NewTek's NDI ® interface is a powerful network video transport that allows simple, high quality video and audio signals to be transported across standard tcp/ip networks.  Drastic supports NDI ® in most of its products, including videoQC, 4kScope, sdiScope and the Network Video Analyzer.  This article contains information on setting up NDI ® sources in Drastic software.

All Drastic server digital disk recorder (DDR) products have a built in web server for local use. If you have a VVW Series, Titan Series, ClipRecorder, or IngestGate server, or the Network Control option for QuickClip version 3.x, then you can also use this web server from any network attached machine.

ccExtract is part of the ccConvert and Net-X-Code workstation and server software. ccExtract is designed to extract caption tracks from MXF, MOV, h.264, MPEG-2, TS, etc. to SCC/MCC, and to convert between standard caption formats like VTT, XML, EBU, SMPTE DCP, YouTube, Apple, Avid and others. This article contains the Linux/OS-X/Windows command line API for for this tool. A RESTful API is also available.

The IndieCam cameras are small, light, HD and 2K recording RAW bayer pattern cameras.  They provide the raw data via HD-SDI by embedding it into a SMPTE standard signal that can be recorded by most uncompressed recorders.  Because the type marked by the recorder is SMPTE YCbCr 10 (v210 in general), the RAW data cannot be automatically detected.  To use these files in Assimilate Scratch and MediaReactor, the system must be set up to re-label these files.

Net-X-Copy is part of the Net-X-Convert/Net-X-Proxy workstation and Net-X-Code server software. It is designed to convert audio/video files from one type to another and to perform partial file restores from indexed and non indexed files on disk, tape or cloud. This article contains the Linux/OS-X/Windows command line API for this tool.  A RESTful API is also available.

We are always happy to receive product ideas, new file/codec format information and bug/issue reports.  To make these reports as effective as possible, please read the following article on what we need to know to solve the issue in the quickest possible way.

4kScope can be set up to share an AJA board with products like Adobe Premiere, Avid Media Composer, Assimilate Scratch, Autodesk Flame, Digital Vision Nucoda, Grass Valley Edius, and others.  This mode is available on Windows, MacOS/OS-X and Linux. This article explains how it works and how it can be set up.

Avid tools support MPEG-4 using QuickTime as well as using MediaReactor Workstation. QuickTime cannot handle newer MP4 formats like XAVC-S and MPEG-2 from Sony and other manufacturer's cameras.  MediaReactor can, but when adding them to Media Composer/Newscutter/etc, you must specify which reader you want to use.  

4KScope version 6 and greater includes a training mode for use at educational institutions that purchase 4KScope. It is also available free for personal use. In this mode, the various scopes can be accessed using internal multi pattern video to practice or learn how to use waveform monitors/vectorscopes.  All of the video scopes are enabled in this mode, and it does not require any hardware.

There are some flags that can be used to modify QuickClipXO.

4KScope supports both command line parameters and keyboard control.  This command line parameters can be used to allow 4KScope to open automatically on startup in the mode and size required. The keyboard commands can be used to capture compressed and uncompressed frames directly from the incoming signal.

One of the file format plugins (dtx_aWMFDirect.d1x) for Windows 32 and 64 relies on Microsoft Windows' media components.  With some versions of Windows, like Vista Business or 7/8/8.1/10 KN, Microsoft does not include these components by default.  To fix this error, you can either delete the dtx_aWMFDirect.d1x and dt_WinMedia.d1x from the installation folder, which will disable WMV/ASF read/write, or install the missing components from Microsoft.  

videoQC can be called by external applications with command line parameters, keyboard/mouse, cut/paste and via a full REST/HTML command set. If there is already an instance of the application running, the parameters will be transferred to the running instance, and the called one will exit.  This is especially useful where the workflow requires the system to display particular aspects of a clip in an automated fashion.

In QuickClip, QuickClipXO, MediaNXS, DTouch, VVW Series DDRs and Titan Series DDRs, VTRs appear as EXT (external) channels. External channels can be set up in either LocalConfig, DDRConfig or the Drastic Setup Wizard utilities.  This page describes the settings in detail to allow customization or advanced setup.

ccEmbed is part of the ccConvert and Net-X-Code workstation and server software. It is designed to take MCC or SCC closed caption files and embed them into output MXF, MOV, etc.  It supports re-wrapping the source audio/video, as well as converting while embedding.  This article contains the Linux/OS-X/Windows command line API for this tool.  A RESTful API is also available.

