This article describes how to quickly get started with setting up Reeltime Pro for a first evaluation. All you need is a Mac with an Apple Silicon processor, macOS 14 or newer, and a webcam. In addition to the minimal setup with a webcam, the article also covers a basic setup with a video I/O device. Furthermore, the “first steps” sections walk you through some essential application features.
Trial Mode and Adding a License Key
After starting the software for the first time, you can use it in trial mode for ten days. You can extend your use at any time by entering a valid license within the License Window (Reeltime Pro > Licenses…). Note that the trial license version includes a visible watermark in recordings and video outputs.
Minimum Setup With Webcam Inputs
Configuring a webcam as input makes it easy to evaluate Reeltime Pro without video I/O devices. If you have two webcams at hand (i.e. an additional USB webcam), it’s beneficial as you can test the group recording and playback functionality.
Tip: Use the internal FaceTime webcam of your Mac notebook as the first input and the camera of your iPhone or iPad as the second camera. Your iPhone’s or iPad’s camera will appear as a webcam automatically if you are connected with the same Apple ID as on your Mac.
Within the slot manager (Reeltime Pro > Slot Manager…), you can associate an input video source, such as a webcam, with an input slot:
- Open the slot manager’s input tab and select an existing input slot (e.g., slot “A”)
- Choose the desired video input device under “Device”, for example, the internal “FaceTime HD Camera” of your MacBook
- Select another existing input slot (e.g., slot “B”) and configure a second webcam input
- The webcams’ signals now appear in the live slot mode of your input slots “A” and “B”
Slot manager with configured webcam inputs
You are all set for your first steps with recording and playback.
Add Local Streaming Outputs (optional)
Even without I/O devices you can still evaluate how Reeltime Pro’s outputs can be configured. If you have an iPhone or iPad at hand you can configure your output slots as local streams:
- Open the slot manager’s output tab and select an existing output slot (e.g., “Out 1”)
- Choose “Local Stream” as output type under “Device”
- Select another existing output slot (e.g., slot “Out 2”) and configure a second local stream
- By default the input slots “A” and “B” are set as sources for the output slots “Out 1” and “Out 2”
- You can change the source of an output slot by selecting the output slot in the main window and changing the source within the slot settings.
Setting the source of an output slot in the slot settings
- To view the local streams on your mobile device, you can easily install the free “Reeltime Viewer” companion app from the App Store by displaying the QR code in the local streaming settings (Reeltime Pro > Settings… > Local Streaming)
- To access the local streams on your iPhone or iPad, you must enter the password, which you can view in Reeltime Pro’s local streaming settings
- You can choose between different screen layouts. For example, you can choose a two-viewer screen layout if you want to see the two local streams “Out 1” and “Out2” on your iPhone.
Reeltime Viewer with a two-viewer screen layout on an iPhone
Read more about receiving local streams with the Reeltime Viewer companion app for iPhones and iPads under Getting Started With Reeltime Viewer.
Basic Setup With a Video I/O Device
Within the slot manager (Reeltime Pro > Slot Manager…), you can associate the input ports of your video I/O device with an input slot:
- Open the slot manager’s input tab and select an existing input slot (e.g., slot “A”)
- Choose the desired video input port under “Device”
- The video format of the incoming video signal sets the video format of your device automatically.
- To receive the camera’s ANC metadata correctly and trigger recording based on the record flag embedded in the SDI signal, ensure setting the appropriate camera type and your preferred record trigger method.
- Select another existing input slot (e.g., slot “B”) and configure a second input.
- The video signals now appear in the live slot mode of your input slots “A” and “B”.
Slot manager with SDI device configuration for an input slot
In the same way, you can associate the output ports of your video I/O device with an output slot:
- Open the slot manager’s output tab and select an existing output slot (e.g., “Out 1”).
- Choose the desired video output port under “Device”.
- The video format of outgoing signals usually derives from the input and may not be editable. However, with some devices, the output’s video format can be set manually.
- Select another existing output slot (e.g., slot “Out 2”) and configure a second output.
- By default the input slots “A” and “B” are set as sources for the output slots “Out 1” and “Out 2”.
- You can change the source of an output slot by selecting the output slot in the main window and changing the source within the slot settings.
Quick Audio Setup (Optional)
If you want to include audio in your recordings, you can configure multiple audio inputs and mix them down into one main audio track, which is then included in your video recordings:
- Connect your audio interface to your machine.
- You can connect any audio source that is supported by macOS including embedded audio channels from SDI signals via the drivers by AJA and Blackmagic.
- Open Reeltime Pro’s audio settings.
- Enable at least one audio input by clicking on the speaker icon in the de table row.
- The “Input Devices” list displays all audio devices that are connected to your machine.
- You can enable all channels you want to use. Each channel has an individual volume slider.
- For audio monitoring and playback you can choose an output device or select to use system’s audio output device.
- You can set the audio source to follow the last selected input slot or library slot automatically, or pin the the audio source to a specific input slot or library slot.
- The audio meters in the toolbar visualize the active audio in green (for playback), blue (for monitoring), and grey (if the audio is muted).
- There are menu items (in the audio menu) and associated controller actions for muting the live audio or all audio and an associated global mute toolbar button.
Learn more about working with the main audio in the article Main Audio for Recording and Playback.
Read how to set up audio devices in the article Setting Up Audio I/O Interfaces.
