Capturing using Blackmagic Mini Recorder PCIe card?

[aramkolt]

[QUOTE=dpalomaki;95227I still use my MX-Pro occasionally.
[/QUOTE]


I've got an MX1 for testing and I also looked at the MXPro models. MXPro is interesting for the better specs, but they use a really tough to find power supply for.

Since it needs a relatively good input, what situations do you use your MX-Pro for? What do you usually use instead?

I'm trying to test a variety of devices and the MX-Pro looks interesting, but finding a power supply for one is pretty frustrating. They use odd voltages in addition to the 5V (either +7V/-7V or +10V/-10V depending on whether it is the DV model or not)

[dpalomaki]

My MX-Pro power supply has a 6-pin output connector, the pin-out printed on the brick

Input 100-240 VAC ~47-63 Hz

Outputs
Pins 1,4: +5 VDC at 4.5 Amps
Pins 2,5: DC common
Pin 3: + 10 VDC at 0.4 Amps
Pin 6 : - 10 VDC at 0.4 amps

Videonics Part number PWRS-0020-01
Brick mfgr is Leader Electronics, Inc, Taiwan

Recently I have mainly used the MX-Pro when transferring prerecorded VHS tape content either by capture and authoring or using a DVD recorder to DVD. Prior my switch to NLE for editing I used it in a linear editing system to mix S-VHS, Hi8, and occasional MiniDV source material to S-VHS and later to DV tape. Its TBC performance has been adequate for my purposes (although for some tapes it may not help, often a conflict with the VCR's internal TBC).

[ahmed12h]

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

Get a different SDI interface, BM sells some nice PCIe interfaces, then use MediaExpress to save lossless AVI 4:2:2 @ either 10 or 8 bit, Clear your desk from ancient devices that require several analog-digital-analog conversions and go straight digital, And they work on any OS type or version up to the current ones.



Not just analog to SDI devises, All capture devices have a limited gain at the input, consumer ones being slightly worse, This is why a TBC has to have a proc amp built in the ADC chip, If using a stand alone external TBC that is not equipped with a procamp control, an analog procamp right after the VCR and before the TBC is highly recommended, Once the TBC digitizes the signal, all gain levels are baked in, the capture device that comes after the external TBC can do little to nothing to help. This is one of the reasons I like the capture device to have procamp and TBC all in the same chip, more control over the signal.



You're doing it the wrong way though, as I explained above, Once the FS1 digitizes the signal, it's already too late, Proc amp has to be done at the ADC chip or even before in the analog domain, However in the analog domain you need a good quality procamp, not any consumer toy. Some Sony semi=pro mixing consoles have good electronics on them and they can stabilize signal as well using a digital time base correction. Also Videonics makes a good model, I don't remember the number.

So what do u prefer of best Procamp to buy . do u have any good suggestion cuz I searched on internet all were absolute

[latreche34]

Most high end and pro VCRs put out legal values, so there is nothing to worry about, You can also buy a capture device that is built in one. Some low quality VCRs output darker or blown out picture, You don't want those VCRs to begin with. Some may even trip the capture card to think the signal has microvision.

[Gary34]

Quote:

Most high end and pro VCRs put out legal values, so there is nothing to worry about

Since some of our videos were shot off of POS cameras the colors aren’t legal.

[latreche34]

What's been shot is already there, We are talking playback here.

[aramkolt]

As for analog proc amps, the Signvideo PA100 used to be recommended quite a bit, but I haven't seen one come up for sale - been looking for one myself haha

I think the BVP4 and BVP4+ also do not technically digitize the signal as the process it, but others would probably have to confirm that.

The downside of a lot of the analog proc amps out there is that they won't accept/output S-Video, but the above two I know do.

Lots of standalone professional TBCs also have proc amp controls, but as Latreche34 said, it does make for some extra analog to digital conversions unless they have SDI out and errors will tend to get baked in at the first analog to digital conversion after the VCR. TBC devices that come to mind with SDI out and SVideo/Composite-in are the AJA FS1, DPS470, DPS475, DPS-X75

I do like the idea of software scopes that let you verify that you aren't clipping anything at the time of capture, but seems that Blackmagic doesn't have level monitoring in Media Express. There are some third party apps that can apparently work with Blackmagic products to do this such as scopebox and drastic technologies sdiScope, but they are pretty expensive. Hardware SDI scopes are a bit more expensive, but won't tax the capturing system in any way and as it is just storing what is there and already digital and should be the same as what the passthrough scope sees I would think. You'd know if there was clipping earlier in the chain if you see flat-topped waveforms.

[mrmuy97]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aramkolt

... third party apps ... such as ... sdiScope, but they are pretty expensive.

I thought $150 for sdiScope working with AJA hardware was an incredible value, since:

Quote:

Originally Posted by aramkolt

Hardware SDI scopes are a bit more expensive

I've only seen them as a lot more expensive, but I'm no waveform monitor expert and only look occasionally so maybe they can be had for a couple hundred and I haven't seen them.

[latreche34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aramkolt

I do like the idea of software scopes that let you verify that you aren't clipping anything at the time of capture, but seems that Blackmagic doesn't have level monitoring in Media Express. There are some third party apps that can apparently work with Blackmagic products to do this such as scopebox and drastic technologies sdiScope, but they are pretty expensive. Hardware SDI scopes are a bit more expensive, but won't tax the capturing system in any way and as it is just storing what is there and already digital and should be the same as what the passthrough scope sees I would think. You'd know if there was clipping earlier in the chain if you see flat-topped waveforms.

Not sure if worth mentioning since these devices are niche but analog to SDI digitizers have separate controls for procamp using their own proprietary apps via either serial, USB or ethernet, You would launch the app and change the settings while watching the results in a separate monitor/scope or via the capture app histogram such as vdub. Mediaexpress does not have histogram capability, BM expects you to already have a monitoring capability for your device, and often their customer base do.

It's much cheaper and convenient to just use vdub for capturing or the least for monitoring.