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.
AVoption|XL combines the powerful audio postproduction features of Pro Tools with integrated
support for the import, capture, and playback of
Avid video media.
AVoption|XL Components
AVoption|XL consists of software, a Meridien
Digital Media Board (PCI card) that you install
in a Pro Tools audio system, and a Breakout Box
that connects to the PCI card. The Pro Tools audio hardware provides digital audio recording,
editing, mixing, and processing. AVoption|XL
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|XL includes the following:
• Meridien Digital Media Board
• AVoption|XL Breakout Box
• Connector cable
• AVoption|XL Installer CD-ROM
• AVoption|XL iLok License Card for
Pro Tools|HD systems
– and –
• AVoption|XL Authorizer floppy disk for
Pro Tools|24 MIX and Pro Tools|24 systems
AVoption|XL Capabilities
AVoption|XL lets you:
• Import and capture multiple NTSC or PAL
video clips to the Movie track.
• Play the Movie track with near sample-accurate precision against audio tracks in a
Pro Tools session.
• Spot or Slip video clips to a new time code location, and spot audio to video.
• Spot individual video clips to new locations in
the Movie track.
• View video edits and clip definitions in the
Movie track.
• View the Movie track as a series of picture
frames.
• Play video on an external NTSC or PAL monitor.
You can also:
• Import JFIF video media files from Meridienbased Avid systems such as Media Composer,
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, while recording
audio simultaneously.
Chapter 1: Introduction to Pro Tools AVoption|XL
1
FilmFrame
The FilmFrame™ option enables support for
true 24P (Progressive Scan) picture media in
AVoption|XL. Using FilmFrame, you can import
and play back 24P material created in Avid video
workstations. 24P indicates 24 frames per second using progressive image storage, as opposed
to interlaced fields.
When using FilmFrame, all clips in the Movie
track should be 24P. This is because the first
frame in the Movie track sets the video engine
to the appropriate speed. If the first clip is 24 fps,
the entire Movie track will play at 24 fps. This
will effect the playback speed of any subsequent
clips of different speeds.
FilmFrame is installed with AVoption|XL. To authorize FilmFrame, use your FilmFrame authorization key disk or iLok license card, and follow
the same steps used for authorizing AVoption|XL (see “Installing AVoption|XL Software”
on page 9).
For examples of common FilmFrame Workflows, see Appendix B, “FilmFrame Workflows.”
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide
2
chapter 2
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 an
AVoption|XL Breakout Box that connects to the
card in your computer. A Video I/O Board, installed in the AVoption|XL Breakout Box, provides video inputs and outputs from your computer to the rest of your video equipment.
AVoption|XL Hardware
Capabilities
AVoption|XL hardware:
• 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. The
available JFIF resolutions are:
• Single field: 5:1s, 4:1s, 2:1s
• Two fields: 20:1, 10:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1 (uncompressed)
High JFIF compression ratios (such as 20:1 or
10:1) do not require as much storage space as
low compression ratios (such as 3:1 or 2:1); however, video resolution is much better at low
compression ratios.
The lowest JFIF resolution for two fields is 20:1,
and the maximum resolution is 1:1 (uncompressed).
Chapter 2: AVoption|XL Hardware Overview
3
JFIF Compression and Storage
File sizes for JFIF compressed video media will
vary, depending on the selected video input.
The following tables list the approximate
amount of video storage, in megabytes per second, required for each JFIF compression level.
To install and use AVoption|XL, you must first
install a currently supported version of
Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools|24 MIX, or
Pro Tools|24 (Macintosh only).
Minimum System Requirements
• Digidesign-qualified computer
• Mac OS 9.1 or 9.2
– or –
Windows XP Professional Edition
• At least 512 MB of RAM
• Digidesign qualified expansion chassis (required for Macintosh, optional for Windows)
• Digidesign qualified storage adapters (one for
audio and one for video):
• SCSI HBA
• FireWire (audio only)
• Fiber Channel for Avid Unity™ MediaNet
For an up-to-date list of Digidesign-qualified computers, video cards, SCSI accelerators, and hard drives, visit the Digidesign
Web site (www.digidesign.com).
2:111
1:122
1:1 (uncompressed) data 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.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide
4
Supported CPUs
• Power Macintosh 9600
• Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White)
• Power Macintosh G4
Older G3 Macintosh systems (beige) are not
supported.
• IBM M-Pro 6850
• Compaq 8000
3:1 Video Compression or Higher2:1 Video Compression or 1:1
(Uncompressed)
Minimum AVoption|XL System Requirements
ItemMinimum Requirement
CPUPower Macintosh 9600,
Blue & White G3, or G4
IBM M-Pro 6850 or Compaq
8000
PCI Expansion
Chassis
SCSI acceleratorQualified SCSI accelerator
SCSI hard drivesQualified hard drives are
Striped hard drivesDepending on the drive
Avid Unity
MediaNet
(optional)
Sync peripheralSYNC I/O with HD or MIX sys-
Digidesign or Magma 13-Slot
(optional on Windows)
(ATTO EPCI-DC, UL2D, UL3D,
or Digidesign SCSI 64)
required; for more information, see the Digidesign Web
site (www.digidesign.com).
speed, a 2-way striped or 4way striped drive may be necessary for video playback.
tems or Universal Slave
Driver (USD) with MIX systems
On Windows with Avid Unity, 1:1 video is
not currently supported with an expansion
chassis.
Chapter 2: AVoption|XL Hardware Overview
5
Sync Hardware
Synchronization Peripheral
AVoption|XL requires SYNC I/O for use with
Pro Tools|HD systems. AVoption|XL requires
Universal Slave Driver (USD) or SYNC I/O for
use with Pro Tools|24 and Pro Tools|24 MIX systems.
Using Two Hard Drives
For scenarios that do not require a high audio
track count or a very long video segment, you
may use two hard drives.
In this scenario, one drive is used to record, import, and play back audio data, and the other is
used to do the same for video.
Using More Than Two Hard Drives
Sync Source
For accurate synchronization during capture
and playback, a house sync source or black burst
generator is required.
Local Storage Hardware
SCSI Accelerators
To support the high transfer rates required by
AVoption|XL video, a qualified dual-channel
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, two 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, with audio
drives connected to one channel and video
drives connected to another. Qualified dual
channel SCSI accelerators include the ATTO
UL2D or UL3D, or the Digidesign SCSI 64.
To get the highest possible performance from
your AVoption|XL system, you can use more
than two hard drives. In this scenario, you can
use striped hard drives for video data. Striped
volumes appear to AVoption|XL as a single volume.
Striped drives are supported for video only.
Striped drives are not supported for audio.
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. For more information, see the
Video
AVoption|XL can capture a contiguous
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.
Pro Tools Reference Guide
.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide
6
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—one
for audio and one for video. Any combination
of the following is acceptable: SCSI 64, ATTO
EPCI-DC, EPCI-UL2D, or EPCI-UL3D.
Striped Drive Requirements
Striped
drives are configured so that multiple
hard drives behave as if they are one hard drive.
This makes higher data throughput possible. Requirements will vary depending on the drives.
For instance, the 5th-Generation DigiDrives™
(released November 2001) require 2-way striped
drives when capturing or playing uncompressed
(1:1) video. For earlier generations of drives, 4way striped drives (4 drives acting as one) are required when capturing or playing uncompressed (1:1) video. 2-way striped drives (2
drives acting as one) are required when capturing or playing 2:1 compressed video.