Recording and Playback With Input Slots – First Steps
Input slots are your “primary workbench” for recording and playback, as they allow you to monitor your live signals, record clips, and playback the clips that were recorded. Consequently, input slots have three different slot modes:
- the Live mode – for monitoring and recording the live signal from a camera
- the Playback mode – for playing back the recorded clips from the associated source camera
- the Reference mode – for comparing live and playback signal with various layout option
There are dedicated buttons in the toolbar for switching all input slots to live/playback slot mode.
Toolbar buttons for switching all inputs slot to “Live”/”Playback” slot mode
There are several ways to create single recordings and TC-synced group recordings:
- You can create a single recording from a single camera’s live signal with the record button in the individual slot card
- You can create a timecode-synced group recording from all input slots
- with the record button in the viewer controls (a sync info label indicates which slots are currently synced and will be included in the group recording),
- or with the “record all” button in the toolbar.
- With a configured video I/O device by AJA and DELTACAST you can also trigger recording based on the record flag embedded in SDI signals from professional cameras.
- Generally, all “armed” input slots are recorded in the upcoming group recording. However, you can un-arm slots you want to exclude from the next group recording with the arrow button beside the record button in the slot UI.
- You can set multiple in and out ranges during recording for marking several actions within one take.
Input Slots in “Live” slot mode during group recording
You can now playback your recordings with several options in the playback slot mode of the input slots:
- New recordings appear in the clip library and are loaded automatically into their source slots for instant playback
- you can disable this behavior by checking “Disable automatic loading of new clips for playback” in the recording settings
- You can also load a synced group recording from the library into the source slots by double-clicking a clip from that group
- Alternatively, you can load a single clip from the library into the currently selected slot with the “Load Selected Clip into Current Slot” menu item
- Ranges playback and looping options allow you to play back only the marked ranges in a group or single clip
Playback controls with editing options and enabled ranges playback and loop playback
To learn more about the individual features, read the article Recording and Playback.
Output Slots – First Steps
You can think of an output slot as a “showroom” for displaying the final product to your client. With two configured output slots, you are all set to create “tailored views” by applying individual filters to them. For example, you could apply a crop filter in the output slot “Out 1” and a metadata overlay filter in the output slot “Out 2.”
Tailored views configured with individual filters per output slots
Additionally, the output routing options allow you to temporarily switch an output slot’s source signal:
- Force Slot to Follow Live Video – for forcing an output slot to always show the live signal of its configured input source (= the input slot’s live slot mode)
- Set Slot to Follow Selection – for automatically setting the input/library/composite slot that is selected in the slot overview UI as the source for the output slot (“what you select is what you get”)
Learn more about tailored views with video filters in the blog article How to Craft Tailored Views With Reeltime Pro’s Slot System.
Library Slots – First Steps
When you recorded your files you can also check out the library slots. You can use a library slot as a kind of “personal workbench” where you prepare requested actions or references for review before anyone else actually sees them. Library slots are directly linked to the clip library, so you can fill any library slot with any item you can select in the clip library.
Library slots allow you to:
- Find a specific clip by browsing the library with
- the arrow down/up keys to auto-load the selected clip in the library for instant review and playback.
- Compare shots or compare different play positions with
- an independent library selection per library slot, (e.g., different folder/bin/smart group levels) and/or,
- an independent playhead position per library slot, (e.g., two different ranges within the same recording).
Two library slots with different selections in the clip library
Composite Slots – First Steps
Composite slots serve as an “assembly zone” where you can create composites out of input and library slots. Composite slots allow you to:
- Compose a view from multiple input and/or library slots with live and/or playback signals.
- Choose from a range of layout options for your compositing:
- Side-by-Side (2×1): Create a side-by-side view of 2 slots (e.g., “A” and “B” camera)
- Side-by-Side (3×1): Create a side-by-side view of 3 slots
- There is an “Orientation” parameter in the composite slot’s filter settings that lets you rotate the composite by -90° or +90° for vertical monitor installation (e.g., for a composite of three images below each other).
- 2×2 Grid: Create a grid view of up to 4 slots (e.g., “A” and “B” camera and two library slots “Lib 1” and “Lib 2”)
- Swipe: Compare the content of two slots with a horizontal or vertical swipe
- Overlay: Mix and overlay the content of two slots (e.g., to match the framing of two shots)
Composite slot layouts
To learn more about working with slots, read the article Manage Video Signals With “Slots”.
Further Reading
The main window contains all primary controls for your daily tasks. To learn how to use the individual features, read the article The Main Screen.
Reeltime Pro’s innovative slots concept lets you flexibly manage your incoming and outgoing signals and create tailored views for the different roles on set. To learn more about working with slots, read the article Manage Video Signals With “Slots”.
You can create TC-synced group recordings or single recordings, set multiple in and out ranges already during recording, and instantly play back all relevant ranges with various neat actions and playback options. To learn more about the individual features, read the article Recording and Playback.
Reeltime Pro’s clip library and metadata features enable you to reveal recorded clips in no time and let you make use of all the metadata you applied during your project. To learn more about working with the library and metadata, read the article Clip Library and Metadata.
Reeltime Pro’s versatile device integrations allow you to build a hardware setup optimized for your production’s requirements. To learn more about supported devices and different setup options, read the article Hardware Setup Options.
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