[Andrew Freiband]

We’ve definitely seen it with multiple codecs, not just ProRes. Though there may be a data rate issue involved which might exempt something like DVCPro HD; I would expect to see it with Uncompressed and None, as we have. We’re working on it with Aja presently, will definitely report.

[Andrew Freiband]

Just to be fair, I have gotten through to Aja support and we are working on it – I didn’t fully take into account the time-zone thing, though I didn’t ever hear back on the email front… Still, anyone here with some input on this question will be welcomed with open arms-

[Andrew Freiband]

I’m tempted to start a new thread on this, but our similarities are striking enough I wanted to weigh in here – we are also having sync and drift problems playing out through a Kona LHe from a Mac Pro 4GB dual 500 GB SATA RAID. But we have the problem not only within Final Cut, but in any playout through the Kona, including our playlisting/broadcasting software from Softron. We’ve trouble-shot that software to death, and it seems solid, in addition to other tesimony about Kona drift problems, that’s where everything is pointing. We also experience occasional video breakup, with lost frames

We are playing out uniform 1280×720 59.94, and have seen the same issue with ProRes, None, and 8-bit Uncompressed codecs.

Drivers are updated, PCI slot utility (2007 Mac Pro) has been run and optimized, everything else we can think of. We have even attached a blackburst generator to the Kona, with no effect (unfortunately we don’t have a Tri Sync genny handy; though in a limited test the same problem was observed playing out NTSC with the blackburst attached). Unfortunately I put a request in with Aja support a week ago and haven’t heard anything, and their phone line just cuts off without so much as an answering service.

Any and all help is much much appreciated, this has been a stumper, and frustrating as anything

[Andrew Freiband]

I’m interested in this situation, too. I’ve done it a few ways already, but would love to hear some more ideas. I’ve gotten back DVCPro HD, which was fine, but I find that codec to be pretty noisy. (This was what we got when we left it up to the lab.) I have liked just having it done in 10 bit Uncompressed, to have the best possible ‘master tape’ copy – and then formatting the whole batch to whatever sysstem I’m using. But I haven’t had the chance to work with Avid’s own HD editing codec, DnxHD or whatever. I’m not sure a lab could do that – or if it would need to be converted upon capture. Anybody have some experience to share?

[Andrew Freiband]

Many thanks for the attention. I’ll bookmark you and check you next time – these comps are due yesterday, so I’m working with decent loop/reverse looped bkgrds. But you should corner the market on 60 second stock footage, ’cause nobody else seems to have thought about it.

Thanks again for all the help

[Andrew Freiband]

I might go with Ty’s suggestion about the Sankens. Since the element is upward-facing, I’ve found they’re a little better than the Tram for clothing issues – and stuck between a couple pieces of moleskin (thanks Dr. Scholl’s) they stay in place until you move them. I think a photog’s vest with the transmitter in the film pouch in back is a good idea, too – that way the vest can come and go without running cables. From my own feature days I’d get wardrobe to tear apart the costumes and sew the cables right in, so the outfit itself was my mic, and it makes as much sense to do that for on-air host-type talent.

Have a good trip!

[Andrew Freiband]

All good suggestions. I would be the first one on a plane to go and shoot this stuff, but what I need in this case is ~60 seconds of, let’s say, Big Ben, locked down, and then ~60 seconds of the pyramids, locked down, and then 60 secs of, lets’ say, the Great Wall of China. There’s a bunch of them. Not too many budgets going to accommodate that sort of globetrotting. It’s a talking head to be placed in front, but without enough distraction to make looping or slowmo feasible. I’m currently working with the few ~20 second clips I’ve found which can be looped, but it drastically reduces my choices. I’m just surprised there isn’t a bigger marketplace for simple scenic clips like this that can be used for composited backgrounds. Revostock is nice, but the longest thing I’ve found there is about 15 secs (same for Digital Juice, which is what I’m using since I’m crunched and need it now, plus I already own the libraries). Though I’d love to know if Silvermanstock has longer usable clips – if not for this one (deadline looming) then for the next.

Thanks all