DVRACK HD on Mac

Have a look at the Performance Tab in Task Manager (CTRL+SHIFT+Escape) while monitoring and recording. If CPU Usage goes to 100%, DV Rack will skip frames in the Field Monitor and analytical tools in order to preserve headroom for recording. The recorded stream should be totally intact in this case--in extensive testing, I have yet to see a frame dropped on account of CPU usage.

About the only situations where a recorded clip will end up with dropped frames are if the hard drive is either too slow or too fragmented (or both). And even there you have a margin of error thanks to the way DV Rack buffers to the RAM when the hard drive can't keep up. The buffer meter in the upper right hand corner of the DVR shows you how much content DV Rack is having to buffer. Ideally, it should remain empty while recording. If it fills up, then you are at serious risk of dropping frames.

btw, we had at least a dozen beta testers with PAL versions of the HVX, and there were no known issues with PAL in 2.0.
 
KarlSoule said:
The freeze-up in the field monitor is the 2GB memory issue. That should be corrected by the end of next week at the latest.
Click to expand...

Karl or Mark,

Can you give us an updated ETA for the 2GB memory problem fix?


Thanks,
Jeremy
 
mark, belated thank you for your response.

i still have the problems on mbp 2.16/hvx200 no matter if i record to the internal disk or a much faster external lacie (raid 0). have tried different units of hvx200. everything is connected from the one FW400. the bar displaying the cache of dv rack is fine.

shooting 720p50.

the footage has colored blocks in it and causes quicktime to crash when play is pressed. see attached still images.

using as field monitor is not a problem.

any euro users of hvx200/mbp 2.16 could you please confirm that you have managed to get it working.

also attached a xbench report of the machine that shows the speed of the disk and other info. any help appreciated.
 

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In testing a patch for our Batch Converter, I ran into a very similar result with DVCPro HD 720 PAL footage. It appears to be a bug on the Apple side. Try downloading P2 Log and the DVCPro HD Pass-through Codec for PAL from Imagine Products (http://www.imagineproducts.com/P2log.htm). After installing both, my test clips played flawlessly without being put through P2 Log, so I suspect their codec alone did the trick. However it might be necessary to install P2Log in order for the codec to install and work.
 
thanks for taking the time mark. i actually had p2 log demo and the codec already installed, but reinstalled them just in case. unfortunately it didnt do the trick. any other routes to try? also still interested to hear reports from somebody that it is working properly in pal to eliminate possible causes.
 
so i suppose i should gather from the lack of reactions that no pal ownes on this forum got the hard disc recording (dvcpro hd) to work on a macbook pro 2.16?
 
Just installed DVRackPro HD on MacBook Pro Core2Duo 2.33 with 2 gb ram.

Installation linked me to Microsoft .net 1.1 which installed perfectly and the DVRAck installation/activation went smoothly.

Noticed that DVRack would freeze after about 10 sec of display. Did a search here (hear that everyone-- do a search first before posting a new thread) and discovered conflict with iSight driver. Removed iSight driver and no problems.

Set 1394 control menu on HVX to off. In first test, I was able to record a couple of very brief clips to external SATA drive. Drive is a Seagate 750 in Wiebetech case with Wiebetech Express34SATA adaptor. Drive is formatted Mac HFS+ and I am using MacDrive, which seems to work very well so far.

All I need to do now is figure out how to change default .avi format to a QT but I am certain that if I get around to reading the manual I'll be fine.

So, for the moment, it does appear that I am running.

Mark, I might suggest that if you have nothing else to do ;) ;) that you might note the iSight issue on the web site. In fact, since I am using this as a part of an article I am writing, I would be very glad to collaborate with the Adobe/Serious Magic staff on a guide to using DVRack Pro on Macs.

BTW, I'm running under BootCamp.

As far as sakalli's question, I'm in NTSC land so I can't test the PAL functions.

Ned Soltz
 
In case you haven't gotten around to diving into the help, you set the DV File Format through the main menu in the Field Monitor--click the "Menu" button in the monitor's lower left corner; DV File Format is the very first setting.

I've asked the keepers of the FAQ page to add an item re: the iSight driver issue. Thanks for the suggestion.

Unfortunately, I'm buried under three or four projects with dueling deadlines, so no margin to be of any assistance with your article, and I can't think who else might be available & qualified.
 
One more thing-- it seems that every time I reboot Windows under BootCamp, the OS will reinstall the iSight driver. I have been deleting each time. Next time I will just try selecting disable and see if that helps. I hate Windows...

Ned
 
So you think it's wrong for Windows to detect the available peripherals and automatically install the drivers for them if they are available? I'll bet you anything that if it behaved that way, a large number of people (possibly including yourself) would complain that the Mac does it and that Windows was stupid because it did NOT do so.

Anyway, you have at least three options:

1. Disable the device in Device Manager. Windows will know it's there, but not use it.

2. When Windows says it found a new device and launches the driver installation wizard, tell it not to install the device. In the final screen of the wizard, you will see a checkbox to never ask again about installing the driver for the device.

3. Create a separate hardware profile, one which includes the iSight driver (this should probably be your default), and one which doesn't. You can choose a profile at boot time.
 
Thanks for the Windows advice...

Meanwhile, nightmare continues.

Tried to download and upgrade to the 2.1 version on the web site, launched the patch, and got the message "You Must Purchase DV Rack Pro 2.0 first."

DVCPRO HD Decoder still will not install after a couple of phone calls with Softwrap. They had me send them one of the set up files but still have not gotten back with me.

The software is great but the combination of Softwrap and the Serious Magic update process is horrific.

Ned
 
THoff said:
So you think it's wrong for Windows to detect the available peripherals and automatically install the drivers for them if they are available? I'll bet you anything that if it behaved that way, a large number of people (possibly including yourself) would complain that the Mac does it and that Windows was stupid because it did NOT do so.
Click to expand...

That is one of the most annoying parts of Windows for me. The constant pop ups, reminders, etc.

I'm not OS bashing, but it drives me batty at times.

I want to say leave me alone.

It's like MS Word constantly capitalizing the first words of every line or causing a tab indent automatically.

I know I can turn it off, but I prefer it would default to off.
 
nsoltz said:
The software is great but the combination of Softwrap and the Serious Magic update process is horrific.

Ned
Click to expand...

Another thread on this exact issue of Softwrap.

Wish there was a more efficient way.
 
Well, Softwrap resolved the DVCPROHD Converter issue and it now activates. Hopefully I can get the 2.1 patch applied somehow and then really be off and running with the software.
 
Activation schemes penalize legit users due to their complexities and the added costs they increment to the product. I see the Softwrap activation as a rather major blemish on an otherwise breakthrough product. At least it was easier to communicate with someone in London than someone who merely reads a script in Bangalore.

Ned
 
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