Roland VC-300HD TV Converter Box User Manual
Contents
1. O00 O08 BEBE G O ooo eo ee OE BESTE 6 oo 00 TE fae o poooooo00r0000000 20 0000000000 oY HD SD Analog Component HD SDI SDI HDV DV DVI I Matrix Switcher HDV VCR Figure 2 A multi format converter is indispensable during post production when many and varied video formats have to be dealt with Used together with a matrix switcher the VC 300HD can greatly boost efficiency and simplify conversion tasks from basic conversion to aspect ratio control color adjustment and other tweaks Video Sources Source Preview Projector Audio Sources Camera SD Camera ka i bi n PR Series Video Presenter HDV VCR Audio Mixer Figure 3 Production of live performance and studio video shot using various sources can be carried out using video mixing systems such as the Edirol V 440HD multi format video mixer If a VC 300HD is included in the system the video line and audio can be combined during acquisition Aud2. Roland An Introduction to the VC 300HD Multi Format Converter Why you need a real time video converter in your workflow Introduction Now that digital broadcasting service areas are expanding and with the appearance of high definition content on Blu ray and HD DVD media there is a strong demand for high definition content production Until these recent developments HD content production had been comparatively simple with the source of input being mainly limited to HD camera recordings With television shifting to high definition and the rapid spread of high definition video cameras for consumer use location shooting in consumer HDV format with inexpensive cameras is becoming more popular Meanwhile the transition to a tapeless era for broadcasting is underway Overall an extremely complex situation has arisen If this had been a complete shift towards digital data in files handled by codecs IP and the world of networking this may not have presented so many challenges In reality we cannot ignore the world of real time transmissions in which data streams of various formats are distributed via cable connection When viewed as Hi Def the various HD formats probably look the same to many In reality however video from different sources are likely to have different resolutions bit rates and frame rates Moreover when these are transmitted it may be physically impossible to access files with different formats
3. 0 00 500 5 When the frame rate is 59 94i 59 94p 0 00 600 0 When the frame rate is 50i 50p Sets the low range gain value for the sound being output 12dB 0 12dB Increasing the numerical value increases the low range gain value Sets the mid range gain value for the sound being output 12dB 0 12aB Increasing the numerical value increases the mid range gain value Sets the high range gain value for the sound being output 12dB 0 12dB Increasing the numerical value increases the high range gain value Sets the synchronizing signal input source Auto Selected automatically REF Input Selects the REF INPUT connector Video Input Selects the video being used Internal Uses the synchronizing signal generated internally Fine tunes the synchronizing signal 1000 0 1000 clock May be adjusted in this range Selects the timecode to embed in the HDV DV or HD SDI output On the VC 200HD this is set to Off at the factory Off Time code is not embedded Free Run Timecode is generated internally The timecode is generated from when the power is turned on or when 271 TC Offset is set Free Run The time code starts preset from the moment settings are made with 271 TC Offset Use the timecode input from an external source The timecode that is used will be that which is embedded in the signal of the video connector being used This setting is ignored when the frame ra
4. Built in frame synchronizer and genlock to external device Frame Rate Conversion from 59 94 to 50 Hz etc I P Conversion De interlace function built in Video Processing Delay Adjustment with Millisecond or Frame Audio Processin Sample Rate Conversion from 32 to 48 kHz etc HiVideo Connectors IEEE1394 Connector E Conforms to IEEE1394 HDV standards Same con i LINK Poy nector on front and rear COMPONENT Input Connector BNC Type HD SD Y Pb Pr 75 ohms Bi Level Tri Level Sync RGB 8 bit each DVI 29 pin single Digital RGB dot clock 25 161MHz VGA to UXGA link Analog RGB R G B 0 7 Vp p 75 ohms H V 5VTTL RGB dot clock 25 90MHz VGA to XGA Supports embedded audio HD SDI SDI Input Connector BNC Type Conforms to SMPTE259M SMPTE272M SMPTE292M SMPTE299M COMPONENT Output Connector BNC Type HD SD Y Pb Pr 75 ohms Bi Level Tri Level Sync RGB 8 bit each DVI I Output Connector DVI 29 pin single Digital RGB same timing as analog component link Analog Component Y Pb Pr 75 ohms Supports embedded audio HD SDI SDI Output Connector BNC Type Conforms to SMPTE259M SMPTE272M SMPTE292M SMPTE299M REF Input BNC Type Black Burst Bi Level Tri Level Sync REF Output BNC Type Loop Thru Output Wi Audio Connectors Output CH1 CH2 Wi Others Display Character ae a a LCD 20 characters 2 lines backlit LCD Power Supply AC 117 V AC 230 V AC 240 V AC 117 V AC 230 V AC 240 V 50 60 Hz AC
