ZEN Computer Services - Product Notes

Matrox RT.X2 - now supports Adobe CS4 and Vista 64bit operating system

The latest v4.0 driver release from Matrox for the RT.X2 is intended for use with Premiere Pro CS4, v4.01, and also supports the 64bit versions of Vista Business & Vista Ultimate, allowing increased memory configurations above the previous 4GB barrier. 32bit versions of WinXP and Vista continue to be supported. The Matrox RT.X2 LE is a size-reduced version of the existing RT.X2 real-time native HDV and DV editing card. It has all the features of the full RT.X2 except the HD DVI monitoring output, and is sold with a breakout box and drivers for Adobe Premiere Pro CS3®   Click here for sample systems & card prices   Whereas the RT.X2 is based on a full-length PCI-Express card which restricts the choice of cases, the RT.X2 LE is a 3/4 length card similar to the RT.X100 which fits most standard PC cases. Based on Matrox's Axio architecture, the RT.X2 series is designed primarily for real-time native HDV and DV editing. It also provides a high-quality MPEG-2 4:2:2 I-frame codec so users can capture other HD and SD formats using RT.X2's analogue inputs (composite, Y/C & YUV component) and mix all types of footage on the timeline in real time.  HD Monitoring is available via analogue YUV on all models, plus a DVI output on the back of the full-size RT.X2 card. Read more...

New V4.0 drivers  for Premiere Pro CS4.01 only

Matrox RT.X2 release 4.0 is available from Matrox on 22st December 2008, and includes the following new features:

• Support for Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, version 4.0.1 (earlier versions of Adobe Premiere Pro are not supported).
• Support for the 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows Vista Business or Ultimate allows users to break the memory limitations of 32-bit operating systems and install more than 4 GB of RAM on their system for improved stability and performance. Vista 64-bit also breaks the 2 terabyte disk-size limitation which exists in 32-bit operating systems. Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista Business, and Windows Vista Ultimate (32-bit versions) are also supported.
• New DVI monitor calibration utility that turns your DVI monitor into a true-color video display for use with SD and HD video. Controls for hue, chroma, contrast, brightness, and blue-only let you adjust and control your DVI monitor exactly as you would a broadcast HD/SD video monitor. (Not applicable to RT.X2 LE or RT.X2 SD.)
• WYSIWYG support for Adobe Encore CS4 that lets you preview video played back from the timeline on your video monitor by setting the player for your project to Matrox Player (available on the Advanced page of the Project Settings dialog box).

Please note that in order to offer CS4 and Vista 64-bit support as quickly as possible, there is no support yet for Matrox accelerated exports until a subsequent release. For now, exports are only supported in VFW mode. Matrox accelerated exports will be available via a custom menu shortly. This export will be performed in a modal fashion (like in CS3) so users save the setup time and disk space required to run the Adobe Media Encoder. However, they will have to wait for the export to complete in order to continue working.

Version 4 drivers for Axio & Premiere CS4 will follow in Jan 2009, with similar features plus new formats like XDCAM HD422.

Big price reduction for Avid MEDIA COMPOSER Avid have virtually halved the price of Media Composer to 1590.00, and registered owners of Avid Xpress Pro can upgrade for only 310.00. Although Xpress Pro is still currently available, this is the first stage to merging the two products later in the year. More Avid info & prices

Click on image to enlarge

The changing face of Manchester - Those of you who have bought systems from us in the last few years may be familiar with our "Manchester Skyline" Windows wallpaper image (left) taken in January 2003 (from outside our old premises in Salford Quays). There has been a huge increase in residential building in the city since then, including the Beetham Tower, so we thought we'd offer an updated image from Summer 2006 (right).

Avid Mojo SDI - high quality I/O for Xpress Pro v5.5+ & MC The Mojo SDI is an up-rated version of Avid's analogue Mojo DNA external hardware add-on for their Xpress Pro HD (and Media Composer) software. As well as serial digital video, Avid Mojo SDI also provides I/O for IEEE-1394, and either component or composite and S-video. Mojo SDI supports up to 8 channels of embedded audio over SDI and 2 channels of optical S/PDIF audio, with additional connections for 4 channels of AES/EBU audio. And unlike some other add-on hardware, Mojo lets you capture audio or video while also providing output of the same source, so you can monitor what you're capturing, including watching video on a client monitor while recording voiceover. In addition, Avid Mojo and Avid Mojo SDI let you monitor and output HD timelines in SD with real-time down-convert. Read more about Xpress Pro HD on our Avid page    or see it in action on our demo suite

Looking back at Caption Generation ...    (new article Aug 2008)

Back in the days before microprocessors, Character Generators were members of the Graphics Department armed with sheets of Letraset and cardboard. The finished caption cards were then handed over to the stage crew who acted as "Caption Pullers". For a title caption sequence, cards were stacked in shooting order alternately into two separate piles (like A/B film rolls) and placed on blackboard-style easels somewhere in the studio. Two cameras (and cameramen) would be assigned to shooting the captions, with the Vision Mixer switching between them. As soon as the red light went out on the camera, the Caption Puller would pull the top caption off the pile and the cameraman would frame up on the one underneath.

