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  • Canopus DV Raptor Testimonial

    I highly recommend this board.
    http://www.justedit.com/dvraptor

    It works extremely well with Ulead
    MediaStudio Pro 5.2 on my work computer
    which is:

    a) 500Mhz Intel Pentium III
    b) Micronics Intel BX chipset mobo
    c) Diamond Viper 550
    d) 18gb UltraDMA
    e) 128mb SDRAM
    f) Artel's BorisFX 3.5.5 compositing
    plug-in

    And now... I've purchased a 2nd Canopus
    DV Raptor for use on my underpowered
    home computer:

    a) 233Mhz Intel Pentium MMX
    b) Supermicro Intel HX chipset mobo
    c) Maxtor DiamondMax 5.6gb system drive
    d) Initio UltraSCSI adapter
    e) IBM Ultrastar 4.5gb UltraSCSI drive
    f) 96mb PNY fast page mode parity ram
    g) ATI Xpert 98 PCI display adapter

    The Canopus DV codec is amazingly efficient.
    I can capture and playback with no dropped
    frames even on my Maxtor DiamondMax system
    drive... and the mobo I have at home
    doesn't even support UltraDMA!!

    With Ulead MediaStudio's "smart render"
    technology... rendering is a snap... the
    vertical line simply races until it gets
    to a title or transition and even then
    it is very reasonable.

    The image quality is superb.

    At home, my DV camcorder is a JVC GR-DVM5U.

    At work, my DV camcorder is a Sony DCR-VX1000.

    Batch capturing is flawless with both
    camcorders.

    I had to sell my Matrox Rainbow Runner and
    my Matrox Mystique (MGA chipset does not
    support OVERLAY for Canopus DV Raptor),
    but I'm not regretting the decision. The
    quality of DV video is absolutely terrific
    and you especially notice it where titles
    and transitions are concerned.

    I know the real time capabilities of the
    Matrox RT2000 are very attractive.

    But I'm going to be extremely, extremely
    curious to see how well it works "in the
    real world."

    My real world experience with the Canopus
    DV Raptor is that it works and works
    superbly well.


    [This message has been edited by Jerry Jones (edited 10-04-1999).]

  • #2
    Yeah but it's not real-time
    Plus how much did this board cost?

    Elie

    Comment


    • #3
      It doesn't do analog video either -- a key feature of the RT2000 is its versatility in handling both DV and analog video.

      Comment


      • #4
        The board cost $430 from http://www.egghead.com

        It came with a light version of
        Adobe Premiere 5.

        It also came with the "Smart Play"
        plug-ins for Ulead Systems MediaStudio
        Pro 5.2.

        RE: Real Time

        The MatroxRT2000 is not really "real time"
        either if you're talking about DV output.
        You have to wait for rendering.

        Moreover, with Ulead's "Smart Render,"
        I watch as the vertical line RACES over
        all DV clips ONLY TO SLOW DOWN when a
        transition or title is present. The
        rendering is **extremely** fast.

        Plus, Canopus is developing Raptor Edit
        software:
        http://www.canopuscorp.com/raptoredit/
        Download the demo... and you'll see how
        slick the interface is. It accomodates
        16:9 aspect ratio DV video and it allows
        for flawless batch capturing and DV deck
        control. I'm told Artel Software will be
        selling a BorisFX compositing plug-in
        for Raptor Edit very soon.

        Once you work with DV video, you won't
        even want to mess around with analog
        anymore... unless you absolutely have to.

        For analog... I plan to buy either
        a Sony DV Walkman
        http://www.supremevideo.com/vcr/sonyvcr/gvd300s.htm

        ...or a Sony DVMC-DA1:
        http://www.angelfire.com/tx2/dv/dvmc.html

        DV video is far, far easier to work with
        than analog and you don't get the frame
        sync problems and all of the other analog
        drop-out problems, etc.

        When you get your RT2000, please report on
        it. I hope you find it as trouble free as
        I've found the Canopus DV Raptor to be.

        Comment


        • #5
          Jerry,

          Don't you have to burn out your camcorder in some sort of video loop while using the Raptor? That is, I am under the impression that you don't get preview unless the camcorder is looped into the system.

          Maybe I should add a Raptor my Dell PII 400 system with Blaster Banshee 16MB SGRAM AGP. You think it will work with this setup?

          My current video system is a home made celery-specs in my signature profile...



