Pinnacle Systems Pro Tools AVoption - 5.0.1 Instruction Manual

Pro Tools
AVoption & AVoption|XL Guide
Version 5.0.1 for Macintosh
Digidesign Inc.
3401-A Hillview Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94304 USA
tel: 650·842·7900
fax: 650·842·7999
650·842·6699 650·856·4275
Product Information (USA)
650·842·6602 800·333·2137
Fax on Demand (USA)
1-888-USE-DIGI (873-3444)
World Wide Web
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Digidesign FTP Site
ftp.digidesign.com
Copyright
This User’s Guide is copyrighted ©2000 by Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this manual may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Digidesign.
DIGIDESIGN, AVID and PRO TOOLS are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
All features and specifications subject to change without notice.
PN 932707903-00 REV A 05/00
contents
Chapter 1. Introduction to Pro Tools AVoption and AVoption|XL
AVoption Components AVoption XL Components AVoption Capabilities AVoption XL Capabilities FilmFrame
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Chapter 2. AVoption Hardware Overview
AVoption Hardware Capabilities Required Hardware Sync Hardware Storage Hardware
Chapter 3. AVoption|XL Hardware Overview
AVoption XL Hardware Capabilities Required Hardware Sync Hardware Storage Hardware
Chapter 4. Installing AVoption
Installing a New AVoption System Installing AVoption as an Upgrade Installing AVoption Software Installing AVoption Hardware Installing the Digidesign SCSI 64 / ATTO EPCI-DC SCSI Accelerator Card Initializing Hard Drives AVoption Video Connections Sample AVoption Setup Diagrams
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Contents
iii
Chapter 5. Installing AVoption XL
Installing a New AVoption XL System Installing AVoption XL as an Upgrade Installing AVoption XL Software Installing AVoption XL Hardware Installing the ATTO EPCI-UL2D SCSI Accelerator AVoption XL Video Connections Meridien I/O Box
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Chapter 6. Recording or Importing the Movie Track
The Movie Track Setting S-Video or Component Output Movie Track Options Recording Video Exporting Files from Avid Programs Importing Files into AVoption and AVoption XL
Chapter 7. Playing the Movie Track
Movie Online Movie Offline Playback Viewing Options Spotting the Movie Track Video Editing With AVoption or AVoption XL
Index
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AVoption and AVoption XL Guide
iv
chapter 1
Introduction to Pro Tools AVoption and AVoption|XL
AVoption and AVoption XL combine the powerful audio post-production features of Pro Tools with integrated support for the import, capture, and playback of Avid video media.

AVoption Components

AVoption consists of software and two Avid video cards that you install in a Pro Tools audio system. The Digidesign audio hardware provides digital audio re­cording, editing, mixing, and processing. The Avid video hardware provides video capture and import, full screen video play­back on an external PAL or NTSC monitor, video playback in an on-screen window, and professional quality video compres­sion.
AVoption XL Components
AVoption XL consists of software, a PCI card that you install in a Pro Tools audio system, and an external I/O box that con­nects to the PCI card. The Digidesign audio hardware provides digital audio recording,
editing, mixing, and processing. The Avid video hardware provides video capture and import, full screen video playback on an external PAL or NTSC monitor, profes­sional quality video compression, and the capability to record and play back uncom­pressed video.

AVoption Capabilities

AVoption lets you do the following:
• Import and capture NTSC and PAL video
• Play the Movie Track with near sample­accurate precision against audio tracks in a Pro Tools session
• Spot or Slip the video track to a new time code location, and spot audio to the video track
• View video edits and media boundaries in the Movie Track
• View the Movie Track as frames that rep­resent video data
• Play video on an external NTSC or PAL monitor
• Play video in a floating window on your computer monitor
Chapter 1: Introduction to Pro Tools AVoption and AVoption|XL
1
You can also do the following:
• Import MFM (Media File Manager for­mat) or MSM (Media Stream Manager format) video files created on Avid sys­tems, such as Media Composer, Xpress/Mac, and AudioVision into the Movie Track of a Pro Tools session
• Capture MSM format video media in the Movie Track of a Pro Tools session
AVoption XL Capabilities
AVoption XL lets you do the following:
• Import and capture NTSC and PAL video
• Play the Movie Track with near sample­accurate precision against audio tracks in a Pro Tools session
• Spot or Slip the video track to a new time code location, and spot audio to the video track
• View video edits and media boundaries in the Movie Track
• View the Movie Track as frames that rep­resent video data
• Play video on an external NTSC or PAL monitor

FilmFrame

The FilmFrame™ option enables 24 FPS support in AVoption and AVoption XL. With FilmFrame installed, you can import and play back Avid Film Composer media files. For more information on FilmFrame, contact your Digidesign dealer or visit the Digidesign Web site.
You can also do the following:
• Import JFIF video media files from Win­dows or Macintosh based Avid systems such as MediaComposer, Symphony, and Xpress into the Movie Track of a Pro Tools session
• Capture JFIF format video media in the Movie Track of a Pro Tools session
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide
2
chapter 2

AVoption Hardware Overview

AVoption hardware consists of two cards: an Avid Broadcast Video Board (ABVB), and a Janus Advanced JPEG Compression card. These cards connect with a ribbon cable.

AVoption Hardware Capabilities

AVoption hardware does the following:
• Receives composite or component video signal
• Digitizes incoming video
• Compresses digitized video using ad­vanced JPEG compression
• Outputs composite and component video signals
• Connects to a second VGA monitor (op­tional) for computer screen display

Avid Video Resolutions (AVR)

The ABVB captures and plays back video media with JPEG compression technology, expressed as Avid Video Resolution (AVR) levels, in the MSM media format (Media Composer 7.x-compatible). AVoption can
import both MSM video and MFM video, which is generated by AudioVision 4.x and Media Composer 6.x.
AVR levels dictate the amount of JPEG compression, which determines image quality and storage requirements for digi­tized video.
The following resolutions are available:
• Single-field – AVR 2s, AVR 3s, AVR 4s, AVR 6s, AVR 8s, AVR 9s
• Two-field – AVR 12, AVR 70, AVR 70B, AVR 71, AVR 75, AVR 75B, AVR 77
• Multicamera – AVR 2m, AVR 3m, AVR 4m, AVR 6m
Lower numbered AVR levels require less hard drive space but provide lower resolution than higher numbered AVR levels.
The lowest resolution is AVR 2m, and the maximum resolution, AVR 77, is consid­ered to be broadcast quality.
JPEG Compression and Storage
JPEG compression is not constant, but var­ies according to the complexity of the foot­age. For example, a medium shot of a talk­ing head with a simple background would compress more and use less disk space than a panning shot of a stadium full of people.
Chapter 2: AVoption Hardware Overview
3
The following tables list the approximate amount of video storage, in minutes per gi­gabyte, required for each AVR level.
Storage for AVR 2s – AVR 9s
AVR level
AVR 2s 40-74 50-93
AVR 3s 32-57 40-71
AVR 4s 19-40 24-50
AVR 6s 11-33 14-41
AVR 8s 5-13 6-16
AVR 9s 3-6 4-7
Storage for AVR 2m – AVR 6m
AVR level
AVR 2m 47-93 58-116
AVR 3m 25-45 35-60
30/25 FPS Storage (Minutes/GB)
30/25 FPS Storage (Minutes/GB)
24 FPS Storage (Minutes/GB)
24 FPS Storage (Minutes/GB)

Required Hardware

To install and use AVoption, you must first install currently supported Pro Tools 24 or Pro Tools 24 MIX hardware. Other hard­ware required for AVoption is listed in this section, along with system requirements for AVoption.

