Digital Video - June 2008 - (Page 10)

DV UPDATE HD, but many people are more comfortable with DVCPRO HD. In addition, the hardware requirements for ProRes 422 are limited to the newest machines, so MOTU’s V3HD becomes the ideal product for customers on recent G5s who’d like to stay with DVCPRO HD. (See page 30.) MOTU also quietly previewed its next-gen model, the V4HD to a select few at NAB, and it will be covered in a future issue. Last year, AJA made a big splash with Io HD, which finally shipped towards the end of the year. Most of their news this year was in enhancements to existing products and improvements or additions to the mini-converter line. One of the biggest, “little” items is the release of Mac drivers for Adobe CS3 Production Premium (expected by Q3 of this year). This will be a free upgrade to Kona customers and will allow editors to access the Kona hardware whether cutting on Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro CS3 on the same workstation. Blackmagic Design has also been closely associated with Final Cut Pro, but this year they chose to expand in a number of new directions. First is a new line of mini-converters, entering a space largely dominated by AJA, Cobalt and Miranda to date. The biggest impression, though, was made by the new Broadcast Videohub — a 72x144 SD, HD, 3Gb/s SDI and RS-422 router for an astounding price of $14,995. Many of their existing Decklink and Multibridge products also support the 3Gbps standard, which permits dual-link content to be transmitted over a single cable. One new card from Blackmagic is the Decklink HD Extreme, an SD, HD and 2K card with SDI, HDMI and analog connections for under a thousand bucks. However, what probably caught the eye of most booth passers-by were the new Blackmagic Video Recorders. (See page 29.) Thanks to the Red One camera and the continued move of DI technology to the mainstream, products that generally fall under the concept of a digital film lab have become a key part of the show. One example is Assimilate’s Scratch Cine, a customized version of the Scratch software designed to deal specifically with Red’s .R3D camera raw file format. Scratch Cine is optimized to conform, preview and perform primary color grading on Red’s 4K files in real time. It was demo’ed on a specially configured BOXX 3 THINGS YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU BUY THAT NEW CAMERA S o you researched your camera both in magazines and in the online internet forums. Compiled all the information that makes sense to you? Now you only have to do one thing actually buy the camera. But, before you pull the trigger on that purchase, here are some questions that you should ask yourself first, courtesy of Jim Martin, of the Hollywoodbased equipment house Birns & Sawyer. project, then you want the highest resolution/sharpest camera you can afford. If not, then obviously this isn’t as much of a concern. Most cameras in the various price ranges come with both 60i (used mainly for sports events and “run & gun” documentaries) and 24p (better suited for narrative), so that shouldn’t be a factor in your decision anymore. So, what is your project going to look like? And how important is that to you? have as much compression as tape and are convenient in that they don’t need to be digitized by the editor. That said, digital tape is cheaper. It is better for archiving, and if going on location and shooting a lot of material, tape is more convenient as typically with memory cards you’ll be in the position of always have to store ‘n’ wipe cards and if shooting on a tight budget, the last thing you want to worry about is if you’ve still got enough power in the laptop to store ‘n’ wipe another card when you’ve barely got enough power left for the camera itself. If the editor complains about your choice of tape over memory card, it might be time to find another editor. 1 PLANNING TO PROJECT OR STAY “SMALL SCREEN” (LIKE WEB-BASED CONTENT)? If you’re planning to 2 TAPE OR MEMORY CARDS? Memory cards do not ERROR REPORT 3 THINKING OF BUYING FROM A “GRAY MARKET” STORE? The prices may look enticing. This is In May’s “Tools & Technology,” we ran the wrong photo of Kinomatik’s MOVIETube Jr. 35mm lens adapter, which is available in the U.S. through Abel Cine Tech (www.abelcine.com). The correct image of the mounted device is seen here. DV regrets the error. because they deal in cameras made for sale in another country, and because of lower pricing in that country they can offer cameras for well below cost. But beware, as that cost will creep up: typically the extras that are usually included in box will be sold to you separately at extra cost. Also, by buying from a “gray market” store, you will not qualify for the manufacturer’s warranty (they will offer you a third-party warranty at an additional cost) or any manufacturers rebates or bonuses (you will have to contact the country the camera is made for that). Remember, by buying from a legit retailer, you are actually buying the camera at or just slightly above cost. And you will probably save money in the end, as well as a lot of hassle. — Justin Stanley 10 dv june 2008 www.dv.com http://www.abelcine.com http://www.dv.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Digital Video - June 2008

Digital Video - June 2008 Contents DV Update My Studio Runners World Brevis Flip 35MM Lens Adapter 4160 Soom Tripod System Century Essential-5 Filter Kit Little Big Disk Quadra Instant Expert DXA-2S Adapter Technology Treasures Making What You See Sound Great Click to Play DV 101 Production Diary

Digital Video - June 2008

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