2-way striped drives should be connected in
pairs to the video accelerator, with 1 drive connected to each channel.
4-way striped drives should be connected in
pairs to the video accelerator, with 2 or more
drives connected (in even amounts) to each
channel.
Pro Tools with AVoption|XL does not support striped audio drives for local storage.
For information on Avid Unity MediaNet,
refer to your Avid documentation.
Chapter 2: AVoption|XL Hardware Overview
7
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide
8
chapter 3
Installing AVoption|XL
If you do not already have currently supported
Pro Tools hardware installed, you must first install your Pro Tools software and hardware. For
detailed installation information, see your
ting Started Guide
.
Get-
Installing AVoption|XL
Hardware
AVoption|XL PCI Slot
Configurations
Installing AVoption|XL
Software
To install AVoption|XL software on Macintosh:
1
Install your Pro Tools software and hardware
according to the installation instructions in
your
Getting Started Guide.
2
Confirm Pro Tools is functioning correctly.
3
Reboot.
4
Install AVoption|XL using the AVoption|XL
Installer CD-ROM.
5
Shut down and turn off your computer.
You are now ready to install the AVoption|XL
hardware (see “Installing AVoption|XL Hardware” on page 9).
If you will be working on an Avid Unity system, refer to your Avid Unity MediaNet documentation for installation instructions.
To install your AVoption|XL hardware, first determine the PCI slots where you will install the
hardware. For detailed information, see
Appendix A, “Slot Configurations for AVoption|XL.”
Audio Hardware
Refer to your
hardware installation information. 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 in Appendix A, “Slot Configurations
for AVoption|XL.”
Getting Started Guide
for audio
Installing AVoption|XL Video
Hardware
You must first install the AVoption|XL software
before installing the AVoption|XL hardware. If
you have not already done so, install the AVoption|XL software now (see “Installing AVoption|XL Software” on page 9)
Chapter 3: Installing AVoption|XL
9
To install AVoption|XL video hardware:
1
Unplug and open your computer 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 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. To identify the proper PCI slot location, see
Appendix A, “Slot Configurations for AVoption|XL.”
5
Press down firmly on the card with even pressure. The connector should click into place in
the PCI slot.
7
Attach the connector cable from the Digital
Media Board (connector labeled M) to the Computer connector on the AVoption|XL Breakout
Box (see “AVoption|XL Breakout Box” on
page 17).
COMPONENT
COMPOSITE
IN
ININ
Y
R-Y B-Y
IN
S-VIDEO
COMPOSITE
REF
Y
OUT 1
OUT
B-Y
R-Y
OUT 3
OUT 2
MC
SYSTEM
OUT
IN / OUT
S-VIDEO
LTC
IN
OUT
OUT
Connecting the Digital Media Board to the Breakout Box
8
If you need to install a SCSI accelerator card,
do so now (see “Installing the SCSI Accelerator”
on page 12).
9
Start your computer.
10
On Windows, the Found New Hardware Wizard dialog will open. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
PCI card alignment and installation
6
Close the computer or expansion chassis.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide
10
Note that dalwdm is used only to confirm
that the card is present, but the functional
driver is installed when you install the
AVoption|XL software.
Authorizing AVoption|XL
Once you have installed your AVoption|XL software and hardware, launch Pro Tools to authorize AVoption|XL using the iLok USB key and
the licence card (see “iLok USB Key” on
page 11), or the authorizer key disk (see “Key
Disk Authorization” on page 11).
iLok USB Key
AVoption|XL can be authorized using the iLok
USB key (included with your core Pro Tools system). After you install the software from the CDROM, use the included AVoption|XL License
Card to authorize your iLok USB key.
One iLok USB key is included with your
Pro Tools|HD system, or can be purchased separately from Digidesign. This key can hold over
100 authorizations for all your iLok-enabled
software, including plug-ins and other software
options (such as AVoption|XL or DigiTranslator). Once iLok is authorized for a given
piece of software, use the iLok USB key to bring
your authorizations to any other computer.
To authorize iLok:
1
Insert the iLok into an available USB port on
your computer.
2
Launch Pro Tools. You will be prompted to authorize any installed unauthorized software options or plug-ins.
3
Follow the on-screen instructions until you
are prompted to insert the License Card for
AVoption|XL into the iLok.
4
Separate the License Card—the smaller GSM
cutout—from the larger protective card by pulling the cutout up and out with your thumb. Do
not force your finger downward.
5
Insert the License Card into the iLok, making
sure that the arrows on the License Card are
pointing towards the iLok. You will be able to visually verify that the License Card makes contact with the iLok’s metal card reader.
iLok with License Card
6
After authorizing, remove the License Card.
7
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete
the authorization process.
Key Disk Authorization
You can also use an Authorizer diskette to authorize or deauthorize AVoption|XL. After you
install the software from the 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 on your hard drive, and should not be
moved or altered. The Authorizer diskette permits you to reclaim authorization from your
hard drive if you want to install AVoption|XL on
a different hard drive, or if you want to re-initialize or format your drive.
To authorize or deauthorize AVoption|XL:
1
Insert the Authorizer diskette into the floppy
drive. (Pro Tools should NOT be launched during this process).
2
Click Authdeauthorizer in the pop-up window that appears.
3
Click Set-up Authorizer or Deauthorizer.
Chapter 3: Installing AVoption|XL
11
4
Choose Authorize or Remove. (If you are removing an authorization and a “?” appears over
the application icon, the diskette you inserted is
not the one you originally used for the authorization. You should see a gold key icon. If you
continue through the deauthorization process
with a “?”, the application will be deauthorized,
but an authorization will not credited back to
the diskette for your next installation.)
5
Select disk location and click Authorize or Remove.
6
Quit.
To install the SCSI Accelerator card:
1
Unplug and open your computer 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 SCSI accelerator card from the antistatic bag, being careful to handle it only by
the edges.
4
Line up the SCSI accelerator card with the installation slot, and slide the card into place gently so the PCI connector is aligned with the PCI
slot.
Installing the SCSI
Accelerator
ATTO UL2D LVD SCSI Accelerator
If installing the SCSI accelerator card in
your computer, always install it in the highest numbered slot available. If installing the
SCSI accelerator card in an expansion chassis, see Appendix A, “Slot Configurations
for AVoption|XL” to determine the correct
slot placement
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 included
screw to attach the card bracket to the computer
mounting bracket.
Flashing SCSI ROM with ATTO
ExpressPro-Tools
(Macintosh)
ExpressPro-Tools is supplied with Pro Tools 5.1
or later and every ATTO SCSI card. It allows you
to flash the ROM on the SCSI card. Digidesign
strongly recommends that the firmware be set
on SCSI channels where audio storage is connected.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide
12
These settings are optimized for the size and frequency of SCSI transactions demanded by
Pro Tools. If you have a dedicated SCSI card for
video media, you do not need to apply these settings to it.
To flash the ROM on the SCSI card using
ExpressPro-Tools:
1 Launch ExpressPro-Tools after booting your
system and mounting all drives.
