[Bob Zelin]

Hi Steve –
this is correct info. You should never have to change the control tab to change the reference. It should remain on REF VIDEO (for external reference) forever. If you are having issues with this, you should bitch to AJA about this directly. I assume you have a good black gen.

bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Without looking at a scope, its impossible to tell what is going on with your Videotek. The Horita uses a “wall wart” as well. Videotek is an excellent manufacturer. If you are not having any “crackle” issues, and you are in REF IN (not free run), and you don’t see any flashing BLUE stop lights on your Sony VTR, then you are probably ok.

bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Tom –
NEVER use a Horita BG-50 – it’s the BSG-50. The BG-50 is not a sync generator, and will generate nothing if you purchase this as a stand alone unit. It is designed to create 6 blacks from any composite input source – but unless you feed it something (like a camera output) it does NOTHING, so NEVER buy this product.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Hi Steve –
I don’t know if this will help you, but there is a device – the Horita TCI-50 – that will insert LTC Time Code into the RS422 stream. It’s about $469, and you can read about this on http://www.horita.com.

Writing you from prison –
Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

It is amazing to me that many “electricians” don’t understand what a difference in ground potential is. Don’t you have to pass a state exam to become an electrician? Don’t you have to know what AC voltage is, to become an electrician. The simple concept that there is an AC voltage between 2 diffent grounds is a great mystery to many electricians – which drives me crazy – and of course, is the reason why there is hum in facilities – and owners scramble to say “gee, I must have a ground loop, or a bad ground wire on one of my audio cables – maybe I should start cutting off the grounds on these cables” – not realizing that their
electricicans are morons (and I ain’t no electrician).

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Actually, Mr. Indian’s problem is a real problem, and I saw this EXACT problem the first time I had to use a Sony HDW-M2000/10 VTR (which does not have 2:3 pulldown native to the VTR).

My client, who was new to the time, rented a CineAlta, and shot in 24p. Thats right, they shot at 24, not 23.98, which is a choice on the camera (and useful if you are going to print back to film). Of course, they were not doing this, but were ignorant at the time about the difference between 23.98 and 24p (these manufacturers DO make it confusing). Unless you have some fancy assed frame rate converter, if you shoot in true 24 – you are SCREWED with conventional equipment. To video people, 24p means 23.98 – just like normal video is 29.97, not 30 frames per second (when you shoot in film, shooting at 30fps does not mean you can edit with this until a pulldown is done on the telecine).

Unless you are George Lucas, NEVER EVER EVER set a camera for 24 frames per second – always 23.98. Of course, with this said, I fully understand that many products say “24” when they mean 23.98. What is killing me these days, is all the companies that call HD-SDI, just SDI. Well, is it standard def SDI, Hi def SDI, or auto sensing for both ?

Don’t worry, however – as 2k and 4k become more popular, it will become even more confusing. And we thought that 44.1k and 48k digital audio was confusing – HA !

bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Videotek (now owned by Harris Broadcast) makes fine products. A videotek sync generator is a more desirable product than the Horita BSG-50, however I am unfamiliar with this “portable” product. The point here is that you just can’t hookup one output of the Videotek to the Kona, and you are done. You must have enough outputs to feed at least the Kona, AND the VTR REF VIDEO IN that you are using, so they are both locked to the same reference. If you have a Kona K, K3 or KL box, you can loop thru the Reference In to accomplish this, if you only have one output on your generator.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

BUT – if you are willing to call the cable company, and bitch at them, they will come and correct this. The problem is no different than 99% of the hum problems out there. They get their power for the RF distribution signal from a different power source (with a different ground potential), than the ground at your facility. 2 different grounds, means GROUND POTENTIAL, which means HUM. Let the cable company deal with this for you – its a common issue.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

your limitation is your consumer monitor, that cannot display a 24 frame per second video image. Buy a monitor that can do this (like the Panasonic BT-LH2600W, or the now inexpensive Sony SDM-P234b 24″ LCD monitor), and you can see the native 24p image out of your Kona.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Hi Don –
I am guessing that you have a Sigma SS2100 chassis with a Sigma BSG-21
Color black generator. This product was a fixed frame rate (29.97) and never
was switchable from 29.97 to 30 fps. I do not recall Sigma EVER making a multi format sync gen – from the TSG470, to the old CSG-365 series.

Either way, the BSG-21 is a fine color black generator, and should lock up your AJA product and VTR just fine. Just always make sure to have BOTH the AJA and VTR locked to the SAME black reference, and you should be fine. Forget FREE RUN – go to REF VIDEO, and your crackle will be gone.

Bob Zelin