Friday, March 27, 2015

Re: [Avid-L2] Editstor Anyone?

 

we ran archion chassis on our unity but had terrrible problems with their QA and customer service.  in 3yrs we had 3 raid controllers in the unit fail.  they simply didnt back their product and in each instance would not replace the faulty controller without holding us hostage for a wire transfer amounting to the full price of the chassis, not the cheepo 100$ controller they were putting in them...

in the end we ate the cost of the dead unit, chalked it up to a lesson in cust service and gave the chassis to avid so they could determine if their method of 'working with unity' infringed on any patents...

i would not recommend them.


David C. Ballard

Principal, LABTOPIA FARMS

404.876.4601
dave@labtopiafarms.com


From: "'Nigel Gourley' avid-l@outpostfacilities.co.uk [Avid-L2]" <Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com>
Reply-To: "Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com" <Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Friday, March 27, 2015 at 1:57 PM
To: "Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com" <Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: RE: [Avid-L2] Editstor Anyone?

 

I have to say we had an Archion expansion on our unity 5 and it worked flawlessly.  I'd definitely recommend them as a company

 

NIge

 

From: Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: 25 March 2015 23:13
To: Avid L2
Subject: [Avid-L2] Editstor Anyone?

 

 

Anybody using Editstor with 12 or more Avid workstations on fibre or ethernet?  Sounds to be very Avid compatible with better throughput than Isis at a much lower cost.  It's part of the Archion family headquartered in Burbank, CA.   I haven't been anywhere running Editstor but I've seen plenty of Archion add on to unity expansion chassis.  I have heard mixed reviews on the expansion chassis with older unities.  I did have a gig where copying large files on the desktop level would error out when the Archion add on chassis was involved.  That was a small production company on a fairly old Avid setup with unity so it might not be representative of the Archion expansion chassis. 

 

John Moore
Barking Trout Productions
Studio City, CA
bigfish@pacbell.net

__._,_.___
Posted by: "David C. Ballard" <dave@labtopiafarms.com>
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (4)

.

__,_._,___
Posted by Video Geek Squad at 5:54 PM 0 comments

Re: [Avid-L2] M-Audio Firewire 410 Device Help Needed

 

RCA from the deck into S/PDIF? That won't work at all. S/PDIF is a digital input. Your cassette deck is analog. You need to go RCA out from the deck into the analog line inputs (via RCA to 1/4" adapters).



On Fri, Mar 27, 2015 at 2:24 PM, David Dodson davidadodson@sbcglobal.net [Avid-L2] <Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

Anyone have any experience with the M-Audio Firewire 410 box? I've got it in-between a Sony cassette deck and my Macbook Pro. RCA's out of the deck into the RCA - S/PDIF IN's on the M-Audio box. Then it goes Firewire out of the M-Audio to the Firewire port of the Macbook Pro. All appropriate drivers are installed, and Firewire 410 is selected as Sound Input in Preferences, but no joy. The computer doesn't see the deck, and the M-Audio app hangs whenever I try to open it.

Any advice or counsel or wisdom or experience that might lead me out of the woods here?

Thanks,

DD

David Dodson
davidadodson@sbcglobal.net


__._,_.___
Posted by: Mark Spano <cutandcover@gmail.com>
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (2)

.

__,_._,___
Posted by Video Geek Squad at 1:01 PM 0 comments

Re: [Avid-L2] Avid Connect?

 

Great! I'll be there on Saturday.

Enviado desde mi teléfono.

El mar 27, 2015 1:44 PM, "Greg Staten gregstaten@gmail.com [Avid-L2]" <Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com> escribió:
 

Hi everyone,

I was wondering who from the list is planning on attending Avid Connect. I'll be at the event this year - and indeed part of a panel on Saturday. It will be good to see many of you all again!

Reply off-list if desired.

__._,_.___
Posted by: Agustin Goya <agustingoya@gmail.com>
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (2)

.

__,_._,___
Posted by Video Geek Squad at 12:13 PM 0 comments

[Avid-L2] M-Audio Firewire 410 Device Help Needed

 

Anyone have any experience with the M-Audio Firewire 410 box? I've got it in-between a Sony cassette deck and my Macbook Pro. RCA's out of the deck into the RCA - S/PDIF IN's on the M-Audio box. Then it goes Firewire out of the M-Audio to the Firewire port of the Macbook Pro. All appropriate drivers are installed, and Firewire 410 is selected as Sound Input in Preferences, but no joy. The computer doesn't see the deck, and the M-Audio app hangs whenever I try to open it.

Any advice or counsel or wisdom or experience that might lead me out of the woods here?

