Recording and replays
What to do if T-bar will not set to zero (calibrate)?
- Close the program;
- Turn off the power to Control Z / Zx controller (switch on the rear panel);
- Hold down the Event button and turn it back on
- Hold down the Speed Range or Event[1] button and turn it back on. After that release the Speed Range / Event button and follow instructions on the display.
After completing calibration turn the remote control off and back on.
[1] If you are using the button Speed Range displayed no instructions for calibration, you must use the Event button.
[2] If your controller has Keypad type 2 (Enter is in the upper right corner) when instructed to press the Enter button press 9.
Keypad type 1
Keypad type 2
What to do if Control Z / Zx does not work (display has no info)?
The remote control is not detected by the system. Try the following:
- Turn Off/On Control Z using the switch on its rear panel;
- Restart the server.
Contact
What to do if Control ZR does not work (the buttons have no indication)?
The remote control is not detected by the system. Try the following:
- Turn Off/On Control ZR using the switch on its rear panel;
- Restart the server.
Contact
What if using Jog/Shuttle does not produce the desired scroll speed?
Adjusting Jog/Shuttle wheel sensitivity is performed in the Slomo.tv Launcher program:
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Open Slomo.tv Launcher. Shortcut:
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Select the project where you need to change Jog/Shuttle sensitivity and click the Edit button (
) in the project row;
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In the opened "General" tab in the "Replay Workplace Settings" section, move the Jog/Shuttle Sensitivity slider and, using the multiplier value to the left of the slider, set the required sensitivity
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Save the project: in the "Summary" tab, click the Save or Save As button
Pressing Control Z / Zx / ZR numeric keypad does not lead to results described in the manual.
Keypad can either type 1 or type 2 as shown below:
Keypad type 1
Keypad type 2
Select the correct type as follows: Tools → Settings → Remote Control type:
I need to extend the control cable for Control Z / Zx / ZR for Simple R or Arrow systems. Where can I find the pinout for this cable? What cable do you recommend?
You can download the cable pinout diagram here.
We use CCC9GL Communication Cable 9-wire, shielded.
Extension up to 15 meters without additional power supply. Minimum wire cross-section 0.3 mm2 (3 wires for power). When using a cable longer than 15 meters, an additional power source is required. Maximum operating length depends on the cable used.
Voltage 9V (tolerance ±0.5V). Current consumption 500 mA
I need to extend the control cable for Control Z / Zx / ZR for 4U server (Fulcrum, Dominator, BlackJack). Where can I find the pinout for this cable? What cable do you recommend?
You can download the cable pinout diagram here.
We use CCC9GL Communication Cable 9-wire, shielded.
Extension up to 15 meters without additional power supply. Minimum wire cross-section 0.3 mm2 (3 wires for power). When using a cable longer than 15 meters, an additional power source is required. Maximum operating length depends on the cable used.
Voltage 9V (tolerance ±0.5V). Current consumption 500 mA
I need a cable to connect the Control Zx / ZR control panel via the USB interface.
The cable for connecting the Control Zx / ZR control panel via the USB interface is not included in the standard delivery package. The cable can be ordered separately or self-assembled according to the provided diagram.
When connecting the control panel via the USB interface, an active hub is required.
We recommend using Ethernet or RS-422 interfaces for connection.
I need a cable to connect the Control Zx / ZR control panel via the Ethernet interface.
The cable for connecting the Control Zx / ZR control panel via the Ethernet interface is not included in the standard delivery package.
The cable can be ordered separately or self-assembled according to the provided diagram.
I need to extend the LTC/GPIO cable for the Simple R or Arrow system. Where can I find the pinout diagram for this cable?
You can download the cable pinout diagram here.
What to do if there is not enough free space on disk?
In this case you should delete unneeded project(s) using Slomo.tv Launcher.
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Close the error message and the application itself.
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Open Slomo.tv Launcher. Shortcut:
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Open the "Disk Management" tab
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In the "Storage Projects" section, delete the unnecessary project(s) by clicking the Delete button (
) to the right of the project
When deleting project files, the program will open an operation confirmation window:
To confirm file deletion, enter the password. The password is the last 4 characters of your device's serial number, located in the upper right corner of the desktop and on the server's rear panel.
When a new project is open, the system indicates that available space for one channel is considerably smaller than in others.
See the answer to the question "What to do if there is not enough free space on disk?"
What to do when opening a project, the system asks to check disks configuration?
This situation may occur when the system is configured for DMR™ recording, but disks are not physically installed.
Close the program, install disks and run the program again.
