPlus.kext
ATTOExpressRAID_Enabler.kext
ATTORAID_OS10.kext
RNBOClassicNotSeizeDriver.kext
2. (3.) Boot back into OS X.
Your system should no longer hang on reboot and Avid Free DV will work fine.
Thanks, Avid Engineer"

Single user mode (command-s), as instructed by avid, doesn't work on my machine. It locks with striped screen of death before single user mode (I tried this morning before leaving for work). So OS 9 or alternate X volume, via option key, might be the only way. I won't be able to try the whole remedy until tonight, but I know I can get into OS 9, so don't expect any problems.
-Paul"

" Installed it on a iMac 800, 10.2.8, 512 RAM. Rebooted: no problem.
Opened the application: no problem, except that its interface is butt-ugly. But hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Peace, jean-paul "

" Yup, single stripe screen of death after Avid Free DV install. eMac 700 w/ 10.2.8 combo update.
Going to open firmware prompt (option key during boot) allows me to boot to OS 9 (on separate partition, but I guess it would work on same partition). Disk First Aid under OS 9 found only minor errors on the X volume, and repairing them didn't help. When I get home tonight, I'll try to find a bootable OS X CD and try to run Disk First Aid under OS X. But as it stands now, it looks like an archive and install to 10.2, plus the combo update. Major hassle, and a real black eye for Avid.
I sure wish I had cloned the X volume onto my firewire drive!!!
- Paul "

" Dear Mike, I installed the Avid FreeDV software too. It wasted my Mac OS X 10.2.8. I had to boot from another drive and reinstall the combo (10.2.8) updater. After that I deinstalled FreeDV and trashed it.
I am running a G4 500 Dual with 1.5GB of memory.
Michael "

" hi, thanks for your great site with so many usefull informations.
today i installed avid free dv on my g4/800. the installation worked fine. no problems, no issues with permissions. avid startet up and was ready to use. but: the user-interface is so horrible and ugly!
i don't want to use it. no ergonomic sense at all in this interface. itÔs a huge difference to iMovie. iMovie is so much better. for me there is really no reason to use avid.
greetings, dieter (germany)
powermac g4/400 with sonnet g4/800-upgrade; 1,5 gb ram; two ati radeon, Sonnet-ata-100-pci, d-link-usb2-pci. "

I asked what OS version he was using (I'm guessing 10.2.6 or earlier rather than 10.2.8)

" I installed freedv and noticed an "uninstall.command" script on my desktop. I looked at it and was horrified to find it installed a handful of kernel extensions and another handful of extensions into other /Library/ and /System/Library areas.
I immediately removed those files.
Alex
(GM build of Panther) "

" I'm using Mac OS X 10.3 Build 7B80, and I haven't seen any problems with Avid FreeDV. I haven't seen anything great with it though, either. It'll probably end up in the trash soon. Not anything that makes my firm want to buy Avid software.
Mac OS X Build 7B80
Flat Panel iMac 800 MHz
512MB RAM
Les N., Owner/Designer
Further Studios
http://www.furtherstudios.com/ "

" I installed last night. It ran fine.
Rebooted and everything...
OS X 10.2.6
G4 Dual 500 (upgraded Sawtooth)
Jim H.
Web/Marketing Coordinator "

" Dual G4 1.42, 2 gigs RAM, 120 gig HD
Latest update 10.2.8
System will not boot, even to single use mode.

I hooked it to my Powerbook and started it up in target mode, Disk Utility found a cross linked file but was unable to repair it. Techtool would not see the G4 in target mode.

Next step is to install my backup drive as master, and hope to be able to repair it from there.

I have found no way to get the CD drive open in order to startup from there. Bummer, where is the little paperclip hole that they used to provide?
Gale "

Try holding down the mouse button at power-up. That used to eject a CD. I too wish Apple's later case designs still had access to the handy eject button (some Apple OEM drives have the drive's eject button disabled I hear).

" I downloaded the software and it messed up my G4 with 10.2.8, what I got was a black bar just over the apple on the start up screen and then it froze up.
I had to reinstall 10.2 in order to get my machine going. I ran the uninstaller that came with it but even though I am back to 10.2.8 it does not seem as snappy, something weird is going on.
Vlad R. "

" Installed yesterday, no problems noted.
D.J.
(I asked for OS version used, etc.)
Dual G5, OS 10.2.8 (6S90), Boot ROM 5.0.7f0
2 GB RAM (1MB stock Apple, 1 MB Crucial)
OEM Radeon 9800 Pro "

" Hi, after I read your news I installed last night FreeDV on our G4 MDD 1.25 DP OS9 boot (2003), 1GB ram, Acard RAID HW 156 GB, ext firewire HDs, System X 10.2.8 (last build): no problem at all, it runs nicely...nothing to do of course with FCP 4.0 :-).
It's nice to go back to the old times on an Avid interface and tools, and I appreciate the try from Avid guys, but one question suddenly came to my mind: Why translating all files from DV to OMF? if it's an entry DV edit toll should use the QT format to be charming with Apple IMovie users!
But one thing is very interesting: it installs Avid DV, Meridien compressed and uncompressed codecs, so we can use to read/import/export to/from Avid files!
Thank again for your great site,
Piero
Global Design Italy "

" Installed Free DV and it wasted my OSX install.
I left a post on the Avid form and others are having this problem. Here's the thread.
http://www.avid.com/community/forums/Forum41/HTML/000017.html
Just thought others should know.
Bill A
(please include system, OS version etc. details in problem reports. Checking his comments in that post ("woodbass") shows he had a G4/733 (Digital audio?) with 10.2.8 current build, and reported a freeze at boot - gray screen with black stripe.) "

That forum thread also had several other problem reports from other Mac model owners, athough one post didn't note a problem. Several other readers replied to this post (most saying they too had seen the same problem).
If any other readers have installed FreeDV, let me know if you've seen problems. (Include OS and system/config details such as any installed PCI cards, any addon OS mods/software, etc. in reports since it may help isolate why some are ok and others not.)

(original news item from Monday's news page follows)

Avid FreeDV App for OS X: Two readers (thanks Ray/Dave) sent a note that Avid has a free (registration required for key code) FreeDV app for Mac OS X (and a Windows version also). Here's some info I found at their site:

"What is Avid Free DV?
Avid Free DV is feature-streamlined, standalone software designed to give a user the opportunity to explore the Avid editing application. It includes basic video and audio editing capabilities, up to two streams of real-time effects and support for both Windows XP and Macintosh OS X platforms. When you're ready for even more horsepower, you can step up to Avid's professional line of products including Avid Xpress DV software and Avid Xpress Pro systems, and take advantage of the fully functional Avid editing interface and toolset."

Mac requirements listed are OS X 10.2.4 or later, 667 MHz or faster G4, 256MB (or more) of RAM. See the FreeDV FAQ for answers to common questions (FreeDV projects not compatible with other versions) and their Free DV Resources page has links to a feedback form, Avid forums and tutorials (for the Xpress/Xpress DV although may be useful for FreeDV also). You have to fill out a form at the Download page (w/cookies enabled in browser) to get the authorization key mailed to you.