Page 2 Revised – Feb. 10, 2010 Copyright 2010 NewTek Inc., 5131 Beckwith Blvd. San Antonio, TX USA 78249. TriCaster TCXD300, TriCaster, 3P , VT[5], SpeedEDIT, LiveSet, LiveMatte, LiveMatte and LiveText are trademarks of NewTek Inc. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
Page 3 TRICASTER™ TCXD300...
Page 5: Table Of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I (Getting Started) ........................1 About This Manual ........................3 Introduction ..........................5 Overview ........................5 Startup Screen ........................5 Live Desktop ........................6 Features .........................7 2.4.1 A/V Input and Output .....................7 2.4.2 Monitoring ......................8 2.4.3 Multiple Proc Amps ....................9 2.4.4 The Switcher ......................9 2.4.5 Transitions......................9 2.4.6...
Page 6 Genlock Connection......................20 3.5.1 Genlock Connection ....................20 Output Connections .....................21 3.6.1 A/V Output ......................21 3.6.2 HD and SD ......................22 3.6.3 Connecting Devices ....................22 3.6.4 VGA Output ......................23 Tally Lights ........................24 3.7.1 External Connections ....................24 Starting a Session ......................25 Configure Video Output ....................28 3.9.1 SD Analog Configuration ..................28 3.9.2...
Page 7 Network Sources ......................47 4.5.1 iVGA Clients......................47 4.5.2 LiveText™ ......................48 Switching ........................49 4.6.1 Switcher Rows ......................49 4.6.2 Transitions......................50 Record and Grab ......................51 4.7.1 Record ........................52 4.7.2 Grab ........................53 Media Players ......................54 4.8.1 DDR ........................54 4.8.2 Stills ........................59 4.8.3 Titles ........................61 Overlay ........................62 4.10 LiveMatte ........................66 4.11...
Page 8 5.2.3 Shutdown ......................89 5.2.4 Utilities .........................90 5.2.5 Help ........................92 The Session Page ......................93 Live Desktop: Overview ....................101 Display Requirements ....................101 Overview ........................102 A Few Hints ........................ 102 Titlebar Tips ....................... 103 6.4.1 Status Bar ......................104 Desktop Monitors ......................105 Program Output ......................
Page 9 8.2.1 Connection Type ....................123 8.2.2 Proc Amp......................126 8.2.3 LiveMatte ......................127 Network Sources ....................... 129 iVGA ........................... 129 9.1.1 iVGA for OS X™ ....................129 9.1.2 iVGA for Windows® .................... 131 LiveText ........................132 Streaming ........................135 10.1 TriCaster Streaming ....................
Page 10 12.2.2 FTB ........................162 12.2.3 T-Bar ........................162 12.2.4 Transition Selector ..................... 163 12.3 Overlay ........................164 12.3.1 Two Channels ..................... 164 12.3.2 Overlay Source ....................164 12.3.3 Sources and Transparency .................. 165 12.3.4 Position (and Size) ....................166 12.3.5 Activate ......................
Page 11 14.7 Practical Staging for LiveMatte .................. 189 14.7.1 Lighting ......................189 14.7.2 Connection Considerations ................. 190 Virtual Inputs ........................ 191 15.1 Primary Video Sources ....................192 15.2 Position ........................193 15.3 Overlay ........................194 15.4 LiveSet ........................195 15.4.1 LiveSet Selection ....................195 15.4.2 Video Sources .....................
Page 12 17.1.3 IEEE1394 I/O Output ..................215 17.1.4 SpeedDIT Desktop ....................215 17.2 LiveText ........................215 17.2.1 Sessions, Projects and Display ................215 17.2.2 Files/Filebin ......................216 17.2.3 Naming Stand-in Images ..................217 PART III (Appendices)........................ 219 How Do I … ? ........................221 Connections .......................
Page 13 A.3.7 Change Playback Speed for Clips in the DDR (Media Player)? ......231 A.3.8 Get Stubborn Clips (MOV or AVI) to Play in the DDR? ......... 231 A.3.9 Change Colors for an Entire Title Playlist at Once? ..........232 A.3.10 Get Live Title Pages (.cgxml) to Respect All LiveText Font Attributes? ....
Page 14 More questions and Answers ..................244 A.8.1 Why Do Some Thumbnail Icons Look Wrong?............. 244 Performance Considerations ..................... 245 Testing, One Two … ....................245 iVGA and Performance ....................245 IMAG and Latency ...................... 246 B.3.1 Relativity and the Speed of Light ................ 246 B.3.2 Latency and Your Audience ................
Page 15 Titles .......................... 267 General ........................268 D.8.1 Misc........................268 D.8.2 Selection… ......................268 Index ............................269 Credits............................273...
Page 17: Part I (Getting Started)
PART I (GETTING STARTED) Introducing TriCaster™ TCXD300 – connections and registration, a top-level overview of primary features, and a hands-on tour to get you started. Page | 1...
Page 19: About This Manual
ABOUT THIS MANUAL Hate reading manuals? If so, you are part of the majority (estimates are that between 60 and 97% of the human race concur). Most prefer to jump right in, maybe asking a friend for occasional help (and who can blame them)? This manual attempts to tell you what you need to know in a friendly, concise way, while also providing a deeper reference section you can turn to when you really need specifics.
Page 21: Introduction
Traditionally, producing live high definition television has been very costly, requiring very expensive equipment and a large crew. TriCaster TCXD300 (like its standard definition siblings) changes all that. In one lightweight, portable system (small enough to fit in a backpack) you have a complete toolset to create, broadcast, web stream and project your HD production.
Page 22: Live Desktop
Figure 1 The Startup Screen allows you to define and open sessions, each of which can be customized for various productions or other purposes. Later, when you re-open a session, all of its assets and settings are remembered. Having created a session (or opened an existing one), you proceed to the similar Sessions screen. Here you can launch the Live Desktop (for live production), or perhaps choose to Edit, prepare Graphics (title pages), or Manage content from the rotating function selector allow.
Page 23: Features
Figure 2 The uppermost area is devoted to monitoring. The Switcher is centrally located, and is also home to the Transition and Overlay controls. The bottom-most section of the Live Desktop holds side-by-side tabbed panels featuring media players (DDR, Stills and Titles), Virtual Input setup, and the Audio Mixer.
Page 24: Monitoring
Integrated DDR and Stills modules allow you to insert pre-recorded video, sounds or imagery into your live presentations.  Select Microsoft Windows™ or Apple MacIntosh™ computers on the same network ™ as Switcher inputs for your live productions using NewTek's iVGA client.  Mix internal and external audio sources. ...
Page 25: Multiple Proc Amps
2.4.3 MULTIPLE PROC AMPS  Separate control over the Brightness, Contrast, Hue and Saturation for each video input.  Separate Proc Amp control over Program output and VGA (projector) output. 2.4.4 THE SWITCHER Figure 4 The three row Switcher allows you to freely hot-punch between external (Camera and Network), internal (DDR, Stills and Titles) and Virtual Inputs, or Take/Transition between Preview and Program row selections.
Page 26: Overlay
 One-click FTB (Fade to Black), Take or Transition.  Traditional T-bar transition controller.  Reverse switch.  Ping Pong – automatically cycle the direction of transitions.  Transition Speed presets and variable timing. 2.4.6 OVERLAY TriCaster’s Overlay section provides dual-channel downstream keying, allowing you to assign any switcher source to either channel.
Page 27: Audio Mixer
2.4.8 AUDIO MIXER Figure 7 TriCaster provides extensive multi-channel audio control and management. Adjust individual audio sources (internal and external) and introduce them into your program manually or automatically. Control output levels for program, headphones, auxiliary output and stream separately. Presets allow single-click access to prepared mixer setups. 2.4.9 INTEGRATED MEDIA PLAYERS TriCaster’s media players and title system serve up graphics and titles during your live productions quickly and easily.
Page 28: Keying, Virtual Sets And Virtual Inputs
Use LiveMatte™ realtime keying technology for green/blue screen effects.  Apply independent LiveMatte settings to all video sources.  Achieve the look of a sophisticated studio setting in a very small space with NewTek’s LiveSet™ virtual set technology. Page | 12...
Page 29: Graphics
Virtual Input setups. 2.4.11 GRAPHICS Also part of TriCaster’s integrated software suite is LiveText, NewTek’s professional titling and graphics application. LiveText allows you to create your own custom title pages and motion graphics, including scrolls and crawls.
Page 30  Realtime external hardware project preview in HD or SD.  Import and export file format support includes MPEG2 and QuickTime for versatility in program delivery. In summary, TriCaster gives you the power of a network control room and post production facility in one simple to use broadcast appliance.
Page 31: Setting Up
SETTING UP This chapter explains how to properly connect power, external control devices, monitors and audio visual sources to your NewTek TriCaster system. It also reviews registration for warranty purposes and technical support. After completing this short section, you’ll be all set to continue into the Quick Start chapter that follows it.
Page 32: Activating & Authorizing Windows
9. Assign a name to the administrator account. You may type your name, company, or perhaps simply “TCXD”. 10. Click Finish, and you system will re-start. After restarting and accepting NewTek’s User Agreement, the interface will load automatically. Page | 16...
Page 33: Tricaster License And Registration
This will take you to the Registration page (http://register.newtek.com) in the Customer Care section of NewTek’s website where you will find further directions. Hint: More information on connecting TriCaster to a network can be found in Section 3.13 Otherwise, you can visit the registration webpage from another system with Internet access.
Page 34: Registering By Telephone
3.3.2 REGISTERING BY TELEPHONE NewTek’s Customer Care center can also handle registration requests by telephone, if that is more convenient (when opportunity permits, you should still visit the website as discussed above to gain access to software updates). Please have your Product ID (from the Registration dialog mentioned earlier) handy when you call.
Page 35 1. Connect video sources to the appropriate connectors in the VIDEO IN section, whether SDI, Component, Y/C (S-Video) or Composite (may require RCA to BNC adapter) – Attach the SDI source connectors to BNC connectors marked SDI in the Video In group. Hint: If your equipment supports SDI, this is your best quality I/O option.
Page 36: Genlock Connection
GENLOCK CONNECTION 3.5.1 GENLOCK CONNECTION The Genlock input on TriCaster’s front panel (Figure 12) is for connection of a ‘house sync’ or reference signal (often a ‘black burst’ signal intended specifically for this purpose). Many studios use this method to synchronize equipment in the video chain. Figure 12 Genlocking is commonplace in higher end environments, and genlock connections are usually found on professional gear.
Page 37: Output Connections
OUTPUT CONNECTIONS Next we’ll discuss the vital external audio and video connectors, and relevant settings. We’ll start with output connections, not only so you can view your results, but because some aspects are best considered before even beginning a TriCaster session. Figure 13 3.6.1 A/V OUTPUT TriCaster provides three separate video and audio output connector groups, and very flexible...
