DV Rack-type software for Mac?
 

Does anyone know if there's an equivalent of "DV Rack" for Mac? Or has anyone heard rumors of one being developed? It would have to be by a manufacturer other than "Serious Magic" since they state bluntly on their site that they won't be making a Mac version.

Have a look at BTV Pro. I've been using it for a couple years and find it very handy. Having read a review of DV Rack, I know that BTV doesn't have all those features but it's still pretty nice considering free trial and the $40 shareware fee.

Thanks for the info, Boyd. I'm looking more for something to control image quality, and replace having to haul a monitor on location.

Steve Digges showed me one he was using on location and it was great that he was able to get all the functionality of a monitor, plus additional functions, AND save hauling yet another piece of equipment around.

I use BTV as a monitor, but it certainly isn't like a calibrated NTSC monitor. It also has a variety of video scopes built in. But I'm not aware of anything like DV Rack running on the Macintosh... if you need all those features then maybe it's time to buy a Windows laptop :-(

I've been bugging those DV Rack guys about a Mac (HDV friendly) version. If you start bugging them too it might help get something off the drawing board.

Murph

Good idea! Let's get all the Mac DV people to flood them with requests for a Mac version.

I'll send them a request right now at dvracksupport@seriousmagic.com. Anyone else interested? Please send them a note.

Let's do it!

Murph

Interesting topic. I was wondering the same thing the other day.

I've used Serious Magic Ultra for keying and was not impressed with it at all. In My mind it was just another piece of PC software I had to deal with. We use Macs at work but still have a Digisuite/Premier system that was the main edit station until we switched to Macs.

I had enough trouble with the software and the resulting windows issues that I called Serious Magic and got some help. Great guy that runs the company. My boss met him at NAB last year and that's how he ended up getting the software. Anyway, I asked if there were any plans to build a Mac version and he said despite the numerous requests, he was not planning on a Mac version.

I will send my request for a Mac version of DV Rack along with you guys and mabey he will get the picture soon.

I'm in. Just sent an email myself. Is there anything less advanced we can use now that runs in X natively?

I've sent my request. There must be something more to this than meets the eye? They did a Panny deal with DV Rack, and that's obviously not HDV. My initial requests to them were for a Mac/HDV version of their DV Rack. They said it was not possible because of their extensive use of "Direct X" - Micro$oft's graphic software.

Anyway, I'm thinking it's a deal breaker for them. If the demand is there why aren't they hiring a Mac developer to crank out a Mac version? With all this demand they could make it happen...we all know that Mac/PC's are so similar now with what is possible. I know it takes work, but anything is possible!

Murph

Christopher,

That's exactly what I was told as well.

Would DV Rack be any better than using FCP Log and Capture with the waveform and vectorscope?

According to what I've read, DV Rack is able to display a pretty accurate NTSC image on your laptop screen. FCP and BTV can both give you the scopes and captures, but they can't do this. BTV can be used as a full screen monitor, but the image is not very good for color or exposure judgement.

I got a response back saying that the "code used to create it is for Windows only." Hello? Isn't that why we're recommending they hire a Mac programmer to make a Mac version?

I don't know if it's that he doesn't like Mac, or that he doesn't want someone else adapting his code--but sounds to me like he just doesn't want to do it. Period.

Too bad. It's great software, and there's definitely a Mac market for it.

Hey guys...I hadn't seen this thread and just started a similar one myself. Before going "underground" for a few months finishing up a film project, I saw the ads for DV Rack and made an immediate mental note to research it...it looked like a killer remote solution, even a studio enhancement.

I was, and quite frankly am, amazed that any company developing creative tools in the 21st century would exclude the most sophisticated end of the market. Without getting into the whole Mac/PC nonsense, you have to be from another planet to not know that Macs are The tool for serious film/video and audio production.

As a marketing consultant as well as a producer, this is one of the dumber approaches to new product development that I've seen, and unfortunately Serious Magic will not be a serious player because of it.

I spend a lot of time on location and in different studios and all I see in the serious rooms (pun intended) are Macs. And with FCP HD (which they say they support which is interesting seeing as though it's exclusively a Mac program) Live Type, Motion, DVD SP, Shake and Logic..how exactly do you develop a new peogram as potentially cool as DV Rack and ignore the key player and all of it's users.

Mac has established itself in the last 3 or 4 years as the obvious visionary company in the film/video world and their strategy of development and aquisition is unparalleled. How does Serious Magic miss this?