4-channel DV switcher software available for download

[JohnnyMalaria]

Hello,

We have developed a software 4-channel DV switcher for Windows. It is a DirectShow filter. Currently, we haven't developed a GUI for it but it can be used with GraphEdit.

It is available for free (for non-profit use).

Key features:

• Up to four DV inputs. Technically, these can be live DV sources or DV format AVI files. However, we strongly advise against using files for input for performance reasons.
• One DV format output. This can be sent to another DV device (i.e., turn your computer into a FireWire-based switcher), a capture file, a video renderer etc.
• Optionally synchronize the video timing to a specified input.
• Lock the audio to a specified input.
• Inject color bars and/or audio tone
• Available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

You can download the switcher along with instructions and GraphEdit (if you don't have it) from here:

http://www.enosoft.net/dl.php?filename=EnoDVSwitcher31Aug08.zip

An HDV version is in development.

Enjoy!

[minidv2dvd]

hi johnny! you've been busy i see. any chance of a gui that could be used as a 4 camera mixer with the output going to a separate DV tape unit? i don't mind graphedit but it's not exactly any fun to use. would mean i'd have to come up with a five port 1394 card for the laptop too...

[JohnnyMalaria]

A GUI is in the works. Developing it is the tedious part of the whole thing which I why we've made the plug-in available.

RE FireWire ports - a 3-port card can usually work well with 2 devices. 3 is tricky.

[minidv2dvd]

cool - sounds good. any idea if these type devices work for multiple cams?
http://www.networktechinc.com/hub-1394.html

[edDV]

Switching between unsynchronized dv cams requires a frame sync for glitch free cuts. It may be possible these days to write a software frame sync to two port VideoRAM.

[JohnnyMalaria]

The plug-in does sync the sources so that the cuts are glitch free. It was an absolute must for the plug-in to be of practical value. When sync'ing, the worst case delay imposed on the inputs is half a frame.

[edDV]

The plug-in does sync the sources so that the cuts are glitch free. It was an absolute must for the plug-in to be of practical value. When sync'ing, the worst case delay imposed on the inputs is half a frame.

That should be good enough for webcasts. I'll try it out when I get a chance.

Have you compared it to Vara Wirecast as far as switching? I see Wirecast is now branded "Flip4Mac".
http://www.flip4mac.com/wirecast.htm

PS: I see here that Telestream acquired Vara.
http://www.varasoftware.com/

[JohnnyMalaria]

I'm not familiar with those. However, the switcher has been rigorously tested when taking three inputs and sending the output to an external DV device. Without the sync enabled, the external deck gets upset and loses up to a second's worth of video. With sync enabled, the switching is perfect. A good test is to lock the audio to one source and switch between all the sources. Without the sync, audio glitches occur whereas the audio is glitch free with the sync enabled. For testing, the switching occurred as fast as you can press the keys (multiple switches per second).

It took quite some hair-pulling to get it to work correctly...

[JohnnyMalaria]

OOPS!

People have reported problems getting the filter to register which isn't very helpful. So, I've put an installation package on our server that should take care of everything:

http://www.enosoft.net/dl.php?filename=EnoDVSwitcherFilter32.msi

If you have problems with this, please let me know.

[lokerin]

This has some great potental for in studio editing or even a live edit situation is there a way that you can make a dissolve between the cameras instead of just a jump cut?

[JohnnyMalaria]

Yes, it could. I assume you mean a simple cross-fade rather than SMPTE wipes etc and have an adjustable duration.

As you know, right now the switcher doesn't have a particularly nice interface. That's something that is being worked on so adding a dissolve capability would be fairly easy to incorporate at this stage.

We don't intend to add too much, though, since we plan to create an HDV version which requires quite a lot of effort compared to DV.

[lokerin]

Hd that sounds great. I only work in SD right now also a nice dip to black would be great working in media i know those are the most commonly used in live edit brodcasting.

[chaywoo]

Im Looking forward to hdv! Hey what about chroma or green screen?
Thanks

[chaywoo]

OOPS, Sorry, I forgot to mention what I am doing.. I am streaming live video, but at this point cant find a way to add green screen to the backround live.. So I have the sony hdrxxx firewire going to both computers, one to capture for Vegas, and the other to stream live over the web at about 1mbps.in the .F4v format, while capturing on the Vegas computer in hdv for editing and remixing (audio through sonar) touch ups after the live event is finished. Would really like to add green screen ability.. Thanks!