Page 38: Hd And Sd
3.6.2 HD AND SD As mentioned above, TriCaster supports simultaneous output of both SD (Standard Definition) and HD (High Definition) video. Flexible video output is conveniently presented on TriCaster’s faceplate. The Video Output section provides three rows of BNC connectors which offer the following connection possibilities for live production: ...
Page 39: Vga Output
2. Connect TriCaster’s audio outputs: Analog audio – connect external audio devices to the ¼” phone jacks in the ANALOG AUDIO OUT section. b. Digital audio - a separate audio connection is not necessary for SDI output with embedded audio. Use the BNC connectors in the DIGITAL AUDIO OUT section to connect downstream AES/EBU (AES3) audio devices.
Page 40: Tally Lights
Simply connect the secondary device to the unused video output connector (DVI or VGA) on TriCaster’s backplane before powering up. The new device should be recognized and enabled by the system automatically, and you can configure it using settings in TriCaster’s Live Desktop (after creating a session).
Page 41: Starting A Session
 The tip-sleeve contact state is controlled by the Program row selection, corresponding to the red Tally Light on TriCaster’s faceplate.  The ring-sleeve contact state is controlled by the Preview row selection, corresponding to a green Tally Light on TriCaster’s faceplate. ...
Page 42 Figure 17 Continue with session creation by designating the Video Standard used in your locale (International models only). For the moment, let’s choose HD1080i for Resolution (even if the cameras you plan to connect are SD 4:3), then click the Start Session link below. Note: TriCaster supports a variety of optional session configurations for live production.
Page 43 Figure 18 This will launch the Live Desktop, which is likely the place where you will spend most of your time working with TriCaster. THE LIVE DESKTOP Figure 19 Page | 27...
Page 44: Configure Video Output
Initially, as you have yet to configure input devices or add content, the Live Desktop will look a bit barren (Figure 19). Take a quick look around, but then let’s continue to configure your devices. We had a brief glimpse of the Live Desktop back in section 2.3, but we’ll examine it more closely in Chapter 4, Live Production –...
Page 45 *Note: Analog connections for SpeedEDIT™ and LiveText™ output are pre-defined, and cannot be user-modified. Please see Chapter 17 for details. Figure 21 1. Move your mouse pointer over the large Program Output monitor on the Live Desktop. Click the Configure button (gear) that appears above its top-right corner (Figure 21) to open the Output Configuration panel.
Page 46: Configure Vga Output
 Composite + Y/C  Component If you select the first option for either row, composite video output is provided on the second BNC connector in VIDEO OUTPUT (labeled Y), and Y/C is placed on the third and fourth connectors (labeled Pb and Pr, respectively). Note: during HD sessions, Row 2 output is always HD.
Page 47: Configure Video Input
3.10 CONFIGURE VIDEO INPUT Let’s continue by configuring the video sources you connected earlier (Section 3.4): 1. Click the All Monitors tab at upper-left on the Live Desktop. 2. Move your mouse back and forth over the preview monitors labeled Inputs 1-3. Notice that a Configure button (gear icon) appears above the top-right corner of the preview monitors as you do so.
Page 48: Configure Audio
7. Continue to configure all external video sources in the same manner. We’ll look at the other options and settings in the Configuration panel later (see Section 8.2), but at this point you should be able to view the video inputs you have configured on their respective preview monitors.
Page 49 Figure 26 There is a source Type selector drop-down at the top of the control panels for Inputs 1-3. Clicking it opens the list of connection types. The Type options for Input 1 are slightly different, including two Mic options (with and without phantom power).
Page 50: Configure Genlock
Some variation exists as respects the signal levels of low impedance sources. For Mic (and Mic + Phantom) connection types, the Trim controls (Figure 27) provide a preliminary adjustment to allow you to match the input level. Use Trim to bring the levels for microphone and similar sources into a useful range on the VU meter.
Page 51 Figure 28 3. The default Reference Type in the Genlock settings is SD (Bi-level), as this is by far the most common reference signal type. However, if you supply an HD reference signal to the Genlock input, change the setting to HD (Tri-level). 4.
Page 52: Networking
3.13 NETWORKING TriCaster is capable of displaying screens from networked computers running NewTek’s iVGA™ client software, or output from other supported applications (such as NewTek’s own LiveText™). Connecting TriCaster to a local area network (LAN) may require additional steps beyond those mentioned back when we discussed Microsoft Windows ™...
Page 53: Live Production Walkthrough
LIVE PRODUCTION WALKTHROUGH This chapter provides a quick hands-on tour of the major components and functions of your NewTek TriCaster. In a very short time, these basics will be second nature to you. More detailed reference material on all aspects of TriCaster follows in Part II (Reference).
Page 54: Importing Content
2. The Sessions page of the Startup Screen will appear when you click Start Session. 3. Click the Manage icon on the function selector ring (Figure 29). Figure 29 IMPORTING CONTENT Click the Import Media button at lower-right. 5. Navigate to C:\TriCaster\Documentation\Walkthrough Content. 6.
Page 55: Monitoring
Although you might well never even notice, a two minute initialization period begins after you start (or re-start) TriCaster. This ‘warm-up’ period allows the system to stabilize, ensuring consistent performance of various components (for example, video clips playing in the DDR before the end of initialization could skip some frames).
Page 56: All Monitors
Hint: Move your mouse over Program Output, then click the Configure button (gear) that appears above it to open a tabbed panel containing Proc Amp and Genlock settings. 4.3.2 ALL MONITORS Click the All Monitors tab at upper left to view dedicated (ISO) monitors for all three main video inputs, along with an array of other previews.
Page 57: Switcher Monitors
And, as discussed in Section 3.10, the Camera 1-3, Effects and Preview monitors display a Configuration button allowing input type selection and more, including Proc Amp (see Section 8.2.2) and LiveMatte controls (see Section 4.10). Figure 32 Further, ISO monitors provide popup contextual controls including things like Play or Stop (Freeze), and Network source selection (see Section 7.2.1).
Page 58: Audio Mixer
they provide a convenient view for adjusting LiveMatte or LiveSet effects. Hover the mouse over the Preview or Effects monitor, then click the Configure button (gear) above to display the settings for the current video source (i.e., the one selected on the corresponding Switcher row.) Hint: Unlike the ISO monitors, these monitors do not feature interactive switching functions, nor of course are colored borders required to indicate their Switcher selection status.
Page 59 4. Find the icon named “3tone_quad.WAV” in the file pane. This is a four channel audio file, with a mid-range tone on channel 1, a higher tone on channel 2, while both channels 3 and 4 both carry a lower tone. 5.
Page 60 10. Click the DDR’s Play button. If you have stereo speakers or headphones connected, you should now hear two distinct tones – a mid-range tone from the left speaker (connected to Output CH1) and a higher pitched tone from the right speaker (connected to Output CH2). Hint: If you happen to have a ‘surround sound’...
Page 61: Pan
example. Balance regulates the levels for one pair of channels (1 and 3, or 2 4) at a time, and does not affect the other pair in doing so. Let’s consider the effect of the Mono switch next: 13. Center the Balance control once again, so that you hear the mid-tone exclusively from the left speaker, and higher tone from the right only.
Page 62: Talk
For example, when the Pan knob for Mic 2 is at the extreme right, all of the sound from that source is sent to output channel 2. Moving the slider leftward places an increasing amount of the sound from Mic 2 on output channel 1. When the slider reaches the extreme left position, the sound from Mic 2 is now entirely sent to output channel 1.
Page 63: Network Sources
Perhaps you’d like to be able to add Microsoft PowerPoint output, web pages, Skype™ video calls, application displays, titles and graphics from NewTek’s LiveText™ or other exotic content to your productions. TriCaster supports all such displays as Switcher sources from computers on the same network via the supplied iVGA™...
Page 64: Livetext
After agreeing to the NewTek license (and a moment or two for the network connection to be established) the name of the remote computer is added (along with “Black” and any other networked systems with iVGA running on them) to the iVGA client list.
Page 65: Switching
A (networked) LiveText workstation effectively constitutes a dedicated CG and title solution for TriCaster presentations. (This is a wonderful addition for those times when you could really use another pair of hands.) When running on the network connected computer, LiveText is listed in the Network source selection drop-down menu (just as an iVGA source would be).
Page 66: Transitions
Clicking a button in any row selects the active source for that row. The Program row selection dictates what video stream is sent to Program Output. The Preview row selection determines which source is cued up for the next Take (cut) or Transition operation. (The Effects row serves other purposes which we’ll come to a bit later).
Page 67: Record And Grab
Figure 43 1. Click the Transition button Camera 1 is gradually removed from Program Out Camera 2 (previously the Preview row selection) takes its place on Program Output iii. The Camera 2 button is now lit up on the Program row The Camera 1 button is lit up on the Preview row The red and green borders around the ISO monitors have been swapped 2.
Page 68: Record
Located immediately beneath the Program Output monitor are Stream, Record and Grab buttons, along with their respective Configure buttons. We’ll discuss streaming further on, but let’s consider Record and Grab here. 4.7.1 RECORD 1. Click the Configuration button (gear) next to Record. 2.
Page 69: Grab
Hint: If you choose ‘Audio + Video’, selecting ‘Include Separate mp3 file’ is useful if your editing software doesn’t support the embedded audio in TriCaster’s MPEG2 files. 6. Make sure you have an active source playing on Program Output. 7. Press the Record button – it will illuminate, and the neighboring timecode field will begin keeping track of the duration of your recording.
Page 70: Media Players
MEDIA PLAYERS 4.8.1 DDR TriCaster’s DDR (Digital Disk Recorder) is a powerful media player, and can greatly enhance your live productions. Show the DDR by clicking its tab in left-hand tabbed pane beneath the Switcher. (The DDR also has two right-hand pane siblings, the Stills and Title players, which we’ll discuss in the next section.) Figure 47 ADDING FILES...
Page 71 2. Click the name for your current TriCaster session beneath the Clips header in the left- hand column of the Media Browser. 3. The file pane at right displays icons for recordings made in the session. It should list the file you recorded earlier (in Section 4.7.1) –...
Page 72 TRIMMING AND SCRUBBING Let’s spend a moment learning how to trim a clip in the DDR. To do this you will use tools in the Scrub Bar immediately beneath the playlist pane (Figure 50). Figure 50 Drag the Scrub Bar’s square blue knob left or right to change the current play position. Trimming is accomplished by dragging the start and end points for the clip using the blue ] and [ gadgets at either end.
Page 73 18. Enable the DDR’s Autoplay switch. 19. Play the first clip in the DDR again. This time, just as the clip approaches its end, the Switcher automatically performs a transition. (That is, the sources on Program and Preview are automatically swapped, leaving Camera 1 on Program Output).
