lyallmarcus

http://www.activesilicon.co.uk/products_fg_lfg.htm

I believe they are using them in Catalyst Media Servers.

Apparently you can grab 4 x full size composite feeds at the same time. And they look kinda cheap. I could be wrong of course.

interesting-looking-video-card-grabs-4-x-composite-inputs

Quote: lyallmarcus wrote on Thu, 12 April 2007 12:34

----------------------------------------------------

> I believe they are using them in Catalyst Media Servers.

> Apparently you can grab 4 x full size composite feeds at the same time. And they look kinda cheap. I could be wrong of course.

Looks interesting! At a first glance I can't find the prices on the website though. Interested in compatibility with max as well..

Quote: lyallmarcus wrote on Thu, 12 April 2007 12:34
----------------------------------------------------
> http://www.activesilicon.co.uk/products_fg_lfg.htm
>
>
> The LFG4.
>
> I believe they are using them in Catalyst Media Servers.
>
> Apparently you can grab 4 x full size composite feeds at the same time. And they look kinda cheap. I could be wrong of course.
>
> Mac and PC compatible.
>
> Anyone used one?
>
>
----------------------------------------------------

Do they provide Quicktime compatible input components / drivers?

On Apr 12, 2007, at 6:35 AM, marcus lyall wrote:

Apple Mac OS X QuickTime capture (VDIG) driver for LFG4-MM (suitable 

and the PDF docs for the drivers look like they install a QT component :

http://www.activesilicon.co.uk/pdfs/quickstart-vdig.pdf

Type the following commands exactly as shown:

sudo rm -rf /Library/QuickTime/lfgvdigx.component

sudo rm -rf /System/Library/Extensions/cdapci.kext

sudo rm -rf "/Library/Documentation/Active Silicon"

That looks very promising. Thats awesome!

> Apparently you can grab 4 x full size composite feeds at the same 

> time. And they look kinda cheap. I could be wrong of course.

Apple Mac OS X QuickTime capture (VDIG) driver for LFG4-MM (suitable  
for SecuritySpy):

and the PDF docs for the drivers look like they install a QT component :
http://www.activesilicon.co.uk/pdfs/quickstart-vdig.pdf

Type the following commands exactly as shown:
  sudo rm -rf /Library/QuickTime/lfgvdigx.component
  sudo rm -rf /System/Library/Extensions/cdapci.kext
  sudo rm -rf "/Library/Documentation/Active Silicon"
  exit

>
> http://www.activesilicon.co.uk/products_fg_lfg.htm
>
>
> The LFG4.
>
> I believe they are using them in Catalyst Media Servers.
>
> Apparently you can grab 4 x full size composite feeds at the same  
> time. And they look kinda cheap. I could be wrong of course.
>
> Mac and PC compatible.
>
> Anyone used one?
>
>

have been using said lfg cards +2 for 2 days.

there is no universal binary gm driver for qt vdig.

the beta driver is very limited and buggy. 

supposedly was possible to work in yuv directly on card...nope

hopes for 8 fullrez pal, diminshed. even on fastest mac-pro.

not possible to switch to single field, so interlaced.

if i only had time to write a driver...or wait on ub gm.

have been using said lfg cards +2 for 2 days.
there is no universal binary gm driver for qt vdig.
have obtained one beta version + sdk.
the beta driver is very limited and buggy. 
ex:
defaults to animation codec
supposedly was possible to work in yuv directly on card...nope
hopes for 8 fullrez pal, diminshed.  even on fastest mac-pro.
not possible to switch to single field, so interlaced.
this is unacceptable.
if i only had time to write a driver...or wait on ub gm.
perhaps someone has a modified driver?

Quote: ryann wrote on Fri, 13 April 2007 09:58

> have been using said lfg cards +2 for 2 days.

> there is no universal binary gm driver for qt vdig.

> the beta driver is very limited and buggy. 

> supposedly was possible to work in yuv directly on card...nope

> hopes for 8 fullrez pal, diminshed. even on fastest mac-pro.

> not possible to switch to single field, so interlaced.

> if i only had time to write a driver...or wait on ub gm.

Quote: ryann wrote on Fri, 13 April 2007 09:58
----------------------------------------------------
> have been using said lfg cards +2 for 2 days.
> there is no universal binary gm driver for qt vdig.
> have obtained one beta version + sdk.
> the beta driver is very limited and buggy. 
> ex:
> defaults to animation codec
> supposedly was possible to work in yuv directly on card...nope
> hopes for 8 fullrez pal, diminshed.  even on fastest mac-pro.
> not possible to switch to single field, so interlaced.
> this is unacceptable.
> if i only had time to write a driver...or wait on ub gm.
> perhaps someone has a modified driver?
>
> Gideon, have you any suggestions?
>
> gr
>
> Ryan
>
----------------------------------------------------


mattijs...is the universal binary beta driver, not the card.

is a great product, with echt impeccable service.

will/must fix this weekend...back to the sdk.

mattijs...is the universal binary beta driver, not the card.
is a great product, with echt impeccable service.
will/must fix this weekend...back to the sdk.


Mmm what i understood from the company is that they're very willing 

to test things out in their labs and modify things to fit our needs.. 

