#NLE Editor Suggestions?
28 messages in this thread
Hi! I've just been asked to recommend some potential NLE setups for possible
review in the video consumer marketplace (one of the editors at the new VIDEO
called and asked me for some article/review ideas–YAY!!). I'd like your
feedback on which ones I should be looking at (price range for the input/output
card and software, under $2,000).
Also, anything else in that price range that might be worth reviewing? VIDEO
will now have a multimedia/DTV section, and I'd REALLY like to write steadily
for this–not just for the money, but so I don't sound *quite* so clueless when
everyone else is going on about their neato new toys…<g>
Best,
Tim Liebe
Hey Tim how about some reviews on scan converters and devices to make what's on
your computer screen turn into something that will play on your tape machine??
I mentioned in a different forum some reference to scan converters and was
surprised at the number of questions that came up.
Just a thought….
Arnie
– Arnold Jones, Written 06-Apr-1995 @ 19:38:48
Using: Windows NavCIS PRO 1.2
Arnie:
>Hey Tim how about some reviews on scan converters and devices to make what's
on your computer screen turn into something that will play on your tape
machine??<
That's a good one–now, do we have some names? I assume you're referring to
genlocks/encoders…
BTW, what's a "scan converter"?
Best,
Tim
Hello Tim –
Thought I'd jump in with a quick answer.
A scan converter is a device to convert one scan rate to another. Very often
used with PC and Mac video devices, since the scan rate of PC and Mac video
signals (i.e. their monitor output) is usually atleast twice that of NTSC. For
NTSC it would also convert the signal to interlaced and fill the format to fill
a full video display.
Scan converters, of course, could go either way. A scan doubler truely doubles
the scan rate and makes NTSC viewable on a multi-synch computer monitor.
By the way, most NLE systems show their output first on the computers monitor,
which means the image is running at twice the frequency (or more) than NTSC
with a pixel resolution higher than the video signal. We always tell buyers to
see the output played back from a recording, instead of judging the computers
component RGB, SVGA signal.
Hank
Videology, Inc Where service is our product
Hank:
>Thought I'd jump in with a quick answer.
A scan converter is a device to convert one scan rate to another. Very often
used with PC and Mac video devices, since the scan rate of PC and Mac video
signals (i.e. their monitor output) is usually atleast twice that of NTSC.<
Thanks for the explanation!
>By the way, most NLE systems show their output first on the computers monitor,
which means the image is running at twice the frequency (or more) than NTSC
with a pixel resolution higher than the video signal. We always tell buyers to
see the output played back from a recording, instead of judging the computers
component RGB, SVGA signal.<
Isn't that a good idea no matter *how* you're cutting tape? At least, I always
thought so… But I guess folks don't think about these things when buying new
equipment…
Best,
Tim
<<We always tell buyers to see the output played back from a recording, instead
of judging the computers component RGB, SVGA signal.>>
Henry,
Not that it matters, but I concur. ALWAYS judge the system's output quality
from the actual media you're putting it on. Of course, if your product
ultimately plays on a non-interlaced then WYSIWYG. But, what looks lovely on
your working monitor can drop to plain ugly when converted to NTSC; and some
systems do this better than others.
Paul
>>BTW, what's a "scan converter"?<<
That's my question as well….
What are them things anyway? And what precisely do they do; and who makes'em
and where do you get'em. I don't know this stuff, and evidently many other
folks don't either.
My points of reference for video signals going out from a computer to a tape
deck are all based on equipment that's "production industry" based and I try to
make sure there is a real engineer present to insure that the signals look
acceptable on his measuring devices and will be smiled upon by others in the
industry.
But you can get devices to convert the VGA signal from your display board into
a videotape signal. And prices range from a couple hundred to multiple
thousands of dollars. What is the output of these boards? Would the video gurus
consider it video? What do you get for what price? And other questions?
I've had the unpleasant experience of doing a bunch of video work thinking it
would stay just on the computer and then finding out I needed to lay it off to
tape. I suspect I'm not alone. What are my options????
Arnie
– Arnold Jones, Written 07-Apr-1995 @ 11:37:54
Using: Windows NavCIS PRO 1.2
Arnie:
>I've had the unpleasant experience of doing a bunch of video work thinking it
would stay just on the computer and then finding out I needed to lay it off to
tape. I suspect I'm not alone. What are my options????<
Jeez, I'm not sure myself–which is why I'm asking for help on this…
At a guess, though, I'd say do everything at a high enough quality so if you
need to, it can be output (can you say "memory hog"? Sure… <g>). As to what's
"high enough quality", you got me…Though I've heard that Creative Labs has
come out w/a new VideoSpigot that can push 320×240 30fps video up to videotape
quality (don't know how *well* it works, myself–that's one of the things I'd
like to get my hands on to see…).
