CompuServe Messages

Oct. 19/95 George Plhak Here are some more tid bits of information that might help you or someone else wishing to configure a DPS PVR, in:sync Speed Razor Mach 3 system. Many of the tips are not new, but useful if you didn't already know them. I can't vouch for 100% accuracy but would appreciate any corrections or additions to this information from anyone. 34/ I have just received an AudiotrixPro card from MediaTrix (819) 829-8749. I chose this card because the company made an NT driver for it, because it is WAV & Soundblaster file compatible & because it seemed to have a full set of features & options. Cards that support two audio file formats need two IRQ interrupts if they are to run concurrently. Although the Turtle Beach Tahiti or Monterey cards seem to have fine reputations, I found a lot of people who were annoyed by the broken promises to deliver an NT driver. A third party has recently written a chargeable NT driver. The Tahiti & Monterey do not support Soundblaster files, in case you wanted to use programs that support this (ie. games). I'll let you know how I make out with the AudiotrixPro. 35/ When purchasing any card for use on Windows NT, you need to INSIST that they ship it with the NT driver. In the case of MediaTrix & DPS, both shipped without NT drivers or NT manuals even though I specifically asked for them. The NT driver that came with the Matrox Millennium card was 3 months older than the current one on their BBS. This may not be a problem if you're prepared to download the drivers from a BBS, but it's just one more little nuisance to getting a system up & running. If you're running the PVR on Windows 3.11 you will need "Video for Windows" software which is not included. 36/ The DPS Daughter card is also a full Time Base Corrector (TBC) and can be used in an EE pass through mode for duplication etc. I gave it a quick test last night in Y/C mode & was impressed with the quality of the TBC. Apparently the Daughtercard has the DPS TBC IV built in, which has an excellent reputation. Initial results seemed to indicate that the TBC might have some sort of soft over easy highlight compression much like the auto knee circuit of a broadcast camera. Rather than clip slightly illegal levels, it seemed to be compressing them down to legal levels. I will have to check with DPS to confirm if it really has this feature. If it does, it would be the closest thing to an idiot proof TBC I've seen yet. Composite "in" has very low resolution specs., barely VHS quality. This is because they choose not to put a comb filter (very expensive) in it & have just used a hard cutting low pass filter. An optional composite comb filter is available for the TBC IV but not for the PVR Daughter card. DPS has no plans to offer this option, but I for one would be willing to pay for it if they made it available. Most video producers are feeding Y/C or component anyway, but it would be nice to have full transparency for the odd occasion when you just have to use composite "in". If there are other users out there that would be willing to purchase a comb filter option for the daughter card, make this known to DPS. Composite "out" is full transparency. If I had a wish list of other options, I would like to see Chroma Noise Reduction (CNR) & Faroujha rise time enhancement (color edge sharpening). DPS has built these options in some of their more expensive stand-alone TBCs. These two features would go a long way towards making 4:1:1 heterodyne tape formats such as SVHS, HI8 & 3/4" look more like Betacam. If you would pay extra for these features, make sure to let DPS know so they can include them in future models. As far as I'm concerned, and purchase price of the Perception & Daughter cards are so low already, that an increase in the price for the three features mentioned above, would not be a significant factor in the overall decision to purchase this product. 37/ As mentioned in my last message, I had ordered a separate box called the QuadBox from Trimm Technologies 1 800 423-2024, for proper cooling of the hard drives. Unfortunately, it was backordered & I needed something now, so I found a super file server cabinet made by Macase Industrial Corp. (Taiwan) that should be big enough to host the computer & all the drives with adequate ventilation. It is 11"w X 17 1/2"d X 23 1/2"t not including the casters. It holds 12 full height 5 1/4" drives so I can put a drive in every other bay with lots of room for ventilation. It comes with 3 fans including the one in the 400 watt power supply and there is room for 2 more fans. The newer model (KS-010 W/B) coming out soon, has the power switch on the front instead of the back (dumb idea on the back), a reset switch, an air filter and 10 front panel LEDs rather than 5 for power & drive activity indicators. 38/ I was intending to use virtual screens (2 monitors) on my system using 2 Matrox Millennium graphics cards with the main monitor being 20" at 1280 X 1024 resolution (16 million colors) & the secondary monitor, an existing 14" at 800 X 600 probably with less colors. I just found out that both Matrox cards must be operating at the same levels, so I will have to rethink my approach. Any ideas? I'm also still shopping for a 20" diagonal monitor that will fit a standard 19" rack width. If you have recommendations please let me know. 39/ There seems to be some interest at in:sync to write code into their Speed Razor Mach 3 editing software to handle time code input without an RS422 VCR. I supplied code requirements to them for the Horita TRC-50PC reader/generator that can input Linear audio time code & put it on the RS232 line to the computer. Horita also makes an VLT-50PC reader/generator for VITC that can do the same. These units come with a logging program & single keystroke entering of time code which speeds up logging & eliminates typing errors. If in:sych can implement a way to inexpensively input time code, users wouldn't have to run out & buy new VCRs just to get RS422 for the time code. This would probably allow them to sell a lot more software. If you or others feel this is a desirable feature that would cause you to buy their editing interface software, give in:sync a call & let them know 1 800 864-7272. They are very receptive to new feature ideas from end users. 40/ Since Windows NT can lose or corrupt data if there is a power failure before properly shutting down the system, I decided to buy an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS). It's not an essential piece, but a UPS certainly could eliminate future grief. 41/ A few people have asked me why I'm putting myself through the ordeal of learning which components to build into this system. The main reason is that I am writing a users review article in the Canadian magazine called Broadcast Technology. The article will probably appear in January. I feel that I need to learn almost as much as a systems integrator to be able to explain my purchase decisions & make recommendations to readers. If you know of anyone wanting a free subscription to this magazine or any manufacturers or VARs who want to coordinate their advertizing with this article, please give Broadcast Technology a call at (905) 857-6076. Another reason for trying to learn as much as I could about configuring this system is because I felt I might get a better system out of it & because I was having problems finding a complete systems integrator who seemed to "have it together" at this early stage of these products. Knowing the system may also help me troubleshoot problems when they occur. I do know my limits & did hire a local custom computer builder & I also have a good friend who maintains all the NT servers at his work & has taken a Windows NT training course. I having been using an Amiga/Toaster and can use all the help I can get to come up to speed on Windows NT. I envy all the purchasers of PVR & in:sync who will soon be able to go out & buy the complete system from knowledgeable vendors. They will not have to go through the sourcing ordeal that I have. 42/ I decided to have a dual booting system rather than triple, using Windows 3.11 for workgroups & Windows NT. I saw no point in using Windows 95 since the other two should run almost everything. NT will be the OS I use most of the time & 3.11/Dos only for those programs that won't run on NT. I put both operating systems in the same partition but in separate directories to try & avoid conflicts. 43/ I am still seeking recommendations for backup of the video hard drives. I'm leaning towards a 4mm 4 Gig tape drive. Unfortunately, I put my systems drives & CDROM on the EIDE controller built on the motherboard, to free up slots on the PCI bus for future use (ie. DPS Audio 4 Video card). So, I may have to buy a PCI SCSI controller after all, or maybe a slower ISA SCSI controller since it probably wouldn't slow down a tape drive. Currently, the Perceptions SCSI controller & software do not support tape drives. I guess this wasn't a high priority since Windows NT does support tape drive backup but it requires a SCSI controller. I have heard, but not been able to verify, that there are tape backups that work from the parallel port using software instead of a SCSI controller. Any advice would be appreciated. Regards Doug Hembruff 102711,1127 Impact Televideo Productions, London, Ontario, Canada