Avid / Pinnacle discussions from 2004

[Peter Jefferson]

i havent had a chance to set it up in the studio yet, so im fiddling with the box and seeing what practical ways it could be used..

for now, all i can fathom is the component inputs and outputs for broadcast work.. whether it captures in RAW format, (i digisuite-eque) i hevent tried..

as an output, i can see component being useful for monitoring, and teh optical in/out is a nice touch... pity optical leads are so damn short..

i gotta fly the wife is caling me.. lol

[George Ellis]

I used the multicam feature last night. It has already paid for the upgrade! I can see doing 10 minute syncs in less than 30 minutes. It was taking me a couple of hours before.

[Peter Jefferson]

one thing i dont like about the multicam is teh fact that it ditches ALL the audio on every other track except the master..
it also doesnt allow for a slight shuffling of the clips in case one is slightly out of wack..

I usually use a flashgun ot set sync but sometimes we cant do that, so i use timecode.. and literlaly sync the clocks on the cams. Some cams i hire to work with my own cam rigs arent set right (my bad) and i have to reshuffle the footage a lil to tighten the sync, which L6 doesnt let me do..

Ive bought this to Pinnacle and hopefully theyll crete a timeline system where all teh chosen tracks are put within a scene and u can drag the clips to sync, THEN run multicam

Also multicam doesnt have the ability to set a crossfade transition, as it only has straight cuts from trimmed footage, so u can even strecth the clip to overlap to create a transition later.

Im still tweaking and learning but im focussing more on audio right now..

one thing about multicam i REALLY like is clickin on each respective screen really REALLY clever..

[Chris Zimmerman]

I have a machine with Avid Express on it and the Boris EFX that came with it.

When I apply effects (Boxes, chyrons, ect.) and then add a fade effect I get a green tint to the picture for the frames with the fade or dissolve on it.

Any ideas why?

[Richard Alvarez]

I use XpressDV Pro and Boris, no problems. You might want to log on to the Avid Xpress forum for more user input. Be sure to post your system specs.

www.avid.com

[Martin Richards]

I have a Canon XL1s connected by firewire to a Canopus ADVC 1394 card running Avid Express Pro, and for the hundreth time of trying every time I attempt batch capture on the Avid it rewinds the tape then stalls telling me that it cannot find the preroll point.

It is driving me somewhat mad.

When it captures the last two digits of the timecode are not numbers but are hyphens. There is some problem reading numbers here, but as I cannot btach capture I need to record as I go which is laborious, or record the whole tape which eats hard drive space.

Has anyone solved this, or do they know of this problem.

Many Thanks
Martin Richards

[Richard Alvarez]

Martin,

very few Avid users on this board. Might want to ask at www.avid.com

Sounds like you might want to check your preroll settings in the deck setup.

[Dan Euritt]

no offense, but your priorities are scrambled.

hard drives are a lot cheaper than having to send the xl1s in for service on the tape drive... and it's a lot quicker to simply capture the entire tape and cut out what you need.

that said, try trimming the preroll numbers down to zero, see of that helps... and it can be difficult to have the first capture point right at the beginning of the tape.

[Garius Hill]

Is anyone going to the AVID HD Bash Wednesday night here in Manhattan?

[Dwight Flynn]

Can someone explain in explain to me in english what Avid's DNxHD encoder (and does it require special hardware) is, and what the big advantage is of using this versus let's say aspect-HD, canopus, or luminere, etc.

Thanks

[Richard Alvarez]

DNxHD is their compression codec for HD footage, not HDV. It allows storage of HD footage at SD data rates. Xpress proHD will also be able to cut HDV as well as HD, SD and DV - From the FAQ

: In 2005, Avid will provide the industry’s best support for HDV, in both 720p and 1080i varieties, as part of an exceptionally flexible HD workflow.

We begin with native support for HDV. Contrast this with other products that require a time- and disk-consuming render to an intermediate format before editing can even begin, force video and audio files to be handled separately, and manage the entire process with cutlists created in an external application. Instead, Avid Xpress Pro HD will support fully native HDV MPEG media, edited frame-accurately with effects in real time.

