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REVIEW
HEAD
FAST AND LOOSE
INTRO
Video Machine Lite is the affordable
re-incarnation of one of the leading desktop video editing systems, we take
another look at this highly versatile package
COPY
We first came across Video Machine last year,
and very good it was too, but at £4000 -- all but -- it was way beyond the
reach of most non-professional video movie-makers. Since then Fast Electronics
have developed a slightly simplified version, called Video Machine Lite.
They’ve managed to shave over £1500 off the price but even at £2300 it is still
expensive, and that doesn’t take into account the cost of a suitable computer,
nevertheless you might feel that’s a price worth paying when you see what it’s
capable of...
But what exactly does it do? Good question,
time for a quick guided tour. Amongst
other things -- which we’ll come to in a moment -- it’s a an edit controller,
but quite unlike the kind of hardware or stand-alone controllers we’re used to; this one uses a technique known as
‘timeline’ editing, where edits are represented graphically on a calibrated
scale, instead of a list of timed cut points. This method also shows more clearly
effects and transitions and once you’ve grasped the concept it’s far easier to
use than a conventional text-based edit decision list, (though Video Machine
uses those as well). Editing is only part of the story though, it’s also a
vision mixer/processor with sophisticated special effects, title generator and
multi-channel audio mixer as well. In fact it’s a complete video production
system, with the kind of facilities you would expect to find in any reasonably
well-equipped professional video studio, except that everything is house in one
PC-sized box.
Does that mean it is difficult to use? Not a
bit of it, the computer display or ‘desktop’ is divided into two parts. The
upper half of the VDU screen is taken up by the timeline editor, the lower half
, called the project manager, looks after all the clips and generates the
special effects. In both instances everything is controlled in the familiar
Windows fashion, by a mouse, to point and click on pull-down menus and icons.
Anyone who has ever used Windows-based software will feel at home right away,
though it takes a little while to actually find your way around.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, what do
you actually get for £2300? The basic version of Video Machine consists of a
full-length PC expansion card, five floppy discs containing the operating
software, the most frightening lead set you’re ever likely to encounter, and a
manual that’s almost one and a half inches thick! You will also need a IBM PC
or compatible with a 386 processor, but a 486 is recommended. It will need at
least 8Mb of main memory, 16Mb is better, VGA graphics with 256 colours but
again treat that only as a starting point, a 1024 x 768 pixel resolution
display card is preferred; a couple of megs of free space on the hard disc, DOS
3.3 or higher and Windows 3.1 will come in handy too. In addition to the video
sources you will also need at least one video monitor or TV to watch what
you’re doing, but to really keep tabs on what is going on it’s advisable to
have three monitors.
Installation is a doddle, the card fits into
a spare 16-bit ISA slot on the computer motherboard; load the installation disc
and follow the on-screen prompts. It only takes around ten minutes, we used the
auto set-up routine which handled the system configuration without any
problems; you can elect to carry out a custom installation, should you feel so
inclined.
All video and audio inputs are routed via one
fearsome-looking lead set with a 62-pin connector that mates with a socket on
the backside of the PC card, and no less than 17 cables emerging from the back.
There are 6 video inputs, split between two video channels. That breaks down as
one dedicated S-Video input per channel, two switchable S-Video inputs and two
switchable composite video inputs. There two video outputs (composite and
S-Video), 3 edit control outputs (two player and one record deck), external
synch, four audio inputs, split between 8 channels, and one stereo audio
output.
A rather more elegant, not to say tidier
wiring solution is to use the Studio Control Box, a standard rack-mount sized
case with all of the connections handled by standard sockets. This plugs into
the PC card in place of the supplied lead set. Control operations can also be
simplified with an optional jog/shuttle control box, rather than relying upon
mouse and keyboard commands. These two items add £1840 and £885 (ex VAT)
respectively, to the price.
Video Machine can control up to three video
decks (two replay, one record) from the desktop, the software needs to know
what types of deck are being used; an extensive list of domestic and
professional VCRs and camcorders are included in the setup software, which
includes Control L, Panasonic 5/11-pin and professional RS232 protocols. Video
Machine is designed to work most efficiently with timecoded material, it reads
standard VITC and LTC codes, and RC timecode which is contained in Control L
data. Non timecoded material can be copy-coded, though this will result in a
reduction of quality as it involves loosing a generation.
