4000 Pro

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chetdavis
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Casablanca Unit: S-4000 PRO, Renommee Plus, Liberty Plus

Re: 4000 Pro

Post by chetdavis »

Hello Roger,

Thanks (as Tim posted) for your lengthy post on your experiences with the new S4000 PRO -- I will share some thoughts, comments following your comments (below each one to keep thoughts consistent):
roger915 wrote:* When recording HD to the machine, it is impossible to capture clips on the fly because when you stop recording "Finalizing" comes up while the tape is still running.
* Sometimes when recording HD, the machine has lagged so far behind that after clicking to stop recording, you have wait and watch for the footage to catch back up before the machine will do anything.
* Sometimes when recording HD the machine will act like it's recording, but when you go to the edit screen there is no scene in the scene bin.
* When recording HD, you must sit at the machine the whole time. Any glitch seen or unseen will stop the record and it will not start again automatically.
The virtually real-time import capabilities on the new S4000 products do require that the footage be 'finalized' after each import - so you cannot click record on the fly as you have discovered. There does appear to be anomalies with certain camera models and some are more finicky than others as Tim mentioned. As previously referenced, a break in the HD signal will cause the recording to conclude as it is finalizing the signal - it needs a steady, stable video signal to record in HD.
When using a HDMI monitor as monitor 2, there are no analog video outputs, example, trying to send something to tape with a S-Video cable will not work. You can burn a DVD only. Or change screen 2 back to video to get outputs!
I will have to play with this some -- I do know that in earlier development there was discussion that when using DVI (or HDMI with included adapter cable) you would only be able to use single monitor mode as the very large, widescreen display pretty much precluded the need to go with a dual-monitor set-up.
When in analog SD or HD, you have to render crossfades and other transitions that did not need to be rendered on other machines.
As Tim also mentioned, these new units have a very speedy processor but not the C-Cube chip that provided real-time renders on Generation II Casablanca units. I will hasten to point out however that even on your Solitaire you had to render these 2-D transitions (Crossfades, etc.) prior to going out DV or to DVD, so really it is not a significant change (but it is a big-time change when you see the speed of importing HD in realtime!)
When using a LG 720p monitor (and as far as I can tell everything around 19" is only 720p) Using a 1080I screen setting will cause the audio to be out of synch.

I, like Tim have not experienced this issue. I have been using a 37" 1080 monitor with no sync issues.
The Titler crashes VERY often.
I have not experienced this at all. I just went back and added all basic titling effects to the SB, typed in test text and rendered each effect with total success. Are you using just the approved Title Effects packages (see list on our website here of NTSC Certified software titles: http://www.macrosystem.us/newindex.cfm? ... linkID=101
I am unable to send audio clips to a CD, every time I try the machine simply does not do anything.
I just tried the Export audio to CD function on my Demo S-4000 PRO and it worked fine. I do know of another person who had this issue with their unit and they found that by adding 50% or more of the capacity their CDs burner fine (so they loaded 36+ minutes of audio into the menu). Are you using a Blu-ray or standard DVD drive in your unit Roger?

When going to batch render the Storyboard, even when effects are created and you play it from the storyboard, a second render screen pops up that says "Creating HDV Material" after this is done, changing anything on the storyboard causes this process to start all over again and it takes twice as long as the length of the storyboard. So the only way to batch render effects without having to sit through this every time, is to click "Cancel" when it gets to that point. The effects will remain rendered.

When you are in an HDV project, yes - the Styoryboard will need to be rendered or finalized for export in the HDV format. The original render is your SD storyboard, the final HDV SB required the entire SB to be formatted in the Long GOP HDV format prior to exporting --- so to save yourself time, complete your project. Review (QC) while monitoring in analog preview mode prior to clicking on Create in HDV mode.
Backing up a storyboard to a DVD plays wonderfully in a Playstation 3
Glad to hear that - there are more archive/import/export capabilities coming very soon!
The front USB port does work, at least with a trackball, but the actual connection is several inches inside the machine making it very hard to connect.
. I too enjoy the front USB port - I have attached a short USB extension cable to make exchange of devices most convenient.
The machine is very quiet.
I agree - the first time I had it connected I thought it was not working, it was so quiet!
Keep in mind that this is just personal experience, and I haven't put all these issues to a complete test, and we need the rest of the software to become useable.
It is so fast!
Roger
[/quote]

As you may be aware, there continues to be more and more of the add-on software released in NTSC for the new Bogart SE OS. Keep tuned for more (likely next week). You can review our website at http://www.macrosystem.us/newindex.cfm? ... linkID=101 for the most up to date report of this add-on software.