2 Double-click Media Drive.
3 From the Sync Rate pop-up menu, select the
correct setting for your setup:
• EPCI-DC, SCSI64 with HD hardware: “20
(10)” (20 MB/sec at 10 MHz)
• UL2D with HD hardware: “80 (40)”
(80 MB/sec at 40 MHz)
• UL3D with HD hardware: “160 (80)”
(160 MB/sec at 80 MHz)
• EPCI-DC, SCSI64, EPCI-UL2D or EPCIUL3D with MIX hardware: “20 (10)”
(20 MB/sec at 10 MHz)
4 From the PCI Burst Rate pop-up menu, select
the correct setting for your setup:
• EPCI-DC, SCSI64 with HD hardware: “32”
• UL2D with HD hardware: “128”
• UL3D with HD hardware: “128”
• EPCI-DC, SCSI64, EPCI-UL2D or EPCIUL3D with MIX hardware: “32”
5 Click “Apply to All” (sets the card for all drive
IDs on that bus).
6 Repeat if necessary for the other bus.
7 Quit ExpressPro-Tools.
8 Restart you computer.
Flashing SCSI ROM
(Windows)
When booting your computer, you will see what
version of the ATTO SCSI BIOS is installed on
the ROM of the SCSI card. If it is not version
1.66, you will need to flash the SCSI ROM with
the ATTO BIOS. If the ATTO SCSI BIOS is already
at version 1.66, proceed to installing the Windows device driver (see “Installing the Windows
Device Driver” on page 14).
Flashing the ROM on the SCSI card using the ATTO
SCSI BIOS:
1 Insert a High Density PC formatted floppy
disk.
2 Copy the DOS folder from the ATTO folder on
the AVoption|XL Installer CD-ROM to the
floppy disk.
3 Shut Down your computer.
4 Disconnect any hard drives connected to the
SCSI card.
5 Boot your computer with the floppy disk in
the floppy drive.
6 Press Ctrl+Z when prompted.
7 Press Enter.
8 Select Adapter Menu.
9 Select Update Flash ROM.
10 Press Enter twice.
The SCSI ROM will be updated. This may take a
few minutes.
11 Select Configure Adapter Channels.
12 Set Host Adapter BIOS to Scan Only.
13 Press the Esc key twice.
14 Select Save Parameters and Exit, and press
Enter.
Chapter 3: Installing AVoption|XL 13
Installing the Windows Device
Driver
(Windows)
Verify that the ATTO SCSI BIOS is version 1.66.
If it not at version 1.66, flash the SCSI ROM with
ATTO SCSI BIOS is version 1.66 (see “Flashing
SCSI ROM” on page 13).
To install the Windows device driver:
1 Start up your computer. Note the version of
the ATTO SCSI BIOS when booting.
2 Insert the AVoption|XL Installer CD-ROM.
3 Launch the System control panel.
4 Select the Hardware tab.
5 Click Device Manager.
6 Select SCSI and RAID controllers.
7 Double-click the LSI PCI SCSI Adapter.
8 Select the Driver tab.
9 Click Update Driver.
10 Select “Install from specified location.”
11 Select “Don’t search, I’ll choose the driver to
install.”
12 Click Next.
13 Click Have Disk.
14 Click Browse and navigate to the ATTO
folder on the AVoption|XL Installer CD-ROM.
15 Select EXPRESS.INF and click Open.
16 Click OK.
17 Click Next.
18 Click Finish.
19 Click Close.
20 If you have a dual-channel SCSI card, repeat
steps 7–19 for the second channel.
21 Click OK.
Initializing Hard Drives
(Macintosh)
The following is hard drive initialization information for three different scenarios: Pro Tools
with no interchange, Avid to Pro Tools, and
Pro Tools to Avid.
Pro Tools and AVoption|XL do not support
striped audio drives.
Pro Tools with No Interchange
In installations where Pro Tools will not be routinely sharing projects with Avid Media Composer systems, ExpressPro-Tools from ATTO
(provided with Pro Tools 5.1 or later) should be
used to initialize all audio and video drives.
Both HFS and HFS+ file systems are supported
for audio drives on the Macintosh (HFS+ is recommended.
Avid to Pro Tools
For projects originating on an Avid Picture Authoring system, such as Media Composer, a single HFS drive initialized with either Avid Drive
Utility (ADU) 2.1 or later is supported. This drive
may contain either video or audio media files, or
both. Pro Tools with AVoption|XL supports
playback of audio and video tracks from a single
drive, as long as track count does not exceed one
stream of video (at a compression of 3:1 or
higher) and a maximum of eight audio tracks.
When this drive is used in a Pro Tools session,
additional audio tracks (beyond those imported
from the Avid workstation) should not be
added, for bandwidth reasons.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide14
Video-only drives initialized as 2-way or 4-way
stripe sets by Avid Drive Utility 2.1 (or later) are
also supported. It is recommended that video
drives be added to the SCSI channel dedicated
for video in order to balance demands on the
SCSI bus.
Pro Tools can only recognize a maximum
seven drives per SCSI channel.
Pro Tools to Avid
When a drive is being sent from a Pro Tools system to an Avid picture workstation, the drive
should be initialized as HFS or HFS+ using ExpressPro-Tools on Macintosh. When an Avid
system is inheriting files from Pro Tools, a
“finder copy” of these files may be necessary to
transfer them from the Pro Tools drive to a drive
the Avid workstation will recognize.
If a drive is moved from a Pro Tools system to an
Avid workstation, so that files from the Avid system can be copied and returned to the Pro Tools
system, the drive should be initialized as HFS or
HFS+ using ExpressPro-Tools for Macintosh, before being mounted on the Avid workstation.
DigiDrive can record and play back 2:1 video
from a single drive, and 1:1 video from a 2-way
stripe set. It is not necessary to use stripe sets for
3:1 or higher.
To install:
1 Select the drives you want to dedicate to video
and create your stripe set (if desired) using the
ATTO ExpressRAID software (optional from
ATTO).
2 Initialize all audio drives using ATTO Ex-
pressPro-Tools.
Do not use ExpressRAID to initialize your
audio drives. ExpressRAID is not supported
with audio drives.
Formatting Hard Drives
(Windows)
On Windows, format your hard drives NTFS or
FAT32 with 32k clusters using Windows Disk
Administrator or PartitionMagic. Striped drives
are supported for video, but not for audio.
When formatting DigiDrives over 60 GB for
use with Macintosh, it is recommended that
you format the drives HFS+ rather than
HFS. However, if you wish to format a drive
HFS, you should partition the drive using
partitions that are less than 69,695 MB.
Special Configuration Requirements
When you want compression levels of 2:1 or 1:1
(uncompressed), a second accelerator must be
dedicated to video storage. Depending on your
drives’ performance, a 2-way stripe set across
both SCSI channels may be required for 2:1 capability, and a 4-way stripe across both channels
may be required for 1:1 (uncompressed) capability. Newer SCSI drives, like the 5th-Generation
Media Management
It is recommend that you dedicate one SCSI
channel to audio drives and one SCSI channel to
video drives. This configuration is adequate for
AVoption|XL with compression levels of 3:1 or
higher.
If you want compression levels of 2:1 or 1:1 (uncompressed), an additional dual-channel SCSI
card is required for video drives.
If your Pro Tools system is mounting a drive initialized by an Avid picture workstation that contains video files, it is recommended that this
drive be installed on the SCSI bus dedicated to
video data.