Supported Computers

• Power Macintosh 9500
• Power Macintosh 9600
• Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White)
• Power Macintosh G4
If you are using a Blue & White G3 or a G4, a qualified expansion chassis is required.
Older G3 Macintosh systems (beige) are not supported.
See the Digidesign Web site for the latest
CPU compatibility information.
AVR 4m 21-36 27-45
AVR 6m 14-30 18-38
Storage for AVR 12 and AVR 70 – AVR 77
AVR level
AVR 12 18-34
AVR 70 AVR 70B
AVR 71 4-11
AVR 75 AVR 75B
AVR 77 2-6
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide
4
30/25 FPS Storage (Minutes/GB)
5-11
3-8

Minimum System Requirements

Minimum Pro Tools AVoption System Requirements
Item Minimum Requirement
Computer Power Macintosh 9500
Power Macintosh 9600 Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White) Power Macintosh G4
Pro Tools audio hardware
Pro Tools 24 Pro Tools 24 MIX Pro Tools 24 MIXplus

Storage Hardware

SCSI Accelerators

To support the high transfer rates required by AVoption audio and video, the ATTO Express PCI Dual-Channel SCSI Accelerator (or other AVoption qualified SCSI accelera­tor) is required, with audio drives con­nected to one channel and video drives connected to the other channel.
PCI Expansion Chassis (Blue & White G3)
SCSI accelerator ATTO ExpressPCI Dual-
SCSI hard drives at least 2 approved SCSI
Sync peripheral Universal Slave Driver (USD)
Magma 13-Slot Magma 7-slot
Channel (Other SCSI accelerators may be approved. Check the Digidesign web site for the latest compatibility informa­tion.)
hard drives

Sync Hardware

Synchronization Peripheral

AVoption requires a Universal Slave Driver (USD).

Sync Source

For accurate synchronization during cap­ture and playback, a house sync source or black burst generator is required.

SCSI Hard Drives

Using Two Hard Drives
For scenarios that do not require a high audio track count or a very long video seg­ment, use two hard drives.
In this scenario, one drive is used to record, import, and play back audio data, and one drive is used to record, import, and play back the video.
Using More Than Two Hard Drives
To get the highest possible performance from your AVoption system, you should use more than two hard drives. In this sce­nario, you can use one, two, three, or four hard drives for audio data and one, two, or three hard drives for video data.
Audio
AVoption can use multiple hard drives to store audio data. You should allo­cate audio tracks to different hard drives manually. “Round robin” disk allocation is not recommended in a system that in­cludes video drives.
Chapter 2: AVoption Hardware Overview
5
Video
AVoption can capture a contiguous video track to multiple hard drives. This is useful if the length of your video session exceeds the 2 GB Mac OS file size limit, or the storage space available on a single drive. For example, 50 minutes of video material, using AVR 77 compression, re­quires between 9 GB and 25 GB of storage space. To store this much video, you need between one and three 9 GB hard drives. The video is automatically split by AVop­tion into several files of less than 2 GB on each disk.
See the Digidesign Web site for the latest
AVoption compatibility information.
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide
6
chapter 3

AVoption|XL Hardware Overview

AVoption XL consists of two hardware components: a Meridien Digital Media Board that installs in a PCI slot in your computer, and a Meridien I/O Box that connects to the card in your computer. A Video I/O Board, installed in the Meridien I/O Box, provides video inputs and outputs from your computer to the rest of your video equipment.
AVoption XL Hardware Capabilities
AVoption XL hardware does the following:
• Receives composite, component, S-video, or (optional) SDI video signal
• Digitizes incoming video
• Compresses digitized video using ad­vanced JFIF compression
• Outputs composite, component, S-video, and (optional) SDI video signals
• Captures and plays back uncompressed video

JFIF Video Compression

The Meridien board captures and plays back video media in JPEG File Interchange Format (JFIF). JFIF compression levels pro­vide variable levels of compression for your video project, depending on the recording input selected, except for 1:1, which is un­compressed. The available JFIF resolutions are:
• Single field – 15:1s, 4:1s, 2:1s
• Two fields – 20:1, 10:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1 (un­compressed)
Higher JFIF compression ratios require less
storage space but provide lower video resolu­tion than lower compression ratios.
The lowest JFIF resolution is 15:1s, and the maximum resolution, 1:1, is uncom­pressed.
JFIF Compression and Storage
JFIF compression is variable. This means that JFIF compression levels vary slightly, depending on the video input selected.
1:1 (uncompressed) video storage levels are not approximate. The amount of data re­quired to store 1:1 video is always the same, regardless of the video input used.
Chapter 3: AVoption|XL Hardware Overview
7
The following tables list the approximate amount of video storage, in megabytes per second, required for each JFIF compression level.
Storage for Single-Field JFIF
JFIF level
15:1s .7 .6
4:1s 2.7 2.2
2:1s 5.5 4.4
30/25 FPS Storage (MB/second) (approximate)
24 FPS Storage (MB/second) (approximate)

Supported CPUs

• Power Macintosh 9600
• Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White)
• Power Macintosh G4
Older G3 Macintosh systems (beige) are not supported.
See the Digidesign Web site for the latest
CPU compatibility information.

Minimum System Requirements

Storage Required for Two-Field JFIF
JFIF level
20:1 1.1 .9
10:1 2.2 1.8
3:1 7.3 5.9
2:1 11 8.8
1:1 22 17.6
30/25 FPS Storage (MB/second) (approximate, except 1:1)
24 FPS Storage (MB/second) (approximate, except 1:1)

Required Hardware

To install and use AVoption XL, you must first install currently supported Pro Tools 24 or Pro Tools 24 MIX hard­ware. Other hardware required for AVoption XL is listed in this section, along with system requirements for AVoption XL.
3:1 Video Compression or Higher
Minimum AVoption XL System Requirements
Item Minimum Requirement
CPU Power Macintosh 9600,
Blue & White G3 or G4
PCI Expansion Chassis
SCSI accelerator Qualified SCSI Accelerator
SCSI hard drives Qualified drives are
Sync peripheral Universal Slave Driver (USD)
Magma 13-Slot
(ATTO EPCI-DC or Digidesign SCSI 64)
required; see the Digidesign Web site for more informa­tion.
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide
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2:1 Video Compression or 1:1 Uncompressed

Storage Hardware

Minimum AVoption XL System Requirements
Item Minimum Requirement
CPU Power Macintosh 9600,
Blue & White G3 or G4
PCI Expansion Chassis
SCSI accelerator (video)
SCSI accelerator (audio)
SCSI hard drives Qualified drives are
Striped hard drives
Sync peripheral Universal Slave Driver (USD)
Magma 13-Slot
Qualified SCSI Accelerator (ATTO EPCI-UL2D LVD Accel­erator required for 2:1 or 1:1 video compression)
Qualified SCSI Accelerator (ATTO EPCI-DC or Digidesign SCSI 64 required for 2:1 or 1:1 video compression)
required; see the Digidesign Web site for more informa­tion.
A 2-way stripe is required for 2:1 compressed video. A 4-way stripe is required for uncompressed (1:1) video.

SCSI Accelerators

To support the high transfer rates required by AVoption XL video, a qualified SCSI ac­celerator is required, with audio drives con­nected to one channel and video drives connected to the other channel. For 2:1 compression or 1:1 uncompressed video, 2 SCSI accelerators are required.

SCSI Hardware and Drives with Video Compression Level 3:1 or Higher

If you are using 3:1 video compression or higher at all times, then your system re­quires only a single dual channel SCSI ac­celerator, the ATTO EPCI-UL2D or EPCI­DC, or the Digidesign SCSI 64, with audio drives connected to one channel and video drives connected to another.
Other SCSI accelerators may be qualified.
Refer to the compatibility information on the Digidesign Web site for more information.

Sync Hardware

Synchronization Peripheral

AVoption XL requires a Universal Slave Driver (USD).

Sync Source

For accurate synchronization during cap­ture and playback, a house sync source or black burst generator is required.
Using Two Hard Drives
For scenarios that do not require a high audio track count or a very long video seg­ment, use two hard drives.
In this scenario, one drive is used to record, import, and play back audio data, and one drive is used to record, import, and play back the video.
Chapter 3: AVoption|XL Hardware Overview
9
Using More Than Two Hard Drives
To get the highest possible performance from your AVoption XL system, you should use more than two hard drives. In this sce­nario, you can use one, two, three, or four hard drives (volumes) for audio data and one, two, or three hard drives (volumes) for video data.
Note that striped volumes appear to
AVoption XL as a single volume.
Audio
AVoption XL can store audio data to multiple hard drives. You should allocate audio tracks to different hard drives manu­ally. “Round robin” disk allocation is not recommended in a system that includes video drives.
Both of these options are covered in detail in your
Video
ous video track to multiple hard disks. This is useful if the length of your video session exceeds the storage space available on a single drive. For example, 26 minutes of video material, using 3:1 compression, re­quires approximately 11.1 GB of storage space. To store this much video, you need two 9 GB hard drives.
Pro Tools Reference Guide
AVoption XL can capture a contigu-
.
connected to the EPCI-UL2D, and audio drives are connected to the EPCI-DC or SCSI 64.
Striped Drive Requirements
“Striped” drives are configured in such a way that multiple hard drives behave as if they are one hard drive. This makes higher data throughput possible. 4-way striped drives (4 drives acting as one) are required when capturing, importing, or playing un­compressed (1:1) video. 2-way striped drives (2 drives acting as one) are required when capturing, importing, or playing 2:1 compressed video.
2-way striped drives should be connected in pairs to the EPCI-UL2D accelerator, with 1 drive connected to each channel.
4-way striped drives should be connected in pairs to the EPCI-UL2D accelerator, with 2 drives connected to each channel.

