• Blackmagic Design

  HD Extreme 2 HDMI Out Preview Issues

  Posted by Robert Owens on April 22, 2009 at 9:28 pm

  System Configuration:
  Intel/ Mac 2 X 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
  8GB 800 MHz DDR2 FB-DIMM
  HD Extreme 2
  Footage, system and cache live on separate SATA drives
  Adobe Master collection CS4 w/ Black Magic updates for CS4

  I purchased the HD Extreme2 card specifically for HD previewing via HDMI out to a standard consumer grade HD monitor. The issue that I am running into: When previewing in AE or Premiere with a rendered time-line, playback starts to “chug” after about 5 seconds of playing. I am working with R3D (set to 1/4 resolution) and mpeg 1080i footage(from a Canon HV20). Seems no matter what the setting or HD footage type I get the same playback issues when I go out of the HD Extreme2 card. If I disable the playback and just preview on the computer monitor… it is very smooth.

  I have had our Mac service guy (who used to work on the Adobe After Effects team) come in and look at the configuration. He said that it was the R3D footage and that the HD Extreme Card couldn’t process it properly due to lack of codec support by Black Magic. But that does not explain the same issues I am having with the other footage.

  Thoughts, suggestions or questions?

  Thank you for your time!

  Robert

  Thanks, Robert

  Robert Owens replied 17 years, 2 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Luke Maslen

  April 23, 2009 at 3:15 am

  Hi Robert,

  I’m not sure about the codecs you are using but a common problem which leads to poor performance in After Effects is that you might be using <Standard Preview rather than RAM Preview. You should be able to see real time playback with the RAM Preview function.

  Standard Preview uses the Space Bar to play back your video and this will appear slow. Use the 0 key on your numeric keyboard to use RAM Preview to play back video and audio.

  Hopefully this will make a big difference to what you see after the video has first been rendered to RAM.

  Regards,

  Luke Maslen
  Blackmagic Design
• 

  Robert Owens

  June 10, 2009 at 6:24 pm

  Thanks for the post. The playback issues happen when using RAM preview in AE as well as a rendered time-line in Premiere. We had our Mac guy (who worked for Adobe on the AE team)come in to check the settings… as well as try many others. Our System checked out fine. He suggested that we go to a SAS enclosure Raid for better transfer rate.

  I am having the same issues previewing 720p footage as well… Before we drop another $1,200 on a raid… What else can be the cause of this choppy playback?

  Playback is fine when I don’t go through the Black Magic card and preview on the monitor… this tells me it is not a hard drive issue.

  Where do I find support for Black Magic products? Didn’t see it on their website…

  Thanks, Robert

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