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Great questions all around! Steve, NP, bro! I wasn’t popping a vein or anything, just thought you either missed the Axio ref, or didn’t think it was up to the task!
Believe it or not, you can get the Axio LE card WITH PPRO 2.0 as a bundle for less than $4500. The upgrade to that for the entire “deluxe” Video Collection is right around $1200 (I checked with a reseller yesterday in Atlanta for current pricing). Now, that is still a wad of cash, but a lot less than the full Axio, which starts at $12k and runs up to $44k! OUCH! That is a large car, or a small house!
Hawley, I think you are right on the money with your comment / question. You seem to have reached the same conclusions that I have discovered during my research towards the next “latest / greatest” rig. For now, I want to run the new Video Collection 2.0, and I can’t feasably do it with my Asus P4800c Mobo, using a P4 3.0 GHz / 800 MHz FSB with 2 GB’s of DDR 400. That was and is certainly enough for PPRO 1.5, especially when paired up with the 1.5 TB of hard disk storage I have on it, but now, I need to look at either a SAN or NAS in the neighborhood of 4-6 TB’s to run HDV projects (as a MINIMUM!).
What do I want? Well, like I said previously, bigger, better, faster, etc. Hell, a quad dual core Xeon mobo would be AWESOME! And PLEASE, give me at LEAST 6 PCI slots, all 64 bit, preferably the PCI-e. And a dozen USB 2.0 ports, and half a dozen Firewire 800 ports to boot. All with built in SATA and IDE 150 support. I need a Blu-ray DVD drive in it to back up my files, while I am off in dreamland, and eventually, I want the new HVD drive (Holographic Versatile Disc), which is supposed to FINALLY debut in September of this year, after 7 years of R&D. The HVD drive will hold 300GB, 500GB and a whopping 1 TB on a single disc! This was initially the brainchild of a company I have been following called Constellation 3D, which is now defunct. Maxell / Hitachi is supposed to spearhead this new effort.
I want my MTV! Oops, I mean, I want my cake and eat it too! I want HD / HDV and SD content to reside all in the same timeline (supposedly PPRO 2.0 can do that), I want massive storage and archiving capabilities, and I want a scraming fast system with no lag or rendering for preview of FX and real time rendering of the final output.
Is that so much to ask? (LoL).
Hey, they dangle the carrot in from of our noses, so let’s all drive the cart a little faster and compel the manufacturers to come up with REAL solutions to all of these real-life issues we are facing!
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Craig, I am using a brand new Panasonic AG-DVX100B, an older Sony VX100 and a Panasonic DVC7, as well as a single CCD Panasonic consumer camera for a quick drop-in shot of the musicians. This was for a wedding.
I used two iRivers for audio, one recording the house sound, the other using a Giant Squid stereo Omni mic wired on the groom, with one of the elements pointed forward to pickup the bride, and the other pointed upward to focus on the groom. Additionally, I used a kick drum mic over an open baby grand piano around the upper midrange area, and a second mic, an AKG omni pointing towards an acostic guitarist and vilion player. These were wired using standard XLR cables into my new DVX100B. So, I had the audio reasonably well covered overall.
The problem is syncing the various cameras. As posted by someone else, I need to check for dropped frames, because I vaguely remember that I did have a single frame drop from one of the tapes, but none of the other 3 exhibited that behavior. As I recall, it was the DVC7 that did it, and again, only once for a single frame on one of the clips.
I can sync everything just fine for some of the clips, but it tends to drift for the next batch of clips. I am refering everything to the iRiver audio as a main sync source. Is there a different or better way to do it than this? I assumed this was the most stable media to sync to. The iRiver’s audio has been converted to a .wav file in Audition prior to importing into PPRO.
What I did initailly when capturing was break up the clips into approx. 10 min. durations, to keep them small enough to archive to DVD later on if I choose to do so (I usually do). I have considered just simply capturing each entire tape in one huge file, but I like to be able to manipulate the individual clips with transitions and the “brick wall” end of each clip, with no bleed into adjacent frames that may not be desirable.
This has never really been a problem before, but I would like to hear how you folks handle a 75 minute ceremony such as this. Our average ceremony is shorter, usually around 45 minutes (these people like to pray a LOT! The bride’s father is a minister).
Single large 40 GB EACH TAPE files? Or smaller, more easily manageable 4-10 GB files using the batch capture utility? I’m curious, maybe I need to re-think my capturing strategy. I have enough HD space, with each project residing on a single 250 SATA internal HD, with an external 250 GB USB HD as a backup until the project is finished. Then, I export and compact the project using PPRO’s Project util, which trims it down (unused clips are discarded).
So, again, I ask: HOW DO YOU DO IT? (When you capture you video). Small, batch files using either the auto-detect function, manual, or one huge clip?