Visual viewing and comparison modes in videoQC.  Seamless split, dissolve, 3D modes and more.  These viewing modes are also available in MediaNXS, DrasticDDR and DrasticPreview Pro.

Net-X-Copy is part of the Net-X-Convert/Net-X-Proxy workstation and Net-X-Code server software. It supports, among other things, extracting an XMP XML of the metadata in a media file or series of media files. It extracts both the basic information for each channel and any camera/workflow specific metadata. This article contains the Linux/OS-X/Windows command line API for this tool.  A RESTful API is also available.

Drastic software and hardware products support a wide variety of camera raw devices, from standard files like DNG/cDNG, through esoteric files like fhgDI, to new and emerging formats like MLV.  This article lists the supported raw files type, and which Drastic software they work best in.

Net-X-Copy is part of the Net-X-Convert/Net-X-Proxy workstation and Net-X-Code server software. It supports, among other things, extracting clips from a native card format from cameras like P2, C300/700, Red, XDCam, AVCHD, AS-02, AS-11, GV Infinity and others. It extracts a list of clips, and then a list of elements within those clips and any camera/workflow specific metadata. This article contains the Linux/OS-X/Windows command line API for this tool.  A RESTful API is also available.

All of Drastic's version 6 or greater software supports authenticating via OAuth 2.0 across an https transport. This is most useful for Net-X-Code's partial file restore system, but can also be used from videoQC, MediaNXS or MediaReactor.  Accessing these resources requires a second level of setup beyond the basic software setup, and this article provides an overview on that process.

Most Drastic software is available on Linux x86_64 as well as Windows (32/64) and OS-X (32/64).  Linux testing is done on RedHat, Centos and Ubuntu (Debian base), but due to the variety of flavors of these base distributions, it is important to check that all the required support libraries are included in your distribution.  This article outlines the absolute minimum packages required to run any Drastic software.

All of Drastic's version 6 or greater software supports authenticating directly with Amazon via AWSAccessKeyId/SecretKey through an https transport. This is most useful for Net-X-Code's partial file restore system, but can also be used from videoQC, MediaNXS or MediaReactor.  Accessing these resources requires a second level of setup, beyond the basic software setup, and this article provides an overview on that process.

MRAnalyzer is a command line tool that compares an original media file with a compressed version of that file to determine the quality of the compression and note any major compression errors.  It supports the traditional PSNR as well as the more accurate SSIM and MS-SSIM.  It is part of the videoQC and Net-X-Code toolsets.  This article contains the Linux/OS-X/Windows command line API for this tool.

Drastic software supports a wide range of still image formats including TIFF, TGA, DPX, CINEON, PSD, SGI, VPB, ARI, RAW and others.  They are processed as a series of images to create a video stream.  How they are processed can be controlled by a number of configuration settings.

Net-X-Copy is part of the Net-X-Code server and Net-X-Convert/Proxy workstation software. It is designed to convert audio/video/media files to proxy or broadcast/post files, mix audio, extract metadata, and create one or more jpeg preview images.  It can also embed captions into output files like MXF and MOV, and replace the audio or video tracks of a source file during conversion. This article contains the Linux/OS-X/Windows command line API for this tool.

4KScope, videoQC, DrasticPreview, DrasticPreview Pro, and other OpenGL based apps can have trouble displaying the video in an OpenGL plane when connected via Remote Desktop Protocol or other remote control protocols.  To fix this problem, we supply special start files to be used remotely.

This article contains video tutorials on various Drastic Products including videoQC, 4kScope/NetworkVideoAnalyzer, Net-X-Code, MediaNXS and DrasticPreview.  To see all our tutorials, please visit our YouTube page.

Drastic software has a few requirements that are not included in the standard install of Ubuntu 14.04.  This article describes how to add them

ProRes itself is very well defined, and should be completely shift free in the YCbCr domain at 10 bits per component.  The transform to YCbCr from RGB can be specified within the compressed frame, and this same specification can be used to properly convert YCbCr to RGB.  With both 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 variants and the metadata/compatibility of the MOV container, ProRes should be an ideal format for post production.  This article explores why it often isn't.

Java on Dual Monitors - NVidia vs. Java.  There are setups required on some systems to allow QuickClipXO and VTRIF to display full screen on the second DVI or VGA monitor.

Drastic software can support up to 16 channels of audio.  These can be 16 mono channels,  8 stereo pairs or all channels in one, depending on the setup and file type. This article covers the kinds of audio that the software can produce, and the audio setups it is able to read automatically to combine multiple channels of audio with video. 

