We're new to the game here and trying to get our setup working properly - anyone else in a post facility that doesn't deal with news? We share a lot of media but we're not a newsroom - it's mostly 1/2 hour or 1 hour series and docs offlined on Composers and Symphonys and onlined on DS Nitris. We're feeling pretty lonely in this boat - an non-news folks here?

We are just now getting our new systems installed...so can't be of much help just now.  But maybe in the future.  We're at a university and generally are set up as a post production facility.  Maybe a month or two?? We are just barely getting our feet wet.

We're a television production company set up like a post-house, lots of 1/2 hr and longer non-fiction informational tv shows for cable networks, HD and SD. We're about 75% complete in a buildout that will eventually have about 35 Media Composers, 3 Symphony (2-dual boot to DS) and about 70 Interplay Assist. 4 ISIS crates 64 Tb mirrored to 32 Tb, 5 media indexers.

Transitioning from 4 Unity lanshares and Media Manager to ISIS and Interplay. Just upgraded from 1.1.0 to 1.1.6 -- road has been bumpy but seems to be smoothing out -- largely due to conflicts in media indexer configurations and folder permissions. Began install in May -- first shows underway on IP in July -- and just now getting sea-legs under us. Numerous series each with their own workspaces. Media stays on for months at a time. Captured 15:1 low-res media on the ISIS -- recaptured for online on local arrays in finishing bays, but connected to Interplay.

It seemed we were in the wilderness for awhile -- most large installations were broadcast facilities not post, so we've learned. Continuing to forge ahead. Biggest tip would be to keep it simple, in terms of directory structure, users/logons, workspaces and permissions. We're still tweaking ours, and now that our system is more stabilized, I'm sure we'll be continuing to optimize it more over the months to come.

We are strictly a post house creating and repackaging content for ESPN and others.  We do series with some documentary and specialty stuff as well.  It does seem a bit lonely for us as well.

We have a couple on Interplay systems - 1 on ISIS and 1 on Unity Media Net. Our system is running fairly well and the editors are slowly re-thinking their processes.

Don't know if I can answer too many questions but I will try.

Nice to meet you guys!!

We are just getting set up on Interplay and I'm coming in halfway through the process so forgive me for sounding like a complete rookie :)

I think the first question for me is - what do you guys think about our setup? We have a guy from Avid coming next Wednesday to Friday to check up on us, so right now we're compiling a list of quesitons and reqests.

Our final setup will include 2 Avid MC Mojos (not on router, offline only), 2 MC Adrenalines, 2 Symphony Nitris systems (dual boot w/ DS) and one DS Nitris. Eventually these will all be on Unity, along with a Final Cut Pro suite that also accesses the drives.

Most of the Avid editors work on entertainment news/docs cut from the same library of interviews and b-roll. We work in both HD and SD though we're moving more and more towards HD and the library is being digitized at DNX145, then archived to our PetaSite while we edit with 15:1s proxies. There is also one SD sports show that doesn't use the library. The Unity has a workspace for each day of the week, plus one workspace for projects and users, one workspace for renders and VOs/graphics imported by editors, one workspace for DS media, and one workspace for the FCP guy.

Here's the workflow.
One of the Adrenalines is set up as an I/O suite with soon-to-be 24 hour operators. The day shift is going to do more media management and last-minute VO/gfx imports for editors, and the evening and graveyard will handle most of the tape ingests and the mastering. Shows from the two MC Mojos are to be onlined on the non-Symphony DS with a tape conform from AFE. The two Symphonies will do a mix of offline and online editing.

When tapes come in, our I/O Ops ingest them on the day-of-the-week drives @ DNX145, then transcode them to a 15:1s proxy, archive the original hi-res media and delete the high res footage off Unity. The theory is that when shows are completed, we will do a partial restore. Right now partial restores are failing and we don't know why.

There's another problem with our DS/Symphony having media randomly go offline that we think is related to Unity and we expect Avid to look at it next week.

Anyway, if you've read this far - thanks so much and we would love your opinion!

I also came in half way through the install and config process.  We also had some guys from Avid setting our system up and we have a similiar workflow.  We still use a lot of MPEG 50 but that will change in '08 to DnX145.  We have quite a few Mojos and Adrenaline systems on both Unity and ISIS with one Nitris for finishing work and they all seem to get along fine.  The big thing was making sure all components had the correct versions to work together.  This was done before I arrived but I heard the stories.