Chapter 3: Installing AVoption|XL 15
If your Pro Tools system receives a drive initialized by an Avid picture workstation, it recommended that you do not record additional audio
files onto this drive.
AVoption|XL Video
Connections
The following video I/O capabilities are available with the AVoption|XL Breakout Box:
• Inputs for composite, component (Y, R-Y,
B-Y), S-Video, and (optional) SDI.
• Outputs for composite, component (Y, R-Y,
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.
Note that only one video input source can be
used at a time. For more information, see “Recording Video” on page 25.
The AVoption|XL Breakout 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 26 for instructions.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide16
AVoption|XL Breakout Box
The following sections provide figures and tables that describe the function of the AVoption|XL Breakout Box video I/O.
AVoption|XL Breakout Box Front Panel Indicators
The front panel of the AVoption|XL Breakout Box (see Figure 1) has six indicators and a power switch.
When you turn on the AVoption|XL Breakout 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 indicate correctly (see illustration). To see the correct indications, use the indicators on your Digidesign SYNC I/O, USD, or the Pro Tools Session Setup window.
44.1 kHz
48
kHz
Audio sync
(this does
not light)
Sample rate
(44.1 or 48
is always lit)
Video sync
Figure 1. AVoption|XL Breakout Box front panel
The sample rate indicator is not accurate
for sessions with sample rates greater than
48 kHz.
AUDIO SYNC
VIDEO SYNC
Pull down
(this does not light)
PULL DOWN
POWER
Power indicator
O
l
Power switch
Chapter 3: Installing AVoption|XL 17
Video I/O Connectors
123456
IN
COMPONENT
IN
COMPOSITE
ININ
Y
R-YB-Y
S-VIDEO
REF
COMPOSITE
OUT 1
B-Y
Y
R-Y
OUT 3
OUT 2
OUT 1
OUT
SERIAL DIGITAL
OUT
S-VIDEO
201918171615211312
78910
OUT 3IN
OUT 2
SLAVE CLOCK
SYSTEM
IN / OUT
OUT
14
LTC
OUT
IN
Figure 2. AVoption|XL Breakout Box back panel showing video connectors
Table 1. Video I/O Board Identifiers
NumberLabelFunction
1COMPONENT Y INVideo Y component input, BNC connector. Connects to ana-
log video output of decks.
2COMPONENT R-Y INVideo R-Y component input, BNC connector. Connects to
analog video output of decks.
3COMPONENT B-Y INVideo B-Y component input, BNC connector. Connects to
analog video output of decks.
11
4COMPONENT Y OUTVideo Y component (Betacam) output, BNC connector. Con-
15S-VIDEO OUTSuper-video output, 4-pin connector. Connects to analog
video input of decks.
16COMPOSITE OUT3Composite video output, BNC connector. Connects to analog
video input of decks or monitor.
17COMPOSITE OUT2 Composite video output, BNC connector. Connects to analog
video input of decks or monitor.
18COMPOSITE OUT1Composite video output, BNC connector. Connects to analog
video input of decks or monitor.
19S-VIDEO INSuper-video input, 4-pin connector. Connects to analog video
output of decks.
20COMPOSITE INComposite video input, BNC connector. Connects to
analog video output of decks.
21Video 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.
Chapter 3: Installing AVoption|XL 19
SYNC I/O Connections
The following illustrations show SYNC I/O connections. The SYNC I/O Guide provides more
specific information about this peripheral.
Black Burst
VIDEO REF
Serial cable
to computer
HOST SERIAL
IN
OUT
VTR out
VIDEO
INTERNALLY
TERMINATED
MTC OUT
USD Connections
(Pro Tools|24 or Pro Tools|24 MIX Systems
Only)
The following illustrations show USD connections. The Universal Slave Driver User’s Guide provides more specific information about this peripheral.
Black Burst
Serial cable
to computer
VTR out
IN
to COMPOSITE VIDEO
SYNC I/O video connections
from Loop Sync Out
(audio interface)
AC 100-240V, 50-60HZ, .5A 30W
LOOP SYNC
x)
9-PIN OUT 1
9-PIN OUT 2
IN
OUT
to Loop Sync In
(audio interface)
SYNC I/O connection to an audio interface
OUT
VIDEO REF
MAC SERIAL
VIDEO
to COMPOSITE VIDEO
USD video connections
85-264VAC, 47-63HZ, 115 W
9-PIN IN / ACC
9-PIN OUT
IN
OUT
SUPER CLOCK (256X)
to Slave Clock In
(audio interface)
USD connection to an audio interface
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide20
Connecting House Sync or
Black Burst
In most AVoption|XL setups, three black burst or
“house sync” connections are required:
• To VIDEO REF IN on the SYNC I/O or USD
• To a video input on your VTR (a video reference input if available)
• To the VIDEO REF connector on the AVoption|XL Breakout 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).
• Connect the AVoption|XL Breakout Box Composite IN, Component IN, S-Video IN, or SDI
IN connectors to the corresponding output or
outputs on your VTR.
• Connect the AVoption|XL Breakout Box Composite OUT, Component OUT, S-Video OUT,
or SDI OUT connectors to the corresponding
inputs on your VTR.
– or –
• Connect the AVoption|XL Breakout 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 the corresponding inputs on your VTR.
The AVoption|XL Breakout Box can only
output from either S-Video or Component
outputs (S-Video is a type of Component
output and you must choose which component output you want to use). You must set
this option in your Movie track. See “Setting
S-Video or Component Output” on page 26
for instructions.
Note that you cannot record picture from a
24 fps session to a VTR. Also, while you
can record 25 or 29.97 video, the signal
may not be broadcast quality. For professional quality video layback, use an Avid
workstation.
Connecting an External Video
Reference Monitor
Connect an external NTSC or PAL video reference monitor to a Composite, Component, SVideo, 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.
Chapter 3: Installing AVoption|XL 21
Using NTSC and PAL
When switching between NTSC and PAL formats, settings must be changed in three places:
• In the Pro Tools Session Setup window, select
the correct frame rate from the Frame Rate
pop-up menu (25 FPS, 29.97 FPS or FPS Drop).
• The SYNC I/O or USD must be set (and locked)
to the respective format (PAL or NTSC).
Pro Tools 5.3.1 on Macintosh sets the correct format (PAL or NTSC) on the SYNC I/O
automatically.
• If you are going to capture video with AVoption|XL, select the correct video format (PAL
or NTSC):
• In Pro Tools 5.1.3 on the Macintosh, or
Pro Tools 5.3.1 on Windows, click the
Track Options button on the Movie track
and select the correct video format (PAL or
NTSC) from the Video Format pop-up
menu (see Figure 3 on page 23). This setting can be modified when the Movie track
is armed for record.
– or –
• In Pro Tools 5.3.1 on Macintosh, select the
correct video format (PAL or NTSC) from
the Video Format pop-up menu in the Session Setup window.
• If you import an existing video file to the
Movie track, the Video format is set automatically to NTSC or PAL according to the first
frame of the imported video.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide22
chapter 4
Recording and Adding to the Movie Track
You can capture video files by actually recording
the video through the inputs on your AVoption|XL Breakout Box. You can also import files
captured with another Pro Tools system or created in a compatible Avid video workstation.
