New system Video peripheral advice please

[Ray JB]

New Mac Studio ultra, therefore I need a genlocked video solution that is as solid as my Avid Mojo Dx has been for me on Mac Pro 5,1.

So it’s going to be a thunderbolt video box, has anyone here much experience with modern solutions? I have been looking at the Blackmagic Ultra Studio Mini 4K. I have a Sync HD and and Tri level sync generator. I don’t need the expense or features of the high end Avid badged DNxIO type machines.

Ideas? Thanks in advance.
Ray

[devinemke]

I have a Blackmagic Ultrastudio 4K connected to a Mac Pro 2019 (3.2 GHz 16-Core Intel Xeon W | 96 GB RAM) via TB2.
I have video reference clock going into both the BM and my SYNC HD (as the clock master for all my PT i/o).
totally rock solid.

[Ray JB]

Originally Posted by devinemke

I have a Blackmagic Ultrastudio 4K connected to a Mac Pro 2019 (3.2 GHz 16-Core Intel Xeon W | 96 GB RAM) via TB2.
I have video reference clock going into both the BM and my SYNC HD (as the clock master for all my PT i/o).
totally rock solid.

Awesome, thanks so much for the feedback!

[Frank Kruse]

Hello Ray,

are you going to use a TB chassis? I might be facing the same path and I don't want to lose genlock but in that case there's no way around a chassis, no? Or do you have a TB HDnative?

Last time I did the math a Mac Studio with all the outboard (chassis, dock, new BM card) was about the same cost as a 7,1 mac but everything inside the machine without the cable mess and no chassis. So I'm still weighing out the pros/cons of Studio vs. MacPro.

Cheers,

Frank.

[Ray JB]

Hi Frank!

Right on, very good questions. No, I have stayed away from the chassis route. I got an HD Native thunderbolt using a tb3 to tb2 adapter and it works well with a Mac studio ultra. I have just purchased a Blackmagic UltraStudio 4K mini today and this connects via tb3. I already have the genlock gear so I’m confident from both duc and colleagues that this should work ok to give me the same rock solid sync that I achieved with my Mac Pro and it’s pcie Mojo Dx setup. Happy to report back on that.
I did test the video playback of 24fps prores movies without genlock on my rig via my sync one2 test box today, and it’s not solid enough for me to be happy for dialogue editing. I just like setup with no wiggle or span, I know many say it’s not necessary, but it’s great to have that Steenbeck style sync.

No chassis means less noise in the room. The disadvantage with the new rigs is the limitations of tb cable length at 2m, but the Mac studio is pretty damn quiet.

I work remotely, but I’ve always had a machine room, for the noisy gear, and my cutting room is silent. Now I have to have the computer in my room, but my compromise is my storage in the machine room via extension cables. I bought new tb connected lcd monitors and so again, computer has to be nearby.

When I get this genlocked pix setup going next week I’m happy to share the details of how it’s gone. Meanwhile, I’m happy to say I’m extremely happy with the new rig. Very fast, I’m staying away from the latest release, rosetta and 2022.12 runs great, and I still have a few legacy essential plugs that I wish to run.
Plus also I find I’m inheriting mix/cutting templates that require older plugs that are not silicon native. I’m not needing to be bleeding edge, nor would my mixers want me to be!

[Frank Kruse]

Ah right, that makes sense. My HDn is PCIe so that's probably an xtra 700€ minimum just to adapt it to TB so my case is a bit different. But I haven't closely looked at the options there. And yes, I do want to keep the genlock. The start/stop error and span is not my thing either.

In your case the Ultra should be a lot more cost efficient.

BTW: I did another quick test with the infamous Sol Levante CPU killer session from Netflix and it runs at 70% under Rosetta and 30% fully native on the Ultra (128 Buffer and normal cache and dynamic DSP). I guess fixing the broken dyn. DSP for multi-channel tracks had a big impact.

F.

[Ray JB]

Honestly Frank, just do an eBay around for a second hand thunderbolt native box and you’re done.
I got a great deal from a colleague who had upgraded to MTRX etc and I bought his Omni and HD native for a very reasonable price.
Hence I have a second HD rig, and keep the cheese grater alive for the NEXIS nonsense which they will never solve for the silicon machines it seems….

[Frank Kruse]

Originally Posted by Ray JB

Honestly Frank, just do an eBay around for a second hand thunderbolt native box and you’re done.
I got a great deal from a colleague who had upgraded to MTRX etc and I bought his Omni and HD native for a very reasonable price.
Hence I have a second HD rig, and keep the cheese grater alive for the NEXIS nonsense which they will never solve for the silicon machines it seems….

Ah, I hadn't thought of that.
Yeah, my CG is great still too. OpenCored to Monterey and no issues whatsoever with 22.3. Heck, I had 30+ episodes of BabylonBerlin in one session and it was OK. Yes GUI suffered a bit but it did work. CG is dead, long live the CG!

[mgoorevich]

I am wondering why Aja doesn't design a simple TB3 box with only HDMI Out and Ref Input.
A similar box to T-Tap Pro but with Ref-In instead of SDI Out.
https://www.aja.com/products/t-tap-pro

[Frank Kruse]

At that price tag the box should have a ref-in for sure.
Oh, I'd actually prefer the SDI out as it's so much easier to extend.