CS5 and Skype

[Bob Hart]

My DoP and I have discovered something quite interesting and amazing. You can have Premiere Pro CS5 ( or other applications ) running and use skype as a party line, offline editor sort of thing in almost realtime, so that the remote party can actively assist with the editing. Playback of course is skippy but realtime, about 5 FPS but useful, definitely so.

Skype seems to even have a donkeytrap built-in that you cannot accidently terminate the shared program whilst it is being shared. It is only a screen share. The resolution is not fantastic as it is a screen share, but remains useful. The other party cannot directly work the application but can ask the host operator to do things to it.

The firewire capture function works. You can even play back via capture from a JVC HR-DVS1 old VHS/SVHS tapes.

Sound does not appear to feed through however. You have to have output to speakers so your mic can pick them up. If anyone knows how to route playback sound into the skype link advice woud be appreciated. The thing is very useful in this mode with Word or Wordpad for shared preparation of a report or submission. It saved me a commute of 40 minutes there and back.

Now in the days of valve ( tube ) powered HF radio or landline communications, who would have dreamed of such possiblities.