Symphony 6.0.1 and DeckLink HD Extreme 3D Freeze on playback

[Glenn Sakatch]

Might help to know what you are trying to play. Captures,ama links, native h264?

Glenn

[Yair Oren]

Hi Glenn,
I’m playing HD material 1080i, XDCAM camera cards were trascoded to XDCAM EX 35Mbits and HDV tapes were transcoded to DNXHD 120. I can say that with same materials and with Avid Symphony 5.5 I had no problems at all.
Thanks
Yair

[Glenn Sakatch]

Might indeed be a symphony problem. I’m running MC6.01 with the blackmagic Extreme 3d and having no such problem. Might a reinstall be in order?

Glenn

[Yair Oren]

Hi Glenn,
Thanks for your replay.
I just uninstalled and install the DeckLink.
So far so good…
I’m new to the Blackmagic Extreme 3d,
Can you tell me what do you think of it’s performance?
Thanks
Yair

[Alex Maranda]

@Yair: I’ve been having the same issue and traced it to faulty Decklink (Desktop Video) version 9.1 drivers. Installing older 9.0 fixed it. Also, you need to “initialize” the Decklink card using the Capture Tool (select Blackmagic for Source, select V, deselect TC, set a name for the Tape Name, and briefly press Capture (flashing red)).

Doing this works around whatever the issue is. Hopefully they will fix this in 9.2

[Yair Oren]

Hi Alex,
Thanks for your replay.
I uninstalled the Desktop Video driver version 9.1 and installed 9.0 as you said but Unfortunately it didn’t help. I’m still getting a software freeze(white screen) when i play the sequence and then I have to restart Symphony manually.
Sadly the only thing that helped was uninstall the driver and remove the card from my computer, then the problem was solve and there was no freezing of Symphony at all!
Tommorow I’m taking my computer and the Blackmagic card to my diller and see if the card is defect or Avid is not really supporting Blackmagic Decklink card.
Thanks
Yair

[Alex Maranda]

Do the Capture Tool workaround as I described it and it will work. It is hard to say which one of AVID or BM is at fault – maybe both. I lean on AVID. In Symphony 6.0.0 I had to reinitialize the board with the Capture Tool everytime after switching back and forth from Source/Record to Color Correction. In 6.0.1 one initialization (before the first timeline playback) is enough, so it is a modest improvement.

[Yair Oren]

Hi Alex,
I’m sorry I just tried again everything you said including initialize the Decklink card using the Capture Tool, and still the Symphony freeze on playback for no reason.
I’m on my way to my dealer.
Hope replacing the card will help.
Thanks again
Yair.

[Alex Maranda]

I don’t think a replacement will make a difference but do let us know. My Decklink works fine in Premiere and FCP, it’s only in AVID that I need to “initialize” it. It’s most likely a combination of AVID issues and BM driver issues. We’ll see if 9.2 drivers fix any of this.

[Jacob nephi Griffith]

I agree with Alex. I am having the same problem. Decklink 3D works in other applications but it crashes on playback in Symphony 6. I will go home and check Media Composer 6. I suspect it will do the same thing. I will also try the workarounds that you’ve described. Please keep us updated on your progress, Yair and Alex.