[Mark Raudonis]

Brian,

Your vendor should be walking you through this. Ask them to let you test drive the config that they’re
offering you in advance of your rental. While Unity has been around for a long time and is quite reliable, I’d ask them to show you specifically how it handles FCP.

I would imagine that it would operate similar to X-SAN in that every editor would see the “volume” available to them. This volume would show up on the desktop just like in X-SAN. Questions to ask: Can multiple editors write to the same volume simultaneously? My guess is YES.

Seems to me the burden of making this sale in on your vendor, since that’s the only option they’re offering. Make them earn the sale by demonstrating to you that it will work as you expect.

Mark

[Mark Raudonis]

I think this is what you’re looking for!

https://www.matrox.com/video/en/home/

mark

[Mark Raudonis]

Most reputable VARs (Value added reseller) can structure a leasing plan for you. You tell ’em what you
need and they’ll calculate and present you with lease options. So, figure out who you’re planning to
buy the equipment from and ask them to present you with BOTH a cash sale price and a lease option.

Mark

[Mark Raudonis]

Kevin,

Practically all of our interviews are shot green screen, using XDCAM HD 50Mbps.

If the lighting is done correctly, and that’s a big IF… then we can achieve acceptable results.

We use Ultimatte’s “Advantedge” software for most of the work, and while this software is supposed to work in FCP, we usually do it in After Effects for stability reasons.

Just about any show we’ve done in the past few years has used this workflow. Are the results perfect? No. But honestly, I’d blame poor lighting (not understanding how to light green screens) much more than the codec. That’s just my opinion.

Mark

[Mark Raudonis]

[Todd Terry] “hey forgot to bring the right cable for the DVD player so they didn’t show it.” “
Ouch! That sucks.

In that case, I retract everything I just said!

Mark

[Mark Raudonis]

I know Jon, the author of this article. I worked with him back in those “glory days” at KABC-TV in their
hybrid 3/4″ to 1 inch rooms. He was a “rock star” editor then, and he still is today, but he’s just doing different things.

The funny thing about this article is that he comes off sounding a bit bitter. He’s NOT! He’s forgotten more than most will ever learn, but he’s still in the game… just a different kind of game.

The only constant in life is change. If you’re not learning new skills, new workflows, new software, you might as well hang it up. I’m not bitter about it, I welcome it. It’s exciting. It’s new. It allows us to do
things that just weren’t possible even a few years ago.

Mark “always looking forward” Raudonis

[Mark Raudonis]

[Eric Johnson] “have an editor that insists on making his own images and doesn’t like hearing that FCP has limits.”

Doesn’t like hearing about limits? Uh oh…. diva alert!

I can’t stand editors like that.

Mark

[Mark Raudonis]

DBC? I have no idea. TBC = “Time Base Corrector”. Higher end, professional, older analogue videotape decks had TBC’s built in to correct and match video signals that were out of whack.

Mark

[Mark Raudonis]

[Ernie Santella] “Not exactly true. You can burn HD-DVD’s in DVD SP that will playback in HD on the now extinct, consumer HD-DVD players that came out to compete with consumer Blu-Ray players”

Also “not exactly true”. Just today, I created a disc that will play back on most all new BLU Ray players. It uses the AVCHD format, which many Blu Ray players will now recognize. The best part of it? I used a “red laser” SD DVD to do it. Cost me .25 cents.

Here’s what I did. I took my 7 minute XDCAM HD timeline, and exported a quicktime at full rez. Opened up compressor (FC studio 3 and Snow Leopard), and clicked on the “make blu ray” button. That’s it! In less than an hour, I had a disc that played back FULL HD on my Sony Blu Ray player attached to my plasma. Looked great.

Here’s the catch. My segment was only seven minutes… and took up approx 2.5 gigs. I think you’re limited to approx 12-15 minutes of media before you top out above the 4 gig limit of red laser single sided DVD media. Also, if the BLU Ray player doesn’t handle AVCHD, this won’t work. (Hint: almost all Panasonic or Sony Blu ray players will handle this). This will NEVER work for a full length feature project, but it sure works great for short form.

TEST out your target player BEFORE you really need it.

Good luck.

Mark

[Mark Raudonis]

Tom,

We have a T-3 line and still people complain it isn’t fast enough! I guess it’s all relative, since a fat pipe used by many people is no better than a thin straw used only by one.

I would say to you that fast internet connectivity will be CRITICAL to all facets of business in the very near future. We’re already using the web for review and approval, and our usage has increased tremendously over the past few years. There are applications and uses that you may not have even thought of that will depend on high bandwidth and reliable connectivity.

I personally believe you can never go wrong by OVER estimating the amount of bandwidth you will be needing. More and more uses for the the web pop up everyday.

Buy as much as you can possibly afford… you WILL use it.

#1: Internal server? No. Has nothing to do with internet access. You local switch and cabling will control that.

#2 Yes. Faster. Alot faster!

#3 Of course you’re not thinking of them! That’s why you’re asking the question. Here’s just a few:

Email, internet viewing, uploading of videos for review and approval to either web based servers or
FTP servers. Communication with outsourced accounting services will be faster. VPN’s if you’ve got one will be faster. Plain old browsing will be faster.

Good luck.

mark

mark