[Bob Zelin]

you are running the latest update of what? I am not talking about the latest update of your MAC OS. What drive array do you have, and what firmware version is it running ?

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Crispy –
you have NEVER gotten the AJ-SD93 VTR to do an assemble edit. If you have used the firewire interface, you may have done a “pseudo” assemble, but now that you are using the composite/component/sdi connections, and using the RS422 port, you CANNOT do an assemble edit with this VTR.

This is how FALSE INFORMATION gets started (and you are fooling and deceiving yourself, because you used IEEE 1394 in the past with this VTR).

From the Panasonic website –
“The AJ-SD93 will record the output from a nonlinear editor. Adding optional accessories will not enable insert editing capability. ”

This quote is from the AJ-SD93 site – see this link –
https://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=71646&catGroupId=14595&modelNo=AJ-SD93&surfModel=AJ-SD93

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

You have a Kona SD card ??????? Then you have an old system, and probably an old drive array. I bet you have not updated the firmware of your drive array recently (like the Apple XServe RAID) – see the AJA support site for the link to the Apple Xserve RAID firmware update to resolve this issue -if you have a HUGE or Medea array, contact these companies for the update for your OS.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

1) I ASSUME you mean BSG-50 and not BSG-20, and CERTAINLY not the BG-50 which is NOT a black generator.

2) The BSG-50 will appear to not work if you do not terminate the signal with a BNC 75 ohm terminator, or with the 75 ohm Term ON switch on the VTR. The AJA does not have a switch, so if you are going into a K-Box, and don’t have a BNC terminator, the BSG-50 will do nothing.

3) There are almost no multi output inexpensive sync generators on the market. The best one, which is very difficult to get delivery of, is the Sigma BSG26N
https://www.sigmaelectronics.com/generation_analog.htm
which is just a couple of bucks more than the Horita, but is sold only thru pro dealers – not B+H, Markertek, etc. You will not suffer the “you must terminate” problem with the Sigma.

There are lots of single output black generators, like from Burst, but you need multiple outputs. The ESE black generators are not stable, and AVID specificially states never to use these with AVID Adrenaline’s. I have personally used ESE black generators, and they are not very good (but they are cheap).

There certainly are countless black sync generators on the market, ranging from Kramer (Ocean Matrix, Comprehensive) – all the way to Leitch, Tektronix, Snell and Wilcox, etc. but all of these range from $1000 to $15,000.

The way to tell if your Horita black generator is working or not WITHOUT A SCOPE, is to play back a tape in your Digi Beta VTR, and disconnect the Ref Video input. The stop light will flash on and off, indicating that it is not getting a black reference signal. If you monitor the SUPER out of the VTR, you will see a NON STD REF indicator as well. Now, plug in your Horita black, (make sure it has a terminated input), and the blue flashing stop light should stop flashing. If it keeps flashing (and you are terminated), the Horita is not working.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

I bet money that when you go into the Kona Control panel under Control, it is set to VIDEO IN instead of free run or Ref In (for the external lock of a black generator to the Kona and the VTR). Make sure you are NOT on Video In, and you will be ok.

bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

yes Kevin – if you are talking about picture accuracy, the higher the resolution of the monitor, the more accurate the picture looks (not the better it looks). When you say “better”, I can show you A/V Plasma monitors, like the Samsung 460P, which “look” better than anything, but they are not accurate for color correcting and editing, but sure make a nice looking picture (lots of bright colors, oh boy !).

When you look at the “cheaper” Plasma screens, you will see that the same 42″ or 36″ plasma monitors that are CHEAPER have LOWER RESOLUTION (800 x 600 or whatever that resolution is below 1024×768). And monitors that can do 1920×1200 – like the Dell, Apple, and HP 24″ monitors will show a more accurate image for 1080i VTR’s than the Panasonic monitors that “only” show 1366×768, which are designed for 720p products. When you see these “really great buy at Costco for a big TV” – they are lower resolution TV monitors. It doesn’t mean that reruns of the Simpsons won’t look good, but they ain’t for critical editing applications.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

From the Sony site on the 950 –

The HDC-F950 provides full-bandwidth digital 4:4:4 high-definition Red, Green, and Blue signal processing and output capability, offering superb picture quality for today’s digital motion picture productions. These full-bandwidth R, G and B signals can be directly connected to a recording system, such as the SRW-5000, or they can be digitally transmitted to the new HDCU-F950 camera control unit via a single optical fiber cable.

SO, you better be ready to rent one hell of an expensive VTR to play back your tapes into your Kona, and you BETTER be charging your client LOTS OF MONEY for this expensive rental.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Mr. Hopalong –
let me make this clear – a single Apple XServe RAID with 14 drives stripped RAID 50 is NOT fast enough to handle the bandwidth for 4:4:4. I am not sure what your application is, but almost everyone accepts material from the Sony HDW-F500 or HDW-M2000 VTR’s from Sony (or the JH-3 !), all which are 4:2:2, and all which require a “normal bandwidth” with “normal storage” – like a loaded array from Medea, HUGE or Apple. If you are renting a Sony SR-5500 or SR-5000 then you will be working with 4:4:4, and you will require a Kona 2 or Kona 3, along with a ton of storage.

Please remember (as far as “quality”) that the AVID Adrenaline HD or AVID Nitris cannot do 4:4:4, so are you sure that your requirements are for 4:4:4 delivery ? Who is asking for this ? George Lucas ?

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

this monitor is 1024×768, not 1366×768. You will get better resolution on the 50″ Panasonic. Resolution is everything.

The “pro” models have BNC’s, not RCA’s. It’s probably the same monitor.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

just remember that 24 DOES EXIST, and the Sony CineAlta shoots at both 23.98 and 24 – and you will be screwed if you shoot in 24. You ain’t George Lucas.

Bob Zelin