Thanks,

DD

David Dodson
davidadodson@sbcglobal.net

__._,_.___
Posted by: David Dodson <davidadodson@sbcglobal.net>
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (1)

.

__,_._,___
Posted by Video Geek Squad at 11:24 AM 0 comments

RE: [Avid-L2] Editstor Anyone?

 

I have to say we had an Archion expansion on our unity 5 and it worked flawlessly.  I'd definitely recommend them as a company

 

NIge

 

From: Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: 25 March 2015 23:13
To: Avid L2
Subject: [Avid-L2] Editstor Anyone?

 

 

Anybody using Editstor with 12 or more Avid workstations on fibre or ethernet?  Sounds to be very Avid compatible with better throughput than Isis at a much lower cost.  It's part of the Archion family headquartered in Burbank, CA.   I haven't been anywhere running Editstor but I've seen plenty of Archion add on to unity expansion chassis.  I have heard mixed reviews on the expansion chassis with older unities.  I did have a gig where copying large files on the desktop level would error out when the Archion add on chassis was involved.  That was a small production company on a fairly old Avid setup with unity so it might not be representative of the Archion expansion chassis. 

 

John Moore
Barking Trout Productions
Studio City, CA
bigfish@pacbell.net

__._,_.___
Posted by: "Nigel Gourley" <avid-l@outpostfacilities.co.uk>
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (3)

.

__,_._,___
Posted by Video Geek Squad at 10:57 AM 0 comments

Re: [Avid-L2] OT: Today in QC corner

 

I thought I had a wife and daughter that fulfill my quota of being messed with.  I don't need any additional messing with.  Of course if I could solve my domestic messing with by a one pixel blow up I wouldn't think twice.  Unfortunately even an old Squeeze Zoom couldn't get me out of some of my messes and then my wife blows up way more than one pixel.  Like the time I moved the roof antenna while she was away.  I'm still failing QC over that.  ;-(



---In avid-l2@yahoogroups.com, <DennyD1@...> wrote :


On Mar 26, 2015, at 9:40 PM, John Moore wrote:

> Unrelated to yesterdays blanking issues/non issues there was another show we were told some of the shots look to be 1 frame out of sync.  We checked the time codes and went ahead and bumped the shots a frame.  It seemed slightly better but my bay has monitor lag of over a frame, which I've measured with my sync check box.  At any rate we did the QC notes and sent back the file.  Today we hear back we can't tell if you did anything.  Do you have a copy of the old file we can compare?  There was an obvious picture fix and then the sync issues that they can't seem to tell if they are fixed unless they compare to the previous file.  If it doesn't look out of sync today then why compare?  One frame is pretty hard to see although it is more apparent in 23.976 but if you can't see the difference it probably wasn't off to begin with.  And the wheel goes round and round.

I observe:

They do like messing with you eh, John?   ;)

Dennis Degan, Video Editor-Consultant-Knowledge Bank
    NBC Today Show, New York


__._,_.___
Posted by: bigfish@pacbell.net
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (3)

.

__,_._,___
Posted by Video Geek Squad at 10:53 AM 0 comments

[Avid-L2] Avid Connect?

 

Hi everyone,

I was wondering who from the list is planning on attending Avid Connect. I'll be at the event this year - and indeed part of a panel on Saturday. It will be good to see many of you all again!

Reply off-list if desired.

__._,_.___
Posted by: Greg Staten <gregstaten@gmail.com>
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (1)

.

__,_._,___
Posted by Video Geek Squad at 9:44 AM 0 comments

Re: [Avid-L2] OT: Today in QC corner

 


On Mar 26, 2015, at 9:40 PM, John Moore wrote:

> Unrelated to yesterdays blanking issues/non issues there was another show we were told some of the shots look to be 1 frame out of sync.  We checked the time codes and went ahead and bumped the shots a frame.  It seemed slightly better but my bay has monitor lag of over a frame, which I've measured with my sync check box.  At any rate we did the QC notes and sent back the file.  Today we hear back we can't tell if you did anything.  Do you have a copy of the old file we can compare?  There was an obvious picture fix and then the sync issues that they can't seem to tell if they are fixed unless they compare to the previous file.  If it doesn't look out of sync today then why compare?  One frame is pretty hard to see although it is more apparent in 23.976 but if you can't see the difference it probably wasn't off to begin with.  And the wheel goes round and round.

I observe:

They do like messing with you eh, John?   ;)

Dennis Degan, Video Editor-Consultant-Knowledge Bank
    NBC Today Show, New York

__._,_.___
Posted by: Dennis Degan <dennyd1@verizon.net>
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (2)

.

