Video Capture and Video Playout > Playing Out to a VTR >

# VTR Emulation

When configured to emulate a VTR, Lustre can be controlled, using an RS-422 interface, by a third-party application or device. You control Lustre VTR emulation from the application or device that treats Lustre as a VTR device. Lustre supports SD and HD emulators.

The RS-422 commands that you can use for VTR emulation are summarized as follows:

Play Stop REW FF PREROLL PREROLL TIME PRESET SHUTTLE JOG VARPLAY | Reset TC IN Reset TC OUT Mark TC IN Mark TC OUT Set TC IN Set TC OUT AUTO mode ON AUTO mode OFF | TC IN+ TC IN- TC OUT+ TC OUT- CUE to (given) TC CUE to TC OUT EDIT channels preset Eject

NoteUnless otherwise configured by the controller device, the pre-roll time on the Lustre VTR emulator defaults to seven seconds with each video initialization.

To operate Lustre as a VTR:

1. Connect Lustre to the breakout box by doing one of the following:
   - If Lustre is running on the IBM® IntelliStation® Z Pro 6223 or the HP® xw8400, connect to the B port on the DVS Centaurus breakout box.
   - If Lustre is running on the HP xw8600, connect to the B port on the AJA breakout box.
2. Connect the master application or device to Lustre on the patch panel using a straight pin-to-pin serial cable. A cross-cable will not work.
   WarningSave your grade before editing your project, or you will lose any unsaved work.
3. Launch Lustre and navigate to the Engineering page of the Project Management settings (See Engineering Settings).
4. Enable VTR Emulator.
5. Use the Offset in Frames slider to set the number of frames you wish to shift ahead as footage is transferred from the controlling device to Lustre. Enter a negative number of frames to shift the clip backwards.
6. Click Save Project.
7. Click Editing, and then click Playout to display the Playout menu.
8. Select a raster for playout. See Selecting a Raster for Playout.
9. Prior to playout from the VTR emulator, perform the following tasks:
   - Add a header of at least five seconds to the start of the Storyboard.
   - Verify that the start Timecode begins at the end of the header, and not at 00:00:00:00. This is necessary because the Lustre VTR emulation does not provide a pre-roll outside of the boundaries of the existing Storyboard.

To disable VTR emulation:

1. Click Eject.
2. To re-initialize, either switch between the Editing Capture and Playout menus, or re-select the DVS raster.