Shoot Review: GlobalStreams GlobeCaster 3.1

The GlobeCaster interface puts all controls up front. Some may find this a bit cluttered, but this effect can be minimized by using a larger-screen computer monitor.

GlobeCaster is based on technology first developed in the late 1990s by the now-defunct company Play for its Trinity all-in-one video production system. But does the “studio in a box” concept hold water, and does the increased expense of a hardware solution result in better productivity and reliability? Let's see.

In actual size and weight, and in overall scope and feature set, the GlobeCaster is a huge system. I'd need a month of Sundays to learn all it can do and this entire magazine to cover it all, so we'll just cover the highlights. I encourage you to visit the GlobalStreams website (www.globalstreams.com) for more detail.

Be it for live switching or advanced post work, GlobeCaster presents a sophisticated yet simple solution. It can be reconfigured for different I/O schemes and operating styles, consistently producing great-looking NTSC 601 broadcast-quality video. And with the latest 3.1 software upgrade and its audio enhancements, the video will sound good too. (Version 3.1 adds eight audio channels to the existing eight channels for a total of 16 mixer channels.)

GlobeCaster is multi-functional, with a whole bunch of tools for creating video live and in the edit suite. It's perfectly designed for the one-person production shop, but with special licensing, one system can be used by multiple people, greatly increasing and enhancing workflow and productivity. One system can mix various input and outputs, from IEEE 1394 to SDI. Perhaps best of all, I can simultaneously use digital and analog cameras and use the built-in realtime signal measuring and color correction to match up my various input sources.

For GlobeCaster, realtime really is instantaneous. From network-caliber transitions and 3D animated ID bugs to NLE editing, it's all in realtime with no rendering — that fact alone is enough to make many haul out the credit card. Add to that a gorgeous user interface and three separate but integrated applications for creating high-quality onscreen still and motion graphics — as well as integrated audio with an “audio follows video” feature — and it's easy to see why thousands have purchased a GlobeCaster system.

Our test system was the GlobeCaster 8000. The only difference between the 4000 and the 8000 is the number of inputs (four and eight, respectively) and the number of downstream key (DSK) graphics layers available with each (the 8000 has four; the 4000 offers two).

The GlobeCaster 8000''s and 4000''s new 3.1 software features something for every media creator, large or small.

Like other products with “cast” in the name, GlobeCaster (with an optional card) can output a realtime 320×240 web video stream. However, I was not able to test that because my broadband ISP does not allow streaming signals. However, the GlobeCaster can produce a standard Windows Media video file that you could forward to a streaming service provider for broadcast on demand.

This product is available only from authorized dealers, so it can be custom-configured and tested to ensure it's fully ready for use. That's a good thing, because configuring a Windows-based media production system will have your blood pressure rising quickly. My unit was configured with three frame synch cards (composite and Y/C), one component (YUV) card, and a DV card that can be an input or an output based on the user configuration. The attached PC was a NoBilis computer running Windows XP with a 1.5GHz Pentium 4 CPU and the newest GlobeCaster 3.1 software. As the system came ready to go, I simply took it out of the custom road case, plugged it in, and I was ready to put GlobeCaster through its paces.

Although I didn't have the optional CS-1000 control surface and T-bar hardware interface, I started with some live switching. With a local band, I switched a live three-camera shoot. I used two three-chip DV cameras, one connected via Y/C and one connected to a FireWire I/O. The third camera was a JVC KY-27 Betacam SP camera, which I tried connecting via YUV, Y/C, and S-Video, with no surprise variations in quality (FireWire and YUV are almost identical).

Right from the start, I was blown away by the intuitive nature of the operation and the video quality. I was also beginning to experience something refreshing: realtime transitions that resembled what you see on primetime TV, realtime waveform/vectorscope signal monitoring, realtime color processing, and realtime painting over live video.

