Silverado Blog Has Moved to Studiobuilder.tv

Silverado's blog has now permanently moved to http://studiobuilder.tv

Blackmagic Shipping Updates for 2011 Products

We just received the following ETA for the new Blackmagic Design products released at NAB 2011:

DeckLink Quad - Shipping now
SmartView Duo – Shipping now in limited quantity

H.264 Pro Recorder - any day now
Media Express 3 – any day now (this will come at the same time as the H.264 Pro Recorder)

DaVinci Resolve 8 (free download) - June
DaVinci Resolve Lite (free) - 2 to 3 weeks after above release

UltraStudio SDI - June
UltraStudio 3D - July

DeckLink 4K - June

Atem 1 M/E & 1 M/E Panel - June
Atem Television Studio – July
Atem Camera Converter - July
Atem 2 M/E & 2 M/E Panel - August

HyperDeck Shuttle – May/June
HyperDeck Studio - July

Rugged Mini Converters - end July

GPI/Tally Box – July

Universal Videohub 288 – July
Universal Videohub 72 - August

For more information on these products, please contact us at info@silverado.cc

New White Paper: Preparing for Final Cut Pro X

For years, people asked questions about how to build Final Cut Pro systems:

• What kind of Mac should I edit with?
• Do I need a tower?
• How much RAM should I buy?
• What kind of storage space do I need?
• What graphics card should I get?

Download Silverado's latest white paper "Preparing for Final Cut Pro X" and learn about the latest technologies that will allow Final Cut Pro X to perform like no other previous editing package. These topics include OpenCL, 64-bit RAM utilization, and Grand Central Dispatch.

"Preparing for Final Cut Pro X" is an 18-page PDF download. You can get it here:

New White Paper: Preparing for Final Cut Pro X [LINK]

Should you get a Mac Pro or an iMac?

We get this question nearly every day: I have a limited budget, but I want to get the right machine for the job. Should I get a Mac Pro? Or can I make-do with an iMac?

We've known for a long time that its infinitely easier to use a Mac Pro because they are far more expandable and flexible for the creative professional. However, Lloyd Chambers recently wrote a great article on the exact reasons why you should get a Mac Pro and skip the iMac:

Mac Pro Westmere Compared to Quad-Core iMac by Lloyd Chambers at Mac Performance Guide

Click over to read Lloyd's laundry list of reason's why you shouldn't get an iMac for professional work. Its a great read. It will convince you to save your nickels and dimes for that tower!

Blackmagic Design Offers Free DaVinci Resolve Workshops at San Francisco FCPUG SuperMeet

This just in from Blackmagic Design...

BMD will host a series of free DaVinci Resolve for Mac training workshops at the upcoming Tenth Annual FCPUG San Francisco SuperMeet on January 28, 2011.

If you weren't already aware, the Final Cut Pro Users Group’s (FCPUG) annual San Francisco SuperMeet is the largest gathering of FCP, Avid and Adobe editors, HDSLR filmmakers, digital content creators and gurus in California in 2011, and includes free workshops, networking and the ability to connect with more than 35 software and hardware developers in the SuperMeet Digital Showcase.

During the day of the SuperMeet, Blackmagic Design will host three workshops offering training and tips for users of the DaVinci Resolve for Mac non-linear color correction system. The sessions, hosted by Rich Montez, the founder and owner of LA’s Whipping Post
 Services and 25-year veteran Hollywood colorist, will provide an introduction to the DaVinci Resolve for Mac, showcase proper set up and integration tips, provide basic how-to’s and detail Resolve features and capabilities, such as the advantages of real-time performance in color correction.

When: January 28, 2011 -- Sessions occur from 11:30 - 12:30 pm PT, 1:00 - 2:00 pm PT and 2:30 - 3:30 pm PT

Where: Mission Bay Conference Center UCSF, San Francisco, CA

For more event information and to purchase tickets to the San Francisco SuperMeet, please visit http://supermeet.com/. To register for a workshop, please go to http://sf2011workshops.eventbrite.com/.

Tape Backup Speed Reference Chart

Tim Jones from TOLIS Group recently sent this chart our way. Tape backup speeds for your system will swing depending on the speed of your source drive as well as the connection (USB, FC, or SAS) of your tape drive system.

For more information on LTO-5 systems, check out the Silverado FieldSAFE which is a great all-around general purpose backup system for production and post.

Dead RED Rocket card? Not so fast...try this first.