5. DVI I connectors That means that you don t have to actually select the output connector This feature is convenient when you want to send converted video output to more than one device Naturally if you select 480 59 941 the video is down converted to SD and can be output via all the connectors In this instance HD SDI is automatically output as SD SDI Select output format Signal after conversion is sent out from all the output terminals So let s see what kinds of things you can do with PROCESSING When you press the button you can cycle through five parameters Scaling Type Out Zoom Audio Delay Time Sync Source and TC Generate and select settings for each Scaling Type lets you set the aspect ratio Since selecting 4 3 would otherwise cut strips from the sides of the screen you can choose between Squeeze or Letterbox Appropriate options are also available for 16 9 video as well Out Zoom is especially effective when down converting You can adjust the zoom amount from 50 through 150 and when enlarging the screen you can set positioning via menu options There is more about this in the description of PROCESSING parameters on page 10 By setting Audio Delay Time you can adjust the amount of delay between the video and soundtrack This is especially useful if spoken words are out of synch with the movement of lips with the video Fine tuning and adjustment can be as little as 0 01 frames The default sett
6. MHz to 90 MHz W Video Output Format HDV 1080 59 94i 1080 50i 720 59 94p 720 50p DV 480 59 94i 576 50i Y Pb Pr 1080 59 94p 1080 50p 1080 59 94i 1080 50i 720 59 94p 720 50p 480 59 94p 576 50p 480 59 94i 576 50i Digital RGB 1080 59 94p 1080 50p 1080 59 94i 1080 50i 720 59 94p 720 50p 480 59 94p 576 50p 480 59 94i 576 50i Analog Y Pb Pr 1080 59 94p 1080 50p 1080 59 94i 1080 50i 720 59 94p 720 50p 480 59 94p 576 50p 480 59 94i 576 50i 1080 59 94i 1080 50i 720 59 94p 720 50p 480 59 94i 576 50i E Audio Input HDV MPEG1 Layer II 16 bit 48 kHz 384 kbps DV Linear PCM 16 bit 48 kHz Nonlinear PCM 12 bit 32 kHz 2ch Balanced XLR Type ch1 ch2 4 dBu 2 dBu 4 dBu 10 dBu Selectable Unbalanced RCA phono type ch3 ch4 0 dBu 6 dBu 8 dBu 14 dBu Selectable Audio Sampling Rate 24 bit 48 kHz 32 kHz Linear PCM 24 bit 48 kHz W Audio Output HDV MPEG1 Layer II 16 bit 48 kHz 384 kbps DV Linear PCM 16 bit 48 kHz Nonlinear PCM 12 bit 32 kHz 2ch Balanced XLR Type ch1 ch2 4 dBu 2 dBu 4 dBu 10 dBu Selectable Unbalanced RCA phono type ch3 ch4 0 dBu 6 dBu 8 dBu 14 dBu Selectable Audio Sampling Rate 24 bit 48 kHz 32 kHz Linear PCM 24 bit 48 kHz O0dBu 0 775Vrms VC 300HD Only 18 Multi Format conversion with Multiple Connectors in one unit WProcessing Scaling Scaling between the specified input and output Frame Sync
7. Progressive conversion is possible with the VC 300HD Moreover output to a PC monitor can be converted to HDV and HD SDI output This makes it possible to capture PowerPoint slides and other software applications as immediately usable video content Going the other way video pro VCR content can be converted to data that can be viewed on PC monitors via projectors and on consumer TV screens Moreover while China is geographically close to Japan China is in the PAL region When the 2008 Olympics are held in Beijing Japan is bound to have to quickly deal with a lot more PAL content The VC 300HD is not limited to NTSC format It takes the different frame rates and resolution from PAL to NTSC output and vice versa Up to now no other converter has been available that enables you to convert just about all existing formats and provide bi directional conversion The built in audio delay for frame accurate sync Supports embedded audio with High Quality A D D A conversion Actual conversion procedure Select input source EDIROL Signal processing is automatically selected based on selected input and output i a7 Ss ee What does format conversion actually involve with the VC series It s so simple that almost anyone who has operated video equipment can do it just by looking at the panel and selecting the settings For instance let s see how HDV content is converted and output to other formats
