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My First HD Project — Setup Advice Please!
Hi Guys
I have just been asked for a possibility of doing my First HD project for a 30s spot. I currently do not have any HD capabilities. All of my work has been in SD format using the AJA IO board. Now that HD has been brought up, Kona2 comes to mind…and besides this NG, I will never find any other place for trusted and invaluable advice to my questions.
My Current Setup is PM G5 Dual 2GHz, 2.5GB RAM / Lacie Big Disk Extreme running off separate FW800 Card. I haven’t had any problems with any other projects with this setup.
I am thinking about adding Kona2 HD card to the setup. Could you please advise me of the setup.
Besides the Kona Card, what else would I need. I am thinking about renting the HD Monitor and the VTR for the project.How about the hard drives? Don’t think the Lacie’s will handle the work. How about setting up a 4 drive SATA Raid on the Sonnet Card? I believe Bob Z was testing the setup and had good results but its still being tested for when the drives are full. Is that a good way to go? If so, are there any other SATA enclosures available other than the “Do it Yourself” kits. Someone also mentioned RAID 0, two or more Lacie FW800 Big Disk Extremes and that will handle the HD but I am a bit sceptical and would like to see if any of you guys tried it and how it went.
Finally, in FCP, whats the best codec/AJA setup to use for the footage. If someone can please share their views of their setups and codecs, it would really spare me some time on testing and playing around. The client is looking at May 15 for the deadline.
Any other issues I should be aware of?
Thanks guys. I really appreciate your help and advice.
Sam -
2 Replies
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I’ll let the other guys advise you about RAIDs and so forth. But as far as AJA setup, one thing you should know is what format of HD is being shot, because this has ramifications all the way through your workflow. If they are shooting HDCam, then you may want to consider getting downconversions and editing offline in SD, then conforming HD at the end. This would save on deck/monitor rental since you would presumably only need it for only a day or two. Also, you would not need an HD capable RAID until the online as well (can you rent a RAID??). If they are shooting DVCPro HD/Varicam, you can work through the edit in native HD frame rates using the DVCPro HD codec, presumably with requiring as much throughput from your RAID as your would with HDCam 1080 uncompressed. The only caveat would be if you were working in 23.98 in FCP and you had to make vhs or 3/4″ screening dubs, FCP will add pulldown to resolve it to 29.97. This might not look perfect, but it’s a rough cut – hey!
What is you deliverable? 1080i/29.97? 23.98 progressive? 720?
Steve Covello
doubel wide post -
Hi –
I have just setup ANOTHER FCP HD system today for Bramm Films in Tampa.
They too are using the Panasonic Varicam with DVCProHD, and the Panasonic
AJ-HD1200A HD VTR.I have once again used an AJA Kona 2 card, with nothing else but what you have – a Lacie Firewire 800 PCI card, and a Lacie d2Extreme Firewire 800
500 Gig hard drive. It works with the AJA DVCProHD compression codec with ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS AND IT LOOKS GREAT.DO NOT RENT A MONITOR – buy the following and you will be VERY HAPPY.
Buy an AJA HDP (with the DWP power supply), and get a Sony SDM-P234b 23″
monitor. This combination lets you see the HD signal, and the image is INCREDIBLE. The monitor only costs $2000, and it will give you a better looking image than the EXPENSIVE NEW SONY LUMA series monitors, that only display 1280×768.YOU STATE –
I believe Bob Z was testing the setup and had good results but its still being tested for when the drives are full.
MY REPLY – My results are not conclusive, and I will not make further comments until after NAB, but I have some amazing stuff to tell you, once I am confident about all of this. The basic config. is the new Sonnet Tempo
eSATA card with 8 SATA drives, but there is more to it. Until then, if you only need DVCProHD compression (if you are working in 720p with the Panasonic Varicam), you will be very happy with the drives you own – the Lacie d2 Extreme.I am leaving for NAB on Tuesday the 12th, but will try to keep checking this site to give you more info.
The AJA Kona 2 and the AJA I/O are the most important products in the post production industry today.
Bob Zelin
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