Avid® Symphony v3.5.1 ReadMe Revision History Date Revised Changes Made March 24, 2009 Added to “Fixed in Avid Symphony v3.5.1” on page 4. IMPORTANT: Avid periodically makes software updates and Customer Patch Releases (CPR) available for download on Avid.com at the following location: www.avid.com/support/downloadcenter/index.asp Please check the above site regularly for information on available downloads for your product.
Contents Symbols and Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 If You Need Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Fixed in Avid Symphony v3.5.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Compatibility Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If You Need Help Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action > This symbol indicates menu commands (and subcommands) in the order you select them. For example, File > Import means to open the File menu and then select the Import command. This symbol indicates a single-step procedure. Multiple arrows in a list indicate that you perform one of the actions listed. Italic font Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to indicate variables.
Hardware and Software Requirements To access the list of qualified and supported platforms: 1. Go to www.avid.com/products/ 2. Choose your product. 3. Click System Requirements. Fixed in Avid Symphony v3.5.1 The following have been fixed: ➤ (Macintosh only) Permission errors prohibiting multiple users to log into the Avid editing system. This has been fixed, however, you need to remove any pre-existing AMALogger files before you start the Avid editor. To remove any pre-existing AMA Logger files: 1.
Compatibility Chart Compatibility Chart The following table lists the operating system, NVIDIA® driver, QuickTime®, Windows Media™, Avid Interplay®, shared storage, Sony® XDCAM™, Panasonic® P2, and Pro Tools LE® versions that were qualified with the Avid editing applications. Also listed are the third-party applications such as Boris Continuum Complete, Avid DVD by Sonic™, Sorenson Squeeze®, and SmartSound® that ship with the editing applications.
Item Versions Comments Avid Interplay Support See the Avid Interplay ReadMe for supported versions. Macintosh editing applications are not supported in an Avid Interplay environment. IMPORTANT: The Avid Interplay components that get installed on the editing application must be updated to the Avid Interplay version that is released with the editing application. These include the Media Indexer, Interplay Access, Interplay Framework, Interplay Transfer Client and ProEncode Client.
Compatibility Chart Item Versions Comments Sony XDCAM driver PDZ v2.23 and FAM v2.04 (Windows XP and Vista 32) Avid supports the Windows XP and Vista 32 device driver for XDCAM decks, the Vista 64 device driver is not available at this time. Avid recommends you install the Pro Disc 2.04 driver on the Windows XP system running SP3 when using the following Sony PDW devices: PDW 1500, PDW HD1500, PDW 700, PDW 350, PDW F75, PDW F70, PDW D1. The driver can be downloaded from Sony's website http://esupport.
Item Versions Comments SmartSound v4.5 Ships with: Avid Media Composer Avid NewsCutter Avid Symphony Nitris Avid Symphony Nitris DX SmartSound is not compatible with systems running Vista 64. Setting up the NVIDIA Card To set up the NVIDIA card, you must make sure you have the correct display driver version, install the display driver if necessary, and set the correct display settings. Prior to setting up the NVIDIA card, check to make sure you have the correct display driver version.
Disabling the NVIDIA Driver Helper Service (Windows XP) To set Dualview mode if you are working with two monitors: 1. Right-click the Desktop, and select Nvidia Control Panel. 2. In the settings window in the left of the window, click Set up multiple displays. 3. In the “Choose View display mode to use” area, select “Configure independently from each other (Dualview). 4. Click Apply, and then click OK.
Shared Storage Support The editing application has been tested in a shared storage environment with the following: Editing Application Operating System ISIS Client supported version MediaNetwork ISIS Server Client supported supported version version MediaNetwork Server supported version Windows XP v1.4, v1.5, v1.6, v2.0.1 v1.4, v1.5, v1.6, v2.0.1 v4.1.6, v4.2.4, v5.0.1, and v5.1, v5.1.1 v4.1.6, v4.2.4, v5.0.1, and v5.1 Windows Vista Business 32 and Windows Vista Business 64 a v1.5, v1.6, v2.0.
Before You Install the Editing Application If you are a new customer (never installed an Avid editor on your system) you can install the following on an approved WinXP system or an approved Vista system: • Media Composer v3.0 and higher • Symphony Nitris v3.0 and higher • NewsCutter v7.0 and higher The following upgrade process to the Vista version of the editing application is not supported: For example, if a Media Composer v2.7.
