Intensity questions, cpu requirement?

[Eric Larson]

I just recently goto a BlackMagic Intensity card to play around with in anticipation of the timelime monitoring feature. I'm successfully capturing, but my cpu goes to 100%. I have a Core2Duo T9300 2.5 gigahertz.

Also when I enable the preview window, cpu goes to about 85-90%.

How can I tell if I'm losing frames? From your tech note, it would seem this cpu would be sufficient.

[Richard Leadbetter]

Can you post the complete list of tech specs for your system?

If you have an Intel integrated graphics chip, you'll find that its hardware overlay is actually emulated in software and drains CPU big-time. Vista Aero is another huge drain if you're running a preview window.

I attempted mobile capture on a Dell XPS M1330 with nVidia 8400GS and T9300 and it was basically a complete waste of time.

[Henry Olonga]

Hi Eric I have experience in this setup ( I use laptops ) and you can get all my suggestions in this thread

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/cineform-...op-laptop.html


I believe that your CPU should handle conversion easily but I live in PAL land so perhaps 60i may strain your CPU a little more.

I have actually built myself a second laptop setup but this time without magma chassis.I am using a card called a pciex2exp by a company called getcatalyst.They have been bought out recently but you can find them on the web.You will need to find a 12v battery to power the card and also get the right extender cable for the intensity.Can be found here

PCIEXP.HTM

Both my laptops are 2.4 ghz and I have not had any dropped frames.I used to get them with a 1.6 ghz CPU and when I upgraded the problem disappeared.My CPU also hovers over 70% but never both cores at the same time so there is some overhead.You will need to do a few tweaks to optimize your computer as I am sure you are aware that windows has a lot of unneeded processes going on that mess with timings.I recommend a music website to find the tweaks in the previous long post.
How is this for comparison - when I first got my intensity I installed it on my desktop and captured to cineform and ALL the cores of my dual cpu quad core were at 100% during capture.All eight huh so go figure!No dropped frames of course but that was wierd.

I will also post some fresh videos on my vimeo page tonight and hopefully it will re-inforce how truly worth it HDMI capture is.The colour information clarity and sharpness is truly wonderful compared to the native camera codec in my SR11.(AVCHD)
And I cannot say enough good things about Cineform.The codec is amazing and the staff - well lets say they even gave me a discount of 25 % on the second license for my second capture computer. Been a pleasure to use their software.
All the best and hope this helps.
Henry

[Richard Leadbetter]

Henry, can you give more details on the 12v battery? Are you using the A23? What sort of battery life do you get before you need a replacement?

[Eric Larson]

Okay did some more tests, when I installed Intensity in the install notes it said not to use graphics driver 169.39 or later for Quadro cards. so I had installed an older driver.
But this morning I went back and installed the latest driver, and I'm now getting about 90% cpu on caputre and about 60% if I turn the preview window on.

This is without doing any other system optimizations you guys mentioned above. Seems like my Vista with all the eye candy turned on uses about 20% just sitting idle. So I think I'm on my way.

You asked about the graphics card, it is a Quadro FX 570m, equivilent to at 8600 I think.

[Richard Leadbetter]

I think there's something wrong there. Engaging preview window shouldn't reduce the CPU load. Can you post your system specs? You're not using a Dell laptop are you?

[Eric Larson]

Sorry for the confusion, I meant just having the preview window open, not actually capturing and previewing at the same time

[Henry Olonga]

Hi Richard - it is just a rechargeable 12v battery that one can buy in Maplins here in the UK.7.2 ah.

Rechargeable Lead-Acid Batteries > Maplin

You have to have the right tip on your cable to fit the card but I am handy with a souldering iron so made it myself with parts from Maplins again. For those who wish to do this ,the Positive pin is on the inside I believe.Always connect the battery first and then plug that into your apliance.I lost an intensity card by not watching this.Thank God they are not too dear.

I have the laptop running of an invertor plugged into the battery .This is integrated into the card's cable with a switch that is connected directly to the battery for the 12v feed.

At the moment I have not run the battery dry with my new setup.I am guessing about 2 hrs - word of warning - you will get a BLUE SCREEN of death if the intensity is bumped out of position or loses power.Yes you will lose your current take but not much else hopefully.I have an invertor that beeps when power goes below a certain threshold so I know I have about ten minutes from there.With the magma chassis setup I get about 1 and a half hours from the setup I have with a Xantrex 400w powerpack.The magma chassis is power hungry and hence the reason I built my second setup ( apart from the fact that it is an amazing recorder ).I think it is not as portable as the cineform recorder will be but you do not have to transfer footage - I can edit on the capture machine and it also acts as a field monitor.

What I might do in the future is get one of those laptop replacement batteries and run the card on it's own off the battery. Maybe aim to get 6 hours of recording in the field.The laptop I have now is smaller also so it may be possible to go much further.With the cpu running at max who knows.

Sony VAIO VGN-G11VN/TC External Battery (Equivalent) | DS Miller