PCI card that has multiple analog inputs?

Richard Alvarez · January 24th, 2007, 12:13 PM

Kevin,

Your diagram is similar to the flypack I use for shooting three camera shoots for the local cable tv station. Yes, we use the Tricaster, a great product. While we don't simultaneously record to disc from the three cameras, it should definately be possible, (Depending on the cameras of course)

I really reccomend the tricaster, but it's going to bust your budget. We also feed graphics from a laptop while broadcasting, so what you're proposing is not impossible, but again, why re-invent the wheel?

Kevin Kimmell · January 24th, 2007, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Alvarez

Kevin,

Your diagram is similar to the flypack I use for shooting three camera shoots for the local cable tv station. Yes, we use the Tricaster, a great product. I really reccomend the tricaster, but it's going to bust your budget.

Yeah, I've been looking at the TriCaster for about a year but I'm finally going to go to the local rep who's going to demo it for us and I think I'll rent it that night to do a three camera shoot of a local band and try out the webcasting feature. If we really like the functionality of it we''ll probably buy it.

I'm also considering just throwing an Edirol V-4 in the place of the TriCaster for a quarter or fifth of the cost and using one of the built machines or my laptop as an encoder for a web stream.

The main hesitation to jumping on the TriCaster bandwagon right now is the lack of an HD future for it. I understand that it's still early in the HD generation but I'm sure within the next 12-24 months we'll be seeing all sorts of new HD gadgets. I hear that Newtek is currently working on an HD version of the system but the estimate I heard (and this was a very loose estimate from an unconfirmed source) was around the $15,000 mark.

Even with those consideration the Tricaster could pay for itself with about three major events and SD wont be disappearing for some time so we'll see how the demo goes.

Thanks for your input regarding the TriCaster and my childlike diagram... ;)

-K

Jeff Chandler · January 24th, 2007, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Kimmell

Is it possible to record two firewire feeds to disc? Maybe a Core2 Duo and SCSI or 3-4 disc SATA RAID span?

-K

With the Canopus DVStorm and their DV capture utility you can capture from 3 DV feeds at one time. I believe the replacement for the Storm is also caqpable of this. It does have some specific PC requirement, though.

Kevin Kimmell · January 24th, 2007, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Chandler

With the Canopus DVStorm and their DV capture utility you can capture from 3 DV feeds at one time. I believe the replacement for the Storm is also caqpable of this. It does have some specific PC requirement, though.

I appreciate the info but am having a hard time finding the specific Canopus product or products that you speak of. Their site is a bit confusing to say the least and the reviews I'm finding aren't referring me to any Canopus links to a product.

You are saying that there is a piece of hardware or a hardware/software combo that will allow three cameras connected via firewire to be recorded to a single system?

-Kevin

Jeff Chandler · January 24th, 2007, 02:57 PM

Yes, I am saying with their hardware and the DV Capture utility and ohci firewire you can capture up to 3 NTSC streams.
If you go to the Canopus forum or ebay you can usually find a Storm card for sale, and then you would need to register it at the Canopus website so that you can download the capture utility. It will also work with the Edius DVX and NX cards, but they are software/ hardware packages and you would have to check the website, or a vendor like Videoguys, to see what they are selling for.

Phil Holder · January 25th, 2007, 06:07 AM

Hi Kevin
I don't know if this will work for you but try looking at a Spectra 8 video card? Will supposidly take 4 inputs at once. Let us know if it is any good.
Phil

Kevin Kimmell · February 12th, 2007, 03:00 PM

Okay, I've been poking around with this setup and I've got plenty of firewire inputs to the machine but my problem comes with trying to access more than one camera at a time over the firewire bus.

Basically each camera gets handled by the MS device manager and only one seems to be able to be accessed at a time.

Does anyone have any input on this?

-K

January 24th, 2007, 02:57 PM	#20
Jeff Chandler Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Mesa, Az. Posts: 167	Yes, I am saying with their hardware and the DV Capture utility and ohci firewire you can capture up to 3 NTSC streams. If you go to the Canopus forum or ebay you can usually find a Storm card for sale, and then you would need to register it at the Canopus website so that you can download the capture utility. It will also work with the Edius DVX and NX cards, but they are software/ hardware packages and you would have to check the website, or a vendor like Videoguys, to see what they are selling for. __________________ Jeff Chandler

January 24th, 2007, 12:13 PM	#16
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	Kevin, Your diagram is similar to the flypack I use for shooting three camera shoots for the local cable tv station. Yes, we use the Tricaster, a great product. While we don't simultaneously record to disc from the three cameras, it should definately be possible, (Depending on the cameras of course) I really reccomend the tricaster, but it's going to bust your budget. We also feed graphics from a laptop while broadcasting, so what you're proposing is not impossible, but again, why re-invent the wheel?

January 25th, 2007, 06:07 AM	#21
Phil Holder Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perth Western Australia Posts: 70	Hi Kevin I don't know if this will work for you but try looking at a Spectra 8 video card? Will supposidly take 4 inputs at once. Let us know if it is any good. Phil

February 12th, 2007, 03:00 PM	#22
Kevin Kimmell Major Player Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 209	Okay, I've been poking around with this setup and I've got plenty of firewire inputs to the machine but my problem comes with trying to access more than one camera at a time over the firewire bus. Basically each camera gets handled by the MS device manager and only one seems to be able to be accessed at a time. Does anyone have any input on this? -K