Best,
Tim
Tim:
I can figure out how to get get video out of a computer, do it all the
time.<g> My point is if you are looking for something to review try scan
converters.
Arnie
– Arnold Jones, Written 10-Apr-1995 @ 21:11:21
Using: Windows NavCIS PRO 1.2
Arnie:
>I can figure out how to get get video out of a computer, do it all the
time.<g> My point is if you are looking for something to review try scan
converters.<
For some reason, I had the impression that part of what a genlock/encoder was
supposed to do anyway was scan conversion. Am I wrong on this?
Best,
Tim
Tim:
Nope. And with prices ranging from $2-300 through $2-3000 or more – you can
pick your poison too.
– Arnold Jones, Written 11-Apr-1995 @ 21:40:16
Using: Windows NavCIS PRO 1.2
Arnold:
>>For some reason, I had the impression that part of what a genlock/encoder was
supposed to do anyway was scan conversion. Am I wrong on this?<<
>Nope. And with prices ranging from $2-300 through $2-3000 or more – you can
pick your poison too.<
Okay–thanks for clarifying! I'll DEFINITELY be interested in genlocks/
encoders…
Best,
Tim
In one to two weeks when the dust clears from NAB then we should have a
batch of new PCI full screen capture cards bundled with presumably Premiere
or Ulead's MediaSudio. Miro, FAST and Intel are among the not-so-secret
rumors floating about. I've also seen adds for a ThunderVision by Azeena
but I don't know anything else about it … it's also PCI. I guess this is
where the action will be hot and heavy. Digital Video Magazine covers these
about as well as any publication I've seen on newstands.
Bertel Schmitt 73220,2562, I think here and especially in ADOBEA and MULTIMED
forums, has been discussing this issue extensively. His experience indicates
we have to get these cards on the PCI bus for the necessary data transfer.
-jts
John:
>
In one to two weeks when the dust clears from NAB then we should have a
batch of new PCI full screen capture cards bundled with presumably Premiere
or Ulead's MediaSudio. <
Thanks!
Tim
Tim,
I highly recommend you include the Vlab Motion system from MacroSystems.
Incredible power and quality for the price.
EdV
Ed:
>I highly recommend you include the Vlab Motion system from MacroSystems.
Incredible power and quality for the price.<
Thanks for the tip! I'll look into it…
Best,
Tim
We at The Electronic Mailbox will lobby (ie try to put pressure on)
the new Video to include the DTV/MM section, and I can't think of a
better guy for the job. Best of Luck, and give me a call (516)
759-1611 @ The Electronic Mailbox. Our interests are very similar.
We are very nervous about Video becoming just a Home Theatre mag. We
need it to stay a player in camcorders, editing and DTV.
Hi Gary
I guess you got your pentium transplant accomplished, I'm gonna wait on
replacing mine until it acts really sick.
Anyway, the ///Fast Video Machine Lite is up and running, I've still got a ways
to go to get thru that 800 page manual. Had a small glitch after install, so I
posted in the ///Fast forum and within a few hours I had several replies from
members and a technote from Fast / Bellingham in my mailbox…problem solved.
Just a bit different from my previous experience (I still havn't recieved a
reply from Panda Chou, not that it matters now<G>).
So far everything seems to work well with the VMLite, actually I,m quite
impressed, the output quality is incredibly clean. Now I've just have to get
through this learning curve 🙂 ….
Again thank you for help and service, as I said before I am quite pleased.
arnie
Arnie:
>So far everything seems to work well with the VMLite, actually I,m quite
impressed, the output quality is incredibly clean. Now I've just have to get
through this learning curve 🙂 ….<
Well, ya know what they say, "If you have to read the instructions, it ain't an
intuitive system!" <VBG>
(That one ALWAYS drives Tammy nuts…)
Best,
Tim
Tim
>Well, ya know what they say, "If you have to read the instructions, it
ain't an intuitive system!" <VBG><
I gotta admit that since switching from Mac to Pc this manual thing has thrown
me for a loop………..
"Manuals…We don't need no stinkin manuals…<G>
arnie
Arnie:
>I gotta admit that since switching from Mac to Pc this manual thing has thrown
me for a loop………..<
Oy! You switched platforms? You have my sympathy (I use both platforms myself,
but that was a matter of a job that wouldn't use anything but Macs, and a
spouse who wouldn't use anything but DOS…).
