Product Spotlight a Safe Harbor blog

Capture Cards for Premiere Pro

0	Posted by Jeff Pulera February 17, 2009

When editing with Adobe Premiere Pro on the PC, the only means of getting video in and out of the system is typically via 1394 Firewire. This may be fine if you only edit DV or HDV footage, but invariably, you or a client will need to work with some legacy analog footage from VHS, 8mm, 3/4" or other tape format.

If working with broadcast gear having SDI or HD-SDI connectors, you’ll need a capture solution for those connections. Capture cards might also provide analog outputs that allow you to record to a VCR or DVD recorder, or view your work on a real video monitor rather than using the small computer screen preview.

AJA XENA Card

The AJA cards can capture uncompressed video in 10 or 12-bit resolution for stunning broadcast quality. Uncompressed footage requires special high-performance storage arrays though, so you also have the option to record to less demanding codecs like DVCPRO HD which have lighter storage requirements.

Depending on the XENA model you choose, you can get features like realtime up-down-cross convert, which can be a lifesaver in a studio setting where you may have to work with many different formats that producers and shooters provide. For example, you may be producing a documentary in 720p for cable TV, and halfway through the project, the TV station changes their required standard to 1080 HD. No problem, the Xena hardware can handle the conversion for you. The Xena card will also provide output to professional video monitors while editing, a must for accurate color grading.

Matrox RT.X2

The RT.X2 can work with DV or HDV footage via Firewire, but also includes a breakout box that accepts and outputs composite, S-video and component video signals along with stereo RCA audio. P2 720p and XDCAM EX files can be imported directly for realtime playback as well.

For capturing HDV video, the RT.X2 offers the benefits of audio level meters, capture preview, scene detect, and even output to an HD display while capturing. These are features that Premiere Pro CS3 and CS4 alone can’t provide.

The real strength of the RT.X2 is in the realtime effects plug-ins provided. By using Matrox Color Correction, Keying, 3D DVE and dozens of other provided effects, rendering is eliminate.! You can add effects and composite multiple layers of video and get immediate full-screen, full-frame rate playback to an external video display. Export to DVD, Blu-ray and web formats is also accelerated by using the realtime effects.

Another benefit of the RT.X2 hardware is its ability to mix SD and HD clips in the same project without rendering. The clips will be upscaled or downscaled automatically to suit the project settings. HD projects can also be output via analog as NTSC, with realtime downscaling applied to the output.

Black Magic Intensity Pro

A third hardware capture option is the Intensity and Intensity Pro cards from Black Magic Design. These cards add the ability to capture from HDMI sources, such as most newer digital camcorders, and will also output to HDMI-equipped LCD panels. The Intensity offers HDMI only, while the Intensity Pro adds composite, S-video and component video I/O for more flexibility.

Users can capture to uncompressed or compressed formats to meet the needs of the project. HD video can be captured at the full 1920x1080 resolution for higher quality than the 1440x1080 native to HDV. Several capture formats are available including AVI, QuickTime, HDV, DV and Black Magic’s own JPEG codec, and these can be mixed in the same Premiere Pro timeline.

There are many additional benefits of working with the XENA , RT.X2, and Intensity cards, but you get the idea – adding a hardware solution to Premiere Pro can improve your workflow in many ways, saving you time and money on every project!

Sony Cinescore Review

0	Posted by Jeff Pulera February 17, 2009

Try watching a movie with the volume muted, and you’ll quickly realize the importance of the soundtrack - the visuals can really lose their impact without the appropriate music.

For most video producers, finding just the right music can be a challenge. There are plenty of royalty-free music collections available, but the songs are never quite the right length, the tempo doesn’t match the action, or the mood is just not right.

Cinescore uses a standard timeline layout that most NLE editors will be right at home with. If you use Sony Vegas, then it will look very familiar indeed! There is one video track and 3 audio tracks. The video clip’s audio would typically use one audio track, with the other two reserved for music and transitions, but you can drop any audio clip onto any audio track.

Cinescore has the tools to do basic cuts and dissolves on video clips, but in most cases the user will bring a completed video into Cinescore just to add the musical scoring to match the video scenes. As with Sony Vegas, Cinescore will allow you to send video to an external display via Firewire to preview your work.

Cinescore Main Interface

The Cinescore workflow begins by importing your video media, then choosing an existing theme (song) from the included library of 20 themes. Each theme has dozens of variations that can be previewed, each having its own unique flavor.

