-
imac with no thunderbolt & Blackmagic HD Link Pro
Hi,
I’m looking for a 10-bit monitoring solution for color correction and Davinci Resolve. I have a late 2009 imac (no thunderbolt, no usb 3.0, just mini displayport). I was thinking about this workflow with blackmagic products:
1) Mini DP to HDMI (it should be 10-bit).
2) Blackmagic HDMI to SDI
3) HD Link Pro (to the monitor via HDMI or DP)Will this work? I don’t know if this is a 10-bit workflow.
I’ll be using this with a Dell u2410. I know it’s better to have a real broadcast monitor in the end of the chain. The dell is listed as a 10-bit panel, so it’s better than nothing.
I can get the old Matrox MXO and just connect it via a DP to DVI cable, but I’ve read around here that it’s a 8-bit solution and it’s and old (and unsupported) product, but it’ll work. I just want a broadcast signal that I can trust with some accuracy, for a low-budget documentary (shot on 5D/550D) i’ll be grading and I’ll like to work with Davinci resolve (that’s why I’ll like a Blackmagic product).
Thanks.
Indie filmmaker
https://ivancastell.org -
6 Replies
-
All GFX card outputs from OSX are 8-bit and Resolve will not send full video to a GPU attached monitor only out to a SDI card through whatever interface the video interface is on, i.e. Thunderbolt or PCIe.
-Rob-
Robert Houllahan
Director / Colorist
Cinelab Inc.
http://www.cinelab.comMAHC-PRO 6-Core 3X GTX285 20Tb SAS Wave Panel Panny 11UK SDI Plasma. Light-Space CMS + Hubble
-
Thanks for the answer.
So, even if these connections works, the OSX system can’t output to 10-bit from the imac card, only 8-bit, right?
Indie filmmaker
https://ivancastell.org -
Yes even if the Display Port cold output video (i.e. FCP second monitor as video) OSX is 8-bit only and that output would be under the OSX color management and may be highly inaccurate.
-Rob-
Robert Houllahan
Director / Colorist
Cinelab Inc.
http://www.cinelab.comMAHC-PRO 6-Core 3X GTX285 20Tb SAS Wave Panel Panny 11UK SDI Plasma. Light-Space CMS + Hubble
-
I guess I’ll have to deal with the 8-bit output on the iMac.
Thanks for the info Robert!
Indie filmmaker
https://ivancastell.org -
A larger problem is that Resolve will not run on a 2009 iMac due to it not having a supported GPU. You need at least a 2011 iMac for Resolve. Details are in the Mac Resolve Config guide on the BMD web site in the DaVinci Resolve support area.
Dwaine Maggart
Blackmagic Design DaVinci Support -
Hi Dwaine,
I didn’t know that. I’m new to Davinci Resolve (I use Apple Color). I have a warning message when launching Resolve Lite about the hardware GPU not being capable of realtime performance, but the app launch and I can use it. I have an ATI HD 4850.
Ok, so even if I attach from the DP to the HDLink Pro (via the HDMI to SDI miniconverter), there’s no way of getting a broadcast signal (even a 8-bit) from the displayport on my imac with BM products? Damn, I can’t then use Resolve.
Indie filmmaker
https://ivancastell.org
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up