[Matt Campbell]

Walter, this is awesome, as I’m leaning towards moving to iMac and ditching the Hackintosh, or maybe hold out for the new tower/non-tower looking canister thingy Apple just created. haha. But both of your anatomy of edit suite articles are a huge help.

Regarding your I/O, have you ever used the UltraStudio Express. Looks to be similar to the AJA IoExpress. I’m trying to keep costs down, and don’t really have a need for all the hardware conversions, as I’m mostly digital file workflow. How does the BM compare to the AJA IoXT or IoExpress? Looks like it’ll have everything I need.

And since we can’t afford a broadcast monitor, I’m looking to at least get a professional display like your Panasonic TH series, which I can’t find anywhere online and looks only 720p. Found this model, seems to compare nicely.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/886838-REG/Panasonic_th42pf50u_42_HD_Pro_Plasma.html

or how about the JVC:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/878342-REG/JVC_PS_420W_42_Digital_Signage.html

Not doing broadcast work, would you think either of these monitors would suffice?

Like the KRK’s, BTW, might have to jump ship from the M-Audio’s I spec’d out and look at those deeper. Our audio friends in Pittsburgh, like the KRK too.

OSX 10.7.5 with a 3.39 Ghz Intel Core i7 on a built up Hackintosh
16 GB of RAM with OSX on SSD, (2) internal HDDs RAID’d 1 for project files and External RAID 5 for all project assets (media, GFX, stills, etc.)

[Matt Campbell]

No matching file names. No pluraleyes. Don’t like it and have never had much luck using it.

The external audio syncs just fine when using merge clip to A-cam. But when I try to sync both A & B cam with external audio, no dice. The video is in sync, but external audio gets thrown off.

I was able to get using A-cam and external, merged clips. Then go back and find the B-cam sync point from clapper and edit the necessary shots into the timeline. More work, but had no issues. I don’t understand my multi clip wouldn’t work correctly. I’ve used this method lots before, with 2 even 3 camera angles and external audio. But this time, nothing.

Anyway, I’ve completed the job, but now just want to figure out why I couldn’t sync properly.

OSX 10.7.5 with a 3.39 Ghz Intel Core i7 on a built up Hackintosh
16 GB of RAM with OSX on SSD, (2) internal HDDs RAID’d 1 for project files and External RAID 5 for all project assets (media, GFX, stills, etc.)

[Matt Campbell]

Thx Joseph. So using the HDMI out from one workstation would work coming HDMI in to another. And by your response, I believe this would work. Since the NLE nor I/O card is generating any HDCP. So HDMI can carry HDCP but something still needs to generate it. Like with consumer DVD players. But like with some cameras, HDMI out is great. So if I don’t have SDI, HDMI would be just as good to avoid any gen loss. Don’t want to use Component. Thx.

OSX 10.7.5 with a 3.39 Ghz Intel Core i7 on a built up Hackintosh
16 GB of RAM with OSX on SSD, (2) internal HDDs RAID’d 1 for project files and External RAID 5 for all project assets (media, GFX, stills, etc.)

[Matt Campbell]

What you CAN do…is output to a digital recorder like the KiPro, or Ninja. or have two computers with IO devices and connect them via their cards, and do a real time play/record.

I guess all I need is 2 workstations with I/O cards and this can be local right. Being a 1 man band, there’s no machine room or router/switcher involved. Just out of one workstations card and into the other. Don’t even need to same brand right. Would something like a cheap Intensity Pro Card via HDMI out work into its big brother the Decklink 4K or Studio 3D?

Don’t think HDMI out would carry HDCP protection would it. Isn’t that only for DVD players and those things.

Renting…Good point. Thx.

OSX 10.7.5 with a 3.39 Ghz Intel Core i7 on a built up Hackintosh
16 GB of RAM with OSX on SSD, (2) internal HDDs RAID’d 1 for project files and External RAID 5 for all project assets (media, GFX, stills, etc.)

[Matt Campbell]

Got it. I misunderstood. because I was eliminating the pulldown removal step. But your right, if it works, then why not do it even if its an extra step. My fault.

Appreciate the help as always.

OSX 10.7.5 with a 3.39 Ghz Intel Core i7 on a built up Hackintosh
16 GB of RAM with OSX on SSD, (2) internal HDDs RAID’d 1 for project files and External RAID 5 for all project assets (media, GFX, stills, etc.)

[Matt Campbell]

Before you add the comp to the Render Queue (what codec?,) step through the 23.976 footage frame-by-frame in the comp. If the frame rate is 59.94, you’ll see that 3-2-3-2 pattern. It’s most apparent where there’s motion taking place in the shot.

