DV-installation: variants are possible

By Alexey Gel’mel’, Lydia Tsirkul’

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

Last years the term “linear editing” has practically left a lexicon of the majority of TV specialists, and it is can be explained. The modern systems of digital nonlinear editing provide more wide range of opportunities and are considerably more compact, as a rule, less expensive and, that is important, are updated.

And, nevertheless, it is not necessary to dismiss old kind linear technologies, especially if they get the modern shell. There are frequent situations when all advanced toolkit of digital nonlinear editing station is simply not necessary. Editing by direct splice is carried out on dual-post line with the editing controller easily and quickly. This is the method of editing of news scenes for which the formats of DV family are intended in the first place.

There is one more argument in support of application of linear editing pairs at some stages of TV production. The matter is that to teach some person not too closely acquainted with computer workstations and editing applications (even with such rather simple, as Adobe Premiere) to operate with modern station of digital nonlinear editing is long procedure enough. There are too many subtleties which are necessary for understanding, many adjustments which infringement results in unwanted results and the like. It is easier to become familiar with some buttons and jog/shuttle wheel on the front panel of the VTR. Besides the VTR does not give such great opportunities of change of settings as it takes place in case of NLE station, therefore the unsophisticated person is not capable to break work of system accidentally.

Structure diagram of dual-post editing linear system with two VTRs and one controller

There is one more reason also. A quality loss under copying was one of the weak spots of linear editing before the digital formats appearance. Now application of digital interfaces has practically taken off this problem: repeated copying occurs if not absolutely lost-free with such minimal deterioration (there’s nothing to be done — the perpetual motion machine does not exist), to see which it is possible only after many dubs that in TV production is practically excluded.

It is time now to pass from the general discussion to the description of system of linear editing in DV format on the base of JVC equipment.

Linear editing complex 2×BR-DV6000E + RM-G820

The structure of dual-post editing line consists of two VTRs BR-DV6000E of Professional DV format and RM-G820 editing controller. Besides simple copying such system allows to edit audiovisual material by video and audio in Insert and Assemble modes. There is also an opportunity of addition of two more audio tracks (Audio Dubbing). It may be the speaker text and music. Editing is carried out with the frame accuracy.

It is necessary to consider the units included in the line in more detail.

VTR BR-DV6000E has appeared relative recently — about one and a half-two years back, but to the present moment “has became cluttered” with functions which primary were absent. We’ll tell about these functions later and now it can be considered the base opportunities of the unit.

BR-DV6000E VTR

VTR BR-DV6000E provides the recording and playback of PAL or NTSC video with an opportunity of switching between standards (the device does not carry out the signal transcoding). Recording is carried out on standard or miniDV cassette. Besides the VTR can playback tapes of DVCAM format. The input/output of content is carried out by means of IEEE 1394 interface, and also through component, Y/C and composite input/outputs (as VTR is provided with single extension slot so one module for choice is installed only). Such wide set of interfaces allows to integrate the unit practically in any system of TV production. Providing with IEEE 1394 is practically enabled to avoid losses at copying of content from one such VTR on another. There is also one more advantage of BR-DV6000E which will be appreciated by those broadcasting organizations and studios at which the large archive of the analog video recordings from time to time used in program-making has accumulated — the unit may serve as the analog-to-digital converter, allowing to transfer S-VHS or BetacamSP content in a digital format.

Optional module of networking interface

Besides standard interfaces, the unit is also provided with the extension block SA-X65U providing an output of digital stream SDI with two channels of insert sound and separate AES/EBU output. Besides the interface block RS-232C (model SA-K46U) can be installed additionally to the standard interface of control RS-422.

The circuits of DAEC (Digital Automatic Error Correction) provides playback of tapes of any type of DV and DVCAM format even if they were recorded on devices with slightly broken adjustment of video head or other not so serious malfunctions.

Presence of the built-in time code regenerator allows not only to carry out recording and replacement of time code but also to carry out the accelerated retrieval with 20-fold speed with preservation of the image on the monitor.