SCSI Hardware and Drives with Video Compression Level 2:1 or 1:1

If you are using 2:1 or 1:1 video compres­sion, your system requires two SCSI acceler­ators: the ATTO EPCI-UL2D LVD accelera­tor, and the ATTO EPCI-DC or Digidesign SCSI 64. In this scenario, video drives are
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide
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chapter 4

Installing AVoption

This chapter discusses the installation and configuration of AVoption software and hardware.

Installing a New AVoption System

Installing AVoption as an Upgrade

If you have currently supported Pro Tools TDM hardware installed in your system, then you can install AVoption as an upgrade.
If you do not already have currently sup­ported Pro Tools TDM hardware installed, you must install AVoption as a new system.
To install a new AVoption system:
1 Install Pro Tools software using the
Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM. The first time you launch Pro Tools, you are prompted to enter your authorization code, which is in­cluded in your TDM Software Installation Guide.
2 Install AVoption software. See “Installing
AVoption Software” on page 12.
3 Install Pro Tools and AVoption hardware.
• Determine the proper PCI slots for your installation. See “AVoption PCI Slot Con­figurations” on page 12.
• Install Pro Tools hardware using the in­structions in your TDM Hardware Instal- lation Guide.
• Install AVoption hardware. See “Install­ing AVoption Hardware” on page 12.
You must have the latest version of
Pro Tools (included on the Installer CD-ROM) installed before you install AVoption.
To install AVoption as an upgrade:
1 Install AVoption software. See “Installing
AVoption Software” on page 12.
2 Install AVoption hardware. Determine
the proper PCI slots for your installation using “AVoption PCI Slot Configurations” on page 12. You may be required to rear­range Pro Tools hardware that is already in­stalled. See “Installing AVoption Hardware” on page 12 to install the AVop­tion hardware.
Chapter 4: Installing AVoption
11

Installing AVoption Software

AVoption includes the following software:
• Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM
• AVoption Authorizer diskette

Installing FilmFrame

FilmFrame is optional, and copy protected with a key disk system. If you purchase this option, you will receive a FilmFrame Au­thorizer diskette that permits you to autho­rize and use this option.
AVoption is copy protected with a key disk system. After you install the software from CD-ROM, the Authorizer diskette permits you to authorize and use a single copy of AVoption.
AVoption software is installed in a specific location in your System folder, and should not be moved or altered. The Authorizer diskette permits you to reclaim authoriza­tion from your hard drive if you wish to in­stall AVoption on a different hard drive, or if you wish to re-initialize or format your drive.
To install AVoption software:
1 Insert the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM in
your CD-ROM drive.
2 Follow the installation instructions to in-
stall AVoption.
To authorize AVoption:
When prompted, insert the Authorizer
diskette into your floppy drive.
To authorize FilmFrame:
Insert the Authorizer diskette into your
floppy drive, and authorize FilmFrame.

Installing AVoption Hardware

To install your AVoption hardware, first de­termine the PCI slots where you will install the hardware, using the following tables.
AVoption PCI Slot Configurations
The following slot configurations are rec­ommended for video and audio hardware installations.
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide12
Power Macintosh 9500/9600 Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White)
Power Macintosh 9500 PCI slots with AVoption
Slot Card
1 Macintosh graphics accelerator
2 d24 or MIX Core card
3 MIX Farm or DSP Farm (if any)
4 SCSI accelerator
5 Janus Advanced JPEG card
6 ABVB card
Power Macintosh 9500/9600 PCI slots with Expansion Chassis (Magma or Bit3)
Slot Card
CPU 1 Empty
CPU 2 Chassis Expander card (con-
nects CPU to chassis)
CPU 3 Macintosh graphics accelerator
CPU 4 SCSI Accelerator
CPU 5 Janus Advanced JPEG card
CPU 6 ABVB card
Chassis Backplane Slot
Chassis 1 d24 or MIX Core
Chassis (remaining)
Chassis Backplane card
Remaining Digidesign cards to end of chassis (max. 10 includ­ing core)
The Blue & White G3 has only three PCI slots. If you use this CPU, you must use a Magma 7-Slot or 13-Slot Expansion Chas­sis.
In the Magma 7-Slot chassis, the Janus Ad-
vanced JPEG card must be placed in the first slot, and the ABVB card must be placed in the second slot to avoid potential equipment dam­age.
Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White) PCI slots with AVoption and a Magma 7-Slot Expansion Chassis
Slot Card
CPU 1 PCI Expander card (connects
CPU to chassis)
CPU 2 Empty
CPU 3 SCSI Accelerator
Chassis Backplane Slot
Chassis 1 Janus Advanced JPEG card
Chassis 2 ABVB card
Chassis 3 d24 or MIX Core
Chassis 4 Remaining Digidesign cards to
Chassis 5
Chassis 6
Chassis 7
Chassis Backplane card
end of chassis (max. 10 includ­ing core)
Chapter 4: Installing AVoption 13
Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White) PCI slots with AVoption and a Magma 13-Slot Expansion Chassis
Slot Card
CPU 1 PCI Expander card (connects
CPU to chassis)
CPU 2 Empty
CPU 3 SCSI Accelerator
Chassis Backplane Slot
Chassis 1 ABVB card
Chassis 2 Janus Advanced JPEG card
Chassis 3 d24 or MIX core
Chassis 4 Remaining Digidesign cards to
Chassis 5
Chassis 6
Chassis 7
Chassis 8
Chassis 9
Chassis 10
Chassis 11
Chassis 12
Chassis 13
Chassis Backplane card
end of chassis (max. 10 includ­ing core)
Power Macintosh G4
The G4 has only three PCI slots. If you use this CPU, you must use a Magma 7-slot or 13-slot expansion chassis.
In the Magma 7-Slot Expansion Chassis,
the Janus Advanced JPEG card must be placed in the first slot, and the ABVB card must be placed in the second slot to avoid potential equipment damage.
Power Macintosh G4 PCI slots with AVoption and a Magma 7-Slot Expansion Chassis
Slot Card
CPU 1 SCSI Accelerator card
CPU 2 PCI Expander card (connects
CPU to chassis)
CPU 3 Empty
Chassis Backplane Slot
Chassis 1 Janus Advanced JPEG card
Chassis 2 ABVB card
Chassis 3 d24 or MIX Core
Chassis 4 Remaining Digidesign cards to
Chassis 5
Chassis 6
Chassis Backplane card
end of chassis (max. 10 includ­ing core)
Chassis 7
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide14
Power Macintosh G4 PCI slots with AVoption and a Magma 13-Slot Expansion Chassis
Slot Card
CPU 1 SCSI Accelerator

Audio Hardware

Refer to your TDM Hardware Installation Guide for audio hardware installation infor-
mation.
CPU 2 PCI Expander card (connects
CPU to chassis)
CPU 3 Empty
Chassis Backplane Slot
Chassis 1 ABVB card
Chassis 2 Janus Advanced JPEG card
Chassis 3 d24 or MIX core
Chassis 4 Remaining Digidesign cards to
Chassis 5
Chassis 6
Chassis 7
Chassis 8
Chassis 9
Chassis 10
Chassis 11
Chassis 12
Chassis Backplane card
end of chassis (max. 10 includ­ing core)
You may be required to move hardware that
is already installed to new PCI slot locations in your computer or expansion chassis, based on the information above.