Regards,
Chet
Chet Davis
Vice-President, Marketing & Sales
MacroSystem US
http://www.macrosystem.us
Office 303.801.1056
TimKennelly
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Re: 4000 Pro

Post by TimKennelly »

I think the finalizing thing is much more a specific camcorder brand issue (and how they handle the firewire parameters) than content.

It does not matter if I am inputting fairly static ceremony footage on a tripod to purposeful cam motion induced on fast dance scenes, not to mention whether this inputting is ten minutes or an hour worth, the finalizing I experience is normally less than a second or two.
My mom always told me that happiness was the key to life.
At school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.
I said “happy" and they told me I didn’t understand the question.
I told them they didn’t understand life.


Tim Kennelly
MikeMattke
Posts: 135
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:01 pm
Casablanca Unit: S2000 with all software. I also have a Prestige that I used on my film transfer station. I have B4W loaded on a laptop. I have a S4000 Pro that I am going to trade in for a discount on software for my B4W setup. I even have my first Cassie, the AVIO that I am going to hook up. Not sure what I will use it for but I want to see it run again.
Location: Sturgeon Bay, WI
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Re: 4000 Pro

Post by MikeMattke »

Is it just me, or does there seem to be a great number of bugs in the new units? I looked at the release notes for the S4000Pro and there are even ports that aren't working yet. I have been excitedly waiting for my new unit to get shipped to me but after reading so many accounts of crashes, software bugs, hardware bugs and other snafus I am not so sure that, other than the speed, if this unit will be better than my Avio. Could some of you longtime users out there respond, were there this many bugs with the Avio, Solitaire, Renommee, etc. when they first came out?
Mike Mattke
"Father of the Casablanca Cafe"
Sturgeon Bay, WI
LouBruno
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Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:49 pm
Casablanca Unit: STUDIO ULTRA ,SAPHIR, MS TRAVEL ..with ALL SOFTWARE, Cassie Travel Laptop PRO- Bogart Windows, MSI APACHE laptop with BOGART and all Current BOGART & Arabesk. Saphir 2.
GLIDECAM HD-2000, I-Pad latest, Sony HX-99..4K still camera

SONY FDR-53 4K,
, SONY FDR AX-700 HDR 4K video camera, GoPro HD2&3, SONY HDR-CX150 small HD pocket camera, SONY AX-53. Panasonic HC-20

Two Samsung BD D5700 Blu-ray players. OPPO 4K player.
JVC DT-V20L1 HDV monitor, All Music2Hues and Digital Hotcakes, Nikon D-80 still camera, NIKON D7100 HDSLR 18-300mm lens, D500 Nikon, 10 professional bicycles, two camels and a donkey :-) ........ Gocycle@gmail.com
Location: Lancaster, PA
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Re: 4000 Pro

Post by LouBruno »

What cameras are you using that this occcurs.
roger915 wrote:
Sometimes when recording HD, the machine has lagged so far behind that after clicking to stop recording, you have wait and watch for the footage to catch back up before the machine will do anything.



Roger
TimKennelly
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Re: 4000 Pro

Post by TimKennelly »

Mike,

It's not you. 8-)

The Avio was surprisingly, for a first generation machine, an extremely solid workhorse pretty much out the gate.

The Kron on the other hand was a fiasco out of the gate, virtually non-functional for many users for a long time until software, including the Operating System finally caught up and addressed most of the issues.

The Prestige showed the company had figured out the VxWorks system and subsequent units, while not perfect, were pretty stable compared as they came out.

The S4P is a whole new world moving to a brand new OS (Bogart based on the Linux operating system, versus Smart Edit based on the VxWorks operating system) and so brings with it expected growing pains.

MS has done an excellent job of transitioning to the new Operating System in making it seamless regarding learning curve as the GUI is very familiar, but it is certainly a project still under/in development, regardless of the fact that it has been released.

I tend to relish cutting edge equipment challenges and have moved one hundred percent over to the S4P, but if you are someone who does not suffer gladly (not a patient type), then I would suggest the time to use what patience you have is with your purchasing window.

That said, in a comparison between the Avio and S4P there is no contest within the current functionality limitations of the S4P (software that works).

You can edit far faster on the S4P, even in it's current unpolished state than on the Avio, it's not even close.

For the most part, the current crashes on the S4P, in my experience are caused by certain repeatable actions such as choosing Background in the Titler (that will crash you) and I am learning what not to do until the next OS version update that will hopefully fix those glitches.

For me, crashes are not happening very often and I am much more concerned/interested in the company expanding it's functionality (as demonstrated at Jim's MGT last spring) and getting a couple of significant pieces of software online for the S4P.

Namely, as primarily a wedding videographer I want QuadCam and the MotionPerfect replacement functioning on my S4P..
My mom always told me that happiness was the key to life.
At school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.
I said “happy" and they told me I didn’t understand the question.
I told them they didn’t understand life.