8. mass of expertise with real time processing as well Products of course can t be created simply by combining existing devices so we carried out various technical surveys These were not confined within the company We also needed the cooperation of people in the industry We had to get hold of technical standards use our connections with chip manufacturers and collaborate with camera manufacturers I suppose you could say that we studied pretty much 24 7 When it comes to imaging devices think Roland makes good use of analog technology The thing I like about analog is that you can connect to anything inexpensively For example the thing that HDV DVCPRO HD and HDCAM all have in common is analog component output There s hardly ever a problem with connection compatibility Naturally analog implementation technology has been cultivated for musical instruments and audio equipment There is also a manageable risk during development Eventually our image devices also got some attention when 13 years ago Roland started selling the Video kun desktop video editor It was a board that installed in a PC Since then we have been putting energy into analog video Recently the price of cameras with built in SDI has come down below the 10 000 mark so from now on SDI will be used more and more Even so for live shows the superiority of analog input output will continue for a while From the point of view of br
9. output format are different and Side Panel Let or Crop is selected with 200 Scaling Type 100 0 100 lines Larger values move the image up Noise Reduction Obscures noise in the input video so it is unnoticeable If it is set too strong the video resolution may be reduced Off Do not use 1 63 The strength of the Noise Reduction 10 Item Description and Available Settings 221 222 223 224 250 251 252 260 261 270 271 274 Video Red Gain Video Green Gain Video Blue Gain AudioDelay Time Audio Low Gain Audio Mid Gain Audio High Gain Sync Source Sync Adjust TC Generate TC Offset User Bit Drop Frame Emphasizes the edges of the input video If set too strong the edges may look jagged Do not use 1 63 Strength of Enhancement Sets the gain value for red in the video being output 0 100 Larger numerical values indicate a stronger red color Sets the gain value for green in the video being output O 100 Larger numerical values indicate a stronger green color Sets the gain value for blue in the video being output 0 100 Larger numerical values indicate a stronger blue color Sets the delay applied to the output audio 0 00 1 00 15 00f The time per frame changes according to the frame rate in the value set in 300 Video Out Format Therefore the range of values displayed on the screen ms is as follows
10. ratio as the input Original Image 4 3 16 9 4 3 NTSC 480i PAL 576i 1024 x 768 800 x 600 640 x 480 gt 4 3 Letterbox NTSC 480i RS gt kx RS PAL 576i 4 3 Squeeze NTSC 480i K gt K PAL 576i ani CHEE EH Side Panel Let Box Shows the entire image with black shown in portions where there is no video image 4 3 NTSC 480i PAL 576i 1024 x 768 800 x 600 640 x 480 a 4 3 Letterbox NTSC 480i a EA PAL 576i 4 3 Squeeze NTSC 480i gt PAL 576i 16 9 1080i 720p Crop Displays the image so as to fill the entire screen does not show the portions extending outside 4 3 NTSC 480i PAL 576i 1024 x 768 800 x 600 640 x 480 4 3 Letterbox NTSC 480i PAL 576i 4 3 Squeeze NTSC 480i PAL 576i 16 9 1080i 720p l Out Zoom Adjusts the magnification of the output video 50 100 200 Larger numerical values make the image larger The maximum value that can be selected changes according to the combination of the input video format and the output format Out H Position Adjusts the horizontal position of the output video when the aspect ratios of the input video and the output format are different and Side Panel Let or Crop is selected with 200 Scaling Type 100 0 100 Larger values move the image right Out V Position Adjusts the vertical position of the output video when the aspect ratios of the input video and the
11. 0HD developer 14 System proposal Flexible format conversion is the key 16 Input Output specifications 18 Main specifications and connectors 19 Writer Nobuyoshi Kodera Cover photos Shinya Aizawa The Japanese original book was issued asa supplement of Gekkan Video a on June 1st 2007 Why you need a real time converter In no time at all formats for HD recording have multiplied Although the mainstream format for delivery of commercial broadcasting is HDCAM an infrastructure to accommodate HDCAM SR is also gradually coming into mainstream On the other hand the SD format is still being widely used for news coverage and the introduction of non linear HD media such as XDCAM and P2 is being considered As long as the video is output as HD SDI interoperability is possible It is not unusual for TV programs and promotion videos to be shot and recorded with cameras that use consumer HDV video formats Moreover from the adoption of SD real time output from PC monitors was being recorded and broadcasted Of course this method is also effective in an HD environment No matter how quickly you may have embraced HD however the advantages of non linear editing are often hindered Whenever real time multi format conversion is unavailable you can suffer from three types of loss Time wasted in conversion process In some cases today production companies are loading footage that needs converting to a non linear editing sys
