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High Definition Video for Independent Filmmakers
A How To Guide for Digital Filmmakers
Welcome all! This is my blog to share my latest research,
thoughts, etc. on utilizing HD for independent filmmaking.
YES, I am available for consulting
Contact me at mike@hdforindies.com
All content copyright 2004-2007 Mike Curtis.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Blackmagic Design's Intensity card now shipping.
Blackmagic Design: IntensityBlackmagic's $250 Intensity card is now shipping - it does HDMI in and out, but that's it.
Interesting for:
INPUT - if your camera has HDMI outputs, you can capture uncompressed 4:2:2 or online JPEG (Windows) or DVCPRO HD (Final Cut Pro) on Macs. Note no device control on card, gotta use FireWire device control. May be possible to use serial adaptors for 9 pin control? Maybe at best. Note HDMI standard only supports the broadcast standards, so no 1080p24/23.976.
OUTPUT - low cost HDMI based HDTVs are a low cost monitoring solution. I'm not aware of any that have professional callibration features like blue only or underscan mode, but if you're on a super tight budget, this is a great way to see what most consumers will be looking at when your project is done. NSTC/PAL/720p/1080i capable.
It seems like the inexpensive JVC 17 DTV-1710CG HD CRT is going away - that was the last inexpensive professional HD CRT on the market I'm aware of.
That leaves two lower cost options - Blackmagic's HDLink to an LCD panel (1280 or 1920 wide depending on video format desired) or the Intensity card paired with an HDMI equipped HDTV.
This card also comes with the new On Air software, which allows you to mix two live signals and output live, with graphic overlays (wow!). For low cost live HD 2 camera mixing, a great deal. And yes, as this implies, you CAN have two of these cards installed - so two ins with a live mixed output.
On Air 2.0 allows for mix and match as I understand it - so an Intensity card and a Multibridge in theory could be used together AFAIK.
-mike
PS - this reader tip was so good and on target for indies, it deserved promotion into the article itself:
Other cool uses for this card:
1) JUST AS AN OUTPUT CARD for SUITE #2: In a studio where one person has a full HD capture card, captures footage, hands the drive over to a second editor on a less expensive system that has a consumer HDTV. Now HDV, DVCPRO-HD, and uncompressed HD, captured from a pro system, can be monitored live from the timeline in suite #2 at minimal costs.
2) A HDV TO DVCPRO-HD transcoder: if your footage is being captured from an HDV camera with HDMI, you can LIVE transcode to DVCPRO-HD on the fly and then monitor your DVCPRO-HD timeline.
-Christopher S. Johnson
Well said, Christopher! Entirely right.
-mike
Comments:
That's great. I'm using an HDLink to a 2405 Dell, but I've been sticking to mainly 720p and rarely using 1080p. The problem is that the backlight on the dell is way too strong, so since the HDLink outputs pixel-per-pixel, I get this awful border around my image that's washed out and flickers w/ very fine horizontal lines running through it.
I know that the HDLink has an adapter for HDMI but I haven't used it before. Does anyone know if I hook up an HDTV using this, will it output pixel-per-pixel too, or does it scale to fit the screen? I would like to view full screen with my setup, but BlackMagic hasn't yet indicated if they ever plan on releasing a firmware for the HDLink to allow this.
I know that the HDLink has an adapter for HDMI but I haven't used it before. Does anyone know if I hook up an HDTV using this, will it output pixel-per-pixel too, or does it scale to fit the screen? I would like to view full screen with my setup, but BlackMagic hasn't yet indicated if they ever plan on releasing a firmware for the HDLink to allow this.
# posted by 
: Tue Dec 19, 11:32:00 AM CST
: Tue Dec 19, 11:32:00 AM CST
You don't need a special Blackmagic HDMI adaptor. Any DVI to HDMI cable will do. In HDMI mode, the HDLink fills the screen of a consumer HDTV, whatever its native resolution is. Thus you only get pixel for pixel if the native rez of your screen is the same as the HD format you are working at.
