From: tyager@maxx.UUCP (Tom Yager)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: Re: Animation Editing Setup
Date: 3 Oct 92 04:33:32 GMT
Organization: New Hampshire Public Access UNIX

In article <1992Sep30.205056.7923@gta.com>, paul@gta.com (Paul Emerson) writes:
> 
> I am try to put together a low cost video setup.  The purpose is to create
> some simple animation for demonstration purposes. Later we plan to add 
> video capability to our Sun with Wavefront or buy a SGI machine.  Animation is
> the main point of the system, but live stuff will also be cut in with the
> animation.  The question is Hi-8 or S-VHS.  I am also thinking about 
> multimedia, and Sony seems to be heading in this area with much of there new
> video equipment.  Is S-VHS a dead-end in this area? 

Sony certainly has a more aggressive marketing campaign, trying to establish
VISCA as a defacto VCR control standard. VISCA is capable enough, but for my
uses (which include single-frame animation using professional, commercial
software), the packages I use expect to talk with industrial or broadcast
decks through VTR controllers.

S-VHS is overkill if all you want is video overlay on a PC; buy a CVD-1000
and a Video Blaster and go to town. The CVD-1000 will not do animation,
however, and you may find (as many of us have) that Hi8 doesn't stand up
to the beating that even a mildly active production facility hands out.
You'll also find that more expensive decks have features (examples: more
front-panel controls and visual feedback, built-in TBCs for cleaning up
incoming and outgoing signals and syncing to external sources, sturdier
construction) not found in less-expensive models. I can see using a
CVD-1000 as a dubbing deck to get from Hi8 to some other format, but
not much more. I used Sony's industrial Hi8 editing deck for a while
(who knows what model--it's all numeric soup to me) and found it to be
pretty capable. I'm just not comfortable with Hi8 as an editing format.

> Any comments about this setup?
> 1 AG-7650 S-VHS Hi-Fi Source Player w/ SMPTE Card
> 1 AG-7750 S-VHS Hi-Fi Recorder/Player w/ SMPTE Card
> 1 AG-A770 Multi-Event Edit Controller
> 1 New Tek Video Toaster
> 1 AmiLink
> 2 Video Monitors

If you're getting AmiLink, I'd say don't bother with the edit controller. I
had one in my lab for a while, but once I got AmiLink VT hooked up, the
standalone controller got dusty fast.

I've raved here before about the incredible quality of the 7750 and 7650; I
own them, and I think they're the best decks you can buy for the money. In
fact, I run a configuration that's almost identical to this (except I have
a second 7650 for A/B roll), and I'm perfectly happy with it. That's after
running both Hi8 and U-Matic SP suites, mind you: I settled on S-VHS after
spending time with the other key formats. (for purists: SP was beautiful,
but the decks cost at least twice as much as S-VHS, the media is more
expensive by far, and the S-VHS decks have better-quality audio. I know I
lost some quality, but the trade was worth it for me.)

As an aside: I saved money on my setup by buying one high-end studio monitor
(a Panasonic BT-M1310Y) and one "best quality" consumer monitor (an NAD 13"
with S-video input). The good monitor takes two composite, one S-video and
one RGB source at once and gives you switches in the front to select among
them. There are buttons inside that help you evaluate the quality of your
signal and make all kinds of adjustments. The NAD monitor was (relatively)
inexpensive, but gives me all I need to see the Toaster's preview bus or
to watch one of my players.

> Any comments on these:
> Sony CVD-1000 Vdeck
> Sony EVO-9700 Desk-top Editing Machine

I've got a V-deck, but I use it exclusively for interactive multimedia work;
it isn't even cabled into my editing suite. I jack my Canon A1 Digital's
output directly into the 7750 so I don't risk losing irreplaceable footage
to the dreaded Hi8 dropout.
> Thanks.
> Paul
> -- 
> Paul Emerson                             | Global Technology Assoicates, Inc.
> President                                | 7198 Harbor Heights Circle 
> Email: paul@gta.com                      | Orlando, FL 32835
> CIS: 72355,171                           | Tel 407-296-3636 FAX 407-295-1954

I hope all goes well for you.
(ty)

-- 
Tom Yager, BYTE Multimedia Lab Director
           Author, Addison-Wesley UNIX programming book (Summer, 1991)
           Author, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich multimedia book (Fall, 1992)
           decvax!maxx!tyager, maxx!tyager@bytepb.byte.com