          ------------------
          Anthony
          • Slot 1 Celeron 400, Asus P2B, 256MB PC-100
          • AGP Marvel-TV 8MB
          • Turtle Beach Montego PCI sound card (Y connector on audio out per Matrox tech support)
          • C: IBM 10.1, 5400, Primary on 1, System, Swap, Software
          • D: IBM 13.5, 5400, Primary on 2, Dedicated to video
          • E: Memorex 48x CD, Secondary on 1
          • F: Yamaha CD-RW 2x2x8, Secondary on 2
          • Win98, FAT32 on C: & D:
          • MediaStudio Pro 5.2



          Anthony
          • Slot 1 Celeron 400, Asus P2B, 256MB PC-100
          • AGP Marvel-TV 8MB NTSC
          • Turtle Beach Montego PCI sound card
          • C: IBM 10.1, 5400, Primary on 1, System, Swap, Software
          • D: IBM 13.5, 5400, Primary on 2, Dedicated to video
          • E: Memorex 48x CD, Secondary on 1
          • F: Yamaha CD-RW 2x2x8, Secondary on 2
          • Win98, FAT32 on C: & D:
          • MediaStudio Pro 5.2

          Comment


          • #6
            Anthony,
            The loopping(?) is only for full screen. You can get the regular small (1/4?) screen on the monitor in your editing software as with any other card. Just a bonus feature for full screen.
            Any one knoe if the RT2000 will do this useing the TV out? Then the camera won't have to be powered on to see a biger preview!!! Best of both worlds

            Mark F.


            ------------------
            OH NO, my retractable cup holder swallowed a CD

            Mark F. (A+, Network+, & CCNA)
            --------------------------------------------------
            OH NO, my retractable cup holder swallowed a DVD...
            and burped out a movie

            Comment


            • #7
              Would it solve my jitter every 30 sec. or so from my Rainbow Runner? I don't drop any frames but apparently some fields become a problem and upon playback I get some skips here and there. What won't the firewire board do that the Rainbow Runner can? Does one need win. 98? Does the sound card need 48khz capability? How does it handle the 2-4gig limitations? I just got a Sony Digital 8 camera and maybe I do need firewire but not if too many things need replacing.

              Comment


              • #8
                Jerry,

                Yes from the FAQ at matrox's site it has to render to go back to DV, but I want to output straight to VCR, in my case SVHS.
                My transition/FX/titles will not be rendered with the RT 2000 at all.
                The DV Raptor does not offer anything different than what the RRS/RRG offers other than DV input, it still uses the smart render feature which the RR series do anyway.

                And in terms of cost $430 I can get a Marvel G400 and buy a Firewire board which will offer me everything from TV Tuner/3D and DV input/output.

                Don't get me wrong Jerry, The DV Raptor is a great product but for the money I think the Marvel G400 TV is a better value, don't you agree?

                Cheers mate

                Regards,
                Elie


                [This message has been edited by Elie (edited 10-05-1999).]

                Comment


                • #9
                  Do I think the G400 is a "better value"
                  than the Canopus DV Raptor?

                  Elie, I think your question shows how
                  two reasonable people can see things
                  very, very differently even given
                  the same set of facts.

                  In answer to your question: No, of
                  course I don't think the G400 is a better
                  value than the Canopus DV Raptor. It's
                  not even in the same league.

                  The G400 is not an IEEE 1394 board.
                  The G400 is an analog video digitizer.

                  With G400, video:

                  a) takes a quality hit upon capture
                  because "digitization" of analog
                  video is inherently destructive
                  b) no built-in benefits of Firewire
                  such as batch capturing and deck
                  control or DV tape time code.

                  With video "copied" via Firewire...
                  quality is preserved. Firewire is
                  virtually lossless in its ability to
                  preserve video quality over multiple
                  generations.

                  Unlike analog video... DV video "holds
                  up" marvelously well when put through
                  software transition gymnastics such as
                  those found in Adobe Premiere or MediaStudio
                  Pro or BorisFX or Adobe After Effects.

                  The DV format is visually superior to
                  S-VHS and Hi8. Have you ever seen how
                  beautiful video can appear when captured
                  from a Sony DCR-VX1000 or a Canon XL1 DV
                  format camcorder?

                  The visual quality is stunning and you
                  really can see the difference if you have
                  high enough quality monitors to sit side-
                  by-side with monitors displaying analog
                  video from either S-VHS or Hi8 sources.

                  No---I don't think the G400 is a better
                  value. It's not a bad card. But it
                  represents aging technology. MJPEG
                  analog digitizers are going the way of
                  the dinosaur.

                  DV lives up to the hype. The interesting
                  thing for me will be the RT2000. Can it
                  live up to the hype.

