Mix it Up: A Selection Of Video Special Effects Generators: Buyer's Guide

Joe McCleskey
October 1998

In today's video world, we've all been conditioned to expect at least a few visual special effects in just about every production we watch. Whether it's just a simple dissolve between two scenes or a full-blown arsenal of morphs, warps and explosions, special effects have become an important part of video production at all levels.

Low-budget videographers might think that they can't afford the equipment to add special effects to their own productions. However, for just a few hundred dollars' added investment to your video arsenal, it's possible to add that little touch of spice that could advance your project from a good video production to a great one.

In this article, we'll provide a survey of several types of consumer-level special effects generators. We'll divide the products discussed into two broad categories: stand-alone SEGs, which serve equally well in the role of live switcher or post-production effects generator, and computer-based software programs that offer the same type of mind-blowing effects you'd expect to see on your favorite TV shows. Along the way, we'll try to explain some of the ways in which you might use these devices to get the best use of special effects in your video productions, as well as provide some answers to frequently asked questions on the topic. After reading the article, you'll gain more than just an appreciation of the various types of special effects generators available today; you'll be well on your way to designing the kinds of effects that best suit your own video productions.

In the early days of television, there was only one way to get from one video scene to another: the cut. Although it was possible to fade one shot to black, then fade in another, this was really just a clever way to disguise a cut. More complicated effects were shot on film, then manipulated photographically before being broadcast over the airwaves.

Simple though it may seem, a cut between two moving video sources is actually one of the earliest forms of special effects. Because it's necessary to precisely synchronize both sources in order to perform a seamless cut, the switcher was developed as the earliest form of video Special Effects Generator (SEG). To this day, the terms "switcher" and "SEG" are considered synonymous, and a simple cut between two live sources is still considered the most basic form of video special effect.

In the realm of analog effects, perhaps the chromakey or blue screen effect became the one most commonly seen on television. With this effect, it became possible to replace one color on the screen (usually blue) with a second video signal. This was the technique that gave weathermen the ability to appear in front of a computer-generated map on the evening news, and was among the earliest techniques used to overlay titles and graphics onto the video image.

Television and video effects remained in the analog realm for several decades, until the folks at Quantel developed the world's first digital frame store in the 1970s. This device was capable of digitizing and storing a single frame of video at a time; making it possible to manipulate the image, moving the pixels around in frame-by-frame increments. Over time, the video image gained the ability to fly across the screen, rotate, stretch, or do just about anything a videographer wanted it to. Composites became much cleaner, too; the tell-tale fuzzy edges of the blue-screen technique resolved themselves into sharply defined lines.

Today, almost all video effects are produced digitally--even if they're produced by stand-alone black boxes like the Panasonic WJ-AVE55 or the Videonics MXPro. Now, however, the most impressive effects are usually produced by computers. Before we delve into that topic, let's take a brief look at some of the stand-alone SEGs currently available in the consumer and prosumer markets.

At the low-budget end of the spectrum, there are a number of devices available that provide simple effects for a single source of video (no transitions). Some even come with audio mixers or microphones jacks built-in, providing an easy way to add narration to a video. Though they may not deliver top-notch video quality, these SEGs are still a good way for beginners to enhance their early productions--and if used cleverly, their simplistic effects can take on a quaint, "retro" quality that becomes an effect in and of itself.

Sima's Video EditMaster (Model SED-EM, $150) is a case in point. It provides fades to and from a black or white screen; color, detail and brightness controls; a split screen effect to compare the original image with the enhanced image; a three-channel audio mixer (source, microphone, music); and comes with a microphone.

For the more serious videographer, a switcher is a far more versatile device, because it provides two powerful services: a means of performing A/B-roll edits, and a way to perform live switching for sporting events, theatrical performances, and the like. For such videographers, Sima provides the SFX/M ($600), a unit that has dual time base correction technology for true dissolves and A/B-roll wipes. The SFX/M also includes chromakey, strobe, still, mosaics, paint and color negative effects, as well as a stereo sound mixer and microphone. Perhaps the most appealing thing about the SFX/M is its price; this makes it an excellent choice for beginners who want the power of true A/B-roll transitions.

Another good low-cost option is Datavideo Technologies' SE-200 Integrated Editing Center ($549), which includes a fully-functional edit controller, a titler, a number of special effects, an audio mixer and a microphone. (Note: A/B-roll switching is only possible on the SE-200 if you purchase a dual-field TBC; Datavideo sells their TBC-3000 for $749). Though the titler is a bit lacking in quality, the SE-200's other functions work quite admirably; the edit controller alone, which supports RCTC, Control-L and Panasonic 5-pin, is almost worth the full price of the unit.

Panasonic's WJ-AVE55 Digital Video Mixer offers a good combination of wipes, fades, slides, picture-in-picture effects, color correction and audio mixing, as well as chromakeying, compositing, a GPI trigger and a number of other features for $1600.

For a number of years now, the Videonics MX-1 ($1199) has ruled the SEG roost in the prosumer video realm. It has filled a niche that has kept many high-school sports videographers, weekend wedding warriors and public access producers quite satisfied with its capabilities. With four video inputs (S-video and composite), four stereo audio inputs, 255 pre-designed effects, eight colors, chromakey and GPI-trigger support, the MX-1 has well earned its reputation as a good prosumer-level switcher.

There is, however, room for improvement in all things, and the MX-1 is no exception. For this reason, Videonics has recently delivered the long-awaited MXPro, successor to the MX-1. With 10-bit digital 4:2:2 video quality, audio mixing and color correcting capabilities, over 500 digital video transitions, freeze-frame, black and white, negative, mosaic, paint, flip and a higher price tag than the MX-1 ($1799), the MXPro aims to please those videographers who want a bit more than the earlier product is capable of achieving.

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