[Bob Zelin]

Nick –
1) when you say that it’s starting to freeze again- freeze only when you do an edit to tape, or freeze while you are PLAYING BACK material that you captured. Disk drives that are not fast enough will “freeze” or stutter the playback, just from simple playback. I was under the impression from you that the only problem was when you edit to tape.

2) you state –
called and checked with my Pro applecare guy and he said its running normal write speeds. So im sure if i should have someone come out here and check it or keep working?

This is PROOF that Pro Applecare is run by a bunch of incompetant idiots. You don’t get 708Mb/sec write speed with an Apple XServe RAID with 14 drives in a Raid 50 configuration. If this was true, you could never do uncompressed 10 bit HDSDI capture onto an XServe RAID. Apple is filled with incompetance in their support department, and this is proof of it.

You may have many issues going on with your system, but I can assure you that if you have 14 drives in a RAID 50 config, and get these slow read and write speeds using AJA Kona System test, then there is something DEFINATELY wrong with your system.

I realize how frustrating this is for you, but when you say “after digitzing all day, it’s starting to freeze again” – you must be specific of what is freezing – simple playback which you see on the MAC screens, or only during edit to tape.

In my opinion, you have major drive issues, based on your information.

bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Kevin –
do you have a KL box? Serial Digital In is labeled SDI In
Composite/Component Video In is labeled YCVBS, Pb/Y, Pr/C.
There is a picture of this as well on page 10 of the AJA Kona LH manual
that I am viewing on the pdf from the web site.
YCVBS is either the composite video in, or the Y input for component. Pb is blue for component, and Pr is red for component. The / mark on Pb/Y and Pr/C
shows that the Pb and Pr can become the YC signals, which is what is used for S-Video. Yes, you will need an adaptor. You stick composite video into the YCVBS connector, and then switch the menu in either FCP (Audio/Video Settings capture preset input video selector), or the Kona Control panel. SDI is thru an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT BNC CONNECTOR which is clearly labeled SDI IN.
If you don’t have the KL box, you use the BNC connectors that are DIRECTLY ON THE PCI BOARD – not the breakout cable for SDI In/Out.

It’s all in the pdf manual, and all printed right on the front of the KL box. Please spend some time poking around the audio/video setting menus to get used to things, becuase you will get further in trouble with FCP once you start to have to pick compression resolutions, etc.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Kevin –
this is the manual
https://www.aja.com/pdfs/AJA_KonaLH_manual.pdf
I suggest that you read it. The composite video input is shared with the component Y input – you select either component or composite via the menus.

Page 35 of the LH manual shows you the LH control panel, and the input selector, where you select between composite, and component, or SDI. There is A PICTURE OF IT on page 35 – they can’t make it any easier.

Page 41 of the manual shows how to configure the output tab for analog output for composite or component.

I hope this helps. You should print the manual to make it easier for you to refer to when looking at your screen on the mac.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Hi Kevin –
the easy way to switch to component, composite is to go via the EASY SETUP menus, and choose what you want. But just to get you started, so you can see what is going on, get your SDI working again. Now, go into the Audio/Video settings in FCP. Click on Capture Presets (the middle tab).
now, scroll down to the item highlighted (you will see a checkmark on the left of the highlighted item). Double click on this – VOILA ! you now have a new window that has just opened up. See where it says VIDEO INPUT and SDI is selected. Click and hold on SDI, and a list will come up – this is where you choose composite or component. Below this is where you choose Analog audio, AES audio or SDI audio.

Hope this helps –
Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

you state –
One thing that we did notice, is that the shift can be seen on the computer monitor as well as the video monitor. Sometimes the shift will manifest as an entire frame moving to the right and then back. Sometimes it will manifest as a half-frame shift and back. Sometimes one-half frame followed by the other half and then back.

REPLY – well, as you observed yourself the very fact that you see it on the computer monitor, means that it’s not happening in the AJA product. If I wanted to make up a story, I would say “see – it’s your VTR – you recorded it this way” – but I recall you saying that you could back up the timeline, and you don’t see the shift – and you only see it when you edit to tape, and not during playback.

