On Sun, 17 Oct 1999 10:45:41 -0400, ar407@freenet.carleton.ca (R. Geoff Baker) wrote:

>> Yes - I guess I oversimplified. I use a lot of
>> filters/transitions, and when unrendered these
>> will not show on the TV during scrubbing, even
>> with the "alt" key depressed. Once rendered,
>> all effects/filters/transitions will show during
>> scrubbing - but that isn't when I most need them
>> to show...;-) BTW, one peeve with Raptor is that
>> "alt" key scrubbing results in the computer
>> monitor image being lighter than normal, making
>> it harder to judge contrast/brightness/color
>> corrections - Spark was superior for this, since
>> it showed a correct image...

>I'm surprized the Spark was able to correct this: The set-up for computer
>monitors & TVs is fundamentally different -- partially because the Gamma is
>set differently, and partly because computer monitors assume a full range of
>values as opposed to the restricted safe values of NTSC. Routing analog
>video onto a computer monitor is a problem -- which is why I chose the
>MotoDV option, as it's requirement that I use an attached TV monitor was not
>a limitation in my usage, and the advantage of full-size, full-motion video
>at true NTSC values & rectangular pixels struck me as a real one -- though I
>assume that if you wanted, you could route your Raptor analog-in signal to a
>monitor instead of the Raptor card?

Hmmm...
You DO have a knack for catching my posted
generalities/imprecisions...! ;-)
(BTW, as people on this NG go, I find you THE most
knowledgeable - your posts are an excellent resource.)
The Spark computer monitor image is subject to all
the faults (and advantages) of any other 720x480 30fps
overlay. Sometimes it is easier for me to judge
sharpness/etc. using the computer image rather than
the TV image when doing subtle variable sharpening/etc.
(Yes, if I can't see it on the TV... [but I can, just
not so well sometimes for working with it...].) The
Raptor causes a lightening of the image when the "Alt"
key is used; the Spark doesn't. Since I often use
filtering, the Spark is easier to work with before a
preview is rendered (which is when I'm experimenting
and want instant feedback on scene/camera-color matching,
etc.). I find it most useful to have both the TV image
and a good computer monitor image when editing, so I
like the Raptor (with reservations, of course! ;-).
Perhaps with a really good TV monitor I would be happy
enough without the computer video image...

>In the end, the MotoStudio offers the advantage of timecode preservation at
>the expense of awkward monitoring when I don't route the FireWire to a DV
>device to an attached TV monitor.

Timecode preservation is not an issue with my style
of working - good control (with good monitoring)
over video image and sound quality is...

>I remember when the Spark board seemed to offer incredible value & quality
>for the dollar -- now we hear next to nothing of it.

Yes - awkward/bad software versions and equipment
incompatibilities made it difficult to install
successfully, but once running right, it was very
stable and trouble-free. I still like it (though
the timeline playback to tape, the TV monitoring
ability, the better handling of audio dropouts,
and the faster rendering speed of the Raptor have
won me over [so I have a nice, stable dual-monitor
Spark-based system to sell...;-]).
(Ah, now I wonder what I was insufficiently
precise about this time...;-)