adding broadcast monitor

[Shane Ross]

[Craig Alan] “Can I just go Macbook pro DVI Out to the Panasonic SDI In?”

[Craig Alan] “”Yup. DVI out to the box, then SDI to the Panasonic.”

No, I meant without the box. I’m guessing no?”

Without the box…no. There is no way to convert DVI to a proper SDI broadcast signal without a device in between.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Craig Alan]

Thought so. Thank you.

And the MXO is the lowest cost box (that works well) for that purpose?

OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz
; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Andy Mees]

The MXO is the only box that will let you do the DVI to SDI thing, nothing else like that on the market a far as I know … it’s not cheap, but it does offer dual functionality as it also work as a high quality Scan Convertor.

( Here’s a link to that SATA RAID controller card that can be used to replace the (Atheros) Airport card in your MBP 4,1 :
https://www.globalamericaninc.com/p1507890/1507890_-_PCI-Express_Mini-Card_Serial_ATA_RAID_Controller/product_info.html )

[Craig Alan]

Thanks Andy. I’ll add it to this year’s budget. I was hoping to practice with color durng the xmass break. Oh well. Was going to buy a solution for my home rig but I’d rather put money towards a tower set up.

Why is it that I can get an HD image from the camcorder to a monitor, but the camcorder and/or deck can’t feed an HD monitor when connected to the mac?

My external raids have the option of going firewire 800, but I was under the impression they would not keep up with a prores project. Am I wrong? If so, I could consider the newer I/O units that use the express port.

I’m real happy with airport connection and don’t feel like a mod while my macbook is still under apple care.
Plus I’m already stressing the usb port capacity.

On a side note, I have a Ki Pro and was told by Aja that at some point they will add the ability to output to a monitor when connected to a Mac. Now would be a good time!

OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz
; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Shane Ross]

[Craig Alan] “Why is it that I can get an HD image from the camcorder to a monitor, but the camcorder and/or deck can’t feed an HD monitor when connected to the mac? “

With HDV and XDCAM and AVCHD…those are GOP formats…compression so complex that it cannot be played out via firewire unless you conform it for output. Which is what happens when you do a PRINT TO VIDEO to those formats (Well, to HDV).

#25 HDV external Monitor Viewing

Shane’s Stock Answer #25 – HDV external Monitor Viewing

To view HDV on an external monitor in high definition you are going to need to purchase a capture card, like the ones Decklink (https://www.decklink.com) or AJA (https://www.aja.com) offer. They will both play out HDV in real time. The catch is that you cannot view this on a regular TV or NTSC monitor. Since this is HD, an HD monitor will be needed. HOWEVER, both cards are capable of down converting the signal so that it can be displayed on an SD monitor. This won’t be color accurate

The real reason why you can’t monitor HDV through a Firewire camera is because Firewire HDV cameras don’t decode incoming HDV streams and route them to their outputs like DV cameras do.

Good options for you are the Matrox MXO2 mini…$450…coupled with an HDTV. Or a Matrox MXO (DVI connection) coupled with an Apple 23″ display gets you good quality.

And there are the Decklink Intensity and Intensity PRO cards as well, and the AJA I/O Express…

You can, however, view HDV out via firewire as DV…lowering the resolution to that of DV, but still viewable. This is not full quality nor should it be used to judge the quality of your footage or used to color correct to. This is just a way to view the footage on a large monitor.

Here are some examples of some of the possibilities:

– DV or HDV sequence output to an SDI signal on a third-party interface
– An uncompressed NTSC or PAL sequence output to a DV FireWire output
– An HDV sequence output to a DV FireWire output

Sequence and output formats must have compatible frame rates. For example,
sequences with a frame rate of 60, 30, or 24 fps can be output to a 30 fps device,
but not to a 25 or 50 fps device.

[Craig Alan] “My external raids have the option of going firewire 800, but I was under the impression they would not keep up with a prores project. Am I wrong?”

