Is RS-422 control in Vegas 6?

SonyPJM wrote on 4/19/2005, 5:48 AM

RS-422 is used, but only for SDI (Decklink). It is used for both
capture (in the new internal Capture window) and print-to-tape from
Vegas' timeline. We use the RS-422 port that is built in to Decklink
cards.

Kal_Vegas wrote on 4/19/2005, 8:43 AM

I'm surprised you're not promoting this more loudly!
Are you saying you can now control with frame accuracy any of the many professional decks out there with RS-422 control?
-Beta SP, Digi Beta, Beta SX, DV-Cam, DVC-Pro, HD-Cam, IMX etc. ?
All timecode from the professional formats is captured correctly?
When print to tape you have the option of chosing what tracks to insert onto (V, A1, A2, A3, A4 etc.) and can also chose assemble edit?

If you are supporting Decklink cards does that mean you support their analogue component inputs/outputs also?
By SDI do you mean that Vegas records a 270M/bit a sec data rate (the SDI standard) from the Decklink and it doesn't matter whether that data came from analogue component converter on the Decklink card or from a HD stream compressed into 270M/bit a sec (HD-SDI)?

SonyPJM wrote on 4/19/2005, 10:02 AM

We have not tested every pro deck out there but I feel safe saying
that we work with most decks that support the Sony 9-pin protocol. We
have tested with several decks including Digital Betacam, HDCAM, and
DVCAM.

I would say frame accuracy is good, but not always perfect.

For print-to-tape, there is an option to use the deck's auto edit mode
(either preview or record) which at least guarantees you won't
overwrite material that you don't want to touch. It may take a few
trial runs to tune the record engage delay setting in the Decklink
print device prefs but once that's done you should get fairly
consistent frame accuracy.

For capture, timecode is usually correct but may occasionally be off
by a frame or two (which you may consider just as bad as being off by
10 frames). I find that roughly about 80% of my captured clips are
frame accurate. We are investigating ways to make it more consistent.
The fact that RS-422 communication takes place over a different
connection from the audio and video signal makes perfection difficult.
Reading timecode from the VANC data is perhaps the best solution but
that is not what we're doing currently.

Currently you can not choose which tracks to insert onto... it is hard
coded to V, A1, and A2. It is also hard coded to use insert edit mode
and not assemble mode.

We do support SD and HD analog component output for both print and
preview. I believe (but can not say for sure since I've not tested
with Decklink SP and Extreme cards) that we also support SD analog
component input. I don't think there are any Decklink cards with
analog HD inputs.

Currently, we capture and print 8-bit YUV 4:2:2 video with 2 channel
16-bit 48 KHz audio... period. Where it comes from just depends on
what you have hooked up to the card.

Here are some things that we don't support (yet):

* No 10-bit video.
* No 4:4:4 YUV.
* No 4,6,8,10, or 12 channel audio.

Kal_Vegas wrote on 4/19/2005, 10:45 AM

That's great news that your advancing towards professional deck integration. It's probably that you're not quite there yet is the reason for not promoting RS-422 that loudly.

Please prioritse + or - 0 frame accuracy before the other issues you mentioned. It will open up all the advantages of timecode using EDLs, AAF, Broadcast Wave, exchange with other applications etc.
Right now it's not quite there yet.

I currently use Avid Xpress Pro for editing and BetaSP, DigiBeta, MiniDV, DV-Cam, DVC-Pro are routed through the Sony DSR-1500AP using it's trancode to Firewire facilities - but the machine control and timecode is frame accurate as instead of controling through Firewire (an option) Avid uses a serial port with a cheap RS-232 to RS-422 convertor to control the VTRs perfectly for both capture and PTT. Could you implement that on Vegas too?

I'd love to be able to use Vegas for audio sweetening of the 4tk DigiBeta tapes we get into our facility, where we could pull the audio off the tape, mix to 2tk stereo and re-insert it back frame accurately onto the DigiBeta's Tk1&2 using Vegas.

Great news on the advances and please keep us posted when frame accuracy is there for RS-422 on Vegas as that's when we'll definately upgrade as right now it's just not there yet.
Thanks!

SonyPJM wrote on 4/19/2005, 11:10 AM

I'm a little confused by your statement "but the machine control and
timecode is frame accurate as instead of controling through Firewire".

Since timecode is included in DV frame headers, it is easier to
achieve frame accurate capture for DV as compared to the combination
of RS-422 and SDI (that is, without decoding timecode from the VANC).
Could it be that Avid uses RS-422 for deck control but actually reads
timecode out of the DV frames transmitted via firewire?

I do understand your point about RS-422 deck control for decks like
the DSR-1500... that way you can take advantage of both RS-422
(insert editing, etc.) and DV transmission (compressed, integrated,
& encapsulated data).

B_JM wrote on 4/19/2005, 1:55 PM

the rs422 control is straight off my serial port using a serial to 422 converter and is completely frame locked .

here is the code http://www.rs422.com.ar/ btw

Kal_Vegas wrote on 4/20/2005, 2:58 AM

The timecode is read through the RS-422 port and accuracy is achieved by adjusting the delay(it's usually consistant-presets for different machines can be setup) from when the application gives the command to insert edit or from when a TC is read by the VTR and the application starts capturing.
AFAIK In the Sony DSR-1500AP manual Sony states that frame accuracy is only guareenteed with RS-422 control and this is also said in other help files etc. in editing applications. They say it's because firewire control isn't good enough.

I think what you were saying about capture of TC through Firewire is true but it's the PTT performance of Firewire which is the real problem. Also although I capture DV-Cam, MiniDV from the DSR-1500AP itself. BetaSP & DigiBeta etc. are captured using the DSR-1500AP as a SDI or Component to Firewire covertor so the TC signal isn't actually contained in the Firewire signal. Interestingly the DSR-1500AP cannot playback a DVC-Pro tape through Firewire, it can only playback through SDI, CAV, S-Video or Composite.

I've looked at the link which BJ_M posted and it shows the level of control and information about the VTRs which RS-422 passes onto the host application. VTR ballistics timings and other factors all come into play for accurate PTT.