Gigabyte GC Titan Ridge detection issue fix

Buying Titan Ridge Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Card Component

I bought Gigabyte GC-Titan Ridge 2.0 (Titan Ridge Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Card Component) in 2020 through Amazon India online. I had to convince the seller that I had the right motherboard. I guess there was lot of returns. I assured the Amazon seller that I was using X570 AORUS PRO WIFI (Link) mentioned on the manufactures website.

Installation and initial issue

As soon as I started installing the PCIe card I was faced with my Gigabyte RTX 3080 10 GB OC taking up the slot space in the mid tower. Any way I was able to connect the wires. The most crucial THB_C connector.

 

This was the beginning of my nightmares as I decided to use thunderbolt on windows with Mac Drive pro app which I later on moved to Paragon Mac Tool Box which seamlessly made life easy. My windows formatted drive worked on macOS and macOS HFS+ and APFS worked on windows. (Note: You can not read mac password protected (Mac Journaled encrypted) hard drives on windows)

 

 

At first, I had the connections installed and the firmware (mb_driver_626_thunderboltdch) was installed in windows 10 then but the device did not show up. I checked online and found out that I had to to install Thunderbolt™ Control Center [Link] exclusively available in Microsoft store to work with DCH. Some how after installing and tweaking with motherboard bios it worked.

 Reference Image

If I remember correctly I may have taken e support from Gigabyte website who told me to change some memory and enable 4G decoding settings in the bios.

 

The thunderbolt device used to not get detected so it was always a stress to check device manger (windows key + x > Device Manger ) with multiple restarts to get it detected. 

 

Later on I figured out it was a old bios issue for which I updated my bios from Gigabyte (Aorus) website. (Link) It seem to solve the issue until windows 10 got updated at times but it was stable.

 

For reference

(Download bios > Unzip and copy it on USB disk > Restart PC > Press 'End' and go to File and select Run at your own risk)

I was using Thunderbolt™ Control Center to approve thunderbolt based hard drives. 

When I shifted to Windows 11 [2022 - 2023]

The setup was same but the thunderbolt device would not show up after windows update. I installed the drivers from available from the manufacture and e support suggested to use Thunderbolt FW Update Tool from the this URL: https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GC-TITAN-RIDGE-rev-20/support#support-dl-utility

It only starts working suddenly like magic. I tried installing the driver and firmware and new bios still you never know when it will show up in the device manger to read thunderbolt 3 devices. It can not see Controller driver version even though the PCI device is connected.

I was relying on Thunderbolt™ Control Center which I would later learn that it's not required.

 

If you disable security level to "No security" settings in the bios. The drive would directly show up when connected in Windows 11.

FYI - You need Titan Ridge to be detected by the motherboard in bios.

 

 

Update - 29th December 2023

This seems to be the solution from Gigabyte esupport by clearing CMOS:

 

Clear CMOS:
(1) Turn off the power.
(2) Remove the power cords from the motherboard.
(3) Take out the battery gently and put it aside for about 5 minutes
or longer.
(Or you can use a conductive metal to connect the two pins in the
battery holder to make them short-circuited.)
(4) Re-insert the battery to the battery holder.
(5) Short-circuit the CLR_CMOS header.
(6) Connect the power cords to motherboard again and turn on the
power.

Source - Gigabyte eSupport

My pandemic strategies as a movie technician

1.Have a game plan.

2. Do not straight away get on the bandwagon but do give a reality check.

3. Learn new skills every day. We live in an age where all the information is freely available. Information is seconds away through few clicks of a button. Even if you can’t pay for the courses. Read the manuals, the related articles, watch the related tutorials that are freely available. Attend all the zoom lectures. Information sharing was never so democratic and organised.

4. Don’t hesitate to ask for help from peers & seniors.

5. Stop buying apps, content and gear that you don’t need.

6. Budget your future spending than writing down how you spent it.

7. Innovate before you become a dinosaur.

8. Pro tip – Do things you fear most. High risk services and businesses give higher returns.

9. Buy original licensed app. Do not use cracks. It is stealing even when it is not for work.

10. Have faith in yourself. Miracles do happen. Do not get stuck. Move on and come back later to it with experience.

Metadata a love letter to future

When some people don't care about metadata. They just "convert" making a new file taking out original file metadata information do the offline edit and sound. Later at the very last stage realise the blunder instead of "transcode" which only implies changing of codec, compressing the clips to reduce compute lag (stress on CPU) and keeping metadata intact with metadata burn ins overlay with right font size which helps.

