The Great DV Shootout 2003
Page 8 of 14
Nathan Yanoff, Canopus:DVStorm2's approach to DV editing achieves superior results and the longest product life. DVStorm2 uses Canopus's proprietary technologies to ensure unmatched software/hardware integration and performance:
Smart engineering, not workarounds
Canopus's proprietary technologies are optimized, integrated and scale with the host CPU(s). There are no hardware limits to the complexity or the number of simultaneous realtime filters, transitions and title/graphic layers that are possible with DVStorm2. RT.X100 and Pro-ONE have never demonstrated that their number of realtime layers can increase or scale. Instead, Pinnacle and Matrox have been forced to release new hardware each year to offer new features. DVStorm2 also includes Canopus's software technology that, unlike our competition, provides clean antialiasing and makes softened edges an option, not a requirement.
Workflow flexibility
RT.X100 and Pro-ONE effects are limited by aging graphics chips with non-scalable effects capabilities and workflow restrictions that limit an editor's creative freedom. DVStorm2's effects technology provides no limitations in rendering quality, order or the number of simultaneous realtime effects that may be applied. This allows editors to work with their realtime effects in whatever order they prefer.
Stability
Canopus's proprietary technologies provide DVStorm2 with a level of quality assurance not available to RT.X100 and Pro-ONE. DVStorm2's stability is not at the mercy of a third-party codec that may be buggy and cannot be upgraded.
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Charlie's Comments:I think Nathan makes a good point here. As hardware speeds increase, so do the capabilities of the DVStorm2. But don't think there are no limits to the DVStorm2 -- at this point Canopus tells me the DV Storm2 is actually limited to five layers of real time video at a time. But hey, that's more then the others can do, so that's really saying something. Nathan mentions how the software is more powerful as processors get faster. But since you probably won't be buying a faster processor every other month, this is more of an industry overview comment than something that will pertain to the individual user.
So don't get swept away with the "no limitations" talk. There are limitations, with the DVStorm and all the rest of these systems, too. But if you do get a faster machine, which people tend to do every three or four years, your DVStorm card will suddenly be capable of more effects at the same time, and with a software upgrade will suddenly have more features. Look what happened when Canopus upgraded to DVStorm2. All of a sudden, you could preview and output more layers of video in real time. On the RT.X100, you do need a new card to upgrade the amount of layers and filters you could create. But that hardware-centric concept is changing at Matrox. There are lots of software-based features in the RT.X100 that are scalable with the processor now, like many of its filters. Nevertheless, the hardware is thrown at the 3D stuff, where the power is most needed, and that's why Matrox has fancier 3D effects, and more precise filtering on these effects.
As for the stability comment, I noticed that all three of these systems were highly stable, but not completely. I was able to crash each one of them by pushing them to their limits. But they all are much more reliable and crash-resistant that they were just a year ago. Matrox's hardware/software is the newest of the bunch, and seemed to trip up a bit more then the other two. This is probably because its drivers are still relatively new and still need some de-bugging. I have noticed that with the latest update, most of the problems I noticed with an earlier release have been solved. These centered primarily around some of the real time 3D effects and the auto-capture routine.
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