Installing AVoption Video Hardware

To install AVoption video hardware:
1 Unplug and open your Macintosh com-
puter or your Magma expansion chassis ac­cording to the instructions included with it.
2 Release any static electricity by touching
the power supply of the CPU, or another grounded item.
3 Remove the ABVB card from the anti-
static bag, being careful to handle it only by the edges.
Chassis 13
ABV Card and ribbon cable
4 Line up the ABVB card with the installa-
tion slot, and slide the card into place gen­tly so the PCI connector is lined up with the PCI slot.
Chapter 4: Installing AVoption 15
5 Press down firmly on the card with even
pressure. The connector should click into place in the PCI slot.
PCI Card alignment and installation
Installing the Digidesign SCSI 64 / ATTO EPCI-DC SCSI Accelerator Card
6 Repeat this process for the Janus Ad-
vanced JPEG card, making sure that you place it in the proper slot.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ABVB card
Janus card
Ribbon cable
ABVB card and Janus Advanced JPEG card installed
7 Attach the ribbon cable from the ABVB
board to the connector on top of the Janus Advanced JPEG card by aligning the cable end with the connector, and gently press­ing it onto the card until it clicks into place.
8 Close the computer or expansion chassis.
Digidesign SCSI64 / ATTO EPCI-DC SCSI Accelerator
To install the ATTO ExpressPCI Dual-Channel SCSI Accelerator:
1 Unplug and open your Macintosh com-
puter or expansion chassis according to the instructions included with it.
2 Release any static electricity by touching
the power supply, or another grounded item.
3 Remove the ATTO card from the anti-
static bag, being careful to handle it only by the edges.
4 Line up the ATTO card with the installa-
tion slot, and slide the card into place gen­tly so the PCI connector is aligned with the PCI slot.
5 Press down firmly on the card with even
pressure. The connector should click into place in the PCI slot.
6 Fasten the card in place using the in-
cluded screw to attach the card bracket to the computer mounting bracket.
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide16

Initializing Hard Drives

Refer to the information in the AVoption Release Bulletin and on the Digidesign Web site for the latest hard drive initialization information.

AVoption Video Connections

The ABVB Video Cable

AVoption includes a cable that provides nine coaxial video connections to connect video and sync components of your system to the ABVB card.
Video Connectors on the ABVB Cable
GL IN This “Gen Lock” connector is used to
connect the ABVB card to an external refer­ence video (black burst) source.
CV OUT This connector provides Compos-
ite Video out. You can use this output to connect an NTSC or PAL video monitor for video viewing. You can also connect this output to a composite input on your VTR.
Many NTSC video monitors include outputs
that recreate a video input signal. You can con­nect the CV OUT from the ABVB to an NTSC monitor, then connect an output from the mon­itor to your VTR to record from AVoption.
Y OUT, B-Y OUT, R-Y OUT
provide Component (RGB) Video outputs. You can use these to connect a video refer­ence monitor or VTR that has Component Video inputs.
CV IN This input is used to get Composite
Video from an external source into AVop­tion. Connect this to your video source.
These connectors
ABVB video connector cable
To connect the ABVB cable to the ABVB card:
1 Remove the ABVB cable from the protec-
tive plastic bag.
2 Connect the single connector end to the
matching connector on the ABVB card.
3 Tighten the screws to lock the cable in
place.
This connector can also be used in a video loop with the USD. The output of your VTR can be connected to the Video In connec­tor on the USD, then the Video Out con­nector on the USD can be connected to this CV IN cable. You might use this connec­tion to “window burn” with the USD.
Y IN, B-Y IN, R-Y IN These inputs are used to
get Component Video signals from an ex­ternal source into AVoption.
Chapter 4: Installing AVoption 17
To connect a BNC connector:
Slide the end of the BNC connector over
the matching BNC connection, and twist the BNC connector clockwise until it locks into place.
To remove a BNC connector:
Grip the BNC connector you wish to re-
move and twist it counter-clockwise until it comes loose.
BNC connector

Connecting House Sync or Black Burst

In most AVoption setups, three black burst or “house sync” connections are required. These connections are:
• to VIDEO REF in on the USD
• to a video input on your VTR (a video ref­erence input if available)
• to the GL IN connector from the ABVB cable
Read the documentation for your black burst generator for more information.

USD Connections

The following illustrations show USD con­nections. The Universal Slave Driver User’s Guide provides more specific information about this peripheral.
Black burst
VIDEO REF
USD video connections
9-PIN IN / ACC
9-PIN OUT
USD connection to an audio interface
Serial cable
to Macintosh
MAC SERIAL
IN
OUT
SUPER CLOCK (256X)
to Slave Clock In
(audio interface)
VTR out
IN
OUT
VIDEO
CV IN (ABVB)
85-264VAC, 47-63HZ, 115 W

Connecting a VTR

A VTR can be used to provide video input and to record video output from AVoption. In most situations, there are three connec­tions you need to make:
• connect a black burst or house sync out­put to a video input on your VTR (prefer­ably a reference video input)
• connect the ABVB cable’s CV IN and/or Component IN connectors to the corre­sponding output or outputs on your VTR
• connect the ABVB cable’s CV OUT and/or Component OUT connectors to the corresponding inputs on your VTR – or –
• connect the ABVB cable’s CV OUT and/or Component OUT connectors to the corresponding input on an NTSC or PAL video monitor, then connect the outputs from this monitor to corre­sponding inputs on your VTR.
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide18

Connecting an External Video Reference Monitor

Connect an external NTSC or PAL video reference monitor using the ABVB cable’s Composite or Component Video outputs.

Centralized Video Switching and Routing

Many professional facilities have central­ized video switching and routing systems. These systems can be used to route AVop­tion’s inputs and outputs to flexible input sources and output destinations.
Chapter 4: Installing AVoption 19

Sample AVoption Setup Diagrams

Macintosh monitor
Macintosh monitor
Video monitor
Black burst
generator
to a video ref input
Video deck
Macintosh video card
ABVB VGA
connector
(optional)
Composite
or
CV OUT
GL IN (ABVB)
Component or CV OUT (ABVB)
Power Macintosh computer
MachineControl (serial)
DigiSerial port or other
CV In (ABVB)
Video out
Video In
Video Ref in
ATTO card Channel 1
ATTO card Channel 2
Digi card
Super Clock
Audio Interface
Computer 1
(888/24)
Universal Slave Driver
Video drives
Audio drives
Sample ABVB video setup
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide20
CV OUT (from ABVB)
External video monitor
Component video outputs (ABVB)
Video deck
CH-1 CH-2
ABVB cable
Blackburst generator
GL IN (ABVB)
to USD / VSD
to Ref Video input
on video deck
Video connections for component video, blackburst, and external monitor
Video in panel
Video out panel
to Component Video
inputs (ABVB)
Chapter 4: Installing AVoption 21
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide22
chapter 5
Installing AVoption XL
This chapter discusses the installation and configuration of AVoption XL software and hardware.
Installing a New AVoption XL System
If you do not already have currently sup­ported Pro Tools hardware installed, you must install AVoption XL as a new system.
To install a new AVoption XL system:
1 Install Pro Tools software using the
Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM. The first time you launch Pro Tools, you are prompted to enter a serial number, which is included in your TDM Software Installation Guide.
2 Install AVoption XL software. See “In-
stalling AVoption XL Software” on page 24.
3 Install Pro Tools and AVoption XL hard-
ware.
• Determine the proper PCI slots for your installation. See “AVoption XL PCI Slot Configurations” on page 24.
• Install Pro Tools hardware using the in­structions in your Pro Tools Hardware In- stallation Guide.
• Install AVoption XL hardware. See “In­stalling AVoption XL Hardware” on page 24.
Installing AVoption XL as an Upgrade
If you have currently supported Pro Tools TDM hardware installed in your system, then you can install AVoption XL as an upgrade.
You must have the latest version of
Pro Tools (included on the Installer CD-ROM) installed before you install AVoption XL.
To install AVoption XL as an upgrade:
1 Install AVoption XL software. See “In-
stalling AVoption XL Software” on page 24.
2 Install AVoption XL hardware. Deter-
mine the proper PCI slots for your installa­tion using “AVoption XL PCI Slot Configurations” on page 24. You may be required to rearrange Pro Tools or other cards that are already installed. See “Install­ing AVoption XL Hardware” on page 24 to install the AVoption XL hardware.
Chapter 5: Installing AVoption XL 23
Installing AVoption XL Software
AVoption XL includes the following soft­ware:
• Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM
• AVoption XL Authorizer floppy disk
AVoption XL is copy protected with a key disk system. After you install the software from CD-ROM, the Authorizer diskette per­mits you to authorize and use a single copy of AVoption XL.
AVoption XL software is installed in a spe­cific location in your System folder, and should not be moved or altered. The Au­thorizer diskette permits you to reclaim au­thorization from your hard drive if you wish to install AVoption XL on a different hard drive, or if you wish to re-initialize or format your drive.
To install AVoption XL software:
1 Insert the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM in
your CD-ROM drive.
2 Follow the installation instructions to in-
stall AVoption XL.
To authorize AVoption XL:
When prompted, insert the Authorizer
diskette into your floppy drive.

