Blackmagic?

[VRS]

My local rep just lent me a Blackmagic DeckLink HD Extreme 3D to try.

Here's my problem.

With PT10 it plays back with rock solid sync according to my Syncheck, but each time I hit play I get a different offset. So I can get ProTools to be bang on with 0 offset but the I hit play again and it's 10 ms out, the next time it's bang on, the next time it's 27ms out, the next time it's 3 ms out - but with absolutely no drift.

What's going on?

With PT11 it does the same thing but I have the added benefit if this tiny video window in the middle of my monitor - it won't display the video in full screen and I can't figure out how to change it.

I've tried a whole series of Blackmagic driver versions and nothing changes.

Any ideas?

Vince

2008 Mac Pro 3,1 - 32 G RAM, OSX 10.9.4. PT 11.2.1, PT 10.3.9., Sync HD, Blackmagic sync generator.

[VRS]

Oh yes.

Avid DNx36 Codec

[sitbh]

Hi mate. Running the same card here on PT10/11 and blackmagic driver 10.2.2 and DNX36 (and sometimes photoJPEG) QTs. You'll need to give the card a video reference if you want it frame accurate with your PT rig. I use the same VDA that feeds my Sync HD.

As for PT11 full screen - right clicking the video window and selecting 'full screen' does the job for me!

[Frank Kruse]

Originally Posted by VRS

My local rep just lent me a Blackmagic DeckLink HD Extreme 3D to try.

Here's my problem.

With PT10 it plays back with rock solid sync according to my Syncheck, but each time I hit play I get a different offset. So I can get ProTools to be bang on with 0 offset but the I hit play again and it's 10 ms out, the next time it's bang on, the next time it's 27ms out, the next time it's 3 ms out - but with absolutely no drift.

What's going on?

With PT11 it does the same thing but I have the added benefit if this tiny video window in the middle of my monitor - it won't display the video in full screen and I can't figure out how to change it.

I've tried a whole series of Blackmagic driver versions and nothing changes.

Any ideas?

Vince

2008 Mac Pro 3,1 - 32 G RAM, OSX 10.9.4. PT 11.2.1, PT 10.3.9., Sync HD, Blackmagic sync generator.

As someone mentioned before that is expected behavior when you do not gen-lock both the card and the SYNC HD with the same Tri-Level signal.

Also open the BM prefs panel in systems settings and make sure you can see an "Reference input connected" at the bottom of the window.

Only when that is showing the card will sync correctly.

Also note there have been a couple of Syncheck videos that have wrong resolutions so when you spot those onto the same tracks that contain your film the card will show it as a tiny picture with a huge frame and the card will not lock.

This is because the BM card need to have sync with the EXACT format of your video.So if you are running DNXHD36 1080P 24.00FPS your sync signal has to be 1080P 24.00fps too. 720P will not work.

To work around the wrongly encoded syncheck files open the DNX36 syncheck video in QTpro and re-export it as 1080P DNXHD36 24FPS if you are using that. This should fix the size and sync issues.

Had the same thing before.

Frank.

[Frank Kruse]

Originally Posted by VRS

Oh yes.

Avid DNx36 Codec

What resolution and frame-rate?

[Postman]

Originally Posted by Frank Kruse

Also note there have been a couple of Syncheck videos that have wrong resolutions so when you spot those onto the same tracks that contain your film the card will show it as a tiny picture with a huge frame and the card will not lock.

I am not aware that ANY of our files are "wrongly encoded". Please be specific and I will fix them. Any other than the one you mention above?

[Frank Kruse]

Originally Posted by Postman

I am not aware that ANY of our files are "wrongly encoded". Please be specific and I will fix them. Any other than the one you mention above?

Hi,

the one I just had to re-encode was called: 'Syncheck 1080p24DNx 1of8.mov'.
On it's own video track the format was fine but as soon as I put it on a video-track that already contained a DNXHD36 1080P 24fps QT from AVID the syncheck out went from full-frame to a small thumbnail and the BM said it had the wrong reference (which was 1080p 24).

After exporting the SC QT to DNXHD36 1080P it all worked like a charm.

Since there several generations of SC QTs around I can send you mine if you're interested.

After re-encoding the film I never had the problem again.

The weird thing is that MPEG Streamclip shows that it's 1920x1080 24 in it's info pane but still it would confuse the card unless I re-encode it to the exact same parameters. Very strange. Could it be square vs. anamorphic pixels? My AVID QTs are 16:9 while the Syncheck QT is 4:3 and both have the same resolution?

Maybe it's that what makes it do that? On the other hand: After re-encoding the SC QT is still 4:3 so that can't be it either.

EDIT: Just checked again and the SC QT show up as 'DNxHD 709' while the AVID one is just named 'DNxHD codec'. Could that be it?

Frank.

[Postman]

There are several generations of files indeed. All DNx Syncheck files were created in and exported from Media Composer 5.5 or 6 (don't recall which). I'll open the originating 24p project, later today hopefully, maybe some detail in there will give a clue.

[VRS]

The little picture happens not only with the Syncheck video but also with the video files from the film I'm woking on. These are not tiny DNX files, they're huge.

I don't know how I can right click on the picture when my cursor doesn't go up there.

Yes, I should have explained the SyncHD has sync., the card has sync, the preference pane says that it sees sync, when I open ProTools the preference pane still says it has sync.
Everything is synced at the same rate. It's not drifting in and out of sync, it's locked on, it just doesn't seem to start on the frame edge every time.

[Frank Kruse]

Are all your output processing settings off in the BM prefs?

Frank.