Waveform monitor

Hi, Everyone.
I was wandering, if instead of buying a wave form and vectroscope monitor, I could hook up my Canon GL1 to a Lab top with the FCP logging window open and monitor the wave form Monitor and lighting qualities of the picture from there. Is that possible. Thanks

Yes, it is completely possible. Some people will argue that they are not accurate as the real thing (because they sample the image in 16 pixel steps). But for every practical purpose, they do work well for exposure and balance checking. In the Log and Capture Window there's a button that makes the Scopes appear. And they will work with the signal you send from the camera.
There's a PC application called DV Rack that instead of being a full NLE, it's a complete set of monitoring tools, desgigned for this purpose. Let's hope they release a Mac version, it would be silly if they don't, if you consider how many people doing this use Macs.
All the best.



Post Edited (10-07-05 09:50)

Adolfo Rozenfeld
Buenos Aires - Argentina
www.adolforozenfeld.com

I've talked with the DV Rack folks..you will have to buy a PEECEE to use it....they say the Mac Version isn't in the works because:


(from their Web site FAQ)

Is there a Mac version of DV Rack?

Unfortunately not, DV Rack makes extensive use of Microsoft?s DirectShow technology which is only available on Windows itself at this time. Serious Magic does not currently expect to be able to port DV Rack to the Mac platform. Fortunately, laptop PCs are quite inexpensive and DV Rack is designed to work in a multi-platform environment. It supports writing files that are compatible with popular Mac software such as Final Cut Pro, Avid and Media 100.

The Company - Serious Magic - makes an excellent virtual background/keying program...but alas...no Mac products...because:

(FROM THEIR FAQ)

ULTRA relies on Microsoft's DirectX architecture to generate high-speed output from PC graphics cards. Microsoft does not offer this architecture on the Mac at this time, and there is no word on when or if they will. However, ULTRA does read Quicktime clips and can exchange clips and stills seamlessly over a network with Macintosh based production systems such as Final Cut Pro.

BUMMER - Andy

Basically, what they are saying is that they build their applications not based on user needs but on particular technologies of an operating system. It's amazing that software companies seem to have a commitment to a particular OS, rather than market demand (Mac users are certainly not 5 per cent among video users, but much much more than that). If they wrote that in their FAQ, it's because they must get that question... frequently

Notice that Adobe After Effects, Maya, Cinema 4D, even Avid, are 10 to 50 times more complex than DV Rack and still they work on both platforms, taking advantage of things available on both (Quicktime, OpenGL) or specifically in one of them (Altivec, DirectX). Obviously FCP, Motion, DVD SP are different, because they are made by the maker of the OS itself.



Adolfo Rozenfeld
Buenos Aires - Argentina
www.adolforozenfeld.com