[quote="jknight"][quote="JL Madruga"]We have a Calypso SD, and we are connected via Ethernet with our Art Dept and they can send files in any format and compression we request. Also we can record strait from a VTR.[/quote] I work with Madruga and we are searching for options, budget is always an issue. The main use of the "source" will be to do transitions so it would be a 2 channel box (key/fill). Ideally controlled with an effects recall from the Kalypso, a Classic. In my experiences on remotes I have run into Lance/FFV combos that work very well. We are also looking at a Profile as an alternative. The Thunder would be the cheapest way out, but also the most inaccurate. Has anybody found any combo that works? Maybe a Lance with some other (read cheaper) SD DVR? All suggestions are appreciated.[/quote] Lance's are great and as are FFV, still haven't heard is this a studio environment? If so you really want to stay clip based, so you can purge stuff easily, which means no FFV. Does it need to be HD ready? If you don't want to spend a lot of money take a look at the K2 Profile, it comes in a lot of different flavors, with raid or internal drives, etc. You can probably start off SD maybe and upgrade later (not sure ask). But you can buy in both SD or HD. It will run AMP via ethernet, you will have to spend a couple grand on the Kaypso software to run AMP, it is possible it will work using odetics if you keep the names uner 8 characters and in the same folder. There is the GVG Turbo which is only SD, I used this running AMP with a Classic Kalypso for a live daily ESPN show I did last year. I used 1 channel as chroma key w/transitions and other for bgds. But you could use it as f/k pair. This was a great combo I think turbo was like 15K? maybe. Definitly a down and dirty solution, I had some issues with it, (basically a PC running windows). But 95% of the time it was fine, or we rebooted and I was back on air with it within 5-10 minutes. It was super quick, like a FFV. In either case both machines will run AMP with Kalypso, once you have some transitions built very easy to make a new one. I used to get/put emem with a transition, go to new emem, and find the new clip in the Kalypso GUI, hit modify, and then fix my undercut and then you are done. All clip recalls are saved with emem info. I would try and splurge for profiles if you can. I think they said last year at NAB a 4 channel box with Raid and server setup was like 50K. So no idea. Ask them for demo's to bring in and take a look. Both should take quicktime files, I think (ask) the K2's will take a quicktime with embedded key and if you gang channels internal to the profiles will play the fill and key out in the correct channels by itself. Both boxes do playlists for any kind of clips that have active heads that need to loop. Clipstore does not any kind of clip based protocol for recall yet, I believe you would use P-bus for clips or use one long clip in BVW mode. EVS will be $$

[quote="JL Madruga"]We have a Calypso SD, and we are connected via Ethernet with our Art Dept and they can send files in any format and compression we request. Also we can record strait from a VTR.[/quote] I work with Madruga and we are searching for options, budget is always an issue. The main use of the "source" will be to do transitions so it would be a 2 channel box (key/fill). Ideally controlled with an effects recall from the Kalypso, a Classic. In my experiences on remotes I have run into Lance/FFV combos that work very well. We are also looking at a Profile as an alternative. The Thunder would be the cheapest way out, but also the most inaccurate. Has anybody found any combo that works? Maybe a Lance with some other (read cheaper) SD DVR? All suggestions are appreciated.

We have a Calypso SD, and we are connected via Ethernet with our Art Dept and they can send files in any format and compression we request. Also we can record strait from a VTR.

[quote="JL Madruga"]Thanks guys, thanks for you answers. So, we may need to buy a new system. The question this time will be: What is the best in term of reliability and accuracy?[/quote] I work at a Hearst station, and we're using VizRT for our transitions and graphic elements. The Viz executes to air with high-tally, and is driven by a MOS interface. This is because the newsroom wanted control over what transitions get loaded into the show, rather than having the TD call them up by P-Bus or through a DDR-Device connection. I've built macros to execute the transitions, and to handle everything on the switcher ... they work well, and are very accurate. The under-switch happens during a 15 frame period, so I'm not exactly sure how accurate we are, but we don't have any slippage, and there is no waiting for the Viz to cue. Like Curt mentioned at his facility, I also have a generic (and much shorter) transition that lives as a frame-mem animation, also firing a digicart sound effect when it all plays back. Hope that helps... Matt

I think that depends on your budget, how many channels you are going to need ( atleast two I assume for fill/key...unless you are going to chroma key transitions. Also what switcher are you using..since some can talk different protocols..( thinking GVG Kalypso can talk AMP...Sony can't) Also, what is the plan to get gfx in..do you need to be able to file transfer..or will they be recorded in real time. etc.. Once you determine those...then the choices may be narrowed down. I would say budget could be one of your biggest hurdles. How close are you to Vegas? The NAB convention is in a few weeks. Would be a good place to check them all out. Curt

[quote="JL Madruga"]Thanks guys, thanks for you answers. So, we may need to buy a new system. The question this time will be: What is the best in term of reliability and accuracy?[/quote] You should find out the budget, and how many channels of F/K do you need. Is this a one control room studio, does anyone else need to access the clips (another control room). Can your GFX dept send quicktime files to a network or do clips need to be manually recorded into the DDR. What switcher are you using. P-bus is pretty lame compared to machine control if you can do it. Some examples in no particular order that do HD EVS spot box GVG K2 profiles Abekas Clipstore Leitch Nexio Doremi

Thanks guys, thanks for you answers. So, we may need to buy a new system. The question this time will be: What is the best in term of reliability and accuracy?

I second what Bill said. If you knew where you were going ahead of time, you could recue manually and just fire a PBUS play command...Not ideal..but it would kill the 2-4 seconds Bill mentioned. Of course you have to know where you are going next...but if it was for a closer animation...or an animation to weather....maybe. If the director said... " Give me the blue wipe....wipe...."...well...I think you would be stuck. I would assume since you have 2 channels on the LT....then you might not be able to do the above... What switcher are you on..? One TD here just put a quick animation in frame memory on a SOny 8K..worked great he said....also had to trigger a cart for sfx... hope that helps. Curt

If you already use the Thunder to recall clips you know that there is no such thing as instant on a Thunder. Clip recall through keyboard or P-bus is anywhere from 2-4 seconds depending on your luck and a lot of other things. If that is acceptable then you will be o.k. I have used the Thunder with P-bus to recall clips on a limiting basis, and I hated it, we had a profile for that as a primary use for transitions. I found the play commands would not always fire at the same time. Could run same transition successful maybe 3 times in a row and the 4th time it would play late. If this is all you have and there is no money for anything else go for it, otherwise if there is money try and find another more reliable solution.