Notes on Vista OS Note the following topics if you are running the editing application on the Vista OS. Disabling Desktop Compositing If you are running an editing application on the Vista OS, when the Avid editor is launched you might see a dialog box asking you to disable desktop compositing. You can disable it without adversely affecting the Avid editing application. You can choose to disable it and continue with your editing session.
Before You Install the Editing Application To disable the Vista Windows Sidebar: 1. Right click on the Sidebar or Sidebar icon, and choose Properties. 2. Deselect “Start Sidebar when Windows starts.” 3. Right-click the icon, and choose Exit to close the sidebar. New Folder Structure Some editing application folders have moved to a new location that is now shared and visible to the user on installation. These folders are created at installation time and are given special permissions to work for all users.
Cleaning up Old Folders Before Installation Do the following to clean up old folders before you install the new ones if you are performing an upgrade. To clean up folders: 1. Before installing Symphony 3.0, you need to uninstall your old version and any version of FilmScribe, EDL Manager, MediaLog, and Avid Log Exchange. 2. Remove the following Registry keys on your system if they still exist after the uninstallation process.
Installing the Software Using the GetLicenseInfo Utility Avid provides a utility program — GetLicenseInfo.exe — that retrieves information specific to your license. This is useful if you no longer have the original license information or if you need to provide this information to Avid Customer Support.
For all Avid editing applications, you must first log in as the Administrator (not just a user with administrator privileges), install the application, and initially launch the application as the Administrator. If you are working in a shared storage environment, mount your workspaces. You may then subsequently run the Avid editing application as a regular User. (Windows) To install the Avid editing application software: 1. Quit all active applications. 2. Insert the editing application DVD. 3.
New in Avid Symphony v3.5 Feature Description Software Activation Avid is now incorporating a software If you are a new customer, the licensing option for activating your software. Installation Guide provided in the documentation box provides software activation details. If you are upgrading from a previous release and ordered an upgrade kit, the Installation Guide in the upgrade kit provides software activation details.
Feature Description XDCAM EX You can now import an XDCAM EX clip into See “Sony XDCAM EX an Avid editing application or use the AMA Media” in the Help. method to link to an XDCAM EX clip. XDCAM Added improved performance to the speed of See "Sony XDCAM Media" in XDCAM imports on both the Windows and the Help. Macintosh platforms. FluidStabilizer A new tracking engine specifically designed to track camera motion. See “Stabilizing an Image” in the Help.
New in Avid Symphony v3.5 Feature Description More Info New Parameters for Generator Effects New options have been added to the SubCap See “Generator Effects” in the and Timecode Burn-In effects. Help. Stereoscopic This feature allows you to display and edit stereoscopic (3D) material. 16-Channel Audio The Capture Tool now supports capture of up See “HD-SDI 16-Channel to 16 audio channels of HD-SDI input from Audio” on page 20. supported HD devices.
Feature Description Exporting improvements Avid supports embedded timecode when you export to XDCAM. More Info Avid supports embedded timecode when you export a QuickTime movie. Avid supports exporting 8 tracks of audio to MPEG IMX and XDCAM HD 50 Mbits. Long-GOP Media Creation Avid editing applications now allow full media creation and playback support for all of the specified Long-GOP formats and modes (XDCAM HD and XDCAM EX). This includes support for video mixdown using Long-GOP HD formats.
Fixed in Avid Symphony v3.5 And in the Render Settings options, the “Effects Quality Render Using” option has been changed to “Image Interpolation”. Note, the standard mode was the only quality mode supported in the previous release, except for Symphony Nitris. Image Interpolation Sets a global override for effects that resize or reposition. The following options are available: Advanced (Polyphase): Causes effects to use the highest quality. .
➤ Previously, exporting a QuickTime reference took longer to complete than in previous versions of the editing application. This has been fixed. ➤ Previously, an Avid Symphony Nitris system in an Avid Interplay v1.2.3 environment might drop frames when playing uncompressed video. This has been fixed. ➤ MetaSync enhancement matte keys were not importing correctly. This has been fixed. ➤ VFX and DPX Timecode was not appearing in the Record Monitor Timecode display or the Timecode window.
