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OT – Live broadcast graphics off a MacBook Pro – Possibilities?
Hi Guys,
This is OT but the graphics i’m creating for the following problem are designed in AE, so I don’t know if a solution could involve playing straight from AE or not. Please read on and see if you have any thoughts.
I’m soon to come into posession of my new macbook pro. I volunteer at the local community tv station where kids do some basic shows in a simple studio.
I’ve been curious for a while wether there are any systems you can buy to do broadcast type graphics off a laptop – ie a program and to run the graphics and perhaps a PCI card to output a signal and key channel.
I don’t know wether anything like this exists or if anyone has any efficient and effective work arounds to achieve this sort of thing. I’ve done stuff before such as running prepared graphics straight off a FCP timeline with a green background and chroma keying it in the desk, but obviously this is far from perfect or exact.
If anyone has any ideas, experience or knows of appropriate products I would really appreciate hearing from you.
Thanks heaps guys. I’ve also posted in the FCP forum.
Jason Allen
Melbourne, Australia -
4 Replies
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how about using the FW out and connect it to a converter box. you can then have a live output of your comp from analog composite up to uncompressed D1 depending on what you need and your budget.
the speed of the MBP using AFX however is another story…
who is that masked man…
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Newtek’s VT system might do what you want
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I’m pretty sure the Newtek VT is a PCI based system – and I think for PC… the MacBook does not have PCI slots, being a laptop.
I don’t think you’re going to be able to get both the alpha (matte) and the graphic out at the same time (ie. to go live with). Even in the full-sized trucks (for live sports TV – which I do sometimes) we get tapes with the graphics, then the matte (a black and white video of the alpha) one after another – which we then have to feed to the TD one at a time to put in the ‘board’ (switcher) and do his magic with. The switcher uses the B&W matte to punch out the alpha for the graphics. Occasionally, we’ll feed them both to the “elvis” (LSM) and then have the Elvis output both to the TD at one time, but that’s an extra step, so most don’t do it that way. Good luck,
SB
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Thanks heaps for that guys.
It’s sounding pretty much as I thought.
I didn’t realise that’s how the trucks do it. It’s given me something to think about though.
To get by we’ve just been outputting full screen FCP comps over green and chromaing it, but it’s obviously far from perfect. The switchers we’re using don’t even have clip stores unfortunately, so I don’t think even that workflow would work.
All of which points out to me that I’m probably trying to do something far more difficult and complicated than the rest of our equipment/crew skill levels/output quality will allow.
I appreciate all your feedback. Thanks again.
Jase
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