Blackmagic UltraScope

[Barend Onneweer]

Well if you really really really really don't want a Windows box anywhere in your studio I guess a Macbook Pro 17" (UltraScope needs 1920x1200 display) for US$2800 and a PCI-e expansion kit for US$750 might do it - IF BMD ever port UltraScope to OSX...

But it would seem that defeats the pricepoint of the Ultrascope a bit when you could probably have a Windows box below US$ 500 for the same purpose...

 

[J. Brennan]

I have a question, I may be way off here.

So are you guys saying that I could use my mac for color correction using Color in FCP, and then have the UltraScope hooked up to my PC and somehow connect the two to be used together?

Is this possible? Or just a really dumb question?

 

[Barend Onneweer]

UltraScope is a PCI-e card with HD-SDI inputs and a hardware waveform monitor. It just needs a windows host box with a display to show the results. All processing is done on the PCI-e card.

If you have HD-SDI monitoring out of FCP you can send the signal to the UltraScope inputs and use that for monitoring.

Does Color send full quality 1920x1080 out of an HD-SDI port?

Bar3nd

 

[Igor Ridanovic]

Does Color send full quality 1920x1080 out of an HD-SDI port?

Bar3nd

I've seen it done. We have a Kona 3 card but I never tried to send the output from Color to a HD monitor.

Color has scopes of its own. There is actually a very interesting 3D gamut display. The only thing is that signal is downsampled before measurement.

This is not a huge problem in most cases but you could run into a situation where you miss a high frequency + 700mV peak due to downsampling.

 

[Brian Langeman]

UltraScope is a PCI-e card with HD-SDI inputs and a hardware waveform monitor. It just needs a windows host box with a display to show the results. All processing is done on the PCI-e card.

If you have HD-SDI monitoring out of FCP you can send the signal to the UltraScope inputs and use that for monitoring.

Does Color send full quality 1920x1080 out of an HD-SDI port?

Bar3nd

Yes it does. You just need a breakout box that has HD-SDI out. I use a BMD Multibridge Pro to output HD-SDI to a JVC 17" monitor for color correcting.

This device would be perfect. I'd just send it the HD-SDI out from the JVC.

 

[Barend Onneweer]

I know you can get HD-SDI out of Color, but I think I've read that most of the time you get a downsampled image in realtime previewing. Checking a downsampled image on the scopes isn't accurate. I may be wrong though - I have very little hands-on experience with Apple Color.

Bar3nd

 

[michael zaletel]

I also saw this and NAB and wondered if this scope solution would be even further optimized by utilizing an HP Dreamcolor monitor to display the full 10 bits?

-michael zaletel
(shooter)

 

[Igor Ridanovic]

I know you can get HD-SDI out of Color, but I think I've read that most of the time you get a downsampled image in realtime previewing. Checking a downsampled image on the scopes isn't accurate. I may be wrong though - I have very little hands-on experience with Apple Color.

Bar3nd

If you're working in 2k but monitoring HD your output will be downsampled by definition. I don't know what Color does if you're working at the output standard (HD and monitoring HD). It's simple to test.

FCP does it sometimes depending on the RT settings. It's hard to see this on the computer m0onitor unless you're viewing it pixel for pixel.

As far as what it does for external measurement, it should be no different from the way how Color's scope works as long as all three Y, Cb and Cr are scaled proportionately.

Look at the Color's manual, it tells you the raster size of downsampled frame it uses for measurement. I think it's something like 3X smaller than 1080. FCP's downsampling during playback is not that drastic and would yield more accurate external measurement.

 

[Igor Ridanovic]

I also saw this and NAB and wondered if this scope solution would be even further optimized by utilizing an HP Dreamcolor monitor to display the full 10 bits?

-michael zaletel
(shooter)

Do you mean displaying the scope output on Dreamcolor? It's a nice monitor but it would not make the measurement any more precise than using a cheap display.

 

[Jonathan Smiles]

http://decklink.com/downloads/brochures-usd/BlackmagicUltraScope.pdf

 

[Shane Betts]

Any suggestions?

Any suggestions?

BMD have set up an email address for suggestions for any features you might have for the Ultra Scope. Drop a polite email to ultrascope-ideas *at* blackmagic-design *dot* com with your suggestions. You'll get a reply telling you they're pushing ahead as planned with version 1 and then will work on version 2 based on suggestions. (I know, I've already sent them one) BMD's business model is not dissimilar to Red's.

It should be remembered that Grant used to build grading suites back in his days as a broadcast tech with some pretty big post houses and networks. He understands what we're trying to do.

 

[Rocco Schult]

How about Mac Book Pro + Magma Express card 34/PCIe expansion + Ultrascope? ..

That would render the whole idea of being economic useless, wouldn't it ?

I also saw this and NAB and wondered if this scope solution would be even further optimized by utilizing an HP Dreamcolor monitor to display the full 10 bits?

I used to work with good ol' green CRT Tektronix waveforms. What shall a reference monitor show me better as a measurement device ?
It would surely complement your grading, but not for the values of your measurement.

Fredrik, it is a capture card that need basic CPU and a good monitor. No dual link. Lim

As long as the monitor does 1920*1200 and has some contrast, the rest of the quality is unimportant, IMHO.
Honestly I believe any DVI 1920*1200 will do, even the most outdated.

 

[Scott Roberts]

Thanks for the post . . . looks like a great product!