The Blackmagic Ultrascope

[Chris Paul]

I just installed my UltraScope into a Gateway DX-4300. The Gateway sells for $750 with 8 gigs of RAM and a Radeon HD4650 pre-installed. My leftover Apple 23″ Cinema display jitters when using the mouse with other programs but is rock solid when running UltraScope- which is the whole point. I didn’t buy the computer for playing games- I bought it to run amazing scopes at a fraction of what it would have cost to buy hardware scopes.

If someone needed to buy a computer for UltraScope and didn’t want to install a different video card this one works.

Chris Paul
POV

[Richard Dee]

I am still interested in finding a small form factor PC that would take this card.

Is the card low profile?

The HP dc9700 ultra slim takes 1 mini pcie. I wonder if this would work?

The dc9700 small form factor takes 4 low profile pcie cards.

Here is a link to the series of PCs.

https://h10010.https://www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF04a/12454-12454-64287-321860-3328898.html

[Deleted User]

Hello,

Does the Blackmagic Ultrascope also provide Error Detection And Error Logging?

Thanks,

Leo

[Steve Harley]

I can relate to you wanting a SFF computer.
I’m toying with experimenting with a Shuttle Computer.
If I do — I’ll report back.

[Kristian Lam]

Hi Nick,

Thanks for posting your setup, it’s really cool to see how low cost systems can be put together to run UltrasScope.

Are you monitoring HD or SD video? I’m surprised that the GeForce 9400GT is working fine for you. Although UltraScope will run with that particular card, I’m will not be expecting full frame rate performance when monitoring HD video at 1080i59.94 so it’ll be interesting to know what kind of sources and frame rate you’re monitoring.

regards

Kristian Lam
Blackmagic Design

[Deleted User]

Hi Kristian,

What spec computer would you suggest for monitoring 1080i59.94 and 2k?

Thanks,

Leo

[Kristian Lam]

Hi Leo,

UltraScope doesn’t monitor 2K but for 1080i59.94, you would want a graphics card that we have verified on our list here:

https://blackmagic-design.com/support/detail.asp?techID=195

regards

Kristian Lam
Blackmagic Design

[Deleted User]

Hi Kristian,

Thanks, so the system specs like the cpu, and motherboard what do you suggest for monitoring the 1080i59.94 as well as the card yu suggest and 24″ monitor?

Thanks,

Leo 😀

[Craig Sommerer]

Bob,

Thanks for this post and also a big thank you to Nick for listing exactly what is needed. I’ve been playing email tag with BM tech support trying to find out exactly what was needed hardware wise, and it’s not to be taken lightly. Upon even a cursory inspection, the ability to analyze full frame hdsdi is nothing to sneer at and BM’s hardware suggestions need to be taken literally.

I’ve seen Ultrascope at NAB and I do hope it succeeds and it does make Leader, Tektronix and especially Harris take notice – I also agree with you that Harris has ruined every company they’ve bought. I’ve installed and used dozens of Videotek sdsdi scopes in the past, as well as Videotek throw down d/a’s and signal generators and they used to be rock solid products.

I realize this is a new product however, it simply cannot be compared to a Tektronix rasterizer, not yet. The way I can customize a WVR7100 almost reaches the infinite. In my predominate job as a live tv multi-camera video operator (I am also a camera DIT and post colorist with FCP, Color and I am daVinci trained), with the Tektronix patented diamond trace, I can line up 5 to 20 cameras in my shows in no time what so ever. With the Tektronix rasterizers I can also view YRGB as well as an expanded vectorscope with the diamond display. I also have picture displayed as confidence as many times, if I run into those blasted TV Logic monitors in a facility, they just decide to lose the router feed – poof! – for no reason.

As of now there is a horrendous waste of screen real estate with Ultrascope. I don’t want a 24 inch widescreen monitor for scopes, I’ve spent 20 years of live tv experience looking at crt scopes and they are 5 inches big and I can read them very very well. I want YRGB and I want and an expanded vectorscope, all the time on a 12 inch display. I want a customizable display so when I do work with audio, I can see those meters as well.

I have high hopes for Ultrascope and I’ll most likely be installing in my house this winter.

Thanks again to Bob and Nick.

[Nick Hasson]

My sources are 23.98 1920×1080 video and 59.94 1920×1080 video. I do notice a small lag on 59.94. Maybe a frame or two. But thats livable for me.