Page 74 You may find Single mode your usual choice, but it can be useful to turn it off (as just described) at other times. Perhaps a live speaker is presenting a long clip, but wants to be free to interrupt it with live commentary at any time. Turning Single off (while Autoplay on) works perfectly in this scenario.
Page 75: Stills
4. Add some image files (a dozen or more) to the Stills playlist (you can use some of the images from the NewTek Content group under the Stills heading for this example). 5. Click on one the icons about halfway through the playlist, highlighting it.
Page 76 Let’s pause to review. To this point, we've prepared both the DDR and Stills modules with playlists consisting of a similar series of still images. (Note that still image files default to a five second duration when added to a playlist). Fine, but ‘what about the aforementioned fun’, you ask? Let’s continue: 9.
Page 77: Titles
Of course, as its name implies, the Titles player is intended for preparing and displaying title pages. Let’s see how it works: 1. Click Add, and select a few of the prepared title pages from the NewTek location listed under the Titles heading in the Location List (left column) of the Media Browser.
Page 78: Overlay
6. Move the mouse over the default text shown in the Title Page Editor’s preview pane, and notice that a white bounding-box appears as you locate editable items. 7. Double-click inside the bounding-box for a line of text to open a text entry field; type something different, then press Enter on the keyboard to accept the changes.
Page 79 3. Click Add in the DDR tab to open the Media Browser we used earlier. 4. Click the NewTek location in the column at left. Select the icon named Earth Spin.avi (under “Animations”) in the pane at right, and click OK to add it to the DDR playlist (this is the animation clip we will display in front of our title text).
Page 80 5. Enable Single, Loop and Autoplay in the DDR pane. 6. Click the Add button in the Titles tab, to open another Media Browser. 7. Click the Practice Session location under the Titles heading in the Locations list at left, and add the title page named “Breaking News.cgxml”...
Page 81 Figure 58 13. Click the Configure button (gear) next to Overlay 2’s Position button. 14. Enable the Aspect Lock button (padlock) in the Position panel. This permits you to scale the overlay evenly on both axes. 15. Drag the mouse over the magnifying glass button to squash the overlay to a suitable size for use with the title.
Page 82: Livematte
20. Click the Lock (padlock) button in the Activate section, illuminating it and locking the two overlay channels together. Figure 60 21. Click the (Overlay) effect button for either channel, and they are simultaneously displayed. Hint: By clicking the Effect buttons for the Overlay channels, you can assign different effects for each.
Page 83 2. Click the DDR tab, and select DDR as the Program row source on the Switcher. 3. Add the video clip named Kiki Center.mpg from the Greenscreen group inside the Clips>NewTek location. 4. Click the Stills tab, and add the image named texas_weathermap.png (from Practice Session, under Stills in the Location list).
Page 84 Figure 62 8. Click the Configure button (gear) that pops up just above the DDR monitor (when you roll the mouse over the DDR monitor). 9. Click the LiveMatte tab in the Configuration panel that opens (Figure 62). 10. Click on the Pick Color button in the Background section of the panel, and keep the mouse button depressed.
Page 85: Virtual Inputs
4.11 VIRTUAL INPUTS Virtual Input buttons sit innocuously on TriCaster’s Switcher rows just like other video inputs, but in fact they possess very powerful features. Virtual Inputs can be somewhat likened to the M/E (Mix/Effect) rows of a traditional video switcher. They permit a composition to be prepared from multiple sources (including an upstream keyer channel).
Page 86 We can use a few of the unique features of Virtual Inputs to dress it up a bit though. For example, we might want to transpose the entire greenscreen shot to one side, placing the onscreen talent off-center in the result. Figure 64 6.
Page 87: Adding An Upstream Overlay
Figure 65 Without having moved the physical camera, we have changed the apparent position of our talent relative to the virtual backdrop (compare Figure 65 with Figure 61). 4.11.2 ADDING AN UPSTREAM OVERLAY Figure 66 Just above the Position button for Input A there is a control group labeled Overlay. The Overlay feature in Virtual Input tabs is, of course, upstream of the Switcher.
Page 88 Figure 67 9. Access the Titles player, and click the “Breaking News.CGXML” icon you added to the playlist from the Practice Sessions folder, back in Section 4.9. 10. Edit the top line in the title to say “5 Day Forecast”, as shown in Figure 67. 11.
Page 89: Liveset
Figure 68 Please note that this setup leaves both primary Overlay channels available for other purposes – such as add two more live PiPs, graphics or a title composition). 4.11.3 LIVESET™ We’ve saved the best for last in connection with Virtual Inputs, however. This is also where we gain access to TriCaster’s virtual set technology called LiveSet.
Page 90 The name of the current LiveSet is shown above the Zoom Preset thumbnail icons at the top of the Virtual Input tab – in this case, we see “NewTek > Default > A over B”, identifying the specific LiveSet, a member of the “Default” group in the “NewTek” folder.
Page 91 Figure 71 Assuming that you still have LiveMatte enabled for the DDR, V1’s Input A selector set to DDR and Input B set to Stills, a little adjustment in the Positioner (at the end of the Input A selector) is all that it should take to produce a result similar to Figure 71.
Page 92: Streaming
Figure 73 16. Enable the Animate Zoom switch, and click Preset 4. The zoom gradually changes from the starting position to the level assigned to Preset 4 - 100% (Figure 73). The timing for the change is controlled by the F|M|S buttons (Fast, Medium, Slow) below, and the nearby time slider.
Page 93: Streaming Configuration
Figure 74 4.12.1 STREAMING CONFIGURAT ION Click the Configure button situated next to the Stream (on/off) button to view and modify settings related to streaming your production across a network connection (Figure 74). The Stream Type options allow you to select between Windows Media Pull, Windows Media Push, and Adobe Flash streaming protocols.
Page 94: Simple Pull Streaming
4.12.2 SIMPLE PULL STREAMIN G “Pull” streaming is arguably the simplest way to get your production online: 1. Select Windows Media Pull as the Stream Type. 2. Pick a Profile, and click the Stream button. 3. Oh wait, there is no step three. Believe it or not, that’s it.
Page 95: Capturing The Stream
4.12.4 CAPTURING THE STREAM Whenever you are streaming your output, TriCaster archives the live stream as a file. Files are saved to D:\Media\Clips\sessionname\SavedStreams. This is a very useful feature. Among other things, it allows you to post the captured file to a website immediately after an event for ‘video on demand’...
Page 97: Part Ii (Reference)
PART II (REFERENCE) A thorough examination of the various aspects of TriCaster; every button, menu item, feature and control is considered in this section, so you can take full advantage of your system. Page | 81...
Page 99: The Startup Screen
We’ll look into each of these in turn, but first let’s consider a fundamental TriCaster TCXD300 concept – the session. What is a session, and why are sessions both important and valuable to...
Page 100: Introduction To Sessions
INTRODUCTION TO SESSIONS Whenever you work with TriCaster, you provide certain information about the production environment:  What broadcast standard is used in your locale – is it PAL, common in Europe among other places, or perhaps NTSC, standard throughout North American regions? ...
Page 101: The Home Page
When you re-open an existing session, it’s just as if you were continuing an earlier event. Thus, if you return to the same venue another day under more or less similar conditions, simply re-open your prior session and you are virtually ready to go. (Of course, it’s the course of wisdom to test everything before actually beginning the event.) Naturally, you can store multiple sessions and load any session freely.
Page 102: New (Session)
Figure 77 For example, the first thing you will likely do on launching TriCaster for the first time is create a new session. In anticipation of that, the New icon is in pre-selected whenever no sessions already exist on TriCaster. This results in the options shown in Figure 77 being displayed at right. 5.2.1 NEW (SESSION) As just mentioned, clicking the New icon on the function selector ring populates the pane at right with related options.
Page 103: Open (Session)
to the session type. For any HD session, output on these rows is also HD, but for SD sessions it will be SD. For 16:9 sessions, SD outputs are 16:9 too; but for 4:3 sessions they will be 4:3. The session setting has some other significant ramifications, too. For example, if your session format is SD 4:3, this is the format that will be captured by the Live Desktop’s Record function, even when the video cameras supplying your inputs are HD.
Page 104 Figure 79 CONTEXT MENU Right-click a session name to open a context menu with two items listed in it: Rename and Delete. The Delete function should be used thoughtfully, as it cannot be undone. All content stored in the named session’s folders will be deleted, including clips, images and titles, and even title and edit project files created within the session (unless you have deliberately saved the projects and all constituent files to locations outside the session folders).
Page 105: Shutdown
This selection provides Restart TriCaster, Shutdown TriCaster, and Exit to Windows links – click them to perform the named action in the usual manner. (In the case of the last-named function, you can return to the TriCaster environment from the Windows™ interface by double-clicking the desktop icon named TriCaster TCXD300.) Page | 89...
Page 106: Utilities
TriCaster can operate for 90 days before registration is mandatory, but we encourage you to register early. Among other reasons, doing so will serve to identify the unit to NewTek as yours in case of theft, and will also allow you to check for software updates that may have been recently released.
Page 107 This way you can be sure the very latest version of the software for your TriCaster is installed. 1. Click Update TriCaster 2. Login to the NewTek update webpage, locate the latest update and click on it. 3. At the dialog popup, choose Run. 4. Comply with any onscreen prompts that follow.
Page 108: Help
A foolish librarian might tear the new book into sections just big enough to fit into the open spaces on the shelf. This is would obviously be unwise. When you wish to refer to the book later you will lose a lot of time locating and assembling its sections before you can read it. How much better it would be to slide the remaining books closer together, combining all the free space first.
Page 109: The Session Page
THE SESSION PAGE Figure 84 Opening a session from the Home page (whether using Open or New) takes you to the Session Page, providing a new set of icons on the function selector ring. Figure 85 The name of the current session is shown in the top-left corner of the screen (Figure 85). The current session is displayed in the form “Home/session name”.
Page 110 Live Production link in the Session Page’s right-hand pane – click it to launch the Live Desktop. GRAPHICS Figure 87 TriCaster TCXD300 includes an integrated version of LiveText, NewTek’s standalone titling and CG application. Selecting the Graphics icon displays a number of related items on the right-hand side of the Sessions page.
Page 111 Figure 88 When you first enter a new session, no LiveText projects are listed in the area under Project Name. When you have created one or more projects, the name(s) will appear here and, as you would expect, you can re-open the project by clicking its name. Note: TriCaster stores new LiveText projects inside a folder named for the current session, as follows: D:\LIVETEXT PROJECTS\sessionname\projectname.cg.
