DigiDesign Digidesign Pro Tools 8.0, Reference Manual

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Chapter 48: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1057
For more consistently smooth video playback,
here are some suggestions:
• Use an Avid video peripheral.
• Use the fastest computer possible.
• Set Scrolling option to None (
Options > Scroll-
ing > None
).
• Recompress the video at a reduced pixel di-
mension, for example 320 x 240 pixels to
640 x 480 pixels.
• Use a video clip with less compression
(heavily compressed files require more proces-
sor speed to decompress for display).
• Hide the video track when not needed (or
change from Frames to Blocks view).
• Ensure that any unnecessary software is not
running.
• Resize the Video window to a small desktop
size, for example by using half size instead of
whole or full screen.
Compensating for Video
Monitoring Delays
You can compensate for delays in the video out-
put that may be introduced by external decoders
and certain types of displays (such as projectors
or plasma screens).
To compensate for delays caused by video
monitoring devices:
1
Choose
Setup > Video Sync Offset
.
2
In the Set Video Sync Offset dialog, enter a
value in the QuickTime Video Offset field or
Windows Media Video Offset field that is appro-
priate to compensate for the delay caused by
your video monitor chain.
The amount of delay introduced varies based on
your system and the type of video peripheral
you are using. When using an Avid peripheral
with QuickTime, 18 quarter-frames is a good
starting point, but you will need to verify the
precise setting for your system. (Third-party de-
vices are available to help you measure this de-
lay.)
Once this value is set, it should not need to be
updated unless you change components in your
video monitoring chain (such as projectors or
plasma screens).
Playing Video to an External
Monitor Using a Video Card
QuickTime HD or SD Output
Pro Tools lets you output QuickTime HD or SD
video to an external HD-SDI, HDMI, NTSC, or
PAL monitor.
Pro Tools offers professional quality support of
most SD and HD Quicktime video formats, in-
cluding 720p, 1080p, and 1080i at all standard
frame rates.
Video Sync Offset dialog
For a list of devices explicitly tested for
QuickTime HD or SD output from
Pro Tools, visit the Digidesign website at
(www.digidesign.com/compatibility).