[JohnnyMalaria]

Live green screen would be possible with DV and wouldn't require too much development time since most of the hard work has been done for our DV processor.

HDV, on the other hand, is a different beast entirely

[pedrogomes]

Hello all,

I've been trying to build a graphedit based app to work with Enosoft's 4dv switcher, so far I've succeeded to build the graph to work as a switcher but when I try to get the mixed result to be recorded on an AVI file I get the following error: The graph could not change state. No time stamp has been set for this sample (Return code 0x80040249) (print screen attached)

Could John Miller or anybody else help me on this? I've diagnosed that the problem is related to the filter FileWriter because when I delete this filter the graph plays perfectly well, but it does not, obviously, record any video file.

Also I would like to ask John Miller how can I have information about using the switcher for a professional use, because I could not find any information on Enosoft's website. So far I'm just testing it but if I succeed in testing I already have a pratical application for this.

Many thanks in advance to you all,
Pedro Gomes

[JohnnyMalaria]

Hello Pedro,

You may use the filter for your commercial application at no cost. Once the filter is formally launched, a license will be required.

Regarding the FileWriter problem, please confirm if the simple example in the documentation works under the "Capturing to Disk While Switching". Also, your graph is set up to create a Type-2 DV AVI file. Try a Type-1 to see what happens. To do this, simply omit the DV splitter before the AVI Mux such that the output of the Smart Tee goes directly to Input01 of the AVI Mux.

In the meantime, I will try the same graph that you are using.

John.

[pedrogomes]

Hello John,

I did try, as you suggested, to build a simple graph just to try the output to a file and I got the same result.
Meaning, having just one DV input with or without the DV Splitter plus the AVI Mux and the File Writer filter I always get the same error.
I've also tried this on another PC with a fresh XP installation to avoid any interferences and the result was exactly the same.
It is not obligatory to me to write AVI files, I can use MPEG or QT, could you suggest any other MUX filter I could try out?

It is very frustrating because the switcher filter works in perfection and very smoothly. How about Chroma Keying? Are you planning to have any time soon? Alternatively could you please suggest any piece of software we could you to act as a keyer before the video signal gets to the switcher?

Many, many thanks for all your help,
Pedro Gomes

[JohnnyMalaria]

I'll have to run the some tests on a wider variety of systems.

If you build a graph to write the DV to disk without the switcher involved, does it work okay?

[pedrogomes]

No it does not!

I've been running several tests and the results are:
1. A graph with 1 camera + avi mux + file writer = OK
2. A graph with 2 cameras + enosoft switcher + avi mux + file writer = ERROR
3. A graph with 2 cameras + enosoft switcher + enosoft dv processor + enosoft raw dv writer = OK

After writing the Enosoft RAW DV File I used Enosoft DV Processor app to convert the RAW file to a Type-1 AVI and it worked fine.

Hope this helps.

[pedrogomes]

Would it be possible to have information about the settings of the RAW DV file?

Thanks

[JameySchultz]

Hello everyone,

First I'd like to say thanks John for making this available. I have been recording our church services in HD with a Sony HDR-HC3, editing and converting the file to a 640x480 Flash
with Video Studio Pro X2 and posting them on the church's web site since the first of the year. When Circuit City went out of business I picked up a couple of new Canon HV30 HD camcorders. I have been planning on going to a 3 camera shoot each week which I think will make the viewing much more enjoyable for those who miss the service that week.
I have downloaded several trial versions of live video mixing software including Wirecast, Vid Blaster, AV Take Cut Four 2, VH Multi Camera Studio, and a few others. To be honest
I'm not crazy about any of them. They either don't work very well or they are way to expensive. I'm looking for software that simply switches back and forth between cameras seamlessly without any glitches and records the file to the hard drive, just like this DV switcher. I have tried it and it works great on the switching, but have ran into the same
error that Pedro did when writing the file to disk. If that one bug could be worked out it would be great for me. I don't even mind recording in SD since the file will end up 640x480
anyway. The church is a non profit org. but I would gladly purchase a license when this switcher is developed into a software especially when the HD version is available!
Pedro, in your test #3 did you place the Enosoft dv processor and Enosoft raw dv writer in the graph? I didn't see these in the list of filters. Did I overlook them somewhere or
do these have to be downloaded from Enosoft? A photo of your working graph would be great! This is my first time to use GraphEdit. Many Thanks To All.

