[Bob Zelin]

quick answer that you don’t want. Stick your drives in a external SATA box with a PCI card SATA host controller, and your problems will probably go away.

But that is a simple answer, that may not be accurate. You may have a bad drive. Just plug in ONE DRIVE, and test each drive ONE AT A TIME. I bet your system only freezes on one of the drives (then that’s your bad one !). It will freeze at any resolution if its bad, so you can try a lower res for these tests.

bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Not to knock avid, but if they can do it, you would figure most people can? I’m still very intruiged by companys like BitJazz/SheerVideo codec – all of this stuff is possible, can it all come together?

REPLY –
AVID can’t. AVID does DNxHD with the AVID Adrenaline HD product which is compressed HD. AVID cannot do uncompressed HD over the firewire port. But would I like to see a new AJA I/O that could at least handle
DVCProHD – I sure would. But with everyone wanting uncompressed HD, and now 2K and 4K HD files, I doubt
that this is a priority for AJA.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

either will work.
Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

To answer your question “any guesses when the Kona 4 will be released”. I bet you that when the Kona 4 gets released, it will be on another MAC platform, and so everything you own will be obsolete.

Happy now ? Don’t try to plan 2 years ahead. You have observed the demise of the (wonderful) dual 2.7 to the Quad, and now the first generation Mac Pro in a VERY short period of time. Do you think it’s over ?
It hasn’t yet begun. The Kona 2 is a teriffic product, and as you have been told, the Kona 3 will upconvert – but the Kona 3 is for the PCI-Express MAC’s, and the Kona 2 is for the PCI-X Macs. If history repeats itself, AJA will CONTINUE to give us FREE upgrades for the Kona 3, as long as Apple keeps the PCI-Express buss going. But do you really think that the Mac Pro will be a viable computer in 2009 ? (Plenty of people are still on AVID systems with MAC G4’s and Meridian card sets, and still make money).

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

There is no reason to wait for anything new to come out. The 5 bay CalDigit will do uncompressed HD right now, and if you want to have 450mb/sec, you can simply use TWO 5 bay chassis – this will give you 10 drives (not 8), and this will be fast enough for anything you can throw at it.

With that said, there is no such thing as uncompressed HDV, and if you are working with HDV, you can use a cheap Firewire 800 drive – no need for an incredible product like the Cal Digit. When you start using the F900, then it’s a great investment.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Gene –
I wrote an article for Creative Cow about this subject. This combination is great, and can do uncompressed HD. Write speeds are about 210mb/sec, read about 230mb/sec. This is not a revalation – this stuff has been out for a while, and it works great. So Gene, get out your credit card, and start SPENDING SOME MONEY.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

the zaxcom hcp400 is a remote control panel that allows you to adjust the levels of the built in Time Base Correctors of Sony VTR’s. These levels are video, chroma, setup, and hue, as well as H and SC timing. This was usually tied into a Zaxcom Videohub. This is a VERY old unit, and the connection must be traced back to the 15 pin remote port on the TBC’s of these VTR’s. If it ain’t plugged into the VTR – it doesn’t work. If you are in a large facility, and this was tied to the Zaxcom hub – the control panels need to be routed to the particular VTR that you want to control.

I have no idea of what your scopes are wired to monitor, but the Zaxcom will adjust the levels coming out of the TBC’s in the VTR’s – not your edit controller levels. I can only assume that you are in a larger older facility, that was probably a linear editing facility at one time. Isn’t there a staff engineer there that can assist you with this ?

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Jim –
there is no way to say this politely – you are way over your head.

Replies below –

First, thanks to those who helped with my previous post on which Beta SP deck to rent.
First, I’ll use the Kona Control Panel and set the Video Input to be Analog and “Component (Beta)”. And I’ll set the Audio Input to be “AES/EBU (XLR)”. I think that’s all I need to set up here.

REPLY – AES/EBU is for DIGITAL AUDIO. If you are renting an analog Beta VTR, like a UVW-1800, PVW2800 or BVW-75, this is ANALOG. If you have a Kona LH or LHe or LS, you select ANALOG AUDIO. If you have a Kona 3 – you CANNOT input from the Beta VTR – you have the wrong AJA board.

Second, in Final Cut Pro, I think I set the Capture Preset to “AJA Kona LH: 525 23.98 8 Bit” since the footage was telecine’d from 35mm film. I could try 29.97 8 Bit if that doesn’t work.

REPLY –
Beta VTR’s DO NOT WORK at 23.98. There is no such thing as an analog video transfer at 23.98. This is for HD decks only that can handle 23.98 footage. You must work at 29.97. I have no idea of how your film transfer was done.

Next I need to set the Device Control Presets. Lots of AJA choices here, but my fisrt guess would be “AJA Kona LH: 23.98 Sony VTR”.

REPLY – this is wrong. You are NOT going to use 23.98 with an analog Beta VTR, as only HD VTR’s can work at 23.98. If you have an analog Beta VTR, you must operate at 29.97.

Finally, my Sequence Preset would be “AJA Kona LH: 525 23.98 8 Bit”.

REPLY – Again, incorrect.

And I think that’s it. Any corrections or better suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

REPLY –
I URGE you to hire someone to assist you, as you will be in DEEP TROUBLE during this session with out assistance. If you are starting a supervised job, with a paying client, you will look like a fool to your client without help from someone- and your client will not wait for a response back from someone on Creative Cow, if something goes wrong.

Jim –
I have been doing this stuff for a long time. I have never set up an AVID Unity shared storage system, although I build video systems all day long. I would NEVER enter a paying client situation, and try to setup an AVID Unity, with support from someone that knows what he is doing, and could assist me.

Sorry, but true –

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

the firmtek boxes are great
bob

[Bob Zelin]

I tried this, and it works just fine.
Bob Zelin