Digital Production #6 - Vision Mixer and Connector Types Tech Dem

The first thing the lecturer showed us this morning was different types of cables and that we would be tested on them (however they are not on the VLE yet!!!) Here's my notes on each cable;

Analog Video

• Composite RCA: wii cable. Colour doesn't matter, oly matters that they match up. Yellow=video. Red=right. White=left.
• Composite BNC: different end. Less easy to pull out. Most used.
• Component RCA+BNC: colour quality. HD. Just video.
• Universal: same but more information
• VGA: computers

Digital Video

• HDMI: multimedia interface

Analog= gold pins, blocks interference. If damaged, lower quality.

Digital= silver pins, faster. Either will transmit or just won't if damaged.

Typical cable layout: composite RCA (connect to component out on camera) → composite BNC (keep colours same) → ethernet → composite BNC

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Vision Mixer

• Control panel split in two: SD and HD
• White light=live. Green=safe/ready
• Switch between cameras using C/D bus (lever)
• A/B button switches sides
• Auto button cuts without lever
• Cut=standard. Mix=dissolve/fade
• Output face=cut to black. Time dial fades into the black. Button flashing= in middle of dissolving

• P in P can change size
• Key= using green screen. 132 default.
• V-link off
• Output format - buttons are different
• Y=luma. Green.
• PB=blue
• PR=red
• SD/HD inputs. We use the HD side as it's higher quality.
• PGM and PGMI=programme 1 and 2. Preview vs broadcast/programme.
• AV out on camera= match output format on mixer
• OSD off (this displays the camera settings like battery. Turn this off in camera setup)

How to change to NTSC: Menu → 13. System → Frame rate →  NTSC
How to change to 720: Menu → 11. Contrast → HD/RGB Output → 720

We film in 720 as the vision mixer outputs to that.

Doctor Strange: The Sequel

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We also had a quick look at another camera we could use. It takes mini dv (groan) but in HD. There are a few positives to this camera, such as the extra battery and the shoulder grip. It would have been handy if we were doing a TV programme and this could have been an extra camera (maybe a behind the scenes one).