QuVIS Acuity User Manual - Virtual Tape Overview
Virtual Tape Overview
A QuVIS Virtual Tape (or VTP) emulates a traditional pre-striped or blacked videotape (a pre-formatted tape
containing video black and timecode) for remote controlled editing in a post-production environment. Virtual tapes
enable you to record and edit content in the same process that is used to edit content on fixed-length, striped
videotape.
The virtual tape architecture provides additional editing functionality not found on VTR’s. For example, the VTP may
be edited using a Local Insert Edit feature from the front panel GUI or may be remotely edited via an serial (RS-
422) edit controller, merged with another VTP (without duplicating assets) or synchronize audio and video tracks by
sliding the audio to lineup with a video sync point via the VTPMerge QShell utility. Additional features such as the
ability to collapse the VTP into an interleaved clip form (collapsed clip) for distribution or sharing the VTP and its
assets with other QuVIS video servers using removable media or server-to-server high-speed transfers.
Virtual tapes are modified using non-destructive edits. This means that when an edit is performed a new asset is
created and does not overwrite existing data. Instead of overwriting any data on the VTP, a new set of pointers
within the VTP project file (.vtp) point to the location of the new content without destroying the existing data. This
functionality, coupled with VTP versioning tools (using QuRemote) allows multiple versions of the VTP to exist
without requiring the physical duplication of content or assets.
Creation of a Virtual Tape (VTP)
Image quality and the video format are determined by the VTR tape format in a traditional post facility. The tape
cassette defines how much running time you have available. But with QuVIS video servers, these are all settings
you can specify that define a virtual tape.
Editing a Virtual Tape
Once a virtual tape is created, you may select it and play it just as if it were a blacked videotape of that length. Until
clips are dubbed (recorded) into the VTP, no space on the servers drive volume has been used. The VTP is a
“blank tape” containing only electronically generated black video and timecode, awaiting content.
There are two methods for editing a QuVIS Virtual Tape (VTP): locally and remotely.
Local Editing of a QuVIS Virtual Tape
The QuVIS Acuity provides a non-linear graphical interface (VTP Editor menu page) for editing a VTP from the
front-panel GUI. This method relies upon the availability of media file assets stored on the Acuity or in the VTP itself
(e.g. from a previous remote editing session). Media file assets stored on the Acuity can be created in a variety of
methods depending upon the project type. For example, media files or expanded clips can be recorded directly to
the Acuity (e.g. crash record) or can be software generated using QuVIS QuClips
™ (PC application of QPE
encoding still image files) or QuVIS QuStudio
™ (used for creating video and audio track files for Digital Cinema
Package projects).
The VTP Editor provides the necessary tools for editing a VTP project timeline using software-based utilities.
Playback of the VTP project timeline within the VTP Editor is real-time and includes the unique ability to render and
preview Digital Cinema subtitle assets.
Remote Editing of a QuVIS Virtual Tape
Editing a VTP remotely is similar to editing a fixed-length videotape: using an editor controller video and/or audio
segments are recorded onto the virtual tape just as you would dub video or audio segments to a tape deck.
Contents of a Virtual Tape
A QuVIS Virtual Tape consists of four main elements: VTP file (.vtp), a project directory having the same name as
the VTP file, a timeline file, and media asset files.
QuVIS Acuity
™
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