Thoughts on using a PC camera in the real world... at DVinfo.net

Obin Olson · May 29th, 2006, 09:51 AM

Jason, what type of professional beating do you think a camera running windowz as it's OS can take without crashing/restarting/bluescreening/freezing etc...have you given this system "real world tests" yet? with a crazy director outside in bad conditions and tons of pressure to "get the shot, or else" having done a bit of R&D myself, and using the RAW output from the dvx from reel-stream.com I can tell you if it's not as easy as using any HD broadcast cam we have issues. Then if things start crashing, or drives don't auto connect when plugged in and you have to go to the Control Panel and re-install drivers etc that would be a HUGE problem on a tight set in the middle of the swamps...;) I am sure you know exactly what I am getting at. What are your honest thoughts on this subject?

I am NOT splashing dirt on a great camera, only trying to find out what to expect from a system like this.

Long live RAW.

Ari Presler · May 29th, 2006, 12:05 PM

Obin,

1.) We feel our application and User Interface make the product easier to use than a HD broadcast camera.

2.) You can learn about the real world use and operation of our camera from the "Spoon" blog at http://indiefilmlive.blogspot.com/.

3.) For those who are concerned about operation and OS reliability, we are offering the SiliconHD DVR with an embedded system, Hot-Swap HDD and running XP-embedded.

4.) We didnt want to restrict the market from using their own systems due to the great flexibility it offers on Networking, Storage, Remote management, expandability, upgradability, portability, etc.. At least if there is an issue there is something you can do about it, unlike a proprietary device!

The world is running on PC/Windows today!

Jason Rodriguez · May 29th, 2006, 12:47 PM

To follow up what Ari's saying, we're not worried about Windows . . . bluescreening comes from bad drivers (with kernel-level memory access), and our drivers (using the intel gigabit ethernet driver from Pleora) are rock solid. Also there are so many military, financial, government, power-station, play-to-air servers, etc. running windows that are all mission-critical applications, so we're again not worried . . . it comes down to writing good apps that don't crash and aren't flaky.

Also, we're going to be using WindowsXP embedded in the final product, which is a bare-essentials version of windows with the Kernel and whatever else is needed to run the programs, not all the other crap that can get tagged along with windows. Basically you boot the machine and it boots right into the camera interface program, so you really don't "feel" as though you're playing with a windows machine.

Obin Olson · May 30th, 2006, 08:34 AM

Thanks for the reply, so you don't see it as being an issue? your thoughts are it's going to run as well as a CineAlta or VariCam? I really like the fact you don't have a "windows" desktop etc that your running on

Ari Presler · May 30th, 2006, 09:32 AM

Our preference will be to use our DVR configuration and XP embedded solution. This will be the closest to a traditional camera system.

May 29th, 2006, 09:51 AM	#1
Obin Olson Trustee Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Wilmington NC Posts: 1,414	Thoughts on using a PC camera in the real world... Jason, what type of professional beating do you think a camera running windowz as it's OS can take without crashing/restarting/bluescreening/freezing etc...have you given this system "real world tests" yet? with a crazy director outside in bad conditions and tons of pressure to "get the shot, or else" having done a bit of R&D myself, and using the RAW output from the dvx from reel-stream.com I can tell you if it's not as easy as using any HD broadcast cam we have issues. Then if things start crashing, or drives don't auto connect when plugged in and you have to go to the Control Panel and re-install drivers etc that would be a HUGE problem on a tight set in the middle of the swamps...;) I am sure you know exactly what I am getting at. What are your honest thoughts on this subject? I am NOT splashing dirt on a great camera, only trying to find out what to expect from a system like this. Long live RAW.

May 30th, 2006, 09:32 AM	#5
Ari Presler Silicon Imaging Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: New York or Hollywood Posts: 214	Silicon HD Our preference will be to use our DVR configuration and XP embedded solution. This will be the closest to a traditional camera system.

May 29th, 2006, 12:05 PM	#2
Ari Presler Silicon Imaging Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: New York or Hollywood Posts: 214	Obin, 1.) We feel our application and User Interface make the product easier to use than a HD broadcast camera. 2.) You can learn about the real world use and operation of our camera from the "Spoon" blog at http://indiefilmlive.blogspot.com/. 3.) For those who are concerned about operation and OS reliability, we are offering the SiliconHD DVR with an embedded system, Hot-Swap HDD and running XP-embedded. 4.) We didnt want to restrict the market from using their own systems due to the great flexibility it offers on Networking, Storage, Remote management, expandability, upgradability, portability, etc.. At least if there is an issue there is something you can do about it, unlike a proprietary device! The world is running on PC/Windows today!

May 29th, 2006, 12:47 PM	#3
Jason Rodriguez Trustee Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 1,095	To follow up what Ari's saying, we're not worried about Windows . . . bluescreening comes from bad drivers (with kernel-level memory access), and our drivers (using the intel gigabit ethernet driver from Pleora) are rock solid. Also there are so many military, financial, government, power-station, play-to-air servers, etc. running windows that are all mission-critical applications, so we're again not worried . . . it comes down to writing good apps that don't crash and aren't flaky. Also, we're going to be using WindowsXP embedded in the final product, which is a bare-essentials version of windows with the Kernel and whatever else is needed to run the programs, not all the other crap that can get tagged along with windows. Basically you boot the machine and it boots right into the camera interface program, so you really don't "feel" as though you're playing with a windows machine.

May 30th, 2006, 08:34 AM	#4
Obin Olson Trustee Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Wilmington NC Posts: 1,414	Thanks for the reply, so you don't see it as being an issue? your thoughts are it's going to run as well as a CineAlta or VariCam? I really like the fact you don't have a "windows" desktop etc that your running on