Avid Xpress DV 3.5 Editing

Rating:
Summary: Possibly the best Avid Educational Book for beginning editor
Review: This is probably one of the best learning books available for Avid DV Xpress 3.5. As one user put it, it does assume you know nothing about the system and starts you off running with basic commands. I started this book and program not even knowing what a bin was, and in two days, I mastered basic editing on the Avid system, which is such a high-end program I didn't think it was possible. I recommend this book to anyone who is a novice. Not a good idea if you're experienced, not even as a refresher. Might wanna try another book.

Rating:
Summary: Possibly the best Avid Educational Book for beginning editor
Review: This is probably one of the best learning books available for Avid DV Xpress 3.5. As one user put it, it does assume you know nothing about the system and starts you off running with basic commands. I started this book and program not even knowing what a bin was, and in two days, I mastered basic editing on the Avid system, which is such a high-end program I didn't think it was possible. I recommend this book to anyone who is a novice. Not a good idea if you're experienced, not even as a refresher. Might wanna try another book.

Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Detailed - Great Place To Start
Review: This is the same book used in the Avid authorized classrooms. It assumes nothing of the reader and takes you step by step through the operation of XDV. It includes media files on disc that are used and referred to in the exercises that follow each chapter. The chapter and exercise on trim editing is worth it's weight in gold. I went through it twice and will probably do it again soon. The whole set of books are great to have around as reference and to revisit and review areas on the Avid to keep yourself sharp, leaving nothing to chance. I too found chapter one to be incredibly basic (but hey, shouldn't chapter one be just that?), but it does get challenging if you keep working through it.

Rating:
Summary: REDUNDANT INFORMATION
Review: why is a book on avid xpress dv telling me how to log in to Windows XP, or how to resize windows by clicking on the corners of dialog boxes? there is so much unnecessary information in the book that it makes it difficult to read and follow through, often finding myself skipping several pages. there is so much filler and double-spacing that makes up 80% of the bulk in this book.

for example on page 1-15, the author explains moving a bin into a folder. "to move a bin into a folder, click and drag the bin icon to the folder triangle. When you release the mouse, the bin appears in the folder." that is just painful! get to the point! explain the program not the mechanics of the operating system!

who doesn't know how to drop down the list of trash contents by clicking on the side-arrow? one can intuitively make these decisions as the interface of xpress dv is not cryptic at all!

a terrible read! just use the online Help files instead.