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Decklink Extreme HD for FCP Mac?????
Hey Guys,
I’m purchusing a Mac Pro 8 core for a FCP television series that I am editing. The transfer house is suggesting to transcode the rushes to ProRes 422 (LT) codec at 1920×1080 at 23.98 fps. My mac dealer is saying that I will need the Decklink Extreme HD card to handle the footage and that the cheaper Decklink Intensity Pro won’t be able to do the job. The 1st assistant is saying Decklink Extreme is unnecessary.
I don’t want the Decklink Extreme (because of costs). Do I really need it?
Also, is this resolution and codec simply too “hi rez” for an “off line” situation. Is there a better rez and codec that will do the job and chew up less drive space and tax the system less?
Thanks dudes,
Trev. -
9 Replies
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The Decklink Intensity card is so limited in its capabilities and connections that I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. If you want to get the most I/O device for the money, get the Matrox Mini.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los AngelesPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
EPK Colorist – UP IN THE AIR – nominated for six academy awards
A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, Indie Film & Documentary, and Film History & Appreciations forums.
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I would suggest an Aja Kona lhe.
But it is noct cheap either.
But it is worth going for.Rainer
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The Decklink Intensity card is designed mainly for monitoring on your HDMI screen. It is ideal for off line editing where you get your media from another source and you are sending your finished product back out.
The only problem with it is that you can’t connect external scopes directly to it for technical monitoring.
But thats what your post house is for.
SC
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Thanks Rainer, I’ve heard good things about the KONA.
Trevor Ambrose -
Thanks Sam, that’s extremely helpful advise. With the intensity card can I still digitize tapes from a DV cam deck?
Take care man,
Trevor Ambrose -
[trevor ambrose] “With the intensity card can I still digitize tapes from a DV cam deck?”
Yes; the digitising of DV (and HDV) is done using the firewire port of the Mac. Then you can play your DV timeline out to your HDMI screen using the Intensity card.
SC
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Thanks for all the info Sam. It’s really appreciated. At risk of being tedious, I have one last question. What is the practical application of an “extreme” card?
Thanks again,
Trevor Ambrose -
[trevor ambrose] “What is the practical application of an “extreme” card?”
It is used for capturing other types of media eg anything SDI like digibeta and HDCAM. Also, various incarnations of the Decklink cards can capture analog A/V in both composite and component form.
As our industry is slowly moving to a tapeless workflow there is less need for a ‘capture’ device but still the need to be able to monitor externally when editing. That is where the Intensity card comes in.
SC
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Sam, thank you so much for all of the awesome help you have given me. It’s very kind of you.
Trevor Ambrose
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