Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Flint on Linux isn’t as simple as just slotting a card into a PC and loading some software. This may have been the case with Discreet’s edit on Windows but not with flint.
As I understand it, the video I/O is from DVS and the graphics card is the Nvidia Quadra fx3000, with ADAT Lucid audio convertor. However the configuration of this hardware is not for the fainthearted 😯
This is why Discreet only supply the Linux version of flint and smoke as turnkey solutions. it’s not so much about them trying to cash in on the sale of hardware, it’s more about saving you the brain damage of trying to get the system to work on non-certified platforms. Also, it makes it easier for them to supply support when they know exactly what they’re working with.Hi Gadget (I know who you are, but won’t reveal your true identity 8) )
I can endorse what Grant said about it not being a “canned demo” because the VGA projector we were using during the roadshow wouldn’t run at 50Hz, so all the pre-prepared PAL material he had looked awful. We only discovered this at the last moment so he had to switch to an NTSC project which certainly wasn’t part of an otherwise perfectly planned demo !
(Me getting electrocuted during the Johannesburg leg of the roadshow wasn’t planned either)Cheers.
I had a similar request from a client with flame on Tezro and the response I got from Discreet was a pretty solid “NO”. In other words, they don’t support the DM10 hardware for I/O.
I guess the least experimental route would be a Firewire VTR with SDI I/O or a stand-alone transcoder. Data Video make some neat little convertors, http://www.datavideo-tek.comCheers
Chris.It sounds like you’ve done you homework and flint on Linux (or Flinux as it’s sometimes called) should be ideal.
I don’t know what the deal is in the USA, but on this side of the pond, if you go for the flint/smoke bundle it works out less expensive than just buying flint ! I guess discreet are making a big push to get smoke into the market. You’d have to check with your local reseller.
Great thing about the bundle is it gives you a lot more flexibility in terms of the kind of work you could take on. As a start-up company, you’ll need all the work you can get and smoke adds the on-line / finishing tools necessary for more traditional editorial projects.Good luck
chris.Over and above the minor differences in software functionality, don’t forget the video I/O. flint on Linux is locked down to standard def only, no HD I/O whatsoever, and the general concensus is that the current hardware config of the Linux box will NEVER be able to support realtime HD I/O. And flint Linux is only 8 bit and that’s not going to change until discreet change the graphics card.
Having said that, one of our clients down here did a performance comparison between flame on a 4P Tezro and flint on Linux using the same 8bit SD material and in nearly all cases, flint matched the flame for speed. And I’m told the sparks for flint Linux are blisteringly fast.
It comes down to which market you intend servicing, if HD is a requirement in the near future, you’re better off going to extra mile and getting flame. In the greater scheme of things, when you add up the overall costs of setting up a HD facility, (compared to SD) the difference between flint and flame is pretty marginal.
Chris – South Africa.
Hi Howard,
I’ve emailed you the discreet guide to doing this, let us know how you get on.Regards
Chris – South Africa.Nanuk,
I agree that there are differences between c3 and IFF, like you don’t have to buy burn to get networked rendering on c3 😆But for anyone who doesn’t have the opportunity to learn on a flame system, c3 is certainly a good starting point. Unlike edit* which was nothing like smoke/fire.
I guess it’s all about taking it one step at a time.
An alternative to diving feet first into flame would be to get hold of a copy of combustion.
The user interface is pretty similar as is the general workflow. Get up to speed on combustion, and you’d find the transition to flame a damn sight easier. Most of our IFF users in this part of the world use combustion to train junior visual effects artists before letting them loose on the “big boxes”Another advantage is you can run combustion with your Avid (Mac or PC) and use combustion as an alternative to AE.
Just my two cents worth. 😉