I guess it's just a matter of contacting them. I know Richard 

Bleasdale who makes the catalyst video software is using it in his 

software, running at least 4 inputs in realtime as input for his 

videomixing system. So I guess it should be possible, don't know 

about exact specs though. Are you using the latest drivers ? 

www.activesilicon.co.uk/downloads/as-lfg-mac-apps-v02_00_00.dmg . 

> the beta driver is very limited and buggy.

Mmm what i understood from the company is that they're very willing  
to test things out in their labs and modify things to fit our needs..  
I guess it's just a matter of contacting them. I know Richard  
Bleasdale who makes the catalyst video software is using it in his  
software, running at least 4 inputs in realtime as input for his  
videomixing system. So I guess it should be possible, don't know  
about exact specs though. Are you using the latest drivers ? http:// 
www.activesilicon.co.uk/downloads/as-lfg-mac-apps-v02_00_00.dmg .  
Best, gid.

> have been using said lfg cards +2 for 2 days.
> there is no universal binary gm driver for qt vdig.
> have obtained one beta version + sdk.
> the beta driver is very limited and buggy.
> ex:
> defaults to animation codec
> supposedly was possible to work in yuv directly on card...nope
> hopes for 8 fullrez pal, diminshed.  even on fastest mac-pro.
> not possible to switch to single field, so interlaced.
> this is unacceptable.
> if i only had time to write a driver...or wait on ub gm.
> perhaps someone has a modified driver?
>
> Gideon, have you any suggestions?
>
> gr
>
> Ryan


Quote: ryann wrote on Fri, 13 April 2007 10:40

> mattijs...is the universal binary beta driver, not the card.

> is a great product, with echt impeccable service.

> will/must fix this weekend...back to the sdk.

Ahh k. Well, if you can make this work on intel mac that'd be a great achievement. As far as I know, the only current option to get multiple live video sources into max is with firewire video (non-dv), but that seems a costly business.

Quote: ryann wrote on Fri, 13 April 2007 10:40
----------------------------------------------------
> mattijs...is the universal binary beta driver, not the card.
> is a great product, with echt impeccable service.
> will/must fix this weekend...back to the sdk.
----------------------------------------------------

these drivers came with the sdk. they use a private framework, not quicktime. they work, but will not work in maxland with jit.qt.grab we need vdig here. active silicon is in beta with a vdig driver. i have a version of this. was buggy, so am working on a modified version. would be nice to use their drivers over vdig. would this mean writing a new capture object? jit.lfg.grrrab

these drivers came with the sdk.  they use a private framework, not quicktime.  they work, but will not work in maxland with jit.qt.grab  we need vdig here.  active silicon is in beta with a vdig driver. i have a version of this.  was buggy, so am working on a modified version.  would be nice to use their drivers over vdig.  would this mean writing a new capture object?  jit.lfg.grrrab
how difficult would this be?

Am running a beta vdig, and opted for this rather than a new object. Although at times I wish for the latter. For general purposes, the cards do what they should, and do it well. However, we are interested in a robust system with consistant day-in-day-out results. With weeks of testing, we are still getting an occassional input freeze. When this happens, there is no recovery of the input instance, and what follows is a seemingly contagious spread of 'freeze syndrome' or frostbite to other inputs as well. A restart is required. The freezes at first were daily, and thought to be caused by stopping bangs to an open vdig instance, and later re-sending bangs. Keeping the metro on at all times on all 8 inputs limits frost activity, but wastes cpu. Would like to resolve this, but more importantly I would like to resolve this occasional input loss. There is null tolerance since we can not afford the downtime of a restart nor can we loose sources during the eight hours that this runs. Am convinced that this is driver related, as I have witnessed other voodoo. Multiple cards must be on the same bridge, ie slots 3 and 4 to the southbridge, otherwise inputs are remapped in an inconsistant manner. Quicktime dialog should be used to select each source by hand, as a timed trigger bang of all instances is not consistent and could lead to a potential freeze. The source default of secam is annoying, especially when setting each instance by hand. Richard is working on this, but has not ruled out french natioanlism in the wake of elections;

Am running a beta vdig, and opted for this rather than a new object.  Although at times I wish for the latter.  For general purposes, the cards do what they should, and do it well.  However, we are interested in a robust system with consistant day-in-day-out results.  With weeks of testing, we are still getting an occassional input freeze.  When this happens, there is no recovery of the input instance, and what follows is a seemingly contagious  spread of 'freeze syndrome' or frostbite to other inputs as well.  A restart is required.  The freezes at first were daily, and thought to be caused by stopping bangs to an open vdig instance, and later re-sending bangs.  Keeping the metro on at all times on all 8 inputs limits frost activity, but wastes cpu.  Would like to resolve this, but more importantly I would like to resolve this occasional input loss.  There is null tolerance since we can not afford the downtime of a restart nor can we loose sources during the eight hours that this runs.  Am convinced that this is driver related, as I have witnessed other voodoo.  Multiple cards must be on the same bridge, ie slots 3 and 4 to the southbridge, otherwise inputs are remapped in an inconsistant manner.  Quicktime dialog should be used to select each source by hand, as a timed trigger bang of all instances is not consistent and could lead to a potential freeze.  The source default of secam is annoying, especially when setting each instance by hand.  Richard is working on this, but has not ruled out french natioanlism in the wake of elections;

interesting looking video card grabs 4 x composite inputs