Yes, you are wrong. a SINGLE FW800 drive can do one stream of ProRes. Get a Raided pair and you can do two streams (two layers)….like a G-RAID or Caldigit VR. I do this all the time…with BUS POWERED FW drives on my laptop.

[Craig Alan] “On a side note, I have a Ki Pro and was told by Aja that at some point they will add the ability to output to a monitor when connected to a Mac. Now would be a good time!”

Well, you can do that NOW. But you need a CAPTURE CARD to get the signal to the device. The only other way it connects is via the drive attaching to the computer. Yes, there is a FW400 plug, but the issue is getting the GOP signal to go down that firewire FROM the computer TO the KiPro. Thus far it cannot go down the firewire to even get to the KiPro…so how they are going to manage that…remains to be seen.

The only HD format that is fully viewable via firewire is DVCPRO HD…because it is a NON-GOP format.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Craig Alan]

Thanks for your time.

“With HDV and XDCAM and AVCHD…those are GOP formats…compression so complex that it cannot be played out via firewire unless you conform it for output”

I thought that was one of the advantages of capturing as prores?

“Yes, you are wrong. a SINGLE FW800 drive can do one stream of ProRes. Get a Raided pair and you can do two streams (two layers)….like a G-RAID or Caldigit VR. I do this all the time…with BUS POWERED FW drives on my laptop.”

I overstated somewhat. I have edited using firewire 800, but find better performance using the esata card. I’m using G-raid two-drive raids and OWC two-drive raids and am pleased with the performance. Faster renders than with 800 firewire. The other advantage I have using the esata is it leaves the firewire port free to connect my camcorder or deck. However I might start using the ki pro to convert the HDV tapes to prores files. So I can have both inputs free on the macbook pro.

“Yes, there is a FW400 plug, but the issue is getting the GOP signal to go down that firewire FROM the computer TO the KiPro. Thus far it cannot go down the firewire to even get to the KiPro…so how they are going to manage that…remains to be seen”

And I assume that is the problem going back out to the sony deck as well?

Thanks so much. This explains it in a way my mind can grasp or at least grasp at. I really do miss the simple DV days. Only one format I could afford and lots of folk using the same. Now it seems no matter what I do or spend there is something better around the corner with a new price tag and a new learning curve.

OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz
; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Shane Ross]

[Craig Alan] “I thought that was one of the advantages of capturing as prores?”

ProRes cannot be played out via firewire at all. It isn’t a firewire native codec, like DV, DVCPRO HD, HDV. You need a capture card to view ProRes footage.

[Craig Alan] “And I assume that is the problem going back out to the sony deck as well?”

Yup. You need to CONFORM the footage, via Print to Video…before you can send it back to the HDV deck. HDV is viewable as DV via firewire, but not HDV. No matter WHAT device you are going to. It is an issue with the codec and firewire, not the decks.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Craig Alan]

Thanks Shane,

Been editing HDV/Prores for over a year now but never had an HD monitor till now. So never dealt with these issues.

I’m going to try the Ki pro workflow, converting the HDV tapes to Pro res files and try my raids on the 800 port, before I decide which box to use for monitoring.

OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz
; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Shane Ross]

[Craig Alan] “I’m going to try the Ki pro workflow, converting the HDV tapes to Pro res files and try my raids on the 800 port, before I decide which box to use for monitoring.”

ProRes doesn’t work via firewire out. And I don’t think that the KiPro’s FW400 port supports video in. Deck control is what it indicates on the back.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Craig Alan]

Hi Shane.

I would convert my HDV footage to Pro Res files by recording to the Ki Pro either component in or HDMI In. Then I would remove the storage module and transfer the Pro Res files to the Mac using firewire 800.

Then I would no longer need the firewire port to connect the camcorder or deck to capture, since I already have Pro Res files. In the DV days I would still want my deck connected to monitor; but now, apparently, that is not a consideration.

Do you see anything amiss with this workflow?

Obviously, it would be better to record directly to the Pro Res, bypassing the HDV compression, but I have one Ki Pro and 20 production teams.

OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz
; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.