Every now and then we get PCI cards that go dead. Blackmagic, AJA, Sonnet--none of them are immune to things like broken capacitors from heavy handed freight companies or electrostatic shock.

So, if your RED Rocket card suddenly doesn't work--try this first:

1. Remove the RED Rocket and flip the #8 DIP switch on. (See picture)

2. Once the #8 DIP switch has been flipped on, put the card back into your machine then run the Driver then Firmware upgrades. http://www.red.com/support/8/release_history

3. After they are installed, remove the RED Rocket and flip the #8 Dip switch back to off and put the RED Rocket back into the system.

This is a good first step before RMA'ing the card back for replacement.

New SSD Option for RED Owners

More info here: REDUser

New PDF: Archiving for Indies

We just published a new PDF on archiving data:

"Archiving for Indies: Creating Long-Term Archives for Independent Digital Cinema"

Learn about the latest solutions in digital archiving using LTO-5 tape. Also--learn what NOT to use for your permanent data storage needs.

Document published June 2010 by Silverado.

Click to access PDF

A REAL power strip...courtesy of RED

This is RED's idea of a power strip...

Info here: RED "WAR WAGON"

New RED 1.8" SSD Option on EPIC

More info here: RED 1.8" SSD Option at REDUser

Meet "Ghost"

Jarred Land over at RED posted up some awesome pics. First one is "Ghost" which is one of the new EPIC cameras.

More info here: Meet "Ghost" at REDUser

Contest: If you were an intern, how would you destroy data?

Here is the premise of the question: how many ways can you think an intern could destroy a hard drive or LTO tape?

Okay, okay...I am picking on interns here. In reality, we've all mindlessly destroyed data by being careless or reckless. I know I've dropped my share of drives, disconnected spinning Firewire disks, and even caused a DV tape to unspool itself inside a Sony VTR.

Some other methods here for destroying data:

1. Falling off bookshelves
2. Tumbling down staircases
3. Knocked off a 2nd story railing
4. Getting run over by a car
5. Being thrown by a little kid

What do you say? What is the strangest, oddest, or most bizarre way your data was destroyed (either by you or someone else) and did you have a backup? Put your best story down in the comments below.

The best entry will get a free RED 101 special 2-Disc DVD collection by DreamWelder Productions.

Thoughts on SCRATCH, Nuke and Smoke...

I saw an interested discussion on Twitter between Shawn Nelson and Emery Wells. It goes like this:

Shawn: "what's a good way to understand Nuke vs Flame vs Inferno vs Smoke vs Fusion and how they fit together or dont?"

Emery: "Think Nuke for one shot a time. Smoke for bringing it all together. Flame is like Nuke and Smoke combined. Fusion me no likey."

Shawn: "Thanks man! Which ones do you use in your pipeline? Or do you not handle that side of post?"

Emery: "Scratch for grading, Nuke for compositing, and getting Smoke for finishing."

Shawn: "Scratch for grading? I loved the results of the Quantel Pablo! I'm also interested to see Lustre in action. Why go Scratch?"

Then, Yohance Brown jumps in with this:

Yohance: "...price. Scratch $70K, Lustre $150K, Pablo $400K"

Emery adds: "Scratch still has the strongest red support in my opinion. Pablo is great but 6 times the cost. Bout 400k..."

These are all GREAT people you should be following:

http://twitter.com/ShawnNelson
http://twitter.com/emerywells
http://twitter.com/yohance_brown

Question: Is a $2000 industrial plasma good enough for critical monitoring?

Adam Wilt reports on a science experiment conducted by Pete Putman via HPA:

"Question: is a $2000 industrial plasma good enough for critical monitoring? (LCD problems: costly, high black levels, off-axis color/tone shifts, bad color gamut on CCFL backlights). Took stock Panasonic TH-42PF11UK and tweaked with calibration tools. Got stable gamma with a couple of “speed bumps”, consistent if not perfect RGB tracking, great blacks."

"Color gamut exceeded 709, even large portion of P3. Green was a bit shifted towards cyan (for brightness). Gamma at 120 nits was 2.5; looked very smooth (movie mode), a bit of a bump in 2.2 gamma. Max gray drift was 145K in the shadows; bit of a blue bump around 70%. Brightness 100-120 nits (29-35 ft-Lamberts), contrast 1189:1 (checkerboard), 11370:1 sequential (gamma 2.2), black level 0.124 nits."