[JohnnyMalaria]

No it does not!

I've been running several tests and the results are:
1. A graph with 1 camera + avi mux + file writer = OK
2. A graph with 2 cameras + enosoft switcher + avi mux + file writer = ERROR
3. A graph with 2 cameras + enosoft switcher + enosoft dv processor + enosoft raw dv writer = OK

After writing the Enosoft RAW DV File I used Enosoft DV Processor app to convert the RAW file to a Type-1 AVI and it worked fine.

Hope this helps.

Thank you, Pedro. That provides some odd but interesting information. It will certainly help me to figure out where to look.

Would it be possible to have information about the settings of the RAW DV file?

I'm not sure what you are asking. The raw DV file is an exact bit-for-bit copy of what comes from the camcorder - i.e., just a DV stream without any AVI information etc.

[JohnnyMalaria]

I have tried it and it works great on the switching, but have ran into the same
error that Pedro did when writing the file to disk. If that one bug could be worked out it would be great for me. I don't even mind recording in SD since the file will end up 640x480
anyway. The church is a non profit org. but I would gladly purchase a license when this switcher is developed into a software especially when the HD version is available!

Hi Jamey,

Thanks for the feedback. I will be testing the file capturing on a number of systems this weekend to see if I can reproduce the symptoms.[/quote]

Pedro, in your test #3 did you place the Enosoft dv processor and Enosoft raw dv writer in the graph? I didn't see these in the list of filters. Did I overlook them somewhere or
do these have to be downloaded from Enosoft? A photo of your working graph would be great! This is my first time to use GraphEdit. Many Thanks To All.

The two filters are listed under DirectShow Filters as Enosoft DV Processor (enodvproc.dll) and Enosoft Raw DV Writer (EnoRawDVWriter.dll). Both dll's are in the main Enosoft DV Processor installation directory.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Update:

I reproduced the problem and found the cause to be deep inside DirectShow. But the solution was quite simple.

I have placed a modified version of the switcher filter here:

http://www.enosoft.net/dl.php?filename=EnoDVSwitcherFilter_06Apr2009.zip

Inside is the filter dll. Rename your existing one and copy the new one into the installation folder. Please note that this is a 'debug' version which means it is bigger and slower. If you can confirm that it correctly allows writing to AVI and performs all the other functions appropriately, I'll create the 'release' version.

Thanks!

John.

EDIT - please use the link in the third post below this one.

[JameySchultz]

Hi John,
I have downloaded the new EnoDVSwitcherFilter.dll but can't get it to work.
GraphEdit doesn't accept it. I have uninstalled and reinstalled and rebooted several times but always get the same error when tring to place the filter in GraphEdit. "The filter could not be created. Resources used by this filter may already be in use. This application has failed to start because the application configuration is incorrect. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem. (Return Code: 0x800736b1)."
I renamed the old one with an x on the end and dropped the new one in the folder. Is there anything else I should do?

[JohnnyMalaria]

Oh...I know why. Because it is the debug version it relies on debug versions of some of the Windows dlls. I'll build the release version and put it up on the server later today.

Thanks for letting me know!

[JohnnyMalaria]

OK - try this one:

http://www.enosoft.net/dl.php?filename=EnoDVSwitcherFilter_09Apr2009.zip

[JameySchultz]

John, I got the new switcher and have been testing it the last couple of days. It writes the avi file perfectly now. I have recorded several files around 5 minutes long switching between cameras flawlessly. However sometimes the switcher gets a error and stops recording. "The graph could not change state. The sample start time is after the sample end time. (Return code: 0x80040228). This error shows up randomly. I am using 1 Sony HDR-Hc3 and 2 Canon HV30's with 3 seperate firewire PCI cards. One of my firewires is 6' and the other two are 3'.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Hi Jamey,

Thanks for the feedback. That error is related to the same issue. I will be stress-testing the switcher more this weekend. I can hook up four devices (2 HDR-HC1s and 2 DSR-11s) so I ought to be able to force the error to happen. How often does it occur?

BTW, the cable length isn't an issue. Like comedy, capturing AVI files with DirectShow is all about the timing...

John.