AspectHD/Blackmagic Intensity/HVR-V1U

[Craig Irving]

Having just recently purchased Cineform Aspect HD, I am again drawn to the idea of using a Blackmagic Intensity card with my V1U to achieve 4:2:2 (not to mention, also bypassing 25mbps long-GOP and getting 1920x1080)

Has anyone here had much success with this combo? I'd love to know if all these factors add up to a big difference.

[David Newman]

The quality jump is large to use the HDMI output Intensity vs tape based HDV compression. However, one small correction, Aspect HD is only licensed to 1440x1080 not 1920x1080, so it will scale the HMDI output to 1440x1080 on the fly. Note: this is not a big quality factor as the V1U is only 1440x1080 4:2:2 internally. For 1920x1080 encoding you need Prospect HD or NEO HD.

[Maheel Perera]

David,

I intend to build an editing system based on ProspectHD/ Intensity Pro. This is specially for materials shot on Sony Z1.

Z1 > Prospect HD (4:2:2 / 1920 X 1080) > Edit (PPro) > Post (After Effects/Combustion) > Output to Beta SP (720 x 576). your suggestions?

When I tried the ProspectHD demo (w/o Intencity Pro), the upscale to 1920 X 1080 did not work. I was ingesting materials shot with an adaptor and M2 adaptor setting was on. Ingesting to 1440 x 1080 worked fine. What went wrong with the 1920 setting?

Although Cineform suggests using Matrox Pahilia, Intencity pro advises not to use Matrox graphics cards. What is your advise?

Thanks.

[Curt Wrigley]

Originally Posted by David Newman

The quality jump is large to use the HDMI output Intensity vs tape based HDV compression.

David; can you please clarify? Is this when shooting live only? Is there any difference if playing back from tape (already hdv compressed) firewire vs hdmi capturing.

Curt

[David Newman]

Once you go to tape the damage has been done, live captures only.

[David Newman]

Maheel,

If the upscale didn't as it should, please file a trouble ticket with support.

As for graphic cards, the AJA Xena LHe card is the best way to go for Prospect HD, yet most ATI and NVidia will work.

[Craig Irving]

I wonder if it's safe to extend an HDMI cable by about 50-75 feet from the camera to the Intensity. That's how far away I am from my desktop computer when I'm shooting video in my living room.

For home-theater use I heard 75 feet is fine (with a good cable) but I'm not sure if video capturing is a different story.

[Maheel Perera]

David,

The trial version of ProspectHD has expired. so I do not think that I will be able to file a trouble ticket.

I was considering Intencity Pro / ProspectHD combination. Isn't it possible to get my worlflow (stated in my earlier post) using that?

Thanks.

[David Newman]

Originally Posted by Craig Irving

I wonder if it's safe to extend an HDMI cable by about 50-75 feet from the camera to the Intensity. That's how far away I am from my desktop computer when I'm shooting video in my living room.

For home-theater use I heard 75 feet is fine (with a good cable) but I'm not sure if video capturing is a different story.

I don't know the HDMI distances, but it is digital, so home-theater should bhavor the same.

[David Newman]

Originally Posted by Maheel Perera

David,

The trial version of ProspectHD has expired. so I do not think that I will be able to file a trouble ticket.

I was considering Intencity Pro / ProspectHD combination. Isn't it possible to get my worlflow (stated in my earlier post) using that?

Thanks.

You can file a trouble ticket. Go to cineform.com/support

We haven't integrated the Intensity card for playback within Prospect HD, that is quite a lot of work. We do hope to find the time to do that work before the next great thing hits the market. That said, don't wait for a feature that is not here.

[Maheel Perera]

Since my main requirement is getting SD Component fron HDV footage after edit, (and not in a position to invest around 15K on a Xena system,) how about outputting through Convergent Design HD connect, to the BetaSP deck.

This way I could edit using PPro/Cineform and output from the PPro tineline. Any thing I may have misunderstood?

[David Newman]

A Xena card is one tenth of that cost with real-time integration that you will not get from Convergent Design box.

[Maheel Perera]

David,

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, Xena card is one tenth of 15K. But According to their website the certified system would cost around 15K. I may have missed something. Please correct me.

Since with Cineform/PPro combination I could get realtime editing ( I could use my existing machine), I thought it would be easier to do the final HDV output through the the convergent Design Box to BetaSP deck.

SonyZ1 > capture via firewier/ Cineform HDLink > Edit/Cineform avi/ PPro > HDV Output > Convergent Design Box > BetaSP deck

Your advise Please.

[David Newman]

I simple disagree that using the Convergent Design Box makes a functional workflow. The AKA 15K spec is overkill and is for uncompressed HD, which is painful -- it doesn't apply to CineForm users. If you have a modern dual core PC (these days a $1000 PC,) you can plug in an AJA Xena card with Prospect HD and go. That is all you need.

[Maheel Perera]

Instant reply. Thanks David.

Yes If I could plug in a Zena in to a Dual Core machine, that solves everything.

Thanks again David.