Remote Truck (OB Van) in a Laptop!

Sounds like an ad campaign, doesn't it? I couldn't resist the exclamation point.

I have an application where somebody is going to hand me three live NTSC analog video signals and I have to scale, position, and split-screen (stitch) them into one picture and then chroma key an existing QuickTime over the lot.

Oh, and record the result and play it back many, many times.

Yes, I know I can get any good remote-outside broadcast van to do this, but that's actually enormous overkill. For one thing, the quality is almost surveillance camera, it's analog NTSC, and for the most part after setup, the effect doesn't change.

That and I have to get it through customs along with my toothbrush and socks.

I'm not wedded to Mac, either.

I'm finding searches for "Real Time" give results for multi-cam effects systems that work perfectly after a 14 hour capture session. In this case the capture session and the effects generation are all in real time.

I'm put to mind a surveillance monitor with all four sides of a house displayed at the same time, except quad split isn't sophisticated enough.

And yes, I did a Forum Search. Marla early on had a similar and actually much more complicated HiDef version of this. Everybody universally ignored the four "live" feeds she was going to have to handle with the assumption that they were going to tape.

Suppose they're not? Suppose the producers are expecting her to be an OB van?

Koz

the sony anycast station MIGHT handle that. though i think the live chromakey might be out of range...

Koz,

Try this: [www.varasoftware.com]


I've used it to take firewire inputs from four cameras, do green screen keys with FX like lower thirds, chyrons etc. You can "roll in" clips as if they were from tape... and compress and go out live to the web. In short, there isn't much that this program can't do. It's available for both mac and PC.

Did I mention that it's only $445.? That's quite a bit cheaper than any hardware switcher solution like "Anycast" or the like.

With the proper planning, this program will do what you need. Keep in mind however, that there is NO free lunch. We used this set up in a stable, internal studio environment. Simple things like firewire connectors are not really designed for a production environment.

Good luck.

Mark

mark, i saw that software a few weeks ago but i was wondering - how do you get FOUR firewire ins into it? a hub?

You don't! You add a second firewire card.

We're using a G5 NOT a powerbook.

Mark

duh.