Broadcast Profile

[Showd]

Hi,

 

I am interested in a computer Profile with four video channels.

 

I am not familiar with profiles, but from what I can gather, do the 4 video feeds go to the hard disc and you can see all 4 video inputs on a computer screen that you can recrod and play from. Is this correct?

 

If so, can anyone recomended a 4 channel Profile?

 

Thank you.

[paulears]

Hi - and welcome

 

You have used a word I'm not familiar with. A video 'profile'. I'm assuming you mean video mixer.

 

if you search for video in the search box you will find loads of stuff on hardware and software mixers - and mention of panasonic and other popular vision mixers

 

 

price for computer versions depends on the quality - as in thousands of pounds if you want good quality, down to lessthan 100 if you just want lurchy, jerky low res stuff

[Showd]

Hi, paulears,

 

Thank you for the welcome.

 

A "Profile" is a computer based VT player/recorder. It basically is instead of having VT machines and tapes. You record (mostly) short video clips that can be played back through the vision switcher.

 

Thank you for the message, though.

 

Best wishes.

[paulears]

I've been falling over video for many years now - I'm interested because 'profile' is not a word I've ever heard anyone describe a vt (or any other) source as. Where can I find out some more info. I've just been playing inserts in from 4 nNovias and was looking at a doremi for a future project.

 

Any info on where I can find some further info would be appreciated. I've searched on google, but it can't find me any video related web pages dealing with profiles. Is it an american term?

[Peter F]

Where can I find out some more info. I've just been playing inserts in from 4 nNovias and was looking at a doremi for a future project.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

We have 2 oldish models of Doremis and they are very good.

They give you pretty much instant recall of clips, a vast improvement on cueing from vt!

 

Simple enough to operate once you have had a bit of time to play with them.

 

Peter

[Sulu]

Hi I think profile is a brand name of them, like Aston etc im sure not 100% sure though

[Showd]

Hi, paulears,

 

Thomson Grass Valley is a good company. Their website is: www.thomsongrassvalley.com. I am not sure of any other companies and that is why I came on here to see if anyone else knew. I too searched the Internet, but did not have much look. If I do come across anything, though, I shall let you know.

 

I am going to look at the Doremi products, as I have not come across this name before.

 

Best wishes.

[paulears]

I have to say the nNovia units are just so easy - over 500 cues and not one slip! dump the files onto it via firewire, and then use the forward or reverse select button to select the correct clip, then hit play. composite and y/c output - less than a grand!

[IanG]

Hi Showd,

 

A Profile is more than a 4 channel video player/recorder - they are much more complex pieces of broadcast kit that have many more features than that (in fact if you have been watching UK television in the last 5 years you've almost certainly seen the output of one on a daily basis). That said, they could be exactly what you want - but you don't say what your application is!

 

That said, I'm seeing less and less Profiles in the broadcast world now and more alternative video servers - from the likes of Omneon etc. What kind of job do you have in mind for them?

[paulears]

Showd - thanks for the grass valley link. Now it's all clear. The Profile is a media server product range. That's the missing bit - all clear now - ta.

[James]

Shoud,

 

You don't say what your specific aplication will be however Profiles are getting a little old now, The compression used is a little crap and I know of some people who have had reliability problems with them.

 

You might want to consider a slightly newer product, Like the EVS MaxS

 

However they have been the mainstay of BBC Regional News for years performing the same job day in and day out, its just there are much better products on the market now.

 

James

[Showd]

Hello, IanG and James,

 

Thank you for your messages and information.

 

Basically, I want a Profile to play VT items during studio links. I am getting quite annoyed with using the machines we use at the moment, so I thought I would research into Profiles to see whether this could be an option that we could take. However, I did not realise that there were better products available that could do the same job as a Profile.

 

Basically, I want something similar to a Profile to allow me to play multiple VT items and things similar to this, such as stings, etcetera. Would a video server allow more than one source (example: VT item) and are they quite effect and easy to use?

 

I shall definitely check out the Omneon ones and the EVS MaxS, which seems quite promising.

 

At the moment, I am just researching into ways in which I will not need VT machines.

 

Thank you for all of your help and I am glad that I could help, paulears, (even if it was only a little bit of help!)

 

Kind Regards.

[James]

It realy does depend on your situation.

 

Out of interest, What county are you in?and who is your employer?

