Blackmagic Design UltraScope 1.1 software update

UltraScope automatically detects between SD, HD, and 3Gbps HD-SDI video standards. Price: free update to current owners

Many of today's test instruments are moving to a software base. This allows for great flexibility while keeping costs down, since manufacturers can rely on a host computer's processing power rather than the expense of manufacturing discrete electronic circuits.

That's been Blackmagic Design's approach for its UltraScope signal monitor, which consists of a PCI Express card and software package designed to work in a low-cost PC with 24in. monitor for display. UltraScope offers a 3Gbps SDI waveform monitor that combines broadcast technical accuracy with a more approachable (i.e. less like an engineer's) interface specifically designed for creative video editors and colorists.

If used with a 24in. monitor, users can experience simultaneous readout of six waveform monitor displays, choosing among RGB and YUV parade, luminance, digitally synthesized composite, luminance and composite, vectorscope, histogram, 8-channel audio metering, 2D audio scope, and picture view with video standard display and HD RP-188/SD VITC reader display.

Now, in a just-released 1.1 software update, the Australian-based company adds a digitally synthesized composite waveform view. Digitally synthesized from the SD or HD video input, it allows editors to align video levels using the composite waveform. This is a comparatively easy-to-use workflow familiar to video professionals for decades, but one that had been lost with the move from composite to SDI signals.

This composite waveform view works well when color-correcting too, since the UltraScope can show luminance or composite, or both luminance and composite displayed side by side. This side-by-side view allows colorists to see if objects in their images have color simply by comparing the luminance and composite views.

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