Installing FilmFrame

FilmFrame is optional, and copy protected with a key diskette system. If you purchase this option, you will receive a FilmFrame Authorizer diskette that permits you to au­thorize and use this option.
To authorize FilmFrame:
Insert the Authorizer diskette into your
floppy drive, and authorize FilmFrame.
Installing AVoption XL Hardware
To install your AVoption XL hardware, first determine the PCI slots where you will in­stall the hardware, using the following ta­bles.
AVoption XL PCI Slot Configurations
The following slot configurations are rec­ommended for video and audio hardware installations.
Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White)
The Blue & White G3 has only three PCI slots. If you use this CPU, you must use a Magma 7-slot 13-slot expansion chassis.
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide24
Power Macintosh 9500/9600 PCI Slots with Expansion Chassis (Magma or Bit3)
Slot Card
CPU 1 Video Accelerator
CPU 2
CPU 3
CPU 4 Audio SCSI Accelerator (ATTO
EPCI-DC or Digidesign SCSI 64)
CPU 5
CPU 6
Chassis Backplane Slot
Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White) PCI slots with AVoption XL and a Magma 13-Slot Magma Expansion Chassis
Slot Card
CPU 1 Audio SCSI Accelerator (ATTO
EPCI-DC or Digidesign SCSI 64)
CPU 2 PCI Expander Card (connects
CPU to chassis)
CPU 3
Chassis Backplane Slot
Chassis 1 Video SCSI Accelerator (ATTO
Chassis Backplane Card
EPCI-UL2D LVD)
Chassis 1 Video SCSI Accelerator (ATTO
EPCI-UL2D LVD)
Chassis 2
Chassis 3
Chassis 4 Digital Media Board
Chassis 5
Chassis 6
Chassis 7
Chassis 8 d24 or MIX core card
Chassis 9 Remaining Digidesign cards to
Chassis 10
Chassis 11
Chassis 12
Chassis 13
end of chassis (max. 6 including core)
Chassis 2
Chassis 3
Chassis 4 Digital Media Board
Chassis 5
Chassis 6
Chassis 7
Chassis 8 d24 or MIX core card
Chassis 9 Remaining Digidesign cards to
Chassis 10
Chassis 11
Chassis 12
Chassis 13
end of chassis (max. 6 including core)
Chapter 5: Installing AVoption XL 25
Power Macintosh G4
The G4 has only three PCI slots. If you use this CPU, you must use a Magma 13-Slot Expansion Chassis.
Power Macintosh G4 PCI slots with AVoption and a Magma 13-Slot Expansion Chassis
Slot Card
CPU 1 Audio SCSI Accelerator (ATTO
EPCI-DC or Digidesign SCSI 64)

Audio Hardware

Refer to your Pro Tools Hardware Installation Guide for audio hardware installation infor-
mation.
You may be required to move hardware that
is already installed to new PCI slot locations in your computer or expansion chassis, based on the information above.
CPU 2 PCI Expander card (connects
CPU to chassis)
CPU 3 Empty
Chassis Backplane Slot
Chassis 1 Video SCSI Accelerator (ATTO
Chassis 2
Chassis 3
Chassis 4 Digital Media Board
Chassis 5
Chassis 6
Chassis 7
Chassis 8 d24 or MIX core
Chassis 9 Remaining Digidesign Cards to
Chassis 10
Chassis 11
Chassis Backplane card
EPCI-UL2D LVD)
end of chassis
Installing AVoption XL Video Hardware
To install AVoption XL video hardware:
1 Unplug and open your Magma Expan-
sion Chassis according to the instructions included with it.
2 Release any static electricity by touching
the power supply of the chassis, or another grounded item.
3 Remove the Digital Media Board from
the anti-static bag, being careful to handle it only by the edges.
4 Line up the Digital Media Board with the
installation slot, and slide the card into place gently so the PCI connector is lined up with the PCI slot.
Chassis 12
Chassis 13
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide26
5 Press down firmly on the card with even
pressure. The connector should click into place in the PCI slot.
Installing the ATTO EPCI­UL2D SCSI Accelerator
PCI Card alignment and installation
6 Close the computer or expansion chassis. 7 Attach the connector cable from the Dig-
ital Media Board (connector labeled M) to the Computer connector on the Meridien I/O Box.
IN
COMPONENT
COMPOSITE
ININ
Y
R-Y B-Y
IN
S-VIDEO
COMPOSITE
REF
OUT
B-Y
Y
R-Y
OUT 1
OUT 2
SYSTEM
OUT
IN / OUT
S-VIDEO
OUT 3
MC
Connecting the Digital Media Board to the Breakout Box
LTC
IN
OUT
OUT
ATTO UL2D LVD SCSI Accelerator
To install the ATTO EPCI-UL2D SCSI Accelerator:
1 Unplug and open your expansion chassis
according to the instructions included with it.
2 Release any static electricity by touching
the power supply, or another grounded item.
3 Remove the ATTO card from the anti-
static bag, being careful to handle it only by the edges.
4 Line up the ATTO card with the installa-
tion slot, and slide the card into place gen­tly so the PCI connector is aligned with the PCI slot.
5 Press down firmly on the card with even
pressure. The connector should click into place in the PCI slot.
6 Fasten the card in place using the in-
cluded screw to attach the card bracket to the computer mounting bracket.
Chapter 5: Installing AVoption XL 27
AVoption XL Video Connections
The following video I/O capabilities are available with the Meridien I/O Box:
• Inputs for composite, component (Y, R-Y, B-Y), S-Video, and (optional) SDI
• Outputs for composite, component (Y, R­Y, B-Y), S-Video, and (optional) SDI
• Video Ref input to allow the video to be locked to an external source such as house sync or a black burst generator.
Only one video input source can be used at
a time. See “Recording Video” on page 35 for more information.
The Meridien I/O Box can only output from
either S-Video or Component outputs. You must set this option in your Movie Track. See “Setting S-Video or Component Output” on page 34 for instructions.

Meridien I/O Box

The following sections provide figures and tables that describe the function of the Me­ridien I/O Box video I/O.