Limitations and Known Issues Workaround: Close and reopen the bin where the AMA clips are stored. The bin headings should all appear in the Bin Column Selection dialog box. ➤ Keep the target audio sample rate the same as the native audio sample rate when you consolidate or transcode a clip using AMA. If you choose to convert the audio sample rate, the system does not calculate the needed space requirement and the consolidate fails.
3. Ensure that the Record/Input descriptions match the Playback/Output settings. For example, if you have a microphone plugged into the rear pink connector, then the Playback/Output option should be set to Rear Pink In. If you have a Line input audio device connected to the front black connector, the Playback/Output option should be set to Front Black In.
Limitations and Known Issues Avid Unity ➤ (Macintosh) Avid editing clients cannot capture 8-bit 1:1 HD media to a mirrored Avid Unity MediaNetwork workspace; 10-bit HD media works fine. Workaround: To capture 8-bit 1:1 HD media to an Avid Unity MediaNetwork workspace, you must unmirror the workspace then capture the 8-bit HD media. You can then mirror that workspace after the 8-bit 1:1 HD media is captured. Synchronize the workspace with the Administration tool after the mirroring is re-applied.
➤ A 1:1 10 bit capture might fail with DIG_VDM_OVERRUN or video overrun errors. This might not occur if storage performance is optimized. ➤ (Macintosh) You might receive a “Mac Error - 37” error when accessing a target drive or workspace with 28 or more characters. Workaround: Make sure the target drive or workspace names are fewer than 28 characters.
Limitations and Known Issues Workaround: Move the affected window or message box away from the Record monitor, put another application in front of the Avid application, and then go back to Avid to force the UI to refresh. ➤ When you capture from an HDV device through 1394 into an HDV interlaced project, you might see the video break up into squares. The captured media is intact and complete, however.
➤ Drop frame/Non-drop frame mismatch errors occurred often when capturing. A new Deck Preference setting has been added. Access the Deck Preferences Settings dialog box. A new “When the deck contains no tape Log as” option appears. Select the timecode format (Drop Frame or Non-drop Frame) for logging clips when no tape is in the deck. When a tape is in the deck, the system automatically uses the existing timecode format on the tape.
Limitations and Known Issues ➤ Due to an issue with the RICOH FireWire controller on the Dell M65 and M90 laptops, when playing out to the host in 1394 mode, as well as a DV device via the “Output to DV Device” option, video and audio may drift out of sync. Workaround: Turn off “Output to DV Device.” Or, if you have to use the DV Device for monitoring, connect the speakers or headphones to the DV device/camera instead of the PC.
➤ When you perform a digital cut using the Pioneer® PRV-LX1 DVD recorder, select Ignore Time in the Digital Cut Tool window. ➤ A video underrun might occur at the start of a digital cut if the Digital Cut tool does not have focus when you click the Play Digital cut button. The Digital Cut window must be active before you click either the Start or Preview button. If an underrun occurs at the very start of the digital cut, you should be able to perform the digital cut without a problem.
Limitations and Known Issues Effects ➤ You might experience dropped frames on the initial playback of a sequence containing a Pan and Scan effect. Workaround: Set the Image Interpolation option in the Render Settings to Standard (Bilinear). ➤ You might receive a bus error when exporting a sequence in a 24p NTSC project that contains a scratch removal effect. Render the sequence first. ➤ Currently, you cannot preview Multi channel audio clips with AudioSuite Dynamic 3 plug-in effects.
➤ When working in 3D Advanced keyframes, occasionally, keyframe points might not display in the path. Workaround: Click the Enlarge or Reduce button located below the Effect Preview Monitor. ➤ In a 1080i59 project, effects that invert or resize the image might appear field-reversed during play in an SD timeline. Workaround: Transcode the media to SD. ➤ A clip with an unrendered TimeWarp effect might not import to ProTools. Render the effect before exporting.
Limitations and Known Issues Division of rendered segment. The problem might occur if you render an entire Timewarp effect using the Film With 2:3 Pulldown Input format, and then divide the segment (for example, by performing an overwrite edit of new material into the middle of the segment). Some frames in the second part of the divided segment might become unrendered. Trimming head frame of rendered segment.