 

During DI people learn their mistakes. People call me like it will be a instant solution. But I have to find a methodology based on the project complexity and number of takes and visually match the clips frame by frame also making sure it sync's with the sound.

 

P.S - It's all about figuring out and getting started. Mistakes will teach you.

The price factor Indian audience pay for movie at a theatre

Cinema is a beautiful lie.

Once a teacher explained the formula of Indian – commercial cinema.

Ideally a family of six, Grand pa, Grand ma, Mother, Father, daughter, and son. It costs ₹300 a movie ticket in a multiplex.

₹ 300 x 6 = ₹ 1800/- ($25) not including the travelling and food.

So, for joint families in India it is one event where the family goes to watch movie on the big screen ideally during the festive season.

The goal of the filmmaker in India is to package a product and experience fit for the family.

Grandparents looks for religious teachings and family values.

Parents look for relief from their day to day life problems for few hours.

Children look for their idol - the star, the branding, pointers that will make them cool in next conversation.

It is still true even in the age of subscription-based platforms even if the prices of soft drink and popcorn are sold at high price at the movie theater or the drive-in which is coming back.

There is an aurora of watching a movie on a big screen with loved ones, friends, colleagues in a darkly lit auditorium having a shared experience as the title music rolls with an image on the screen.

Taking you inside the mind of the characters even within you may agree you are watching a beautiful lie crafted for entertainment but as it plays along you start believing and empathising with the narrative presented to you.

 

Role of Digital Imaging Technician

A Digital Imaging Technician (D.I.T) bridges the gap between principal photography and editorial. 

 

 

What does a D.I.T do?

Designing secure workflow for smooth picture and sound post.
Backup of original camera file from the cards with md5/hashxx64 checksum verification &
spot checking that includes production audio in organised manner.
Onset technical problem solving of issues that may arise, primarily during principal
photography and post-production.
Generate dailies with base grading from the raw rushes for edit with metadata with transcodes.
Create data reports and keep the key members of the unit informed.
On set color management & leveling.

You can look at it as "Chief Technical Officer" (C.T.O) for camera department.

The challenges of D.I.T in Indian scenario.

 

"Most of us are not yet doing live grades but we are getting there. It's the cost."

You plan for outdoor location shoot may be abroad that's when the editor or DOP mentions to hire Digital Imaging Technician to organize, structure and transcode with on set looks on clips if you are using log and flag QC issues on set. Be a second pair of eyes checking for issues that may be bottleneck during post production stage or before leaving the expensive location.

But mostly data wrangler is hired by junior production member or due to budgetary decisions. At the end majorly a data wrangler with an laptop comes to set to primarily copy and paste data with no checksum and QC to verify the copy from capture media cards to hard drive or SSD with only screenshot copied on the drive. At times, I hear one hard drive copy is made and second copy is made later. Resulting data corruption and errors and QC issues being copied onto to the second backup without even visual QC by the time the cards are formatted for reuse. 

 

It's too late but things are changing at snail pace in India for non OTT shoots. The reason camera attendants who also double up as data wangler have another shoot next day so they kind of choose to ignore the process which causes heavy budgetary loss and the content suffers may be because now you have to use alternate take available.

Let's continue with our scenario. In the ninth moment it's now decided that the editor will be joining for the two month schedule. So finally D.I.T is hired because you need some one to add luts and transcode and not "convert!" as I hear in lay persons terms you mean "transcode" right. Hopefully the right person will be hired on the project who uses checksum for the transfer and legal tools for transcodes with right color science and calibrated monitor and configuration with applications and knowledge of post workflow pipeline.