Adding pulldown to 23.976, I know how to do with both AE and Compressor, but going from 29.97i to 30p or 60p is where I’m confused.

Dave, sorry for the confusion. The master I have is ProRes HQ 1080i29.97, not 23.976. I want to convert the 1080i footage to 720p30 or 60. Forget that mentioned 23.976, even though the reverse telecine worked. Lets assume it didn’t and I need to go from 1080i to 720p.

My delivery is simply a 1280×720 H.264 at either 29.97 or 59.94.

OSX 10.7.5 with a 3.39 Ghz Intel Core i7 on a built up Hackintosh
16 GB of RAM with OSX on SSD, (2) internal HDDs RAID’d 1 for project files and External RAID 5 for all project assets (media, GFX, stills, etc.)

[Matt Campbell]

I’ve tried rendering this both ways, in comp and in render que and keep getting the same thing as #3 from previous post. Thing is it looks and sounds just fine. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Its a 1080i29.97 ProRes HQ file. Comp 1280×720, 59.94 and rendered out as ProRes as well. Just don’t get it.

OSX 10.7.5 with a 3.39 Ghz Intel Core i7 on a built up Hackintosh
16 GB of RAM with OSX on SSD, (2) internal HDDs RAID’d 1 for project files and External RAID 5 for all project assets (media, GFX, stills, etc.)

[Matt Campbell]

Shoot. I thought I did that right with AE. I’m just viewing this through Quicktime and stepping through frame by frame and not an external monitor, which I don’t have yet. Don’t get me started on that one. Being the new guy and only guy for that matter, I’m pretty much building up a system to bring it up to date with I/O and montoring. As for the conversion, I’m going to try again tmrw and see if I can get it.

So the comp should 59.94, or make the the same as the native file and set the render to do the conversion?

use After Effects because it’s dead simple and it works, no fancy settings necessary.

So AE is better to use for frame rate conversions like this as well as scaling? Does it do a better job than Compressor and the Frame Controls, Fast, Better, Best (which I think Best always yields poor results)?

OSX 10.7.5 with a 3.39 Ghz Intel Core i7 on a built up Hackintosh
16 GB of RAM with OSX on SSD, (2) internal HDDs RAID’d 1 for project files and External RAID 5 for all project assets (media, GFX, stills, etc.)

[Matt Campbell]

I believe when the spots were done originally in HD but shot 60i, so they edited everything at 1080i60 or 29.97fps. Not 24p material. But when I reverse telecined it, everything looked fine. But that’s not really my concern as I understand rev Tel this could get me into trouble, but I’m to delivery 720p, anything but 24. So 30p or 60p. And would something like a Teranax do this better.

Is the 4:1 look I’m getting generally acceptable or not? Its just with for video signage and even web use, to me that looks better than baked in interlacing, where you the little nastys like combing show up. I did try your AE render method, results below. I would then assume this is the proper method.

Here are samples. First one is the Compressor, downscaled to 720p with frame controls off. Interlacing looks baked in. frame rate native 29.97. This is wrong, correct?

Baked Interlacing

Second is Compressor with Frame Controls On, deinterlace set to better. frame rate native 29.97. I assume wrong as well, but is this acceptable?

Progressive

Third is AE render. As you said Dave. 59.94 comp, rendered with no fields. So it looks like 1 clean frame, 1 dup frame, 1 clean frame, 2 dup frames. Is this the correct method then. And not #2 with a 4:1 cadence.

AE render 59.94

OSX 10.7.5 with a 3.39 Ghz Intel Core i7 on a built up Hackintosh
16 GB of RAM with OSX on SSD, (2) internal HDDs RAID’d 1 for project files and External RAID 5 for all project assets (media, GFX, stills, etc.)

[Matt Campbell]

Walter Soyka
I think that the price difference between a passable iMac and a well-equipped iMac is small enough that you’re better off going for the top off the line.

I know lots of people are using iMacs as edit systems with Premiere Pro, and being a MAC guy, do you think the new iMacs or even the soon to be updated iMac line, according to rumors of WWDC in June, are speedy/beefy enough for AE work. Mainly work with the 3D tracker and 3D ray-tracing for extruding type?

Like many, I’m waiting to see where the MAC Pro goes, but also want to visit the an iMac solution. And with those having the AMD cards, and CS6 loves Nvidia, or at least for CUDA/Mercury playback, will these machines provide good performance?

OSX 10.7.5 with a 3.39 Ghz Intel Core i7 on a built up Hackintosh
16 GB of RAM with OSX on SSD, (2) internal HDDs RAID’d 1 for project files and External RAID 5 for all project assets (media, GFX, stills, etc.)