The Movie Track
The Movie track holds the video clips you capture or add into Pro Tools. A Pro Tools session
can only contain one Movie track.
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 any optional comments),
then click OK.
To select a compression ratio:
1 Select Display > Edit Window Shows I/O view.
2 Select a compression ratio from the Compres-
sion Level pop-up menu (see Figure 3).
Track
Options
Compression
Level
1st video record drive
2nd video record drive
3rd video record drive
Approximate available
record time
Video Format
to record
AVoption|XL
Breakout Box
inputs for
recording
Video Output
format
Record
View
Options
Track Name
Track Height
Figure 3. Movie track controls
To select record drives:
1 Select Display > Edit Window Shows I/O view.
2 Select video record drives from the three Avid
Video Drives pop-up menus (see Figure 3).
In Pro Tools 5.3.1 on Macintosh, the Video
Format pop-up menu is located in the Session Settings window rather than in the
Movie track’s Track Controls pop-up menu.
Chapter 4: Recording and Adding to the Movie Track 23
To delete the Movie track:
1 Select the track by clicking the Track Name
button in the Edit window.
2 Choose File > Delete Selected Tracks.
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.
To clear all video from the Movie track:
■ Choose Movie > Clear Movie Track.
You cannot change names of clips after they
have been added or recorded. When added, clips
retain the name they were given by the original
workstation. When recorded in Pro Tools, the
clip name is derived from the Movie track’s
name. You can change the name of a new clip
by renaming the 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 begin and end, and
the names of clips.
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 and height settings.
They do not provide a frame-accurate reference,
but allow you to easily find a scene or sequence
in the Movie track.
If video pull-up or pull-down is enabled,
Frames do not change position and are
therefore not a useful reference.
Blocks
Blocks mode displays the Movie track as blocks
of compositional data. Blocks are outlined wherever clip boundaries exist. These block names
indicate both the boundaries for clips defined in
a video editing system and separate clips recorded into Pro Tools. Names from the original
clips are retained, and new names are given to
newly recorded material. For example, two clips
edited together without any transitions or effects, and 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 to move to the next
video edit in the track.
To set the view for the Movie track:
■ On the Movie track, select Frames or Blocks
from the View Options pop-up menu.
Movie track in Frames mode
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide24
When switching from Blocks mode to
Frames mode during playback, the movie
track will not update to displaying frames
until playback is stopped.
Recording Video
You can record multiple video clips to multiple
locations on a single Movie track.
To set video recording options:
1 Choose Movie > New Movie Track to create a
new Movie track.
2 Select Display > Edit Window Shows I/O view.
3 In Pro Tools 5.1.3 on Macintosh or 5.3.1 on
Windows, select a video format by clicking the
Movie track’s Track Options button (see Figure 3
on page 23), and then select NTSC or PAL Video
Format.
– or –
In Pro Tools 5.3.1 on Macintosh, select NTSC or
PAL from the Video Format pop-up menu in the
Session Setup.
6 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.
Avid Video Drive
pop-up menus
Selecting drives for video capture
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.
To record video:
1 Use your cursor to mark the point from where
you want to start recording.
– or –
Video Format pop-up menu
Using Pro Tools 5.3.1 on Macintosh, if you
import an existing video file to the Movie
track, the Video format is set automatically
to NTSC or PAL according to first frame of
the imported video.
4 Select the video input you are using by click-
ing the Record options button, then selecting
Video Input. You can select Component or
Composite input, or S-Video or SDI.
5 Set the compression level for the video cap-
ture from the Compression Level pop-up menu.
Make a selection on a Timebase Ruler or on a
track to select a range of time for the recording.
To make selection on a track, Operations > Link
Edit and Timeline Selection must be enabled.
2 Record enable the Movie track by clicking the
Record Enable button.
3 Click the Record button in the Transport win-
dow to enable recording.
4 Start playing the video source.
5 Click Play in the Transport window to begin
recording.
Chapter 4: Recording and Adding to the Movie Track 25
6 Click Stop in the Transport window to stop re-
cording.
If there are already clips on the Movie track,
and you record over them, the overwritten
material will be removed from the Movie
track (although it will still remain intact in
its original storage location).
Capture Clip and restore the original clips.
For more information, refer to “Undo/Redo
for Video Editing Commands” on page 29.
Command+period (Macintosh) or
Ctrl+period (Windows) will abort a clip
capture in progress and restore the Movie
track to the original clips.
You can Undo
The record time left is not approximate if you
are capturing video at a compression rate of 1:1
(uncompressed) in AVoption|XL. Since this
video is uncompressed, it uses the same data
rate, regardless of the image.
Timebase Correction
AVoption|XL requires that all sources be timebase corrected.
have built-in timebase correction. To find out
whether or not your video deck has built-in
timebase correction, refer to the manufacturer’s
documentation.
Most professional video decks
Capturing and Approximate Time
Left
The Approximate Record Time Left in the I/O
View of the Movie track is an estimate. AVoption|XL uses variable compression technologies,
and record time varies based on the density of
the material you are recording. Due to these
variables, the approximate record time left is intended to provide you a rough estimate and may
not be an accurate reflection of your available
record time.
The calculation of approximate record time left
is a conservative estimate based on the highest
data rate possible for that resolution. The approximation may vary by several minutes.
Pro Tools uses the approximate record time left
value to allocate drive space before recording.
Because of variables inherent to this estimation
process, you may find that you have available
record time left after you thought you had filled
the drive.
Setting S-Video or Component
Output
The AVoption|XL Breakout Box can output from
either the S-Video or Component outputs. Composite out is always active regardless of whether
S-video or Component is selected. This selection
must be made in Pro Tools, and will be 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 Options
pop-up menu (see Figure 3 on page 23).
2 Use the Video Output pop-up menu to select
the desired outputs: Component or S-Video.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide26
MachineControl
You can use Digidesign’s MachineControl software to remotely control your external video
deck during Pro Tools capture. Blocks mode is
recommended when recording to the Movie
track with MachineControl. MachineControl is
a Pro Tools software option that can be purchased separately.
For more information, see the MachineControl Guide.
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 OMFI file so the material can be added
into your 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.
NewsCutter®) and Pro Tools workstations. MediaManager is an Avid database product for
tracking files on a MediaNet system. For detailed
information on configuring your Pro Tools system with AVoption|XL as an Avid Unity MediaNet client, refer to your Avid Unity MediaNet
documentation.
Multi-Streams and AVoption|XL
While some Avid systems support two simultaneous streams of real time video, AVoption|XL
supports only one stream. For this reason, it is
necessary to make sure that all multi-stream
transitions and effects are rendered in the Avid
sequence before you export.
If you add a sequence into Pro Tools that includes multi-stream effects, black frames will be
substituted in their place.
AVoption|XL does not require the entire sequence to be rendered into one continuous clip
(often referred to as a “video mixdown”). AVoption|XL can import and play sequences containing multiple single-stream clips.
DigiTranslator
DigiTranslator 2.0 is included with your AVoption|XL package. Use DigiTranslator to convert
OMFI files containing video and audio into
Pro Tools session files. You can also use it to export audio material from Pro Tools sessions to
OMFI files for import into other systems.
