Flashing on AJA SDI Output AND on Canvas

[Jerry Hofmann]

Maybe a software problem… If you didn’t install Tiger as a totally clean installation (as in erase and install), you’ll see some pretty strange stuff…

Jerry

Apple Certified Trainer

Author: “Jerry Hofmann on Final Cut Pro 4” Click here

Dual 2 gig G5, AJA Kona SD, AJA Kona 2, Huge Systems Array UL3D

[Ben Holmes]

Jerry

First – thanks for the reply.

The card was installed on to a new, clean system – and just for good measure we reinstalled OSX of a disc when we unpacked it and did not install any other software except final cut pro and the kona control software. Obviously, when I can get the kit back I will try again – hoping the client (who has dry-hired the system) can output the project in the meantime….

Ben

[David Battistella]

Can you give a few more details here.

What drives, speeed, resolution are you working in. number of streams, filters applied etc., which RT setting is being used System config. ?

From my experience any kind of flashing usually indicates that there is a drive speed issue. The compter, drives software and hardware can not keep up with what you are asking it too do which makes sense becase it plays a rendered file ine.

David

[Ben Holmes]

David

I hope it’s not the array – although I wouldn’t discount anything as the whole system is new. The array is a Medea Videoraid RT3X Raid 0 running off a UL4D card – dual SCSI 320. In initial tests it ran 5-10 streams off uncompressed 10-bit SD video right into a timeline.

I have experienced NO dropped frames with the systems, which is otherwise very fast and stable – in fact, the client (who has switched from an old PC based system) was amazed how fast and stable it was…

I THINK I have seen the flashing on footage not treated on the timeline (although I can’t be certain) but we are not talking about an RT issue here, this is rendered footage (rendered onto the Medea array).

Sorry to be a little vague – could it be render settings in FCP 5 or white/superwhite processing, or RGB render settings? I haven’t explored that yet, so it is food for thought.

Ben

[David Battistella]

With the Medea’s you can be positive it is not drive speed. Maybe you should contact AJA about this as it could be (it happens) a card issue, although I think it has something to do with a filter or setting because the QT is clean.

David

[Ben Holmes]

Thanks David. I have put in a support request to AJA about this. I am starting to have my suspicions about the card itself – which could of course be completely unfounded….

If anyone else has a “oh just select such-and-such in the menu” suggestion for me, or has seen anything similar, please let me know – since I don’t have a problem if I export the project to quicktime and drop it into a new one, I can’t help thinking this has SOMETHING to do with my set-up.

Ben

PS – A couple of years ago I would have been thrilled if this was the only problem I had to deal with on a FCP system. How times have changed – everything else worked (on two systems) right out of the box. I am definitely a Kona convert – if I can get this licked….

[David Battistella]

Ben,

check out this thread.

https://forums.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/new_read_post.cgi?forumid=8&postid=860534

I know it seems like a longshot but what you are describing could be a form of RF noise. They do actaully emit electroonic signals and heck, hospitals don’t let you have them on.

David

[Ben Holmes]

David

Interesting – and good to know, although my cellphone is always on AND I use Lacie for project archives(presumably firewire in that thread) and have never seen that – although we use different frequencies in the UK, so maybe that’s why.

I have spoken to the client recently who confirms they had the flashing, but got rid of it before edit to tape by exporting the sequence as a clip and playing that out. Not perfect, but at least it works….

Perhaps if I explain more about the type of break-up it may jog someone’s memory. The white lines flicker on for a frame only, they are not a full line but are only a single line each time, and they are in random vertical positions. It almost looks like a slighty bad analogue problem – except it can’t be, right? I did not mention earlier that I had been unable to get an analogue monitoring output from the Kona 2 card – however I had put that down to something wrong in my Kona set-up. However, I suppose it may be a related fault in some way. Feel a bit stupid for not mentioning that earlier…

I’ll post when AJA get back to me – the time difference means they have only had a half day to reply so far, so I expect to hear from them soon (from what I’ve read on the Cow).

Ben

[David Battistella]

My only two questions are?

Does this happen in all codecs?

Does this happen when using a preset window layout or a custom layout?

David

[Ben Holmes]

David

Only seen this in Uncompressed 10-Bit PAL – because that’s all it’s used for at the moment (with HD around the corner here in the UK).

Desktop layout is a default layout. But this breakup is on the canvas AND the SDI output no matter what layout is used. Nice try though….

Ben