Graphics

Good afternoon,

My name is Zeny, I work with CNN Latino Miami and I had a quick question that maybe someone can help me with. I'm trying to use the grabber to capture video. When I click capture it only records what seems to be a single frame in a quicktime file. I was also wondering if I could feed video that's given to me to the switcher in real time. If anyone has any idea how to do this I would greatly appreciate it.

Hi Zeny,

sadly you will not be able to capture video with XPressions "input grabber" feature. although this would be very convenient, it is not designed capture video, it only grabs still images from the chosen live input of your framebuffer card.

1. If you have to capture video on your machine, you will need a framebuffer card with video input (capture) capability e. g. AJA Kona and the (in most cases somewhat basic) bundled capture tool of that card (or a third party software e. g. Premiere Pro if you like to go more into editing of your captured files). We use the bundles capture software of our AJA cards called "Machina" for simple capture purposes.

2. If you want to "feed video that's given to you to the switcher in real time" you should utilize a material with a so called "live input shader". This enables you to map any live source to an object as a material. ! But be aware that the signal is then processed all the way through your computer resulting in a multi frame delay relative to the originally fed signal !

We once also experimented with that live input, wondering if this could be a serious substitute (and then with huge benefits!) for a classic dve in our production facility. But we had to deal with 7 to 12 (variable!) frames delay. And in absence of any ideas how to minimize that delay, we had to give up on that idea.

But if delay is no problem for you, then you could go for it.

An alternative with less delay (maybe only 1 to 2 frames) than the "live input shader" would be to enable the "downstream key" feature of your framebuffer card if it hase this option (AJA Kona has). Then all processed graphics of your XPression Software would be keyed over Video Input of that Card if you choose to in the AJA Control Panel. This would result in a combined "XPression Graphics over Live Background" at your framebuffer output.

Be aware, that you then have no control of the live video from within XPression. You just could save one external keyer in your switcher by using this combined "garphics over live feed" solution within your machine.

Regards

Sefa

#XPression