To configure DMR™ recording over the network, you need to specify the path to the network folder in Slomo.tv Launcher
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Open Slomo.tv Launcher. Shortcut:
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Select the project where you need to specify the path to the network folder and click the Edit button (
) in the project row;
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Go to the "DMR" tab and in the "Parameters" section:
- Activate the Use Backup DMR setting
- Specify the Network Backup DMR Path: click the Browse... button and in Windows Explorer select the network folder where recording will be performed.
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Save the project: in the "Summary" tab, click the Save or Save As button
What to do if there is no video on input video window(s)?
This can happen for several reasons:
- The source does not supply video signal or the signal is in the wrong standard for which the system was
configured.
Check the feed using professional video monitor displaying characteristics of the input video signal.
- Video source is OK, but there is a defective cable or video adapter. Check, or better yet, replace the suspected items.
- There is a faulty input connector or video card(s) did not initialize at system startup.
Check messages in the notification window. If all cards are initialized then most likely the problem is the input connector or the video board itself. If not all the video boards are initialized, reboot the system:
The system itself can be used as a generator of video signal. Connect the video output to the input of the channel where there was no video. After starting the program the suspected input will receive a signal in a format for which the system was configured. If the video input is OK, the window will display:
- The serial number of the system;
- The output number;
- Standard and resolution of output signal;
- The output designation.
This information will be on the output from the start until there is another output video, i.e. until you start working with the video.
What types of disks are recommended for DMR™?
HDD:
When selecting an HDD, pay attention to the rotation speed: it should not be less than 7200 RPM.
Recommended models:
- Western Digital Ultrastar DC HA210 (2TB)
- Western Digital 1W10002 (2TB)
- HGST 1W10002 (2TB)
SSD:
Recommended models:
- Samsung MZ-77E2T0 EVO 870 (2 TB)
- Samsung MZ-77E4T0 EVO 870 (4 TB)
I want to use some project clips in the future. How to do it?
You will need to export clips and add them to OnAir. Click Tools → Export OnAir (license required).
If "Combine Clips to one movie" was chosen, then all the clips will be recorded in a single file together with .xsm file. After that in the new project you can import the playlist, selecting this .xsm file.
How do I use on my system clips from another system on the network?
The easiest way – is to have the clips in OnAir of the other system as described above, and give network access to your system so the operator at the other system will import the playlist to your shared disk.
A faster and more convenient solution is using the Transfer or Direct Connect licensed option.
Options can be acquired by contacting
How do I insert graphics with alpha-channel?
The system should be configured for working with alpha channel. To use the TGA sequence with alpha channel it has to be imported. It will appear in the CG/Paint tab.
To import a TGA sequence open Tools → Import video to CG/Paint and select the desired file.
Click the Open button. The import will be made:
After import you will need to set clip options:
- Infinite loop;
- Fixed speed.
You can also change the imported clip name.
Find the clip in CG/Paint and add it to OnAir.
How can I use background music in playout of a playlist?
To add background music you will need to import audio file by opening Audio Control 
In the Audio Control window, find the Audio Playback mode area:
Click the Open button and wait for the file import to finish:
Is it possible to improve video playback quality at low speeds?
To solve this problem it is necessary to use special high-speed camera.
How can I get access to the clips and Playlist on a different system?
This can be done using Transfer or Direct Connect option. Contact technical
Can recording be done in two places at once?
Yes, this is possible if you have the necessary license for recording over network.
Can export be done to several disks in parallel?
The current version of software does not support this. We are working on it.
Can a DMR™ file be used for editing immediately, without waiting for recording to stop?
If you record video onto a DMR™ discs, you need to wait until the end of recording.
Instead of writing to DMR™ discs, you can do segmented recording on the network.
To do this:
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Open Slomo.tv Launcher. Shortcut:
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Select the project where you need to setup segmented recording on the network and click the Edit button (
) in the project row;
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Go to the "DMR" tab and in the "Parameters" section:
- Activate the Use Backup DMR setting
- Specify the Network Backup DMR Path: click the Browse... button and in Windows Explorer select the network folder where recording will be performed.
- Set the value of the DMR Chunk Duration parameter to the required time interval, for example, 5 minutes. Every 5 minutes, the system will close the current DMR™ files and create new ones, ensuring uninterrupted recording. In this case, you will be able to start editing 5 minutes after recording begins.
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Save the project: in the "Summary" tab, click the Save or Save As button
Is it possible to restore all events, clips and playlists after the loss of power during operation?
Our systems are designed not to lose data after accidental work disruption. To restore the data, immediately after rebooting the server, run the last used configuration and in Tools select → Restore lists from backup.
That will restore all clips, events and playlists which were in this configuration before the failure.
After import, the playlists contain what was exported, including the properties of the clips.
How can I rename channels?
Double-click on the appropriate window's title bar, select its name and typeover the desired new channel name. In case of duplicate names, they will be highlighted in red.
How do I rename clips in the list of clips?