Theme Chooser Interface

After choosing a theme and a variation, the user can also alter the tempo, mood and intensity as well as the length to match the video. Openings and endings can also be customized. A "loop" ending might be used for a DVD menu or kiosk application, while an "abrupt" ending could be used for a TV or radio commercial.

While each theme is basically "infinitely adjustable", you must first find a theme that suits your needs before any tweaking begins. If none of the included themes fits, Sony offers many additional theme collections, and individual tracks can be previewed at the sonycreativesoftware.com website.

While there are currently offerings in several styles including sports, corporate, event and outdoors, I hope that Sony continues to develop and offer new theme packs as well to expand the variety of choices for the end user.

A sampling of sound "transitions" such as swishes, whooshes and hits are included as well. These are not your typical "sound effects", but rather are very brief little bits that might be used in radio commercials, for example.

Besides using the included themes and transitions, you can also import your own songs, audio clips and sound effects in many supported formats for inclusion in the mix. Cinescore can also "rip" tracks direct from CD. Only the special Sony themes can be customized though – your own imported media is simply used as is, with basic trimming, volume and fade controls.

The program and included themes come on disc along with (gasp!) a printed manual, which is a rare find these days. Cinescore also has built-in "Show Me How" tutorials that will walk you through the basics of the interface and common operations. After installing the software and spending a few minutes browsing the manual and tutorials, I was rendering out custom soundtracks of my own with ease.

I mentioned that video can be placed on the timeline and edited with the music. Once you are happy with your soundtrack, the music can be exported by itself as a .wav or other audio file format, but videos can be exported with the music to many different video formats directly, including .avi, QuickTime, MPEG-2 for DVD, and Windows Media .wmv files.

Cinescore is NOT an audio editor or sweetening program – it doesn’t include any audio filters or advanced editing features. It does one thing and does it well, which is creating custom music soundtracks to enhance your video productions.

If you’ve struggled with finding the right buy-out tracks to fit your videos as I have, you’ll want to try out the demo version of Cinescore and you may find it an invaluable tool that will save you time and money and improve each project you complete.

Expand Your Ministry with Dynamic Services and an Engaging Outreach

0	Posted by Safe Harbor Staff January 29, 2009

Some churches achieve results through video presentation. Instead of simply recording the service, which in itself has many benefits, they are investing in professional cameras, projectors, switchers, audio mixers, computers and other editing equipment, as well as involving a trained staff to operate it all! The reward is a beautiful, live service that may very well breathe new life into the message.

But what if your church doesn’t have the budget and staffing capabilities this requires? Are you out of luck? Not at all!

NewTek's original TriCaster

"We had to deal with members who liked the traditional services," explains Michael Yuhas of Church on the North Coast, "but (at the same time), we also needed to meet the contemporary needs of today’s generation. They have many sources pulling their attention, and they do not respond as well to the "old" hymnal-driven church."

The solution for Michael Yuhas and his congregation was NewTek TriCaster, an affordable, all-in-one system that produces professional-quality results without a large investment. Best of all, it is truly simple to use, developed in part for an all-volunteer staff with little or no previous video editing experience.

TriCaster is a small, portable device that can be operated by one or two people, and performs a variety of important functions, including:

• Archive lecture series and sermons for later reference;
• Present a more dynamic service, with live, close-up views of presenters and musicians, and the addition of sermon notes, song lyrics, photos and more!
• Effortlessly broadcast the service to classrooms and nurseries;
• Stream the service or other religious events, including wedding ceremonies, around the world;
• Create DVDs for easy mass distribution;
• Involve the youth, giving them ministry ownership; and more!

By using a modern approach to worship, Michael Yuhas and Church on the North Coast are finding TriCaster a valuable tool for creating a dynamic and engaging worship experience for all generations. They use their system to supply video backgrounds to three of their five screens, as well as overlay song lyrics over live and pre-recorded video.

Second, consider ease-of-use. Most professional video suites consist of a dizzying assembly of computer-operated screens, knobs, scopes, switches, levers and other technical equipment. One wrong move or unexpected hesitancy during the live recording or editing process could be embarrassing and costly!

Further, if your church doesn’t have an experienced video technician on staff, the substantial investment risks lying dormant, at least; or, at best, your volunteer people face a long-time learning curve that may be too daunting for even the interested, motivated novices to tackle. But, with TriCaster, difficulties in getting up and running are virtually nonexistent.

