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Hello fellow ops,

 

Anybody any experience with the modulus 3000 and xd-cam?

 

I Know that the modulus can make some noise on a beta tape, but i don't know what will happen with the xd-cam.

 

I have a job coming up and have no time to test it.

 

Thanks for the reactions

 

Job Scholtze

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Hello all,

 

I receieved a call from a European group that wants to shoot with a SD PAL video camera. Will the Modulus 3000 transmit PAL, or is it only NTSC? I know I need PAL compatible monitors, but not sure about the transmitter.

 

Any input would be appreciated.

 

Mark Karavite

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Mark,

 

The problem is not with the Modulus, rather with your tuner. I have done a number of PAL shoots and not had problems except that my tuner (a DeRose modified Sony diversity tuner) renders the image black & white. Some tuners will also roll the image when receiving a PAL signal, which can often be corrected with a vertical hold tweak to the monitor. If you can live with a black & white image, you should be okay, but if there is time, test it first.

 

Good luck.

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Yes, it will transmit what you feed it. Other transmitters can do this too!

My cheap 1.3 GHz transmitter from Taiwan showed me a nice color frame from a NTSC source (HD from Japan, converted via Miranda) on my equally cheap LCD-receiver, while the image on my Teletest monitor (Pal) was black and white.

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I'm working on a show at Prospect Studios, Hollywood (ABC) and word has come down from on high that we cannot use the mudulus on the lot.

 

As I understand it, the sound dept was asking around the lot trying to figure out what interference they were getting. They were referred to "the frequency guy" -- some geek staring at waveform monitors and meters all day -- who blew a gasket when the mixer told him we were using mudulus on the set. Now we have recieved official memos from the lot as well as Disney brass forbidding their use. I can't wait until The Shield starts up in January and they are told they can't transmit with the modulus. Yes, we all know there are other ways to transmit, but no other way is so convenient (ie transmitting to any small handheld tv on set). We are getting a micro-wave unit after the break -- good news is less wear and tear on my modulus/reciever/antenna...bad news is that now I'll be sterile.

 

So once again, the only thing holding back film, is sound.

 

btw...will the micro-wave xmitter interfere with the Preston? Hmmm

 

Ron B

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I really hate this kind of knee-jerk over-reaction idiocy. You would think that in all the years the Modulus has been out and the THOUSANDS of them in use every day that SOMEBODY would have noticed this before, if, in fact, this was the problem. No doubt the "frequency guy" never even investigated but just did the Modulus = trouble math in his head and issued an edict, thereby screwing everything up for everybody. Of course, when the trouble turns out not to be Modulus related, no one will bother to go back and rescind the ruling. Although, by then everyone will probably be ignoring it anyway.

 

As to the microwave/Preston issue, I believe Garrett had exactly that problem when he did that opera shoot in Paris a few years back.

 

Good luck, buddy. BTW, the sterility might cut down on all those paternity suits you keep getting slapped with.......

 

Jim "the kid is not my son" Bartell

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I did a series on that same lot last year, used a Modulus 3000 and never had a complaint. In fact we had 2 of them going and the Shield next door did as well. I know the news and a soap opera broadcasts out of there, but I can't believe using an attenuator would not have solved your problem. Come to think of it I got some wierd interference on my BFD in some specific areas of the stages.We thougfht it might be realted to the sound deptartment's wireless radios. Maybe it was the studio's TV broadcast. F sound!

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it was funny...the whole thing went down before I knew what was going on. I guess the upm got an ear-ful from the "freak guy". She was telling me his stories (urban myths, really) of FCC vans scanning the world for illegal xmission and promptly slapping $10k fines on those poor souls without a license. From what he said flipping the "on" switch of a modulus is as bad as breaking a mirror! Flip it on 5 times and get a $50k fine.

 

I had no idea my half-watt modulus was wreaking so much havoc outside the studio walls. I'm sure planes were veering off course and satellites were falling from orbit. The sad thing is that the AC's are really getting screwed with pidly kit rentals, and because of one person's stupidity they are losing their mudulus rentals.

 

It was strange seeing a deserted video villiage with snow on both monitors for half the day (we were going to put in that dvd with the fireplace or fishtank). Get this...apparently the mixer (who naively started the whole mess) couldn't take not seeing the shot anymore so we were allowed to transmit with the steadicam.

 

I just found out that we are getting a set of Coherent transmitters, and not the micro-wave (so the paternity suits may keep, uh, coming).

f-sound...copy that.

Ron

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Hi Guys

 

We have had this problem for much longer over here and UHF transmitters are quite rare (I think it's a population density thing due to the proximity of domestic TVs to studios). Actually the older VHF was better but now you would take our most radio mics and plenty of two way radios with one of them.

 

The tendency is to use microwave at the deregulated frequencies of 1.4GHz or 2.4GHz. The 1.4 is clearly well away from the Preston but interference from the 2.4GHz is also rare (due to the technology used in the Preston).

 

Next step is digital at 2.4 and definitely the way to go but at a price.

 

Robin Thwaites

OpTex

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Actually I'm quite relieved, Ron. As you may know, I live about six blocks from the Prospect Studios and it was nice to be able to watch TV again without every channel showing your transmission. (by the way, I would have played a bit more headroom on last Wednesday's martini shot, but I'm sure you were tired and eager to get home).

 

Incidentally, you should stop by the house sometime once you get back in after the break--we are in full-on renovation mode, lots of fun holes in the walls (what walls still remain). Come swing a brick at it.

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