new Blackmagic products I would like to see

[Paul Provost]

Buy my videotek analog das from me please!
On ebay
Their sync gen doesn’t have bars? Really?

[Richard Crowley]

I’m waiting for the price of the converter boxes to come down to something “reasonable” (IMHO). It seems really odd to me that they charge as much for a simple converter box as they do for something like the HyperDeck Shuttle, for example. Either one is under-priced or the other is over-priced.

Perhaps one of BMD’s competitors will lead the way with more a more current pricing structure based on the economy of scale now that we are fully into the digital era.

[Aleksander Steffensen]

[Bob Zelin] “4) A tally kit, to use with ATEM Tally and GPI box – LED lights in a box with connectors, and a power supply, with an easy mate 25pin connector to the Tally and GPI box”

I completely agree! This would have been GREAT!

[Bob Zelin] “6) a real 2 channel intercom system. I just priced out a bare bones 10 station Clear Com system with 2 IFB and it is $10,000 !!! So now, between Blackmagic and Behringer, I can build a wonderful inexpensive control room, and the intercom costs more than everything combined. And no, an iPhone earpiece will not cut it. “

If you only need two channels, then check out the axxent intercom system: https://www.axxent.de/english/intercom_ms-200.html
These are inexpensive but great quality – I have deployed them into several low-budget studios, and also use it for mobile production. Sound quality is superb, and it just works! The two-channel master station is about $2500 if I recall correctly, and the beltpacks are just about $150 each. It uses industry standard 4-pin XLR headsets, and 3-pin XLR between master station and beltpacks. They can also be daisy-chained.

[Richard Crowley] “I’m waiting for the price of the converter boxes to come down to something “reasonable” (IMHO). It seems really odd to me that they charge as much for a simple converter box as they do for something like the HyperDeck Shuttle, for example. Either one is under-priced or the other is over-priced.”

Huh? Which converter boxes are you talking about? BMD’s mini and OpenGear converters are the cheapest there is, at least from what I can find. Far more inexpensive than AJA, for instance.

——

Also, I would quite like some modifications on the camera converters. I want 4-pin XLR for intercom headset, instead of a consumer-grade mini-jack. I would also like to see a camera converter unit with Neutrik opticalCON connectors instead of regular LC connectors. This would better allow for use in mobile production, as opticalCON cables are more suited to those applications, as are the opticalCON connectors, which locks in place.

Since BMD has entered the camera market, I would love for them to revolutionise the studio camera market as well. Inexpensive studio cameras with the possibility of controlling image settings either via an optional RCP or using a computer with some appropriate software. I am convinced that they could make a HUGE impact on this market if they released something like this.

As for OpenGear converters, I would like to see analog VDA’s and analog to digital audio and vice versa.

The VideoHub family needs salvos, the possibility to inhibit certain routes, also I would like a bigger XY-style control panel with an LCD display for physical control, something like the old Pro-Bel 6276 panels. The Smart Control panels are great for under monitors etc, but does not quite do it as a master panel.

Aleksander Steffensen
Steffensen Multimedia

[Fred Jodry]

(Question), “Re: new Blackmagic products I would like to see
by, Paul Provost on Aug 16, 2012 at 2:46:35 am
Buy my videotek analog das from me please! On ebay. Their sync gen doesn’t have bars? Really?”
(Answer), Paul, why don`t you sell them on the Cow instead of Ebay?

[Paul Provost]

[Fred Jodry] “(Answer), Paul, why don`t you sell them on the Cow instead of Ebay?”
because I don’t think I’ve ever had a response from a for sale on the cow.
but hey why not? I’ll give it another try..

[Joakim Ziegler]

For what it’s worth, the Teranex does some signal generation stuff. Not sure exactly what, but I briefly talked to someone from BMD at NAB about it. I’m pretty sure it does color bars, at least.

—
Joakim Ziegler – Postproduction Supervisor

[Richard Crowley]

“Huh? Which converter boxes are you talking about? BMD’s mini and OpenGear converters are the cheapest there is, at least from what I can find. Far more inexpensive than AJA, for instance.”

They are all overpriced based on the contents of the device. PC keyboards used to cost $250. They now cost more like $8. That is called “economy of scale” and “market maturity”.

The HyperDeck Shuttle for example is priced at $345. Now there is a lot of firmware and custom mechanical parts in that product and I think BMD is selling them for a great price. But the “Heavy Duty” mini-converters with half the technology, and no firmware are the same price.

Juet sayin’. I expect that some Asian vendor will be the first to offer these kinds of things at around $100-150 (or even less). Other examples of even more complex products of the same scope sell for a fraction of the $200-300 average we still see in the digital video world. Just because of where we are in the era and because it is perceived that is what the market will bear.

[Jeff Hartman]

Two things come to mind:

1) An integrated beltpack that incorporates intercom, tally, and several remote control circuits. This would have rechargeable batteries, and operate through a WiFi network; each pack would have its own IP address, so you can move throughout a facility wirelessly. Since the switchers are already on the network, it should be pretty easy to incorporate tally and control into this.

2) An HD character generator on an OpenGear card with capabilities at least similar to the Chyron digital PC Codi. It too would run from a network connection, and it should be able to either self-key over incoming HD-SDI, or lock to an external reference and produce key and fill signals to hook to a production switcher. Squeezeback could also be handy. A device like this would be invaluable for television stations that need to insert emergency graphics or station branding.

Oh, and one other thing: it would be really great if any new products would actually do the functions they are billed as having. I am still waiting for my up-down-cross converter cards to pass closed captioning, and we’re coming close to a year now.

— Jeff

[Bob Zelin]

Richard Crowley is now officially crazy. Most manufacturers are ready to strangle Blackmagic for having $280 converter boxes (SDI-Analog, Analog-SDI, SDI-HDMI, HDMI-SDI, HD DA, Sync Gen). This is a fraction of the price of anything on the market, in the history of our industry. You can’t find these prices on ebay for used converters from the old school companies.

Richard – do you know that a single Switchcraft Stereo Phone Plug (SW297) is about 4 dollars now ?
https://www.markertek.com/Connectors-Adapters/Audio-Connectors/1-4in-Phone-Connectors/Switchcraft-Corporation/297.xhtml?SW297

Do you know how much a cheap, no feature, rack mount AC power strip is ? About 90 bucks.
https://www.markertek.com/Racks-Cases/Rackmount-Power-Conditioners/Middle-Atlantic-Products/PD-915R.xhtml?PD-915R

Do you know how much a bag of 10-32 rack screws is ?
17 bucks –
https://www.markertek.com/Racks-Cases/Rack-Screws-Hardware/Middle-Atlantic-Products/HP.xhtml?HP

So you want Blackmagic (or someone) to make SDI-Analog converters for the price of a power strip ?

Exactly what engineers (including you) will you find to do something like this ?

Bob Zelin

[Mel Feliciano]

I would like to see:

1. Teranex with 2 thunderbolt ports for loop-through.

2. Breakout boxes for the Decklink producs like the ones offered
by AJA for the Kona cards. Way more elegant than the breakout
cable.

3. A real Multibridge replacement. You know, the concept of
having a simple PCIe card inside the tower and a nice breakout
box with all the IOs.

Now that I think about it. All they have to make is a Teranex that can work with all kind of computers; desktops, laptops, and all-in-one… Thunderbolt and PCIe. And don’t forget to make it compatible with DaVinci Resolve.