"Even if we did not have the included DVD training, the small instruction manual that came with TriCaster was enough for us to get started," states Yuhas. "We did not need prior editing experience."

Another church, St. Matthew Lutheran in Appleton, WI, has also chosen TriCaster; they use it to perform live switching, but they’ve taken the next step — they provide a copy of their service to the local cable channel for broadcast to their homebound or hospitalized parishioners, to potential new members, and others who may be interested.

"In the past, we recorded live to VHS tapes. So if we made a mistake, it was recorded. We also had to ‘guess’ when to pause and cut out parts of the service if it tended to be longer than one hour," said St. Matthew’s Jonathan Ruddat. "It’s much easier now because we can make the length (of the recording) exactly fit the cable company's requirements…..and if necessary, we can take good parts from each service to make a seamless, flawless version for cable broadcast."

Recordings for future television broadcast isn’t the only way to spread The Word with TriCaster. The ability to connect to a web server means you can stream your message, live or on-demand, to the world. St. Mark Coptic Orthodox, a growing Washington, DC-area church, broadcasts their Sunday mass, as well as an audio-only stream, live over the Internet. Online services allow those who are unable to attend church to do so "remotely." They also have live feeds from their sanctuary and gymnasium that viewers can tune in to at any time.

"When we first started streaming online, it was used by members who couldn't get to church that Sunday, but news got out, and we found that people were logging on from all over the world," reveals Andrew Mitry, St. Mark’s technical specialist. "We now have an international audience that keeps on growing!"

In fact, St. Mark’s internet congregation has grown so large that they’ve created a dedicated website just for their online viewers. The site, OrthodoxSermons.org, contains archives of past sermons and Bible studies, all downloadable, and all supported financially by the viewers.

Whether your church can benefit from implementing an all in one video system, whether it’s new for your church or you are replacing old equipment or finding a simpler solution, adding web streaming capability, in-house video projection, or a broadcast-quality production for television, the technology to meet your needs and exceed your expectations is here: NewTek TriCaster!

What is the TriCaster "Live Control" used for?

0	Posted by Jeff Pulera January 14, 2009

The LC-11 Live Control option provides a physical control interface for many of the TriCaster’s functions. Everything the TriCaster does can be controlled via TriCaster’s onscreen interface using the mouse and keyboard, but many users prefer the look, feel and tactile feedback that only switcher buttons and a T-bar can provide, especially if they are experienced with this sort of equipment.

While many events are easily handled by a single TriCaster operator, more complex events may go smoother using a team approach. One person can run the switcher while another prepares graphics and video playback clips. In school settings, participation by as many students as possible is necessary, and the switcher will provide room for another set of hands as well as preparing the student for the type of switching interface they might use in a professional studio setting.

The buttons and knobs control much more than basic switching, allowing the user to select titles, transitions, transition speeds, video playback and more. The LC-11 is definitely plug and play, using a single USB connection with no driver installation. The look and feel of the unit is professional all the way and will be a productive addition for most any TriCaster user.

particleIllusion - Smokin' Hot!

0	Posted by Jeff Pulera December 30, 2008

I’ve had my own video production company for 16 years, and while I love new gadgets and software that I can use to enhance my productions, I’ve never gotten into specialized effects software. I have to admit I’ve just been intimidated by the complexity and learning curves involved, not to mention the long render times which kill my creativity.

Particle Illusion 3.0 has changed all that for me. I recently viewed some sample videos at the Wondertouch website and was amazed at what this package has to offer, so I downloaded the fully-functioning trial and was immediately blown away. It’s been quite a while since I got this excited trying new software – I felt like a kid in candy store while playing with the available presets!

This software does one thing, and does it well – particle effects. So just what are particle effects, and why would you need them? Particle effects simulate things like smoke, water, fire, sparks, plasma, explosions, creatures and all kinds of other neat stuff. The applications are virtually endless once you realize how many ways particle effects can be used, from mild to wild.

Particles are produced by an emitter, and there are over 1500 different emitters included. Every month, Wondertouch makes more available for download to increase your collection at no charge. The emitters provide realtime feedback in the preview window – click on an emitter icon to select it, then drag your mouse around in the preview window to make fiery meteor trails, smoke, water jets, sparkles or whatever! I was mesmerized playing with every preset and lost all track of time.