12. 220 V 60 Hz si Hz AC 220 V 60 Hz Power Consumption 482 430 without rack mount bracket W x 309 D x 44 H mm EIA DVI I Input Connector Dimensions 1U Rack Mount Size 19 16 15 16 without rack mount bracket W x 12 3 16 D x 1 3 4 H Weight 4 5kg 9 lbs 15 oz Accessories Owner s Manual Rubber Foot x 4 Power Cord 19 i LECET al i g i i gt Fiii iwida 4 OvVIC HOOT COHOOE DA E Dy See Roland WE DESIGN THE FUTURE copyright 2007 Roland Corporation All rights reserved WWW ro an d syste msgroup n et All specification and appearances are subject to change without notice Jul 2007 RAM 7007 KS
13. DV 1080 59 94i Process Format conversion Output 1080 59 94i HDV 720 59 94p Process Format conversion Output 1080 59 94i Image after format conversion Multiburst waveform Input HDV 1080 59 94i Process Down conversion Output 480 59 94i Input DV 480 59 94i Process Up conversion Image after format conversion Multiburst waveform Output 1080 59 94i The figure shows image samples and waveforms after the original video has been converted to HDV DV format using the VC 300HD and then Image after down conversion Multiburst waveform again using the VC 300HD converted to HD SD SDI D output In the conversion from HDV once the MPEG2 decoding has been done the scaler carries out processing to magnify or shrink the image In the 1080i output you can see that the HDV characteristics are output more or less unaltered Image after up conversion Multiburst waveform The Processing More than just a converter The VC 300HD has functions that make it accent converted video with additional considerably more than just a simple format corrections and trimming Below is a description converter Among the parameters you can access of the parameters covered by the processing via the MENU button you will find parameters functions related to video processing For example you can tem Mel Hem Name Description and Available Settings Scaling Type Sets the scaling type Squeeze Uses the same aspect
14. It is getting so that you can t easily manage simple tasks like dubbing or monitoring What is needed for this world of many formats is a multi format converter that can convert from many formats to any other form While it is possible to get devices that can specifically convert between just about any of the existing formats for example between component and SDI they are not cost effective or bi directional To resolve the various challenges Roland has designed the Edirol VC 300HD This product has been shipping since March 2007 and has already proved to be very popular This has occurred because production studios broadcast facilities and duplication houses are pro actively looking for multi format converter solutions to avoid format compatibility issues and speed up the conversion process saving time and money This document is designed for people who are considering the purchase of a multi format converter Here you will discover detailed information about the features and benefits of the VC 300HD We hope that you will find valuable and informative in this challenging world of multi formats Table of Contents Introduction 2 Why you need a real time converter 4 Support for various formats 5 Actual conversion procedure 6 Picture quality evaluation 8 The Processing More than just a converter 10 Superior picture quality after down conversion Interview Shinji Kobukata 12 Making full use of HDV Interview with a VC 30
15. Using a Firewire cable connect the HDV camera output to the i LINK input While there is an i LINK port at the rear of the unit an 1 LINk connector was added to the front for convenience However you can only use one at time and one 1 LINK port must be closed when the other is in use You can leave the other output terminals HD SDI DVI I and analog component permanently connected to devices or monitors Three function buttons on the front panel from left to right are labeled From the left they are labeled INPUT PROCESSING and OUTPUT After you press INPUT it lights up blue The display shows the name of the input connector being used The unit automatically senses the type of incoming signal All you have to do is check and select the active input connection Turning the knob on the right you cycle to i LINK and select by pushing the knob All the basic selection operations are done by turning the knob and pushing into select the displayed item Let s now take a look at the OUTPUT function Once you selected the output format the converter will automatically convert and output the video format desired If the unit s automatic settings are acceptable there is no need to access the PROCESSING button to adjust the parameters Furthermore the VC 300HD can output the converted data via any of the connectors For example if you select 1080 59 941 full HD video can be sent out parallel via the Analog Component HD SDI and
