SpectSoft Releases Free Rave Software

SpectSoft, a leading provider of uncompressed video solutions on the Linux platform, announced that the RaveHD product is now available at no charge. Developing products since 1997, SpectSoft has released RaveHD as part of their "Giving back to the community" program. This is the second, high-end solution Spectsoft has release to this program, releasing last year a version of their 3d live product.

SpectSoft RaveHD
Today, RaveHD is available for download to anyone who has the need to work with high-quality images in demanding pipelines. Designed to be a solid VTR replacement, Rave is being used on television and feature film work globally. Rave offers features that expand beyond the traditional VTR replacement, which has made this product line very popular in various facilities worldwide. Rave allows users to bridge film, video and data workflows and pipelines in a non-proprietary, flexible manner.

A few of the features that can be found in RaveHD are:
- Uncompressed Frame Support (DPX, Cineon, TIFF, etc)
- Compressed File Support (MPEG, DNxHD, H.264, etc)
- Conversion (From one format to another)
- LTC Support (In/Out)
- SAN Support (Standard)
- Unlimited Storage (No additional fees to add on storage)
- Burn-In (Frame info, Keycode, Timecode, etc)
- Conforming
- Standard (Open) File System (Immediate access and use of all files)
- Various Capture Methods
- External Control (RS422, Ethernet, etc)

Source: SpectSoft

Camera-Mounted Recorders Comparison

One of the big stories at NAB 2011 was the release of numerous Camera Mounted HD recorders. From the AJA Ki Pro Mini to the Sound Devices PIX 240, a huge variety of portable recorders are becoming available.

These recorders all aim to increase recording quality and ease workflow needs, but they differ greatly in their form, function and price point. To help navigate these different options, we created a Camera Mounted Recorder Comparison Chart that compares several of the different camera mounted recorders.

The chart includes details on recording format, media, inputs and other information that should help you decide which might be right for you. We also included the high end recorders from Codex and S.two, which feature ARRIRAW recording capability. ARRIRAW is a 14-bit RAW Uncompressed format that can be sent out of the ARRI ALEXA camera.

NOTE: Several excellent recorders from Sony, Panasonic, AJA and others are not included, because we wanted to focus on recorders that are designed to be mounted on a camera for production.

By Ian McCausland, CineTechnica

EVS to Manage World Cup 3-D Ingest

EVS technology is central to the workflow for HBS’ 3-D production of the 2010 World Cup. The Belgium developer also is set to introduce a new generation of XT[2]+ servers capable of taking in four 3-D channels.

In South Africa, both outside broadcast vehicles equipped to service the 3-D production will house XT[2] servers, which enable dual feeds to be recorded and played back instantly in full time code synchronization. The combination of hardware and software (XT[2]+ and MulticamLSM) renders all existing capabilities of MulticamLSM available for live 3-D productions, including instant replay, loop recording, live clipping, playlist management, live slow motion, cuing and highlight editing.

Recording is done on Sony HDCAM SR dual-stream VTRs (SRW5800) on-site and at the international broadcast center, as well as on EVS servers. Recording on EVS servers in the OB and at the international broadcast center will be managed in DVCProHD.

Six EVS XT[2] servers for each match produced in 3-D (12 servers in total dedicated to 3-D) will be used for 3-D production under the control of an LSM remote controller, and an extra XT[2] controlled by IPDirector and one XF[2] (removable storage) will be used at the international broadcast center for 3-D ingest and archive.

At the upcoming IBC convention in the fall, EVS will present a server capable of managing four true channels in 3-D. Currently, two channels are needed for input and two for output. EVS will be implementing a new dual-record video codec board into the XT[2]+ hardware to achieve this.

By Adrian Pennington, Broadcast Engineering