Recording/digitizing a live session at a computer monitor


Easy version

  1. Decide which computer you're using as the source. Use the patch panel to route that computer to the Lyon Lamb scan converter. The default straight-through path sends pipe 1 of radiance to the Lyon Lamb. Use a patch cord to override this path. The names of sources are on the top of each patch panel row, and destinations are at the bottom.

  2. If you're using radiance, you'll need to reset its resolution if it's in maximum (double-screen) mode. When the X login prompt is onscreen there will be a small window in the upper left, pick one of the "Max Res ... to Lyon Lamb" options. The screen will go dark momentarily when the X server restarts, then it will return at your chosen resolution. In this mode the monitors both have the same upper left screen, but one is your big work monitor so that you can see a large area, and one is smaller showing you exactly what you'd see on the Lyon Lamb when it's zoomed all the way out.

  3. If you're using a specific PC with fast graphics, it's probably easiest to haul the CPU into the video lab and just cannibalize the video hookup for the NLE PC. Or, if you need to stay out in the main lab floor, there are two sets of cables coming up from under the floor on the other side of the mural that end up at the patch bay slots labelled Lightening and Lightening2. In either case, you'll probably need to use the Extron sync converter box in order to deal with the fact the PCs have both horizontal and vertical sync, but the video rack was only designed to handle a single sync channel.

  4. Use the Web interface to route the Lyon Lamb to a tape deck or digitizing computer (moviola or kinora).
  5. If you're digitizing, follow the instructions on the Capture page.

  6. To see what's happening, middle-click on the Lyon Lamb and left-click on one of the monitors.


More detail

Using the Lyon Lamb

See the Lyon Lamb configuration page for details on zooming, panning, and filtering to avoid annoying jitter.

O2 hardware scanconverter - an alternate path

If you want to use the SGI O2 moviola, you can use one of its own built-in scan converter. The quality of the hardware one seems to be better than the Lyon Lamb external scan converter (although the software one seems to be worse). To do this:

  1. Route directly from moviola to the tape deck of your choice, using the Web interface or the telect command.
  2. Run the Live Video Output program. Either run "videoout" from the command line, or run "vcp" and then pick "Live Video Output" from the Utilities menu.
  3. Run the Live Video Output program. Either run "videoout" from the command line, or run "vcp" and then pick "Live Video Output" from the Utilities menu. If you change any of the video parameters using vcp, you'll need to quit and restart videoout in order to see their effect.
  4. You should be able to output either composite (NTSC VHS) or digital (SDI/CCIR601).

Additional notes


Troubleshooting


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Last modified: Fri Jan 28 15:30:54 PST 2000