[Neil Sadwelkar]

I would trust that Bob Zelin guy.
He can get nasty, but stuff he builds lasts so long without any support, that you don’t have to even deal with him after it gets going. ????

———————————–
Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India

[Neil Sadwelkar]

If you install R14 in a system with R12 installed, R12 gets overwritten. Workaround is to Rename the R12 folder in Applications to DaVinci Resolve 12.5.6 or something other than just DaVinci Resolve. Now, Resolve 14 gets installed in a new folder called DaVinci Resolve.

However, if you open an existing project in R14, then it will never open in R12 again. Also, The Red decoder won’t work in R12 and you’ll get a warning to this effect.

What you could do, is to temporarily move the DaVinci Resolve (containing R12) to another place, install R14, but don’t run it, then move this R14 folder elsewhere. Run the uninstaller and uninstall R14. Then reinstall R12.

Now on, run R12 from the Applications folder, but run R14 from its new location only.
Even with workaround, if you open an existing project in R14, then it will never open in R12 again.

———————————–
Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India

[Neil Sadwelkar]

It’s a bit of a difficult choice right now.
I’m working on a system with (dongle) DVR Studio 12.5.5, and we’ve had to upgrade to DVR Studio 14 because the VFX team needs ACES EXR files as ACEScg (AP1) which isn’t possible in 12.5.x. (at lease we haven’t found how). But a project created (or opened and saved) in DVR 14 can’t go back to DVR so if there are any showstoppers in DVR 14 we have no way back.

So, for the moment we are keeping two versions of the project, just in case.

I’m waiting for the DVR 14 to be a release version to make the final switch. Unless there is some way to do ACEScg in DVR 12.5.x

———————————–
Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India

[Neil Sadwelkar]

[Peter Chamberlain] “Note for DiskDB users: DaVinci Resolve 14.0b6 requires a DiskDB upgrade from any previous version. We recommend that you backup your existing database before performing an upgrade. Once you upgrade the database, you will not be able to access the projects from older versions.”

Does this mean that if 14.0b6 were to be installed in a system running 12.5.x, then no project will ever open in 12.5.x?

———————————–
Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India

[Neil Sadwelkar]

I’ve come across this small and handy TB2-10GigE adapter from Akitio.
https://www.akitio.com/adapters/thunder2-10g-network-adapter
It even has a built-in TB2 cable.

Difference between this and the Sonnet TwinG or Promise Sanlink is that they both have two 10GigE ports while the Akitio has only 1. And the Akitio costs about $ 170 less. And if you get it bundled with a TB3-TB2 adapter it costs $ 200 less than the Sonnet/Promise.

No direct experience with this unit but I’ve used other Akitio TB2 docks and they’ve worked fine for me for many years.

———————————–
Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India

[Neil Sadwelkar]

I think the ability to import and create proxies for Arriraw (both .ari file seq, and mxf), Panasonic Raw, Canon Raw, and Sony F65/F55 raw would help as these are getting more prevalent even for smaller productions.
Switching between proxies in the library and actual media files outside, and seamless tracking of external files would help too. so, if the drive/s with Arriraw files has been unmounted, the timeline should link to proxies inside the library but still remain aware of the availability or not, of external files.
Currently DaVinci Resolve is probably the only NLE which can handle nearly any or all of the pro formats, and track them externally.

Also, an ACES workflow, support for LUTs, and the ability to export out clips for VFX/CGI with filenames and metadata preserved.
Then, preservation of metadata from DNxHD ,mxf files (at the moment, reel names get lost).

Resolve conform from FCP X has worked flawlessly for a couple of projects I’ve handled, even with AVCHD clips, and zero TC and repeat filenames. Provided, the clips were inside the library, and I imported the FCP X XML and asked Resolve to import clips along with XML. Compound clips get a bit tricky sometimes.

———————————–
Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India

[Neil Sadwelkar]

The QNAP unit you’ve mentioned has two SFP ports, so the Sonnet with SFP (Presto 10GbE SFP+) will work and the other one with RJ45 won’t. You’ll also need LC fibre cables to hook up the MacPros to the QNAP.

I’m not sure a 5-bay RAID will have a throughput sufficient for 4k playback unless its very compressed. You should look at something 8-bay, preferably with 10GigE RJ-45 instead of SFP.

Also, if you’re going to connect the QNAP to only one machine, then why do you need a NAS?
Why not a SAS RAID hooked up with a SAS card inside the MacPro.

———————————–
Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India

[Neil Sadwelkar]

Not a iMacPro, but something like Oliver’s original post suggested.
Digital Storm’s Aura PC is a 21:9 curved monitor with a PCIe slots inside. Which can take a full length GPU card.

https://www.digitalstorm.com/aura.asp

Not sure I like the curved screen though.

———————————–
Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India

[Neil Sadwelkar]

Tim,

Thanks. I am finding out first which host application wrote these tapes. It would vary between Quantel eQ/iQ systems, Autodesk Smoke/Flame systems. I’ve written to support at these companies to find out the info you mentioned – block size, container, format any other info they may have. Then, of course, testing.

Many companies have a large collection of LTO-2, LTO-3, LTO-4 tape with these mixed contents. I am urging them to discover what’s in them and to migrate the tapes to LTO-7 for future archive. This would also save them space with one LTO-7 taking care of 20-25 LTO-2 tapes, or 12-15 LTO-3 tapes.

Of course, the oldest LTO drive I have is an LTO-5, so if the quantity of LTO-2 is large, I’ll need to go buy an LTO-4 or LTO-3 drive.

———————————–
Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India

[Neil Sadwelkar]

You mention that your Xserve is 9 years old. That would mean (from Everymac) that its probably a Quad Core Xeon 2.8 GHz. Unless you got a CTO Dual Quad.
These shipped with 2 GB RAM and a 80 GB SATA drive. Folder icon means the boot drive has failed. 9 years is a long time for a drive to have run so you’re lucky.
If you need to keep it running you could consider swapping the SATA drive out for a 128 or 256 GB SATA SSD. Hopefully an SSD will work in an Xserve.
Installing the OS will be a challenge. It shipped with MacOS 10.5 (feline name I’ve forgotten) and the last OS supported would be 10.7.x. But if the DVD drive is working and you have the disks, you could still load the OS.

But sooner or later something else will fail and you’ll be back to square 1.

To keep your SAN running you could consider swapping out the Xserve for a Mac mini and keep the FC cards in a Thunderbolt-PCIe expansion box.

But this is all complicated and you’ll at most get another 2-3 years before something else breaks.

———————————–
Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India