Like other digital camera formats that provide outstanding images, HDV is not a format optimized for compositing and animation. Avid DNxHD, on the other hand, is a mastering-quality HD format that is engineered from the ground up for the rigors of post-production, including multi-layer and multi-generation composites, titles and graphic animation, in the same storage and bandwidth as uncompressed SD media. As a result, Avid DNxHD can be combined with HDV in the same timeline, in real time – even for playback on most laptops.

In fact, you’ll be able to mix HDV and DNxHD with a wide variety of formats inside Avid Xpress Pro HD, including DVCPro HD, DV50, DV25, offline film resolutions, uncompressed SD and more – on the same timeline, in real time. That means you’ll be able to use archival footage in new projects, as well as footage acquired from multiple cameras and sources. Instead of being forced into a specific workflow before you’re ready, you’ll be able to make a graceful transition from DV and SD production to HD production. Nobody else will be able to offer an HDV story that’s anywhere near this complete and this flexible.
Look for HDV support as a free upgrade for Avid Xpress Pro HD customers in mid-2005.

[Dwight Flynn]

Ok, I am assuming that it does not require any special footage. But am I also right that it will either be a separate codec that can be purchased or will it come bundled as a feature of xpress pro HD. And for those in the know, how is it positioned to stak up against canopus new liquid edition and canopus' hdv card (for overall performance), as well as the Aspect or prospect HD (Note I am aware that it is all just theory at theis point as it has not yet been released, but if what I am readng is right, some of you have already seen it demo and can give a heads up. David (Cineform) I noticed you don't usually chime in on these other product conversations (possibly to not seem biased), but your opinion would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[David Newman]

OK Dwight,

Avid DNxHD is built for compressed HD workflow in place of HD uncompressed. The idea being that a digital intermediate format can be optimized for post production, allowing for higher performance, and better quality for effects work (typically the domain of uncompressed only workflows) and much lower disk space/bandwidth issues. Uncompressed HD is typically done using 10bits per channel processing; 10bit compressed codecs are rare so there was a market opportunity. Avid DNxHD has 8bit and 10bit full HD 1920x1080 variants.

You asked whether there is an advantage to Avid DNxHD over other workflows, really they are for different applications. Avid DNxHD wasn't designed for HDV, but I sure it would be excellent for that purpose, particularly for effects, multiple layers and if mixing multiple HD sources. Avid DNxHD is just a codec, on its own it will not do much for you. It is how you use it that matters.

A question may be why Avid DNxHD over another digtial intermediate codec. Both Aspect HD and Prospect HD use the digital intermediate approach, but instead of DNxHD it uses CFHD. CFHD has 8bit (AHD) and 10bit (PHD) variants and supports full res 1920x1080 HD ( i.e. similar huh?) CineForm (being small and nibble) got the head start in the compressed digital intermediate world, our codec has already been used to online a feature film (out in April), but we have to maintain our small lead through innovation. Avid is a huge player, but their might is not because they have the best technology, but they certainly have the Name. There are advantages to most workflows -- what is most import is what you want do, and try and ignore the hype.

[Kevin Shaw]

<<<Nobody else will be able to offer an HDV story that’s anywhere near this complete and this flexible. >>>

Based on the description, the Canopus Edius NX and Edius SP already offer all of these features and more, a full six months before Avid says they'll be ready to do it. Pinnacle Liquid Edition 6 also offers most or all of these features, and is also currently shipping.

[Dwight Flynn]

Ok, but does the canopus or pinnacle options use a similar intermediate form to achieve HD editing on an SD system (and what is the type of codec used)? BTW David thanks for chiming in. Also note I am always thinking about price versus value. Most of what I currently do is strictly dvd work, but I am shortly going to be doing work for a mix of distribution formats, including going back to film. I want the best workflow I can get, and ease of compatibility with industry standards. One of the problems was that it has taken the hdv format almost two years (except for Cineform) to get anything useful in the market. Now that the big guys are wading into the fore, I am looking at what should be my next camera and NLE option. As an aside, I am awaiting the specs on the new Sony hdv cam slated to come out next year (is it really going to be 24p.....Sweet). But right now my next purchase is going to be either avid, canopus or cineform (I will learn all three, but I have no desire to currently buy all three, though I am sure I eventually will do just that).