Page 112 EDIT Figure 89 TriCaster includes an integrated version of SpeedEDIT, NewTek’s popular standalone non-linear video editor. Selecting the Edit icon displays a number of related items on the right-hand side of the Sessions screen. When you first enter a new session, no SpeedEDIT projects are listed in the area under Project Name.
Page 113 MANAGE Figure 90 Various TriCaster components provide filebins to permit you to manually administer files related to their projects, playlists, and so on. The Manage icon on the function selector ring in the Sessions page provides an alternative approach to file management. At times you may find it useful to be able to quickly access the various files associated with specific sessions.
Page 114 Under the label Browse, you will see direct links to the Clips, Stills, and other content associated with the current session. Clicking one of these links (or selecting it with the up/down arrow keys and pressing Enter) opens a system file explorer. You can use the familiar features and shortcut keystrokes in these windows (Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Delete and so-on) to manage the session content.
Page 115 The backup operation next determines whether all media used in the session is local (i.e., located in folders named for that session), or one or more files is external – stored in other places on your system, and included in the session using Add Media Location, or from folders belonging to other sessions.
Page 117: Live Desktop: Overview
LIVE DESKTOP: OVERVIEW TriCaster’s Live Desktop is the control center for your live production. It provides control over switching, transitions and overlays, title, audio mixing, playback of digitized content, and so As well, streaming and recording features are located here, along with keying and virtual set tools.
Page 118: Overview
because an aspect mismatch causes either letterboxing or pillar-boxing of the onscreen monitors (to display video without stretching). OVERVIEW TriCaster’s Live Desktop provides visual feedback for operations, including monitoring, live switching, and so on. It is divided into three horizontal bands. From top to bottom, these are: Monitoring •All Monitors view - all live inputs, including internal sources (such as the DDR) •Switcher Monitors - your current Switcher row selections...
Page 119: Titlebar Tips
Control Type Type Examples Usage Slider (vertical Drag in line with the control’s or horizontal, Gain, Balance orientation to raise or lower the single-value) current value. Drag up-down to adjust one value, Radial slider left-right to adjust the other value, Position, Size (two-value) or diagonally to adjust two values...
Page 120: Status Bar
 Session format  Time of Day (from the system clock)  [x] (Exit button) 6.4.1 STATUS BAR An information display is conveniently located below the titlebar, just above the main Program monitor. From time to time this bar displays information pertaining to operations or system status, including any cautionary indications.
Page 121: Desktop Monitors
DESKTOP MONITORS The word “monitor” comes from the Latin “monēre” – meaning ‘to warn’. The word has taken on additional meaning since Roman times. As a verb, these include such connotations as ‘keeping an eye’ on something, and ‘checking continually’, as when monitoring a process.
Page 122: Configuration Indicators
The Program Output monitor could hardly be more important. It shows exactly what TriCaster is displaying to your viewing audience at any moment. This includes the combined output of the Switcher selections as well as any Overlay channels you have active. When you move your mouse pointer over Program Output, a Configure button (gear) appears above its upper-right corner.
Page 123: Contextual Tools
Click the All Monitors tab at upper-left to reveal a group of preview windows. These previews, often referred to as ISO (Isolation) monitors, display all primary video sources currently available for selection in the Switcher rows below. Monitors for three live Camera inputs are provided, along with previews of the DDR, Stills and Titles module content.
Page 124 TriCaster has recognized, along with a default Black option. This menu might list displays from other computers transmitted across the network via iVGA™, or perhaps the output from a companion NewTek LiveText™ workstation. (LiveText and iVGA are Page | 108...
Page 125: Interactive Control
considered in more depth in Chapter 9.) Slide the mouse down the menu to the entry you wish to select and click the source you wish to assign as the current Network source. 7.2.2 INTERACTIVE CONTROL The ISO monitors (with the exception of Preview) are actually interactive live production controls.
Page 126: Contextual Tools
The second tab in the upper-left corner of the Live Desktop is labeled Switcher Monitors. This view is dominated by two large preview panes. These show the video sources currently selected on the Effects and Preview rows in the Switcher. Hint: Unlike the ISO monitors, these monitors do not feature interactive switching functions, nor of course are colored borders required to indicate their Switcher row status.
Page 127 A third monitoring tab option is Preview Scopes. This alternative presents a Preview monitor (showing the current Preview row selection) along with Waveform and Vectorscope displays. These displays permit the user to judge the effect of Proc Amp and LiveMatte adjustments while making them.
Page 129: O Configuration
I/O CONFIGURATION TriCaster provides extensive control over your video signal at both input and output stages. Each video source has its own realtime Proc Amp and keyer (via LiveMatte). As well, TriCaster supports independent Proc Amp settings for each of output types - Program, Stream and VGA. It is very useful to be able to adjust each source and also the output stream independently.
Page 130: Separate Output Controls
Figure 105 8.1.1 SEPARATE OUTPUT CONTROLS Output Configuration contains tabbed panes providing:  Program Proc Amp (‘processing amplifier’) controls for TriCaster’s primary output SD Analog Connection configuration controls  Proc Amp controls for VGA output VGA output display options  Genlock Genlock calibration controls Center Frequency setting...
Page 131: Proc Amp
8.1.2 PROC AMP Proc Amp adjustments can be toggled on and off using the Enable Proc Amp switch at upper left in the Main and VGA panes, or reset by clicking the Restore Defaults button. Each Proc Amp pane has numeric slider controls for: ...
Page 132 To serve as a visual reminder, a small yellow flag is provided above the Program Output monitor when any output stream has Proc Amp settings enabled (Figure 106). Note: TriCaster’s input and output Proc Amps are very useful. However, please keep this important thought in mind: Whenever possible, it is best to perform color adjustments at the source or target device.
Page 133: Sd Analog Connections
8.1.3 SD ANALOG CONNECTIONS Figure 107 As discussed back in Section 3.6.2, TriCaster’s three VIDEO OUT connector rows may output SD, HD, or both simultaneously.  Row 1 and 2 video output always matches the session format.  Row 3 always outputs SD video. ...
Page 134: Vga Output
8.1.4 VGA OUTPUT Figure 108 TriCaster’s VGA output fills several valuable purposes. You might use it to provide a video stream to a projection or other remote display system at high resolution. The VGA Output Resolution menu provides a long list of popular and useful options to allow you to conform output to your downstream external device.
Page 135: Genlock
Figure 109 Screen Layout offers a diverse list including six optional displays as follows:  Program Monitor: duplicates TriCaster’s main Program output  All Sources: this useful display is the default, and combines ISO monitors for all Switcher sources plus Program and Preview and a handy digital clock ...
Page 136 Hint: “Genlock” refers to “generator locking”. Professional video devices often provide a “genlock input”, which allows an external reference signal (often referred to as ‘house sync’) to control its video timing. The output of video devices connected in this manner is synchronized to the reference signal, and they are referred to as ‘genlocked’.
Page 137 everyone is evenly spaced and perfectly aligned but for one misfit who ‘tailgates’ the soldier ahead of him and keeps stepping on his heels. This is essentially why TriCaster provides several adjustments in its Genlock section. The Horizontal and Vertical Position settings pin the image in the proper space in the frame, and in doing so could be likened to making sure each marching soldier is in position relative to his fellows (as viewed from above).
Page 138: Center Frequency
REFERENCE TYPE The ‘bi-level’ reference signal long used for standard definition television is often used for genlocking both SD and HD installations. However, if you are supplying an HD reference signal to TriCaster’s Genlock Input (and your other equipment), select the HD (Tri-level) switch in the Reference Type area of TriCaster’s Genlock settings.
Page 139: Connection Type
Figure 113 8.2.1 CONNECTION TYPE The Configuration panel for the Camera 1-3 inputs features a Connection Type menu at the top of its Input Settings tab. The options are: 1080i (Component) • Analog source, high definition, interlaced • 1920x1080 pixels, 16:9 picture aspect •...
Page 140 720p (Component ) • Analog source, high definition, progressive scan • 1280x720 pixels, 16:9 picture aspect • Connected to TriCaster by Y, Pr and Pb input connectors 720p (SDI) • Digital source, high definition, progressive scan • 1280x720 pixels, 16:9 picture aspect •...
Page 141 480i (Composite ) • NTSC analog format , standard definition, interlaced • 720x480 pixels, 4:3 picture aspect or anamorphic 16:9 picture aspect • Connected to TriCaster by Y input connector Component 576i • PAL analog format, Standard definition, interlaced • 720x576 pixels, 4:3 picture aspect or anamorphic 16:9 picture aspect •...
Page 142: Proc Amp
Connection Type menu offerings vary depending on the Video Standard for the session. TriCaster International provides PAL and NTSC-J session options, in addition to NTSC. The Connection Type menu options for a PAL session list PAL HD and SD format options. Choosing NTSC as the session Video Standard results in a Connection Type list with appropriate formats, and it is similar for NTSC-J.
Page 143: Livematte
Input Proc Amp adjustments are applied after LiveMatte is processed, which can help when composing greenscreen shots to match a background or LiveSet. You may also notice that changes to Proc Amp settings affect stopped (or frozen) sources, including live camera feeds. 8.2.3 LIVEMATTE The second tab in the Input Configuration panels is where you configure TriCaster’s powerful realtime keying system for live production, LiveMatte.
Page 145: Network Sources
Or, connect to a networked workstation or laptop computer running LiveText™, NewTek’s powerful realtime title and graphics software. This permits you to assign CG preparation and display to a second operator, freeing you to focus exclusively on live switching, and expanding your production capabilities.
Page 146 Double-click the Zip file to decompress it, and then double-click the .dmg file to mount it. The NewTek iVGA icon shown above will be placed on your Desktop. Open it (by double-clicking, and you will see two files in a Finder window –...
Page 147: Ivga For Windows
2. You can set iVGA to show either of two monitors, when you have more than one attached. 3. Open at Login will automatically launch iVGA for you every time you login, if you wish. 9.1.2 IVGA FOR WINDOWS® The iVGA installation for Microsoft Windows®...
Page 148: Livetext
to quickly reset iVGA. Selecting this is equivalent to stopping and re-starting iVGA. This is also where you set the rate of transfer your network can safely handle. Gigabit network connection provides the best transfer rates. Slower connections may drop frames, are should be considered unsuitable especially for HD sessions (in extreme cases, where network capability is low or unreliable because of other traffic, iVGA would still be useful for static displays).
