Decklink Extreme questions

[Jason Levy]

Hi Robin,

The answer to 1,2 3,4, is yes. I’m not sure I undersand the other question.. the CODECs you mention are the ones you will need for most things.

For what it’s worth we have had an extreme card for around a year now and have had very good luck with it, finishing 52 half hours for broadcast and international distribution.. mastering on Digibeta and capturing from Beta SP, DVCPro 50 and DV. No major problems to speak of.

Jason

[Robin]

Hi Jason,

Thanks for the reply. Your answers really puts my mind at ease. I’ve been trying to juggle the idea if I wanted to get this for my personal use, being able to edit a Digibeta source at DV resolution or OfflineRT (I have limited storage) would be awesome. Digitizing transcodes to the codec I set it to, right? I don’t have to capture it at 10-bit uncompressed first then have FCP transcode it to a different codec, right?

On an unrelated note, do you have any experience with ProTools? Have you ever exported an Audio OMF of your FCP project for the dubbers to sweeten? If so, do the levels stay intact in ProTools? What about the audio filters?

Thanks again,
-Robin

[John Barnard]

You’ll end up doing all your offline in DV, then onlining to 10 bit. It’s good. The card outputs the DV signal through the SDI and analog outs at the same time. I’ve never used the offline RT

I use the photo-jpeg codec for keeping a rendered output of everything on my system, but I’ve found it useless for editing. You have to render everything and I’ve found it causes sequences to get buggy and hard to work with.

When you’re cutting a DV source, you can capture through firewire, then just drop the DV sequence into 10-bit sequence, more it up or down by a pixel to make it sharp and hit render. I’m no video engineer, but it seems to look good and you don’t have to re-dig.

As far as I’ve disovered, if you output an OMF, the protools dude won’t get any of your levels or filters. You have an option to include crossfades and handles. It sucks.

The card has served me well for about 9 months and I’m usually able to solve my problems on this forum.

OS 10.3.9
G5 1.8 single
Huge Mediavault
Atto ul4d2
final cut 4.5
Sony DSR-45

[Robin]

John,

– You mentioned that when cutting a DV source, you can capture through firewire, then just drop the DV sequence into 10-bit sequence, more it up or down by a pixel to make it sharp and hit render.

Do you mean after I edit, I make a nested video sequence, then move it or do it per clip because it depends on the clips? Also, how do you move the sequence by a pixel? Using the Center in the Motion tab?

– You mentioned you use the photo-jpeg codec for keeping a rendered output of everything on your system.

Do you use Media Manager to do this?

Thanks in advance,
-Robin

[John Barnard]

In answer to those questions –

Yes, I just take the dv sequence (the whole sequence) and drop it into 10bit uncompressed sequence. Using the motion window I think you have to more it down one pixel. If you’ve got a sharp image on screeen, you’ll see the difference right away. But I’m working in NTSC, so it might be different for you – either way, you’ll know it as soon as you’ve got it.

THen I take the final mix from the protools guy (2track stereo) and drop it into that 10 bit sequence, erasing the audio from the DV sequence.

THen I export a 10 bit verion of this and a photojpeg version. For a 22 min show (again in NTSC) I get about a 35 gig file from the uncompressed and a 4 gig file photo-jpeg. I NEVER use the media manager because like many others, I’ve found it doesn’t work at all.

Or, instead of exporting, you can just render the 10 bit sequence.

John

OS 10.3.9
G5 1.8 single
Huge Mediavault
Atto ul4d2
final cut 4.5
Sony DSR-45

[Jason Levy]

[clueluzz] “I don’t have to capture it at 10-bit uncompressed first then have FCP transcode it to a different codec, right?”

Right, but You need a fairly fast computer to capture from sdi to DV on the fly. We use a g5 single 1.8 as our digitizing station.. that is good enough. Not sure if a G4 will work or not.

Jason

[Jason Levy]

We do export OMF but we mix with Digital Performer not Pro Tools. In general it works very well. Not sure what the situation is with Pro Tools but with DP we get the fades but not the rubber-banding, which which works ok for us. Nice having the handles.

jason

[Robin]

Thanks John, Thanks Jason.

I’m putting in the order for DL Extreme right now.

Jason, I’m using a Dual 2.5Ghz G5. You mentioned that You need a fairly fast computer to capture from sdi to DV on the fly. What about analog component to DV? same rule?

Cheers,
-Robin