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Steve,
You will note in my previous post that I specifically cited NOT the RTX10 or RTX100 cards, which are in fact a bit dated, but the BRAND NEW Matrox Axio LE card, which just arrived on the scene in the last month or two.
If you haven’t seen it or tried it, like I have, then you are doing yourself and others here who read your post a great disservice by causing potential confusion for those folks who may be considering this card as a viable option.
Certainly, I think we all agree that wait until NAB, since it is just a couple of weeks down the road, but from what I have seen in using the new Adobe Video Collection 2.0 with the combination of the Matrox Axio LE card, I personally have found what I am looking for.
True real time effects for preview, true real time rendering of your final video, etc. are just some of its many features.
You owe it to youself to go to Matrox’s website and check out the new systems. IMHO, absolutely NOTHING can touch the harware acceleration that they are capable of.
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I would definitely agree, wait for NAB, and then you can see, easy as 1, 2, 3…oops, sorry for the rhyming and aliteration!
Seriously, consider the Axio LE card, at just under $4,500 (US), with either a dual core dual Xeon system, or at the very least, a dual core single P4.
Don’t believe all of the baloney about AMD having better throughput, etc. As a computer tech with 30 years experience, and 10 years in actually building video systems, AMD makes ok stuff for a gaming system, but Intel smokes them for a top of the line NLE box. Fewer technical problems and compatibility issues than AMD, for sure. Better choice of mobos, etc.
I checked ASUS’s website the other day and was disappointed that they haven’t come out with a real screaming video editing mobo yet. My wish list includes having 6 – 64 bit PCI-X slots, a dozen USB ports, and at least 4 Firewire ports, with a FSB in excess of 800 MHz, hopefully venturing into the 1.2 GHz range if possible.
Just dreaming here, but I would love to match that with 2 dual core 4 GHz Xeon CPU’s and about 4 GB of DDR 667 RAM, and the Matrox Axio LE running Adobe PPRO Video Collection 2.0.
Hopefully NAB will show us a few glimpses of what we can all expect for the next year or so,and the systems will be heading in that general direction.
Scot
It’s always harder to do the right thing, but you’ll always be glad you did in the end.
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Anything you say, Tae-bo!
It’s always harder to do the right thing, but you’ll always be glad you did in the end.
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I know VERY well how to use my Avid system, Tae, as well as my Premiere 6.5, PPRO, Vegas 4 & 5 and FCP4 systems. I am not some novice punk with little knowledge and no experience; quite the CONTRARY. I probably have more DVD’s professionally duplicated and released on the global markets than you do (20+ titles so far with over 250,000 copies in distribution on the world marktplace. You can find copies of them in Wal-mart, Best Buy, Amazon and online at several other National and International distributers, but who’s counting?). FYI, I have been in the Audio and Video business for over 27 years, how about you? I also have played in two world-famous bands (one of them had a hit song that debuted at #1 on American Bandstand). So, my point is, before you start flaming somebody, listen and learn before you speak. Your ignorance is showing BIGTIME.
Your remark about dragging and dropping was a smug answer from someone who sounds like YOU don’t know what you are talking about. Because if you DID, you would know that, in fact, when you DON’T use the wieght lifter icon, you will screw up your timeline and compress the clips. And by compress, I don’t mean video compression, I mean that the entire timeline will then be out of sequence, with the audio out of sync. But of course, I’d just be willing to bet that you going to say THAT, weren’t you?
As for dragging and dropping, I was referring ONLY to my Vegas, Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro 4 systems. You can certainly drag and drop to your heart’s content with them, but I’d be willing to bet that you didn’t know THAT, either. Avid is nice in a lot of respects, but I find it to be lacking in the sheer intuitiveness that all of my other systems possess. As powerful as that company is, I believe that one day they will swing over to the side of everyone else’s approach in the GUI development. I would hope so, anyway.
I still have clients that bring projects (or FTP them to me) edited in their Avid that need some additional Post done to complete them. I think it is important to have the ability to work in as many NLE platforms as possible, and not just be a one-trick pony like so many of the young turks out there on the marketplace today. Of course, if you are just piddling around at home, and are not that serious about video and audio as a profession, then I can see where the laid back attitude is coming from. But for someone who makes their living on a National or Global scale, we cannot afford to be a snob who doesn’t know about the huge variety of NLE’s and digital posting tools available today. I would even be willing to get a Media100 system if I had the space in my studio. The cost of those systems have really come down since they first came out.
Next time, why not ask first before you pounce on someone’s response (which wasn’t even directly to or at YOU, until NOW. Kinda shows your ego; it’s gotta be about YOU, doesn’t it?), why don’t you chill out and just read a little more, first. Maybe one day you will learn how to use and Avid system. There are some fine tips posted here in this forum from some truly knowledgeable people that blow me away with what they know how to do. The beauty of it is, they (and I) are all willing to share that advice. This is not a forum based on negativity and nastiness, but rather, one of help and support. Please observe that statement next time.
