AteM 1 me

[Bob Zelin]

the iPhone is no platform to send a message to Creative Cow.

On September 24th, we used the Blackmagic ATEM 1M/E to cover Presidency 5 live from 8:30am to 7pm at night. The system was run by an Apple iMAC, and was “backed up” by a large APC UPS, in case of power outages at the Orlando Convention Center. We used a network of iMAC’s – one to control the switcher, one to load in lower thirds from Photoshop (using the Photoshop plugin) and one as a media player for Quicktime clips to play through the ATEM 1M/E. There was no DVI to HD-SDI converter used. As I had been promised, we used nothing but a DVI to HDMI converter cable to get the iMAC output into the ATEM 1M/E, which works flawlessly. The entire show was 1080i 29.97.

While we had problems with the Sony wireless mics, the RTS wireless intercom, and the wireless transmitters for 2 of the cameras, there were ZERO problems with the Blackmagic ATEM 1 M/E switcher, which was the centerpiece of this production. Streaming was done with the free ProCaster software from Livestream, running on a stand alone MAC Pro with a Blackmagic Decklink SDI card in it. (free is a very good price for ProCaster). We used the ATEM Aux2 output (assigned to program out) to feed the Decklink.

In 2012, we are doing the main Republican National Convention in Tampa. Once again, we will only consider using the Blackmagic ATEM 1M/E switcher for this event.

There was another company doing the AV for the event, for all the large screen projectors around the venue. They were using the For-A
HVS-300 Hanabi switcher. They were so impressed with the networking capabilities of the ATEM, they are going to switch to Blackmagic.

Bob Zelin

[Dean Anderson]

That’s great news. I was curious to see how the event went, I watched the live stream on YouTube and it looked great!

I have been helping my church get set up with video and we decided to go with the ATEM 1 M/E with the broadcast panel. The equipment should be delivered next week. Since we are running the broadcast panel, do we also need to have another computer hooked up to it running the software panel too? We will have an i Mac hooked up to run ProPresenter software and a PC with a viewcast card for our livestream. Could one of those computers be used to run the software panel in the background if necessary?

Thanks for your help.

[Bob Zelin]

if I were you, I would go to the office store, and buy a cheap Gig Ethernet switch (about 50 bucks). Plug in the broadcast panel to it, plug in your iMAC, plug in the ATEM Electronics. You are ready to go ! And if you want to add more computers – go ahead – just plug into the switch.

I have not used the Viewcast card, but I can tell you that the bottom of the line Decklink SD worked great for streaming.

You can’t put a Decklink or Viewcast card into an iMAC ! If you had a MAC Pro, could you do the streaming with the PCIe card and do the
ATEM at the same time, on the same computer – I don’t know.

Bob Zelin

[Trevor Asquerthian]

Hi Bob

What’s the delay (if any) through the ATEM? The website claims frame syncs on each input – so does one need to delay program audio by 1 frame to maintain sync?

I see there’s 2 channels of analogue audio that goes through the system and is embedded (and presumably delayed if necessary).

Thanks

[Ankit Patel]

Hi Dean,

The ATEM Software Control is a very “light” application and does not use much in terms of computing power. All the switching work is done by the hardware switcher and the computer is just a sending commands to control the switcher.

In short, you can most probably use the same computer for streaming and the control panel. I know there are customers using a Mac Pro to do this with the ATEM now.

I hope this helps,
Ankit Patel
Blackmagic Design

[Ankit Patel]

Hi Trevor,

You are correct that the ATEM has a frame synchronizer on every input. However, ATEM also has a genlock input. So if you genlock your system you can get the delay down to 1 line. Don’t forget that depending on the camera there is delay in the camera and there is always delay in the projector or screen you use for monitoring.

If you do use the frame synch then yes it will add one frame of delay.

Kind regards,
Ankit Patel
Blackmagic Design

[Matt Drabick]

If you genlock your ATEM switcher and video cameras (this assumes the cameras are genlockable, doesn’t it?) how do you “time” the ATEM switcher and video cameras? Are there any controls associated with the ATEM switcher that allows you to advance or delay the sync and subcarrier to match timing of the video cameras?

Matt Drabick, DigiTek Systems

[Trevor Asquerthian]

Thanks Ankit for that prompt response… so it’s possible to enable and disable the frame syncs?

Also, are there any emems or snapshots possible with the ATEM?

[Ankit Patel]

Hi Matt, Hi Trevor,

Matt is correct that not all cameras are capable of genlock. For example, I don’t think there are any HDMI only cameras that can be timed (accept genlock).

In terms of wiring you will need a synch generator that has multiple outputs or you may have to use a DA (distribution amplifier) to increase the number of outputs from your synch generator. You then run the genlock signal from the synch generator or DA into each of your SDI cameras that accept genlock and also into the switcher’s genlock input. This way all of the devices will be on the same “clock”.

All of the inputs will then be timed and the switcher will be able to do a clean line cut between cameras without adding any delay. As you already know, if you have wild feeds, stuff that cannot be genlocked, The frame synch will do this job of aligning the various signals but that will cost you one frame of delay.

The ATEM automatically enables and disables the frame synch. Imagine that the switcher has it’s own internal clock. If you provide the switcher genlock then it’s internal clock gets synched with that genlock signal.

For each input, the switcher checks if the input is in time with it’s internal clock (which may be your house synch) and if the input is off time then the frame synch is automatically turned on. If the input is in time then the frame synch is not enabled.

You cannot manually control the frame synch and there are no controls to “advance or delay the sync and subcarrier” in the switcher.

Trevor for your other question, the ATEM does not have any “emem” or snapshot capability.

I hope you find this information helpful.

All the best!
Ankit Patel
Blackmagic Design

[Trevor Asquerthian]

Ankit

Thanks again. Definitely add snapshots to the wish list – Emems with effects/dissolve might be trickier but surely snapshots can’t be too hard?

all the best with the ATEM