Decklink HD Plus random black frames

[Luke Maslen]

Hi Bill,

Please check that your sync signal matches the format of the video with which you are working. If that still doesn’t help, try removing the external sync signal and see if that changes the problem. Please let me know what you find.

Regards,

Luke Maslen
Blackmagic Design

[Bill Crawford]

Hi Luke,

Thanks for your reply.

Yes the sync signal matches the formats I have in place. I’m using a DVW-A500 Digibeta and a HDW-2000 HDCAM deck with the card. Both are tied into the same core sync path, a path that has been working for three years. This same setup worked well with a Decklink Pro SD card that the new card replaced. The HDCAM format I’m using is 1080 60i, so regular NTSC sync works great.

I see in the archives that Matt Geller had this problem on Nov. 3 and reported it in the forum here. Matt Dowling pointed him to a new driver 5.1.2e – but nothing else was reported following the driver suggestion. Does this driver resolve the issue?

Thanks,

Bill

[Bill Crawford]

Hi Luke,

I went through the signal path some more this morning. I verified that the sync going to the HDW-2000, DVW-A500 and Decklink HD Plus are all correct from the cables.

It appears that the Decklink HD Plus is not locking to the reference given to it. I checked it’s HD output on a scope set for external reference on house sync. It drifts, and the HDW-2000 is locked to reference correctly. Reviewing the signal, it drifts the same if the house sync is attached or not.

Looking over the system preference panel, I see that the genlock slider is greyed out. Shouldn’t this be available for timing?

Thanks,

Bill

[Daryl Burney]

so happy to find someone else with the same prob!!

I have been ploughing throught the posts for the last hour to find exactly this prob b4 i posted the same..

Yes I have exactly the same prob with my HD dual card… random black frames.

I have had the card replaced three times and all the same. moved card btwn three suites inhouse and all the same.

Setup:
G5’s…usual
xserve raids
PAL sync pulse to all suites
PAL a500p SDI to suites (also on same sync)
HD 2000 also on same sync (settings in deck switched to except SD sync)

I have had so much problem with this that whenever I edit to tape i change to the old SD decklink card as the black frames are constantly causing probs.

Hope together we can solve this once n for all..

best regards
Daryl Burney

[Daryl Burney]

So this random black frames has been haunting me for a year…..
No matter which G5 FCP setup I put this card into I have the same problem as listed in this thread.
I desperately would like an answer to this dilema!
Funnily it doesn’t seem occur during HD editing. It has juz destroyed my ability to edit in SD:(

Though I am not happy about it I have AJA coming over to replace all our blackmagic cards this week as a try out. This is a last resort as Blackmagic support here in Singapore do not seem to have any answers.

I do not seem to be the only one with this prob….but I don’t seem to find a final cure for the prob in the threads.

Still hoping

Daryl