Tim Kennelly
roger915
Posts: 67
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:31 pm
Casablanca Unit: 4000 Pro
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Re: 4000 Pro

Post by roger915 »

Thanks All!
My HD camera is a Sony HVR-HD1000u. When I called support they told me to do a update. This did not help!

Roger
4000 Pro OS 2.4C
Sony HVR-HD 1000u
Solitaire Plus-8.0 four 300gb Drives
CB Paint 2
All Software
Kron Pus-8.0-Two 300gb Drives
All Software
Avio-Most Software
3 Cassie Classics
4 JVC GY-DV5000 Cameras
LouBruno
Posts: 6446
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:49 pm
Casablanca Unit: STUDIO ULTRA ,SAPHIR, MS TRAVEL ..with ALL SOFTWARE, Cassie Travel Laptop PRO- Bogart Windows, MSI APACHE laptop with BOGART and all Current BOGART & Arabesk. Saphir 2.
GLIDECAM HD-2000, I-Pad latest, Sony HX-99..4K still camera

SONY FDR-53 4K,
, SONY FDR AX-700 HDR 4K video camera, GoPro HD2&3, SONY HDR-CX150 small HD pocket camera, SONY AX-53. Panasonic HC-20

Two Samsung BD D5700 Blu-ray players. OPPO 4K player.
JVC DT-V20L1 HDV monitor, All Music2Hues and Digital Hotcakes, Nikon D-80 still camera, NIKON D7100 HDSLR 18-300mm lens, D500 Nikon, 10 professional bicycles, two camels and a donkey :-) ........ Gocycle@gmail.com
Location: Lancaster, PA
Contact:

Re: 4000 Pro

Post by LouBruno »

The update will not help. I only found this on one of my cameras but when the same brand camera at our shop was used it does not occur.

HUmmm......that's strange because Tim owns the HC-9. The HD-1000 is the same in a shoulder configuration.
Are you using a film mode?

Did you try Volker's suggestion and check more static shots?

Tried a different firewire cable?

Try the front and rear firewire inputs?


ALSO.....could you try your first batch of clips you shot with the camera?

LASTLY....what tape stock are you using?

I am trying to find common ground.

There are reasons for my questions.
roger915 wrote:Thanks All!
My HD camera is a Sony HVR-HD1000u. When I called support they told me to do a update. This did not help!

Roger
TimKennelly
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Re: 4000 Pro

Post by TimKennelly »

I understand the potential involved in more data on less static content, but truly do not think this has anything to do with this issue.

One correction, I have used two HC1s and a HC7.

These have all worked fine.
My mom always told me that happiness was the key to life.
At school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.
I said “happy" and they told me I didn’t understand the question.
I told them they didn’t understand life.


Tim Kennelly
LouBruno
Posts: 6446
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:49 pm
Casablanca Unit: STUDIO ULTRA ,SAPHIR, MS TRAVEL ..with ALL SOFTWARE, Cassie Travel Laptop PRO- Bogart Windows, MSI APACHE laptop with BOGART and all Current BOGART & Arabesk. Saphir 2.
GLIDECAM HD-2000, I-Pad latest, Sony HX-99..4K still camera

SONY FDR-53 4K,
, SONY FDR AX-700 HDR 4K video camera, GoPro HD2&3, SONY HDR-CX150 small HD pocket camera, SONY AX-53. Panasonic HC-20

Two Samsung BD D5700 Blu-ray players. OPPO 4K player.
JVC DT-V20L1 HDV monitor, All Music2Hues and Digital Hotcakes, Nikon D-80 still camera, NIKON D7100 HDSLR 18-300mm lens, D500 Nikon, 10 professional bicycles, two camels and a donkey :-) ........ Gocycle@gmail.com
Location: Lancaster, PA
Contact:

Re: 4000 Pro

Post by LouBruno »

AGREE!!!!! Bit rate download speed of certain cameras?
TimKennelly wrote:I understand the potential involved in more data on less static content, but truly do not think this has anything to do with this issue.

One correction, I have used two HC1s and a HC7.

These have all worked fine.
Last edited by LouBruno on Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
roger915
Posts: 67
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:31 pm
Casablanca Unit: 4000 Pro
Solitaire Plus
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Avio
Location: Midland,TX
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Re: 4000 Pro

Post by roger915 »

Chet
How close are we on the software up dates?
Roger
4000 Pro OS 2.4C
Sony HVR-HD 1000u
Solitaire Plus-8.0 four 300gb Drives
CB Paint 2
All Software
Kron Pus-8.0-Two 300gb Drives
All Software
Avio-Most Software
3 Cassie Classics
4 JVC GY-DV5000 Cameras
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