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PROAVIO Array & Capture card question
Anyone using PROAVIO arrays with final cut on a powermac? If so, are these good drives? I am using a CalDigit now, and I know they have great performance and great customer service, however the PROAVIO solution (8PM) is much cheaper and will do Uncompressed HD at 2TB for about $1400 with a host card included.
I am putting together an editing system for my personal business and need all the bang for the buck that I can get.
My other question has to do with capture cards. Right now I use a Kona LHe for my corporate video job. I shoot with a F350 and usually edit in XDCam HD (at work). For my personal business, I will be using Sony Z7u and shooting 24p and maybe some 60i.
In my corporate job, most of the time I find myself just using the Kona for monitoring because I capture using firewire in FAM mode and 99% of the time I deliver on some sort of optical media, mainly DVD. So again, the Kona is serving as a very high priced monitoring card in most cases. Now that I am building a new MacPro FCP system for my personal business I am wondering if I need a $1500 card (with junction box) for monitoring, because mostly I will capture firewire and again deliver on DVD. Is my thinking wrong here and is there another “good” solution at a lower price that will do a very good job or am I way off base? I know that you get what you pay for and the Kona has served me well, but I am attempting to explore my options before I purchase. The array and capture card will be my two biggest expences after I pruchase the MacPro and I thought that asking professionals on this forum that have real user experience could benefit me before my purchase. Thanks for all your help in advance.
Mike
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14 Replies
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[Mike Allen] “I am using a CalDigit now, and I know they have great performance and great customer service, however the PROAVIO solution (8PM) is much cheaper”
and there lies the key.
how is PROAVIO customer service?
will they overnight drop ship a replacement unit at the drop of
a hat like Caldigit if you run into a problem? -
“how is PROAVIO customer service?”
This is what I am trying to determine from professionals who may own or have experience with other products that are different from what I am using now. Do you personally know anything about PROAVIO drives or their customer service?
Do you have personal experience with any reliable cost effective solutions in regard to HD capture cards other than the Kona LHe that I am currently using?
Mike
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You can compare the Maxx Digital arrays. We’ve had great customer service with them as well. In addition, they sell all makes and models of arrays so they can help you get the most bang for your buck as well.
maxxdigital.com
As for video capture card, the AJA’s are the only ones I recommend.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
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Thanks Walter,
By the way, I purchased your Color tutorial and was very pleased with it.
Thanks for your response. I was looking for answers from individuals with personal experience like yours. I will probably stay with the Kona LHe, but it does seem like a lot of money being that I mainly use it for monitoring. As for the drives, I am hoping to hear a few more replies but I will most likely return to CalDigit because I have had good luck with them in the past. It is interesting to note that if you look on the B&H website under drive arrays, you will find more products listed (over a hundred) from PROAVIO which is far more than any other brand.
Mike
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Mike –
If you’re only using firewire the simplest option is to monitor with the Cinema Desktop. No cost, just a computer display. A cheaper alternative to the Kona card is the Blackmagic Decklink Studio – $695, SD, HD both SDI and analog in and out.
Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions -
Thanks for your response Herb,
Cinema display is not an option, however the Blackmagic Decklink Studio may be. Do you have experience with it? Is the quality satisfactory? What are the downsides to using this in FCP 6?
I can see there are many options for sale from various manufacturers, however I am looking for advise from professionals who own or use these tools on a day to day basis, otherwise I can read the marketing hype, but the hype is what I am trying to avoid.
Mike
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[Mike Allen] “As for the drives, I am hoping to hear a few more replies but I will most likely return to CalDigit because I have had good luck with them in the past. “
My experience is just the opposite, so we don’t run any CalDigit equipment in our shop, period. I can tell you that Sonnet, Dulce and Maxx all have very good quality equipment when it comes to media storage.
[Mike Allen] ” I will probably stay with the Kona LHe, but it does seem like a lot of money being that I mainly use it for monitoring.”
If you need output only and no input, you can look at the Matrox MXO’s. Keep in mind they do not support Color so if you’re looking at that application for use, stay with AJA products.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
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[Mike Allen] “I will probably stay with the Kona LHe, but it does seem like a lot of money being that I mainly use it for monitoring. “
Mike,
What more important thing could there be than actually seeing your video displayed properly?
Monitoring video properly isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.
David
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los AngelesPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.
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stick with aja kona product.
I have owned both black magic and aja and aja wins hands down.
it’s worth the extra money for sure.cutting down on the $$$ can end up costing you big time later on.
Not sure why Walter had any problems with Caldigit, but
they have been great since day 1 for me.Instant support when I need it and ultra-reliable and fast
disk arrays that keep chugging even if you unplug a drive
while capturing! -
Mike –
I have 2 FCP systems, one a G5 the other a Mac Pro, and have used a blackmagic card for I/O on both for many years. Excellent quality, no problems. They don’t have all the options of a Kona3 and the customer support is not quite as good, but I have no trouble recommending them as the best bang for the buck.
Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
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