Interface

I’d normally expect an effect preview to be of a reduced quality and frame rate, but playing with the emitters provides super detailed, realistic and realtime feedback. I could imagine the possibilities of using these in my own productions, even weddings – use particles to enhance title write-ons, or add fireworks above the couple for the big kiss (observe local fire codes, for outdoor use only).

This is THE must-have tool for sci-fi and action videos to create amazing effects like explosions, smoke, flames, rocket exhaust, transporter effects, you name it! Even if you already use a 3D program to create animated scenes, use Particle Illusion for the visual effects and they’ll render in minutes instead of hours!

You can import stills or video clips and add particle effects directly, using keyframes to follow the action, or create your effects with transparent alpha channel backgrounds and composite the results over video in your favorite editing application.

By going through the included tutorials, I was up and running quickly and creating amazing videos. Hey, this is fun stuff! I could go on and on, but just go to the Wondertouch site and check out the sample emitters and video reels, or better yet – try out Particle Illusion 3.0, and you’ll be hooked!

Some Results

Sorenson Squeeze 5 – Above and Beyond!

0	Posted by Safe Harbor Staff December 30, 2008

Reviewed by Jeff Pulera

You’ve completed the editing of your masterpiece, but how will you distribute it to your audience? Today, there are many options including DVD, Blu-ray, Flash, Windows Media, and H.264 to name a few.

Many software editing packages include the ability to output to some, or possibly even all, of the above formats. The drawback to using your NLE software to encode your video is that the editing software is not optimized for creating high quality results in all the formats you may need, while keeping the file size at its smallest.

The award-winning Squeeze 5 from Sorenson Media is an encoder designed to quickly and easily transform your finished video clips into practically any format for disc, web, or personal device, all while keeping the best possible quality!

Squeeze 5 Interface

Anyone can use Squeeze 5 immediately, with almost zero learning curve. It’s a simple, three-step process:

• Click "Import File" to choose a video source clip
• Drag an encoding preset onto your video
• Click "Squeeze It"

Truly, it IS that easy! Just click "play" to review your new clip as soon as the encoding completes.

Whether you’re a video novice or a seasoned veteran, Squeeze 5 is intuitive to use with convenient presets, or use your own settings that can be saved for future projects. For manual control of the encoding process, you have full access to all the advanced encoding parameters to customize the end result.

Compression Settings

The output quality is exceptional and the rendering speed is good on a fast workstation.

One of my favorite features is batch encoding – drag multiple presets into the batch list, such as Blu-ray, DVD, iPod and H.264 and it will encode to all formats at once for multi-purposed content delivery.

Squeeze 5 also has great automation features. Set up a Watch Folder, and whenever a new video appears in it, it will be encoded to the preset(s) of your choice and can even be automatically uploaded to an FTP site. For example, a news crew could remotely send a video clip to the watch folder, where it would be encoded and uploaded to a website without further user intervention. Or, you could complete the editing of a long-format event video in the evening, and have Premiere Pro export the timeline to a Watch Folder overnight. In the morning, you would find all of your specified delivery formats rendered out by Squeeze 5, ready to go!

Besides video encoding, there are several other perks to using Squeeze 5. In the audio department, it can encode to Dolby Digital AC-3 stereo as well as 5.1 or 7.1 surround. Several basic audio and video preprocessing filters can be applied to your clips, and watermarking can be added to protect your online videos from being "borrowed", which is a common practice with wedding videography samples.

Though not a full-featured DVD authoring application, Squeeze 5 does offer the option to burn your MPEG-2 content to DVD after encoding your video files if you desire.

Sorenson also provides many free online tutorials to help you get the most out of Squeeze 5.

Whether encoding wedding videos for DVD and Blu-ray or creating streaming web content for a Fortune 500 company, Squeeze 5 has you covered with broad file format support, ease of use and excellent quality.

With a free trial download available, you’ll want to take it for a spin and compare to your current encoder. You may find the features it adds to your editing workflow, along with the high-quality results, well worth the investment.

Work REDCODE Native in Final Cut Pro!

0	Posted by Safe Harbor Staff September 11, 2008

KONA 3 from AJA now allows you to work REDCODE native!

"There is no question," says Ted Schilowitz of RED Digital Cinema, "that AJA tools are the best choice for Final Cut Pro editors looking to play out RED Native files to professional monitors via QuickTime reference movies for both offline editorial and online editing/finishing."

Using the free RED Log and Transfer plug-in, users can transcode RED media to Apple Pro Res 422 (HQ) for use within Final Cut Pro. KONA 3 can output these files in 2K or HD at 1080psf 23.98.

