DVRexRT upgrade at DVinfo.net

Mike Rehmus · February 13th, 2003, 03:21 PM

Canopus just shipped an upgrade to the DVRexRT, an out-of-production editing system of theirs. Much of this, apparently, will also work in Premiere and media Studio Pro.

The upgrade does not touch the basic ediiting software which is rock-solid. What it does add is a bunch of nice keyframeable 3D transitions and additional video filters including one-touch white and black balance.

In addition, they include their RT After Effects driver which allows you to see the AE output on a NTSC monitor.

Their Photoshop driver allows you to see a photoshop image on the NTSC monitor while working in Photoshop. Not RT but very helpful when designing for video in Photoshop.

They also released a RT LightSpeed driver which I cannot test.

Not bad for $99. Nice to have them support this out-of-production product.

Rick Spilman · February 15th, 2003, 08:59 AM

Mike,

As a non-upgrader I find myself shaking my head. After so long, Canopus finally gives up a modest upgrade. The color correction feature is nice, the transitions are a yawn, PIP features are not bad. Something is clearly better than nothing.

What has me bemused is the time lag between when Canopus announced, started taking orders and then finally shipped. I also understand that the installation procedure was typically confused. I could ask, "Why?" but that is a question I stopped asking with Canopus some time ago.

Admittedly the $99 is not extortionate but for a few dollars more I can upgrade to Vegas 4. And hey, rumor is Canopus is coming out with something at NAB. For how many years have we heard that rumor?

In the mean time I keep using my RexRT, mostly for color correction. Nice system, just sort of stuck in time.

Rick

Mike Rehmus · February 16th, 2003, 01:40 PM

The color correction isn't really color correction but color balance . . . sort of. The color correction capability remains unchanged and a bit behind times although mostly useable.

The keyframable transitions are welcome. I wonder about the utility of the 3D PIP transitions as opposed to making it an effect. I don't have enough experience to know if that is the best way to implement the feature. I suspect not.

Yup, it is stuck in time. But the feature set is universal and it contains the basic features of good film-making.

The DVRexRT is good enough that I can do 95% of my editing on it alone. The other 5% is After Effects and Photoshop and a little bit of Sound Forge.

The reason for the time lag, I'm told, was the underlying code had some problems and they decided to fix the problems rather than expand them with another release. Good call in my estimation.

Canopus gets very bad marks for diffusion of their effort and their inability to communicate with their marketplace.

However, they get very high marks for a reliable, simple, clean, works every time, I haven't HAD to upgrade my basic editing system in 3 years, product. I've enjoyed real RT, the kind other companies in this price range are just achieving) for two of those years.

Before you wonder, yes, I have upgraded the motherboard and processors to get more speed as the capability became affordable and reliable. Two PII 400's did basic RT but were in other respects a tad too slow.

The reasons I don't switch are:

My business (OK, me) cannot handle a non-realtime capability.

Vegas Video (along with all the other software solutions) does not have real-time capability at this time. It seems to be nice (as do some of the other packages) but I'm not certain of stability. Company, code, and interface.

I don't have time to learn new interfaces and keep up with the nifty new tools that are deemed necessary to keep an editing package up with the leaders. I just need the basic capability that is the major need of my business. Keeping up with Photoshop and After Effects is enough of a challenge.

OK, off my soapbox now.

Rick Spilman · February 16th, 2003, 02:01 PM

If Premiere was really stable with the Canopus drivers I would probably just stick with Premiere and be done with it. As it is my Premier set up is semi-stable. Sometimes it works for hours on end and then other times .... I find it almost stable which can be maddening at best. RexEdit is great but only will do so much. If they would add a couple more video tracks and a visible audio waveform I would probably do most everything in RexEdit. Given up waiting for Canopus on that one.

Right now I am doing all my basic stuff in Vegas and using the Rex for real simple layout and for color correction and filters. It is a work around but I am use to work arounds.

One of the main reasons I still rely so on the Rex is because I haven't got around to upgrading. I am still running dual PIII 700s. I wonder if when I get a faster box whether I will be doing more in Vegas and less with the Rex.

