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Mediacenter to show my Final Cut projects to clients
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Good point Zane, There are some limitations on the output options on that little squirt. The headphone audio out being the most obvious. It does double duty as a 1/8″ stereo headphone output and a digital optical out, so it’s one or the other and that is it. I use the analog out and go to a small Roland Cube monitor (or two). On the video side, I’ve used it to drive a Sony 52″ LCD (via HDMI adapter), a Christie projector (via DVI), and to various DVI-based LCDs. I’ve even used it with the projector as a teleprompter for display on a 12×12 overhead.
Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.2 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite -
I’m going to have to respectfully disagree with you, Zane. Right out if the box the KiPro will playback a ProRes file and has every single video connection on it. It will also down convert an HD file, and up convert an sd file. It is quite possibly the most flexible way to do this. It is both analog and digital, HD and sd and you don’t need a computer to run it. It is obvious you haven’t played with one yet, but you’d feel different I’d you did.
I thinks mac mini is a terrible idea.
An AppleTV also has analog connections, not just HDMI and it is very cost effective.
A mac mini is extremely limiting and you be using all kinds of apaters. How would you get component video out of a mac mini? It’s not a video device, it’s a computer. The kiPro and the AppleTV are MADE to playback video on any tv with standard tv connections.
Just my opinion, but after havng used both suggestions, a mac mini is gong to be a pain to use. What if you show up and the only monitor they have is a composite tv? You’d be hosed with a mac mini.
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[Jeremy Garchow] “AppleTV also has analog connections, not just HDMI and it is very cost effective. “
and by far the least expensive solution for this type of output.
gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows for the Digitally Inclined
Chicago, ILhttps://blogs.creativecow.net/24640
https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php
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Jeremy, I’ve got a KiPro and you’re correct, it is a better device for this type of playback. It is, however, close to $4000 as compared to the $900 for the Mac Pro, which I still use for playback as well. For instance, when I’m showing or reviewing raw footage that is not Pro Res (HDCAM, DVCPro HD, MPEG, etc.)
I’ve made the Mac Pro more portable by using it in a case with all the cables and power supply a together. The wireless mouse and keyboard also fit in the case. It is usually on set for some purpose; whether it be for a projected effect, teleprompter, audio playback, whatever. Of course, a laptop can do most of that too, but that’s usually busy wrangling media.
Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.2 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite -
Maybe I’m wrong, but with an Apple TV I wouldn’t be able to show Full HD videos… And does an Apple TV read Apple Pro Res without having to reconvert everythig?
I’m also checking some alternatives anyway; this thread could be useful for everybody so I’ll post what I find. 😉Fabrizio Rinaldi
http://www.linuz90.com -
[Fabrizio Rinaldi] “Maybe I’m wrong, but with an Apple TV I wouldn’t be able to show Full HD videos.”
You would have to convert everything to h264. While it’s full HD raster (up to 720p30) it will be compressed. If you need a ProRes or higher playback system, you are going to spend some money. For uncompressed you will have to spend lots and lots of money.
Jeremy
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[Will Salley] “It is usually on set for some purpose; whether it be for a projected effect, teleprompter, audio playback, whatever.”
And that is awesome, Will. A very cool little package for sure and ti sounds like you actually use it’s computing power when needed. Very smart. But it seems that you have the control when using this little device. For the original poster, it sounds like he needs the utmost in flexibility when playing back a file. With a mini, you will need to being a lot more gear with you, including a monitor of sorts. I am just weighing the pros and cons. Perhaps my language was a bit strong in saying the mac mini was a bad idea. I apologize for that. It’s not a bad idea, it is actually sort of viable, you just need to know that you will have to have all kinda of adapters and intermediate boxes to get it to work, while the KiPro is a relatively small and light package that it essentially plug and play to almost any video monitoring system out there. Like I said before it’s everything from composite to HDMI out with balanced or unbalanced analog audio as well.
It is more expensive, but by the time you get a mini together, it won’t be that much more expensive. A mini starts @ $900, then you have to build the system around it. Also, the KiPro can be used further for on set acquisition.
I guess it really comes down to exactly what capabilities Fabrizio needs. If you truly need uncompressed, Fabrizio, even the KiPro won’t work for you.
Jeremy
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[Jeremy Garchow] “I’m going to have to respectfully disagree with you, Zane. Right out if the box the KiPro will playback a ProRes file and has every single video connection on it.”
Jeremy how can you disagree with me on the KiPro when I have said ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the KiPro.
On this thread I have talked about how will face any number of connections when going around to other peoples places, and I have pointed out how the mac current model Mac Mini will not allow you to connect with many of those connections.
The reason I paint all this out is because if you show up to a place that say only has a old SD TV that has sVideo, RCA, or coaxial input, you are going to be hosed with a Mac Mini, you are going to be hosed with an AppleTV and you are going to be hosed with a KiPro as none of those have sVideo, RCA, or coaxial video out ports.
You say the kiPro has every video connection on it, but it does not.
https://provideocoalition.com/images/uploads/connector_side_lg619.pngNow you should keep in mind that any mac computer that has a mini display port cannot connect to sVideo and RCA just like the Mac Mini.
Fabrizio’s original post was wanting something that he can take out and show people, however what so many people fail to under stand is that you have no control over what type of connections places will have.
I have had instances where a venu told me there projector was HD and had HDMI so I came prepared to show a video off of an AppleTV and low and behold the person talking know crap and the thing was not HD not did it have HDMI. At another event I show up and it turnes out the only thing they had to show the video on was an OLD TV that did not even have a DVD player. and only had RCA, and coaxial video in. In this last example I could not have connected a AppleTV, Mac Mini or a KiPro it it.
Because you NEVER know what connections the place you are going to go to will have I usually recommend taking a deice that also has a screen so that if you find yourself in a bad connection/no connection situation you can always fall back to showing it on your laptop.
Hindsight is always 1080p
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[Zane Barker] “Jeremy how can you disagree with me on the KiPro when I have said ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the KiPro.”
It’s all good, Zane. I’m not starting arguments here. What I was referring to was this:
[Zane Barker] “There is NOT going to be a out of the box media center that will support pro res or uncompressed. “
It’s not really true, that’s all. A KiPro will indeed support ProRes (Proxy, LT, SQ or HQ), right out of the box.
[Zane Barker] “you are going to be hosed with a KiPro as none of those have sVideo, RCA, or coaxial video out ports. “
It is true, the KiPro does not have SVideo or Coax. But it does have CVBS composite out. A cheap 99 cent adpter will take either an RCA cable and adapt it to the BNC composite on the Ki side, or a different BNC to male RCA adter that will adapt a bnc to rca on the TV side. The KiPro does have RCA audio outs as well.
[Zane Barker] “however what so many people fail to under stand is that you have no control over what type of connections places will have. “
Exactly. A KiPro offers more capability than a mac mini, right out of the box.
[Zane Barker] “In this last example I could not have connected a AppleTV, Mac Mini or a KiPro it it. “
Again, not true regarding the KiPro.
Jeremy
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Jeremy it is obvious that you are in love with the KiPro, and while yes it is a vary nice device it is not the love goddess of all things media.
Sure it can do a lot, but with its current price tag of $4000 I wold not not really say it would be a good investment as a media center. If someones workflow, existing workflow can benefit from it, while not breaking the bank then sure it can have some great uses. But to purchase one with the intended purpose of using it simply for a media center would be rather foolish because of the huge price tag.
If I had an extra $4000 right now it would be going toward a new MacPro not a KiPro. I would get a lot more out of a MacPro then I would ever get out of a KiPro with my current work flow.
Hindsight is always 1080p
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