On Nov 12, 2013, at 8:43 PM, Mark Spano wrote:
> Dennis,
> With all due respect, this advice:
> "I have always told users to set the servo reference to 'auto' because when you are recording video, you WANT the servo to follow the input video. When you are playing back, you WANT the servo to lock to the external reference."
> is not correct. I NEVER want the servo to lock to anything other than house ref. I want everything in the house locked to house ref. And especially when I'm recording anything, every signal should be locked to house ref. I don't know why that's not obvious.
I reply:
It's not obvious, but in fact you are achieving these very results but through different means. You also want the VTR's servo to follow the input video, but you expect (actually, you require) that the external reference and input video to be running in sync. Look, it works for you and that's fine. As long as your rooms all are locked to the same reference, it doesn't matter. I'm saying that not all facilities have that luxury and that's why the switch is there. And in MY experience, the best choice is to put the switch in 'auto'.
> (I) also claim(ed):
> "If the machine records input video using a different external reference, there is the possibility that the recording will be no good because there is no guarantee that the reference matches the input video. Your advice, as well-meaning as it may be, could result in a totally useless recording, and you would not know it until you tried to play it back later."
You answered:
> It never has and it never will. The reason, as you well know, is because I monitor playback while I'm recording via the Confidence head. It's there for that explicit reason.
I reply:
OK, yes you can monitor as you record. But that's not why you haven't had a problem. Confidence playback simply allows you to see the problem as it occurs. This also assumes that you are WATCHING the entire recording as it progresses. But this issue of confidence-monitoring is different from the actual discussion here. The real reason you've not had a problem is because your external reference and your edit rooms actually are all running from the same reference. That is your choice and as I said it works for you. But it doesn't work in all cases and that's why the switch is there. Let's say for example that you record from a room that for some reason is NOT locked to your external reference and you didn't know it (and your VTR is set to record referenced from the external ref). If you don't confidence-monitor it, you would not know that the recording was no good until the tape was played back later. If you're the only one responsible for this and you know that you'd catch it, that's great. But in my experience, one person is not always the one to do the work. Others may not be as conscientous as you.
Where I work (and in many other facilities I've worked before), the need to do quality work is not left up to chance. While there are many people who care about their work and are diligent in doing a good job, it's always best to build a system that minimizes the risk of errors. There are many facilities where work comes in which is not running at the local reference, such as a feed by satellite. Yours apparently is not such a facility. All the work you do is in-house. Having your VTRs locked to your external reference while recording works for you because everything should be running at that same reference. Such is not the case for everyone, and further, it could still bite you in the butt if things don't go right.
I previously said:
> "I've known Bob Zelin for 33 years. I think it's a bit presumptuous to assume he would offer your advice. Your reasoning for why "VTR Techs" would give this advice is inaccurate. Perhaps your reasoning is derived from your own experience, but it's wrong information. The fact is, when recording input video on a VTR, it is ALWAYS best to use that input video as the reference."
You said:
> My information is backed up by years of personal and professional experience. I would offer a 100% fail proof guarantee on this. You can have a different opinion, but I am not wrong on this matter.
I answer:
I too have years of personal and professional experience. Perhaps our professional history is so different that we approach this issue from very different perspectives. I agree that I should not have simply stated that your information is wrong. It's more like your information is 'incomplete'. There ARE scenarios where your use of external reference at the VTR will result in a bad recording. Perhaps it hasn't happened yet; perhaps it never will for you. But it's not the way I would suggest doing things. I still stand by what I said. But you're welcome to continue doing what you're doing.
You:
> And please, by all means, ask your friend.
Me:
I'm hoping he'll pipe up on his own, but if not, I'm confident in what I've said here.
Dennis Degan, Video Editor-Consultant-Knowledge Bank
NBC Today Show, New York
NBC Today Show, New York
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