Quote Originally Posted by Laura
Also, I would like to see more discussion on MTC control for Catalyst. I have to show coming up with two Catalysts chasing LTC (converted to MTC by a USB device for input) sent out by Medialon, and running side by side in our set configuration to Doremi video output. I am planning on setting one Catalyst to listing to MTC and have the 2nd Catalyst sync to the first catalyst. Would you recommend having both Catalysts listen to MTC or set up by the meathod I described? Are there other recommendations you would make so that Catalyst performs it's best as compared directly to Doremi playback?
How many layers are you planning on needing in catalyst?
How long is the piece you need to sync?
is it hi-def or standard def?

is your production team using drop-frame timecodes and other such things?
use mtc to both catalysts. dont use sync.
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midi time code has a whole other set of issues.

doremi's typically only do a single video stream with no fx, and have nothing else going on on their dedicated system - so sometimes its not fair to compare them.

main issues with timecode type applications are the potential for slight timing differences between computer timing's and video timings, either because someone is using drop frame timecodes or whatever- and the fact that the computer video output clock cannot be locked to anything.

also two different computer systems - of any type - in this instance - the medialon and catalyst, might have subtely different internal timings which can cause visible drop frames. for example the medialon might have computer clock that runs slightly faster or slower than the Macintosh clock. so 30fps on one computer isnt necessarily exactly 30fps on another.

also typically vga output screens do NOT run at exactly 60Hz or at 59.97 for NTSC, but differ depending on the output resolution, for example on my computer, at 1280x1024, the vga output is 60.02Hz, but at 1024x768 the refresh rate is 59.77Hz ( with respect to the computer clock ).

Some people have used timecode succesfully.
other people have had problems.
there are a number of very complex scenarios interfacing with externally clocked systems.
it is impossible to test all the combinations of equipment out there, and offer any definitive answer, under all circumstances.
interfacing pieces of equipment together always leads to surprises...

For people needing to have doremi's i did put in a control panel so that they can be controlled from catalyst via dmx.