__,_._,___
Posted by Video Geek Squad at 9:03 AM 0 comments

[Avid-L2] Re: another one bites the dust :-(

 

From the article: " To do this, it is essential for the company to shed commoditized businesses." Translation - you can't make money at the low-end as a services company by hoping to make it up in volume.


- Oliver

__._,_.___
Posted by: oliverpeters@oliverpeters.com
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (2)

.

__,_._,___
Posted by Video Geek Squad at 6:20 AM 0 comments

[Avid-L2] Re: Finally a blanking QC note?

 

This is one of the main gripes Post houses and Facilities have with the broadcasters. We have a UK broadcast standard (thanks to the DPP) that clearly states no blanking is permitted in HD content. (Actually it’s not blanking and hasn’t been since we moved from analogue. It’s just non active content which is normally black.) Plus a whole load of other requirements. Who gets to see content that hasn’t got burnout highlights nowadays? Tech spec clearly states content should be properly exposed.

 

I hate to blow up content to fix a 1 or 2 pixel non active content issue as it softens the image. (often a slightly bigger blow up will look better) But the better solution is to crop the non active content and the underneath the image have a blown up copy. So effectively you sort of clone that edge.

No loss of quality that way.

 

At VET I’ve been delivering a 3 day Broadcast QC course (shameless plug) http://vet.co.uk/training/courses/vet-technical/qc-quality-control/ (skillset funding available for this)

 

This is aimed more at tackling the more traditional QC techniques but has already started to evolve into the new file based delivery and QC issue.

A lot of bigger facilities use this course or a bespoke version to harmonise their QC staff and the way they report QC.

 

We hope to have a fully AS-11 file based QC course available soon (2 or 3 days not sure which yet) which will cover eyeball QC as well as AQC and workflows.

 

We already cover a whole range of loudness, AS-11 and DPP related half day courses and an ongoing issue raised by the technical people who attend is the widening gap between what broadcasters document as requirements and what they actually accept and broadcast.

 

It’s almost like the spec is so far off what’s being produced everything is a fail technically. Leaving Post Houses in a vulnerable position.

 

The DPP linkedin group is a useful place to raise issues like this as a number of senior Posthouse and facilities folks hang out there as well as some broadcast input.

 

I’m happy to discuss issues as well.

Pat Horridge
Technical Director, Trainer, Avid Certified Instructor
VET
Production    Editing     Digital Media     Design     DVD
T +44 (0)20 7505 4701 | F +44 (0)20 7505 4800 | E pat@vet.co.uk |
www.vet.co.uk | Lux Building 2-4 Hoxton Square  London N1 6US

 

__._,_.___
Posted by: "Pat Horridge" <pat@horridge.org.uk>
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (4)

.

__,_._,___
Posted by Video Geek Squad at 2:52 AM 0 comments

Thursday, March 26, 2015

[Avid-L2] BCC 8.2 Update Fixes Crash on Deinterlace Effect

 

Ran into a sequence using BCC 8.1 Deinterlace Effect.  Every time I tried to open the Effects editor on the effect Avid would crash with a main thread buss error.  I'm on MacPro mid 2012 12 core OS 10.8.5 Avid SNDX 6.5.4.  I found even applying the effect fresh would crash upon opening effects editor.  I reached out to Mr. Dirk at Boris and found out this was a known bug that is fixed in the ver. 8.2 update.

Here's what I was told:
"searching my email archive I find it as a known crash bug which was fixed in BCC AVX 8.2 update - so I think updating the BCC AVX version on the system will avoid it - going here and clicking on the "Continuum Complete AVX" link should lead you to the download - it's a free update and updating it should not require a serial number or affect licensing"

The link for the update is here:

This if free if you have BCC 8 and there is also one for BCC9.  The upgrade will keep you existing license intact and install without a need to uninstall the existing BCC.  Hope this helps someone else before they find out the hard way.
 
John Moore
Barking Trout Productions
Studio City, CA
bigfish@pacbell.net

__._,_.___
Posted by: John Moore <bigfish@pacbell.net>
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (1)

.

