"Now, based on what I was told, Southwest had both a 4x3 SDI frame and a 16x9 1080i frame running from one panel. What one of their engineers said was that they booted the 4x3 frame, built the show and then saved. Then they booted the 16x9 frame, built the show and then saved. Then they were able to boot both frames controlled by the one frame. IF this engineer was 100% right, you should be able use frame #1 for show, frame #2 for enhanced bug control. Frame 1 goes through frame 2. Setting up any effects/timelines would be murder. In theory it could work, but operating it would be hell. " Actually Mike, the show was built with both frames on, but after a while things got out of sync. SONY developed a soft over-ride to "detach" the HD frame, but never the other way around, so after a while you had to shut down one frame at a time and fix things that didn't match. Actually I believe the release mechanism was to resync keyers where you'd have (ie) me-3 key 1 IN on the SD frame and OUT on the HD frame, so you had to release one frame and then sync them up then re-acquire the frame. What would be ideal would be to be able to build the show on a PC (or better a MAC hehe) without having to be attached to a frame then either just run the show from the PC/MAC attached to a frame or download it to a frame. Spending the next week running a DVS-7350 in (rainy) Shanghai, PRC cheers

[quote="Mike Cumbo"]Bill, we have never tried to operate our 8000 without a control panel... don't know if it would even function. As I mentioned before I have never seen the GUI software, so I don't know if it just gives you the same function that the Grass Kalypso PC menu does or if it is enhanced. If the GUI software mirrors the Kalypso software then I guess the answer would be no. If you are thinking what I am thinking, you would use a full 4 ME box for show production and use a 2 ME box for bugs without using a panel for the bug frame.[/quote] Actually we have a 4K and will not be upgrading to a 4 ME Sony 8K to atleast some time late next year (if we are lucky). This would be like a 1.5 or 2 ME processor for bug control as you mentioned. I guess it comes down to what the GUI can do.. and then whether you can even call up snapshots if there is no panel attached thanks Bill

Bill, we have never tried to operate our 8000 without a control panel... don't know if it would even function. As I mentioned before I have never seen the GUI software, so I don't know if it just gives you the same function that the Grass Kalypso PC menu does or if it is enhanced. If the GUI software mirrors the Kalypso software then I guess the answer would be no. Now, based on what I was told, Southwest had both a 4x3 SDI frame and a 16x9 1080i frame running from one panel. What one of their engineers said was that they booted the 4x3 frame, built the show and then saved. Then they booted the 16x9 frame, built the show and then saved. Then they were able to boot both frames controlled by the one frame. IF this engineer was 100% right, you should be able use frame #1 for show, frame #2 for enhanced bug control. Frame 1 goes through frame 2. Setting up any effects/timelines would be murder. In theory it could work, but operating it would be hell. If you are thinking what I am thinking, you would use a full 4 ME box for show production and use a 2 ME box for bugs without using a panel for the bug frame.

[quote="Mike Cumbo"]Bill, are you asking if you can operate the switcher without a control panel via an external computer, using the computer as the human interface? If that is what you are asking, I have no clue. I have never seen the GUI software.[/quote] Basically yes, I would use the GUI to build a few snapshots, etc. Then use the shotbox to recall those snapshots. The shotbox would be the normal user operation. We have so many different downstream bugs, our current system is old and not as flexible as they want it to be. Thought depending on costs that using a switcher would be a great idea. Most importantly gives you the different programmable outputs for the different layers of bugs we use for re-air, and the ability to easily change them. So once built the shotbox would be the bug controller. Not having to buy a control panel would save a lot of money. We would actually need two systems.. thanks Bill

Bill, are you asking if you can operate the switcher without a control panel via an external computer, using the computer as the human interface? If that is what you are asking, I have no clue. I have never seen the GUI software.