To rename a clip in the clip list, select the clip, hold down the Ctrl key and double-click on it. It will open Clip options window where you can enter a new name.
How to check compatibility of video files created by slomo.tv server with my editing system?
To check compatibility of video files created by slomo.tv server with your editing system go to "Support" ⟶ "Examples of files recorded for NLE" section of the site, select a codec and choose the file you need from the table.
The LTC recorded in the audio file differs from the timecode in the DMR™ files. Why does this happen?
Timecode in non-linear video editing files is typically represented only by the starting timecode, i.e., the specific timecode present at the moment the file recording began. Subsequently, editing software and players calculate the timecode based on the frame count and the timecode change law tied to those frames. For PAL: 25 frames equal 1 second. For television systems based on the frame rate adopted for NTSC (30/1.001Hz and 50/1.001Hz), there are drop-frame and non-drop-frame timecode representation variants. Drop-frame implies that in the timecode, one frame is periodically skipped, while non-drop-frame timecode uses the principle of 30 frames per second.
Discrepancy between the audio timecode recorded by separate DAS (digital audio station) or an external multi-channel recorder can occur for several reasons:
- LTC timecode is not synchronized with the video Genlock generator. This is a standard clock drift scenario; meaning, if clocks are not periodically "adjusted" using precise time signals, they will eventually drift apart. Therefore, at some point, the time calculated from the frames does not match the time output by the LTC generator.
- The DAS, like the video editing system, uses only the starting timecode stamp and then calculates the timecode based on the number of audio samples that should be in one second. If the sampling rate (word-clock) of the audio recorder is not synchronized with the video frequency, then due to the discrepancy between the sampling rates for video and audio, after a certain period, the number of audio samples ceases to correspond to the number of video samples (frames).
For example:
At an audio frequency of 48 kHz, there should be 1920 samples per frame. Suppose the audio drifts by 1 sample per second. Consequently, in 1 hour it will drift by 3600 samples, which corresponds to a 2-frame discrepancy with the video. That is, after 1 hour, the video and audio will be out of sync by 2 frames.
From this, it can be concluded that the digital audio station or multi-channel recorder needs to be synchronized with the video. In general, it is necessary for the timecode, word-clock, and video to be generated by a single device or at least be synchronized.
I am using the Sandy Audio option to record AES/EBU audio and sometimes experience clicks in the form of zero audio samples. Why does this happen and what can be done about it?
Slomo.tv servers equipped with this option accept audio signals generated by an external analog-to-AES converter. When receiving audio signals, we assume that the audio interface provides the server with 48,000 samples per second or, for PAL, 1,920 samples per frame. This is precisely why when we receive audio from this interface, we assume we get 1,920 samples per frame. If the external converter's sampling rate is lower than 48,000 Hz, it generates fewer samples per second. This causes it to operate at, for example, 47,999 Hz, missing one time sample per second. With 1,920 samples per frame, after 1,920 seconds we will get a frame completely lacking audio.
The opposite situation occurs when more than 48,000 audio samples are received. In this case, the audio drifts from the video. At 48,001 Hz, for every 1,920 samples we get one extra frame of audio, meaning the audio will essentially drift from the video by that same frame. We must handle this situation somehow, and we simply discard this extra frame.
Therefore, it is crucial to use analog-to-AES/EBU converters synchronized with the video frequency. Supply and use a word-clock from a generator that is synchronized with the video generator.
How many channels are available for HD? Can the available channels be configured in different numbers as input / output or are they fixed?
We have servers running 4K and HD/3G with 8/12/16 bidirectional SDI I/O.
Each of these video ports can be assigned as an input or output, and can also be endowed with specific functionality in the Slomo.tv Launcher program.
What are the working formats for HD? (1080i / 1080p / 720p?)
We support all of these formats.
What are the supported codecs for HD?
For replays we use a dedicated DCT Based I frame codec. ProRes422, AVID DNxHD, DVCproHD, XDCAM422 50Mbit, XAVC, AVC can also be licensed.
How many channels of external AES output are available? What type of connector is it provided with? (Dsub / XLR / SDI?)
We use embedded audio. If it is necessary to work with AES / MADI, our users use either OB Van equipment or converters like AJA FS4, which allow implementing any work with video and audio.
How is monitoring provided? Is there an internal multiviewer output or can it be provided by an external device?
The operator has access to 3 multiviewer display options:
- Multiviewer embedded in the main interface, containing all input channels for working with both Live and Search, plus 2 video windows PGM + PVW;
- Switch to a separate multiviewer on the same screen using the Multiskin option;
- Multiviewer can be output to a separate DP/HDMI™ monitor or SDI connector.
In all cases, the multiviewer layout can be customized to the operator's requirements in the Slomo.tv Launcher program.
