Help with RED Rocket encode speeds

[Kevin Jones]

Hi All: I am having trouble getting info about minimum system configurations for RED ROCKET real time transcodes to Pro Res 422hq.
I am aware that the average 8 core Mac tower does this easily but I am trying to get a better Frame Rate output on a Quad Core. Red Rocket is happy in the 8 lane slot but does not seem to encode above 11 Fps. Has anyone ran a card in a Quad Core..(2.8 ghz) system? Earlier specs posted when the Card came out seemed to indicate this was possible... (maybe later proved incorrect?) but there does not seem to be any Processor to Encode rate charts anywhere.
I am trying to see if I have a bottle neck somewhere else but the machine (which is a custom Mac Transfer station) is very fast otherwise and has 8gigs ram ... with many native esata disc options...even SSD's seem not to help transcodes get above 11 fps on a full debayer.
Is a raid absolutely required? or is 4 cores simply not enough..
any tips or help would be appreciated /..
thanks

[Uli Plank]

Try with extra harddisks in your internal slots and have the source footage on one of them and the target on the other (and never any footage on the system disk!). This should get you up and running, we are doing it here with a quad model.

[Kevin Jones]

Thanks for advice... I have tried that, even with a ssd test disc hooked up right on the system slots... Can you confirm you are getting 24or 25fps output on R3d to ProRes422?
So far it has not been possible at full debayer.
kevin

[Eric Santiago]

.. Can you confirm you are getting 24or 25fps output on R3d to ProRes422...

stupid question but where do check for fps during transcode?

[Kevin Jones]

... Actually I do not know if there is an official (menu) way.. but I just divide up the frames processed (total in metadata) by the time REDCINE/redrocket enabled tells me it will take to encode.

[joe hedge]

Not transcoding to 4k by any chance are you?

[jimhare]

I found on my old Quad Core with 6GB RAM I would get about 11-15 FPS while transcoding to ProRes 1080, about 20FPS or so transcoding to SD.

This would be about 2 FPS or less at full debayer if not for the RR.

On my new Hex core with 16GB RAM it's more like 20FPS for 1080 and faster than realtime for SD.

This is all for transcoding. Playback is full framerate using half quality.

So sounds to me like your findings are about right.

[Kevin Jones]

Yes I am absolutely converting to 1980 x1080 prores...
Full debayer... (which is what I need to test)
and so far best I have done is around 13fps
Hard drive transfers can easily do 60 to 80 mb sec by numerous tests I have done. and much faster when I test with my Ssd.
I am somewhat disappointed that with "real-time" being the client requested gold standard RED does not have some sample 'minimum' system descriptions for comparison as it seems like almost ALL productions are going for ProRes for broadcast level shows in HD.
The only reference I have seen for system requirements is intel mac with 10.5 on the redcine/redrock pdf's which at this point seems a bit vague.
I am getting fine playback at HD and above level thru hdmi or sdi etc...
Is anyone getting real time encode with RR on a quad core? ... anyone?
or is it time for me to modify my transcode station design.
and go to 8 core

[Rainer Fritz]

Using the rocket in an 8core 2008 model with 12GB RAM and getting about 20 to 22 fps to prores and realtime to AVID DNxHD MXF. In the newer machines I have no rocket yet, but I think you should go for an 8core at least.... you will need it in future if you will work with epics anyway....

[Eric Santiago]

Yes I am absolutely converting to 1980 x1080 prores...
Full debayer... (which is what I need to test)
and so far best I have done is around 13fps
Hard drive transfers can easily do 60 to 80 mb sec by numerous tests I have done. and much faster when I test with my Ssd...

Kevin have you found a cure for this yet? Im on the fence as to what to put in my 12core.
Ive researched a few things but havent pulled the trigger.