[Jens Schneider]

Hi Dave,

thank you for the response.
Both machines were crunching through the exact same project . All of the footage is in Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) at 1920×1080, 30fps. We really had a 1:1 comparison so to speak and the 2.66 smoked my 2.26. We are talking about 2 to 3 times faster.

I’ll definitely try disabling Open GL as I suspect this to be the origin of another problem my box seems to have.
When I linearize my workspace I sometimes get extreme banding on RAM previews that make it impossible to judge the outcome. When I pause however and let it redraw the quality is fine.

I’m running hardware test this very second as I suspect something might be wrong with my box causing the unacceptable performance.

We just finished a rather complex project and in retrospect we probably could have been done about a day or two earlier considering the insane render times the 2.26 had. If this doesn’t prove to be a hardware issue then I really don’t know what. I have my fingers crossed though.

[Jens Schneider]

ok, you won’t believe this, but I just tried to RAM preview something with my AJA IO HD connected and it worked!

I’m getting 32bpc color managed preview in realtime if I leave “mirror on computer monitor” unchecked.
as soon as I switch it on OR set the video preview to “computer monitor only” realtime playback is gone.

how weird is that?!

maybe this info helps in some way to find an answer.

[Jens Schneider]

I’ll collect the info and get back to you.

thank you very much.

[Jens Schneider]

Adolfo, that was fast! wow!

I’ve let it run for about 5 or 6 cycles but RAM preview ends up at around 14fps.

everything is else is set the way you’ve described it.

by video card I meant video I/O, sorry if I got you confused.
I am normally using an AJA IO HD for broadcast preview but not in this case. the IO HD is switched off, After Effects is set to “computer monitor only”.

my graphics card is an ati radeon HD4870 if that info helps …

the weird thing is IT WORKED FINE a couple of weeks ago. then all of a sudden this.

if you need any more info on my system I’d be more than happy to provide you.

thanks in advance.

[Jens Schneider]

Mark, I totally agree, the JVC is high-end broadcast equipment and my eizo is basically a computer display.
yet my reason is simple: good versatility for comparably little money

the eizo is about a quarter of the JVC’s prize, got brilliant reviews (e.g. at http://www.prad.de) and features vga, dvi and two hdmis all doing 50Hz, 60Hz and 24Hz, which makes it “scalable” in my setup. I can use it today to output video from AE and Final Cut Studio through IO HD and in the future, should I choose to invest in a more pro-level setup, I can either use it as a display for my desktop machine or at the very least hook my PS3 to it.
I’m working freelance so making really big investments is always tricky. And for now, “close to pro” is good enough for me, as long as there is always someone I can go to for the pro equipment.

[Jens Schneider]

great news gary.
so the mac pro will absolutely be the right investment. I am looking forward to it.
have a great weekend and even better holidays.

cheers from munich

[Jens Schneider]

hey gary.
thank you for your last post. I really appreciate it. didn’t mean to be rude or anything, it just feels weird when you come to the cow looking for help and the first thing you read sounds more like someone’s lashing out at you. that’s the downside of just writing, you don’t hear someone saying the words and can’t tell how they actually meant it.
aside from that, you are absolutely right, it’s just that AE offers 1024×576 as a preset that goes by the name of “PAL widescreen square pixels” (or something similar) and I recall getting realtime with this preset on an 8-core machine with a Kona LHe.

I think the core of my question actually is:
will I get significantly better performance out of IO HD with a fast desktop machine attached to it?
does anyone use it with both a laptop and a desktop and can spill some facts about the difference?

[Jens Schneider]

thanks a bunch jeremy.

[Jens Schneider]

gary, please spare me the DUHs and what not.

1024×576 is PAL widescreen with square pixels. If you do motion graphics and design work for clients that need PAL widescreen, for me, it is much more convenient to do it in square pixels in AE than use 720×756 anamorphic and have AE’s pixel aspect ratio correction mess up your stuff visually.
I appreciate your input and the fact that you actually took the time to deal with my stuff but why respond with an attitude like that?

when did this place become a show-off contest for ego?
everyone posting here in need of help should be treated like a fellow professional. you’re the senior here, you of all people should know.

[Jens Schneider]

That’s a bummer. I just spend 1000€ on an eizo display with hdmi to get decent color output from my IO HD. It’s kind of like buying a pool table for a tool shack.