Technology Sneek Peek: Adobe® Mercury Playback Engine

[dradeke]

Hi guys,

Been working on this blog post for what seems like forever.  I hope you enjoy it.  Please be sure to post comments there and not here...or at least if appropriate post in both places. 😉

http://blogs.adobe.com/genesisproject/2009/11/technology_sneek_peek_adobe_me.html#more

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Dennis

[Harm_Millaard]

There is one such system in the PPBM results. It is Skeeze's rig. Dual W5590 and 36 GB memory. And there are some more dual quad configurations. That makes it even more interesting to see Dave's PPBM results with and without MPE.

[dradeke]

I will see if we can run those tests.  however, it will be a couple of weeks at the earliest.  We're flying out west for a week.

[Harm_Millaard]

I'll consider it your Christmas gift to us. Anyway Bill is out of the country for the next week,so don't hurry, but please do not forget this Christmas present.

[Powered_by_Design]

Will the new playback engine use SLI

Can you get 2 graphices cards and make it even faster ?

Also do you know what the yellow line above the timeline means in the new version ?

Thanks:  Glenn

[Harm_Millaard]

The yellow line means that the format is not identical to your sequence settings, but does not need to be rendered for RT preview.

Are you seriously considering dual Quadro 4800+ cards in SLI mode? I think the new Intel SCC (Single-chip cloud) CPU with 48 cores may be more interesting, but even more expensive. http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20091202083704_Intel_to_Demonstrates_48_Core_Microprocessor.html

[Powered_by_Design]

not thinking about dual cards but just wondering if they are building for it.

I think my next rig will just be a core i7 920 with 12GB

I think that shoud due for awhile.

but i might have to look at a CUDA card with the new mercury engine.

Glenn

[dradeke]

No - we're not looking at SLI at this time.

Dennis

[Powered_by_Design]

When would be the best time for Adobe to release CS5

What is the next BIG show ( like CES )

Any guesses ?

what would they shoot for ?

were all dreaming after seeing that video.

Enjoy:  Glenn

[Harm_Millaard]

Either NAB or IBC would be logical for the announcement. Like CS4 was announced at IBC and availability some months later. CES is not the most attractive place IMO.

[tclark513]

I wonder why Adobe and Red used resources to write the previous plug in for Premiere?  It seems like you wont need any of that with the new Playback Engine.

[tclark513]

Can anybody speculate on how true HD monitoring (external monitor) would be achieved through the cards mentioned?  Would there still be a need for a third party?

[Chuck_A__McIntyre]

ATI's new line of cards (5800 series) support 3 monitors running simultaneously. 2 DVI for your regular computer screens and 1 HDMI output for an HD monitor. I checked on Nvidia's website and couldn't find a Quadro card that supports 3 monitors running at the same time. If I didn't just miss it, hopefully, they will provide this feature in the near future.

Although we would enjoy ATI's 3 monitor capability, We're holding out for Mercury's release and going with Nvidia.

[tclark513]

Chuck A. McIntyre wrote:

ATI's new line of cards (5800 series) support 3 monitors running simultaneously. 2 DVI for your regular computer screens and 1 HDMI output for an HD monitor. I checked on Nvidia's website and couldn't find a Quadro card that supports 3 monitors running at the same time. If I didn't just miss it, hopefully, they will provide this feature in the near future.

Although we would enjoy ATI's 3 monitor capability, We're holding out for Mercury's release and going with Nvidia.

I noticed that also.  The computer at work has one dvi out that we utilized a "y" adapter that seems to work pretty well for the dual monitor situation.  I wonder if the same could be used on the cards supported?

[dradeke]

ATI has a temporary win, but the Fermi cards are going to be pretty powerful.  The specs on them would indicate that they'll kill the ATI 5800.  Of course, ATI will come out with something nifty too and counter... 😉

99% of the audience doesn't need three ports - especially with 30" monitors.  I know the Quadro 4800 has two Display ports and a DVI

tired - must go to sleep...

[tclark513]

dradeke wrote:

ATI has a temporary win, but the Fermi cards are going to be pretty powerful.  The specs on them would indicate that they'll kill the ATI 5800.  Of course, ATI will come out with something nifty too and counter... 😉

99% of the audience doesn't need three ports - especially with 30" monitors.  I know the Quadro 4800 has two Display ports and a DVI

tired - must go to sleep...

I gues I am in the 1%.

I rather have two 19" 4x3 montiors then a 30" widescreen.