➤ Performing an Add Edit on a promoted Advanced Keyframe Picture-in-Picture effect might cause a “DataPointOneError”. Workaround: Instead of first promoting to 3D, then Advanced Keyframe, promote in the reverse order. ➤ You might see a “FluidMotion Vector Edit Requires Full Resolution” error if you work in FluidMotion™ Vector Edit mode in anything other than full resolution (green mode in the Timeline).
Limitations and Known Issues Workaround: Import still images into a bin and use them in the edit. With the imported image in the Timeline, apply the Pan & Zoom effect and load the respective file from the Open dialog box. This way you can use “Clip Text” and confirm that the correct images are being loaded. ➤ (Macintosh) After the link to a Pan & Zoom effect is broken and you want to reestablish it, the application doesn’t prompt you for the source image name in the Open dialog box.
➤ An error might occur when you export to HDV when the first frame of the sequence is a video mixdown clip. Workaround: Place filler or a frame of non-video mixdown media at the head of the sequence. ➤ Currently, our export settings allow a 720x486 size when you export Avid DV, which creates a field alignment issue. Make sure that you set the export settings correctly for 720 x 480 for DV exports. Currently, QuickTime must do a resize from 486 lines down to 480 and you receive an odd interpolation.
Limitations and Known Issues ➤ When you export pan automation on an audio clip as AAF, it does not translate in Pro Tools. Pro Tools does not accept varying value pan controls during import. ➤ In the Export Settings dialog box, the default size is not the image size of the opened project. ➤ When you play an exported clip in the Windows Media Player, the sequence stalls in the desktop monitor.
➤ Do not create a project using the Euro currency character (ALT 0128). The project fails to be created and a “Can't Open Project” error message is displayed. ➤ Certain Asian characters might not appear in the correct order in some text boxes in your Avid editing application. Import ➤ Occasionally, if you cancel an import of a clip, you might receive a “DISK_SHARING_VIOLATION” error.
Limitations and Known Issues Workaround: Right click the product.exe and choose “Run as administrator.” This causes the mdb and pmr files to update in the Avid_MediaFiles folder.The executable is located (by default) in C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Product Name. ➤ (Vista) When the editing application is launched and a firmware update is required, you might be prompted to relaunch using 'Run As Administrator'. To run as administrator, right click the product.exe and select Run as administrator.
➤ Batch Import of files containing Alpha. This problem occurs if you want to batch import files in SD and HD formats and then use Dynamic Relink to switch between the different formats. The problem occurs with QuickTime movies, graphics, and sequences that contain alpha. You can batch import the files and relink to the different formats, but if you exit and then restart the Avid editing application you can no longer relink to the HD format.
Limitations and Known Issues Workaround: Check the sequence into the Interplay Window before you attempt to transfer it. ➤ In workgroup environments prior to Avid Interplay, you could automatically consolidate from NewsCutter during Send to DMS. With the Avid Interplay release, the automated consolidate is not available. Choose to consolidate prior to sending to DMS.
➤ Shared drives and media are available in the Media tool and in the MetaSync™ application and should not be. ➤ In the Interplay Server Settings dialog box, you can change the Interplay server name and you should not be able to ➤ In the Capture tool, you can select the Interplay Folders option as your capture destination and you should not be able to.
Limitations and Known Issues JVC ➤ JVC recommends using the BR-HD50 deck to capture and batch-capture HDV media recorded with JVC cameras. ➤ The JVC GY-HD250U camera might drift out of sync while shooting in 720p/59.94. To avoid this issue, turn on the camera in 720p 23.976 and then switch the format to 720p 59.94 causing a soft reboot. ➤ The Imported M2T files that were captured with a JVC GY-HD250U camera via the FireStore DR-HD100 will show up in the bin with the wrong durations.
➤ ➤ Export to P2 limitations: • Use Marks and Use Enabled tracks are ignored on export. • All Audio must be PCM 16b/48K. • All audio tracks will be exported, although P2 devices either support 2 or 4 audio tracks. Therefore sequences should be built for delivery to the specified P2 playback device. Sequences with 6 audio tracks will have 6 audio tracks and the P2 device will only playback the first 2 or 4 tracks.
Limitations and Known Issues ➤ A DVD drive cannot be a media drive. If a CONTENTS folder is located on the root level of the DVD, you might see a “No clips were found” message when performing an Import P2 Clips to Bin. Workaround: Create a folder that contains the CONTENTS folder on the DVD. This instructs the editor to mount a virtual drive.