The more complicated captions were made as a multi-layer cardboard sandwich, with holes in the front layer behind which cardboard tabs could be pulled out to reveal additional text or images beneath. Each one had to be individually made by hand and, with a few exceptions like the opening/closing station logo, could rarely be used again. (read more...)

The art of better sound - when to say "No"  (article on the support page)

For some people, their experience of recording sound starts with making wedding videos or recording other live events. As a sound recordist, you’re there to capture whatever is happening, as best you can. Getting better sound under those conditions usually involves better equipment, or making better use of what you’ve already got. But not all shoots are like that, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that’s the only way of working. What I’m saying is that whenever you can have any control over your environment, you should try to make use of it.

Directors and cameramen don’t make things easy. Sound is rarely seen as being as important as the pictures, and the soundman is well down the production hierarchy, so you have to learn to be assertive (but tactful). With few exceptions, no-one else on location actually listens to sound objectively. The human brain is remarkably good at rejecting unwanted noise when it suits us, and locations are usually chosen on the basis of how they look, not how they sound. Camera lenses offer 100% rejection of anything out of shot, but microphones don't, no matter how directional you think they are. So don’t just accept shooting in a noisy location without exploring the alternatives. Continued - read more...

Broadcast workflow on a DV budget

Once again we have been working on My North West for Granada TV, and the second series is now complete (weekly transmission started 7.30pm Thursday 23rd Aug 2007). This time there were 8 episodes, and we were involved with the location sound as well as online-editing/grading/dubbing. Unlike last year, the edit software this time was Avid Xpress Pro, and transfers to DigiBeta were via the SDI Mojo. All episodes passed Tech Review first time, except for one which was hit by the little-publicised Avid "green lines" codec bug in v5.2. So now we are better equipped than ever to offer our services and support to anyone undertaking independent production for broadcast. 

Last year had the opportunity to test the Matrox RTX100 & Blackmagic Decklink cards in an "end to end" production process in which DVCam tapes for "My North West" were captured via an RTX100 and edited in 16:9 format using Premiere Pro v1.5 before being played out over SDI to DigiBeta via a Decklink card, again running with Premiere Pro. After the first five episodes had been transmitted in the Granada (North West) region, the viewing figures for Ep5 were 20% of the regional audience, against a national average of 15%.You can click here to see a 20 sec promo of Series 1. Please note, if you watched it with an eye for technical quality, that the best bits represent what the camera and edit system are capable of, and the worst bits represent the limitations of shooting on a DV format (eg with high contrast lighting conditions) or using less than optimum settings on the camera (which was an Ikegami HL-DV7). If you are in need of a broadcast mastering service, or just want to talk about our experience of using the equipment in this way, then give us a call and talk to Martin! (www.dv2broadcast.co.uk)

Exclusive Product RTX-CVO Lost or damaged the breakout cable for your RT.X10 or RT.X100? Or need something simpler to just get a video output for monitoring? The RTX-CVO plugs directly into any Matrox RTX card to give composite video out on a female BNC connector. Price - 15.00

Systems we have been building...

...actually this is a rebuild of an RTX100 system. This particular example has 2000GB (2TB!) of RAID-6 storage using 400GB SATA drives on a PCI-Express controller (that's what the bunch of red data cables are for). RAID-6 can withstand two concurrent disk failures without loss of data, which is a worthwhile precaution when you consider how much video work you can store on 2TB, and how long it would take to replace.

The motherboard supports the latest Intel 45nm track pitch CPUs, and it's fitted with a Quad Core Q9300 processor together with 4GB of  RAM. The motherboard also has onboard SATA, e-SATA & PATA disk controllers, 8x USB ports, 2x 1394 ports and 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports!  Here's the system spec:-

Quad-core Core-duo CPU, 4GB DDR2 RAM,  Intel chipset M/B including PCI-Express, SATA, 1394, USB2, Gigabit ethernet, 8-ch audio, Mid-tower case, 535W PSU, Fixed 320GB system/data disk, 7-drive 2TB SATA in RAID-6 config, of which 5 drives are in front-access bays, 3.5"FD, 16-speed dual-layer DVD-ReWriter, Nvidia 256MB PCI-Ex 6600 graphics card Soundblaster Audigy sound card, 54g wireless network card
Matrox RT.X100 Collection & Windows XP Pro

     Click here for more info/prices on Matrox RTX systems

Lease plans and finance can be arranged for business users on all systems
Note - all prices quoted on this site are UK pounds - ex VAT

Production Services from DV2Broadcast Sound Recording, Lighting, Audio Dubbing Picture Grading, Broadcast Mastering and more...

Here at ZEN we have successfully used AVG Anti Virus for many years on our PCs, and can definitely recommend it!

Copyright © 2008 Zen Computer Services.
All rights reserved. E&OE
Revised: 23 December, 2008.