Playing a DVD?

[Urb]

We have a Client
that wants to know if we can use the catalyst to play a DVD for a demo

We curently have a Blackmagic Decklink plus capture card
It has SDI input, but I don't have DVD player with SDI Out

What are some work arounds?

Should I get a different capture card?

Is there any type of converter I can purchase?

Should I buy a DVD Player with SDI Out?

Thanks,
Keith

[samsc]

what exactly does your client mean?

can catalyst play a dvd?

does he mean can the mac play a dvd?

or does he want control of a dvd from some external device?

and sdi?

what is sdi requred for?

what are you displaying your dvd on?

or does he want to display the dvd image through catalyst?

---

is this a commercial dvd - or one that the client created?

you can use MacTheRipper to convert the dvd to a quicktime movie?
which you can then play in catalyst?

[Urb]

The client is providing the DVD and has created its content

They want to know if the catalyst can take a DVD from an external or the internal DVD player and use the movie recorded on the DVD as a layer in the Catalyst.

I know we could potentialy just take the movie off the DVD and upload it into a library folder, but that isn't what they are asking.

They want to see if the catalyst can use an external source like a DVD player to supply a layer of content to a presentation using the catalyst and DL-1

Currently our Catalyst only has a SDI Capture card

and the only DVD players I have are Firewire or Composite out

I have tried to use the Firewire input to play the DVD through an external DVD player but catalyst only recognized the Blackmagic Decklink capture card as the video input and would not let me use the firewire

[samsc]

I have tried to use the Firewire input to play the DVD through an external DVD player but catalyst only recognized the Blackmagic Decklink capture card as the video input and would not let me use the firewire

if you really really need to use the firewire input-
You need to make sure you have the dvd deck outputting firewire, and plugged in.

Then restart the mac.

there have been reports of firewire inputs only being recognised if they are plugged and operational in at restart time....
there is always the additional possibility that the 'firewire' output on your dvd deck is not dv firewire - but something else- AND thus not recognised.

you will need to make sure you turn on the deinterlace function in catalyst video input.

which decklink capture card do you have?

[samsc]

internal DVD player and use the movie recorded on the DVD as a layer in the Catalyst.


For reasons of copy protection of dvd's - applications are given no access at all to any image data from a dvd - as this would make circumventing the copy protection totally trivial...

even if this were not the case - the data access times, and seek times, and the use of MPEG2 - make dvd footage a dreadful choice for manipulating video.

You can use MacTheRipper ( and other programs ) to extract a usable file in a non-MPEG format.

MPEG movies are horrible.
You have no random frame access. and decode times are far too long for a multilayer program like catalyst.

[Urb]

The capture card is a Blackmagic Decklink plus

What other solutions can you think of?

Do they sell DVD players with SDI Output?

Should I buy some type of scaler and switcher system so I can play multiple sources?

The question about playing a DVD has been asked a few times now.

And I would like to either say the only way it can be done is to transfer the movie to quicktime and upload it to a folder or no problem our system is setup to take DVD, Live Video, and a multitude of other external inputs.

[samsc]

you can get composite to sdi convertors?

or you can get a miglia composite input video card?

you really really cant get access to any movies off a dvd without converting them to a better format for playback.

if you need to switch between different video input sources, companies like extron make a huge range of switches at different price points with different functionality.
these are controllable from rs232 and from catalyst.

[Urb]

Thank You :)

[emilianomorgia]

I'm using this thing to grab DVDs http://handbrake.m0k.org/ ( off course you can grab dvd if you own the right )

[samsc]

mactheripper works as well.

dont use mpeg4 or mpeg2 to playback movies.

[Gian]

I have the similar issue here all the time... Clients want play a DVD during a Catalyst show or whatever. You have some ways to do it....

If you have a Blackmagic installed... you can use a conversion box from composite to SDI and use the SDI input. like told before here.

You can use either the Component input of your card or even use only the Y cable and that is a Composite input. to do that you also need to your System Preferences, Blackmagic and configure what Input are you using.
I am assuming you have a Blackmagic Decklink Extreme.

another way... easy one, is to buy any cheap capture box, what has a composite input and a Firewire DV output.
Catalyst reconises all those cheap boxes since they are Mac compatible.
I use all the time one PINACLE DV, is really cheap and to play a DVD or insert a DV camera does the job.

Is nece when you play a DVD heve only ONE layer active at the moment, or may be you experience a DELAY.

