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User Interfaces and Technology Choices

User Interfaces and Technology Choices. Pete Challinger Edifis Media Technologies petec@edifis.us. 10 Years Ago at Montreux…. Dedicated hardware Versus “standard platforms” Pros and cons of user interfaces Revisit and update. Still the same. Confusion about “Real-time”

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User Interfaces and Technology Choices

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  1. User Interfaces and Technology Choices Pete Challinger Edifis Media Technologies petec@edifis.us

  2. 10 Years Ago at Montreux….. • Dedicated hardware • Versus “standard platforms” • Pros and cons of user interfaces • Revisit and update

  3. Still the same • Confusion about “Real-time” • Asking silly questions • “Is it hardware or software?” • Variety of UI methods in use • Not always the best ones for the app.

  4. What’s Changed? • PCs are faster and cheaper • Fast enough to edit on • A lot more WIMP interfaces • We’ve upped the ante – HD, 2K+

  5. PCs Editing Everywhere • Standard platforms proven for editing • PC approach is effective and low cost • Comparatively few effects in long form • Cuts/fades not computationally intensive • Tendency to assume same is true of other functions

  6. Reality is Different • Effects are computationally intensive - but less common • Color Correction is just as intensive - and very common • Runs for program duration • May be less suited for standard CPUs

  7. How Hard can it be? • Single secondary needs: • Pick color space (key) – 12+ multiplies • Minimum of a hue rotate – 9 multiplies • 2.07 Mpixels a frame (HD) • 43 M multiplies a frame • Add a glow - about 47 M ops • A little defocus (12x12) about 895 M ops

  8. CPUs are Getting Faster but... • Add them up at 24p that’s 23 G ops/s • 3G CPU does not do 3G ops /s • but lets assume it did • Stacking CPUs does not scale linearly • but lets assume it did • Still need 7 PCs for a simple real-time color corrector

  9. Back in the real world • For client attended sessions you need many layers – all at once. (we have 28) • 2K worse and 4K much worse! • Anything close to real time needs lots of CPUs – big and not low cost • Be cynical about “real-time” unless you see lots of CPUs!

  10. What is real time? • While rolling the video • Manipulate any or all parameters live • with instant visual feedback and storage • Doing this fast needs lots of multipliers (we have about 400)

  11. Question Convention • Trend to thinking a Post product should: • run on a “standard hardware platform” • run under a general purpose OS • use a WIMP based UI

  12. Pros, Cons & Illusions • Perception is a standard platform offers: • Low cost to build • Extensible/easy to expand • Standard net connect • Better/more flexible UI

  13. Reality • Not always cheap • many CPUs, custom plug in cards • Limited expansion • Fixed architecture and bus speeds • Net connect depends on the silicon • Same chips available to both approaches • UI is independent of architecture

  14. Better Alternatives? • Hardware designed for the task • “Guts” in FPGAs • As much speed as you like • Easily extended • Compact and cost effective

  15. User Interfaces • Not always selected for the right reasons • WIMP interface because it’s a PC… • Mice great for some things • but lousy for others • Most people have several fingers and often more than one hand

  16. Audio Console Interfaces • Big consoles moved to GUIs • Now they’re back to big control surfaces • Slower systems could not have kept up • Not the first time an interface was adopted to hide limitations

  17. Live Production Interfaces • Large switcher have large panels • Need to be fast and responsive • Won’t be cutting Superbowl with a mouse • (Unless the FCC gets really nasty!)

  18. Knobs are Wonderful Things • Great for interactive analog settings • Feedback loop via eye brain and fingers • Most people can control many of them • But only as long as the underlying system is fast enough

  19. Knobs not always the answer • A widely adopted drawing interface you’ve all used…….

  20. Interface Must Suit Function • And be fast enough to feel live • Knobs/trackballs for analog adjust or scrub • Real buttons for frequently used selected functions • Pen and tablet for drawing • WIMP for the timelines & GUI

  21. The Bottom Line • Box & UI themselves don’t matter • How much creative work can the operator pump out in a given time? • Are the box and the operator responsive enough for client attended sessions? • What is the total cost of ownership of the box and surrounding peripherals? • Which adds up to “can we make money”?

  22. Questions/Follow ups?petec@edifis.us

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