Blackmagic intensity - is there a performance hit? The Answers.

[JeromeOD]

Hi,

There's a lot of questions in this forum in many threads about this issue. Hopefully here we can answer these in one go and it'll be a searchable subject.

Here are my results:

8 core 2.26 Early 2009 MacPro. 6GB RAM. Session running from internal SATA and seperate video internal. 10.5.8. 8.0.1cs1.

Session is roughly 30 tracks of audio including printed-back in stems that add an extra 48 mono tracks of constant audio. About 8 5.1 busses. 10 stereo busses. two 5.0 TL Spaces and several Neyrinck Dolby fold-downs. Many instances of stereo eqs and comps. The session runs at 20% RTAS and about 15% disk. 12 processors are allocated to PT and it's running at 256 samples.

In activity monitor, these are the User readings:

Idle 13%

Play without video 15.8%

Play with 1920x1080 ProRes HQ @ 25fps 23.7%


So that's roughly an extra 8%. Perhaps some others would like to do a similar test with different codecs and with Canopii and Mojos?

[MIKEROPHONICS]

Hi Jerome

It would be a great test if there could be a standard session - such as yours for example , then the results would be meaningful.
Unfortunately I have a Mojo and am firmly in the SD camp - so can't oblige unless you do a SD test

cheers

[JeromeOD]

It's only a percentage thing really - it's not a number you can hold up against anything other than the same mac, so it's only as a proportion compared to the same system running different video systems. I will do a desktop number tomorrow, but past that...

[CCash]

Thank you for posting this. That doesn't seem too bad for HD video!

[Gary Nattrass]

Pretty much similar to what I experience on a 2008 8 core 2.8ghz mac pro with 8gb ram and a BM card.

[JeromeOD]

Right, further result:

Play with same video on full screen Nvidia GT120 as quicktime window: 22.54%

The Blackmagic card is absolutely negligible compared to built-in video - the performance hit on the computer is all about streaming the data, whether it goes to desktop or external card makes almost no difference.

[Newpostguy]

Agreed, I have a very similar system and will confirm with my own tests shortly.

Im running LE with CPTK

Video on its own drive (in addition to audio and software drives) will also speed this up. Length of the files will also be a major factor.

I get very similar results when working each reel in its own session however when putting them all together and polishing a mix off with an entire feature in the timeline things are very different (much more taxing on the system)

Will update with my info within a few days.

[mikevarela]

About to go dual monitor card in my mac pro... wondering if that would help the playback efficiency. One card for system and pro tools, video ont he second card...

I'll try and post when I get it all setup.

[garnoil]

Blackmagic cards are fantastic for the price. I run PT 8.03 HD 2 PCIe , on an 8 core mac, and regularly do massive film sessions. For example: Feature films with Pro_res QT video at 1920X1080, 160 + voices, Delay Comp set to longest, extensive RTAS (EQ and Dynamics in all tracks..at least 80 tracks), TDM plugs in all dialogue tracks, 16+aux in busses (Convolution Reverbs, effects, delays, etc), several master Aux in 5.1 (to delay comp all stems), and complete 5.1 bussing and monitoring including Waves Surround Bundle, Dorrough metering, etc.

My computer gets up to about 40% CPU usage. I am feeding a dual 32" desktop (two Sonny 1920X1080 LCD monitors] from the internal Mac video card (one RGB and one HDMI) + outputting the Blackmagic HDMI to a 60" plasma screen for the client, and also outputting a video composite to a 32" plasma for the V/O room. I have a small latency difference between the plasmas but since I have sync check I easily compensate (the delay is minimal).

[The golfer]

I use 3 monitors. 2 for PT edit and mix windows and 1 projector for Quicktime movies.
Using the Intensity pro or built in 2 x Nvidia GT 120 leads to the same result:

9% idle (between 9% and 11% while playback)

This is playing 169 voices and h.264 movie (1280 x 720).