I also use that to leave a question, I tried before import a DVD to the computer, but playing from the Catalyst, the time of the movie changes from one play to the other... even with only one layer selected.
Is a way what i can tell Catalyst he needs to keep on the real movie time.
I know catalyst skips frames, and slow some movies to do not freeze, that is great feature, but is a way to play a movie and say to stay on the movie timeline or so. Even using a external Timecode source. Thanks

Gian

[samsc]

I also use that to leave a question, I tried before import a DVD to the computer, but playing from the Catalyst, the time of the movie changes from one play to the other... even with only one layer selected.
Is a way what i can tell Catalyst he needs to keep on the real movie time.
I know catalyst skips frames, and slow some movies to do not freeze, that is great feature, but is a way to play a movie and say to stay on the movie timeline or so. Even using a external Timecode source. Thanks

Gian

dont know exactly what you are describing here?
please give more information?
there are many ways to 'import' a dvd, and most of them will not work well.

you have to convert the dvd files to something that plays back well.

[Gian]

The DVD file plays back pretty well, the problem is from one time (playing back) to another, sometimes the duration of the real TIME changes a bit...
Like, if the DVD movie has 3.23 minutes... I do import that to my computer.
In the Quicktime, he plays 3.23 minutes, but on the Catalyst, one time plays
3.23, another time plays 3.26, another time 3.28. Is a way to say to the Catalyst he needs to stick on the REAL time ???

Thanks

Gian

[samsc]

The DVD file plays back pretty well, the problem is from one time (playing back) to another, Gian

what codec did you use?

[Gian]

normaly DV...

I get arround this by using a external DVD player, and use a Video Input for that, is just testing things.

BTW we did install the v. 3.31 on a 10.4.4 Tiger G5 Cat and so far so good.
Also v4 is looking great, i did not had the time to play, but looks amazing.
Loved the 4 submixes.

Gian

[samsc]

normaly DV...
Gian

when using a file imported from a dvd?

can you check what you did?

it makes a big difference.

---

and did you play back off internal or external hard drive?

---


I know catalyst skips frames, and slow some movies to do not freeze, that is great feature,

catalyst is designed to preserve visual integrity and flow of images- NO DROPPED FRAMES - whatever else goes on in the computer.
It slows the playback down rather than skips frames.

Almost every other piece of playback software - DROPS Frames to do accurate timing.

this produces visual glitches.

Computers are not designed to playback video with a regular rhythm, they do many other things at the same time.
Outside of catalyst worlds - Normally these visual glitches do not matter.
But when playing back graphics or visual FX in the types of shows this has been used on - DROPPED frames can look really bad.

----

If you use one of the Audio playback modes, then it will keep accurate time.

[Gian]

Thanks, that's exactly what happens....

Regarding your questions, Yes i can check the Import on the regular Quicktime player, and either Internal or External drives....

whatr heppens is the second part, he does change the timming on the Catalyst, I did understood now, he does not Skip frames, thats why sometimes the video gets longer etc...

Thanks

Gian

[samsc]

Thanks, that's exactly what happens....

Regarding your questions, Yes i can check the Import on the regular Quicktime player, and either Internal or External drives....



quicktime player - does not work like catalyst in any way at all.

please describe the complete process you used to "import" your dvd.



whatr heppens is the second part, he does change the timming on the Catalyst, I did understood now, he does not Skip frames, thats why sometimes the video gets longer etc...
Gian

video gets longer if the computer or hard disc is overloaded - it will not be overloaded playing back up to 4 layers with a scsi drive on a dual g5. or timing will change by only a few frames.

computers and their hard disc systems can vary between 5x and 10x performance.
a powerbook works very very differently from a dual g5 with scsi.
but a powerbook can be usable if you are careful.

[samsc]

The DVD file plays back pretty well, the problem is from one time (playing back) to another,Gian

How did you import your dvd?

[Gian]

Normaly thru a small software called DIVA. (is Freeware)
Than just to have all using the same Codec, i do open the File in Quicktime PRO and Export using the DV PRO Codec.

Works pretty well.

Gian

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/17899
http://diva.3ivx.com/

[samsc]

Normaly thru a small software called DIVA. (is Freeware)
Than just to have all using the same Codec, i do open the File in Quicktime PRO and Export using the DV PRO Codec.


is brazil Pal or NTSC?

50hz or 60Hz?

[Gian]

That was a nice question...

Hertz 60

Color System...

NTSC

but the Television Transmitions here are PAL-M, only exists in Brasil,
all equipaments like DVD Players and professional equipaments are NTSC.

All Televisions accept normaly both NTSC and PAL-M.

[Gian]

Did you tested the DIVA software, what looks like ?
the better is you can choose the compression and the Codec.

[samsc]

but the Television Transmitions here are PAL-M, only exists in Brasil,
all equipaments like DVD Players and professional equipaments are NTSC.


So its both?

And what format do you import your dvds from?

[Gian]

All professional things use NTSC - we import to a regular DV NTSC