IN USE
It takes every one of the 800 or so pages in
the operating manual to detail what Video Machine Lite can do and how it does
it, this is the abridged version... Raw footage has to be catalogued and given
a project name. After that it’s time to start defining clips. Each edit in and
edit out point generates a small picture icon (picon) -- a small frozen frame
of the first and last shot, these provide a quick visual reference on the
timeline, and can be used to build up a storyboard of the movie.
Transitions between clips, and special
effects are selected from the groups of icons on the Project Manager screen,
and shown on the FX (effects) layer of the timeline, between the two video
channels. There’s around 300 preset effects, and an infinite variety of
user-definable options, far too many to list here, but to whet your appetite
here’s a few of the tastier items on the menu. They includes: A/B roll, with
the software co-ordinating the playback from two video machines, mixing the two
signals in a variety of ways including hard cuts plus dozens of different
slides, fades, dissolves and wipes. There’s several dozen squeeze, tumble,
strobe, mosaic and zoom effects, plus special DVC’s (digital video effects)
including ‘hawks, ‘cubes’ intrails and would you believe outrails as well? All
that plus countless user-definable custom effects.
Other facilities which we must mention, if
only in passing, are luminance and video keying, border and background
generators, a title generator that can use text imported from a word processor
program; colour bar generator, PAL/NTSC operation and basic video processing,
to name but a few.
The audio facilities are almost dull by
comparison, Video Machine generates a virtual 8-channel mixing desk with a bank
of graphical sliders, moved by the mouse pointer. Options include cut, fade and
mix, which can all be added to the audio timelines, that run parallel with the
video timelines.
PERFORMANCE
The effects and transitions are almost
flawless, smooth, clean well defined, certainly as good as any stand-alone
processor we’ve seen in this price-bracket, and definitely capable of
professional-looking results, though obviously that depends on the skill,
patience and creativity of the operator. The accuracy of the edit control
facilities depend entirely on the characteristics of the record and replay
decks it is to be used with; it can vary from a few frames either way to true
frame-accurate editing using professional edit decks. Timeline editing is fast
and flexible, once you’ve got used to it, and this implementation is as good as
any we’ve seen.
Operationally it’s a bit of a curate’s egg,
it favours the computer literate user, and for that reason we suspect those
used to more conventional forms of editing and post-production could find
themselves on rather steep learning curve. The keyboard and mouse could be a
bit daunting for some, though the optional jog/shuttle control box would be a
familiar point of reference for those who prefer twiddling knobs and pressing
buttons. The supplied lead set is far from satisfactory but again, you don’t
have to live with it if you can afford the optional control box.
VERDICT
The first and most obvious point to make is
that it’s a professional system, not the sort of thing most family camcorder
owners would have much use for. It’s also expensive, costing anything from £3,000 upwards when you add on the cost of
a PC, but you have to look at that in context. It’s not beyond the reach of
determined enthusiasts, clubs or societies, and weighed against the cost of
comparable pro-quality editing and post production equipment, it’s cheap! Definitely
another taste of things to come, and if prices continue to fall at the present
rate Video Machine Lite and its ilk might soon be competing with conventional
systems.
SPECIFICATIONS
Make/Model Video
Machine Lite
Guide price £2300(inc.
VAT)
System requirements IBM PC or
compatible, 386/486 8Mb RAM, colour VGA card (see text), MS DOS 3.3 or higher,
Windows 3.1
Display 800 x 600 (PAL)
Video input/output Composite or S-Video, PAL/NTSC
VCR Control A/B Roll
Control systems Panasonic 5/11 pin, Control L, RS232
Distributor FAST Electronic (UK) Ltd., 235-239
Walmer Road, London W11 4EY. Telephone 071-221 8024
VC VERDICT
AV Performance 10
Ease of use 8
Value for money 8
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Ó R. Maybury 1994 2507
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