For more information, refer to the
Translator 2.0 Integrated Option Guide
Avid Unity
Pro Tools with AVoption|XL supports Avid
Unity™ MediaNet and Media Manager. Avid
Unity MediaNet provides an integrated highspeed network storage system for Avid (Media
Composer®, Symphony™, Avid Xpress®, and
Digi-
.
Avid Multi-Cam Resolution Files
AVoption|XL supports all Avid Multi-Cam Resolution files. Pro Tools will play the clip of an
Avid Multi-Cam Resolution file that was being
used as the main camera angle when the file was
exported to an OMFI file.
Chapter 4: Recording and Adding to the Movie Track 27
Exporting from Media Composer
This section uses a Media Composer project as
an example.
To prepare a Media Composer project for OMF
export and use with AVoption|XL:
■ Make sure all media for the project is online.
■ Render all effects in advance. OMF export
does not automatically render effects during the
process, so if you want to see them, you must
render effects before you export.
To export an OMFI file with external media from
Media Composer:
1 Select the sequence.
To export an OMFI file with embedded media from
Media Composer:
1 Choose Edit > Duplicate to make a copy of the
sequence you are working with, so the original
remains intact.
Consolidating also ensures that only the media
used in the sequence is exported and embedded
with the OMFI file.
2 Choose File > Export. In the Export dialog, se-
lect OMFI Composition with the following options:
• For the OMFI file type, select StandardAIFC.
• To specify which media is exported, select
Audio Only.
2 Choose Edit > Duplicate to make a copy of the
sequence, so the original remains intact.
3 As desired, choose Clip > Consolidate to place
a copy of the relevant media files (both audio
and video) in a single hard drive location.
4 Choose File > Export. In the Export dialog, se-
lect OMFI Composition with the following options:
• For the OMFI file type, select Standard-AIFC.
• To specify which data is exported, select Video
and Audio.
• For the OMFI version, select OMFI 2.0 and
make sure With Media is deselected.
5 Click OK to export an OMFI file that will ref-
erence external media files.
Pro Tools supports embedded audio, but
not embedded video.
• For the OMFI version, select OMFI 2.0 and
make sure With Media is selected.
3 Click OK to export an OMFI file with the au-
dio media embedded. All audio contained in the
OMFI file is written in the selected audio format.
Adding OMFI Video Clips
Using the Add Movie command, you can add
several clips to a single Movie track.
If there are already clips on the Movie track and
you add over them, the overwritten material
will be removed from the Movie track. You can
undo and restore the original clips. Refer to
“Undo/Redo for Video Editing Commands” on
page 29 for more information.
OMFI video and sequence files can be managed,
opened, and added just like other files if you
have the DigiTranslator 2.0 option installed.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide28
To add OMFI video to the Movie track:
1 With a session open, choose Movie > Add
Movie.
2 Select the desired OMF file and click OK.
For more sophisticated OMF import and export options with Pro Tools, use the DigiTranslator option.
Using the Import Movie command to import
OMF video is not recommended because it
clears the Movie track of its contents, replacing it with the imported video clip.
Importing a QuickTime Movie
You can also import a QuickTime movie to a
Movie track. However, importing a QuickTime
movie clears the Movie track of its contents, replacing it with the imported movie. Importing
is only recommended if you want to import a
QuickTime movie, since QuickTime movies take
up the whole Movie track and cannot be edited
with other clips.
Undo/Redo for Video Editing
Commands
You can undo or redo the single most recent
video editing command, including Add Movie,
Clear Selection, Move Clip, Copy Clip, and Clip
Capture. If there are already video clips on the
Movie track, and you record or edit over them,
the overwritten material is removed from the
Movie track. You can undo the video editing
command and restore the original clips.
Undo/Redo works only for the single most
recent video editing command.
To undo the most recent video editing command:
■ Choose Movie > Undo.
– or –
To redo the command, choose Movie > Redo.
If you have captured, added or moved a clip over
a pre-existing clip and consequently truncated
it, Undo will also restore the trimmed clip to its
original length.
To import a QuickTime movie to the Movie track:
1 With a session open, choose Movie > Import
Movie.
2 Select the desired QuickTime movie file and
click OK.
For more information on QuickTime movies
and how to import them, see the
Reference Guide
.
Pro Tools
Chapter 4: Recording and Adding to the Movie Track 29
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide30
chapter 5
Playing and Editing 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 Offline
If you temporarily do not want to view the
movie or have the movie frame location updated, you can take the movie offline.
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
scrubs along with the audio tracks. 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 move your cursor to the nearest frame
boundary and play.
This is useful if you are working with audio and
do not need to see the video.
To take the movie offline:
■ Deselect Movie > Movie Online.
To put the movie back online:
■ Select Movie > Movie Online.
The keyboard shortcut for Movie Online
and Movie Offline is Shift+Command+J
(Macintosh) or Shift+Ctrl+J (Windows).
Chapter 5: Playing and Editing the Movie Track 31
Playback Viewing
The AVoption|XL Breakout 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.
The video card will display full-screen video on
the playback monitor.
The AVoption|XL Breakout Box can only
output from either S-Video or Component
outputs (Composite out is always active).
You must set this option in your Movie
track. See “Setting S-Video or Component
Output” on page 26 for instructions.
To connect a playback monitor:
■ Connect a Composite output, the Compo-
nent outputs, the S-Video output, or and SDI
output from the AVoption|XL Breakout Box to
the proper input or inputs on the back of your
video monitor.
Moving the Movie Track or
Video Clips
You can use the Move Clip command to spot
the entire Movie track, or individual video clips,
to a new SMPTE frame location. When you
move the Movie track, the whole track or sequence is moved to the new frame location you
specify. When you move a clip, it is moved to
the new location within the Movie track.
You cannot have multiple QuickTime clips
on the Movie track.
If there are already clips on the Movie track,
and you edit over them, the overwritten material will be removed from the Movie track.
You can undo Move Clip and restore the original clips.
“Undo/Redo for Video Editing Commands”
on page 29.
To spot the entire Movie track to a new frame
location:
1 Select Display > Time Code.
– or –
For more information, see
Select Time Code from the Main Location Indicator pop-up menu.
2 Enable Spot mode by clicking the Spot button.
3 Shift-click the Movie track with the Grabber
tool.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide32
4 In the Spot dialog that appears, specify a new
SMPTE frame number for the start of the Movie
track. In this dialog, you can press plus or minus
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.
4 In the Spot dialog, specify a new SMPTE frame
number for the start of the clip. In this dialog,
you can press plus or minus 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.
Copying Video Clips
You can copy video clips to a new SMPTE frame
location within the Movie track.
To copy a video clip to a new frame location:
1 Select Display > Time Code.
– or –
Select Time Code from the Main Location Indicator pop-up menu.
Spot dialog
5 Click OK when you are done.
To spot a video clip to a new frame location:
1 Select Display > Time Code.
– or –
Select Time Code from the Main Location Indicator pop-up menu.
2 Enable Spot mode by clicking the Spot button.
3 Click the clip on the Movie track with the
Grabber tool.
2 Enable Spot mode by clicking the Spot button.
3 Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-
dows) the clip on the Movie track with the Grabber tool.
4 In the Spot dialog, specify a new SMPTE frame
number for the start of the clip. In this dialog,
you can press plus or minus 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 5: Playing and Editing the Movie Track 33
Clearing Selected Video Clips
You can clear material from the Movie track.