Whenever we have random offline issues, I find it's an indexer issue.  Sometimes I simply stop and restart the services on that workstation and on rare occasion that workstation loses the media table from the HAG.  For the most part it runs pretty stable. 

One of the paradigm shifts I am working with is getting our editors to use the Interplay window instead of opening a ton of bins.  We find that using the IPlay window speeds everything up even editing in MPEG50.  Another change is ingesting into Interplay insetad of Avid bins then checking in those bins.  We've had a few glitches but keep working through them.

I will be very interested in hearing how the FCP integration goes.  We have a couple of XSan servers here that all the Mac's talk to  and would like to integrate them into out Interplay environment.

Finally, don't worry about sounding like a rookie.  When I started here, I had not heard of Interplay.

starwipe:

We work in both HD and SD though we're moving more and more towards HD and the library is being digitized at DNX145, then archived to our PetaSite while we edit with 15:1s proxies.
When tapes come in, our I/O Ops ingest them on the day-of-the-week drives @ DNX145, then transcode them to a 15:1s proxy, archive the original hi-res media and delete the high res footage off Unity. The theory is that when shows are completed, we will do a partial restore. Right now partial restores are failing and we don't know why.

What flavor of HD are you using, 1080 or 720?

Thnx

JDS

Doc Avid:

What flavor of HD are you using, 1080 or 720? Thnx JDS

1080i/59.94 99% of the time.  We shoot all HD and our SD tape library is getting upconverted through a Teranex on the way in.  We have the odd project shot in 23.98P but it's always 1080.

starwipe:

 The big thing was making sure all components had the correct versions to work together. 
This was done before I arrived but I heard the stories.

Uh oh.  This is something nobody has talked about so far - like what?

All editors and stuff must be on the same Editor level version number wise. When we run Interplay .4 we had editors at .7 releases same goes for the connection manager etc.

Whenever we have random offline issues, I find it's an indexer issue.  Sometimes I simply stop and restart the services on that workstation and on rare occasion that workstation loses the media table from the HAG.  For the most part it runs pretty stable. 

At the risk of sounding like a complete idiot, what's the HAG?  Also, what indexer - is this a DS Media Indexer or is it something in Interplay?

HAG stands for High Availability group and is indeed combined Interplay Isis stuff.

One of the paradigm shifts I am working with is getting our editors to use the Interplay window instead of opening a ton of bins.

We've been struggling with this workflow.  We are also having performance problems - lag, stutters, audio underruns and the like - maybe that's why.

We were told that bins may be unadvisable, nobody was clear on the why.  All that our editors have been told is that creating a bin makes a duplicate listing in Access and it's one more thing for the Media Manager to keep track of.  Do these duplicate listings slow the system down?

Since the heart of any Interplay system is the indexer it will be noticeable that the more data you have to be tracked the slower the system will work. So when possible keep the duplicates as low as you can. "We" use the IP window frequently and only use bins for A: editors that can not work with the IP window (fixed that by training) and B: to store Sequences and media that has been imported on the client. The main use of masterclips is being done from the IP window which is really cool and fast. In some cases clients are still working on the rushes in Assist and that automatically updates in the IP window which is very handy as well.

Another change is ingesting into Interplay instead of Avid bins then checking in those bins.

Could this be affecting our performance as well?

Should not be of influence but since we are all on new territory i will not state it does not affect

I will be very interested in hearing how the FCP integration goes. 

Me too!  It's a long way off though since the FCP guy doesn't use the library, so integrating that suite is low priority.  First we just need to get all the Avid systems talking to each other!

I've got a few questions...I just started working on a re-digitize project for a post house that has 3 Avids (2 Adren, 1 DNXHD Symphony), a Smoke, a couple AE swites and two FCP suites. The current issue is the Unity/Avid MXF media. We need to re dig/ingest all the footage on the system (lots of footage from at least 5 years back). Once we get that squared away, then attack the FCP issue- looking into FlipFactory for that. The difficult part is that we are not using Interplay yet and are waiting until after our major production period this year is over.
    Have any of you used the prolog player, browser player, or avid player? I'm not sure we are doing things right at all- based on previous posts. Everything we have (media standpoint) has been dig'd into bins through various projects, by multiple people. Biggest problem is to take our stock footage from 5 and 10 minute clips, down to 10 and 15 second clips, labeled appropiately, and with appropiate metadata to search from...huge learning curve. I'm doing this, partly out of my knowlege of the media and also as an editor. Input is also appreciated- if we need to look again at IP at a stage just before things get heated up- I'm open, but not if it's going to create more issues and bugs that will slow down the editing process.