VTR equipping by built-in 2.5" color LCD-monitor enables to use only one separate monitor connected to the recording device output in structure of an editing line, and search of a material on playback VTR to carry out on the built-in monitor. When necessary it is possible to exclude separate monitor though this variant should be considered in general as some kind of extreme. Besides the image it is possible to transfer on the monitor the time code value, indicators of the audio signal level, the menu and the information on the current mode of the device operation.

Now there are some words about network configuration BR-DV6000-NET. It turns out from standard by installation of the network adapter SA-DV6000 allowing to carry out the encoding of signal in the stream of MPEG-4 format also. In this adapter are stipulated the interface LAN and expansion slot PCMCIA are provided.

The basic opportunities are the following:

• MPEG-4 encoding in the real time mode from input of VTR or from tape;
• Stream broadcasting in format MPEG-4 in real time mode;
• Creation of files in MPEG-4 format with their preservation on a memory card, in the computer or with transmission to a network;
• Playback of MPEG-4 files.

RM-G820 editing controller

RM-G820 editing controller, by which both devices (reproducing and recording) are controlled, just is designed for operation with two VTR only. It is not new device which was initially developed by JVC Company for control of VTR of S-VHS format, therefore this controller rather is widely distributed and may be available in many studios and broadcasting companies that simplifies and reduces the price of the editing line designing. RM-G820 is provided with RS-422 interface and may control not only by VTRs, but a video-mixer also. The controller provides control of speed of the tape movement, may remember up to 99 editing events and has a row of other useful functions.

In conclusion of the description of this line it is necessary to say, that VTR BR-DV6000 itself has the built-in editing controller, and therefore the editing pair can be organized without use of the external editing controller: the majority of functions will be accessible as well, only the operation will be hardly less convenient.

Nonlinear editing complex on base of BR-DV3000 / BR-DV6000 and system of Pinnacle Liquid family

BR-DV3000 VTR

In this configuration for today there are few secrets (if have remained in general). BR-DV3000/BR-DV6000 in the complex structure is used at the initial stage of operation as the device of transmission of content in the computer, and after finishing of editing — as device for recording of finished program/scene. It is necessary to note, that in such configuration the BR-DV3000 device is more preferable as, the first, it is cheaper as it is not provided with expanded editing functions inherent to BR-DV6000 (for nonlinear editing they are simply not necessary), and the second, this VTR is capable to operate in vertical position (the special support is provided for this purpose) that allows to minimize the area occupied by the system. The fact, that without the additional adapter both devices may operate both with the full-size DV-cassette, and with miniDV, only adds the attraction to the solution.

Nonlinear editing complex on the base of disk recorder JVC Firestore and system of Pinnacle Liquid family

DR-DV5000 FireStore disk recorder: view from the front panel (left) and connectors

Instead of VTR as recording and playback device in this configuration the disk recorder DR-DV5000—40 FireStore which was initially developed as recorder for JVC camcorders is applied. Advantages of FireStore using in such way are obvious — the stage of content transferring from the media (for example, from cassette) in computer is excluded from process, as video on disk is already recorded as files, and FireStore itself is considered by the computer as usual hard disk connected to it through FireWire interface. Besides the disk configuration for the subsequent operation with nonlinear editing system can be carried out during shooting directly. If transfer of the content from FireStore to disks of the computer is required, it occupies much less time as copying of files is carried out incommensurably faster, than transfer of video from tape, even through IEEE 1394.

Advantage of the recorder is that it works with replaceable disks. I.e. there is no necessity to disconnect the unit from camera — it is simply enough to take the recorded disk and to connect it with editing system. It is necessary to note, that the recorder is compatible not only with Pinnacle Liquid systems, but also with such not less widespread systems, as Avid Express, Final Cut Pro, Canopus, Matrox.

For today there are FireStore disks with 40 and 80 GB capacity. The disk with 80 GB capacity allows to keep up to 6.5 hours of content in DV format. It means, that on single disk may be recorded not only an initial material, but also the edited scene or program. The modern trend is that the capacity of disk is constantly grown, and their price is decreased, therefore in the near future it is necessary to expect of appearance of more capacious and updated disks with more expanding opportunities of the digital nonlinear editing systems.

Material provided by HLS Medientechnik Company