Multiple Edit Suite Setup – Overkill?

[Bob Zelin]

as a general overview, as your shop is facing growing pains, you must start thinking about doing the “infrastructure” stuff required for this type of growth. It is my GENERAL advice that you run a million wires into each room, bringing EVERYTHING up to patch bays – all composite, component, and SDI (or HD-SDI if the jacks are shared). Throw out that horrible Knox router, and if you like (and can afford it), get the Blackmagic VideoHub as a HD-SDI/SDI router for these HD-SDI/SDI sources and destinations. The videohub itself will normal on the bays to the various I/O’s for your Kona 2 and SDI or HD SDI VTR’s. Becuase you have run ALL WIRES up to patch bays, you normal your existing analog monitoring (TV’s, mixers, etc.) to the VTR’s and AJA products that you wish to have normally connected, and then you can patch the “non normal” situation. You don’t need the AJA HD10C2’s – you already have analog outputs on everything – just run enough cables.

Your expense will be your central rack, audio, and video patch bays, and the cable and labor required to do this job. This is the typical installation that everyone from the mid size shop to the huge TV network has to do. Patch bays, and cabling is a fact of life. There are stil too many things that you have to deal with (Beta VTR’s, VHS, etc.) that require analog to just think about a small SDI router – even if it’s 12×24 – that is still small (but teriffic for routing your existing SDI and HDSDI). Get the patch bays.

bob Zelin

[Rick Sebeck]

Since you called the Knox “horrible”… What do you recommend for an analog router? I like the “matrix” aspect of this switcher as opposed to the cable plug mess from traditional TRS patch pannels. It patches audio and video with a simple keypad. And honestly this is currently used to patch “monitoring” of devices and to patch VHS approval dub rack (video dist. amp) – so its never used for input/output of a VTR. But this also means that two of the three rooms are only using composite video to monitor. One room is set up as more of an “online” suite than the other two, but I guess I should be running component video to all the bays as well.

That is the reason I am thinking of going SDI to the edit bays (digital monitoring) plus component/composite and all 4 channels of audio coming off the deck for monitoring during lay to tape (since my patch bay is stereo).

I have also realized that is time to beef up our broadcast monitors. I hear everyone on here raving about the PVW-20L5 what about the 20L2? or the new LCD monitors (LDM 2020) I am assuming they have the typical LCD issues of brightness/contrast, but do they show only a progressive frame?

[Bob Zelin]

Hi Rick –
you are asking for a lot on a forum like this. May I suggest that you look for a systems engineer to help you. There are many many issues to consider. Building a facility is not easy.

You have A LOT OF SOURCES AND DESTINATIONS to deal with. The problem with many of the small routers (like Knox, Sigma, Kramer, etc.) is that they max out at 16×16, and are usually “one level” – which means composite video and stereo audio only. You have to deal with composite video, analog component video, SDI (and now HD-SDI), analog audio (possibly 4 channels), possibly AES audio, and Time Code, in addition to RS422. All of these need to be reassignable. There are a lot more than 16 source/destination combos in your facility. Patching may be “messier” than a router, but a large router is EXPENSIVE.

As for the monitors, the PVM-20L5/1 has been discontinued by Sony, as have most of their CRT monitors. Even the PVM-20L2 is discontinued, but they are still in stock at B_H photo, and other places (but not the 20L5). Most of us love that monitor, but you can’t get it anymore. The LCD monitors, that have been discussed over and over on this forum, look TERRIBLE with Standard Def video. This includes the Sony Luma Series
Like the LMD2020, and LMD232. They are teriffic for HD, but not for standard def (like SDI). You can do just as well for HD work with countless cheaper options from Apple, Dell, Sony, and HP.

To answer your question “what do you like for a router” – I believe that every brand on the market is better, more reliable, and easier to use than Knox. Sigma Electronics is teriffic, but because everyone wants low low cost – Kramer (or Ocean Matrix – same product) are very good and reliable.
Of course, more expensive companies, like Leitch, Pesa, Grass Valley, Utah Scientifc, Sierra (now owned by Kramer), BTS, are fantastic, but these products are very expensive.

The fact that the Blackmagic Videohub (SDI/HDSDI and RS422 only) is 12×24
and is only $4995 is an absolute miracle, compared to anything else on the market. But as you keep adding D/A converters, this “cheap price” does not become cheap for long.

A project like this is often not a “do it yourself” kind of job. You might like to think about hiring a local engineer who does this all the time to help you.

Bob Zelin

[Tony]

Rick,

Your idea is not overkill if it improves overall system workflow and saves time, aggravation and constant rewiring during a editing or dubbing session.

So of what you will upgrade may not be immediately billable to a client but is part of what sets your facility apart from a “mom and pop” outfit.

Tony Salgado