Thanks in advance,
tm

timmiller:

IThe difficult part is that we are not using Interplay yet and are waiting until after our major production period this year is over.
Have any of you used the prolog player, browser player, or avid player? I'm not sure we are doing things right at all- based on previous posts. Everything we have (media standpoint) has been dig'd into bins through various projects, by multiple people. Biggest problem is to take our stock footage from 5 and 10 minute clips, down to 10 and 15 second clips, labeled appropiately, and with appropiate metadata to search from...huge learning curve.

if we need to look again at IP at a stage just before things get heated up. I'm open, but not if it's going to create more issues and bugs that will slow down the editing process.

it's my experience that editors slow down the editing process.

heh.

the Prolog and Avid player (from MediaManager) have been replaced by Interplay Assist & Access. Access is intended to be the search/management tool, while Assist is for viewing and applying metadata to the media.

We don't keep an extensive library of scenics and archive-type footage, but Assist & Access are decent enough tools for it.

We migrated to ISIS/Interplay from LanshareEX (OMF Media)/Mediamanager Select, and have had some success with copying the OMF media to an external drive, setting the local media indexer to scan it, then consolidate/transcode to MXF onto the ISIS. some success, mind you, but it beats redigitizing.

Haven't tried to integrate FCP into our architecture, but do have a couple OSX Adobe suites from out GFX department on. Note, Assist/Access are windows only, and Access on a Mac can see and manipulate non-avid assets only.

All editors and stuff must be on the same Editor level version number wise. When we run Interplay .4 we had editors at .7 releases same goes for the connection manager etc.

true. also, get as far away from 1.1 as you can. we're currently Interplay 1.1.6 ISIS 1.4 MC 2.7.7

One of the paradigm shifts I am working with is getting our editors to use the Interplay window instead of opening a ton of bins.

We were told that bins may be unadvisable, nobody was clear on the why. All that our editors have been told is that creating a bin makes a duplicate listing in Access and it's one more thing for the Media Manager to keep track of. Do these duplicate listings slow the system down?

had inconsistent results with this workflow, it seems more to do with the content of the bins, not the number. if you've got a bin with a very dense sequence or 500 cuts of music (people do it, sadly) i've seen it crash the Indexing service on the local machine. The HAG is healthy, but it pushes too much too fast to the edit suite and blows up the memory (as much as a 1.5 GB dedicated to the indexing service itself). 1.1.6 has improved this somewhat.

We've been struggling with this workflow. We are also having performance problems - lag, stutters, audio underruns and the like - maybe that's why.

more memory on the local system, maybe. i had to cram mine full. there are a few too many moving parts on the whole ISIS/Interplay framework, and the resting page file (i.e. Avid running, Indexing service, connection manger, windows background services, but not actively editing or doing anything) tends to be about 2.6GB.

Out here at NASA-JSC we are using Interplay and Unity 5.0. We do a few things that are kind of like news, but really we are most like a post house with some live to air capability.

We upgraded to Interplay in mid October. I did the upgrade myself and the majority of it went without a hitch. (I do have Interplay ACSR certification though).

Our editors and other folks (master control ops, etc) are just getting used to it and figuring out how to work in this environment.

The worst things we are seeing is that our 8000s are just too slow with the newer software and interplay. We are looking at upgrading those next.

MB

We are a facility rental company with Interplay and media Manager systems in use, depending on the client and the complexity of the job. Not necessarily news, but fast turnaround sports, reality TV and the like. We have found the earlier versions of Interplay to be problematic, especially checking in bins etc. Having said that, the latest versions of IP have improved significantly. We actually moved back our systems to Media Manager for a while as we had a lot of problems with freelance editors trying to get their head around Interplay. Training of your editors etc. is really key to it. We can teach Media manager for an editor in an hour, but Interplay is much more powerful and it offers so many ways to work that you need to have someone taught over a few days. Our problem is that often the editors turn up on the day of the job to start editing and they already have a ton of work to do, so us showing them how to use Interplay is the last thing they want to see! Interplay Assist works much better that the Media Manager Select player, and the ability to have a low res/high res version of files is great. We have used XDCAM proxies as our low res in some jobs, with some success until people started playing with Dynamic relink...IP is definitely a big memory hog on the workstations, and it does feel at times that it puts too much requirement on the editing workstation. Overall though, we do feel it coming along, but it is a steep learning curve for editors not used to a managed environment.

James Taylor

Videocraft Australia