Meridien I/O Box Front Panel Indicators

The front panel of the Meridien I/O box (see Figure 1) has six indicators and a power switch. When you turn on the Meri­dien I/O Box, the indicators turn on and off as it goes through a power-on self-test (POST). After the POST, the POWER indica­tor remains lit.
Some indicators do not light, or do not indi-
cate correctly, when used with AVoption XL (see illustration). To determine this informa­tion, use the indicators on your USD, or your Session Setup window.
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide28
Sample rate (44.1 or 48
is always lit)
44.1 kHz
48
kHz
Audio sync (this does
not light)
AUDIO SYNC
VIDEO SYNC
Pull down (this does not light)
PULL DOWN
POWER
O
l
Video sync
Power indicator
Figure 1. Meridien I/O Box front panel
Video I/O Connectors
1 2 3 4 5 6
IN
ININ
Y
COMPONENT
R-Y B-Y
Y
IN
COMPOSITE
S-VIDEO
REF
COMPOSITE
OUT 1
20 19 18 17 16 1521 13 12
Figure 2. Meridien I/O Box rear panel showing video connectors
OUT
B-Y
R-Y
OUT
S-VIDEO
OUT 3
OUT 2
OUT 1
SERIAL DIGITAL
SYSTEM
IN / OUT
7 8 9 10
OUT 3IN
OUT 2
SLAVE CLOCK
OUT
14
Power switch
LTC
OUT
IN
11
Chapter 5: Installing AVoption XL 29
Table 1. Video I/O Board Identifiers
Number Label Function
1 COMPONENT Y IN Video Y component input, BNC connector. Connects to
analog video output of decks.
2 COMPONENT R-Y IN Video R-Y component input, BNC connector. Connects to
analog video output of decks.
3 COMPONENT B-Y IN Video B-Y component input, BNC connector. Connects to
analog video output of decks.
4 COMPONENT Y OUT Video Y component (Betacam) output, BNC connector.
Connects to analog video input of decks.
5 COMPONENT R-Y OUT Video R-Y component (Betacam) output, BNC connector.
Connects to analog video input of decks.
6 COMPONENT B-Y OUT Video B-Y component (Betacam) output, BNC connector.
Connects to analog video input of decks.
7 SDI IN (optional) Serial digital input, BNC connector. Connects to a serial
digital output from a digital video source.
8 SDI OUT1 (optional) Serial digital output number 1, BNC connector. Connects
to VTR input, a video monitor, or other serial digital device.
9 SDI OUT2 (optional) Serial digital output number 2, BNC connector. Connects
to VTR input, a video monitor, or other serial digital device.
10 SDI OUT3 (optional) Serial digital output number 3, BNC connector. Connects
to VTR input, a video monitor, or other serial digital device.
11 SYSTEM Audio and video I/O connector from the system interface
board.
12 LTC OUT Sends LTC time code out (not used with AVoption XL).
13 LTC IN Brings LTC time code in (not used with AVoption XL).
14 SLAVE CLOCK OUT Clock output, BNC connector (not used with AVoption XL)
15 S-VIDEO OUT Super-video output, 4-pin connector. Connects to analog
video input of decks.
16 COMPOSITE OUT3 Composite video output, BNC connector. Connects to ana-
log video input of decks or monitor.
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide30
Table 1. Video I/O Board Identifiers(Continued)
Number Label Function
17 COMPOSITE OUT2 Composite video output, BNC connector. Connects to ana-
log video input of decks or monitor.
18 COMPOSITE OUT1 Composite video output, BNC connector. Connects to ana-
log video input of decks or monitor.
19 S-VIDEO IN Super-video input, 4-pin connector. Connects to analog
video output of decks.
20 COMPOSITE IN Composite video input, BNC connector. Connects to
analog video output of decks.
21 Video Reference (REF) Black burst or house sync input, BNC connector. Synchro-
nizes the system with the global clock source provided by the house sync or black burst generator.

USD Connections

The following illustrations show USD con­nections. The Universal Slave Driver User’s Guide provides more specific information about this peripheral.
Black burst
VIDEO REF
Serial cable
to Macintosh
MAC SERIAL
USD video connections
IN
9-PIN IN / ACC
OUT
9-PIN OUT
SUPER CLOCK (256X)
to Slave Clock In (audio interface)
USD connection to an audio interface
VTR out
IN
OUT
VIDEO
to COMPOSITE VIDEO input
85-264VAC, 47-63HZ, 115 W

Connecting House Sync or Black Burst

In most AVoption XL setups, three black burst or “house sync” connections are re­quired. These connections are:
• to VIDEO REF in on the USD
• to a video input on your VTR (a video ref­erence input if available)
• to the VIDEO REF connector on the Me­ridien I/O Box
Read the documentation for your black burst generator for more information.

Connecting a VTR

A VTR can be used to provide video input and to record video output from AVoption XL. In most situations, there are three connections you need to make:
• connect a black burst or house sync out­put to a video input on your VTR (prefer­ably a reference video input)
Chapter 5: Installing AVoption XL 31
• connect the Meridien I/O Box COMPOS­ITE IN, COMPONENT IN, S-VIDEO IN, or SDI IN connectors to the corresponding output or outputs on your VTR
• connect the Meridien I/O Box COMPOS­ITE OUT, COMPONENT OUT, S-VIDEO OUT, or SDI OUT connectors to the cor­responding inputs on your VTR – or –
• connect the Meridien I/O Box COMPOS­ITE OUT or COMPONENT OUT connec­tors to the corresponding input on an NTSC or PAL video monitor, then con­nect the outputs from this monitor to corresponding inputs on your VTR.
The Meridien I/O Box can only output from
either S-Video or Component outputs. You must set this option in your Movie Track. See “Setting S-Video or Component Output” on page 34 for instructions.

Connecting an External Video Reference Monitor

Connect an external NTSC or PAL video reference monitor to a COMPOSITE, COMPONENT, S-VIDEO, or SDI output.

Centralized Video Switching and Routing

Many professional facilities have central­ized video switching and routing systems. These systems can be used to route AVoption XL’s inputs and outputs to flexi­ble input sources and output destinations.
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide32
chapter 6

Recording or Importing the Movie Track

You can capture a video file by actually re­cording the video in through the inputs on your ABVB connector cable (AVoption) or the inputs on your Meridien I/O Box (AVoption XL), or import a file created in a compatible Avid video editing and compo­sition program.

The Movie Track

The Movie Track holds the movie you cap­ture or import into Pro Tools. A Pro Tools session with AVoption or AVoption XL can contain one Movie Track.
Track
options
Track name
Record
View options
Track height
Figure 3. Movie Track controls (AVoption)
Compression level
1st video record drive 2nd video record drive 3rd video record drive
Approximate available record time
Video format to record
ABVB inputs to record from
Track
options
Compression level
1st video record drive 2nd video record drive 3rd video record drive
Approximate available record time
Video format to record
Meridien I/O Box inputs to record from
Video output format
Record
View options
Track name
Track height
Figure 4. Movie Track controls (AVoption XL)
To create a new Movie Track:
Choose Movie > New Movie Track.
The new, empty track appears in the Edit window.
To name the Movie Track:
1 Double-click the Track Name button to
open the Name and Comments dialog.
2 Type a name and click OK. You can also
add comments here.
Chapter 6: Recording or Importing the Movie Track 33
To delete the Movie Track:
1 Select the track by clicking on the Track
Name button in the Edit window.
2 Choose File > Delete Selected Tracks.
To clear all video from the Movie Track:
Choose Movie > Clear Movie Track.

Movie Track Options

The Movie Track can be viewed in frames or in blocks. Frames allow you to see an over­view of the actual video content in a ses­sion. Blocks allow you to see where clips in the original project begin and end, and the names of clips.

Setting S-Video or Component Output

(AVoption XL only)
The Meridien I/O Box can only output from either S-Video or Component out­puts. This choice must be made in the soft­ware, and echoed in the physical connec­tions you use to output signals.
To select component video outputs in AVoption XL:
1 On the Movie Track, click the Track Op-
tions pop-up. See Figure 4 on page 33.
2 Use the Video Output pop-up menu to
select the outputs you would like to use: Component or S-Video.

Frames

In Frames mode, video data is displayed as pictures in the Movie Track. These pictures are computed based on the video image, and scale according to your track zoom set­tings and track height. They do not provide a frame-accurate reference, but allow you to easily find a scene or sequence in the Movie Track.
Movie Track in Frames mode
Frames do not display properly if you change zoom settings during playback. Black frames are drawn until playback is stopped. You should stop playback before changing zoom settings if you want to view frames.

Blocks

Blocks mode displays the Movie Track as blocks of compositional data. Blocks are outlined wherever clip boundaries existed before export from the original program. Names from the original clips are retained. For example, two clips edited together without any transitions or effects, and
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide34
named “House Ext” and “House Int,” will appear as two blocks bordering each other with those names.
Movie Track in Blocks mode
In Blocks mode, you can place the cursor on the Movie Track, then press Tab move to the next video edit in the track.
4 Set the compression level for the video
capture from the Compression Level pop­up menu.
To set the view for the Movie Track:
On the Movie Track, select “frames” or
“blocks” from the View Options pop-up menu.