"Wanted better; got a Cine-tal Davio using a 3D LUT to correct residual color and gamma errors (as seen in the demo room). After calibration, color accuracy was comparable to reference-grade CRT. Best of all: a very cost-effective solution."

You can read more on this--plus other fantastic reports over at Adam Wilt's excellent HPA 2010 coverage on Pro Video Coalition.

RED versus F35 versus Canon 7D...what would you rather shoot?

Take a look at the zone plate shot below:

RED MX-REDcode 42 versus Sony F35 versus Canon 7D

What sensor would you rather shoot?

Full discussion here:

7D Zone Plate Discussion on REDUser

Stunning RAID results with SOHOTANK and ATTO R380 card...+820 MB/s

We did some testing in the shop today with new firmware on the ATTO R380 SAS card and the Stardom SOHOTANK ST8-U5 running Hitachi 2.0 TB drives. The results were some of the best I've ever seen in an 8-drive RAID 5.

Using a 16.0 GB sized file in 2048x1556 10-bit RGB format, the drive pushed 705 MB/s writes and 775 MB/s reads.

Further, using a 16.0 GB sized file in DVCProHD 1080i60 format, the drive pushed over 822 MB/s read speeds.

Results are nothing short of awesome for this price point. You can't get a faster RAID 5 for under $5000.

You can get your own Stardom SOHOTANK ST8-U5 with a free Apple iPad through the end of February.

Free Apple iPad with new 16TB RAID's

From now until end of February, all Stardom RAID units configured as 16.0 TB will receive a free Apple iPad when they start shipping in late March (16GB model Wi-Fi model. You can opt to pay the difference and receive a higher end model, too). More info:

Stardom SOHOTANK ST5-U8 Mini-SAS RAID with free Apple iPad

Can you get an external 16.0 TB PCIe RAID 5 unit for under $5000?

Question: Can you get an external 16.0 TB PCIe RAID 5 unit for under $5000?

Yep--we just introduced the Stardom SOHOTANK ST5-U8 Mini-SAS RAID - powered by ATTO R380 SAS card with DriveAssure™ technology. Available in 8.0TB or 16.0 TB for under $5000.

Check it out here:

Stardom SOHOTANK ST5-U8 Mini-SAS RAID

A lesson for identity thieves and crooks...

Please, I am getting SO tired of getting these messages. I just got a message from wesleystore2010@aol.com who urgently needs a bunch of cartridges via next day air:

CALCULATE ME THE TOTAL COST AND THE SHIPPING COST OF THE BELOW LISTED ITEMS TO GARDENA,CA 90249, USA VIA NEXT DAY AIR

HP OEM ORIGINAL INKJET CATRIDGE
C1823D ..... 50QTYS
C6578DN ..... 50QTYS

Sony PDV 184N DV tape - 1 x 184min ........ 100 Qty


WAITING TO READ FROM YOU ASAP AND ALSO THE ACCEPTABLE CREDIT CARDS FOR THE
PAYMENT

REGARDS
Richard Peterson
WESLEY STORE
1961 VALLEY RIDGE DR SW
ATLANTA
30331

If you REALLY wanted to get me to look closer at this request, you need to change up your approach big time.

First, my name is on the Silverado website. Everything else aside, could you take the time to find my name and say "Hey Torrey!" or "Dear Mr. Loomis," or something like that?

Second, enough with the ALL CAPS. NO ONE WANTS TO READ A MESSAGE WHEN IT APPEARS YOU ARE SHOUTING AT THEM.

Third, no one believes you are with "Wesley Store" when your email comes from Yahoo or AOL or Gmail. Please--get a regular domain name that goes back to a legitimate site. I run domains all the time to see where they are setup and when the site was opened.

Fourth, do you even know what business we are in? Silverado sells HD editing systems, not inkjet supplies. Sure, every now and then we order printers for someone as part of a bigger sale, but its not our bread-and-butter. So--when you write asking for dozens of products we don't typically sell--I am sending your email to the trash.

Fifth--learn English and use spell check. Its that simple...

Sixth--you say you are in Atlanta, but want the items freighted to Gardena? Another red flag...

Seventh--going back to your English lessons: you need to structure your sentences better. The way you write is a dead giveaway you are writing these with a group of other idiots who can't write either. Find one of you who can write and spell correctly, and then COPY their fraudulent messages. At least I'll respect you more when I delete you.

tl