Play ➤ You might experience dropped frames when playing back XDCAM media with effects. When playing back media, a number of variables affect play performance; such as your CPU power, GPU power, sequence complexity and the raster settings. ➤ (MacBook Pro) After an initial launch of the editing application when attached to a Mojo, you might receive an “Assertion failed” error when playing back an HD sequence. Workaround: Switch the project to NTSC or PAL.
Limitations and Known Issues ➤ When you play media and then you press stop, the source monitor stops, but the external client monitor steps back approximately 2 frames. ➤ (Macintosh) QuickTime reference movies are useful as long as you are working with Avid media files available on your local system or in an Avid Unity environment.
➤ (Windows Only) Avid Attic folders can only be created by Administrators. An Administrator has to first launch the application, open a project, close the project and quit the application. Then when a non-Administrator user uses the application, their work is saved to the Avid Attic. ➤ You should note the following when transcoding media.
Limitations and Known Issues ➤ If you re-create a rolling or crawling title in your sequence, the Scroll Position parameter values for the first and last keyframes are not preserved. They are set to the default values (start and end). Workaround: Promote the title to advanced keyframe model before you re-create. ➤ (Macintosh only) If you select the classic Title tool eyedropper and then quit the Avid application, the application hangs.
➤ When you render a rolling or crawling NTSC SD title with Same as Source selected in the Media Creation dialog box in an HD project, you might see problems with the title. Workaround: For highest quality titles, re-create your title media in the format of the project in which you are working; in this case, re-create your SD title media in an HD format. ➤ Unrendered back-to-back titles in a 1080i HDV sequence might not play in real time. The second title does not display. Workaround: Render the titles.
Limitations and Known Issues ➤ The application might appear frozen after you edit a Marquee title in the Timeline. If you edit a Marquee title that is already part of a sequence in the Timeline and then exit Marquee, you might not be able to perform any other operations. Workaround: Press the Escape key. Use a different user setting to avoid the problem. ➤ Rolling titles created in SD and rendered in HD display 1 line at the top of the matte when they are rendered.
➤ (XDCAM writeback) If you export a 720p50 or 720p59 sequence with an odd number of frames, you will receive a message indicating the sequence needs an even number of frames to export successfully. Add or subtract a frame and perform the export again. ➤ You might experience dropped frames when playing back XDCAM media with effects. When playing back media, a number of variables affect play performance; such as your CPU power, GPU power, sequence complexity and the raster settings.
Extending Your Usable Address Space and Adding RAM for Improved Performance (Windows) Extending Your Usable Address Space and Adding RAM for Improved Performance (Windows) The Microsoft Windows XP and Vista 32-bit operating systems limit every program to 2 gigabytes (GB) of address space. It reserves the remaining 2 gigabytes of address space for its own use. The operating system includes a boot-time mechanism that allows applications access to a larger virtual address space than was previously available.
Install3GB updates the current configuration you are running; it does not create another one. After pressing any key the window closes and you will need to reboot the computer. Restoring the Original Configuration You can restore the system to the original configuration. To restore the configuration: 1. Run the Install3GB.exe as described in “Using Install3GB.exe to Extend Your Usable Address Space” on page 53. 2. Type 0 (zero) for the memory setting.
Documentation Changes Selecting a DV Device In the “Selecting a DV Device” topic in the help, the following paragraph was unintentionally omitted. • If your system has an Avid Nitris DX or Avid Mojo DX attached, the DNA/1394 button and the Special > Device menu do not appear in the user interface. DV capture through 1394 and non-DV capture through your input/output hardware operate independently. You specify that you are capturing via 1394 by selecting Host 1394 from the Video menu in the Capture tool.
3. (Option) Select “Show reference clips” to display objects that are referenced by sequences. 4. Click OK. 5. (Option) Save the layout if you want to preserve your type filter settings. Importing Proxy Media Avid's new feature “Avid Media Access (AMA)” allows you to link directly to P2, XDCAM, or XDCAM EX media. However, if you want to import XDCAM proxy media, you can do the following. Turn off AMA: 1. In the Project window, click the Settings tab. 2. Double-click AMA.
Legal Notices Legal Notices Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology, Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. You can obtain a copy of that license by visiting Avid's Web site at www.avid.com. The terms of that license are also available in the product in the same directory as the software.