To clear a selection:
1 Using the Selector, click and drag in the Movie
track to select the material you want to clear.
You can also double-click to select an entire existing video clip.
2 Choose Movie > Clear Selection.
Locking the Movie Track
If you want to permanently associate your video
clips with a certain location on your Movie
track, you can lock it in place so that it cannot
be moved accidentally.
To lock the Movie track:
1 Using the Grabber, select the Movie track.
2 Choose Edit > Lock Region/Unlock Region.
You can also lock the Movie track by tripleclicking in the Movie track (to select all
clips), and then pressing Command+L
(Macintosh) or Ctrl+L (Windows).
When the Movie track is locked, a small lock
icon appears in the track, indicating that the
Movie track has been locked and cannot be
moved. If you attempt to move a locked region,
you will receive an error message.
Once a Movie track is locked, you cannot Add
video clips to it without first unlocking it. Locking the Movie track only prevents it from being
moved. Recording still affects the clips in the
Movie track.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide34
appendix a
Slot Configurations for AVoption|XL
This appendix documents slot configurations for AVoption|XL systems, with and without expansion
chassis.
Appendix A: Slot Configurations for AVoption|XL 35
9500/9600 with 13-Slot Expansion Chassis
(Pro Tools|24 MIX and Pro Tools|24 Systems Only)
Pro Tools Expansion Chassis (serial numbers lower than NB0600100C)
Magma model PCI–13–RX–400V
SlotCard
CPU Slot 1Macintosh Monitor card
CPU Slot 2Chassis Host card
CPU Slot 3Empty
CPU Slot 4SCSI HBA (Audio)
CPU Slot 5Empty
CPU Slot 6Empty
Backplane Chassis SlotChassis Controller card
Chassis Slot 1 SCSI HBA (Video)
Chassis Slots 2–3Empty
Chassis Slot 4Avid Digital Video Board
Chassis Slots 5–7Empty
Chassis Slot 8MIX Core card
Chassis Slots 9–13Additional Pro Tools cards (6 maximum)
CPU speed of 300 MHz or higher recommended.
Expansion chassis slots are numbered sequentially from left to right when looking from the
front. These chassis require a supplemental cooling fan kit.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide36
Blue & White G3 with 13-Slot Expansion Chassis
(Pro Tools|24 MIX and Pro Tools|24 Systems Only)
Pro Tools Expansion Chassis (serial numbers lower than NB0600100C)
Magma PCI–13RX–400V
SlotCard
CPU Slot 1Chassis Host card
CPU Slot 2Empty
CPU Slot 3SCSI HBA (Audio)
Backplane Chassis SlotChassis Controller card
Chassis Slot 1SCSI HBA (Video)
Chassis Slots 2–3Empty
Chassis Slot 4Avid Digital Video Board
Chassis Slots 5–7Empty
Chassis Slot 8MIX Core card
Chassis Slots 9–13Additional Pro Tools cards (6 maximum)
Expansion chassis slots are numbered sequentially from left to right when looking from the
front. These chassis require a supplemental cooling fan kit.
Appendix A: Slot Configurations for AVoption|XL 37
Blue & White G3 with 13-Slot Expansion Chassis
(Pro Tools|24 MIX and Pro Tools|24 Systems Only)
Pro Tools Expansion Chassis (serial numbers higher than NB0600100C)
Magma PCI–13R
SlotCard
CPU Slot 1Chassis Host card
CPU Slot 2Empty
CPU Slot 3SCSI HBA (Audio)
Bank 1: Backplane Chassis
Slot
Bank 1: Chassis Slot 4MIX Core card
Bank 1: Chassis Slots 5–9Additional Pro Tools cards (6 maximum)
Bank 2: Chassis Slot 4Avid Digital Video Media Board
Bank 2: Chassis Slot 5SCSI HBA (Video)
Bank 2: Chassis Slots 6–10Empty
Chassis Controller card
Expansion chassis slots are numbered sequentially from right to left when looking from the
front. Except for the P13 and Digidesign chassis with serial numbers ending in 00G, these chassis require a supplemental cooling fan kit.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide38
G4 with 13-Slot Expansion Chassis
Pro Tools Expansion Chassis (serial numbers lower than NB0600100C)
Magma PCI–13–RX–400V
SlotCard
CPU Slot 1SCSI HBA (Audio)
CPU Slot 2Chassis Host card
CPU Slot 3Empty
CPU Slot 4Empty
Backplane Chassis SlotChassis Controller card
Chassis Slot 1 SCSI HBA (Video, optional)
Chassis Slots 2–3Empty
Chassis Slot 4Avid Digital Video Board
Chassis Slots 5–7Empty
Chassis Slot 8HD Core or MIX Core card
Chassis Slots 9–13Additional Pro Tools cards (6 maximum)
Expansion chassis slots are numbered sequentially from left to right when looking from the
front. These chassis require a supplemental cooling fan kit.
This combination is an exception to the usual slot order and card placement in that the SCSI
HBA card does not go in the highest numbered slot in the CPU, but in the lowest, and the Chassis Host card does not go in the lowest numbered slot, but rather the second slot.
Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|24 MIX cards are not compatible and cannot be used in the same
system.
Appendix A: Slot Configurations for AVoption|XL 39
G4 with 13-Slot Expansion Chassis
Pro Tools Expansion Chassis (serial numbers higher than NB0600100C)
Magma PCI–13R
SlotCard
CPU Slot 1Chassis Host card
CPU Slot 2Empty
CPU Slot 3Empty
CPU Slot 4SCSI HBA (Audio)
Bank 1: Backplane Chassis
Slot
Bank 1: Chassis Slot 4HD Core or MIX Core card
Bank 1: Chassis Slots 5–9Additional Pro Tools cards (6 maximum)
Bank 2: Chassis Slot 4Avid Digital Video Media Board
Bank 2: Chassis Slot 5SCSI HBA (Video, optional)
Bank 2: Chassis Slots 6–10Empty
Chassis Controller card
Expansion chassis slots are numbered sequentially from right to left when looking from the
front. Except for P13 and Digidesign chassis with serial numbers ending in 00G, these chassis
require a supplemental cooling fan kit.
Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|24 MIX cards are not compatible and cannot be used in the same
system.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide40
IBM IntelliStation M Pro 6850 without Expansion Chassis
(Pro Tools|HD Systems Only)
SlotCard
CPU Slot 1Monitor card
CPU Slot 2FibreChannel card (Unity systems only)
CPU Slot 3Avid Digital Video Board
CPU Slot 4SCSI HBA
CPU Slot 5 (64-bit)HD Core card
CPU Slot 6 (64-bit)HD Process card (if any)
Appendix A: Slot Configurations for AVoption|XL 41
IBM M-Pro 6850 with 13-Slot Expansion Chassis
(Pro Tools|HD Systems Only)
SBS 13-Slot (serial numbers higher than 198487)
SlotCard
CPU Slot 1Monitor card
CPU Slot 2Chassis Host card
CPU Slot 3Empty
CPU Slot 4SCSI HBA (Audio)
CPU Slot 5 (64-bit)Empty
CPU Slot 6 (64-bit)Empty
Backplane Chassis SlotChassis Controller card
Chassis Slot 1 HD Core card
Chassis Slots 2–7HD Process cards (6 maximum)
Chassis Slots 8–11Empty
Chassis Slot 12Avid Digital Video Media Board
Chassis Slot 13SCSI HBA (Video, optional)
or FibreChannel card (Unity systems only)
Expansion chassis slots are numbered sequentially from left to right when looking from the
front.
