[rescue] WTB: SGI (MIPS architecture) Systems

[Joshua D. Boyd]

On 05/23/10 09:20, Timothy Baldridge wrote:
>>> Also, can't Macs do all the Discreet Logic apps (Smoke/Flame) stuff now as fast as the old SGIs?
>
> Actually all the new Flame/Smoke systems run on Linux now. If there's
> a real flame user here, I'm sure they'll correct me, but some of the
> Onyx2 based Inferno systems had some massive bandwidth. I think I
> remember hearing that some of them could playback 6 2k streams at one
> time.


Sure, they are impressive.  6x of 2k at 24fps is 3456.0 MB/s.  Back 
then, you required many 2Gb FC links to do that.  Now you should be able 
to do that in a good PC or Mac with 2x dual channel 8Gb FC cards, or 1x 
quad channel 8Gb card.  1x quad channel 8Gb FC card is what Autodesk 
stick's in their recommended HP Z800 setup.  Optionally, you can remove 
the GigE card that they recommend and insert a second quad channel 8Gb 
FC card.

> Yeah, there's video editing with "prosumer" Mac/Windows/Linux
> machines, but then there's real cinema grade editing apps like
> Discreet's Smoke/Flame. On SGI systems Discreet even went so far as to
> modify the kernel of IRIX just so it would run their apps better. I
> think they may do the same now with Linux. Basically Discreet won't
> use Mac for their software because it's not configurable enough for
> their needs.

First, Flame is not an editing app.  It is a special effects app. 
Trying to edit in it will cause you pain.

Second, real cinema grade editing of real cinema grade movies is 
typically done on Macs (or PCs) running on Final Cut Pro or Avid Media 
Composer (not that other programs can't also be used).

What Smoke's are used for is finishing the movie (bring in the FCP XML 
file, re-import the video, do the final tweaking, then export to 
external hard or a remote file server).  Most Smokes are probably used 
in advertising and TV news rather than movies though.  And most Flames 
are probably in advertising as well.  There having most tools in one 
program is a bigger benefit that it usually would be in movies.

The Discreet name isn't used anymore, BTW.  But, certainly Mac's aren't 
configurable enough for their highest end products.  If nothing else, 
OSX would need to support every top end Quadro card, including the SDI 
ones.  If OSX did that, it would bring some more top end programs to the 
platform, but doing so wouldn't really do a whole lot for Apple.