The shoot begins and finally shift ends with key members of the team meeting for the first time on set floors and that's again things may go for toss. When production decides to make the DIT wait after long day end or after night shoot, post pack up till remaining cars are full after two hours three hours wait post pack up is called. Finally a transport cars or grip, light team car arrives and the DIT is finally taken to the far away hotel not without the production running some errands in between while data is still lying with the D.I.T to make the matters worst the hotel is in middle of no where and the DIT has to double up as security. The D.I.T has seen the cattle grazing and a single railway line who is staying outskirts with camera, sound in a hotel filled with cobwebs and bed bugs, home for next few weeks before location shift on most of the projects since it's a series to save few shillings that may have drastic consequences if luck runs out.

Why such a long story well the editor is 3-4 hours away from D.I.T. The editor needs days transcoded proxies including the D.O.P and Director also wanting to see the rushes at highest quality with RAW. May be there are some remaining transcodes that will take time and you have another days of shoot next day. So again you travel back to the "HOD and cast" hotel, reconnecting the drives and the setup for viewing with few hours left to rest. You may not have assistants for upload on review platform even a platform to securely share on cloud based drive. If you are a small fish on a indie project with minimal setup. There is competitive bidding wars that takes place to secure a project going below the minimum market rates which keeps on depreciating. The LTO backup is required if you are following 3-2-1 backup method which means three backups in different mediums and copy offsite. It's risky if it happens later on at the lab many days later of principal photography.

 

You ask, why is this D.I.T working in such conditions may be the person is the assistant and due to competition he has to accept the low pay he is tolerating the fatigue which could be dangerous. Many in India are still unaware of the vital role of the D.I.T who are the custodian of the original camera files till it's handed over to lab as per insurance clauses. When the drive is full it's handed back to the studio or a offsite facility for safe keeping. It only happens if it's mentioned as a requirement on the spec sheets thanks to OTT and big studios. 

 

There is a wrong assumption that the D.I.T only copies and pastes files for backup so why do we have to pay so much? 

There are many who understand the importance these days and get the value of extra pairs of eyes looking out for the unit but still unaware the real purpose which I hope to cover. You will hear, "Even I can do it it's just like copying files from pen drive or phone memory chips (SD)." or "why make the person stay at the fancy hotel? It's only a copy and paste job hitting buttons on the computer to "convert" (transcode) or why should I pay this amount because you are using legal software comparing, apples to oranges.

Now a days you have solutions like transporting the shuttle drives to the editor, cloud services with password protection and apps such as post lab, silverstack lab that could be handy in such situations but the production team needs to provide a separate WIFI connection and not the "hotel WIFI or mobile data" which needs to be recharged due to data cap by Internet service providers (ISP) because of Fair Usage policy (FUP) to share media and sound with the editorial team, in some cases even VFX for temp VFX work to begin.

 

Please take care of your crew. Everyone is important. If you take care of the crew they will take care of your project. Do not class divide with A - B - C crew give the respect and value that they bring to the table.

(Disclaimer - The scenario I am describing is a worst case scenario. It's more or less still the reality to an extent.)

Also take a look into film to digital cinema & workflow. (Link below)
Cinema workflow resources

Editorial work showcase on Zoom

You can use ‘Adobe Premiere Pro CC’ with ‘teams’ on a legal version of Windows 10 Pro (PC/Virtual Machine) to share on Zoom via OBS through Virtual Cam.

You can also use other apps like Resolve Studio, Avid to work on group projects in locked way.

(Unfortunately, mac has its limitations.)

Apps Required:
Open Broadcaster Software®️ (OBS)

OBS - Virtual Cam

Zoom (Paid Plan)

How to customise Facebook news feed

Facebook News feed by default gives 'Top Stories'. 

If you want to prioritise friends updates on Facebook News feed.

You can set your preferences as follows:

On the left of your Facebook Home page.

Click on the three dots besides 'News feed'. 

You can set to see top stories or most recent updates. 

You can customise your news feed with 'Edit Preferences' which gives you more control.

Some Facebook users may have to switch to Facebook classic to set the feature.

On top right click on down arrow - Switch to Classic Facebook.

Easy way is to click on 'Most Recent' on left of Facebook News Feed. May have to click on 'See More' down arrow if you don't want to switch to classic Facebook.