Working with video
Introduction
The Soundscape product line has a long history of catering for the specific demands of sound to picture applications. This commitment has been shown by such features as the early availability of the Soundscape EDL Processor, the convenient options of the Global menu, the exceptionally easy way in which tiny sound clips or whole “Mini Arrangements” (e.g. composite sound effects) can be inserted at the current time position or at their original recorded time position, not to mention the general speed of operation of the Soundscape Editor, which makes it ideal in all situations where deadlines are looming and timing is critical.
Today, as ever, Soundscape is an obvious choice for post production facilities. However, with constant evolution in the fields of video capture and playback alongside the continued requirement for synchronization to dedicated external devices, the aim of this article is to provide an overview of the various possibilities on offer.
Synchronization to external video devices
For facilities that routinely use VTRs (Video Tape Recorders) for video playback, Sydec Audio Engineering offers the perfect solution: the Soundscape Synchronization Board, which fits easily into a Soundscape 32, Soundscape 16 or R.Ed (except R.Ed/24), adds LTC in and out, VITC/Video Sync in, BITC out and 9-Pin capabilities to the Soundscape system (in a multiple unit Soundscape system, the Synchronization Board is only required in the first unit).
When the card is fitted, the added synchronization options appear under the Settings menu of the Soundscape Editor. A connected 9-Pin compatible device can be controlled via the 9-Pin window with four possible modes of operation: Controller, Synchro, Layback, and Device.
More details about the Soundscape Synchronization Board can be found:
- In the Soundscape Synchronization Board product pages:
- In the Soundscape Editor manual:
Video Capture and playback
An alternative to synchronizing your Soundscape DAW to an external video device is to capture the video and store it as a video file in the host computer. This also allows any number of networked computers to access the same file in cases where several technicians work on the same project in different editing rooms.
Since playing back digital video at professional data transfer rates heavily taxes the computer CPU, a Soundscape DAW, which relies on its own on-board DSPs for audio playback and processing is also ideal in this type of configuration. (Native audio solutions place heavy demands on the computer’s PCI bus, which limits the bandwidth available for video).
At the time of writing this article, professional level solutions for video include the DPS Reality/Velocity and the Matrox Digisuite range of cards. Alternatively, DV solutions can be used for video capture in a format that delivers sufficient quality to carry out audio work in relation to picture and for client demonstration on studio video monitors or even over professional beamers.
Leitch DPS Velocity
The philosphy behind the DPS platform is similar to the Sydec Philosophy for audio, with reliance on specialized professional hardware integrated with a host computer.
The DPS Velocity provides Composite Video, S-Video, YUV (analog broadcast standard) and SDI In and Out.
It features an Ultra-Wide SCSI connection to the video storage medium and allows random access to the video. Soundscape can be used for layback because the Soundscape Video File Player can play uncompressed video.
The DPS Velocity is compatible with Windows 2000 and XP.
Please check the Leitch website for details.
Matrox Digisuite range
The Matrox Digisuite range offers the same input and output facilities as the DPS Velocity. However, it uses the PCI bus for storage. A SCSI card and RAID array are recommended.
The Matrox Digisuite is compatible with Windows 2000 and XP.
Please check the Matrox website for details.
DV capture
Pinnacle and Canopus video capture systems allow DV video to be transferred to a computer via Firewire.
Please check the Pinnacle and/or Canopus websites for details.
The captured file is played back via the PC’s own graphics card using a TV Output. This may be a single monitor or dual monitor card with a TV Output where the TV Output is used for video. In this category the Matrox Parhelia is a popular choice for Soundscape users, providing two Monitor Outputs and one TV Output. For users that only need one VGA Output and one TV Output, ATI AGP Cards (Radeon range) have proven to be a reliable choice for Soundscape full screen video playback.
Please be aware that only videos with a Pal or NTSC compliant Aspect Ratio can be output as full screen video by the graphics cards mentioned above, and that there are special settings in the graphics cards’ control panel to feed the video overlay from the Main/primary VGA to the TV Out.
Another important point is that the Video File Player window must always remain visible and not be completely covered by another window.
We recommend a video size setting of ¼ PAL or NTSC resolution for best performance in the Soundscape Editor.
For the best performance and quality and lowest demand on the CPU for capture and playback, we recommend using a High Quality DV Direct Show Codec available from Mainconcept.
Its single frame quality and motion quality are superior to those of the the MS DV Codec that comes standard with your Windows Installation.
Please check the Mainconcept website for details.
For the lowest CPU usage with DV, we recommend capturing only one field per frame.
This cannot be done in every capture application. For instance, this setting is available as an option in the Capture Settings dialog in Pinnacle Studio 9.
Playing back other video files
The Soundscape Video File Player can play back any type of video file as long as the relevant codec is installed on your PC.
Some Codecs are VFW (Video for Windows) and some are Direct Show, which is basically the new Model of Windows Video Playback.
Please refer to the Soundscape Editor manual for information on how to change the video playback between VFW and Direct Show.
Some codecs may not be very efficient or useful for post-production work with Soundscape.
For instance, DIVX and all other MPEG-based codecs are use gops (group of pictures) to not only compress each frame (with something like jpeg), but also to compress a number of frames and store, if possible, just the difference between the different frames within a group.
If the Video File Player has to acces a single frame inside a gop (when placing the Current Locator in the Arrange window of the Editor), the codec has to go to the first frame (called i-frame) of the gop and then calculate all the following frames (B or P frames) until it has calculated the frame you want.
This takes time... and it only gets worse when scrubbing backwards!
In some applications/codecs, you can change the gop structure to i-frame only...
This means that gops are not used, seek times will be shorter and scrubbing will be smooth. The price to pay is larger video files.
Please note that Windows Media is an mpeg 4 based codec, and as such the above also applies to this codec.
Other i-frame only codecs are available, such as the pegasus mjpeg (motion jpeg) codec.
from the Pegasus Imaging Corporation.
Transcoding video files
In cases where you have to handle file formats other than AVI (i.e. Quicktime Mac), the files can be transcoded with appropriate Software.
There are several packages on offer, including for example:
Canopus Procoder from Canopus
A very good solution, depending on Version it is Network Capable, so it can automatically transcode everything that you copy in Watch folders, and make it accessible to all Soundscape Editors.
Autodesk Cleaner XL
Similar to Canoups Procoder.
Mov to AVI from A-one software
A very affordable solution from A-one software.
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