December Dragon Update

[Paul E. McCarthy]

I share your thoughts. Catch 22 is the right expression... Go for power and speed and get stuck with Windows OS. Go Mac and your efficiency through the OS, PRORES, and pretty much everything else increases.

I really hope someone can figure out how to shotgun two TB2 ports together into one pipe in an enclosure... I think that would be monumental and would solve all my problems.

What is the Data rate of 6k Dragon HD 5:1 clip? and a 5k Epix X 5:1 clip? and then whats the Data rate of the same clip transcoded to 4k Dpx and to 1920x1080 Dpx.

I'm hoping the power of PCIE Flash Storage which will be 1200MB write can help me

I see myself in camera grading for prores to a Blade, and never transcoding again. In the past I transcoded everything I shot no matter what, most of the time for free because I was too worried about the footage hitting an unskilled editor or producer, I'm not doing that anymore the color science is there now, I feel like I can please the client in camera.

I can conform so I don't need to cut in 4k, my non Rocket X workflow would be, Shoot Raw and to blade, cut proxies, conform, export to DPX with redlogfilm w no grade to a PCIE SSD, and finish in DPX, get out of the R3D and all of the on the fly debayering and the need for the RocketX, you can aways go back and grab the R3D later and adjust the metadata if the DPX isn't working as you like it.

I hope RED can remember how much the need for the Red Rocket hurt the owner operator and scared away a lot of producers from using REDs and gave DITs a reason to recommend the Alexa. If RED sold the RocketX for cost, they would sell so many more cameras and we would never hear the word Alexa again

 

[Roy Rossovich]

I love using DNX, really wish as well they would bump up the resolution support, would be great.

 

[Dan Kanes]

... If RED sold the RocketX for cost, they would sell so many more cameras and we would never hear the word Alexa again

They may already be selling it at cost - engineering something like this is a tremendous expense, from what I know they are using some exotic FPGA/DSP multicore setup - so, you have hardware engineering, mechanical engineering, software engineering, support - while I know making Red cameras is a business, I also look at it as a pretty philanthropic enterprise the way that they treat us, the customers. If we look at the advancements in the way GPU is being leveraged now - there is no doubt that took some hard work and expense to help those who don't have the money for a rocket, and will also benefit those who have both. Definitely not shooting down your feelings on the situation - but wanted to add my thoughts as well.

 

[David Battistella]

Any word on how many more of Santa's "dragon sensor" cookies came out of the oven over Christmas?

2014 looking bright in 6k?

Happy New Year all !

David

 

[Elsie N]

They may already be selling it at cost - engineering something like this is a tremendous expense, from what I know they are using some exotic FPGA/DSP multicore setup - so, you have hardware engineering, mechanical engineering, software engineering, support - while I know making Red cameras is a business, I also look at it as a pretty philanthropic enterprise the way that they treat us, the customers. If we look at the advancements in the way GPU is being leveraged now - there is no doubt that took some hard work and expense to help those who don't have the money for a rocket, and will also benefit those who have both. Definitely not shooting down your feelings on the situation - but wanted to add my thoughts as well.

I agree with this. My guess is there is something like an algorithm RED uses to set prices, that takes into account engineering, raw materials, machinery amortization, labor and service costs, etc.

And what I like best is that they aren't afraid to improve on something that already works well... for instance, the Red Mini Mags that offer much more bang for the buck while keeping the old SSDs just as relevant as before. And the Rocket X? This is the answer to the Moore's Law conveyer belt of buying new computers every power increase cycle. Just get one powerful enough to run the Rocket X and skip 2, 3, 4? new computer upgrade cycles.

I'm just not sure this company gets proper credit in the general population of camera owners for utilizing the newest up-to-date technology in their products at an affordable price, relative to what it does.

I think that's what happens when a business is started based on passion rather than opportunity.

 

[Nick Morrison]

I hope RED can remember how much the need for the Red Rocket hurt the owner operator and scared away a lot of producers from using REDs and gave DITs a reason to recommend the Alexa. If RED sold the RocketX for cost, they would sell so many more cameras and we would never hear the word Alexa again

This may be true, but the need for a Red Rocket early on was probably the only viable way to make a "RAW" workflow "work". Without it, the system almost certainly would have been unusable.

Now with Moore's Law changing that, the landscape has shifted.

But I have high hopes for the RR-X, even more than I do the new Mac Pro trashcan...as I think Toia hinted....the RR-X and just a laptop could be a devastating workflow...all the RR-X needs now is some kind of TB2 enclosure...

