Video Satellite without Ultimate

[LukeHoward]

Quick question I couldn't find an easy answer to on Avid's website: can I run a non-Ultimate version of Pro Tools as a video satellite? Master is Ultimate.

[smurfyou]

Yes the video satellite can be "Vanilla" native but the Master has to have HD hardware.

Which I think is kind of a bummer in this day and age. I think an HD software license should be enough. I can't imagine a technical reason for it. I have a rather unusual need currently. My leg is immobilized and I'd like to be able to work on my laptop on a daybed whilst running video on my main machine outputting to my video monitor. Would be very convenient.

[LukeHoward]

Originally Posted by smurfyou

Yes the video satellite can be "Vanilla" native but the Master has to have HD hardware.

Which I think is kind of a bummer in this day and age. I think an HD software license should be enough. I can't imagine a technical reason for it. I have a rather unusual need currently. My leg is immobilized and I'd like to be able to work on my laptop on a daybed whilst running video on my main machine outputting to my video monitor. Would be very convenient.

Sorry to hear about your leg! And thank you for the quick response.



Presumably if both the video output device (on the non-HD satellite) and the Sync HD on the master are locked to the same video reference, sync should not drift? (I also want to send DX/FX back via Dante.)

[smurfyou]

Thanks :)

I believe frame edge sync is only guaranteed if both systems have a SYNC HD. Which would necessitate HD hardware at both ends. At that point you'd be using Satellite Link instead of Video Satellite LE.

But honestly I haven't tried it with audio. It won't drift but it probably won't align exactly. PT won't recognize video sync from the output device, only SYNC HD.

[LukeHoward]

Originally Posted by smurfyou

Thanks :)

I believe frame edge sync is only guaranteed if both systems have a SYNC HD. Which would necessitate HD hardware at both ends. At that point you'd be using Satellite Link instead of Video Satellite LE.

But honestly I haven't tried it with audio. It won't drift but it probably won't align exactly. PT won't recognize video sync from the output device, only SYNC HD.

Out of curiosity I did some tests with audio (piped in back via Dante Virtual Soundcard to a MTRX, which is directly connected on the HD side). It does not drift but the offset is different every time you hit play. But: this is without a SYNC HD in the mix (I have one, but I'm waiting for video ref generator and BM Ultrastudio HD Mini to arrive). I'll be curious to see if the audio behaviour changes once the video output device (on the satellite) and the SYNC HD (on the master) are both resolved to the same video reference. Probably not at all given the sync pulse is just telling the video output device when to output the frame.

The offset is around 5-45 samples in any case, which is probably OK if I'm just playing dialog and FX off the satellite, at least as a composer.

Edit: I have a spare HD Native interface and a friend with a Sync HD. So I will at some point try doing it with everything locked to the same video reference. Presumably that has to do the right thing.

[huub]

I do not know the satelite system so my comment might be useless but as a general comment; MTC has a variable offset, LTC is spot on.
But LTC can only be used with either the dolby atmos production suite (not really useable as a workaround) or a sync HD on both systems.

Huub

[Frank Kruse]

You don't need LTC or MTC for satellite. Unresolved LTC will just give you trigger sync and won't maintain sync over a long time either unless you clock all rigs to the same clock, but that just mentioned as a side note. Obviously the delay when routing the audio back to your master via DVS (which can't go lower than 4ms) is down to converter latency and can not be avoided (and has little to do with satellite per se) unless you run your guide on the master rig and just play your picture from the slave.

[smurfyou]

If you're just using it as a guide track it sounds like the offset is minimal and I wouldn't worry about it. Like I mentioned it won't drift thanks to the Satellite transport. Now if you're trying to line up a hit with a transient in the FX.... maybe keep a copy of the guide tracks muted on your master system.

Are you composing within PT?

[LukeHoward]

Originally Posted by smurfyou

If you're just using it as a guide track it sounds like the offset is minimal and I wouldn't worry about it. Like I mentioned it won't drift thanks to the Satellite transport. Now if you're trying to line up a hit with a transient in the FX.... maybe keep a copy of the guide tracks muted on your master system.

Yeah, it doesn't drift because it is locked through word clock (via Dante in this case) – but it sounds like I need a Sync HD on both systems to align the start point to the same sample.

Are you composing within PT?

I am, but it's more convenient to keep the video (and the audio assets that accompany it) in a separate session when dealing with revisions. Of course, Video Slave is cheaper and does not require a separate machine.

[CharlotteMichele]

Is there a way to synchronize satellites via the internet?