MediaReactor and MediaReactor Workstation integrate tightly with installed operating systems and applications.  This section has tips and tricks on getting the most out of MediaReactor and/or MediaReactor Workstation.

There are a huge variety of MXF types and directory styles.  This article goes through some of the most common types, and describes how they are used in MediaNXS (HD-SDI I/O software), videoQC (HD-SDI/VGA media player, with analysis, reports, scopes and more), and MediaReactor Workstation (Adobe/Apple/Avid/Scratch plug ins) software.

If you have followed the quick start setup in the manual, your server is now ready to demonstrate all the major features of the Net-X-Code tool set. The easiest way to to do this is to install the demo media zip, and follow the steps below.

Drastic products like DrasticDDR and MediaNXS support a wide variety of time code sources. The default selectable configurations will usually be the correct ones for most standard workflows.  For other workflows, the time code sources can be more finely controlled. 

This article lists the locations where Drastic software components may be installed, in case the software needs to be removed manually.

Version 6 of MediaNXS, Net-X-Code and MediaReactor all support native editing while ingesting for MXF files in Adobe Premiere.  All these formats are supported under Adobe Premiere without any extra plugins, just using the native MXF reader in Premiere. 

Drastic server software includes an HTTP server for local or remote control / access from a standard web browser. One of the files, FileBrowse.html, allows for file selection from selected drives using the web browser. Depending on the command line, FileBrowse can be used to save, load, add, or open files without direct access to the file system.

Drastic software supports the OpenMXF specification extension to the SMPTE MXF specification (SMPTE 377M). The advantage of OpenMXF is that while the file is still recording (open) you can read it in many popular servers and editing applications.

Drastic software supports a number of IP video standards in videoQC, Net-X-Code and other products.  To access these streams, a URL style string is used to describe them.  For some sources, like RTSP, this string is fairly standard.  For others, like NDI, a URL style has been developed to allow those streams to be specified.  Currently, udp://, rtp://, rtsp://, ndi://, s2022:// and s2110:// are supported.  This document describes the URLs' format in more detail.

Connecting single and dual link inputs incorrectly can cause odd looking signals.  Here are each of the incorrect paths shown as they would be with a standard SMPTE bars input.

Apple's High Sierra operating system has changed the validation system, especially for applications downloaded from the internet. This has caused some systems to go into a 'validation loop' that stops our videoQC and 4kScope software from running, as the Apple validation never completes.  We are working on fixing this, but in the meantime, there is a way to stop the validation so our software can run.

Drastic software supports a wide range of metadata elements.  These elements are stored within the actual media files when available, and also stored in a sidebar XMP file, using both the standard, and a custom DTD, with the Adobe specification.  Please see each file format's specification for its metadata.  The XMP file metadata format is outlined here.

Most operating systems are not set up out of the box to handle heavy multicast loads. With some, multicast reception is actually disabled.  This article contains setup notes for the OS when using Net-X-Code, videoQC or 4kScope with network video sources.

Most Drastic DDR and video I/O products (like MediaNXS, DTReplay, SyncControl Pro) support a variety of GPI interfaces. Because of the variety of hardware and usage types, the GPI configuration is an advanced configuration. This document describes the setup and use of GPI devices with Drastic DDR, MediaNXS and other Drastic software.

The DTMediaRead SDK now includes a utility called dtmrpipe. This utility allows the user to 'pipe' out uncompressed YUV2 or BGRA video data to another application. It can also be used to pipe an uncompressed stereo audio stream in 16 or 32 bit little endian. This is useful for feeding other applications, such as ffmpeg, with the output of file formats, types or codecs it doesn't support.

Drastic's software products install and will run in demo mode, with a number of restrictions (10 second media duration, watermarks, length of run limitations, may not see the hardware, nag screens, auto-shutoff etc.). For testing, we recommend getting a temporary license, which uses the same process as getting your permanent license in case you should decide to purchase the software. 

Deprecated:  The Drastic Technologies YCbCr codec for QuickTime, Video For Windows (VFW/ICM) and Direct Show allows third party applications to use files (AVI and MOV primarily) generated by VVW, Titan Series, QuickClip and MediaReactor.  Please note, this codec has been deprecated.  The new codecs are available as part of the MediaReactor Workstation.  The original codec with updated installers is still available here.

