This IS the Avid L2: Re: [Avid-L2] Re: Unstable composite video out on SRW5500 when using internal black?

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.

You also claim:

"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."

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'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."

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.

And please, by all means, ask your friend.

On Tue, Nov 12, 2013 at 8:17 PM, Dennis Degan <DennyD1@verizon.net> wrote:

It was previously stated:

> "Virtually every "VTR Tech" I meet from rental houses always suggests using video input servo reference"

On Nov 12, 2013, at 7:14 PM, Mark Spano wrote:

> This is because virtually every "VTR Tech" from those places is tired of hearing calls about "why is the stop light flashing" and "how do I adjust vertical hold on my layoff". This 'advice' is only for people who rent decks and have little to zero knowledge of how they should be used. My advice is to ask me, or ask Bob Z, who would (I am sure) tell them what I'm telling you. And we both have loads of experience trying to scrub the world of nonsense advice being passed off as sound…

I jump in:

One of the reasons a reference switch is present on the machine is because there are many ways these VTR's can be installed and used. 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. 'Auto' allows both conditions to happen. 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. I'm sure that the reference at your facility is coincident with all your edit rooms' video outputs, so for you it's not an issue.

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. If you have bad input video causing trouble, using an external reference for recording is NOT the way to fix it.

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