__,_._,___
Posted by Video Geek Squad at 10:16 PM 0 comments

[Avid-L2] OT: Today in QC corner

 

Unrelated to yesterdays blanking issues/non issues there was another show we were told some of the shots look to be 1 frame out of sync.  We checked the time codes and went ahead and bumped the shots a frame.  It seemed slightly better but my bay has monitor lag of over a frame, which I've measured with my sync check box.  At any rate we did the QC notes and sent back the file.  Today we hear back we can't tell if you did anything.  Do you have a copy of the old file we can compare?  There was an obvious picture fix and then the sync issues that they can't seem to tell if they are fixed unless they compare to the previous file.  If it doesn't look out of sync today then why compare?  One frame is pretty hard to see although it is more apparent in 23.976 but if you can't see the difference it probably wasn't off to begin with.  And the wheel goes round and round.
 
John Moore
Barking Trout Productions
Studio City, CA
bigfish@pacbell.net

__._,_.___
Posted by: John Moore <bigfish@pacbell.net>
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (1)

.

__,_._,___
Posted by Video Geek Squad at 6:40 PM 0 comments

RE: [Avid-L2] Finally a blanking QC note?

 

One of the executives catch phrases is, "Hey we're not doing Avatar!!!"  What's surprising to me is the QC folks at Technicolor are use to working on things like Avatar and they passed this show.  It's the distributor who is flagging one line of vertical blanking and horizontal blanking is within any conventional spec.  It's much less than the blanking on our DVCProHD cameras and we deliver that alll the time.  The flaggin is more a result of the one camera having a difference from the other cameras but I'm still surprised that the Silverlight player isn't cropping the edges enough to mask edge anomalies which have always existed and why many monitors have setting to slightly overscan etc....



---In avid-l2@yahoogroups.com, <kwikpasta@...> wrote :

I routinely fail things for blanking issues over here in the UK.  1 pixel down the edge or one line at the top is enough to send it back to the editor.  Personally I feel it can be overkill but it's what I'm told to do so I do it.  It's more about arse-covering than anything else.  If we're sending something on to BBC worldwide or wherever we don't want it coming back as it affects our status as a preferred supplier and you never know what kind of jobsworth you get further down the chain complaining about dead pixels, audio clicks etc.  When I do a QAR report for these places we put on a huge amount of extra detail regarding all manner of pointless things like chromatic aberration on high contrast edges etc, things that are just natural results of filming but that some people will flag up as errors, just so that we can point to our report if someone tries to fail it and say "look, we mentioned it on the report and it's signed off".  I've sent 4 page long QARs before just listing endless examples of stuff that is deemed to possibly arouse the ire of some QC monkey (as you like to call us John! ;)) further down the line.  For me it's about common sense but not everyone is able to put things in context and say actually that's fine, don't worry about it. 

Silverlight I have no idea about but to be honest I do tend to notice blanking errors more when I'm watching on a player with a very definite digital edge so ultimately I do agree that all the blanking issues should be fixed if they're spotted and especially on older shows or archive material because you know to expect it.  Nothing ruins my day like a soft edged pillarbox!

Andi

To: avid-l2@yahoogroups.com
From: Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2015 02:34:01 +0000
Subject: [Avid-L2] Finally a blanking QC note?

 

So today's stroll down QC corner involve H and V blanking.  This is a file with CLAP Atom removed a.k.a. no clean aperture.  This file passed Technicolor QC after a few rounds but now is being flagged at the distribution provider because one of the Arri Cameras, Alexa and Amiras not sure which type is being flagged for what I can only measure as one line of vertical blanking at the top of field 1.  and an ever so slight, much less than dvcproHD tapes we deliver without issue to cable networks, amount of horizontal blanking.  It's virtually a one line spec of black at the top and left edge of active picture.  I measured and Vertically on the flagged camera starts active picture on line 22 Field 1 and line 21 Field 2.  The unflagged cameras start active picture on line 21 on both Fields 1 and 2.  This is 23.976 1080P delivered as ProResHQ 422.  I will blow up the one camera but it just seems like overkill.  I feel like the slight blow up is much more degrading to the image than one very slight line of black at the top of frame.

I'm being told it is a concern about the "SilverLight Player" viewer might be using to watch the show.  It was described as having a black border on the player that makes even this small blanking issue jarring.  Has anyone been hit with this stringent a concern on blanking.  I haven't been hit with blanking in a long time.  I find it hard to believe that this internet streaming service doesn't have some sort of aperture correction to avoid edge of frame issues.  This is 1080P but they also serve up older TV shows etc... that must have much more blanking issues than this which really seems like a non issue to me.  Curious what hoops others have gone through and if anyone has more experience with the gotchas of Silverlight playback interface.
 
John Moore
Barking Trout Productions
Studio City, CA
bigfish@...

__._,_.___
Posted by: bigfish@pacbell.net
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (3)

.

__,_._,___
Posted by Video Geek Squad at 1:48 PM 0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)