[Paul Thurston]

Hi Ramona:
I

[Paul Thurston]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the power supply suggestion.

Regards,
Paul

[Paul Thurston]

Hi Bob:
After reading the HP xw8400’s QuickSpecs PDF it was clear the best memory performance was attained with 4 DIMM configurations using sockets #1,3,5, and 7. (QuickSpec page 19)

How is this so?

Does the Tyan Tempest i5000XT (S2696WA2NRF) also benefit from 4 DIMM configurations on sockets #1,3,5, and 7?

Regards,
Paul

[Paul Thurston]

I appreciate the info.

Regards,
-Paul

[Paul Thurston]

Hi Brann,

Thanks for the info. What case and power supply do you use for your computer with the Lse Card?

Regards,
Paul

[Paul Thurston]

Hi Leo,

WIN 2003 server executes WIN XP programs without any issues. (I have found no exceptions to this statement as of yet.) Server 2003 32-bit, with the PAE enabled, will allow for 4+GB of RAM.

So, with this OS, you get a 32-bit operating system (what PP SC3 was designed for) and you can install more than 4GB of RAM.

For longform editing, this is impressive. 6GB of RAM for editing, phew… nice.

Vista 32-bit still has the 4GB limit on RAM. Vista 64-bit does allow for larger amounts of RAM, but is not completely supported in many of the SC3 applications.

I had asking if others had used WIN 2003 server as it seemed a logical choice for mission critical editing (long form with heavy effects.) I also wanted to know what to expect if I went this route.

-Paul

[Paul Thurston]

Thanks Jeron,

What case (+ model number) and power supply do you use for your Xena machine?

Regards,
Paul

[Paul Thurston]

Gamut errors are USUALLY, with minor exceptions, generated when the Luma of a particular video image goes over 100 IRE and those offending parts have no color representation (in other words, the info that generates color in those highlights is missing.

You may say, but wait, I know that video can actually be recorded on tape to 120IRE Paul. How come over 100 IRE Luma signals cause Gamut errors?

Let me put it this way… some equipment manufacturers are not too cool, and make equipment designed to only accept Luma signals between 0 and 100 IRE. So, while your monitor and video tape recorder may work with 120 IRE of Luma, the TV transmitter/cable headend will spew it out. YUK. Legally speaking, NTSC accepts Luma up to 100 IRE, and therefore, transmitting Luma over 100 IRE is grounds for loosing your over the air license in the USA.

When a Gamut Error is transmitted via an NTSC transmitter, the parts of Luma that are over 100 IRE will appear digital dark green. You may notice this ugliness in live transmissions where Sunlight unexpectedly creeps in the shot, the whole video interconnection is digital, and the resulting Luma level jumps to 150IRE. (Normally in outdoor events the Luma is clamped to 100IRE for these reasons.)

To fix a Gamut Error issue:
1) Artificially clamp all your video Luma levels to 95 IRE.
2) Lower your Luma levels to 95 IRE.

If you have not edited on linear based digital video systems before, these two suggestions may not mean much to you. So, think of this as reducing the white level. In 8-bit YUV video, 100IRE is the same as R=235, G=235, and B=235, so you lower these signals to say 223. In 10-bit video, 100IRE YUV is the same as R=940, G=940, and B=940, so lower it to 893. This would theoretically get you Luma levels that peak at 95 IRE.

When you only work in RGB color space, it is technically rare or impossible to go over 100 IRE. HOWEVER, if the RGB video is changed to YUV color space, it is very easy to get video with Luma levels over 100 IRE.

Notice I said that YUV reaches 100IRE when the RGB values are 235 in 8-bit video. If you raise the RGB color to 236 or higher, say RGB 255, you will imediately get Gamut Errors over those parts that are over 235. Remember, this is only in YUV color space video, not RGB color space video.

In RGB color space, 8-bit video can actually reach 255 for the RGB intensities, and you will be peaking 100 IRE. In 10-bit video (RGB color space), 1023 is the same as 100 IRE.

All digital video tape (with the exception of HDCAM SR) records in YUV color space.

To fix your problem, you may want to lower the white component of the RGB signal in those offending frames and you should be ok.

-Paul

[Paul Thurston]

This scenario, which happens more often than not, has various solutions…

1. The expensive way… Make a copy of your tape to a new tape. (Most Editors prefer this option… Producers hate it… unless you use used work tapes to make the copies to.)

2. The cheap but harder way… just select shots that have usable timecode before and after the shot. (Editors hate this option, Producers love it)

3. The intelligent way… always make sure you press the “return” button on the camcorder before pressing the “record” button. (Editors and Producers love this option, but Talent hate it because it slows down shooting time… that is unless you have those nice Digital Betacam camcorders that have eight seconds of solid state memory that capture images eight seconds before you press the record button.)

As you stated, you have the Digital Betacam tapes with broken timecode. If you don’t have used “work tapes” that you can use to copy your camera original tapes to, option #2 will be your option.

-Paul

[Paul Thurston]

Hi,

Most camera power supplies/battery chargers these days are 100-260v AC, so you probably will not need a power converter to run your camera or battery charger.

Some older equipment will only operate in a specific voltage (115v AC/60Hz or 230v AC/50Hz.) … don’t even bother considering such equipment for ANY production work, no matter where you go.

The exception is lights. If you know the power there in Rwanda is 230v AC, just install 230v lamps into your light. The correct plug for the local outlets can probably be purchased locally.

Carnet or not to Carnet… that depends on what you will take with you on the trip and the total monetary value of the equipment.