On supported hardware, Drastic software provides control of any up or down video conversion.  This can be set up in real time from the QuickClipXO, MediaNXS, VTRIF, DTReplay or dTouch interfaces.  The parameters and advanced settings in the configurations are provided below.

The Drastic LOG format uses the same basic layout as a LOG/~ALG/~ALE. The main differences are the 'Type:' header and the file name in the comment. The comment is broken up into two sections: The initial comment after the ';' and a file name after a second ';'. This page describes the exact file format used for the Drastic log format.

Drastic server software supports different front panel options:  The original 422 Jog/shuttle, the 4 line LCD with command keys and the newest touch screen VGAs.  This page describes the configuration for these front panels.

The Drastic EDL format uses the same basic layout as a CMX, GVG or Sony 91xx series EDL. The main differences are the 'Type:' header and the file name in the comment. The comment is broken up into two sections: The initial comment after the ';' and a file name after a second ';'. This page describes the exact format used.

All Drastic software uses a similar keyboard layout for control.  There are some variations for program-specific functions, but the general transport control is shared.  Currently supported software includes:

DrasticPreview, DrasticPreview Pro, QuickClipXO, DTReplayLive, MediaNXS, DTouch, VTRIF, CineDDR

The Drastic DT3D stereo file is an XML based re-director file that can merge two separate 'eye' files into a stereo pair, as well as adding audio and optional closed captioning. The stereo file reader will open two video files of the same file type, and internal compression type, and an optional set of audio files, and combine them for 3D use in videoQC, DrasticDDR, MediaNXS, MediaReactor and other Drastic products.

When working with RS-422 protocols (Sony 422, Odetics, Pioneer, VDCP, etc) it is often useful to directly monitor the incoming, return or both serial streams.  This is a cable that can be built to use two RS-422 ports to monitor one or both streams. 

Drastic software can read many file formats which it does not natively understand.  Formats that have a fixed video frame size and are logically organized can be described using the industry standard HDR text file format (NOTE:  Not the still image HDR).  This page describes the file format. 

Drastic Technologies' VTR and DDR products include the necessary conversion hardware for RS-232 (your computer's serial port) to RS-422 (broadcast VTRs and controllers).  If you are evaluating Drastic DDR software such as MediaNXS, you will need to set up this conversion to test the serial control capabilities of the system. 

DrasticPreview and DrasticPreview Pro can be called by external applications with command line parameters.  If there is already an instance of the application running, the parameters will be transferred to the running instance, and the called one will exit.  This is especially useful where the workflow requires the system to display particular aspects of a clip in an automated fashion.

AJA video boards generally include a Mixer Keyer element.  DrasticDDR, MediaNXS, and QuickClipXO do not directly control the Mixer Keyer, but they are designed to allow the user to use the Mixer Keyer alongside the main software.

The QuickClipXO interface is written in the Java programming language. It supports custom message strings which can be used to display alternate text for most of its controls and displays.

Some Drastic software now supports the Blackmagic series of DeckLink and Intensity cards.  Blackmagic has a wide range of current and legacy cards.  This article lists the in house and third party tested Blackmagic cards and provides some useful operational tips.

Drastic products generally support closed captions.  Video I/O products can capture and play back closed caption information.  MediaReactor can convert closed caption formats along with the video and audio files.  videoQC products can decode and display both 608 and 708 captions for preview and confidence monitoring.  For some captions, default language/fonts can be set up, which are described here.

Drastic supports a wide variety of audio and video hardware for products such as MediaNXS, videoQC and DrasticDDR. The current product families Drastic supports are AJA, BlueFish444 and Blackmagic adapters for audio/video I/O, and AMD or NVidia for video processing. For a more detailed list of hardware and versions, please continue reading.

Drastic VVW and Titan Series DDRs, QuickClip, MediaNXS and DrasticDDR software can be used to capture single or multiple frames into a sequence of still images which can be played back in real time immediately after recording. These still image files can be stored into individual, time based directories, or into a single directory.

Drastic software supports a range of standard 3D LUT formats.  These include the following:  3DL, MGA, M3D, TXT, CUBE, DAVLUT and LOOK. Please see the article for more information.

MediaReactor includes tools it uses to automatically check QA translations using industry standard metrics.  This tool, called MRAnalyze, can be used in conjunction with DrasticPreview Pro to provide both objective and subjective analysis of converted or recaptured video material.  This article provides an overview on how these tools work and can be applied to various video workflows.

Drastic software supports a range of standard 1D LUT formats for software conversion, and hardware input and output with AJA video boards.