Why do I need Blackburst or Reference/Sync?

[Lee Berger]

You don’t need Blackburst or Reference to use Io in a stand-alone edit system, capturing and editing from analog or SDI sources, and then back out to tape. You only need an external reference if you plan to integrate Io into a switching and mixing system where you need to take the Io’s output synchronously.

If you want to spend the money it’s not a bad idea to have an external reference, especially with decks such as Sony UVW Betacam series which require an external reference to avoid a sync bar in the monitor picture when recording (the sync bar is not actually recorded on the tape). I don’t have a black burst reference in my system. I simply use the Io’s composite out as a reference for my UVW-1800. BTW, this has been covered extensively in this forum previously.

[Ed Dooley]

Insert editing?
Ed

[Lee Berger]

Not really. Again if you have a UVW series deck, it’s annoying to view without an external reference as a black sync bar will roll (very slowly) through the monitor picture, but won’t be recorded on the tape. You also get a message on the deck display that says there is no reference.

[Mark Beazley]

I generally use the Io in the edit bay without syncing the Io and have had no issues. I do however, use the composite output of the Io to reference the BetaSP decks to the component out of the Io.

Sometimes I pack the edit system up for use with live shows, hooking into our DFS-700 switcher. In this case, I reference the Io just like I would any other source going into the switcher. This works with no problems also.

I would say if you can afford to get a “house sync” box, then that would probably be the preferred method, but I do not think it is necessary for small shops like myself who generally just edit and lay the program to tape with little to no need to do any insert edits, although I doubt that not syncing the Io would cause problems inserting as long as the record deck is synced to the Io output.

-mark

[Bob Zelin]

Why do I need to use an external monitor when the MAC display is a monitor ? Why do I need to use external speakers, when the MAC G5 has an internal speaker ? Why do I need to use an AJA product, when I can just go Firewire into the MAC G5? Why is there a professional video business, when any 12 year old can go to the Mall, buy a MAC G5 (hey, an iMac), and produce videos ? If I buy an AJA I/O box, does this product come with clients that will pay me a lot of money, so I can buy a new car and a house? And if I am in fact 12 years old, why are you making fun of me?

Bob Zelin

[Lee Berger]

Regardless of all of that, you don’t need an external reference if you are in a stand alone configuration. There’s no benefit and quality is neither degraged nor improved. The Io has an internal reference that works just fine.

[Mitch Ives]

[Lee Berger] “You don’t need Blackburst or Reference to use Io in a stand-alone edit system, capturing and editing from analog or SDI sources, and then back out to tape. You only need an external reference if you plan to integrate Io into a switching and mixing system where you need to take the Io’s output synchronously. “

I’m not sure I agree with that assessment anymore. I too used my Io without one (with SDI), but after a series of firmware updates started experiencing audio clicks and spikes randomly. Ended up replacing the Io, but still had them. Added a sync generator to the Io, the deck and the monitor and the problem disappeared…

Mitch Ives
Insight Productions Corp.
mitch@insightproductions.com
http://www.insightproductions.com