Page 149 When running and connected, LiveText will be listed in TriCaster’s Network drop-down menu, similar to an iVGA source. For more information on installing and using LiveText, please refer to its manual. Figure 120 – LiveText LIVE Output pane Page | 133...
Page 151: Streaming
10 STREAMING Live webcasting has dramatically altered the broadcast landscape. Information can now be shared among audiences around the world with very small transmission costs – and the future is bright! It seems certain that the live streaming market will continue to expand, providing many creative and profitable opportunities.
Page 152: Pull Profiles
All the settings you need to configure your streaming output are located in the Stream Configuration panel (Figure 121). To open it, click the Configure button (gear) beside the Stream button – beneath the Program Output monitor. 10.1.1 PULL PROFILES If you are streaming internally (to people in your building or inside your own corporate firewall), Pull streaming may well provide the easiest approach.
Page 153: Push Profiles
When a Push profile is chosen, the Stream Configuration interface changes to allow entry of the (pre-arranged) host web address (Location), Username and Password. Note: the publishing point is placed at the end of the URL after a forward slash (i.e., http://225.21.1.4:8080/NewTek). Page | 137...
Page 154: Capturing The Stream
Enabling the Stream button then “pushes” the stream from your location, logging into the pre- arranged web address using the username and password you provided. The streaming service then re-transmits your stream for all to see. 10.1.3 CAPTURING THE STREAM TriCaster can archive your live stream file as it is created.
Page 155 available, you can host the video yourself – but if many people will likely want to view your production, you will likely avail yourself of a service to stream it on your behalf. Ideally, ‘on demand’ streaming video begins to play on request after a few moments (letting the stream get a bit ahead of the client playback device is called ‘buffering’, and helps ensure smooth playback).
Page 156  Some sources report that the Flash movies will have a larger file size and use greater bandwidth than Windows Media for a given stream quality. (This is hard to assess, and changes constantly as developers update their products).  Codecs for both types are updated with fair regularity, and when you choose the ‘latest, greatest’...
Page 157: Streaming Protocols
Also consider the expected download abilities of your viewers. Ideally, a safety margin 1.5 times the stream’s bitrate is desirable. This may mean you need to consider using a lower resolution, or lower framerate for your stream – but doing so when required will generally deliver a smooth result, and is the wise course.
Page 158  Requires significant bandwidth -- for example, with TriCaster connected to the Internet by a DSL or Cable Modem line, upload bandwidth is often less than 400kbits/second. Allowing for network overhead, at best a 320kbit steam can be accommodated. This bandwidth would be fully consumed by two viewers watching 160kbit streams, or a single viewer pulling a 170- 320kbit stream.
Page 159: Streaming Media Providers
Hint: If you need to find a good streaming service provider, ask TriCaster users for recommendations in NewTek’s online discussion forums! Page | 143...
Page 160: Other Resources
10.2.4 OTHER RESOURCES If you’re still struggling with the differences between Push and Pull streaming methods, you can find lots of online resources (in addition to excellent information available in NewTek’s user forums!) The popular web resource Wikipedia® hosts many articles on the subject, notably these two: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push_technology...
Page 161: Configuration And Troubleshooting
quality for your viewers. When video is compressed (as it invariably is for web viewing) you can lose important detail; compressing a full-screen video down to a quarter or a sixteenth of its size is a lesson in humility! OTHER FACTORS Other variables to keep in mind when you’re creating video for the web are contrast and motion.
Page 162 But you also need to perform onsite testing, to ensure your live stream is working well before ‘zero hour.’ No-one will thank you for excuses, no matter how brilliantly they point the finger at forces beyond your control. 1. Set up and enable a test program stream from your TriCaster. 2.
Page 163 Ping sends a small set of data packets to the target host (IP number), then ‘listens’ for an echo response in return. Ping estimates the round-trip time in milliseconds, records any data losses, and displays a summary when finished. Bottom line, if you can’t ‘ping’ your target, your connection has problems (the problem might be as simple as a bad cable connection).
Page 164 4. The IP Address for the system will be reported in the window (listed next to “IPv4 Address”), along with other data. To find the IP Address for a system running OS X® 1. Click the Apple icon at upper left on the Desktop, and select About This Mac. 2.
Page 165 Figure 124 Figure 125 Apple OS X For a system running Apple’s OS X®: 1. Double-click Terminal in the Applications\Utilities folder. Page | 149...
Page 166 2. Type the following command into the Terminal (without quotations) and then add the IP number, and press Enter: “ping –c 4 ipnumber.” So, for example, you might type: ping –c 4 192.168.1.101 The response will be similar to the Windows example described above. Again, a ping failure indicates a problem with the network connection.
Page 167 punctuated numbers before the colon (the colon separates the port number you chose for your stream). 3. The port number just mentioned (the part after the colon). Although the steps vary a bit by brand and model, generally you would proceed as follows: 1.
Page 168 6. Enter the full (punctuated numeric) local IP address shown in the Location field of your TriCaster after you enable the stream. 7. Checkmark Enable. Some routers may have other security settings that need to be modified for your Pull stream to be visible from the outside.
Page 169 SPEED TESTS Are you sure your upload bandwidth is adequate to the bitrate you’ve set for your stream? Why not test and make sure. Again, a number of websites provide free speed testing. These will give you a basic idea of what your local bandwidth really is. One site which provides a list of online speed test resources is: http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest?more=1 Page | 153...
Page 171: Record And Grab
11 RECORD AND GRAB You will often want to capture video clips from external sources, as well as to record your own outgoing live production. Similarly, it can be quite useful to be able to grab stills from Program Out, for use in the current production. This chapter will provide everything you need to know about this topic.
Page 172 RECORD CONFIGURATION The Record group in the Record Configuration panel has several options in it. You can choose to record Audio + Video or Audio Only. There is an additional option in connection with the first case – Include Separate MP3 file. When this switch is enabled, a supplementary audio-only file is created, which can be useful if you plan to use third-party software that does not properly support the embedded audio in the MPEG2 clips that TriCaster records.
Page 173: Grab
 Normal quality invokes 4:2:0 color sampling (similar to that of the popular ‘DV’ and ‘HDV’ formats).  High quality raises color sampling to 4:2:2. These files retain more color information than standard DV/HDV files as well as many other file formats. The increased color fidelity is especially valuable for chromakeying purposes.
Page 174 Click the Configure button (gear) next to Grab beneath the Program Output monitor to open the Grab Still Configuration panel. The options presented are similar to those of Record Configuration, though a bit simpler. Again, enter a Base Name. The name you supply which will be numerically incremented as required. Enable the Add to Stills Playlist switch to automatically include newly captured clips at the end of the current Stills tab playlist, ready for immediate playback during the live production.
Page 175: Switcher, Transitions And Overlay
12 SWITCHER, TRANSITIONS AND OVERLAY TriCaster’s Live Desktop replicates traditional video switcher controls in easy to comprehend and use fashion. It provides numerous transitions that you can use to add interest when changing scenes, two independent downstream overlay channels, and some very useful automation. This chapter reviews these vital components of your live productions.
Page 176 * An audio source may or may not be associated with a given video selection, and may or may not be affected by Switcher row activity – audio configuration is discussed in Chapter 16. The Effects row selection provides an auxiliary video stream which can serves in a variety of ways.
Page 177: Transitions
12.2 TRANSITIONS Immediately to the right of the Switcher rows is the Transitions section. With just one exception, this group of controls and settings provide many creative and flexible ways to swap the video streams selected on the Program row for that selected on the Preview Row. Figure 133 12.2.1 TAKE AND TRANSITION The simplest way to accomplish this Program ...
Page 178: Ftb
the previous example, if the last transition progressed from left-to-right, the next one will automatically be reversed and thus run right-to-left. TAKE ALL/TRANSITION ALL Two useful Switcher features do not actually appear visibly on the Live Desktop. Take All and Transition All work very similar to their ‘shorter’...
Page 179: Transition Selector
12.2.4 TRANSITION SELECTOR Completing the Transition section is the Transition Selector, which allows you to pre-select the transition effect that will be performed next. The active transition is displayed with a white border. The current transition bank is surmounted by five numbered tabs, which allow you to choose which bank of transitions to display.
Page 180: Overlay
12.3 OVERLAY Figure 138 The Overlay panel is the final component of the central Switcher section of the Live Desktop for us to discuss. You’ll find it at the right-hand end of the Switcher panel (beneath the Program Output monitor). This placement is quite appropriate, as the two Overlay channels configured and controlled in this section represent a final opportunity for you to superimpose imagery on the video stream prior to output.
Page 181: Sources And Transparency
Figure 140 Clicking a button in the input selector updates the Source button label, and closes the selector (clicking anywhere outside the selector closes it without changing the current selection). 12.3.3 SOURCES AND TRANSPARENCY Some Overlay sources may be partially transparent. This might be because they are drawn from a media player (DDR, Stills or Titles) showing a file with an embedded alpha channel, or perhaps because LiveMatte is enabled for the source.
Page 182: Position (And Size)
lower-third, ‘frame’ a picture-in-picture (Figure 141), or set up many other elaborate effects in this manner. 12.3.4 POSITION (AND SIZE) Figure 142 Each Overlay channel has its own Position button and settings. Click the neighboring Configure button (gear) to open the Overlay Position panel (Figure 142) for a specific channel. At the top of this panel are two buttons –...
Page 183: Activate
Again, if you drag just one of the numeric gadgets below the Size button (with lock disabled), you modify just one dimension of the overlay stream – width or height. Looking back at Figure 141, it can be seen that both the picture-in-picture source and the ‘TV monitor’...
Page 184: Link Overlays
Figure 145 A progress bar beneath the Activate button tracks display status, remaining fully ‘on’ when the channel is 100% displayed (Figure 144). 12.3.6 LINK OVERLAYS By default, the display states of the two overlay channel are independent (permitting you to remove a title without removing its background at the same time, for example.) Enabling Link Overlays (the ‘padlock’...
Page 185: Ddr, Stills And Titles
13 DDR, STILLS AND TITLES TriCaster’s media players permit you to integrate video, still images and title pages into your live presentation with utmost simplicity and professional style. Preload content and display it sequentially as a playlist, or singly on demand.