16. ded versions of the product And does it have all the functions that were planned for it We have been thinking about upgrading Function expansion that s another feature of the VC 300HD We were keen to include a lot more functions in the first model but opted first to get the product out This way we were able to further develop the product by listening to what everyone said about it and use that feedback to expand the functions and improve usability 15 System proposal Flexible format conversion is the key So how does the VC 300HD fit into the work done in a studio Below you can see some of the concrete advantages it offers in typical systems WFigure 1 Non Linear Editing System Non linear HD editing has just about reached a level where it can realistically cope with native format HDV and DVCPROHD One of the reasons that this is practical is because IEEE1394 can handle the transfers When it comes to uncompressed HD SDI data however the threshold is still high For a start you need to have a board with HD SDI input output and a large amount of extra storage space Many things still stand in the way of dealing in real time with multiple streams of uncompressed data However if various formats are converted to HDV and the data is acquired native editing in HDV can be done for video sourced from any format What is more HDCAM DVCPROHD and other sources with HD SDI can be down converted and acquired as DV I
17. f the final form is SD say for DVD work can be done more SD Analog Component VC 300HD efficiently WFigure 2 Dubbing In post production work much dubbing work is needed for the materials and complete package In particular 1t is expected that there will be a rapid increase in the need to bring video up from HDV and conversely to drop it down to HDV Meanwhile it is still true that the work of dubbing to obsolete VHS will not completely disappear For the most frequently occurring conversion tasks one approach is to install a number of fixed format converters For less frequently encountered conversions however multi format converters provide an effective solution In dubbing rooms where a combination of devices such as matrix switchers and routers are assembled it can avoid the need for unnecessary cabling Figure 3 Live recording When shooting live concerts and other stage events producers generally switch between several cameras For recording at times like this TE IE HDV DV Figure 1 Using the VC 300HD various video formats can be acquired as HDV or DV 16 HD SD Analog Component HD SDI SDI HDV DV DVI I oe oo E HD Switcher
18. ing is 1 00 f to compensate the audio timing to match the delay resulting from the video conversion process Sync Source lets you set the reference for Supports real time conversion to HDV Analog component supports both SD 480i 576i and HD 720p 1080i Supports direct input from computer display Accepts digital RGB signals up to 1600x1200 60Hz and analog RGB signals up to 1024x768 60Hz synchronization The VC 300HD provides three options Internal Video Input and REF Input If not set manually the optimal source will be automatically be selected When converting between PAL and NTSC if input and output are out of sync internal synchronization is selected If no external synchronization signal input is detected synchronization is almost always set to Video Input When conversion is output to a recorder the input signal of the recording device works as the reference Consequently Auto detection usually presents no problems When input is to a switcher or other source that requires synchronization sync is accomplished via an external input With TC Generate you can select what to do about the embedded time code when using i LINK and HD SDI connections When OFF is set no code is output Free Run uses the value set in the VC 300HD When Thru is set the time code that is sent via i LINK and HD SDI is embedded as it is Using Offset output can be adjusted with an embedded value applied to the time code Thru output app
19. io delay control built into the VC 300HD enables audio to be synchronized with the video there is often a need for so called line recording Simple video switchers do not usually have DV and HDV outputs If you want to output in these formats the VC 300HD is your only option This is because being more than a simple image converter the VC 300HD can be used for merging output from an audio mixer line and then enabling recording of the embedded DV or HDV output Before now to record this type of input it was necessary to take along a studio deck to handle separate image and sound input Recording is easier with a VC 300HD even when using things like HDV cameras 17 Multi Format conversion with Multiple Interfaces in one unit E 00 00 W Video Input Format HDV 1080 59 94i 1080 50 720 59 94p 720 50p DV 480 59 94i 576 50 Y Pb Pr 1080 59 94i 1080 50i 720 59 94p 720 50p 480 59 94p 576 50p 480 59 94i 576 50 Digital 1600x1200 60 Hz 1400x1050 60 75 Hz 1360x768 60 Hz 1280x1024 60 75 Hz 1280x768 60 Hz 1280x960 60 Hz 1152x864 75 Hz 1024x768 60 75 Hz 800x600 60 75 Hz 640x480 60 75 Hz 1080 59 94p 1080 50p 1080 59 94i 1080 50i 720 59 94p 720 50p Analog 1024x768 60 Hz 800x600 60 75 Hz 640x480 60 75 Hz 1080 59 94i 1080 50i 720 59 94p 720 50p 480 59 94i 576 50 SD 4 4 4 Y Cb Cr 10 bits 13 5 MHz HD 4 4 4 Y Pb Pr 10 bits 74 1758 MHz 74 25 MHz RGB 4 4 4 R G B 10 bits 25