 

MaxS is a great product for a sport style inviroment where you can have multiple streams coming in and multiple programmes being produced. MaxSs integrate very well together and you can easily share clips digitised into one server from another, making them scalable and effectivly much larger than 4x2.

 

Other products exist for a more flexible workflow, Avid, Airspeed is one such product, if you wanted to intigrate with a more complicated post production infastructure. This would be suitable for a news style enviroment where you have intigration with Avid newscutters for example.

 

If this isn't urgent I sugest you go to IBC in september and wander arround the stalls, speak to the manafacturers about what you want and what they can deliver. Get them to offer you demo kit to prove the concept. It is not unknown for sales people to sell features, and then get ask their engineers to build them into the system.

 

Good Luck

 

James

[Showd]

Dear James,

 

Thank you very much for your message.

 

I am in the UK and I am a college student.

 

I, or other people, would not be using the products in post production, but would need live products in the gallery. Most of the shows are pre-recorded, but we add the VTs in during the actual recording. It varies to the VTs that we use, simply because of the different programmes that are produced. An example is: "The Review Show", where a guest presenter reviews films and music videos, etcetera. The VTs consists of short clips that are normally played through a player. However, our VT operator does get quite confused with tapes, especially when the titles and stings are run through these, not forgetting competition questions.

 

I think I need to explain a little about what I am part of: I am part of a college television station and I am normally the vision mixer, but I also am the director and/or producer for some of the programmes. I vision mix mostly, though, using the Panasonic AG-MX70 Production Mixer. We run VTs through DV decks (Sony GV-D1000E, to be exact) and these are not particularly suitable for live programmes, simply because of the way they are; they are not ideal. This is all we basically have. (When I say 'live', I more than likely mean live recording, not actual live output programmes.)

 

I thoroughly enjoy researching for new and exciting products that can be added to the gallery. The person who buys equipment is the facilitator and he is more than pleased (I am sure) to hear what could be improved to make our recording run more smoothly (that could happen, I suppose, if we had 100% dedicated crew). He also knows that the gallery and studio, etcetera, are not ideal. I have heard about Profiles and thought I would research into them for possible use by the college; I find it exciting researching into products and I learn from it.

 

Please do not think that I am here to waste your time, as I am not. I am doing this to better my knowledge and find out about more about products that could be used.

 

You have all given me great advice and I appreciate it.

 

Thank you for your message, James, I have also sent you a personal message (well, I will do when I have typed it; straight after this message.)

 

Kind Regards,

 

I.C.

[James]

Most of the shows are pre-recorded, but we add the VTs in during the actual recording.  It varies to the VTs that we use, simply because of the different programmes that are produced.  An example is: "The Review Show", where a guest presenter reviews films and music videos, etcetera. The VTs consists of short clips that are normally played through a player.  However, our VT operator does get quite confused with tapes, especially when the titles and stings are run through these, not forgetting competition questions.

 

Iain.

 

I don't want to sound down here but I don't think that spending £50,000 on a broadcast quality video server is going to solve your problems (yes that is about how much they cost, cheep compared to the cost of three DVW A500s)

 

I think, (particularly as you are in an educational enviroment) you need to sort your VT operation out.

 

For Playins in a non live enviroment there should be no excuse not to have all the titles, inserts graphics and oovs comped onto a pair of VTs an A roll and a B roll altenating in the order that you need them in.

 

IE you start the show with the Tittles from VT A, the the presenter, then an insert from VT B then the presenter then back to VT A.

 

In theory all these should be recorded to timecode and logged as part of the pre-production process, preferably with a clock and title at the head of each clip, with a long tail or freeze at the end with the end shot and out words logged and passed to the PA.

 

This can be done fairly effectivly with cheep consumer equipment nowadays. What you do need is pre striped tapes, people who understand how to do a propper assemble edit and some way of cuing up at VT at a timecode position.

 

For substantial less than £50,000 you could buy a pair of RS422 controlled DVCAM VTRs for studio playin and a pair of RS422 controllers with the ability to use cue marks. (we used to buy QuickCues but they are sadly no longer available, at the moment we use ones made by HiTech) like this one

 

http://www.hitechsys.co.uk/images/vtr_products_advanced/thumb_cue_controllers.jpg

 

(You type in the timecode of the clip you want on the keyboard on the left of the controller, then press goto, the VTR cues itself up on that point, when the Director says RUN A then you press Play.)

 

Sorry to recomend an old tech solution but there is still a large market for linear tape skills.

 

James