Page 186: Shared Features
third party applications). That said, if you found a reason to, you could use it as a ‘secondary’ media player for a playlist consisting of photographs (for example) Similarly, the Stills player is meant for still images – photos, graphics, and the like; but you are not prevented from adding title pages to its playlist it if you like (you can even edit a title page in Stills, just as you can in Titles).
Page 187 Hint: The duration shown is the play time after any trimming operations, and thus may at times be less than the file length on disk for video clips or audio files. In such cases, the In and Out markers on the Scrub Bar (spanning the width of the playlist immediately below it) show the effect of trimming operations, while the full width of the Scrub Bar depicts the total length of the file on disk.
Page 188  Right-click in the playlist pane to show a menu with context relevant items from the following list (operations affect selected playlist items): Copy Paste Remove Rename Clone Set Duration Edit Title  Standard Cut, Copy, Paste and Delete keystrokes are supported for playlist entries. ...
Page 189: Media Browser
the selected item (multi-selections are ignored for Scrub-Bar trimming). The duration (taking into account trimming operations) is displayed in a timecode field just to the right. Hint: For longer durations, holding SHIFT while dragging In/Out handles increases precision. During playback, the Scrub-Bar knob traverses the span between the In and Out Points. Alpha Channel Support For files with transparency (such as 32bit image files), use non-premultiplied alpha channels only in TriCaster’s media players.
Page 190 LOCATION LIST The Location List is a column of favorite “locations”, grouped under headings such as LiveSets, Clips, Titles, Stills, and so on. The Media Browser is context sensitive, so the headings shown are generally appropriate for the purpose for which they were opened. A list of sub-headings will appear under each main heading in the Location List.
Page 191 Figure 151 FILE FILTERS The File Pane view is filtered to show only relevant content. For example, when selecting LiveSets, the browser only shows LiveSet files (.vsfx). An additional filter appears above the File Pane. This is a smart filter, which quickly locates files matching criteria you enter, doing so even as you type.
Page 192: Controls
13.2.3 Controls Transport controls and playback settings are located directly below the Playlist and Scrub-Bar. Figure 152 TIME DISPLAY Figure 153 During playback, a timecode field in the transport controls area displays the Current Time for the currently displayed playlist item. Left-click the field to type in a timecode, then press Enter to jump to that point in the file.
Page 193 Point of the current playlist item is reached (unless Loop is also enabled, in which case playback repeats until manually interrupted). TRANSPORT CONTROLS A simple set of controls beneath the playlist pane provides all playback-related functions:  Previous button – go to previous playlist entry ...
Page 194: Preset Bin
13.2.4 PRESET BIN Another very useful feature shared by all three of TriCaster’s media players is the Preset Bin, which provides quick and convenient access to multiple playlists. As mentioned back in Section 4.8.1, presets also store the state of various media player controls. If you change playlists by selecting another preset, it’s almost as though you are accessing another media player.
Page 195: Speed
13.3 SPEED Figure 157 The Speed control is only found in the DDR. The DDR supports variable speed playback between 25% and 400% of the normal rate (100%). Speed can even be adjusted during playback. Note that certain highly compressed video file formats cannot successfully be played back at rates beyond 200%, even though Speed value is set to a higher value.
Page 196 Title Page content can be edited during both play and display (changes are detected and shown immediately). Opening the pop-up Title Page Editor during playback is permitted. The panel can be re-sized by dragging its lower-right corner, and re-positioned by dragging its titlebar. When you move the mouse over text in the Title Page Editor’s preview pane, a white bounding- box appears.
Page 197 The titlebar of the Title Page Editor holds an assortment of text attribute controls. These include a Font selector drop-down menu, numeric Size control, and Bold, Italic and Underline switches. Figure 160 STAND-IN IMAGES Images embedded in Title Pages may be locked, or they may be editable stand-ins. When you roll the mouse over an embedded image and a yellow border is displayed around the image, the image is a stand-in.
Page 199: Livematte
14 LIVEMATTE Although its user interface is deceptively simple, LiveMatte represents NewTek’s newest and most powerful chromakeying technology, and is capable of very high quality results. Whether you use it alone or in conjunction with TriCaster’s Overlay or LiveSet features, you will find it can play an important role in your live productions.
Page 200: Chromakeying
14.1 CHROMAKEYING The method by which part of the image is defined as transparent is generically referred to as chromakeying, for its dependence on the color values (chrominance) of the video stream. Note: Internally, LiveMatte actually goes well beyond simple chromakeying techniques to provide its great realtime results - but we’ll stick with fundamentals for our discussion here.
Page 201: Matte
14.2 MATTE Figure 163 The term Matte refers to a black and white representation defining transparent (background) and opaque (foreground) parts of the image during compositing. Portions of the matte that are grey are treated as semi-transparent, which is very useful in smoothing edges between foreground source material and inserted background imagery.
Page 202: Tolerance
14.2.2 TOLERANCE No physical greenscreen is perfectly comprised of one color. Wrinkles, folds and shadows along with the seemingly inevitable uneven lighting result in difference. For this reason, TriCaster provides a numeric slider labeled Tolerance just beneath the Color picker. The Tolerance setting allows you to broaden the range considered as the key color, including more ‘near-neighbor’...
Page 203: Garbage Matte
The Spill controls, when enabled, remove key color spill in your scene by reducing the amount of that color in the foreground, where it doesn’t belong. The net result is that it is eliminated, or at least reduced to the point where it is not objectionable. Use the Tolerance and Smoothness controls under Spill Suppression in similar fashion to the controls by the same name discussed earlier.
Page 204: Compositing
14.5 COMPOSITING When you enable LiveMatte for an input, the ISO monitor for that input continues to show the original (‘un-keyed’) source. If you directly select that source on the Switcher’s Program or Preview rows, you will see the result of compositing the input over the source selected on the Effects row.
Page 205: Practical Staging For Livematte
region to appear to snap on and off during motion - as they either qualify or disqualify for inclusion in the matte. (A little reduction in Tolerance and increase in Smoothness will usually resolve this problem. Hint: it can be useful to zoom in using Position controls when fine keying LiveMatte. 14.7 PRACTICAL STAGING FOR LIVEMATTE We’d like to offer a few suggestions here to guide you in preparing, so you get the most out of LiveMatte.
Page 206: Connection Considerations
14.7.2 CONNECTION CONSIDERATIONS As mentioned above, washed-out areas in the video signal lack sufficient color information to provide good separation. For similar reasons, it’s worth considering the color characteristics different types of video signals. SDI connections are ideal, if you can use them. Otherwise, in the analog video realm you will encounter three main types of camera connections.
Page 207: Virtual Inputs
Switcher source. Virtual Inputs also provide TriCaster’s connection to LiveSet, NewTek’s astonishing realtime virtual set technology, investing it with great new capabilities. We illustrated the value of Virtual Inputs back in Section 4.11 of the Live Production chapter.
Page 208: Primary Video Sources
Hint: there are no Virtual Input buttons in the Switcher’s Effects row. This is because Effects (representing the current Effects row selection) can itself be assigned as a primary source for Virtual Inputs. As you would expect, selecting one of the Virtual Input buttons on the Program row displays the output of the corresponding Virtual Input output to Program Output.
Page 209: Position
However, as before, if LiveMatte settings for Input A result in transparency, Input B will appear through the transparent regions. 15.2 POSITION Figure 168 Position controls for both Input A and Input B appear to the right of their respective selector button rows (Figure 168).
Page 210: Overlay
Otherwise, dragging vertically changes the height of the overlay, and dragging horizontally affects its width. Again, if you drag just one of the numeric gadgets below the Size button (with lock disabled), you modify just one dimension of the overlay stream – width or height. Position and Size can be reset by clicking Reset Positioning, and can be toggled on or off by clicking the Position button located to the left of the Configure button (gear).
Page 211: Liveset
This brings us to the LiveSet section of the Virtual Input tab. LiveSet allows you to achieve the look of a large, sophisticated studio setting (Figure 172) within a very small studio space (Figure 171) without the need for external equipment. TriCaster TCXD300 brings important new capabilities to NewTek’s revolutionary virtual set technology. Figure 171 Figure 172 15.4.1 LIVESET SELECTION...
Page 212: Video Sources
Figure 173 The Location List of the Media Browser lists any installed LiveSet groups under the heading “LiveSets”. Select an entry beneath to show thumbnail icons in the Browser’s File Pane. 15.4.2 VIDEO SOURCES Virtual Inputs provide LiveSet with a new standard of flexibility, allowing you to easily and flexibly assign inputs from the Virtual Input tab(s), without Switcher involvement*.
Page 213: Zoom Presets
Figure 174 Virtual sets in the LiveSet system display video from either one or two different TriCaster sources. It will not surprise you that these correspond to Input A and B, the primary video sources we discussed back in Section 15.1. (Again as you would expect, Input B is often assigned to secondary purposes, such as to supply the display for a ‘monitor’...
Page 214: Zoom T-Bar
Notice that a numeric slider is provided above right for each preset. These work the same as other numeric sliders in TriCaster’s Live Desktop – drag to adjust the value, click to type directly into the field using the keyboard, or press (keyboard) Shift and then double-click to restore the default value for that preset.
Page 215: Animate Zoom
You will find that you can often use Position controls to ensure a ‘good fit’ and natural appearance of talent or other source appearing in your virtual sets (greatly reducing the need to fuss with physical camera positions to do so). 15.4.6 ANIMATE ZOOM Figure 177 You can use the Zoom T-Bar to manually zoom in on a LiveSet, even when it is displayed on...
Page 217: Audio
16 AUDIO Less than 100 years ago, movies were silent. We’ve come a very long way since “The Jazz Singer” (1927, Warner Bros.) High quality audio and audio management tools are almost certainly a requirement for your live productions. When it comes to audio, TriCaster provides professional quality and convenience, which we’ll explore in this chapter.
Page 218: External Sources
16.1 EXTERNAL SOURCES The first three sub-panels are labeled for Input rows 1-3 on TriCaster’s faceplate. You may choose to think of these audio sources as being associated with video inputs 1-3 in the nearby rows (see the sub-heading Follow, below) but you are completely free to use them in various other configurations.
Page 219 A drop-down Connection Type menu at the top allows selection between the following input options: 1. Analog  Mic – low impedance microphones and other common professional audio sources  Mic + Phantom (power) – microphones (typically condenser mics) requiring supplementary DC power ...