20. k right down to the fine details and trouble avoidance is given high priority If you have long term relationships with clients both sides know what the other can and cannot do Of course this may seem like an ideal way of working but it can also mean loss of future business by refusing new clients with special format or conversion requirements If your company can only deal with a limited number of formats it always runs the risk of not being competent to deal with large projects using formats beyond your capabilities HD Component SD Component HDV 1080i 720p HD Component SD Component DV 480i 576i HDV 10801 720p DV 480i 576i HD Component SD Component HDV 1080i 720p DV 480i 576i HD Component SD Component Multi format conversion options Support for various formats The VC 300HD enables conversion between many all of the formats currently used in video production It is a multi format converter Four connector types provide different data sources and destinations IEEE1394 analog component SDI and DVI I HDMI connectivity is enabled through the use of a DVI I conversion cable These different connectors provide access to a diverse variety of HD SD and other resolutions Naturally to ensure conversion between resolutions up conversion and down conversion are supported Even in HD format conversion from 720p to 10801 is far from unusual This type of resolution conversion plus Interlace
21. lied to incoming HDV is particularly convenient when you want to match offline and online time code data Although the VC 300HD is capable of diverse down conversion and up conversion These format conversions the video quality is not samples were converted via two way connection compromised Examine these frequently used between i LINK HDV DV and HD SDI resolutions in same sized format conversion Original input video HDCAM format After conversion each of the video samples have been cropped to remove the surrounding margin MBHD SD SDI to i LINK HDV DV conversion HD SDI 1080 59 94i Process Format conversion Output 1080 59 94i HD SDI 720 59 94p Process Format conversion Image after format conversion Output 1080 59 94i Input Process Down conversion Output 480 59 94i Input SD SDI 480 59 94i Process Up conversion Output 1080 59 94i Image after down conversion Image after up conversion HD SDI video input was output via 1 LINK After the i LINK output was captured in a non linear system the video samples were output as HD SDI from a board installed in the non linear system In the conversion from HD SDI to HDV internal base band input is encoded in real time to MPEG2 This provides real time encoder performance test results When the 1080 59 941 output is selected the cross conversion resolution is actually output at 1440 horizontal pixels W i LINK HDV DV to HD SD SDI conversion H
22. oadcasting NTSC PAL conversion is valuable by its scarcity expect however pursuing a niche like this will turn out to be a thorny path when things like operation validation are taken into consideration That function was certainly a tough one If it can easily perform conversions I think the applications will open up It is tough to achieve conversion between 60 and 50 fields But since conversion from SD to 720p and vice versa is one type of frame rate conversion we needed to provide that function Validating the conversions was really tough We started by making stuff we could use for verification We had to choose recording equipment that could provide frame forwarding and field forwarding Then we had to check all the camera and VTR connections and more It involved a great deal of work On the plus side while we were doing this we became aware of just how valuable the VC 300HD would be Even in the non linear world where everything seems possible we were put through the ringer when it came to making samples for validation For the catalog we have drawn up a basic conversion matrix of the formats It lists frame rates image pixels digital and analog and types of media and so on The number of combinations of matrices we used for validation is an amazing 3 200 Only after each one was operable could we then pass the test Well you started shipping the product in March 2007 are you likely to bring out upgra
