Datavideo
SE-800 DV Video Mixer/Switcher
When it comes to professional video switchers, I have yet to find one that’s under $10,000. So when I heard that Church Production Magazine wanted me to review Datavideo’s SE-800 I was intrigued, as available versions of this product range from one-quarter to one-half that amount. The unit arrived and I wasted no time in looking it over, plugging it in and diving into the manual.
Ease of use is a high priority in most churches that rely on volunteers. In this area, the SE-800 series shines as a very good quality, easy-to-operate switcher. By using the preview and program busses, along with the transition buttons or the T-bar, control of video pacing and source selection is simple and elegant. My only minor complaint was that the T-bar on the SE-800DV I reviewed was a bit “sticky” at the very extremes of the motion. In other words, a source would very slightly “pop in” or “pop out” during a slow T-bar transition instead of being smooth from the very first frame to the very last. Most likely only one in a thousand would even notice it, but it was there nonetheless.
If you opt for the SE-800DV version, you’ll have to choose which of the inputs you want to be analog vs. DV. Via the menu controls, you can assign which of the input types is “active” on inputs one through four. So while it’s possible to have eight sources (four analog and four DV) plugged in, you’ll have to pick which ones are active at any given time, meaning you can’t switch them “on the fly”. Of course, you’d only have to do this if you needed more than four sources.
Processing, Effects and TBCs
The SE-800 series comes with two
TBCs (time base correctors) that offer limited proc amp (hue, brightness,
etc.) controls. This means you don’t have to
use a blackburst generator to create a genlocked source prior to using the
SE-800. Eliminating a costly genlocked video system is a great benefi
t of using the built-in frame synchronizers in the SE-800DV.
The effects on the switcher are rather run of the mill, which is fine by me, as I think that cuts and dissolves are all that’s needed for almost all live church video work.
Audio on the device is handled through unbalanced RCA connectors (one pair for each of the four inputs, two pair for aux inputs and one stereo output pair). I personally think that the audio control wasn’t a valuable addition for most churches, since an audio mixer is usually already in place with a dedicated operator. Still, if this feature works for your church, then go for it. For DV users of the SE-800, there are only two ways to embed the audio in the DV stream: Through the mic input of a DV camera connected to the SE-800 or through the audio inputs to the SE-800. Churches who do this are the ones who want to make DVD’s of their programs, import directly to into a non-linear editing system or make a DV tape of the program.
Serial Digital Interface (SDI) Options
SDI is the highest-quality
option available for transmitting standard definition video signals. The
SE-800 allows for SDI output and SDI keying, but no SDI for inputs. In my
opinion, I think this is a shame, as the processing of the digital signal
is in the box, but I can’t use the power
inside to handle any SDI video inputs. Understandable, though, given
the price-point of this product. The SE-800DV was the only model that included
an SDI output in addition to the SDI keying input. The standard SE-800 is
sans SDI out but it is available as an option, as are the DV I/O boards.
Image Quality
The overall image quality is very good, particularly
if the component video inputs are used (RGB or Y, Pb, Pr), which is what
I did during my tests. Let’s
face it, when you can use something nearly as good as SDI, you can’t complain
too much. In fact, I think a distinguishing characteristic of the SE-800DV
was the inclusion of these component analog inputs. For under $5,000, this
still makes the unit a worthy contender for your budget dollars.
Other standard inputs include composite and S-Video, with the SE-800DV version also including FireWire (IEEE 1397). Alas, FireWire isn’t very helpful for live productions, as the inherent delay with this signal means that sending it to an IMAG screen, for example, will result in the image showing up at least 4-5 frames late. So you’d see the person on stage move and then they’d move on the screen a split second later.
I called Datavideo’s tech support and was helped by a couple of different people. I asked about the DV input delay issue and was told that you can delay the audio to match, which is nice if you are running video to another venue (such as a video venue or an overflow video room), but doesn’t help in the live room. Therefore, if you are using the switcher’s DV inputs in a situation where the audience can’t see a comparison between the live speaker and the DVdelayed signal, this can work very well. Again, the DV input/output is optional on the standard SE-800, so you can always upgrade to this if you need it.
The unit also supports keying (inserting graphics or text over live video sources) with an SDI key input. This was a smart move by Datavideo, as making a clean key with SDI is a lot easier than it is with analog video and DV (FireWire). Still, the key controls are minimal, with a “halo” effect around the key unless your lighting is very even on the keyed background (such as a green screen).
Datavideo should consider including a clip level fine adjustment in future releases or products. Furthermore, because the keyer cannot add a translucent drop shadow through the key input means that today’s $500 worship software would be a better way to key text before you brought it into the SE- 800 through an SDI scan converter for your pre-recorded video clips.
A Commendable Product
I view the SE-800 as a very nice prosumer
(nearly pro but still consumer) device that will find itself in the control
booths of both small- and mediumsized churches. In fact, there are three models
of the SE-800 series: SE-800 ($2,600), SE-800AV ($2,600) and SE- 800DV ($4,600)
that are made to fit various budgets.
The SE-800DV manages to stay under $5,000 by limiting connectivity to four inputs. Now some would argue that many churches only use one computer input for graphics, lyrics and sermon notes, another input for a DVD player and maybe a third for a VHS player or DDR. So that leaves at least one input open for future expandability. If that sums up your input needs, and you want to have component analog inputs, then the SE-800DV is an ideal product for your church. In fact, the control of the inputs is handled as well as nearly any professional level switcher easily costing two to four times as much.
Datavideo has created an interesting product with their SE-800 series. Good analog input quality, very simple ease-of-use, enough control and power along with a very modest price point make the SE-800DV (and the other versions) a very viable product for quite a few churches.
