[Todd Jaspers]

I think someone needs to standardize what 4k your talking about. You can currently do 4k on a MacPro using a Compressed codec like ProRes using Apple Final Cut Pro Color X fx or whatever its called, but that is not the same 4k as someone doing Uncompressed 4k DPX in realtime with multilayers Cross desolves, OFX effects and 30 Nodes Deep of Layers of Keys and Grades on Resolve.

Figure out your workflow and what you want to do. Its 4k so you can sell the idea of 4k to a bunch of prospective clients? Or is it do deal with your current 4k workflow and client needs for archiving and backup and 35mm film outs.

I think the new MacPro’s are pretty trash cans, i would buy one for the home, but they took a 10 year jump backwards with Thunderbolts replacement for PCI. Thunderbolt is a great replacement for Firewire and some external connections, but it is not a replacement for a real PCI bus. The fastest the Thunderbolt can do is 4X, you will not and can not do good GPU expansion with 4x, at least not to deal with 4k, their is way too much bottleneck. Even if thunderbolt 3 gets secretly released it could only be 8x max.

That being said their is no reliable route, its more a route of what you want, and what you want to do. You want the 4k BEST OF BEST on all Platforms and all workflows. well that doesn’t exist.

Great that LINUX for Resolve is more Open, maybe thats the route you want to take, but OpenSource Quicktime is horrible, so you would have to do DPX.

As for new HDMI, Displayport and USB, those are just connections and don’t really define a 4k workflow, more just ways to connect a monitor or device.

I have a few questions for all of you regarding upgrading. Is it best to wait if he is wanting a new system for realtime 4k? I mean im hearing rumors about Thunderbolt 3 now coming sooner than expected. Also new cards with HDMI 2.0?? Also Displayport 1.3?? Not to mention USB 3.1C coming out soon as well. What is the most reliable route to go? It is getting really confusing. MAC or PC? What will be most beneficial for the next TWO years before he has to upgrade again??

[Todd Jaspers]

The only true 4k system, IE something that can do 4k DPX in realtime, in Resolve, has been on LINUX. Quantel and Baselight do 4k, but use a little DIFF technology to do so.

You can’t just go buy a Resolve LINUX system, it has to be build for you. And with TESLA and INFINIBAND, your price went up to about 150k+++ depending on storage.

If you did want to be a Maverick, for an off shelf system, it would be Windows Only with 4+ of whatever the fastest cards you could fit in there, TITAN BLACK, whatever, faster=better, and the fastest CPU chips possible. Even then I would imagine lots of hiccups and bumps if you where truly doing 4k, which means 4k timeline and 4k monitoring and lots of grades and OFX fx, and doing it with 4k DPX.

Just put it this way, buy the fastest PC computer on the market today, with four+ of the fastest video cards that exist, a true 4k monitoring card, and you should be good to grade in Uncompressed 4k timelines, a bit, but imagine a big growing curve with lots of hiccups.

Or wait??

Personally, I don’t think 4k is there yet, their are LOTS of limitations, CPU limitations, bus and storage limitations in current Desktops. ALso lots of codecs do not work correct or at all in 4k.

Anyway this is all changing.. but if you are super eager to really have a stable 4k system, you would have to experiment with your own build or go big with a 200k custom system like Resolve Linux.

I wouldn’t trust someone saying they have a really stable 4k resolve Mac or PC system, its all just tooo buggy at the moment.

but don’t take my word for it, prove me wrong, I honestly would love to see the build.. if I didn’t have to pay for it.

[Todd Jaspers]

Its backordered, backlogged …

[Peter Chamberlain]
Hi guys, the factory is sending multiple shipments to the regional offices so it’s just a matter of working through the backlog. It should not be long now. Sorry for the delay.
Peter

[Todd Jaspers]

I think we are just going to have to wait for this.

https://www.nvidia.com/object/product-quadro-4000-us.html

When it comes to mac. All the NVIDIA cards for mac on the market are pretty obsolete.

[Todd Jaspers]

Why don’t you get a TATTOO on your chest?? then they’ll have no choice but to pay you as a billboard.

[Todd Jaspers]

Blackmagic will have to find a work around for the NVIDIA GeForce GT 120, its just business, there is no way when DaVinci comes out that you are going to have to find a video card off ebay to make it run?? That won’t happen, so Buying hardware for an Application that isn’t even out yet sounds silly. IMHO.

All Blackmagic is doing right now is playing ping pong with Apples INSANITY and making changes to their hardware configs. Having an ATI and an NVIDIA card?? yeah, could be. but no-one knows. But if the card is not available at a re-tailer for NEW, Blackmagic Can’t make it part of their config, thats business suicide.

[Todd Jaspers]

What hardware are you talking about? Besides the actual computer, there’s no hardware requirements for FCP and Shake.

I would consider a MacPro Hardware. Apple made its money, before iPhones, off of hardware. The software was an intensive to buy macs. Now its doesn’t really matter, so Apple seems to have stopped developing high end software to attract Mac converts.

[Todd Jaspers]

Hey Peter, not that we don’t appreciate DaVinci for Mac, but after you spend all this time porting it to MAC, are you going to keep developing the software?

I have worked at lots of facilities across the west coast a few in the UK and some in New Zealand and it seems DaVinci had been loosing favour for a while. Most facilities where still using the 2k or 2k plus Resolve to recoup investment, but a lot of people where switching to Baselight and others. It seemed Filmlight had really started to take that high end DaVinci market and they are very aggressive developers and hardcore coders. I hadn’t heard of anyone buy a DaVinci for years and years, almost 15.

I just don’t want Blackmagic to do an Apple to everyone. Where everyone gets APPLE SHAKE or APPLE COLOR and FCP studio and thinks there is a future there just to realize it was a ploy to buy hardware. I don’t want this to be a ploy to buy Blackmagic hardware.

Who is on the DaVinci development team? Did they move from Florida to Melbourne? What are some future developments to the software?

[Todd Jaspers]

What 10gE cards do you have in the stations? Did you have to get a 10gE switch or hub?

Thanks!

[Todd Jaspers]

Hey Bob and Nick,

I am interested in doing something like Nick Hasson. Do I have to be an official Creative Cow writer to get the inside scoop on how this setup works?

So I have the SMOKE station with directed attached SAS, and a 10gE card, then I have another MacPro with Apple Color/AE/10gE card, it sees the SMOKES SAS storage via thursby DAVE or via standard Apple Filing Protocol (AFP)? Or is thursby DAVE just for PC/MAC storage sharing?

Is AFP fast enough to read and write the 2k?
I love the idea of being able to have this setup now, and in the future be able to upgrade to a SAN when drives get faster and switches get a little cheaper.

I appreciate any help.
Thanks.