On Avid Unity systems, 1:1 Video is not supported with an expansion chassis on Windows XP.
Check the Digidesign Web site for the latest compatibility information and software updates.
It is strongly recommended that you only use an expansion chassis if you have a Pro Tools|HD 3
system or greater.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide42
Compaq Evo W8000 without Expansion Chassis
(Pro Tools|HD Systems Only)
SlotCard
CPU Slot 1Monitor card
CPU Slot 2FibreChannel card (Unity systems only)
CPU Slot 3Avid Digital Video Board
CPU Slot 4SCSI HBA
CPU Slot 5HD Process card (if any)
CPU Slot 6 (64-bit)HD Process card (if any)
CPU Slot 7 (64-bit)HD Core card
Appendix A: Slot Configurations for AVoption|XL 43
Compaq Evo W8000 with 13-Slot Expansion Chassis
(Pro Tools|HD Systems Only)
SBS 13-Slot (serial numbers higher than 198487)
SlotCard
CPU Slot 1Monitor card
CPU Slot 2Chassis Host card
CPU Slot 3Empty
CPU Slot 4SCSI HBA (Audio)
CPU Slot 5Empty
CPU Slot 6 (64-bit)Empty
CPU Slot 7 (64-bit)Empty
Backplane Chassis SlotChassis Controller card
Chassis Slot 1 HD Core card
Chassis Slots 2–7HD Process cards (6 maximum)
Chassis Slot 8SCSI HBA (Video, optional)
Chassis Slots 9–11Empty
Chassis Slot 12Avid Digital Video Media Board
Chassis Slot 13FibreChannel card (Unity systems only)
Expansion chassis slots are numbered sequentially from left to right when looking from the
front.
On Avid Unity systems, 1:1 Video is not supported with an expansion chassis on Windows XP.
Check the Digidesign Web site for the latest compatibility information and software updates.
It is strongly recommended that you only use an expansion chassis if you have a Pro Tools|HD 3
system or greater.
Pro Tools AVoption|XL Guide44
appendix b
FilmFrame Workflows
The following are three workflow scenarios and
the steps to complete them.
Typical Usage
1 Edit your project in an Avid video worksta-
tion.
2 Export an OMFI sequence that references the
media. Do not embed the video files in the sequence.
3 Choose File > Open in Pro Tools to open the
OMFI sequence.
4 The video track will open and you can start
working immediately.
Adding a Movie
1 Edit your project in an Avid video worksta-
tion.
2 Export a video-only OMFI sequence that ref-
erences the media. Do not embed the video files
in the sequence.
3 Import the video-only OMFI Composition
into Pro Tools using the Import Movie menu
item.
4 The video composition will be imported to
the video track and you can start working immediately.
Importing a Video Track
In this scenario, the workflow is similar to the
one for typical usage, except that you would
only want the video from the OMFI sequence.
1 Choose Import Track from the File Menu.
2 Select the OMFI sequence, then select the
video track.
3 The video composition will be imported to
the video track and you can start working immediately.
Audio Layback to Video
Although you cannot output 24P video to a
video recorder with Pro Tools, you can “Punch
Down” by adding audio that has been posted to
a 24P video clip in Pro Tools to videotape that
was created on another video system.
Playing in Sync with 24 fps Video Tapes
You can play in sync with a video transport
playing at 24 fps. To do so, in the Session Setup
window, set the Frame Rate to 24 fps, and slave
Pro Tools to the video transport. Or, if you have
the MachineControl option, you can select the
appropriate profile to control the video transport.
Appendix B: FilmFrame Workflows 45
Playing in Sync with 29.97 fps (NTSC)
Video Tapes
To play in sync with a 29.97 fps video created from
a 24 fps source:
1 Slave Pro Tools to the VTR.
For more information on slaving Pro Tools
to the VTR, see the Synchronization chapters of the
Pro Tools Reference Guide.
Playing in Sync with 25 fps (PAL) Video
Tapes
(Pro Tools|HD on Macintosh Only)
To lay back a 24P session directly to a 25 fps
(PAL) tape:
1 Select the Video Output from the Movie
track’s Track Options pop-up menu.
2 Choose Windows > Show Session Setup.
2 Choose Windows > Show Session Setup.
3 From the Frame Rate pop-up menu, select
29.97 FPS.
4 In Pro Tools 5.3.1 on Macintosh, from the Au-
dio Rate Pull Up/Down pop-up menu, select
0.1% Down.
– or –
In Pro Tools 5.1.3 on Macintosh or Pro Tools
5.3.1 on Windows, enable Pull Down.
Audio pull-down is required when you are
posting to a 29.97 fps video clip made from
a 24 fps source. This is because the 24 fps
source is also “pulled down” by the telecine
process which produces the 29.97 fps tape.
24P Clips and Pull Down When the SYNC I/O or
USD is set to pull down, the playback of the 24P
clip is pulled down along with the audio. This
way, when laying back audio to an NTSC video
tape running at 29.97 fps, the Pro Tools video
display and the output of the video deck will remain in sync. In Pro Tools 5.1.3 on Macintosh
or Pro Tools 5.3.1 on Windows, other types of
video clips are not affected by pull down settings.
3 From the Frame Rate pop-up menu, select
25 FPS.
4 From the Audio Rate Pull Up/Down pop-up
menu, select 4.0% Up.
DigiTranslator Integrated Option Guide46
index
A
Add Movie 28
ATTO SCSI BIOS 13
ATTO SCSI card 12
ATTO SCSI Windows device driver 14
audio hardware
installing with AVoption|XL 9
authorizing and deauthorizing
AVoption|XL 11
authorizing iLok 11
available record time 25
Avid Multi-Cam Resolution files 27
AVoption|XL
authorizing and deauthorizing 11
capabilities 1
hardware capabilities 3
installing a new system 9
striped drive requirements 7
system requirements 4
video connectors 18
AVoption|XL Breakout Box 10
front panel 17
rear panel 18
video I/O 16
B
black burst 6
connecting to AVoption|XL 21
Blocks view 24
C
centralized video
switching and routing for AVoption|XL 21
compression
approximate storage space 4
setting level 25
connecting
AVoption|XL 21
a VTR 21
house sync 21
PAL monitor 21
reference video 21
SYNC I/O 20
Universal Slave Driver (USD) 20
external playback monitor 32
D
deauthorizing and authorizing
AVoption|XL 11
Digital Media Board 10
DigiTranslator 27
disk allocation 6
E
export OMFI
from Media Composer 28
exporting
media online 28
overview 27
render effects in advance 28
ExpressPro-Tools 12
external playback monitor 32
Index 47
F
FilmFrame
overview 2
flashing SCSI ROM
using ATTO ExpressPro-Tools 12
using the ATTO SCSI BIOS 13
formatting hard drives 15
frame boundaries, adjusting to 31
Frames view for Movie track 24
H
hard drives
formatting NTFS or FAT32 15
initializing for AVoption XL 14
selecting for video capture 25
space required for each JFIF level 4
using more than two 6
using two 6