#DPS PAR
14 messages in this thread
Now I understand. I'm not familiar with the PAR. It's not very interesing to
me since it does no PAL only NTSC.
How do you render directly to the PAR drive? I didn't know it was possible to
let IM create the images on a different location. How?
-David
The PAR does both PAL and NTSC.
PAR does not render Imagine files, you tell Imagine to save the picture
files it creates to the PAR card (ie:DDR:) (DDR: is what Amiga DOS sees as
the PAR's hard drive). PAR then compresses the pictures and creates an
animation file (or single frame if you only rendered a single frame). The
PAR card plays back 24 bit animations in hi-res overscan at 30 frames (60
fields) per second. With the Personal TBC IV attached to the PAR card you
can also record video in real time at 30 frames per second.
Jim R. Ollick
Using AP from Bergenfield, NJ
Hi James,
🙂 I know that the PAR can't render my images. So it can do PAL now? Also the
PC version? Didn't know that. I've heard that the quality isn't that good. Not
broadcast quality at least. I have had the MAX (Matrox Animation Express) one
day for a test/review in a magazine. The quality is the same as single frame
recording on beta sp. What I have is a small card that can playback in real
time (from the HD) in a quality that is between VHS and SVHS. That's enough to
show the customer during layout. After all changes are made and the customer
is happy I do a single frame recording at a service.
-David
The PAR card is Broadcast quality. I use it for animations used in local
TV commersials. It has Y/C, Betacam, MII, and composite output. It has had
PAL output on the Amiga version for some time now. I suggest you call
Digital Processing Systems if you need to know for sure if the IBM version
has the PAL option yet. Their number is: 416-754-8090. I have used a
Matrox and it is a nice setup.
Jim R. Ollick
Using AP from Bergenfield, NJ
So it has YUV output. I'm sure the signal quality is perfect. What I mean is
the quality of the picture. I haven't seen it, I read in a review that the
quality isn't as good as Beta or MII. What is the compressions ratio? PAL has
32 mb per second.
-David
>> So it has YUV output. I'm sure the signal quality is perfect. What I >>
mean is the quality of the picture. I haven't seen it, I read in a >>
review that the quality isn't as good as Beta or MII. What is the >>
compressions ratio? PAL has 32 mb per second.
>> -David
What review was that? I'd like to read it. A 24 bit picture that was 937K
compressed at the highest quality setting to 188K. I guess that's about
5:1 compression.
32 MB per second – I guess you mean 30 frames at just over 1 MB per
picture in an uncompressed mode.
Recording live video – the PAR compresses each frame from 60K to 90K each.
IE: a 30 second recording (900 frames) takes up 54,217K of hard drive
space.
Jim R. Ollick
Using AP from Bergenfield, NJ
The review was in Desktop Video World magazine some time ago.
Yes 32mb per second is for uncopressed PAL video. Fast HDs can read 3-3.5 mb
per second so you have to compress aprox. 1:10. I've heard the PAR has a 500
mb HD. How much can it store at the highest quality?
How much did you pay for it?
-David
I use the PAR card with a 1.6 gig hard drive. I havn't tried to max it out
but I imagine I could… OK I recorded 2 minutes of live video (demoded
from a VCR), it took up 214.5 megs of hard drive space. Therefore I figure
I can record 15 minutes on it. That was at a quality level of 12 (there is
a maximum of 23). The quality level can be set higher if you have a clean
source (which a TV station demodulated with a consumer VCR is not).
However, the software gave me a maximum settable record time of 7:24:10, I
do have other things on the drive but have 1.443 gigs free. At a quality
level of 12, you can hardly tell the recording from the origional.
If you are recording an animation rendered in your PC, you can use the
highest quality setting, however the software will adjust it depending on
the changes per frame. Again, I have not even tried to max the hard drive
out. The work I do is 30 seconds or less. There is now a 9 gig hard drive
available if you need more time on the hard drive.
I can not recommend the PAR for off-line editing, only because the
software with EDLs doesn't exist – at least not now.
I paid about $1600 for the PAR but I also bought the TBC IV and a 500 Meg.
hard drive from the same company at the same time.
Jim R. Ollick
Using AP from Bergenfield, NJ
Hi James
$1600 without HD sounds cool. Much less than the MAX. I didn't know that you
can use SCSI drives with the PAR. Sure, the new 9 gb Seagate would be cool!
-David
IDE Drives only with the PAR as far as I know.
Noooo… you can not use SCSI drives with the PAR the 9 gig is an IDE.
Jim R. Ollick
Using AP from Bergenfield, NJ
re: recording live video
I have a MacroSystem US VLab Y/C real time frame grabber. It does a thing
called "interleaved" single frame record. It grabs in 24 bit, full fidelity.
You have to make several passes over the source tape to get
full 30 frames per second grabbing, but it works, and gives excellent image
quality. I usually capture to RAM, and then after a capture run, between
rewinds on the source tape, I transfer the frames to hard disk. I then can
manipulate the frames individually, and eventually copy them to the PAR for
output. The only drawback here is the disk space needed for the frames, and
maybe the time involved in doing the grabs, although the VLab software makes it
a relatively painless procedure, just kind of tedious.
david, i don't know what your standards are for "broadcast quality", but i have
had a PAR for one week and managed to produce two animations output to Hi-8 for
client presentations-the quality was at least equal to my single frame Sony
9650, and a LOT easier to use- plus, with the BetaCam/MII, y/c, or composite
outputs, it can probably serve most users well-if by "broadcast quality" you
mean 'Babylon 5', i guess you should go to an Abekas 🙂 I really think the PAR
is the greatest thing since the Toaster ! kevin
>> I really think the PAR is the greatest thing since the Toaster !
I think HD recorders in general are a blessing.
-David