Thanks.
It’s always harder to do the right thing, but you’ll always be glad you did in the end.
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8.36 to 8.48 GB is the max file size for a DVD+R9 media, 4.38 to 4.44 for the DVD-R/+R5. This is depending on how your devices report your media’s free space.
To answer your question, yes, you can compress the living snot out of footage and squeeze a longer duration on to a DVD+/-R media. Quality and beauty are both in the eyes of the beholder, and as far as DVD’s are concerning, in the ears as well. Don’t forget about your audio. Depending on the bitrate, duration and your aural perception of your audio, the sound will be either terrible or reasonably good.
I like no less than 192 KBPS and encode in either in straight PCM or the MainConcept MPEG-1 audio, with occaisional jaunts into Dolby encoding. The higher the bitrate you go, the more space it will take up on your DVD. It is best to not cheat too much on the audio, it is just as apparent as horrible video quality, even for a novice consumer listener.
I hope that helps you out a bit!
Scot Sheely
Owner / Producer
IMG – Interactive Media Gurus
https://www.interactivemediagurus.comIt’s always harder to do the right thing, but you’ll always be glad you did in the end.
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Dave, I create motion menus all the time and have never, ever had the looping issue you mention. I use animated BG’s and motion menus, and set them both to loop.
The standard duration I prefer to use for animated BG’s is either 30 or 60 seconds, depending on content. I once had a project that I was able to loop a 15 second piece that I created a seamless loop point for in PPRO and it worked great.
Motion menus and BG’s are like anything else in the post production process. A little spice makes a meal more appetizing, but a whole lot is always a drag.
Scot Sheely
Owner / Producer
IMG – Interactive Media Gurus
https://www.interactivemediagurus.comIt’s always harder to do the right thing, but you’ll always be glad you did in the end.
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GenArts Sapphire is a great plug-in for PPRO and AE that has a lot of “soft focus” and similar blur effects that look great with very little tweaking required, however, I still like modifying nearly every effect so that it is not too “cookie cutter” and look exactly like everyone else’s footage.
Another tip is to try this: simply create a new sequence (it can be “nested” within your existing project as an experiment to see if you like the results before commiting to the changes) copy the track(s) you want to the new sequence, add the gaussian blur to it at approximately 38 or so, use around a 50% opacity and add the alpha glow filter found in the “stylize” folder of video effects. Play with the various levels to create the look you are after. It can also look good applying a B&w filter.
I hope that helps you out a bit!
Scot Sheely
Owner / Producer
IMG – Interactive Media Gurus
https://www.interactivemediagurus.comIt’s always harder to do the right thing, but you’ll always be glad you did in the end.
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OK, we must assume that you have XP PRO installed (not XP HOME, right? Nobody using an NLE would use HOME edition!).
1) Do you have the current OS updates?
2) Are you using SP-2? This can have a negative effect on NLE’s sometimes.
3) Have you updated 6.5 and PPRO 1.5?
4) What CODECS do you have installed? Sometimes a single CODEC will cause similar issues.
5) Do you have your system’s current drivers and firmware installed?
6) Where are your video and other assets located in relation to your installed Applications? Is everything on your “C:” drive? Are you locating these on a USB or FIREWIRE drive? Often this can cause bandwidth choking on your system, and is harder on your external drives than if you simply used them for storage only drives, not working scratch disks.The most desirable way to do all of this is to keep your apps on the C: drive, and your assets on another SATA, SCSI or IDE drive (preference given in that exact order). Only use USB and ieee1394 drives for storage, not as working drives.
Try setting up a test project that is very simple. Capture & import 30 seconds of DV AVI video from your camera or VTR, save it and close 6.5.
Clear your cache (recent documents; this makes a big difference in freeing up ram etc., even though you claim to have 4 GB’s. I have this same ASUS Mobo and it tops out at only 2 GB’s of DDR 400, I suspect that is what you have, too).Then try creating a new PPRO project by simply opening the 6.5 project. What should occur is a conversion prompt to make a copy of your 6.5 version, which then results in an entirely new project with the new .prproj file extension.
I hope these tips help you out a bit. Experimentation for your specific setup is the key. Two last ditch efforts are, as previously suggested, exporting a rendered .avi, or to use Norton’s Ghost or Acronis Tru-Image to clone your C: drive, burn it off to DVD’s, then do a complete fresh OS install. Alternately, a new, second HD works best if you have the resources to do so. This also eliminates a bad HD issue causing your problems. I have seen slightly marginal HD’s cause all kinds of wacky behavior at the computer shop I work at. Sometimes that is the only way. If you need to jump back to the old image, you will be able to do so if you follow these guidelines.
Scot Sheely
Owner / Producer
IMG – Interactive Media Gurus
https://www.interactivemediagurus.comIt’s always harder to do the right thing, but you’ll always be glad you did in the end.