So what is the answer – I DONT KNOW – if you see it in the computer, it ain’t an AJA issue, but if you dont’ see it during normal playback on the computer screen – well, I don’t know. Normally I would say “reinstall everything for this crazy problem” – but it’s hard for me to say this, when you say that you don’t see any shifting during normal playback – only during output. If you didn’t see the problem on your computer monitor, and only on output , I would still blame your house reference, your VTR, etc. but this is not the case.

I don’t know. You don’t see this type of issue with other FCP systems. I almost think that something else is happening (like it IS shifting during playback, but you dont’ sit there during normal playback to watch for a shift).

I will keep thinking –

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

The advantage of having both the I/O AND Kona 2 is that you have all analog I/O (which is not available on the Kona 2), and the ability to UPCONVERT any analog source to HD (take the SDI out of the IO and stick it into the Kona 2, and it upconverts to HD). If you have a large archive library you use to do HD jobs, this is invaluable. IO and Kona 2 together is a very powerful combination.

bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

In my opinion, there are only two solutions, if you don’t want to monitor on a horrible “consumer” LCD screen. Option 1 is to buy a (still available) Sony PVM-14L5/1 which can do SDI and HD SDI and look great with both. Option 2 is to buy any 23″ LCD monitor, use the AJA HDP to convert the HDSDI signal to DVI (using a Dell, Apple Cinema, HP, Sony LCD, etc.) for HD ONLY and use another PVM20L2 for SD video. Of course, you can try to find a used
PVM20L5/1, or find a dealer who has one in stock, since they are not made anymore (if you find that dealer, let me know).

I have just seen a new Sony 32″ consumer LCD that does both, and it’s pretty silly. There will be those on this list that will call it “elitist” or some other snotty term (because consumer TV are not good enough) – but if you know what I am talking about- and I know you do – there is no single monitor that does both. The exception here may be from JVC, and I do not know there product line. I have used so many LCD’s at this point – none of which can display an accurate SD signal.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

I hate to drive you crazy, but you are not giving me enough details.

You are under OS-X 10.4, but DID YOU UPDATE to OS-X 10.4.3?
DID YOU UPDATE your AJA I/O firmware at http://www.aja.com under support?

EXACTLY what firewire drives are you using – firewire 400, firewire 800 ?

What resolution are you working at – DV25, or uncompressed 8 bit ?

If you have an AJA I/O box (or LA, or LD), do you have a SEPERATE Firewire card for the drives, or are you using the native Firewire buss on the MAC?

Please update your OS to OS-X 10.4.3 (just hit the software update window, and it will do it). Then update your AJA I/O drivers to version V2.1, and follow the instructions. Then download the AJA I/O control panel, and once you open up the control panel, update the firmware (you will see the simple instructions on the screen, once you open up the AJA I/O control panel).

Even when you do ALL OF THIS – if you are using Firewire 400 drives, you will not get any resolution on Firewire 400 drives other than DV25. If you are using Firewire 800 drives, you can get up to 8 bit uncompressed (MAYBE 10 bit if you are lucky), and DVCProHD and DVCPro50.

It is difficult to diagnose what is going on without all these little boring details.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

you will never get a Blackmagic card (or any other card) to work with an AVID product.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

If you just updated to OS-X 10.4, you MUST update via internet to OS-X 10.4.3
which you do by selecting Software Updates on your MAC.

I have no idea of what FCP version you are running. Are you running FCP 4.5, are you running FCP 5.0.4. When you installed FCP, did you run the software updates to get the latest FCP version (for example, FCP 5 must be updated to FCP 5.0.3 or FCP 5.0.4).

And what about your AJA I/O firmware update that is done via the AJA I/O Control Panel, that you download from http://www.aja.com.

ALSO – EXACTLY what drives are you using? Firewire, SCSI? If you have a SCSI card (like an ATTO card), you might need updated driver versions (for UL3D, UL4D) specific to the OS you have updated to.

Bob Zelin