Recording Video

To set video recording options:
1 Create a new Movie Track. You can also
use an existing Movie Track if it does not contain a movie.
2 Select a video format by clicking the
Track options button (see Figure 3 and Figure 4), then selecting Video Format. You can select NTSC or PAL format.
3 Select the video input you are using by
clicking the Record options button, then selecting Video Input. You can select Com­ponent or Composite input (AVoption and AVoption XL), or S-Video or SDI (AVoption XL only).
Setting the compression level (AVoption)
Setting the compression level (AVoption XL)
5 Select the target hard drive volumes for
the video capture. Target volumes capture video in order, from the first (top) to the last (bottom). In the following illustration, Video-0 captures video first, followed by Audio-0, then Audio-1.
As you add or remove volumes from the track, the available record time is updated to reflect available disk space and compres­sion settings. The time displayed is approx­imate.
Target volumes for video capture
Chapter 6: Recording or Importing the Movie Track 35
To record video:
Note that if there is already a movie on the
Movie Track, the movie will be replaced, re­gardless of where you start recording.
1 Place your cursor at the point you want
to start recording, or select a range of time for the recording. You can make this selec­tion on a timeline or on a track. If you make this selection on a track, make sure that Edit and Timeline selections are linked.
2 Record enable the track by clicking the
Record button.
3 Click Record in the Transport window to
enable recording.
4 Start playing the video source. 5 Click Play in the Transport window to be-
gin recording.
6 Click Stop in the Transport window to
stop recording.

MachineControl

For far more accurate video recording, use MachineControl to remotely control your video source machine in synchronization with Pro Tools. MachineControl is op­tional software. Contact your dealer for more information.
Blocks mode is recommended when re­cording to the Movie Track with Machine­Control.

Exporting Files from Avid Programs

If you already have a project that was cre­ated on an Avid video authoring system, you can export it to an OMF file so the ma­terial can be imported into your AVoption or AVoption XL system. This exchange of data between systems is significantly faster and easier than other methods, such as lay­ing-off to tape and re-digitizing. This sec­tion uses a Media Composer project as an example.

DigiTranslator

DigiTranslator is included with your AVop­tion or AVoption XL package. Use Digi­Translator to convert OMF files containing video and audio into Pro Tools session files. You can also use it to export audio material from Pro Tools sessions into OMF files for import into other systems. Refer to your DigiTranslator documentation for more de­tails.
What AVoption and AVoption XL Import
AVoption and AVoption XL import only fully rendered (flattened) compositions, and will not play video effects or transi­tions that require special video hardware, or any areas of a sequence that require mul­tiple, real-time video streams. If you import such a sequence, you will see black frames in place of these transitions.
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide36

What to Export

When you export from your Avid software, you have two choices. You can export the audio and video from a project, or you can export the video only.
Video and Audio
If your Media Composer project has video and audio in it, export both the video and the audio to the OMF file.
Video Only
If you have already started audio post pro­duction in Pro Tools and you want to re­place the Movie Track with a more recent version, or your Avid project has no audio in it, export the video only. Then, if the video in your project changes, you can ex­port video only, then import that video into AVoption or AVoption XL to stay cur­rent with the project.

Prepare for Export in Media Composer

Exporting from Media Composer

To export a file from Media Composer:
1 Select the material to export by doing
one of the following:
To select specific tracks in a clip or se-
quence, enable those tracks in the Track Se­lector panel, and disable all others.
To export part of a clip or sequence, mark
IN and OUT points to export the marked range from a bin or monitor, and select Use Marks in the Export Settings dialog box. If you mark an IN and no OUT point, the sys­tem exports from the IN mark to the end of the clip or sequence.
To export the entire clip or sequence, de-
select the options Use Enabled Tracks and Use Marks in the Export Settings dialog box, and make sure the topmost track in the project is monitored.
If using different drives to transport the
project, consolidate the project.
2 Choose File > Export.
To prepare a Media Composer project for OMF export and use with AVoption or AVoption XL:
Make sure all media for the project is on-
line.
Render all effects in advance. OMF ex-
port does not automatically render effects during the process, so if you want to see them, you must render effects before you export.
Chapter 6: Recording or Importing the Movie Track 37
Export File Type dialog in Media Composer
Under Export File type, select OMFI com-
position.
If importing video and audio into an
AVoption session, select Standard-AIFC and Video and Audio options.
If importing video only into AVoption,
select Video Only.
Usually, you should export an OMF file
that only refers to the audio and video files that already exist on the hard drives. For this reason, it is recommended that you do not export With Media.
3 Set the Version to OMFI 2.0. 4 When you finish setting export options,
click OK.
Importing Files into AVoption and AVoption XL
Once you have an OMF file for your project, you are ready to import it. If your OMF file is Video Only you can simply im­port it as the Movie Track in AVoption or AVoption XL. If your OMF file has Video and Audio, you can use OMF Tool to create a Pro Tools session from the audio files, then import the Movie Track separately.
You can use DigiTranslator to translate video and audio simultaneously. See your DigiTranslator documentation for details.
To create a Pro Tools session with OMF Tool:
1 Launch OMF Tool, and choose
OMF Tool > Convert OMF to Pro Tools.
2 Select the OMF composition file. 3 Name the Pro Tools session, and choose
Pro Tools 4 as the version to save.
4 Set all other options based on your ses-
sion requirements, and click Save when you are done. The resulting file is a Pro Tools session. OMF Tool ignores the video information.
To open your session with AVoption or AVoption XL:
1 Choose File > Open Session. 2 Find the Pro Tools session created by
OMF Tool, select it, and click Open.
To import a video into the Movie Track:
1 With a session open, choose Movie > Im-
port Movie.
2 Select the OMF file created by the Video
Only or Video and Audio export, and click OK.
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide38
chapter 7

Playing the Movie Track

Video plays back automatically when you play a session that includes a Movie Track. There are several different options for view­ing and synchronizing the video and audio tracks.

Movie Online

When the Movie is online, the Movie Track plays along with the audio session. The Movie’s frame location is updated every time you place your cursor in a new loca­tion, and the Movie track is scrubbed along with the audio tracks. The Movie is also up­dated whenever you drag or nudge an audio region or an automation breakpoint. The Movie is online by default.

Online Edit and Selection Behavior

When Pro Tools is in Grid mode or set for Loop Playback, and the Movie is online, Pro Tools will always place your cursor or Edit selection on legal frame boundaries. If you make a selection that is outside of frame boundaries, or you place your cursor outside a frame boundary, Pro Tools will
warn you with a dialog and move your se­lection boundaries or cursor to the nearest frame.
To prevent this, take the Movie offline, go out of Grid mode, or disable Loop Playback if you are editing audio that does not re­quire placement at the beginning of a video frame.
Movie Offline
If you temporarily do not wish to view the Movie or have the Movie frame location updated, you can take the movie Offline.
This is useful if you are working with audio and do not need to see the video.
To put the Movie online:
Select Movie > Movie Online.
To take the Movie offline:
Deselect Movie > Movie Online.
Chapter 7: Playing the Movie Track 39

Playback Viewing Options

Video can be viewed on a separate NTSC or PAL video monitor. Video can also be viewed in an on-screen window (AVoption only).
To connect a playback monitor:
Connect a composite output, the com-
ponent outputs, the S-Video output, or and SDI output from the Meridien I/O Box to the proper input or inputs on the back of your video monitor.

Using a Playback Monitor with AVoption

The ABVB video cable includes video out­puts to connect an NTSC or PAL video monitor. You can connect a monitor that has component or composite video inputs.
The video card will display full-screen video on the playback monitor.
To connect a playback monitor:
Connect the composite output or the
component outputs from the ABVB cable to the proper input or inputs on the back of your video monitor.
Using a Playback Monitor with AVoption XL
The Meridien I/O Box includes video out­puts to connect an NTSC or PAL video monitor. You can connect a monitor that has component, composite, S-Video, or SDI video inputs.

Window Playback

(AVoption Only)
Select Windows > Show Movie Window to view the Movie Track in a window on your computer screen. This window will display the video in real time. You can resize or move this window around your screen when playback is stopped.
The Movie window will give you the best performance when it is displayed on a monitor connected to the ABVB VGA mon­itor output. With a monitor connected to your Macintosh graphics accelerator, per­formance will not be optimal, and may not work at all.
The video card will display full-screen video on the playback monitor.
The Meridien I/O Box can only output from
either S-Video or Component outputs. You must set this option in your Movie Track. See “Setting S-Video or Component Output” on page 34 for instructions.
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide40
Movie window (AVoption only)
You cannot view the video input signal in a
window. In order to view video input, you must connect an external monitor to the Composite or Component outputs of the ABVB card.
If the Movie window is partially blocked by another window on your screen, playback will slow or “stutter” as your computer’s CPU attempts to display the video.
Movie window size and position are saved with your session.
To show the Movie Window:
Select Windows > Show Movie Window.
To resize the Movie Window:
When playback is stopped, click the
lower right corner of the Movie window and drag to shrink or enlarge the window.