23. often use magnify In many cases commercial films are shot captured to HD with telecine and finished with SD If you have it in HD you can pan and zoom in SD So it s great that you can magnify the picture and shift the frame a bit In that respect it has more functions than a simple converter You can also do it after you get the video into a non linear system but then it has to do the rendering and it bogs down because of the huge file sizes l ve heard that still only about 4 or 5 of commercials are delivered in HD No one s shooting commercials directly to HD yet The stance is that it can t yet be done efficiently at the PC level Although it is OK to use PCs for simple cut editing or transitions of dissolve only computers just don t have the power to deal with the heavy tasks of putting everything together Photo 3 Image output from an ordinary HD VTR via HD SDI and down converted by the VC 300HD Parameters and other settings were not adjusted What about the conversion options Component SDI DV it seems to cover everything that the industry currently uses I don t need more than that I was just about to buy an HDV deck But the one with HD SDI costs a serious amount of money But now I might get a much cheaper one and use this VC 300HD for HD SDI Coming at it the other way you also gain a path from HD SDI to HDV As far as editing is concerned you might be able to edit in HDV format For in
24. quality Right now at home I have an ordinary HD VTR and it has a built in down converter The results are so obviously different to the output of the VC 300HD I was surprised when I checked the line between the bright and dark areas Usually along the boundary you see blurring But with the VC 300HD there wasn t any The overall level of detail is incredible It s so beautiful Photos 2 and 3 I also used to do a lot of chroma key editing with down conversion Frequently shooting is done in HD and editing and final output are in SD But after down conversion the results are not good Despite the time it took I sometimes did the keying in HD and then down converted to SD I tended to feel that the results of down conversion could have been better When comparing to the output of the VC 300HD I discovered that what I ve done up until now doesn t look that great I think PI be making good use of the VC 300HD What did you think about the outline correcting feature Ah yes it works well too You don t need to use it but when you do it is good to be able to adjust the output level Even so noise reduction can do the opposite and make things fuzzy I think I can find a use for it around here It s not just a converter You can make internal adjustments It s good for changing final image Photo 2 Image down converted by an ordinary HD VTR and output to a TV positioning when you magnify the picture Do you
25. rently the only option for line recording in HD is expensive broadcasting equipment that has HD SDI It is not easy however to prepare and Hironori Mikami in E F charge Roland VC 300HD development 14 afford this kind of equipment for recording live events Then even if we did record on it it s better to convert it down to HDV since we can t justify keeping the expensive format unchanged just to have it always easily on hand for editing When DV first came out everyone was putting converters on the market With HDV we ve hardly seen the same kind of thing What s more virtually nothing has become available for two way conversion of HDV baseband This situation has opened the market for the VC 300HD In designing the hardware it must have been hard to choose a processor and come up with algorithms to do conversion in real time Real time conversion was an extremely high priority for us After all one of the things that all Roland products share is a capability for use in live show production That goes for both music and images Coming down to specific technology the company already had some converter know how that we could apply Our way into the market was via experience with scaling control which has been built up from dealing with video mixer products When talking about video conversion you may assume audio is a comparatively minor concern But as you know audio processing technology involves a
26. stance if you want to use HD SDI for capture to Final Cut Pro you need an input output board That means you need to move to a Mac Pro in a tower case But now you can run the HDV data through this VC 300HD Even if the video is HDCAM it lets you do the editing in HDV on a MacBook Pro Then again if you are working with archives rather than taking it to HDCAM you can do it with HDV You can burn it on a Blu ray recorder via FireWire You have a number of alternatives 13 Wanting to make full use of HDV Interview with a VC 300HD developer The idea was for the VC 300HD to be able to deal with most of the popular formats at present So why did they want to have a go at perfecting the huge number of conversion patterns other manufacturers weren t interested in Let s take a look at initial product concept and the technical backbone Let s interview Hironori Mikami of Roland the person in charge of VC 300HD development To start what was the initial impulse for development What was it that triggered the process The plan got underway with the idea We want to record to HDV simply and easily The company already makes the V 440HD a multi format video mixer and can output from it be recorded or not At Roland we often have events that call for use of the V 440HD but it is not that easy to record the events We felt that many V 440HD users must have the same desire and need for recording from the mixer Cur
