Production Switchers

HI,

Just to sum up the setup : We are operating a Ultix Acuity (FR5 with 3 SDPE). Panel is a TD2S and we are using Ultriscape to display sources and ME outputs (basicly Cams and PGM)

I recently have a feedback of an operator saying that there is a latency between the press of a PGM button and what we see on the Ultriscape. I mean when cutting on PGM like switching from a cam to another he noticed that there is a delay on the MV. 

Ok I assume that it's normal to have some kind of latency as we are producing in UHD 2160P25 and the MV is downscaled to HD so there is delay due to processing, and of course there is the delay of the screen and the HDMI converter... 

When placing a SDI monitor ( sony PVM X1800) There is no delay between the press of a PGM button and the actual switching. So it indicates that the delay comes from the Ultriscape.

but to optimize my workflow do you have the exact datas about latency between switching on a Touch Drive panel and the ultriscape restitution regarding specific configuration ? (in HD, UHD 25P or 50P etc..)

Best regards

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Boris salhaji
EIC
France Télévisions
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It's almost always the Monitor that is going to cause the issue for added delay..  need to put it into "game mode" of something like that which will remove as much of the processing as possible.

Now there will be a frame of dealy for the PGM output direct and the PGM output seen in a MV as the Pip needs to be generated which like a DVE is going to be a frame.

If you want to validate the duration best way to do this is Put PGM Physically out a cable and the MV out a cable into a Switcher or standalone device...  if you don't have one you can just loop them back into the Ultrix as well..

The put those two inputs in a 2 Box of a switcher or even use another Ultriscape output to put them side by side.  Put something that is displaying a Frame Counter (timecode or a graphic that is counting in Frames) on PGM of the switcher.

Record that output and then go frame by frame in the video recording and you will see exactly what the delta is between PGM direct out and PGM in the MV Output.

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Les O'Reilly
Director - Switcher Product Management
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I too noticed the switching latency on our Ultrix Acuity and a did test a few months ago.  Tech support confirmed it was normal operation to have a 3 frame delay.  I have a 4 frame delay in my switching and a 1 frame delay in the UltriScape.

I set up a test where a CC rolled a VTR and cut the PGM between the VTR and a Camera.  I had to offset the VTR roll by 4 frames to get the cut to happen in the right place.  The UltriScape tally showed the the cut happening 4 frames before the actual cut on PGM.  The CCU tally showed the cut (tally) happening 4 frames later on the actual PGM switch.  The CCU tallies are hard wired contact closures from the Ultrix frame.  See the video clip at the link above.  Click the link and step through the clip and count the frames between the tallies.

I get the same 4 frame delay when manually switching on the TD4 panel.

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Paul Whitfield
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