Rick

February 13th, 2003, 03:21 PM	#1
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	DVRexRT upgrade Canopus just shipped an upgrade to the DVRexRT, an out-of-production editing system of theirs. Much of this, apparently, will also work in Premiere and media Studio Pro. The upgrade does not touch the basic ediiting software which is rock-solid. What it does add is a bunch of nice keyframeable 3D transitions and additional video filters including one-touch white and black balance. In addition, they include their RT After Effects driver which allows you to see the AE output on a NTSC monitor. Their Photoshop driver allows you to see a photoshop image on the NTSC monitor while working in Photoshop. Not RT but very helpful when designing for video in Photoshop. They also released a RT LightSpeed driver which I cannot test. Not bad for $99. Nice to have them support this out-of-production product. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

February 16th, 2003, 01:40 PM	#3
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	The color correction isn't really color correction but color balance . . . sort of. The color correction capability remains unchanged and a bit behind times although mostly useable. The keyframable transitions are welcome. I wonder about the utility of the 3D PIP transitions as opposed to making it an effect. I don't have enough experience to know if that is the best way to implement the feature. I suspect not. Yup, it is stuck in time. But the feature set is universal and it contains the basic features of good film-making. The DVRexRT is good enough that I can do 95% of my editing on it alone. The other 5% is After Effects and Photoshop and a little bit of Sound Forge. The reason for the time lag, I'm told, was the underlying code had some problems and they decided to fix the problems rather than expand them with another release. Good call in my estimation. Canopus gets very bad marks for diffusion of their effort and their inability to communicate with their marketplace. However, they get very high marks for a reliable, simple, clean, works every time, I haven't HAD to upgrade my basic editing system in 3 years, product. I've enjoyed real RT, the kind other companies in this price range are just achieving) for two of those years. Before you wonder, yes, I have upgraded the motherboard and processors to get more speed as the capability became affordable and reliable. Two PII 400's did basic RT but were in other respects a tad too slow. The reasons I don't switch are: My business (OK, me) cannot handle a non-realtime capability. Vegas Video (along with all the other software solutions) does not have real-time capability at this time. It seems to be nice (as do some of the other packages) but I'm not certain of stability. Company, code, and interface. I don't have time to learn new interfaces and keep up with the nifty new tools that are deemed necessary to keep an editing package up with the leaders. I just need the basic capability that is the major need of my business. Keeping up with Photoshop and After Effects is enough of a challenge. OK, off my soapbox now. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

February 15th, 2003, 08:59 AM	#2
Rick Spilman Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Jersey City, NJ Posts: 366	Mike, As a non-upgrader I find myself shaking my head. After so long, Canopus finally gives up a modest upgrade. The color correction feature is nice, the transitions are a yawn, PIP features are not bad. Something is clearly better than nothing. What has me bemused is the time lag between when Canopus announced, started taking orders and then finally shipped. I also understand that the installation procedure was typically confused. I could ask, "Why?" but that is a question I stopped asking with Canopus some time ago. Admittedly the $99 is not extortionate but for a few dollars more I can upgrade to Vegas 4. And hey, rumor is Canopus is coming out with something at NAB. For how many years have we heard that rumor? In the mean time I keep using my RexRT, mostly for color correction. Nice system, just sort of stuck in time. Rick

February 16th, 2003, 02:01 PM	#4
Rick Spilman Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Jersey City, NJ Posts: 366	If Premiere was really stable with the Canopus drivers I would probably just stick with Premiere and be done with it. As it is my Premier set up is semi-stable. Sometimes it works for hours on end and then other times .... I find it almost stable which can be maddening at best. RexEdit is great but only will do so much. If they would add a couple more video tracks and a visible audio waveform I would probably do most everything in RexEdit. Given up waiting for Canopus on that one. Right now I am doing all my basic stuff in Vegas and using the Rex for real simple layout and for color correction and filters. It is a work around but I am use to work arounds. One of the main reasons I still rely so on the Rex is because I haven't got around to upgrading. I am still running dual PIII 700s. I wonder if when I get a faster box whether I will be doing more in Vegas and less with the Rex. Rick