Page 220 Figure 180 When the Connection Type is set to Mic (or Mic + Phantom), TriCaster presents small Pan sliders above each of the two VU meters in the Audio 1 sub-panel. Pan adjusts placement of the corresponding input sound on output channels, and progressively modulates levels in the process so that the overall volume neither rises nor drops as a result of adjustments.
Page 221 TRIM Figure 181 When the connection Type is Mic 1,2 (or Mic 1,2 + Phantom), Input 1 also features numeric Trim sliders for each microphone input. This is a variable gain setting, enabling you to adjust input gain to suit the level of a variety of audio sources. LOCK Figure 182 Clicking the Lock button links the level sliders above relative to each other.
Page 222: Input 2 And 3
16.1.2 INPUT 2 AND 3 Figure 183 The control panels for Inputs 2 and 3 differ somewhat from Input 1. This is because the second and third rows of connectors in the Analog Audio In group on TriCaster’s faceplate are different than the first row.
Page 223: Common Features
16.1.3 COMMON FEATURES Let’s turn our attention to features that may be found in the control panels for any audio source. MUTE Figure 184 Click Mute (speaker icon button) to enable or disable output from the source. FOLLOW Figure 185 Enabling the Follow switch for an audio source directs TriCaster to track switcher operations for the related video source.
Page 224 For digital inputs (AES/EBU or SDI Embedded) with more than two channels, only channels 1 and 2 are centered. (If present, two additional digital audio channels are passed through unchanged on channels 3 and 4.) BALANCE In a conventional stereo environment, centering the Balance knob will result in Gain being applied equally to the left and right channels.
Page 225 Figure 186 Figure 187 When an analog Connection Type is set to Mic or Mic + Phantom two VU Meters are displayed, with individual knobs to control the Gain for input channels 1 and 2 (see Figure 186). When the Connection Type for Input 1 is Line, the VU meter displays the levels for the two analog input channels, which are controlled by a single Gain knob.
Page 226: Internal Sources
Attempts to compare dB FS calibration to a traditional analog dB scale are not entirely straightforward. The American SMPTE standard defines -20 dB FS as the Alignment Level (a common reference level considered a ‘safe’ benchmark) equivalent to a nominal level of +4dBU. Note: TriCaster’s analog audio conforms to SMPTE RP-155.
Page 227: Master (And Phones)
the sources, further governing audio levels sent to three different outputs on TriCaster’s faceplate. 16.3.1 MASTER (AND PHONES) The main Program (labeled PGM on TriCaster’s faceplate) outputs are controlled by the Gain knob and Balance control in the Master sub-panel, located at far-right in the Audio tab. Just above this is a simple level control for the Phones output.
Page 228: Preset Bin
to select whether to supply sound to the AUX outputs exclusively from one of the following selections: 1. Master - The AUX outputs provide a supplementary program output channel with independent level control 2. DDR - The meters show the levels for audio (the first 4 channels) from DDR output, which are individually sent to AUX output connectors 1-4 3.
Page 229: Speededit And Livetext
17 SPEEDEDIT AND LIVETEXT LiveText™ is a powerful title and CG application, allowing you to create title pages for use in the Live Desktop’s Media Players. Title pages can be still or motion pages, including scrolls and crawls. SpeedEDIT™ provides a host of world-class editing tools for pre and post production purposes.
Page 230: Filebin Quicktabs
Likewise when the project is SD, the SDI outputs will all be SD. As there are multiple connection options for analog SD video, please refer to the following table in this case: Row Number Analog BNC 1 Analog BNC 2 Analog BNC 3 Composite Composite...
Page 231: Ieee1394 I/O Output
17.1.3 IEEE1394 I/O OUTPUT The realtime IEE1394 (DV/HDV) preview found in SpeedEDIT standalone is not supported for TriCaster, which has other (superior) video display options. However, the File menu point Send to DV Tape (and the similar icon context menu in the Filebin) is available. Hint: SpeedEDIT’s Output menu is not required in TriCaster for this reason.
Page 232: Files/Filebin
LiveText sends output from the canvas to TriCaster’s outputs continuously while running. For this reason, the Live Display pane and associated tools that appear at upper-right (above the Pages Panel) in LiveText standalone do not appear in TriCaster’s LiveText interface. When LiveText is running, TriCaster’s video outputs (rows 1-3) will all conform to the session format.
Page 233: Naming Stand-In Images
LiveText’s File menu has two special items – Send Current Page to Live, and Send All Pages to Live. (These take the place of other export options appearing in the standalone version of LiveText.) As you would expect, these functions creates files for use in the Live Desktop, automatically storing them in the correct place(s) for easy access.
Page 235: Part Iii (Appendices)
PART III (APPENDICES) A time-saving question and answer section, followed by an extensive listing of Shortcut Keys, schematic diagram and keyword index … Page | 219...
Page 237: A How Do I
The headings that follow list related questions and answers together, along with cross-references and other helpful remarks. Hint: The NewTek website includes a comprehensive FAQ database containing a wealth of useful information on all of its products – please see http://www.newtek.com/faq/ How do I ….
Page 238 Rename a Session? ......................229 Duplicate a Session? ......................229 Live Production ........................229 Make Custom Transitions and LiveSets? ................229 Restore the Default LiveSet? ....................229 Initiate Streaming? ......................230 Find my Captured Stream file? ................... 230 Record my Program? ......................230 Find my Recorded Program file? ..................
Page 239: Connections
Registration and Tech Support ....................240 Register TriCaster? ......................240 Access Technical Support? ....................241 Find TriCaster’s Hardware/Firmware Revision Numbers? ..........241 Save the Debug Log? ......................241 Miscellaneous ........................241 Access Windows ........................ 241 Return to TriCaster from the Widows™ Desktop ..............242 Add A New Streaming Profile to the Stream Configuration Panel ........
Page 240: Connect Monitors
A.1.2 CONNECT MONITORS? COMPUTER MONITOR With the power off, connect an external computer monitor to a DVI port on TriCaster’s backplate, using an adapter if necessary. SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION: Q: My monitor seems to work when powering up, then displays a "No Source" (or similar) message instead of TriCaster’s Startup Screen.
Page 241 4. Roll the mouse pointer over the main Program output monitor, and click the Configure (gear) button that appears above it. 5. In the Output Configuration panel’s VGA tab, set VGA Output Resolution to match the native resolution of the device. 6.
Page 242: Connect The Lc-11 Control Surface
A.1.3 CONNECT THE LC-11 CONTROL SURFACE? Connect the USB cable from the Control Surface to one of TriCaster’s USB2.0 ports. A.1.4 CONNECT AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE? Connect a USB cable from the external hard drive to one of TriCaster’s USB2.0 ports. Note that the external drive should probably be formatted using the NTSF file system (the FAT file system chokes on exported files exceeding 4 Gigabytes, as will often be the case).
Page 243: Start An Hd Session
3. Select the New icon in the Home page of the Startup Screen. 4. Click the Enter Session Name link (under Session Name at right) and supply a name for the new session. 5. TriCaster International only: choose your local Video Standard (NTSC, NTSC-J or PAL) 6.
Page 244: Restore A Session
If the session has external files in its playlists, choose one of the options from the dialog that opens next. 4. Use the system file explorer that opens next to select the location for the backup file, and click OK. This process can take considerable time if the session has a lot of content; in such cases, it’s best not to commence unless time (before a production) permits.
Page 245: Rename A Session
1. Click the ellipsis button [...] to the right of the current LiveSet name to open the LiveSet Browser. 2. Click the NewTek heading beneath the LiveSets heading in the locations list at left. 3. Click the A over B in the Default group in the file pane at right. (See Section 15.4.1.)
Page 246: Initiate Streaming
A.3.3 INITIATE STREAMING? 1. Connect TriCaster to the Internet (see Section 3.13). 2. Open (or create) a TriCaster session (see Section 3.8). 3. Click the Configure (gear) button next to Stream (under the Program monitor) 4. Choose your streaming settings (see Section 4.12.1). 5.
Page 247: Find My Recorded Program File
4. Close the panel, and – when ready – click the Record button. (See Chapter 11 for full details.) A.3.6 FIND MY RECORDED PROGRAM FILE? 6. Got to Locate the Home page of the Startup Screen and click Open. 7. Click the name of the session you streamed at right. 8.
Page 248: Change Colors For An Entire Title Playlist At Once
For the sake of stability, if an AVI clip does not play well in the DDR, please consider converting it to a ‘friendlier’ format. We can recommend NewTek’s own SpeedHQ, or perhaps DV (for Standard Definition clips), M2T or MPG.
Page 249: Get Live Title Pages (.Cgxml) To Respect All Livetext Font Attributes
A.3.10 GET LIVE TITLE PAGES (.CGXML) TO RESPECT ALL LIVETEXT FONT ATTRIBUTES? TriCaster’s Title Page format (.cgxml) presently supports almost every attribute that LiveText offers – but there are a few exceptions. For example, multiple font properties on one text line are not supported, which means in turn that different words on a single line cannot be different colors, or use different typefaces.
Page 250: Improve The Quality Of Vga Output
A.3.12 IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF VGA OUTPUT? TriCaster’s VGA video output is very high quality, but it is possible for you to manually choose ® certain settings that will have a negative effect on it. Specifically, disabling Windows Aero cause video ‘tearing’. Also, for best quality, be sure that the VGA Output Resolution you choose corresponds to that of the monitor connected (see Section 8.1.4).
Page 251: Import Media Files
1. Open a TriCaster session. 2. Access Record Configuration, by clicking the ‘gear’ icon just right of the Record button (beneath the Program monitor). 3. Click the radio switch for the Quality setting you wish to use. A.4.3 IMPORT MEDIA FILES? Importing files implies copying them into the TriCaster session folders, making them local (rather than external).
Page 252: Remove A Location From The File Browser
3. Click the Add Media Location button at bottom left in the File Browser. 4. Select the folder you wish to list as a location in TriCaster’s File Browser, and click OK. (See Add Media Location in Section 13.2.2) A.4.5 REMOVE A LOCATION FROM THE FILE BROWSER? 1.
Page 253: Import/Export Files Larger Than 4 Gigabytes
4. Click the Clips link at right. 5. Use the system File Explorer that opens to navigate up on level in the folder hierarchy, to D:\Media\Clips. 6. Right-click on the NewTek folder, and select Delete from the menu that appears. Page | 237...
Page 254: Software, Maintenance And Updates
7. Accept the deletion warning dialog. A.5 SOFTWARE, MAINTENANCE AND UPDATES A.5.1 IMPROVE PERFORMANCE? 1. Click the Utilities icon on the Home page of the Startup Screen. 2. Click the Defragment Hard Drive link at right (see Section 5.2.4). This process can take considerable time, so it’s best not to commence unless time (before a production) permits.
Page 255: Install Virus Protection
A.5.5 INSTALL VIRUS PROTECTION? In general, once additional software or services are enabled on TriCaster, it is impossible to guarantee real-timer performance. We strongly recommend that you do not install virus and/or malware protection software on TriCaster. These applications can dramatically impact system performance (this is true even for Windows Defender™, which is deliberately disabled for this reason).
