[Craig Sommerer]

I use the FS1 a lot, it’s one of my favorite tv products out there. However, in the context of my usage of the device as frame syncs in remote production trucks, I hate the web interface. I typically have no room for my own laptop much less a frame sync remote laptop and I’ve been in only one tv truck where they even thought to provide that laptop web interface for remote contol. I really wish Aja would create a 1 RU hardware remote panel to control multiple FS1’s easily and efficiently. I also wish I had a reason to have a FS1 in my house.

[Craig Sommerer]

I’ve used a ton of Marshalls as well as many other brands.

What is it you’re needing this to do. If all you need is to confirm the presence of a video signal, the Marshall will suffice. Beyond that, there are most assuredly better displays.

[Craig Sommerer]

Cameras are just tools and it’s dependent upon the craftsman to get the most out of them.

True, the EX cameras are ergonomic nightmares and XDCam is a full raster, high data rate form of HDV but the images can be stunning. I had a job, 13 episodes on Animal Planet shot on 3 EX3 cams with b-roll from an EX1. I did the video engineering for this show and quite honestly, I was very pleased with the images. Helps to have a very professional crew on set as well.

[Craig Sommerer]

This is a “Wish” list, Bob and I am a freelance video shader working 25 camera to 3 camera shows (you watch multi-camera tv and you’ve probably seen some of my shows) and some low-budget post production color work, so that is where my reference lies.

I’d love a Leader 5700 or Tek WFM7000 of my own but that’s out of my personal business model so I’m thinking this product could be useful for low budget location, multi-camera applications with a small form factor pc.

You bet I could use an eye pattern to identify dodgy cables or terminations; a cable checker is only going to show me continuity.

I use waveform cursors on every job as it’s a very fast, useful way to know where I want the luma levels of something like, oh, say a pitcher’s mound, to fall on every camera shot that may have the mound in their shot. Flip through a router fast to check my shots and the cursors make my job a tad easier. Even on a location job with a little Kramer 4x router, cursors on the waveform would be very nice.

Anyone who thinks they are or want to be a colorist needs to learn YRGB parade. LCD traces of vectorscopes, even Tek products, leave a lot of ambiguity at the origin. Harris scopes and rasterizers are the worst offenders. YRGB parade is a quick and accurate way to balance black levels as well as identify any r,g,b clipping. You could say that this capability is already there with the waveform and RGB parade but I’m also envisioning a simple 2 scope layout; YRGB and vectorscope.

Changing colors or intensities of the graticule or trace, would that be such a hard feature to implement?

Again, just a wish list and I’m sure I can think of more irrational wishes, like licensing Tek’s diamond trace and keeping the price point as is.

[Craig Sommerer]

Scalable for smaller displays, yes, this is a given.

Single and multiple choices of scopes and layouts.

YRGB Parade waveform
YCrCb Parade waveform
Composite waveform with LP filter
Waveform cursors

Dare I ask for SDI eye pattern?

75%/100% bars selectivity with variable trace magnification in the Vectorscope.

I and Q lines might be nice.

Graticule and trace customization.

There’s a start.

[Craig Sommerer]

As Walter has pointed out, Kona 6.5 has been out for FCP 7 for a bit now. Doing some minor testing this morning and this past weekend, Kona 6.5 software for my LHe is working well with NTSC video and FCP 7.0 under Snow Leopard.

Like I said, “minor testing” so do not take this as gospel.

[Craig Sommerer]

The WVR5000 is a huge disappointment to put it mildly and you are correct. The Leader 7700 is a very fine product with a very fine price and I also agree with you about Harris products; waste of time and money.

As stated, I have very high hopes for Ultrascope and I want to see a flexible display as well as a small form factor pc to install it on.

[Craig Sommerer]

Bob,

Thanks for this post and also a big thank you to Nick for listing exactly what is needed. I’ve been playing email tag with BM tech support trying to find out exactly what was needed hardware wise, and it’s not to be taken lightly. Upon even a cursory inspection, the ability to analyze full frame hdsdi is nothing to sneer at and BM’s hardware suggestions need to be taken literally.

I’ve seen Ultrascope at NAB and I do hope it succeeds and it does make Leader, Tektronix and especially Harris take notice – I also agree with you that Harris has ruined every company they’ve bought. I’ve installed and used dozens of Videotek sdsdi scopes in the past, as well as Videotek throw down d/a’s and signal generators and they used to be rock solid products.

I realize this is a new product however, it simply cannot be compared to a Tektronix rasterizer, not yet. The way I can customize a WVR7100 almost reaches the infinite. In my predominate job as a live tv multi-camera video operator (I am also a camera DIT and post colorist with FCP, Color and I am daVinci trained), with the Tektronix patented diamond trace, I can line up 5 to 20 cameras in my shows in no time what so ever. With the Tektronix rasterizers I can also view YRGB as well as an expanded vectorscope with the diamond display. I also have picture displayed as confidence as many times, if I run into those blasted TV Logic monitors in a facility, they just decide to lose the router feed – poof! – for no reason.

As of now there is a horrendous waste of screen real estate with Ultrascope. I don’t want a 24 inch widescreen monitor for scopes, I’ve spent 20 years of live tv experience looking at crt scopes and they are 5 inches big and I can read them very very well. I want YRGB and I want and an expanded vectorscope, all the time on a 12 inch display. I want a customizable display so when I do work with audio, I can see those meters as well.

I have high hopes for Ultrascope and I’ll most likely be installing in my house this winter.

Thanks again to Bob and Nick.

[Craig Sommerer]

Speak for yourself. I like printed manuals as I can take them anywhere for enjoyable reading. Can’t do that with a manual in a digital form.

I would like it to be an option, I would buy the box with the printed manuals and for those that don’t like them, they wouldn’t have to be bothered.

[Craig Sommerer]

This is exactly the method I would recommend. Matte layer, composite mode of choice, blend with opacity, done. If the results vary too widely, do a quick base grade with the 3 way first.

I’m amazed at how many times Color and it’s convoluted workflow and sequence prep is recommended when the OP may not have a grasp of the tools within FCP.