Pre-Sale FAQ
 

We've designed this section to help you in choosing and understanding our products. The following are some of the most commonly asked questions and answers we have received. If you don't find the answer to your question, please don't hesitate to contact us via telephone: (818) 563-9500 or via our web site.

 

 

1. I don't understand the reasons for the different colors on the keycaps.

2. Do your keyboards work with the 64-bit version of Windows XP?

3. Do the DV & Professional Series keyboards work with the new OS X 10.5 “Leopard” Operating System?

4. Can I connect your keyboard through a USB hub, KVM switch, docking station, monitor, or PS/2 adapter? 

5. I understand that Final Cut Pro 4 through 6 allow the keyboard to be completely remapped. Will your Professional Series work with Final Cut Pro 4 through 6? 

6. Can I use your Professional Series and Advantage Series keyboards for Premiere Pro with Premiere Elements? 

7. What is the difference between the "DV Keyboard" and the "Professional Series" other than price and the color coded keys?

8. I’m a professional editor, however I don’t see a Professional Series for the software I use: what do you suggest?

9. I use both Macs and PCs – can a DV Keyboard be used on either computer?

10. Do your keyboards come in any other colors?

11. Can I plug in any devices, such as a mouse, into a DV Keyboard or Professional Series?

12. What version of USB does your keyboard use?

13. If I purchase a Professional Series, can I use the keyboard with other applications?

 

 
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1. I don't understand the reasons for the different colors on the keycaps.

In general, our keyboard colors are grouped based upon the keys function - for example, on our Adobe Premiere keyboard, we use the following conventions:

Light Blue keys – in general serve go-to functions (go to the first frame of a clip, or go to the in point etc.). The exception is the Update key (letter T).
Dark Blue keys – control movement within a clip or the timeline, for example, Play, Stop, frame forward, etc.
Orange Keys – Tool commands
Bright Yellow keys – Mark functions (Mark in, out, etc.)
Pale Yellow keys – Window and timeline functions, such as fit program to timeline, zoom in and out of the timeline and toggle between the source and program window.
Red Keys – “Record” functions – Insert, Overlay, and Lift functions
Gray keys – Clear functions as well as the Settings and Title functions
Light Green – Import and Capture functions
Dark Green – Output and Export functions

We follow similar conventions with Final Cut Pro, while Avid dictates the colors we use on our keyboard for their products.
 

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2. Do your keyboards work with the 64-bit version of Windows XP?

At this time our driver does not support 64-bit versions of Windows.

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3. Do the DV & Professional Series keyboards work with the new OS X 10.5 “Leopard” Operating System?

Yes, our latest driver works with version 10.5 or "Leopard."

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4. Can I connect your keyboard through a USB hub, KVM switch, docking station, monitor, or PS/2 adapter?

Our keyboards are only certified with a direct connection to the computer. Although the keyboards may work connected through these devices, we do not support these installations.

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5. I understand that Final Cut Pro 4 through 6 allow the keyboard to be completely remapped. Does the Professional Series work with Final Cut Pro 4 through 6?

Our keyboard is laid out based upon the default key shortcuts in Final Cut Pro version 4 through 6 (which happen to be the same as 1.2 through 3). The difference with these newer versions of Final Cut Pro is that you can re-map a keystroke to another key. If you do chose to re-map the keys, the icons on our keyboard will no longer match your custom layout. As each keycap has, besides the icons and names, the actual letter for that key, you can not pull off a keycap and place it in another location.

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6. Can I use your Professional Series and Advantage Series keyboards for Premiere Pro with Premiere Elements?

While Adobe Premiere Pro and Premiere Elements are very similar programs, there are several differences which would make our Pro Series and Advantage Series keyboards difficult to use. For customers using Premiere Elements, we recommend purchasing a DV Keyboard and ordering the Premiere Pro sticker set. You can then install only the stickers which correspond to Premiere Elements shortcuts.

Our guide to installing stickers for Premiere Elements can be found here.

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7
. What is the difference between the "DV Keyboard" and the "Professional Series" other than price and the color coded keys?

Essentially, that's it, however it's more about who is using the keyboard and how it is used that should be the deciding factors. With the DV Keyboard, as the keycaps are not color coded but instead can utilize our stickers, this would be an excellent keyboard for a home user that may share the computer with other family members. For example, perhaps mom uses the computer to edit videos, dad balances the family checkbook, and kids do schoolwork and play games. With the DV Keyboard, all the family members will be able to use the keyboard (and can program some cool things with the jog/shuttle and Specialty Keys for their particular apps) without being "thrown" by color-coded keycaps.

The Professional Series is targeted towards a user that doesn't share the computer and uses that computer primarily for editing.

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8. I’m a professional editor, however I don’t see a Professional Series for the software I use: what do you suggest?

The DV Keyboard is an excellent choice, as the built-in jog/shuttle controller will give you precise control over your clips and timelines. Check the Compatibility section of our web site to see if your particular software is listed. As there are a great number of applications on the market, it is possible that we may not have tested your application. If your software isn't listed, you can still feel comfortable purchasing our product, as we offer a 15 day return policy.

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9. I use both Macs and PCs – can a DV Keyboard be used on either computer?

Our latest generation of keyboards (DV Keyboard 3.0, Professional Series 3.0, and Advantage Series 2.0) and previous generation (DV Keyboard 2.0 and Professional Series) incorporate our unique Hybrid Technology, and may be used with either a PC or Mac computer, with appropriate key labeling for both operating systems. Prior models of our DV Keyboard, model numbers 1101 (PC) and 1102 (Mac), are designed specifically for either the PC or Mac platform and are not interchangeable. Plugging in a PC DV Keyboard (1101) into an Apple computer (or Mac DV Keyboard 1102 into a Windows computer) may cause damage to both the keyboard and the computer.

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10. Do your keyboards come in any other colors?

Our current jog/shuttle keyboards are black and silver. We have select models available in blue (for PC) and ice blue (for Mac) - check the Bella Store, Refurb Center and Outlet Center for availability.

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11. Can I plug in any device, such as a mouse, into a DV or Professional Series keyboard?

Yes, the keyboards have a built-in hub with two USB ports.

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12. What version of USB does your keyboard use?

The current generation of our keyboards (DV Keyboard 3.0, Professional Series 3.0, and Advantage Series 2.0) are USB 2.0 compatible. All previous USB keyboards are USB 1.1 compliant.

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13. If I purchase a Professional Series, can I use the keyboard with other applications?

Certainly! The keyboard will function as a standard keyboard with other applications – as a matter of fact, you may find the jog/shuttle controller will be useful in your other applications.

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