#Animation to NTSC ?
14 messages in this thread
Hi'
Does anyone have any thoughts on creating animation on the Amiga and
outputting to a NTSC signal? Are the best results obtained by recording on
to S-VHS? I have a PC system now and am thonking of getting into the
Animation business and it looks to me that the Amiga is the way to go.
What's the best software animation package? Thanks for any help …
Ed…
Ed,
There is literally a TON of hardware and software geared toward this very
issue! On the hardware end you need a device to take the Amiga's RGB video
signal and transform it into NTSC composite, which is much easier to do on
the Amiga because the video signal timing is identical to NTSC already.
The most common such device, available through several manufacturers, is
called a "genlock", because in addition to encoding Amiga graphics into
NTSC it also synchronizes the Amiga to an external video signal and permits
superimposing Amiga graphics over that signal. Or such a unit may be used
in standalone fashion to encode the Amiga graphics for recording to video
tape.
The best unit I've seen personally is the SuperGen 2000S by Progressive
Image Technology, marketed by Digital Creations in California. One of the
designers of the SuperGen is a former Grass Valley engineer — if you're
into the professional end of video, that should say something to you. The
2000S outputs in composite and Y/C 3.58 for SVHS and produces a true
RS-170A broadcastable output.
As to the rest of your question — what kind of projects are you planning
to work on?
Pete
Hi Pete,
Thanks so much for the info. I have heard lots of good things about
the SuperGen 2000 and will try to find a dealer to show me how it works. I
have also heard of the 'Video Toaster' that's coming. Do you know anything
about it?
We are looking to create animations that can be sold to special
event videographers to be included in their videos. Any feedback? Thanks
again..
Ed…
The Video Toaster is a four input video switcher / still store / special
effects generator / character generator / digital video effects unit on a
card. Note that the four inputs have to be synchronous and properly timed,
e.g., if you are using playback decks as sources you need a timebase
corrector for each tape source. There are two still store channels
available, so in effect the switcher is a six-input switcher with two of
the inputs being still frames. Stills are full television resolution in
16,000,000+ colors. Flips, tumbles, digital trails and such are elegant and
smooth; however they have to be kept moving to look good. You can't use
this device to create a 1/4 screen compressed box, like you'd see over a
newscaster's shoulder during a news show, as the compressed image is not
clean. As long as you're doing a tumble in or out, though, the audience
will not see that as it is masked by the motion.
I can't make many recommendations about event videography because I'm
really not involved in that stuff — I swore off years ago. But I hope the
Toaster info is of some use. I've seen it — some of the things it can do
are pretty amazing. I use a $14,000 Microtime DVE that can't do some of
the things the Toaster can.
Pete
PS – before you buy a Toaster, remember that if you're doing A-B rolling
you will need TWO TBC's at $2000+ each in order to make the Toaster work.
Yup, there is, but I don't know its name. Do a scan here in the libraries
on WAV or sound or 8SVX.
— Ron Legro from Milwaukee via AUTOPILOT
(The only way to fly)
Try AMISOX.LHA in lib 7, this area (AmigaArts). I think it converts .WAV.
–>………………John
Will AMISOX convert Amiga samples to .WAV as well?
<Dave>
Dave, Sorry for not answering sooner, but yes it does convert iff to wav. I
have it and it works pretty good.
John.
Ed– there is some debate among video folks (a matter of preferences, it
seems), but the best way to record to NTSC is going be either "D-2" (a
digital format), 1" type C, M-2 (by JVC), or BetacamSP (by Sony). The
cheapest of these is M-2, but the most common are 1" and BetacamSP (in the
pro realm, anyway). Going down in quality from these machines, in roughly
descending order is 3/4"SP, S-VHS, 3/4", Beta(consumer),and VHS is at the
bottom of the list. A very good tech I know says the new JVC S-VHS pro
series is better than 3/4SP, and worth looking into. I think a JVC S-VHS
editing deck can be had for about $6000. For comparison, I got my
industrial 3/4SP deck (a SONY 9850) for, I think, about $7000. These are
the low end if you're serious. And compare that to about $35,000 for a
BetacamSP editing deck (although the BetaSP is a much superior recording
format). Be advised though, that even though the tape machine will
probably be the weakest link in your system, whatever format you use, it
won't be any better than the quality of the signal you start with. I have
a SuperGen 2000S and am fairly happy with it. You should also check out
the Magni and Neriki units. All of these will run $1500-$2000, I believe.
Any learn how to use a waveform monitor and vectorscope, which is
pretty simple– kind of like a 'light meter' for video signals. Buy them
if you can (another $3000 for the pair), or do as I did and rent them to
check the genlock you buy and set up your system. And then you can rent
the scopes again to check things every once and a while (about a $50
charge).
And with the Amiga.. it's not just video, it
… it's and adventure (hehe)……..Jeff
Hi Jeff,
Thanks so much for the information. I will look into all the
infoyou have mentioned. I guess the dream machine is the BetacamSP. I'm
just starting out and it's all new to me…Thanks again…
Ed…
Ed –
Beta SP is nice, but the dream machine is the digital D2 format. Since
it's digital, there's virtually no loss from generation to generation and
you can make copies of copies of copies of copies of — well, you get the
idea. This allows you to create layered animations where you keep playing
back what you've got so far and pasting some new animation on top of it
Of course that unit is something you would get instead of a new house
<grin>
Pete
Hi Pete,
Thanks for the reply. I am using a PC now with a program called
AutoDesk Animator. The way you spoke about layering seems to be what the
AA program does when I make animations. Once I get the flic the way I want
it(layered,etc.) I need to put it on video. I have been using a reg. vhs
deck till now. Thought that s-vhs would be something to look into…
Ed…
Ed,
I've seen brief excerpts of stuff done on Autodesk Animator, and was
surprised anything on the IBM would do even THAT well. How do you feel
about it: does it do what you want?
Karl
Ed,
You're underestimating what I'm talking about.
The Amiga can easily outperform a PC running AA.
What I'm describing is big budget network video, wherein various layers of
animation are combined with each other and/or with live action imagery to
produce what you see in, say, a movie-of-the-week opening. These decks run
from about $80,000 – $160,000, and I mentioned them in more of a
tongue-in-cheek manner than anything else. No computer — including the
mainframes that produce some of the really high-level network stuff — can
display those graphics in real time.
I'm not trying to put down PC's, and I'm CERTAINLY not putting down the
Amiga — I own both, after all, and use the Amiga regularly in production
work. If you have not had a chance to see an Amiga in action with some of
the really good graphics programs running on it, you owe it to yourself to
do so. I wouldn't be surprised to see your PC and AA package in the "used
equipment" ads after you do so…
Anyway, SVHS is absolutely better than standard VHS, and arguably better
than (non-SP) 3/4". HI-8 should be better than SVHS based on its specs,
but I've not seen it in action, and there is a limited amount of gear
available.
Betacam and MII are next, then Betacam-SP, then 1", and D2 is probably at
the top. I probably left something out somewhere which someone else will
be good enough to insert in its rightful place on the list, and others
might disagree with my ranking. None of which is really important, because
as soon as you go up to 3/4-SP (which is just below Betacam) you're into
machines that cost over $10,000 and so are priced above what most (any?)
consumers can deal with. So for what you're doing, SVHS or Hi-8 are the
formats to consider.
Pete