                  Personally, I am reserving judgement on
                  the RT2000 until somebody can convince me
                  it is

                  a) easy to install like Canopus products
                  b) yields stunning quality like Canopus
                  products do
                  c) functions as well as Canopus products
                  do

                  I have some lingering doubts about MPEG-2
                  devices... particularly in that they seem
                  to be failing to capitalize on a supposed
                  strength of the MPEG-2 format... smaller
                  file sizes. Indeed, the file sizes are
                  smaller than those of DV .avi files. But
                  not so much smaller as to get me excited.

                  I'm a Matrox fan... I used to own the
                  Rainbow Runner. But I've visually compared
                  the quality difference between DV video
                  captured via Firewire and analog video
                  captured via devices such as the Rainbow
                  Runner and even higher quality setups such as Fast Video Machine and the AVID Media
                  Composer.

                  DV video quality appears to be much higher
                  than all but BetacamSP source video.

                  It's much easier to work with during the
                  editing process, too.


                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Elie wrote:

                    >The DV Raptor does not offer anything
                    >different than what the RRS/RRG offers...

                    Wow. Elie. I wonder if you've had
                    an opportunity to visually view a
                    Canopus DV Raptor in action.

                    It is so superior to the Rainbow Runner
                    series it's not even funny. You might be
                    shocked by how much better MediaStudio Pro
                    performs with the DV codec developed by
                    Canopus.

                    I'm not kidding... this codec is so
                    efficient that rendering almost is "real
                    time" it's so fast. This is particularly
                    true with a 500Mhz Pentium III processor
                    like the one I'm using at work.

                    The Raptor Edit software is even faster
                    than MediaStudio where the Canopus DV codec
                    is concerned.

                    The performance of both software packages,
                    however, is greatly enhanced by the DV
                    codec... much faster than if you were
                    working with the Matrox Rainbow Runner
                    codecs.

                    Before you buy an RT2000... seek out somebody
                    with a DV Raptor or a DVRex.

                    Eyeball the difference between analog and
                    DV video.

                    Somehow... I believe you would come away
                    with a different point of view.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      To Anthony:

                      The Matrox G200 supports overlay
                      in the Canopus DV Raptor.

                      Your system appears to have everything
                      you would need and I think you would be
                      pleasantly surprised by the performance
                      of the DV Raptor.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        To Keith:

                        You would be amazed at the performance
                        gain you would get with your Digital 8
                        and 1394 and the DV Raptor.

                        I highly recommend the Canopus DV Raptor.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Anthony,

                          You don't have to keep your DV device
                          plugged-in if you have a 500Mhz Pentium III
                          as I do at work.

                          At home, where I have a slower system, I
                          will have to keep my camcorder connected
                          until I can buy a DV Walkman or a
                          DVMC-DA1:
                          http://www.camcorders.net/vcr/sonyvcr/gvd300.htm

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Hi Jerry,

                            I have a Canon XL1 and I do know the difference as I see it with my own eyes.

                            Although DV produces jaggies on diagonal edges which is my only complaint about the format.

                            Many will argue the fact that DV is simply superior to other formats such as beta cam/SP even lossless MJPEG, the argument can go on for years

                            However you missed my point about the Marvel, I said by adding an IEEE 1394 card to the RR you will be able to capture in DV with no generation loss at all, edit it and output it to VHS/SVHS with only one generation loss.

                            I personally would wait for the RT2000 before making any decision as to which NLE card I should go for taking in consideration the DV Raptor and the Matrox Digi Suite LE.

                            Regards,
                            Elie

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Elie wrote:

                              >...I said by adding an IEEE 1394 (to
                              >the Marvel G-400)

                              Yes... I understood this... but it seemed
                              you were still sort of comparing the G-400
                              to the DV Raptor when they're really
                              apples and oranges.

                              In addition, there are many, many bogus
                              Firewire cards on the market. And I
                              would advise against trying to add them
                              to a system with the G400.

                              I would advise people to stay away from
                              the DPS, the Pinnacle, the ADS,
                              the Orange Micro, and the Adaptec.

                              I've surveyed lots of newsgroups and user
                              forums and these cards are complained
                              about frequently.

                              Digital Origin seems to be doing relatively
                              well and has a growing following much like
                              the DV Raptor.

                              Good luck with the RT2000. I'm keeping
                              my fingers crossed it will work as
                              advertised. I'll admit I'm skeptical about
                              the C-Cube Microsystems chip.



                              [This message has been edited by Jerrold Jones (edited 10-08-1999).]

                              Comment

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