DV Rack from Serious Magic

By Kelly Distefano

Review contents:

Post-production systems of DV format The mobile DV-solution from Apple AVID systems for TV programs post production in DV format Canopus DV Storm2 Pro System NewsBaseDV System Serial-4-Cam for preparation of material at multicamera shooting DV-installation: variants are possible Videoediting stations of DV format from Matrox Company Systems of Pinnacle Liquid Edition series DV Rack from Serious Magic Program-making system DV Station

Serious Magic (USA) has designed the software application DV Rack intended specially for those who is engaged in shooting and postproduction in DV format. It allows to avoid unpleasant unexpectedness during shooting and also to raise the content quality during editing.

DV Rack operates on the desktop computer or notebook to which the DV-camera is connected. Besides an opportunity of the control of video and audio, entering in computer in the real time mode, DV Rack quickly allows to user look through clips, pass to any frame, carry out the scaling, check up the levels, trace peaks over audio, to compare plans on the screen divided on some parts, and many other things. As process is nonlinear, it essentially saves time.

President and executive director of Serious Magic Mark company Mr. Rendell says about system designing: “DV Rack was born on base of simple idea. When computers became a part of videotape editing process, there was an essential change of the approach for this process. Our aim was the same influence on the approach to process of shooting with help of DV Rack using capacity of the computer just right at the beginning of technological process. Serious Magic team initially has created DV Rack as means which it was necessary for ourselves. Having made it, we tested and improved the system and now we can share by it with those who shares our aspiration to make the good video”.

The virtual rack with DV Rack equipment

System DV Rack consists from ten powerful components of content operation, as established in the virtual rack (from here is the name of system) and precisely emulating traditional devices of operation from video, but differed by essentially smaller price, weight and complexity.

The professional monitor

Unlike heavy analog monitors, this virtual monitor receives DV signal directly, displaying compressed video in the form of recording on a disk. In addition to features of raster decreasing (underscan), display of visible area (safe area display) and letterbox mode the monitor has such means, as freeze-frame, scaling, a dark/light zebra and partition of the screen into some parts. Calibration allows to adjust the screen of the desktop computer or notebook over color bars.

Digital video recorder

This tool provides much more reliability of recording, than magnetic tape, faster access to viewing of fragments and the DV-file recording in the formats compatible with various editing systems. Transmission of material from the camera in DV Rack is accomplished through the adjusted buffer of prerecording which filling begins before the moment of pressing of the recording button on the camera.

Oscilloscope and vectroscope

Professionals hate to remove “blindly”, that is without means of signal measurement. Without them it is impossible to answer, for example, for the following question: “As far as white color is really white?”. Or: “As far as the background of the image is sated?”. DV Rack is provided with standard means of the signal control. Besides measurement they allow to divide the screen into parts in the real time mode for simultaneous display of an incoming signal and recorded clips.

SureShot module

This module provides to the user the realization of four simple steps of camera calibration on base of specially created and printed calibrating tables. SureShot helps to the camera adjusting and illumination for reception of the greatest possible content quality.

DV-content quality monitor

This module provides checking of video and audio quality during its inflow in the computer, marking potentially problem areas, access to viewing of which is carried out by one click of the mouse. For video and audio the user may install the limits of qualitative parameters independently.

DV Grabber

DV Grabber is captured and kept on a disk in high resolution the freeze frames of video directly from an incoming signal or from already recorded clips. It is convenient for capture of reference frames (for its showing to the director or film owner) or to organize a working table.

Audio analyzer of a spectrum

DV Rack enables the user to see that it is impossible to hear in headphones, allowing to make adjustments in the microphone arrangement and its orientation for the maximal improvement of quality of sound.

Video analyzer

Opportunities of this module are fallen outside the limits of full-screen and line-by-line display modes of general measuring device, allowing to control a signal at a level of every pixel. To measure the parameters of any pixel in every of five color spaces, switching RGB, HSV and YUV in real time, it is necessary simply click the mouse on any pixel.

Module of timer/clock

This module counts the fragment timekeeping with frame accuracy, and is also provided with clocks of time display.

As regards to compatibility of the system the DV Rack was developed in view of the maximal compatibility with standard personal computers, notebooks and cameras. The standard PC or notebook with operational system Windows 2000/XP is enough for the program system operation. Connection of the DV-camera of NTSC or PAL standard consists in simple connection with the computer by means of FireWire cable. On an system output the standard DV-file of AVI and QuickTime format is formed, that provides the compatibility with all widespread systems of digital nonlinear editing, including Adobe Premiere, Avid, Canopus, Final Cut Pro, Matrox, Pinnacle, Sony Vegas and Ulead.

Material provided by Serious Magic Company