Premiere Pro, HDV and a Hardware Output??

[Larry Sherwood]

Check out Matrox Axio, HD & SD editing, broadcast quality real time effects, real time down-convert from HD to SD for output . . .

LS

Larry Sherwood
Sherwood Post Production
Austin, Texas
512 219-8721
larry@sherwoodpost.com

[Marc Bauwens]

We have a workstation built around the Blackmagic design HD card with an external breakout unit from the same company.

Great value, great product, but not sure how it compares in terms of price to the Axio.

[Mike Smith]

Any reason why you’re not interested in Velocity HD ..?

[Brett Howe]

Although the Velocity has been great, and is still rock solid, there are issues. Cost being one of them. The Leitch gear just isn’t price competative here (AUS) anymore. (IMO).

There are lots of SD & HD options out there now.

Also format is an issue. We outsource alot of segment production, and it would be nice to use a format we can drop on the timeline. QT or AVI based.
We have the Leitch DPS file exporter for windows, but it’s buggy, unpredictable, and on some systems, just doesn’t work at all!

We also have just purchased a very grunty P4 laptop for field use, and would like to integrate the work from this unit into our online gear. Currently this is a very slow process with the velocity.

I’m just looking at options currently. I feel like hardware solutions are really only for IO in the near future, as PC power increases.

Brett

[Mike Smith]

Thanks. Cost is always an issue, and I think you must be right on hardware being mainly for IO, at least at some time in the future. Not sure we’re totally there yet, though, even for SD – on a fast twin xeon based system, I still have more rendering time than I’d like with Premiere. I guess that must be even more so with HD.

I had a Perception for a while, which was beautifully stable and very nice quality. I really liked the ability to work on single frames so easily – but otherwise, integration was difficult. Also the ability to set capture compresssion to suit was a big plus.

Currently I have a Decklink SD board, which produces very good results and has been stable for me, though the drivers are evolving almost month by month, and you’ll have seen there have been some issues for some users. PPro has some really nice features, and integrates well into wider computer software. You’ll also be aware that some editors don’t like its asset management, and handling split audio track input at present involves a workaround, but neither of these have bothered me.

I’m not at all sure how well Decklink will deal HDV, though. The only good HDV out in realtime from a timeline I’ve seen to date was via a Canopus Edius SP system, which probably won’t talk to a Decklink. I understand that Premiere is improving in that regard HDV handling, though best by use of a third-party plug in – Cineform Aspect HD – which has the benefit, I believe, of replacing PPro’s internal 8-bit processing with a 10-bit version …

My guess is that, today, with Decklink, you’d be capturing HDV via component inputs to uncompressed HD – massive disc space requirements, though very nice quality.

So if HDV is a prime target for you going forward, maybe it would be worth checking with BlackMagic what their suggested workflow would be for you? I wonder whether Decklink on a Mac capturing HDV via firewire might be a stronger option for you than PPro …

All best.

[Marc Bauwens]

Plus the fact that Blackmagic is an Aussie company and the service is outstanding !!!

They are very proactive, especially with drivers.

ANd they select the distributors very well.
Here in Belgium nothing but good experiences with Blackmagic, plus the fact that almost EVERY small shop here is eqquipped with a Blackmagic card (PC or MAC)