One thing the HDLink connected to an HDMI monitor won't do (which I believe the Intensity does) is show SD-SDI full screen. It is officially not SD compatible at all via HDMI, although it sometimes sort of works in a window. I have sent feature requests for that to Blackmagic Design several times, and although they have said it is under consideration, the HDLink is obviously a low priority product for firmware updates at the moment (none since March) as they have obviously been concentrating on Multibridge, and now intensity.
Nick
One thing the HDLink connected to an HDMI monitor won't do (which I believe the Intensity does) is show SD-SDI full screen. It is officially not SD compatible at all via HDMI, although it sometimes sort of works in a window. I have sent feature requests for that to Blackmagic Design several times, and although they have said it is under consideration, the HDLink is obviously a low priority product for firmware updates at the moment (none since March) as they have obviously been concentrating on Multibridge, and now intensity.
Nick
# posted by : Tue Dec 19, 12:11:00 PM CST
: Tue Dec 19, 12:11:00 PM CST
You don't need a special Blackmagic HDMI adaptor. Any DVI to HDMI cable will do. In HDMI mode, the HDLink fills the screen of a consumer HDTV, whatever its native resolution is. Thus you only get pixel for pixel if the native rez of your screen is the same as the HD format you are working at.
One thing the HDLink connected to an HDMI monitor won't do (which I believe the Intensity does) is show SD-SDI full screen. It is officially not SD compatible at all via HDMI, although it sometimes sort of works in a window. I have sent feature requests for that to Blackmagic Design several times, and although they have said it is under consideration, the HDLink is obviously a low priority product for firmware updates at the moment (none since March) as they have obviously been concentrating on Multibridge, and now Intensity.
Nick
PS apologies if this comes out twice. I posted it quite a while ago, and it has still not appeared. But I know that happens sometimes.
One thing the HDLink connected to an HDMI monitor won't do (which I believe the Intensity does) is show SD-SDI full screen. It is officially not SD compatible at all via HDMI, although it sometimes sort of works in a window. I have sent feature requests for that to Blackmagic Design several times, and although they have said it is under consideration, the HDLink is obviously a low priority product for firmware updates at the moment (none since March) as they have obviously been concentrating on Multibridge, and now Intensity.
Nick
PS apologies if this comes out twice. I posted it quite a while ago, and it has still not appeared. But I know that happens sometimes.
# posted by : Tue Dec 19, 01:28:00 PM CST
: Tue Dec 19, 01:28:00 PM CST
Other cool uses for this card:
1) JUST AS AN OUTPUT CARD for SUITE #2: In a studio where one person has a full HD capture card, captures footage, hands the drive over to a second editor on a less expensive system that has a consumer HDTV. Now HDV, DVCPRO-HD, and uncompressed HD, captured from a pro system, can be monitored live from the timeline in suite #2 at minimal costs.
2) A HDV TO DVCPRO-HD transcoder: if your footage is being captured from an HDV camera with HDMI, you can LIVE transcode to DVCPRO-HD on the fly and then monitor your DVCPRO-HD timeline.
-Christopher S. Johnson
1) JUST AS AN OUTPUT CARD for SUITE #2: In a studio where one person has a full HD capture card, captures footage, hands the drive over to a second editor on a less expensive system that has a consumer HDTV. Now HDV, DVCPRO-HD, and uncompressed HD, captured from a pro system, can be monitored live from the timeline in suite #2 at minimal costs.
2) A HDV TO DVCPRO-HD transcoder: if your footage is being captured from an HDV camera with HDMI, you can LIVE transcode to DVCPRO-HD on the fly and then monitor your DVCPRO-HD timeline.
-Christopher S. Johnson
Say you've got an HDV tape with some HDV material on it and you load it into your FCP System via Blackmagic Intensity Card via HDMI. Do you avoid the LONG GOP problems you have when loading HDV via Firewire?
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