16 channel HD-SDI and the new Multibridge Extreme

[Matt Dowling]

Howdy,

[Content Lab] “My Decklink system is used at a video engineering company and a fellow engineer requested a HD-SDI test stream with 16 channels of audio. I know what my Decklink HD Pro card can only handle 12 audio channels. The limiting factor however seems to be that I’m using Premier Pro which only seems to handle one channel of AES or one set of AC3 format audio. I could be wrong since I haven’t done much audio work with Premiere and am more of an engineer who tinkers with NLEs rather than a serious editor familiar with my tool.

That’s right – Premiere Pro 1.5 is limited to 4 channels in total output to tape.

[Content Lab] My first question is that I wanted to verify that it wasn’t possible to create a HD-SDI signal with 16 audio channels via my Decklik HD Pro/ PremierePro combo. If that is correct then how would I create such a signal? I would only want color bars and 1khz tone on all the channels initially but would like to create more intricate test streams later.

You can’t create 16 channel via Premiere Pro. We support 12 channels in and out (not 16) to support HDCAM SR. You could do this via our DirectShow filters and run 12 channels in and out but you would need to be familiar with something like GraphEdit. Or it may be possible to render out a QT movie from Premiere Pro with 12 channels and play through Blackmagic DeckControl.

[Content Lab] It seems as if the Multibridge Extreme will be capable of doing this however I’m curious as to where it gets the 4 extra channels of audio if there are only 6 AES channel inputs yielding 12 channels. From scanning through the manual for the older multibridge it seems that you could have only one actual input and route it to all your AES imbedded channels but I don’t want to assume that.

No – you are not limited to 6 channels – you have 12 channels in and out with our HD cards.

[Content Lab] Lastly, when is the friggin Mutlibridge Extreme going to be available. I’ve been drooling over it since NAB. ”

We’re in the final stages of testing now.

Regards,

Matt
Blackmagic Design

[Content Lab]

[Matt Dowling] “[Content Lab] It seems as if the Multibridge Extreme will be capable of doing this however I’m curious as to where it gets the 4 extra channels of audio if there are only 6 AES channel inputs yielding 12 channels. From scanning through the manual for the older multibridge it seems that you could have only one actual input and route it to all your AES imbedded channels but I don’t want to assume that.

No – you are not limited to 6 channels – you have 12 channels in and out with our HD cards.”

Perhaps I didn’t phrase my question properly. The spec for the new Multibridge says it supports 16 channels in SDI. I’m wondering how would one even generate such a stream?

I’ve temporarily given on up using my Decklink HD Pro card to try this since not only does it only support 12 channels but poopy old PremierePro only lets me do 4 channels. I’m trying to find solutions to this beyond my current hardware, even if I have to find someplace to custom make me a stream. Tho I was really hoping the new Multibridge would handle this so I could another reason to show my boss why we need one.

[Nico Sandhof]

theoretically support (hd)sdi 16channel embedded (specification).
but no recording standard supports it at present.
practically “audio capture/playback support” 12channels (hd), 8channels in standard definition…

[Nico Sandhof]

dont use “poopy old PremierePro” – use finalcutpro and you get 12 in and out 😉