Pro Res 4:2:2 and Shared SSD’S

[Bob Zelin]

Hi Barry,
your network is too slow ! It ain’t your drives, it’s your network.
If you were to do the following (which you won’t do), this would work .

Get a dedicated MAC Pro Quad Core (around 3 grand). Stick your SSD drives on this dedicated MAC. It is now your server. Connect MAC # 1 to ethernet port 1 of the server MAC Pro, and connect MAC # 2 to ethernet port 2 of the server MAC Pro. Assign static IP addresses to each server port (like 192.168.2.3, and 192.168.3.3), and on your clients (MAC 1 and MAC 2), assign static IP addresses to their ethernet ports (like 192.168.2.4, and 192.168.3.4). Enable jumbo frames in the ADVANCED page of System Preferences>Network on both the server and the two MAC FCP clients that you have. Go into the server in System Preferences>sharing, and enter the names and passwords of the two MAC computers that you have – click the + sign to enter each computer on the “server ” as NEW USER. NOw you have assigned the two MAC computers you want to share the SSD drives with to the “server, so they can both see the SSD drives on the “server”.
Now you can playback ProREs422HQ all day long. See, it’s easy.

WHAT? Don’t have a spare MAC Pro lying around to act as a server for your SSD drives – TOUGH NOOGIES BARRY – no shared storage for you !

Bob Zelin

[Barry Bishop]

Thanks Bob,

I appreciate your answer, I figured it was obviously a network issue. My question was can I record HQ to the drives, but I guess the answer is no. I have it hooked up and I can share the drives and play HQ on the both computers at once at 220Mbit/s but I cant record longer than 2seconds. I do have 3 macs at my desk and could use the MacPro as a server, but is it worth the extra effort…no. Im going from an sony ex codec to a Apple Pro Res codec…I should just be happy with what I’ve achieved so far.

-Barry

Barry
Associate Web Producer/ Video Editor

[Barry Bishop]

Ok I am stumped.
I did some testing and maybe you can provide some insight as to why the uncompressed 8bit has a higher data rate and works fine versus the ProRes HQ which is lower.

Worked
Pro Res 422 1080p @ 30fps = 147.81Mbit/s
Uncompressed 8bit 1080p @ 23.98 = 797.89Mbit/s
Pro Res LT 422(LT) 1080p @ 30fps = 147.81Mbit/s

Didn’t work
Pro Res 422 HQ 1080p @ 30fps = 249.22Mbit/s

Barry
Associate Web Producer/ Video Editor

[Bob Zelin]

what’s going on here Barry. Put in a server (just a nice boring MAC Pro), and things will work, over ethernet, with ProRes422HQ. Are you going to ponder this, trying to figure out how to get this to work, doing it the WRONG way ?

Bob Zelin

[Barry Bishop]

Bob I agree with you in so many ways, ex. when it comes to hiring professionals for professional jobs. That being said, I took your advice and hooked the macpro to my macbookpro and my i7. works, and works great.

My curiosity though still remains about the Pro Res Codec HQ. I read the white papers on Apple Pro Res from 2007 and 2010 I believe, and I still cant come to a reasonable conclusion why the network couldn’t handle the transfer.

Is this question too difficult to answer (no disrespect, just maybe i’m over simplifying it)

How could a higher bitrate format transfer over the network with ease while a lower bitrate format be unsuccessful ? In this case Pro Res HQ vs Uncompressed 8bit

Barry
Associate Web Producer/ Video Editor

[Simon Blackledge]

What’s the spec on the Mac book pro?

Bobs right.

But still….

Your asking your laptop to capture via matrox box > compress to prores HQ + at the same time send data down gig-e to your macpro.

Funny other pro res works.

Uncompressed 8 bit does probably as the CPU hasn’t got a load of compressing to do so has the capacity to handle the network sending

Open up activity monitor

Check your CPU usage when you capture diff codecs. Might get an idea of what’s pushing it and what’s not.

Si

[Simon Blackledge]

Oh and besides.

If you do as bob says and don’t use the macpro when capturing on laptop then according to bob should work?

Surely your macpro is the server while capturing?

Have you setup as bob says?

S

[Barry Bishop]

Hi Simon,
I had it set up as Bob suggested and then tried it and worked great. I then tore it apart and set it up how I originally had it it to see if it was the CPU that was bogging me down and sure enough it was. I got my answer and I appreciate your input Simon, I literally was thinking about this all week.

The transport wasn’t a problem being under the 100MB range it was the encoding of the ProResHQ that was killing it. I also tried 10bit Uncompressed and got a little further then the ProRes but it dropped frames cause of the processor and I imagine bandwidth to some extent. Anyways I am using ProRes as the codec now.

Now, if RED would just release the Scarlet already i’d be even happier 🙂

Barry
Associate Web Producer/ Video Editor

[Simon Blackledge]

Glad it’s sorted.

s

[Bob Zelin]

Now, if RED would just release the Scarlet already i’d be even happier 🙂

Why would you be happier if RED would release the Scarlet. You have the entire Canon EOS series to work with, as well as countless rental cameras from RED, Sony, Arri, and others. Is the Scarlet preventing you from making your feature film ? ITS A CAMERA – and there are lots of cameras out there – and if you can’t get your toy, you rent something else.

Now, get back to work.

Bob Zelin