New to Tricaster

[mcarlton]

so my question may be deemed as dumb, but when recording an event to the tricaster, can you set the video format? (.avi, qt, etc)
I ask because I have an event I need to shoot to the tricaster but will need to edit on FCP. If possible, I'd like to record the video in QT format.

thanks in advance for the help.

MC

[csandy]

That's a great question. I think there has been some advocacy on this forum by users and dealers alike to have that type of optionality, but currently it doesn't exist with one recent exception. The 2.5 version of TriCaster's software has a "studio" and non-studio profile mode. The studio profile is a high bit rate 4:2:2 MPEG2 codec. The non-studio version in 2.5 is a higher bit rate version of the codec found in version 2.0. It is also MPEG and compressed at 4:2:0 ratios.

For the experts on this forum to help you, you'll have to let them know:

1) Type of TriCaster you have
a) 1.0
b) Pro
c) Studio
d) Broadcast

and

2) Version
a)1.0
b)2.0
c)2.5

According to NewTek, the 2.0 version of the software was designed to record in a format compatible with Final Cut Pro. While we use FCP in our shop, we haven't bothered to try to mix our footage. In our work flow, whatever is going to FCP stays on FCP, and whatever is going on the TriCaster stays on the TriCaster. At some point that may change - but we shoot a lot of P2 and FCP works brilliantly with it.

Cheers,

[mcarlton]

thanks for the info.

I recently took a new job and this tricaster was already in place. It is at another office right now, so I'm going from memory, but I know for certain it is a Tricaster 1.0. As far as the version, I believe it is 2.0 but I would need to confirm that to be sure. From your post, it looks as though if I am running version 2.0 that I'm good to go as far as the footage being compatible with FCP.

Now, my next question, again may seem very elementary...but in order to get the footage from the tricaster into FCP, could this be transferred via firewire?

[Paul Lara]

Yes, you can copy the video files on to a USB or FireWire drive or across a shared network connection.

[Quiet1onTheSet]

Yes, you can copy the video files on to a USB or FireWire drive or across a shared network connection....and do be aware that you'll likely want to transfer:
1. The A/V file(s) you want to use in FCP
2. The associated MP3 Audio file, that'll be needed for audio editing.

Bring A/V file into your FCP timeline along with its associated MP3 Audio file. Be aware that you would do well to download and install onto the FCP system, the MPEG2 patch from Apple.