Tape Varicam and Odyssey 7

[steve phillipps]

Any idea whether the Odyssey 7 can get variable frame rates out of the Varicam - the Nanoflash can do it with Crank, wondered if the Odyssey would be a good choice for the old workhorse?
Steve

 

[Mitch Gross]

It will. This function is also in the Odyssey7Q.

 

[steve phillipps]

Thanks Mitch - so what could I actually do - is there a crank function like in the Nano so that I set camera to 60fps and control the recorded speed on the Odyssey? Or does it just retain flags so you import into FCP and use the frame rate converter?
Cheers,
Steve

 

[Mitch Gross]

The Odyssey7 will capture all 60 frames out of the camera each second but retain the flags so that they can be extracted correctly in post.

Please note, the Odyssey currently does not accept 720p, the only output of the original VariCam camera. This will be supported with a free future firmware update.

 

[steve phillipps]

Thanks again Mitch, any idea when that support will be available?
Good to see that you're continuing the excellent user support at Convergent Designs - listening to and quickly responding to users is one item on the long list of good reasons to buy the products!
Steve

 

[Mitch Gross]

Not really sure where this is on the roadmap, but I'll try to let you know when we can be more clear.

 

[steve phillipps]

Any further progress with this - still not seen any 7s in stores yet anyway?
Steve

 

[Mitch Gross]

No firm date on Odyssey7 or on 720p for either it or the Odyssey7Q.

 

[steve phillipps]

Fair enough - at least you're honest and prompt! Thanks Mitch.
I have toyed with the idea of using Nanoflash with the Varicam but noly having 8 bits would be a bit of a waste. Plus the Nano is actually twice the price of the Odyssey 7!
Steve

 

[steve phillipps]

Oh, and is there any possibility that the Odyssey will get an overcrank / undercrank function and preroll like the Nano?
Steve

 

[Freya]

Thanks Mitch - so what could I actually do - is there a crank function like in the Nano so that I set camera to 60fps and control the recorded speed on the Odyssey? Or does it just retain flags so you import into FCP and use the frame rate converter?
Cheers,
Steve

Hiya Steve. I've been wondering about this myself. Won't the frame rate converter only work with DVCProHD footage meaning you would have to transcode back to DVCProHD (probably 1440x1080) in order to get your frame rates sorted?

Freya

 

[steve phillipps]

No - what comes out of the SDI is not DVCPro - it's uncompressed - it's simply 60 frames of 720 material. The Nano takes in those 60 frames and bins the ones it doesn't need (more or less). Same would happen in an NLE - you take in all 60 frames and the programme can be told to just use say 25 of those every second or whatever it needs. Or use all 60 frames at 25P and you get slow motion.
Steve

 

[Mitch Gross]

Those functions are planned for the Odyssey at a later date.

 

[Freya]

No - what comes out of the SDI is not DVCPro - it's uncompressed - it's simply 60 frames of 720 material. The Nano takes in those 60 frames and bins the ones it doesn't need (more or less). Same would happen in an NLE - you take in all 60 frames and the programme can be told to just use say 25 of those every second or whatever it needs. Or use all 60 frames at 25P and you get slow motion.
Steve

Yeah I understand that the recorder won't be recording DVCProHD but that's exactly what I'm wondering about because the special tool in final cut is called "DVCProHD Frame Rate Converter" which leads me to expect that it might be expecting DVCProHD. Hence why I was suggesting you might convert the file back to DVCProHD. Nano can do the conversion and some of the AJA recorders will also do this. I only know about the final cut tool that will do this in the NLE.

Freya

 

[Freya]

This is the thing I'm talking about:

https://documentation.apple.com/en/...ows/index.html#chapter=3&section=4&tasks=true

Theres no indication it will work with anything other than DVCProHD but maybe it does?

Freya

 

[Mitch Gross]

Flagged frames, aka VariSpeed, is available on a number of cameras, including the ARRI ALEXA. The Odysey7Q records with VariSpeed as well. The signal can be 60p coming in, and this is auto-detected so that every frame is always recorded. But in our menus one selects frame rate and either "follow camera input" or a different frame rate, such as 24p. When the files are played back they will do so at that frame rate with no additional work.

 

[steve phillipps]

This is the thing I'm talking about:

https://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutpro/professionalformatsandworkflows/index.html#chapter=3%26section=4%26tasks=true

Theres no indication it will work with anything other than DVCProHD but maybe it does?

Freya

You just use the Cinema Tools thing to conform any 60P material to whatever you want though.
Steve

 

[Freya]

Flagged frames, aka VariSpeed, is available on a number of cameras, including the ARRI ALEXA. The Odysey7Q records with VariSpeed as well. The signal can be 60p coming in, and this is auto-detected so that every frame is always recorded. But in our menus one selects frame rate and either "follow camera input" or a different frame rate, such as 24p. When the files are played back they will do so at that frame rate with no additional work.

So it gets the 60p or output but records whatever frame rate it really is?
Sounds great!

Let us know if or when the Odyssey 7 supports 720p!

Freya

 

[Mitch Gross]

So it gets the 60p or output but records whatever frame rate it really is?
Sounds great!

Let us know if or when the Odyssey 7 supports 720p!

Freya

It records every single frame and also notes the frame rate you wish to play it back at. But every single frame is captured.

 

[Freya]

It records every single frame and also notes the frame rate you wish to play it back at. But every single frame is captured.

Ah! So I still need to remove the extra frames to get 25p in the NLE.

Freya