I had no trouble setting up and matching the live camera feeds, controlling an external VTR via RS-422 for B-roll, or hooking up a bunch of mics to the balanced audio inputs. Many folks at the intended level of the GlobeCaster system are using formats like DV and DVCAM, but I need to say that the plain old composite video signal out of the GlobeCaster was one of the best and cleanest I have ever seen. I put DV and composite video side by side on the same make of calibrated monitors, and only a trained eye could tell the difference. Very impressive at any cost. Compared with similar products I've used, GlobeCaster's live performance was outstanding.

Speaking of outstanding, the character generator produces some of the best onscreen text and graphics I have ever seen. It works with PostScript or TrueType fonts, and I was able to produce CNN-like graphics with the included content in minutes. Glows, 256-level variable transparency, edge effects, cast shadows — all can be created with just a few clicks. Additional content packs are available with all sorts of eye candy. And that's what I was able to produce without so much as a glance at the manual.

If you've ever used a computer video product similar to this, you'll feel right at home with GlobeCaster. And that's true of the optional Time Machine nonlinear editing timeline as well. As with the live switcher, I could mix a variety of media sources: clips on the hard drive, graphics and 3D animation, live camera sources, and B-roll from up to four decks. The realtime timeline offers four tracks for video, up to four tracks of animated or graphic content, and eight audio tracks. I was able to import almost any type of digital file and export industry-standard AVIs while the internal wavelet compression kept all the content at its original quality level. I created basic keyframe animations and motion graphics in no time flat as well, but space precludes me from elaborating.

The GlobeCaster proved to be every bit as reliable as its price point would indicate. It performed great, excepting one freeze-up when I was importing and digitizing some DV footage. Not a big deal. Perhaps the only drawback is the weight and size of the 8000 (the 4000 is half the size). At 50lbs. and the size of a large ice chest, it is quite large.

Overall, I was surprised at my reaction to the GlobeCaster because, in general, I prefer software-based solutions. It's also very large and heavy, and I like small and portable solutions. Most of all, I was surprised because, since the Play days, I had not really heard of the new company, so I was ready to see just a re-hash of the old Trinity system. Wrong. After working with it for a while I found that, for me, there are many positives and only a few negatives.

A major asset is the online user forum, which is attended both by knowledgeable users and by the support staff at GlobalStreams. By the time you read this article, a new version of the GlobeCaster software (3.2) should be available. This one looks major, with support for VGA input, an increased number of live inputs, and PowerPoint slide import. The company clearly has every intention of pushing the limits of this hardware/software combination. The only other company I can think of that has the freedom and ability to develop for both sides of this equation is Apple.

GlobeCaster is perfect for schools, cable and local TV, and government applications. Though it does enable a single person to do it all, I fear it may be out of reach financially for all but a few serious solo digital content creation businesses.

This proprietary system is quite alluring, but I feel that standalone PCs and Macs with applications such as Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro rival hardware products like this in every arena except live television switching. (It'll be interesting to see how and when GlobeCaster will support HD, HDV, 16:9, and 5.1 surround sound, as most software-based systems do. Officials at GlobalStreams indicate it will do so in some fashion.) But there's no denying the ease and convenience of this hardware-based system. If you can afford it, why not drive a Ferrari? That's how I think GlobeCaster feels compared to software-based solutions.

With a great-looking user RGB interface, a flexible underlying architecture that allows it to be configured specifically to the user's needs, and continuing software development, this product is back on my radar screen for potential purchase. Most of all, there's no denying the true realtime performance that a hardware approach offers. It's a no-nonsense, get-productive approach, and I've always liked that. After a full 40-hour week working with it, I found the GlobeCaster doesn't play around when it comes to productive production performance.

Company: GlobalStreams
St. Louis; (888) 788-7205
www.globalstreams.com

Product: GlobeCaster 4000/8000

Assets: Realtime hardware performance, custom configurations, user learning/support resources.

Caveats: Unit's weight and large size, potentially prohibitive price for small outfits.

Demographic: Corporate video departments, schools, cable and local TV.

PRICE: STARTS AT ABOUT $15,000

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