27. tem NLE and using software to convert to the desired format This methodology is not practical or an efficient use of your NLE system The process of loading each time into the NLE rendering with software and then outputting may seem quick and convenient at first glance but in many it just ends up taking more time than initially expected e Unnecessary investment in equipment Conversion can tie up the entire NLE for long periods of time and results in a shortage of temporary drive space and increases costs Moreover converting using an NLE system is a non editing task that can unnecessarily tie up an expert editor Thus all the temporary storage space which you need for a margin of safety during conversion can add significantly to operating costs Monitoring various video formats is another issue A monitor compatible with the format of the data needing conversion may not always be readily available HD video can be checked on a PC monitor but if you want to check output on a projector or consumer TV you can only use HD SDI or HDV e Lost business opportunities In a fast paced production environment where speed ease of use and reliability are essential format compatibility can kill a project As a result we tend to avoid dealing with formats we are not sure about or we consider to be a hassle If your studio doesn t deal with certain formats you may find yourself turning down business The production side examines wor
28. tes of the input video and the output format are different The time code output here is the same as when Free Run is set Offset Output the timecode input from an external source with the offset set with 271 TC Offset ap pended to it The TC that is used will be that which is embedded in the signal of the video connector being used Sets the offset to apply when Offset is selected with 270 TC Generate This value will be the time code s preset value when Free Run is set for 270 TC Generate The hour h minute m second s and frame f values can be set independently for this item OOhOOMONSOOF 23h59mM59s24f DOHOOMOONSOOF 23h59m59s24f OhOO f 23h59m59s29f When the frame rate value set for 300 Video Out Format is 59 94i or 59 94p The available range for this parameter changes when the 300 Video Out Format parameter is changed When Free Run is set for 270 TC Generate the time code count is reset when this item setting is changed Sets the user bit embedded in the timecode when Free Run is set with 270 TC Generate Because there is no impact when the value set for 270 TC Generate is not Free Run the input user bit is passed through without any change If no user bit is input FF FF FF FF is output This item sets each value independently 00 FF 00 FF 00 FF 00 FF May be adjusted in this range Selects drop frame non drop frame for the time code when Free Run is set
29. with 270 TC Generate Drop Selects Drop Frame Non Drop Selects Non drop Frame The setting is not valid when 1080 50p 1080 50i 720 50p 576 50p or 576 50i is selected with 300 Video Out Format For items 201 212 and 220 224 please adjust while confirming on a video monitor The values enclosed in a 50X are the factory defaults 11 Superior picture quality after down conversion Interview Shinji Kobukata Though he is not a celebrity image creator Shinji Kobukata is well known in the industry as a major player behind the scenes Photo 1 Among his numerous productions are many promotion videos for artists belonging to a Japanese major label He has also had a major hand in editing and directing the opening titles of Japanese TV shows More recently he was in charge of editing the live DVD of Japan s most popular female singer Ayumi Hamasaki Mr Kobukada was a perfect candidate to put the VC 300HD through its paces First of all how do you like the way it operates It was very easy to use and very intuitive I was actually able to do nearly everything without needing to look in the manual To take full advantage of it s feature set especially the extra processing features I looked through the manual You must have tried out various conversions What did you like best Photo 1 Edit Puffin Director Shinji Kobukata 12 I was most impressed by the down converted picture
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