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The Blackmagic Ultrascope
Yes, it’s as revolutionary as you can imagine. For under $700, you get a scope that does everything you would want a Leader LV7700 to do for a tiny fraction of the price. There is no “education factor” – it just comes on and works. The resolution is amazing. The test unit I built used an old Apple 23″ Cinema display (with DVI to ADC adaptor). This is nothing like the Magni rasterizers from years ago – the resolution is amazing. The accuracy is fantastic. On a 23″ display (and 24″ display) your images are the same size for each scope (waveform monitor, vectorscope, audio meters, picture monitor) that you would get from a Tektronix 5″ CRT or LCD display.
The only hassle is selecting a graphics card for your cheapo PC that will work with the Ultrascope, but it is well worth the aggrivation, as there is NOTHING on the market that can compete with this product – certainly not for the price (even on ebay). I have no idea of how Harris will continue to sell the VTM-2400. I have no idea of how Leader will continue to sell the LV7700. I have no idea of how Tektronix will continue to sell the WVR-5000. Every facility, every manufacturer will own this product. It’s just too cheap, and too good.
Bob Zelin
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49 Replies
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Hi Bob.
It is simple, they just have to drop price or go under.
I wonder what machine did you use for scope ?
In ideal i would go with really small and passive cooled machine.—
Margus
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Margus writes –
I wonder what machine did you use for scope ?
In ideal i would go with really small and passive cooled machine.REPLY – I used for this test a HP xw8400, which was the computer for an old AVID system. This PC is too expensive for someone building a new system. I intend to use the low end HP Z400 workstation with one of the suggested ATI cards. I used an ATI 4650 for this test system, and it worked well. The NVidia card that was used with the original AVID (an expensive one !) DID NOT WORK. You must have a PC with a PCI-e slot for the Ultrascope, and you must have one of the recommended graphics cards from the Blackmagic website for this to work. A complete new system, with HP Z400, ATI graphics card, 24″ cheap LCD monitor and Ultrascope will cost under $2000 US complete for a new system. Not bad, compared to $7000 – $12,000 for anything else.
bob Zelin
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I got my Ultrascope up and running yesterday. I had a little trouble finding a PC that met all the listed requirements. I ended up getting a Velocity Micro computer that had the recommended Intel Core 2 processor and Nvidia 9800GT graphics card.
Everything seems to be working great. I am using a 1920×1200 24″ monitor and the screen resolution is pretty awesome. I spent $2,000 on the entire setup. A very nice addition to the edit suite!
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Mine will show up tomorrow. I have my fingers crossed that the system I have will work with it.
Planing on using my
HP xw4600 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Geforce 9400GT Graphics Card, PCI Express, 1GB
Vista Ultimate 64
4 GB of Ram.Nick Hasson
Editor/coloirist
http://www.niceedits.com
Smoke/FCP/Apple Color. -
Nick,
the xw4600 is the perfect computer for the Ultrascope (too bad HP pulled the plug on it for the more expensive Z400), but I would not have high hopes for the NVidia GEForce 9400GT that you own. If you get an Open GL error message, you will be spending $100 more on a new graphics card for your xw4600.If it DOES wind up working PLEASE PLEASE post back on this forum, stating that you got a Geforce 9400GT to work.
Bob zelin
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oh and there is a few xw4600 left at pc connection. Open box for 500 bucks.
Nick Hasson
Editor/coloirist
http://www.niceedits.com
Smoke/FCP/Apple Color. -
I know.
The xw4600 was perfect for this application. Great “approved” computer, at a cheap price. I think the Z400 will drop in price soon (they always do – it’s still too new). The HP workstation series is what everyone from Blackmagic to AJA to AVID to Adobe specify – so this is why I always stick with this series (and they have a 3 year warantee which they actually honor).Bob Zelin
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I am able to find several 24″ monitors locally but they are 1920×1080 instead of 1920×1200. Does anyone know if that is OK? (Blackmagic specifies 1920×1200 so I have my doubts). I can always order one to spec but I like to buy locally when I can.
Chris Paul
POV -
it’s ok 1920×1080 is 1920×1200 (computer monitors are not 1080 resolution they are 1920×1200, so I don’t know what specs you are looking at).
the cheapos work just fine. We ARE talking about COMPUTER MONITORS and not TV monitors (like a HD TV at WalMart that shows 1920×1080 – this is not a computer monitor, and will not work with your Ultrascope).
Bob Zelin
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