[Harm_Millaard]

I'm with you. I currently have two 20" 4x3 monitors and a CRT, but I would love to change that CRT for something like this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/610963-REG/JVC_DT_V24L3DY_DT_V24L3DY_24_LCD_Monitor.html#features

[Colin_Brougham]

Simply out of curiousity, why the preference for two monitors instead of one? I always felt the same way (harkening from my Avid days, when two monitors was a luxury that people would "ooh" and "ahh" about), until I built my own systems and went with a single 24"--which was big then, but fairly modest now. I immediately was smitten with the single-monitor setup: the monitor "gap" was finally a thing of the past!

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks--just conducting an informal poll

[tclark513]

Colin Brougham wrote:

Simply out of curiousity, why the preference for two monitors instead of one? I always felt the same way (harkening from my Avid days, when two monitors was a luxury that people would "ooh" and "ahh" about), until I built my own systems and went with a single 24"--which was big then, but fairly modest now. I immediately was smitten with the single-monitor setup: the monitor "gap" was finally a thing of the past!

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks--just conducting an informal poll

I love having the project panel on one whole monitor...I don't like wide screen at all for editing.

[pebalsamo]

tclark513 wrote:

Colin Brougham wrote:

Simply out of curiousity, why the preference for two monitors instead of one? I always felt the same way (harkening from my Avid days, when two monitors was a luxury that people would "ooh" and "ahh" about), until I built my own systems and went with a single 24"--which was big then, but fairly modest now. I immediately was smitten with the single-monitor setup: the monitor "gap" was finally a thing of the past!

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks--just conducting an informal poll

I love having the project panel on one whole monitor...I don't like wide screen at all for editing.

I too love having the project panel in its own monitor.  I do not mind the wide screen thing though.  I just feel that I can better organize with two monitors than with one.  Even with a single 30, I do not think I would like it...

Phil

[Jeff Bellune]

Single 24" Dell here.

-Jeff

[RDA972]

My setup : one 30" Dell  for PPro and one 24" Sony external video monitor, both are very nice to work with.

[tclark513]

RDA972 wrote:

My setup : one 30" Dell  for PPro and one 24" Sony external video monitor, both are very nice to work with.

I couldn't work with a project panel that small...

[D&R Films]

Simply out of curiousity, why the preference for two monitors instead of one? I always felt the same way (harkening from my Avid days, when two monitors was a luxury that people would "ooh" and "ahh" about), until I built my own systems and went with a single 24"--which was big then, but fairly modest now. I immediately was smitten with the single-monitor setup: the monitor "gap" was finally a thing of the past!

Sure... I have two 22.5" monitors.. I originally got them for use with Edius as it is almost native with two monitors. It will fill both monitors (if you have two) upon first launch.

Then I switched to Premiere CS4.1 for the better AVCHD workflow (HMC150) and now I use my second monitor for playback and LOVE it! With Edius you'd need GV hardware to output to external devices through HDMI... I hooked up my second monitor to the HDMI out on my video card and it works like a regular monitor, but also works as an output device in HD when playing back the timeline or source clips in Premiere.

The only downside is if I dynamic link to another app that normally opens on the second monitor (which is how I have them all set up) I need to remember to first turn off the Premiere monitor out or I won't be able to get to the app. Oh, it's also cool to edit in AfterEffects on the left monitor, and save the linked comp and see it update on the right monitor in Premiere.

Can't wait for MPE and CS5.

(pic of before the switch back to Premiere)

[tclark513]

Harm Millaard wrote:

I'm with you. I currently have two 20" 4x3 monitors and a CRT, but I would love to change that CRT for something like this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/610963-REG/JVC_DT_V24L3DY_DT_V24L3DY_24_LC D_Monitor.html#feat...

Wow...that's impressive!

[Chuck_A__McIntyre]

"Wow...that's impressive!"

The monitor or the price?!

Three new 30" monitors would cost us, on average, $6000. We could get 6 new 19" monitors for somewhere around $1200. I like the idea of a 30" monitor, but I would be afraid to take them on the road, which we do about twice a year. I'm so used to the two monitor edges in the middle, that it doesn't bother me on our two monitor setups. When the prices come down, I would like to give a 30" a shot.

The other day, I got a call from my wife who was shopping at Fry's. She gave the monitor I was using for one of my home systems to her sister. She called to tell me that Fry's had a 22" AOC monitor (1920x1080 with a decent contrast ratio + DVI) on sale for $98. I asked her to buy it. For now this monitor is great. Very sharp.