DV Rack HD questions? who is using it?

siniarch

siniarch

Veteran
I just downloaded the demo version of DV Rack HD. The software seems pretty good, but I seem to get a slight delay from real time to what shows up on the monitor. Both on my Desktop and my Laptop.

Desktop: Dual Zeon 3.4ghz w/ 4gigs, Nvidia FX3450 graphics card. (pretty powerful machine)
Laptop: Centrino Duo Core 1.8ghz, Shared Memory Graphics card (can't remember which one.)

Now I'm a newbie at this, so maybe I'm missing something. I've played with the setting of DV Rack and even optimizing the 3 setting and closing all the other modules and closing all other software on my computer I still get this delay. Since it happens on both machines, I'm assuming that it is the way it is because of all the processing it has to go through.

Who is using DV Rack? Who is happy with it and why? What is your workflow that you don't need exact real time focusing? (or do you, and you just adapt to the 1/4second delay)? I want to purchase it, but I'm not sure how crucial it is to the way people focus. (do people focus pre-shooting and mark their follow focus. hence just using the monitor when its not moving to focus and when it moves for framing. or do people usually focus as you move the camera?)

Thanks.
 
I use the program and love it. What I don't like is the Softcrap activation technology that was introduced with V2.0. I just installed the V2.1 update yesterday, and it won't activate. I've contacted Softcrap, but not heard back yet.

A brief delay is unavoidable, the camera has to encode the image from the sensor and send it out the DV port. The PC then has to read and decode that. The problem is made worse with HDV (if you use that) because of the long GOPs.

For the things I do with it, 100% real-time performance isn't critical, so maybe my needs aren't the same as yours. I'm not even sure that it is possible to get true real-time performance through the DV port.
 
hi THoff,
Thanks for the reply. I guess I was also asking what kind of work are you doing with the DV Rack. My best friend and I are going to film an independent. (yes our first.) and needless to say, I'm still not familiar with the workflow of focusing. Would the DV rack lend itself to independent films. (I know it also depends if we are going to be running with it and all.) But how do most people pull focus? on the fly or are most locations of the actors pre-predetermined with a mark on the follow focus adapter, and the dv rack is just used to focus by zooming in on the stand-in actor prior to actual shooting???
Thanks.
 
Hi Guys.
I'm very interested in this 'capturing tactic' and I was wondering if it's possible to record with DVDrack HD and on a miniDV tape at the same time, in order to get both HD and SD material without having to downscale the footage.
 
You can't get HD and SD at the same time. The data the HVX sends out the DV port is in the same format as the selected recording format, so it is either SD or HD, but not both.

My main use of DV Rack has been for recording long live events where changing tapes (I've used it since before I got my HVX) was not acceptable. I do quality checks using the field monitor, scope and spectrum analyzer, and then let it record for however long it takes. Each and every one of those tools has been invaluable by itself, having all of them together in one application is a godsend.
 
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