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New at NAB 2007 Note: Adrienne Electronics' new AEC-mBOX-2 (micro BOX) started shipping sample quantities in April 2007. Full production unit quantities should be available in May. General Info: This device is replacing our current AEC-BOX-2 model, which has been in production for many years. The same input/output functions are supported, but in a more portable, versatile and smaller package. The price is also lower than the AEC-BOX-2. The new AEC-mBOX-2 model supports both RS-422 and RS-232 communications in each unit. The cable connection determines which is used. The RS-422 connection matches that of a standard VTR remote control port, and as a result of that connector pin assignment, the RS-232 connector signal pins are at non-standard locations. The full production units will include both a power cord (power from a USB port plug) and a custom RS-232 serial cable. This serial cable is provided to enable easy testing and troubleshooting when used in connection with the provided software (CD). The software is PC based and requires a standard COM port to work. The provided CD is BOOTABLE, so no software installation is required. There is also some additional files that allow for testing in a Windows setup via the HyperTerminal program. There are three modes of operation available on each unit. The most common is the 'VTR emulation' mode. The other two modes are ASCII and Binary. These other two modes can be operated in either a broadcast (just send/transmit the time code data after each frame is read) or polled (send only upon request) method. The 'VTR emulation' mode is demonstrated in the 'Option B' picture below. Final Cut Pro Specific details: The biggest advantage that
the 'Option B' provides is the live capture of the SAME TIME CODE when multiple
units are used in connection with a multiple camera
shoot. We have customers that do this to handle/record more than 10 simultaneous
live SDI feeds, each with the same time code tags. No additional time to ingest
from tape, no expensive VTR, no tape! This is just what many
Apple Final Cut Pro users
have been looking for to enable a cost effective method of getting accurate
matched time code when performing a live
(camera(s) direct) 'Capture Now'.
Here is how we put it in our printed literature: Intergrate Live LTC Time Code Into Your HD/SD Workflow Capture live SDI + LTC Time Code straight into Final Cut Studio.
Interface LTC into Synchronize your on-set/live video capture to the rest of your
world. Use an Adrienne Electronics μBOX to read the on-set/live LTC time code Specs: *LTC input levels of 100mVpp
to 5Vpp are readable. LTC Input See it here (AEC-uBOX main web site page, (about the same as this page))
Contact/Buying InformationContact us for more details or if you wish to place an order. We have these units in stock and can ship quickly. Go to the Adrienne Electronics home page and look around. You may find that you are interested in some of the other products that we make.
Here are the details for the older (soon to be out of production) unit that has been used with great success: In the past few months, Adrienne Electronics has been selling a number of stand alone time code reader devices to be connected to Apple MAC computers that are running Final Cut Pro/Final Cut Studio (FCP) software. Customer feed back has been spectacular. Of the number sold, all have reported great results. The reason that our product was purchased was to provide a way to get time code into the Final Cut captures that matched the time code that was being provided as a live feed. This allows the captured video to have the same timeline as a VTR tape that records the same video and time code. With this feature, the MAC/FCP can act as a digital VTR and replace the need for a dedicated separate VTR. This can save thousands of dollars. Stand-alone digital tape recorders are generally a lot more expensive than your average MAC/FCP and with the advantage that the material has been saved and is ready for non-linear editing with no additional steps required. The Adrienne product that provides this feature is the model "AEC-BOX-2" (BOX). This device has a special software feature that allows it to emulate or "look like" a VTR when connected to an RS422 machine control port. This port is available with the AJA KONA/Io video hardware that plugs into the MAC. There are also other video hardware manufactures that are MAC compatible such as BlackMagic Design that provide a similar RS422 machine control port/connector. When the RS422 port cable is plugged into the AEC-BOX-2, the FCP software "thinks" that it is connected to a Beta type VTR. The BOX provides the responses needed by the FCP to keep it operating as if it were actually connected to a real VTR. The other thing that the BOX does is to read the LTC time code signal that is plugged into it. This time code is passed over the RS422 whenever the FCP asks for it. With the RS422 machine control interface being handled by the BOX, the video (SDI...) is directly connected to the video input connectors of the hardware (ie: into the KONA card). The KONA does not know that the video is "live" (direct from a camera or router source). The video/audio is captured in the same manner as if it were being imported from an off tape (playback) source. If more than one MAC/FCP are set up in this manner, then the captured signals all have the same timeline. It is great for multi-camera shoots or were the captured signals need to be synchronized with other signals that are matched to the same LTC time code signal. The BOX gets connected between the LTC signal (input) and the RS422 cable of the MAC hardware. FCP has a mode where the capture can be done from live sources currently that
does not require the use of the BOX. This is fine when the captured video does
NOT need to have a timeline that matches anything else. If synchronization is
required, then use an AEC-BOX-2!
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Copyright © 2006
Adrienne Electronics Corporation
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