Page 256: Registration And Tech Support
However any TriCaster software updates (possibly including optional TriCaster expansion packs) will be overwritten – so use this function only if you truly find it necessary (a call to NewTek’s excellent Tech Support first may often be fruitful – see Section A.6.2).
Page 257: Contact Technical Support
Visit the NewTek Website, at www.newtek.com and select Technical Support from the main Customer Care menu at the top of the page. This page always contains the latest support information for your NewTek products, including FAQs for all products. It also lists the Technical Support Department’s hours of operation and contact details.
Page 258: Return To Tricaster From The Widows™ Desktop
A.7.2 RETURN TO TRICASTER FROM THE WIDOWS™ DESKTOP 1. Double-click the TriCaster TCXD300 icon on the Windows™ desktop to return to the TriCaster Startup Screen. A.7.3 ADD A NEW STREAMING PROFILE TO THE STREAM CONFIGURAT ION PANEL? The streaming profiles listed in the Stream Type selector of TriCaster’s Stream Configuration panel are all located inside the folder at C:\TriCaster\Streaming Profiles.
Page 259 5. Copy the file, and paste the copy in at the same location. 6. Double-click the new profile to open it in the Windows Media Profile Editor. 7. Make such changes to the settings as you see fit, then click the Save and Close button. 8.
Page 260: More Questions And Answers
A.8 MORE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS A.8.1 WHY DO SOME THUMBNAIL ICONS LOOK WRONG? Some file formats (notably AVI) do not provide embedded aspect ratio information. As a result, certain files (such as 1440x1080 files intended to be displayed as 16:9) the thumbnail image in Media Player icons for may not be properly proportioned.
Page 261: Bperformance Considerations
PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS Your TriCaster has been carefully designed to faithfully execute its duties under any reasonable circumstances. Still, your production environment – especially in remote locations – may impose limitations that you are wise to consider. This chapter discusses a few matters that may help you get optimal performance in less than ideal settings.
Page 262: Imag And Latency
B.3 IMAG AND LATENCY What’s IMAG? It’s a compression of the expression “image magnification.” Typically in modern IMAG applications, video cameras supply live imagery to projection systems, magnifying speakers and performers so that audience members further back in large venues can still see what’s going IMAG is a very tricky task at the best of times, one that calls for excellent planning, and where possible, testing.
Page 263: Latency And Your Audience
B.3.2 LATENCY AND YOUR AUDIENCE “Latency” - what’s that you ask? In this context, latency refers to the time it takes for the video signal to transit one part of the IMAG path, from camera lens to final display. Latency is usually expressed either in milliseconds or in video “frames”...
Page 264: Other Sources Of Latency
For example, suppose a ‘video frame’ supplied by a camera arrives at TriCaster’s inputs one millisecond after a different frame has been sent to the output. Obviously the new arrival must wait its turn; it can’t be transmitted until the correct duration for its predecessor has elapsed. Thus the newly arrived frame must ‘wait’...
Page 265 projector slightly more challenging (as you may sacrifice some ability to position and scale the image using projector menu functions) -- but the latency reduction can be very worthwhile. 4. Some cameras include features that add more latency than you would expect. For instance, image stabilization (by definition) adds one field of latency and sometimes more.
Page 267: Cvideo Calibration
VIDEO CALIBRATION An oft-heard expression is “Don’t worry – we’ll fix it in post”. Post-production techniques are invaluable, but they do not repeal another often repeated axiom – “Garbage in, garbage out.” And, in the case of live production, the results are immediately obvious to your audience, for good or for bad.
Page 268: What (And Where) To Calibrate
C.1 WHAT (AND WHERE) TO CALIBRATE? Tip one – forget ‘point and shoot’. Lighting, set design, and countless other factors have an impact on the video attributes our cameras ‘see’. As a first step, cameras need to be properly calibrated. Ideally, this is done right at the camera. Corrective measures taken downstream never fully compensate for problems at the first link in the chain.
Page 269: Setting Black And White
C.2.1 SETTING BLACK AND WHITE Naturally, the color range available for transmission and recording is bounded at the upper level by white and at the lower level by black. Anything else falls somewhere in-between. Consider what happens if you gradually raise the brightness control on your television. Beyond a certain point (and unlike claims made for laundry detergent) your whites do not become whiter.
Page 270: Adjusting Color
Connect your camera to the correct TriCaster input, block the lens so it receives no illumination, and check the level shown in the Waveform monitor. For NTSC, it should be 7.5 IRE, for all others, 0 IRE. To check white, use a standard white card or even a sheet of white paper. Ensure that it is evenly illuminated with the same lighting your main subject will receive, move or zoom to fill the viewfinder with it, and confirm that the Waveform monitor is showing 100 IRE.
Page 271: Color Metrics
Figure 191 Figure 190 As it happens, from the vectorscope point of view, neither black nor white properly have any color saturation. Thus with the lens cap on (or with a white card filling the viewfinder), the vectorscope should show only a small fuzzy trace at its center. If the fuzzy dot is off-center horizontally or vertically, this would indicate that the camera is incorrectly calibrated, actually tinting gray areas.
Page 272 USING COLOR BARS You’ll no doubt have seen the familiar color bars used as a standard reference for video signal calibration. Two examples are shown here. Figure 192 is an example of the color bars used in NTSC countries, while Figure 193 is a PAL example, common throughout European nations. Figure 192 (NTSC) Figure 193 (PAL) You can use color bars in conjunction with TriCaster’s Waveform and Vectorscope to make sure...
Page 273 The Vectorscope graticule has six distinct rectangular targets, one each for Yellow, Red, Magenta, Cyan, Blue, and Green. The targets are small rectangles with a cross-hair superimposed on them. When a source is properly calibrated, the trace from the different colored segments of the color bars displayed will fall right inside their individual targets (see Figure 195).
Page 274: Calibrating Your Monitors
C.3 CALIBRATING YOUR MONITORS In most cases, you will use a computer monitor of one type or another to display TriCaster’s controls – the so-called user interface. Even though the television monitors you likely use for final program output may look somewhat similar to your computer monitor, they do differ in a number of important respects.
Page 275: Setting Black And White
First, warm up your monitor for at least 10 minutes (some sources recommend a half-hour), to stabilize its output. Dim room lights and window light, to eliminate light sources that might skew your color perception. Pass the color bars from your camera through to program output (or use a color bars image in one of TriCaster’s media players for this purpose.
Page 276 (The images in this section have been adjusted slightly to accentuate the subtle differences in the black bars making up this region.) Figure 197 The large blocks at left and right in the PLUGE represent ‘NTSC black’ - 7.5 IRE. Between these larger blocks are three smaller bars –...
Page 277: Color Adjustments
5. You should be able to just notice the difference between the 7.5 IRE bars and the brighter 10.5 IRE bar. 6. Raise the Contrast level, brightening the 10.5 IRE bar quite a bit. You may notice that the large white bar second from the left at the bottom (Super White) becomes overblown, showing blooming into its neighboring color bars.
Page 278 NTSC 1. If your monitor has a “Blue-gun only” setting, enable it. Depending on the brand of your monitor, the alternating bars will appear either as light gray and black, or blue and black (Figure 198). Figure 198 1. If the monitor lacks a “Blue-gun only” feature, you can obtain a colored filter such as a Kodak Wratten #47B gel, and hold that between your eyes and the monitor for a similar result.
Page 279 5. Check your results with some familiar imagery, and make any further tweaks you feel are required. 1. If your monitor has a “Blue-gun only” setting, enable it. Raise the Color or Saturation setting until the three right hand bars all appear to be the same shade. 2.
Page 281: D Keystroke Shortcuts
D KEYSTROKE SHORTCUTS D.1 SWITCHER… Live Row, Inputs 1 to 13 F1 – F12 plus [Shift + F12] Preview Row, Inputs 1 to 13 1 – 0 (plus - and = and \) Effects Row, Inputs 1 to 8 Alt + 1 – Alt + 8 Transition Overlay 1 On/Off Transition Overlay 2 On/Off Shift + f...
Page 282: Record And Grab
D.3 RECORD AND GRAB Record on/off r/ Shift + r Grab (still image) D.4 TABS Show DDR tab Ctrl + F1 Show V1-V5 tab Ctrl + F2-F6 Show Stills tab Ctrl + F7 Show Titles tab Ctrl + F8 Show Audio Mixer Ctrl + F9 D.5 DDR Stop...
Page 283: Stills
D.6 STILLS Stop Shift + k Play Shift + l (L) Go to previous playlist item Shift + j (J) Go to next playlist item Shift + ; (:, colon) Autoplay On/Off Shift + u (U) Loop On/Off Shift + ‘ (“, quotation) Single On/Off Shift + 1 (Q) Go to Start/End...
Page 284: General
D.8 GENERAL D.8.1 MISC. Ctrl + x Copy Ctrl + c Paste Ctrl + v Delete Delete Key D.8.2 SELECTION… Select All Ctrl + a First Item Home Last Item Previous Item (Left or Up) Arrow Next Item (Right or Down) Arrow Previous Item and Keep Current Selection Ctrl + (Left or Up) Arrow Next Item and Keep Current Selection...
Page 285: Index
INDEX Export, 178, 217, 233, 236, 237 Import, 38, 98, 178, 235 Activate Windows. See Windows Alpha Channel, 73, 165 Audio Mixer. See Live Desktop:Audio Mixer Garbage Matte. See LiveMatte AVI Codecs, 232 Genlock. See Connections:Genlock Configure. See I/O Configuration Grab.
Page 286 Installing Third-Party Software, 239 Title Pages, 179 Internet Streaming. See Streaming Editing, 180, 181 iVGA. See Network Stand-In Images, 181, 217 Trimming, 56 Overlay, 10, 62, 106, 159, 162, 164, 165, 166 Link, 168 Keyboard, 15 Position, 166 Shortcut Keys, 265 Transitions, 167 Keying.
Page 287 All Monitors Tab, 40 Register. See TriCaster: Register Computer, 15, 224 Restart. See Startup Screen:Shutdown System Output (external), 225 Restore TriCaster, 239 Switcher Monitors Tab, 41 Session Page, 26 Network Sessions, 25, 84, 226 Connecting, 36, 47, 137, 145 Backup/Restore, 88, 95, 96, 98, 227, 228 iVGA, 36, 40, 47, 108, 129, 131, 245 Shortcuts.
Page 288 Switcher. See Live Desktop Video Calibration. See Calibration Flash. See Streaming:Flash Streaming. See Streaming, See Streaming Tally Lights. See Connections:Tally Lights Video Standard, 19 Technical Support, 241 Virtual Input, 13, 69, 191, 233 Termination. See I/O Configuration LiveSet. See LiveSet Time of Day, 104 Overlay, 71 Titlebar, 103...
Page 289: Credits
3Play, SpeedEDIT, DataLink, LiveText, LiveControl, VT, VT[3], VT[4], VT[5], Video Toaster, Toaster, Inspire 3D, 3D Arsenal and Aura are trademarks of NEWTEK. LightWave and LightWave 3D are registered trademarks of NEWTEK. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
Page 290 Page | 274...

NewTek TriCaster TCXD300 User Manual

PART I (Getting Started)

1 About this Manual

2 Introduction

3 Setting up

4 Live Production Walkthrough

PART II (Reference)

5 The Startup Screen

6 Live Desktop: Overview

7 Desktop Monitors

8 O Configuration

9 Network Sources

10 Streaming

11 Record and Grab

12 Switcher, Transitions and Overlay

13 DDR, Stills and Titles

14 Livematte

15 Virtual Inputs

16 Audio

17 Speededit and Livetext

PART III (Appendices)

A How Do I

Bperformance Considerations

Cvideo Calibration

Quick Links

Related Manuals for NewTek TriCaster TCXD300

Summary of Contents for NewTek TriCaster TCXD300