For highest quality results, AJA's DPXtoQT Translator application can wrap REDCINE-converted DPX files into Quicktime movies. This allows you to choose a variety of frame rates, and assign 4:4:4 RGB values.

"RED has revolutionized the professional camera market, and is driving growing numbers of filmmakers towards digital acquisition," said Nick Rashby, AJA Video Systems. "We're happy to provide tools that will streamline the post workflows for these early adopters as they implement their 4K digital finishing pipelines."

KONA 3 is ideal for all broadcast and 2k workflows:

• Realtime 10-bit hardware-based conversions
• Video + key output and downstream keyer
• Timecode window output
• HDSL ingest
• Realtime output from 2k

Safe Harbor Computers stocks the complete line of AJA desktop products, along with many popular converters. Check out the AJA catalog online at www.sharbor.com.

Videomaker's Test Bench of the Safe Harbor TSUNAMI RT.X100 Workstation

0	Posted by Safe Harbor Staff September 15, 2004

Read the review at Videomaker!

Matrox Interview

0	Posted by Safe Harbor Staff January 29, 2004

I had an opportunity to sit down with our Matrox representative recently. I wanted to ask some questions about the video industry in general, Matrox in particular, and also to get some ideas about his views of the video industry and how Matrox, as a viable and well-respected manufacturer, plans to succeed in 2004.

Safe Harbor: Overall, was 2003 a successful year for Matrox?

Matrox: Yes, definitely. We launched the RT.X100 Xtreme Pro Suite and Pro Collection into the reseller channel. Real value was added to the Adobe software bundle with the addition of our video card. It put real-time encoding and real-time editing into the hands of pro-sumers and professional editors, alike. It’s a REAL solution with a ton of added value.

Safe Harbor: What do your plans include for 2004?

Matrox: MORE SALES! Our successful trade-in (and trade-UP) promotion is still in effect (until the end of March). Resellers who offer this promotion are reporting some good activity. It’s a great opportunity for anyone with one of our older cards, and also those with certain competitors’ cards, to trade them in for the Matrox solution. For users of competing products, it offers a great chance to give the Matrox/Adobe solution a try OR to upgrade to the newest technology (for those who already own a Matrox card). I suspect there will be more promotions for 2004. In addition, we plan to exhibit at the major trade shows this year, including NAB, DV Expo, Videomaker Expo, and WEVA. We have a large presence at these shows, and we will continue to exhibit. It’s always fun to meet the people face-to-face and show them the RT.X100 in person.

Safe Harbor: How does Matrox position itself in relation to its competitors?

Matrox: In an advantageous way! I think our biggest advantage over our competitors is that we have the BEST set of real-time tools: real-time encoding, real-time effects, and really advanced capture tools. Just see our card in action, and you’ll know what I mean.

Safe Harbor: Why does Matrox continue to stay with Adobe-based systems?

Matrox: Adobe offers a complete set of content-creating tools. You get video editing, audio editing, and DVD authoring in one package. Also, Adobe is popular. There’s a huge community of users out there. Adobe has a big name, an excellent reputation, presence and momentum.Pinnacle has a system in which you do everything in one application. That’s good in some ways, and there are editors who will choose that solution. But Matrox offers a whole suite of products, complete and compatible. It’s easy to jump back and forth within the interface.

Safe Harbor: What surprises are in store for us at NAB, coming up in April?

Matrox: If I tell you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?

Safe Harbor: In what direction does Matrox see this industry moving?

Matrox: HD. Period. As we see more television programs offered in HD, that’s going to be the driving factor. Add to that is the availability of low-cost (under $4000) HD camcorders: the Panasonic AG-DVX100 shoots in 24P and the JVC model JY-HD10U that shoots in DV OR HD format – these are NICE camcorders, and there will be more. These will drive the HD editing business in that anyone who shoots in HD will certainly want to EDIT in HD, as well. The demand for HD content will also be a driving factor. As more and more consumers purchase HD-quality TV’s, they’ll want to maximize that investment with more content! So I predict that a year from now, we’ll have a $2000 consumer-level HD camera. Then there will be more choices for HD editing. This is all really exciting! I think 2004 will see BIG CHANGES in our industry.

The only-downside — and this is what our engineering staff will have to sort through - is that if four or five different HD formats emerge, which one will Matrox support? Time will give us that answer.