 

[Brian Merlen]

As great as it will be in an enclosure form factor wise, I think internally it will be so much faster that a rocket x internally will still be worth the hauling around...i am still impressed with the original rocket, so I imagine X will blow me away

 

[Nick Morrison]

As great as it will be in an enclosure form factor wise, I think internally it will be so much faster that a rocket x internally will still be worth the hauling around...i am still impressed with the original rocket, so I imagine X will blow me away

I personally agree with you. A part of me just wants to throw the new RR-X into my older 12-Core Mac Pro...and call it a day.

 

[Peter Moretti]

I love using DNX, really wish as well they would bump up the resolution support, would be great.

They are also going to have to bump the bit depth as well, and should add alpha channel support. Prores 4444 is 12bit and has an alpha. Right now, DNxHD 444 is 10 bit (linear I believe) w/ no alpha. 10 bit log or 12 bit are going to be necessary options. And I think so would alpha support.

 

[Casey Green]

Not sure why RED doesn't make their own dual TB2 enclosure for RR-X?

 

[Mark Andersen]

...all the RR-X needs now is some kind of TB2 enclosure...

I purchased a TB2 enclosure from sonnet (it ships as a TB1, with a free upgrade path due this month) I assume this will work, does anyone think otherwise?

 

[Gavin Greenwalt]

That would be great, but it looks like Apple has started giving away their software for free in exchange for hardware sales so making people's life easier on PC's might not fit that business model.

Well the current state of things is I either use an unofficial tool which is free and they get no money... or they just give the thumbs up to several companies who I know *have* ProRes support in their product and just need a license agreement from Apple to turn it on and I pay them a license fee to use it officially. I don't think it has anything to do with "Business Models" or support concerns, I think Apple just doesn't know/care. QuickTime is horrifically terrible on every platform and yet they have exhibited no interest in fixing it on the Mac or PC. I don't even think Apple is interested in their software being "the standard" unfortunately it seems to be third parties who are trying to "Make it a standard" because that's what they have on their laptop.

If we were sane and rationally deciding what to "Make the Standard" we wouldn't have ended up with ProRes in the first place.

 

[Paul Russell]

Apple abandoned the pro market a long time ago. I really don't understand why the industry insists on using proprietary standards from an indifferent developer.

 

[Peter Moretti]

B/c there is no alternative.

 

[Paul Russell]

that depends on your workflow.

 

[Peter Moretti]

What's the alternative greater than HD 4:4:4 codec?

 

[Paul Russell]

Depending on the quality of final delivery, there are several choices. Here are two simple ones that I use that offer better quality than ProRes 444 HQ.

Workflow 1:
Edit directly on the R3D files in Premiere, then pass an XML to Resolve to generate out the final product in anything you like (e.g. DNG), or a mezzanine grade using Cineform 16bit for further FX work.

Workflow 2:
Transcode into DNXHD proxies for editing, then pass an XML to Resolve to generate out the final product

Once you're into using proxies then there are plenty of choices if you have a total PC workflow. The problems only occur when there's a mac in the mix somewhere.

 

[Eric Haase]

I purchased a TB2 enclosure from sonnet (it ships as a TB1, with a free upgrade path due this month) I assume this will work, does anyone think otherwise?

I sure hope so. There is a picture of the rocket X on the box!

 

[Tim Morten]

Everyone is in business to make money, but Apple really excels at greed. They coat everything with a pretty sheen of industrial deign, enticing you to buy and re-buy their hardware at a brand premium, while grabbing for a kickback from every piece of third-party hardware (certification fees) and software (app store fees) installed when they can get away with it. There's nothing altruistic about their approach. If they make mixed environments hell in the process, too bad for us. If they cripple their 'standards' on other platforms, too bad for us. If they prioritize consumer development over professional vertical markets, too bad for us. This isn't going to change on our lifetime. They do some great design work in pursuit of the almighty dollar, but I have no delusions about Apple interests aligning with my needs. More open platforms and more open standards are the only path towards a better future, and both run contrary to Apple's greed.

 

[Robert Ruffo New]

Everyone is in business to make money, but Apple really excels at greed. They coat everything with a pretty sheen of industrial deign, enticing you to buy and re-buy their hardware at a brand premium, while grabbing for a kickback from every piece of third-party hardware (certification fees) and software (app store fees) installed when they can get away with it. There's nothing altruistic about their approach. If they make mixed environments hell in the process, too bad for us. If they cripple their 'standards' on other platforms, too bad for us. If they prioritize consumer development over professional vertical markets, too bad for us. This isn't going to change on our lifetime. They do some great design work in pursuit of the almighty dollar, but I have no delusions about Apple interests aligning with my needs. More open platforms and more open standards are the only path towards a better future, and both run contrary to Apple's greed.

As a stock owner in Apple I am glad they are greedy. if instead they just tried to help out indy filmmakers then I would have grounds to sue management for breach of shareholder contract. Most open platform stuff makes $0 for the creators, or near $0.