Red Epic Connections
Most often, when a camera manufacturer writes that their output is 23.98p, they actually mean that it outputs 23.98PsF. However, the Red Epic actually outputs a 1080/23.98p (not PsF) output.As of Build 5910, Previzion’s 1080/23.98p video format setting takes this signal directly, and converts it to a 1080/23.98 PsF output signal for compatibility with standard on set recording devices.
Previzion also now supports 1080/25.0p input HDSDI, and converts it to 1080/25.0 PsF output HDSDI.
Older Builds
For older versions of Previzion, a converter must be used to convert the 1080/23.98p signal to 1080/23.98 PsF. The following 2 converters are known to do this:Decimator MD-DUCC (highly recommended)
Decimator MD-DUCC
Decimator Design makes a up/down/cross video converter box that might as well be the Swiss Army knife of video converters. It is an inexpensive and effective tool that is strongly recommended.
The way this box works, any and all inputs can be scaled and timed to the set output you choose. For Previzion purposes, if you are taking in 1080/23.98p, you can set the box to retime it to 1080/2398PsF.
The one tricky part of the MD-DUCC is its menu and settings which can be somewhat confusing. For a list of all the menus and settings, download it from Decimaotr designs or use our 2 page version:
For other frame rates (like 1080/29.97p) coming out of the EPIC, do the same thing and convert it to more standard formats. In the MD-DUCC, this would be an output of 1080/29.97PsF. For “high speed” frame rates, you should also set the output to 1080/29.97PsF as the Epic’s preview output would still be at 29.97.NOTE: VANC (video time code) does not pass through the DUCC, the camera and Previzion will need to pull timecode from an external source. Also thhe factory setting for the output scaling is OFF. Please ensure that your MD-DUCC’s “Scale Enable” is ON and that your “Scaled Output Format” is set to your preferred PsF output.
Genlock and Sync
It is recommended to use an external 1080/23.98p or 1080/25.0p sync generator to directly sync the Red Epic and the Airtrack, instead of deriving sync from the Epic HDSDI output. This is because the HDSDI output can drift, requiring adjusting the tracking delay to keep the foreground and background in sync.
Epic Sensor Size
For full width 5k capture, the Epic live output signal uses the entire 27.7mm sensor width, so this is the sensor width that should be entered into the sensor width setting.
For smaller 4k captures, the sensor width must be scaled down proportionally.
Epic Focus Magnification
If using the Epic focus magnification to get correct focus while calibrating lenses, be certain to turn it off before starting a lens calibration sequence! Otherwise, you will get incorrect results (a 32mm prime will read as a 85mm focal length.)
Epic Black Bars in Video Signal
Since the Epic sensor is a 1.88:1 sensor, and the live HDSDI output is 1.78:1, there are black bars on the top and bottom of the image. These will create a slightly strange artifact when they intersect with garbage mattes, but will not affect the 5k recorded data.