A TBC Tale (page 3)
Dual-channel TBCs for A/B-roll Editing
The next step up is the dual-channel TBC. In order to perform A/B-roll transitions (dissolves, wipes) from taped video sources, video signals from the source VCRs need to be synchronized with each other. In order to accomplish this, you can stack two stand-alone TBCs, use two TBC cards in two separate slots in your computer or purchase a dual-channel TBC.
The Kitchen Sync from Digital Creations is a dual-channel TBC that lists for $1395 and includes a dual remote control unit. For an additional $99, you can get their Y/C option; another $150 gives you genlock capabilities, so you can synchronize the TBC to industrial and broadcast VCRs that require external synchronization.
Digital Processing Systems makes the stand-alone dual channel TBC-III ($2295) and the dual-channel TBC-IV ($2585). Each of these comes with an external remote control. Feral offers their LC 4:2:2/2 stand-alone dual TBC for $2565.
I.Den makes the IXT-77 ($4495), a dual-channel TBC that includes transcoding between Y/C and composite, as well as a comb filter.
Digital Effects in a TBC
Since TBCs digitize the incoming video, it's really a snap to include digital effects. In fact, TBCs with effects used to be more plentiful before the advent of computer-based all-in-one SEG units like the Video Toaster.
So you might think, "Why pay the extra money for a TBC with effects?" One reason is that the effects that the Toaster and some of the other video mixers produce will often diminish the quality of your image. For example, a very common effect is a small picture-in-picture image over the shoulder of a newscaster. Toasters and mixers that perform this effect often produce a somewhat unclear, pixellated image.
Enter TBCs with effects. While not trying to compete with sophisticated digital effects generators, some manufacturers provide TBCs that include the particular effects they can do well.
Feral makes a TBC model called their model E 4:2:2, which runs for $1595 on a card or $2190 as a stand-alone unit (the E 4:2:2/1). This TBC lets you shrink the image and place it anywhere you want. You can then put your shrunken image over a colored background or over a background with text. To perform the picture-in-picture effect where the smaller image combines with the larger, you will need to add in their E 4:2:2-C combiner ($495 extra). Or you can purchase both together as the E 4:2:2/1C ($2685).
TBC Remote Controls
We mentioned earlier that one of the great features of TBCs is the proc amp for color and brightness control. Most TBCs on a card let you manipulate these controls using your mouse. You simply click on electronic "buttons" on the computer screen to manipulate the color information of the image.
A more convenient way to adjust the proc amp is with a remote control box, included in some of the above TBCs but optional on others. The remote control lets you turn standard knobs--a little faster and certainly more intuitive than mouse-controlled proc amps. Many of the board-level TBCs let you add a remote control to them as an upgrade.
If you bought one of the Digital Processing System's TBCs, model III or model IV, you can add the RC-2000 remote for $299. Remote control units for Feral TBCs cost $350-395.