Movie Aspect Ratio

(AVoption Only)
You can set the Movie window to automat­ically snap to one of two window aspect ra­tios (4x3 or 16x9), or to allow uncon­strained resizing.

Spotting the Movie Track

You can spot the entire Movie Track to a new SMPTE frame location. Although AVoption and AVoption XL retain the names and positions of different “clips” when you import a Movie Track, you can­not spot separate video clips. When you spot the Movie Track, the whole track or se­quence is moved to the new frame location you specify.
To spot the Movie Track to a new frame location:
1 Set the Main Timebase display to Time
Code using the pop-up menu.
2 Enable Spot mode by clicking the Spot
button.
By constraining the aspect ratio, you can see a more accurate on-screen representa­tion of the final video. Use 4:3 for video destined for television, and use 16:9 for wide screen film-format viewing.
To set the Movie window aspect ratio:
1 Select Movie > Show Movie Window. 2 Select Movie > Movie Window Aspect Ra-
tio.
3 Choose 4:3, 16:9, or unconstrained as the
aspect ratio.
3 Select the Movie on the Movie Track with
the Grabber tool.
4 In the Spot dialog, specify a new SMPTE
frame number for the start of the Movie Track. In this dialog, you can press “+” or “-” on the numeric keypad, enter a num­ber, and press the Enter key to add or sub­tract that number of frames from the currently selected time field.
5 Click OK when you are done.
Chapter 7: Playing the Movie Track 41
Video Editing With AVoption or AVoption XL
AVoption and AVoption XL do not support video editing.
You cannot use the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands with the Movie Track. You can, however, Spot the Movie to a new location.
You cannot import or capture multiple video
files to a Movie Track. Once a Movie Track con­tains video, importing or capturing new video will replace the entire track, regardless of the original and new Movie locations.
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide42
index
A
ABVB card
cable connectors 17 connecting to video cable 17 install 15
aspect ratio 41 ATTO EPCI-DC card
installing 16
ATTO EPCI-UL2D card
installing 27
authorize
AVoption 12 AVoption XL 24 FilmFrame 12, 24
available record time
approximate 35
Avid Video Resolution
available resolutions 3 overview 3
AVoption
authorize 12 capabilities 1 hardware capabilities 3 installing a new system 11 installing software 12 setup illustration 20
AVoption XL
authorize 24 capabilities 2 hardware capabilities 7 installing a new system 23 installing software 24 striped drive requirements 10 video connectors 29
AVR 3
available resolutions 3 disk space used 4
B
black burst
connecting 18, 31
block mode 34 Blue and White G3
PCI slot configuration
AVoption 13 AVoption XL 24
BNC connector
connecting 18 removing 18
B-Y IN 17 B-Y OUT 17
C
centralized video switching 19, 32 clear video from a Movie Track 34 compression
approximate storage space 4, 8 available levels 3 setting level 35
connect the ABVB video cable 17 connecting a USD 18, 31 connecting a VTR 18, 31 create a new Movie Track 33 CV IN 17 CV OUT 17
D
deleting a Movie Track 34 Digital Media card
install 26
DigiTranslator
description 36
Index 43
E
exporting
audio 37 entire clip or sequence 37 file type 38 files
from Media Composer 37 from Media Composer 37 media online 37 OMFI Version 2.0 38 overview 36 part of a sequence 37 render effects in advance 37 selecting specific tracks 37 video 37 video and audio 37 video only 37 With Media 38
external playback monitor
connecting 40 NTSC 40 PAL 40
F
FilmFrame
authorizing 12, 24 installing 12, 24 overview 2
frame boundaries
adjusting to 39
frames
view Movie Track as 34
G
G3 (Blue and White)
PCI slot configuration
AVoption 13
AVoption XL 24
G4
PCI slot configuration
AVoption 14
AVoption XL 26
GL IN 17
H
hard disk
contiguous file capture on multiple 6 don’t use round robin allocation for audio 5, 10 initializing 17 selecting for video capture 35 space required for each AVR level 4 space required for each JFIF level 8 using more than two 5, 10 using two 5, 9 video 6
hardware
AVoption
installing video 15
Avoption
PCI slot configurations 12
AVoption XL
PCI slot configurations 24
installing video
for AVoption XL 26
hardware capabilities 3 house sync
connecting 18, 31
I
illegal frame boundaries 39 Importing
into AVoption 38
importing
Movie Track 38 video 38
Importing files
preparing 36
initializing hard disks 17 install
ABVB card 15 authorize AVoption 12 authorize AVoption XL 24 AVoption
PCI slot configurations 12 AVoption SCSI accelerator 16 AVoption software 12 AVoption upgrade system 11 AVoption video hardware 15 AVoption XL
PCI slot configurations 24 AVoption XL SCSI accelerator 27 AVoption XL software 24
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide44
AVoption XL video hardware 26 Digital Media card 26 FilmFrame 12, 24 Janus advanced JPEG card 15 Meridien I/O Box 26 new AVoption system 11 new AVoption XL system 23 upgrade AVoption XL system 23
J
Janus advanced JPEG card
install 15
JFIF
disk space used 8
JPEG
compression varies 3
M
MachineControl 36 Meridien
I/O Box 28
Meridien I/O Box
install 26
Movie Offline
working with 39
Movie Track
clearing all video from 34 creating 33 deleting 34 frames view 34 importing 38 naming 33 overview 33 spotting 41 viewing as blocks 34
Movie Window 40
aspect ratio 41 showing 41
N
name a Movie Track 33 NTSC monitor
connecting 19, 32
O
offline
working with the Movie 39
online
working with the Movie 39
P
PAL monitor
connecting 19, 32
PCI slot configurations
AVoption 12
Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White) 13 Power Macintosh G4 14
Avoption
Power Macintosh 9500 13 Power Macintosh 9600 13
AVoption XL 24
Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White) 24 Power Macintosh G4 26
performance with windowed playback 40 Preparing to Import Files 36
R
recording video 36
selecting target volumes 35
selecting video input 35
setting compression level 35
setting options 35
reference video monitor
connecting 19, 32
register
to get DigiTranslator 36
render effects before exporting 37 requirements
for minimum system 5
round robin disk allocation
don’t use 5, 10
R-Y IN 17 R-Y OUT 17
S
sample AVoption setup
illustration 20
Index 45
SCSI
hardware with 2-to-1 or 1-to-1 compression
(AVoption XL) 10
hardware with 3-to-1 compression or higher
(AVoption XL) 9
striped drive requirements (AVoption XL) 10
SCSI accelerator
installing for AVoption 16 installing for AVoption XL 27 required 5, 9 supported 5, 9
selecting target volumes for video capture 35 selecting video input 35 setting video recording options 35 show Movie Window 41 slot configurations
AVoption 12
Power Macintosh 9500 13 Power Macintosh 9600 13 Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White) 13 Power Macintosh G4 14
AVoption XL 24
Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White) 24 Power Macintosh G4 26
software
installing AVoption 12 installing AVoption XL 24
spotting the Movie Track 41 striped drives 10 synchronization
black burst 5, 9 house sync 5, 9
synchronization peripheral
USD 5, 9
system requirements
minimum 5
U
Universal Slave Driver
connecting 18, 31 required 5, 9
upgrading to AVoption 11 upgrading to AVoption XL 23 USD
connecting 18, 31 required 5, 9
V
variable compression 3 video
captured to multiple hard disks 6
video and audio export 37 video cable
AVoption
connectors 17 connecting to ABVB 17
video compression
available levels 3 AVR overview 3
video connectors
AVoption 17 AVoption XL 29 B-Y IN 17 B-Y OUT 17 CV IN 17 CV OUT 17 GL IN 17 R-Y IN 17 R-Y OUT 17 Y IN 17 Y OUT 17
video hardware
installing
AVoption XL 26 installing AVoption 15
video input
selecting 35
video input signal
view with external monitor 40
video only export 37 video record signal
view with external monitor 40
video signal
centralized routing 19, 32
video storage
disk space used 4, 8
viewing blocks in the Movie Track 34 viewing the Movie in a window 40 VTR
connecting 18, 31
AVoption and AVoption XL Guide46
W
window playback
of the Movie 40 performance 40
working with the Movie Online 39
Y
Y IN 17 Y OUT 17
Index 47
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