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Ultriscape

  • 1.  Ultriscape

    Posted 01-05-2025 05:53

    Hello everyone,

    before bothering Ross experts with something which seems to be not an issue I ask my question here…

    we are used to Ultriscape operations and we were thrilled to discover in version 6 that we got an extra PIP size. 

    And precisely with this new feature we configured MV layouts with 3 pip sizes plus PIP X. It works fine even if we stuck with a very silly issue. 

    In pip C we can route sources, some are well displayed but few orhers are not displayed and we got the red message on the pip "invalid size".

    if on the same layout we route the same source in an other PIP with a different size ( for exemple PIPA or B) it is well displayed… 

    I assume there is something I miss with PIP C…

    when I troubleshoot all the corresponding sources are in 1080i50 some with audio embedded some not.. all the sources are gen locked (BTW I try to activate an ultrisync but it don't fix the problem). 

    I looked the user manual but I didn't found a solution.Could someone clarify the usage of PIP C and what "invalid size" mean? 

    and if someone have an idea on how to solve my issue it would be great! 

    thanks 



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    Boris salhaji
    EIC
    France Télévisions
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  • 2.  RE: Ultriscape

    Posted 01-06-2025 04:56

    Hi Boris, what cards do you have your Ultriscapes on?

    This new 'extra PIP size' which is so desperatly needed for anyone with an Ultrix, is limited to those with HDX-IO cards and the IPX-IO cards i think.

    In fact, version 6.x introduces a 4th PIP size. A+B+C should behave like normal and then you get PIP D which is only allowed one PIP per head.

    All relative PIP sizes need to be the same across ALL heads in the frame....which makes no sense to me. I can see why they would all need to be the same size per card, but not per frame.

    I love the ultriscape MV system, but it has many * asterix on it.

    Always something that 'gets' you....

    I would love to see some clearer information on the updates to Ultriscape with version 6 and what it means for 1st gen cards and x-gen cards.



    ------------------------------
    Jeremy Koch
    Director
    Innovative Production Services
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  • 3.  RE: Ultriscape

    Posted 01-06-2025 12:49

    I stumbled upon a PIP C issue where the PIP destination was in the database twice because PIP C is fed by the destination that is the MV Head output port. So I had a destination in the database for the PIP C in the MV layout AND something assigned by default to the port that is the MV Head output.  When I recalled salvos, sometimes my PiP Cs would flash the correct video then change to something else.  Tech support helped me sort that out.  I deleted the VID in the database for the port destination used by the MV Head.

    I wonder if there is a similar gotcha  for PIP D.



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    Paul Whitfield
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  • 4.  RE: Ultriscape

    Posted 01-06-2025 12:51

    All relative PIP sizes need to be the same across ALL heads in the frame....which makes no sense to me. I can see why they would all need to be the same size per card, but not per frame.

    I love the ultriscape MV system, but it has many * asterix on it.

    I have said exactly the same thing.



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    Paul Whitfield
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  • 5.  RE: Ultriscape

    Posted 01-07-2025 19:37

    As to why all PIPs need to be the same across the frame, it has to do with the way we scale the signals. ALL signals are immediately scaled on input to the frame through the FPGA on each IO card, effectively sitting in a "holding bank" ready to be displayed on a PIP in any layout, regardless of where the MV outputs from(i.e. a different card than which the source signal is hitting). Because of this, we have to universally define what the PIP sizes are so that any head can display any of those signals, which allows us to have a totally non-blocking infrastructure and display signals from any board on any MV layout, regardless of which board the MV head is set to. This also allows us to follow outputs in the same manner. 

    While this design does limit you to a degree, this is a very cost effective way to have flexible MVs in a single unit. 


    The alternative would be to relegate each boards MV head to the sources and destinations specifically on that board, which would mean you'd have to purchase a MV license for each board you want to display. This would also mean you would have to have that many more MVs to display in general. 

    Also, as a point of clarification, the 3rd reusable PIP is currently only available on the HDX and MODX cards. The IPX currently does not support this feature. 



    ------------------------------
    Joe Davenport
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  • 6.  RE: Ultriscape

    Posted 01-07-2025 20:03

    Thanks Joe, good explanation. As an 'early adopter' of the Hyperconverged platform, is there anything you can do to help those people get more from Ultriscape PiPs who have HDB-IO cards?



    ------------------------------
    Jeremy Koch
    Director
    Innovative Production Services
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: Ultriscape

    Posted 01-07-2025 20:08

    I wish there was something we could do, but this is a limitation of the FPGA architecture on the original boards versus the new ones. There's simply much more power in the X series FPGA compared to the original series. 



    ------------------------------
    Joe Davenport
    Ross Video
    United States
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  • 8.  RE: Ultriscape

    Posted 26 days ago

    How does one upgrade to v6? Is this a firmware for the router/cards?



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    D Block
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  • 9.  RE: Ultriscape

    Posted 26 days ago

    D Block, contact support via ermail and they will walk you through the upgrade process. It is a firmware upgrade, but its also a migration of your database.

    This upgrade is more involved than just a firmware upgrade of the frame and cards.



    ------------------------------
    Jeremy Koch
    Director
    Innovative Production Services
    ------------------------------



  • 10.  RE: Ultriscape

    Posted 01-07-2025 09:19

    Hi Boris,

    The Extra PiP size is only available when inputs come from an HDX or MODX blade.  If you have an FR 1 or 2 with the integrated "MIO" boards or any other I/O card such as an HDB-IO-A then you don't get PiP C.  The invalid Size message is likely because that source is coming from an input not from an HDX or MODX board.  Only PiP C Sizes from non HDX / MODX boards will show an invalid size message.  As a side note, you can still place an Ultriscape head on any output on any blade and see all the pip sizes, it is only inputs routed to pip C that have the limitation.



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    Brandon Rhoda
    Ross Video
    United States
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  • 11.  RE: Ultriscape

    Posted 01-07-2025 10:39

    Hi Brandon, 

    Thank you ! Axel from Ross France just gave me the trick few hours ago :)

    I didn't know this limitation... so that's why i had the issue it is now solved ! I was sure it was me doing wrong and not Ultrix ! it is never Ultrix btw.

    Thanks again !

    Have a nice day,



    ------------------------------
    Boris salhaji
    EIC
    France Télévisions
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: Ultriscape

    Posted 15 days ago

    Hello everyone, 

    To add to the topic...

    We recently upgraded another system composed of an FR5 and Ultrix Acuity. So now in V 6.3 we have access to PIP C and PIP X.

    When we try to assign a ME output of the Ultrix Acuity we got the same warning message "invalid size" but we can route Auxes ( but ME output through an Aux is not working).

    Is that a known limitation making impossible to assign a Ultrix Acuity ME output into PIP size C ? 

    Best regards



    ------------------------------
    Boris salhaji
    EIC
    France Télévisions
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: Ultriscape

    Posted 11 days ago

    HI Boris,

    the SDPE card (Ultrix Carbonite and Ultrix Acuity) Doesnt support the third pip size C yet. The Extra PiP size is only available when inputs come from an HDX or MODX blade directly to the multiviewer. 



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    Mike Pomerleau
    Ross Video
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  • 14.  RE: Ultriscape

    Posted 10 days ago

    Hi Mike, 

    Thanks for the answer ! I assumed it was somthing like that. What I read is "yet" so "wait and see" :)

    best regards



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    Boris salhaji
    EIC
    France Télévisions
    ------------------------------