>"Manuals…We don't need no stinkin manuals…<G><
ROFL!!! Tammy muttered something about "guys!" and "kindred spirits" when I
read that to her…
Best,
Tim
Tim
>Oy! You switched platforms? You have my sympathy <
My decision to switch was twofold. First was a job proposel that never
materialized…(vaporjob <G>) and secondly, I needed to put together a linear
editing system that could be upgraded later to NLE..I should've known better,
about two years ago my boss upgraded to a 486 and he dumped the old Tandy 1000
on my desk. He then returned with a large box of books. "what are these", I
asked, "manuals for the machine", he replied. I should have
known…………………..
Lost in IRQland
arnie
p.s. that tandy 1000 is still sitting in the box<G>
Arnie:
>My decision to switch was twofold. First was a job proposel that never
materialized…(vaporjob <G>) and secondly, I needed to put together a linear
editing system that could be upgraded later to NLE..I should've known better<
And thirdly, when you were doing this about two years ago, there as ZERO
indication that Apple would suddenly drop Macintosh prices so they'd suddenly
be competitive w/DOS-based systems! Well, that's what happened to me at any
rate–I kept wanting a Mac w/SoftPC (so Tammy could run WordPerfect/DOS 5.1,
which she *still* uses even though we've got WP/Win 5.2), but the cost
difference was so great we decided to go w/a Windows-based system instead.
Three months after we bought the system, Mac prices plunged… <*groan*>
>about two years ago my boss upgraded to a 486 and he dumped the old Tandy 1000
on my desk. He then returned with a large box of books. "what are these", I
asked, "manuals for the machine", he replied. I should have known…<
Got a bit of a jolt out of that, didn't ya <g>? I started out using DOS-based
systems (that's not strictly true–the first computer I used was a Wang PC <!>,
but the first computer we *owned* was a 286, and my best friend got a Tandy
1000 HX *right* after that!), so I'm used to wading through mucho manuals. I
started using the Mac about 3-4 years ago when my job dubbing videotapes for a
small company suddenly turned into a job doing their desktop publishing (the
former DTP guy quit abruptly, and I was the only person available who'd had
*any* computer experience…).
Best,
Tim
Gary:
>We at The Electronic Mailbox will lobby (ie try to put pressure on) the new
Video to include the DTV/MM section, and I can't think of a better guy for the
job. Best of Luck, and give me a call (516) 759-1611 @ The Electronic Mailbox.
Our interests are very similar. We are very nervous about Video becoming just a
Home Theatre mag. We need it to stay a player in camcorders, editing and DTV.<
Well, either someone at Electronic Mailbox or some other advertiser already got
to 'em, or they saw the light <g>, since one of the new editors asked me if I'd
be interested in writing for their "Video Production" section. You have no idea
what a relief that is to me…
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Best,
Tim
Tim,
Glad you're going to at least check it out! NoahJi's in Lafayette Colorado
is the distributor in the US for this product. I don't know what methods you
use to collect specimens <grin>, but their phone number is (303) 499-1975.
EdV
Ed:
>Glad you're going to at least check it out! NoahJi's in Lafayette Colorado is
the distributor in the US for this product. I don't know what methods you use
to collect specimens <grin>, but their phone number is (303) 499-1975.<
Well, I just go to my editor, point to the product and say "Toy! Daddy, buy me
a new toy!"… <g>
That's what I love about this job–I get to play w/all sortsa cool stuff (most
of the time–if you don't count the four months I reviewed low-end consumer
VCRs late last year/early this year…blech!), and they pay me for it… 😉
Best,
Tim
DV Mag mentioned the Radius Spigot Pro AV Jpeg which retails at $1,799 or so.
MacWarehouse lists it at $1,499. Lotsa sweet features. I'll bet it really
smokes.
Paul
PS: Congrats on the gig. Did you query-letter for this or did they come up
with this idea on their own <g>?
Paul:
>DV Mag mentioned the Radius Spigot Pro AV Jpeg which retails at $1,799 or so.
MacWarehouse lists it at $1,499. Lotsa sweet features. I'll bet it really
smokes.<
Nice–but I doubt seriously it'll run on my Windows-based system… 🙁
>Congrats on the gig. Did you query-letter for this or did they come up with
this idea on their own <g>?<
Actually, the new editor called me to ask me about a review I'd written for the
old VIDEO and we got to talking about what I'd like to do for the new VIDEO. I
suggested $2,000 or less DTV stuff and he asked me for some names…
Best,
Tim