[Jon Ackerman]

Each of the cards take 2 spaces so just double the number of cards. It’s a bit of a sales tactic. “It has 20 slots for cards (but really it only holds 10 cards in a frame!)”.

Frame 1: (20:20 slots full)
– 3 embedders you need 6 slots
– 6 analog distro’s you need 12 slots
– 1 Cobalt dual SDI distro amp 2 slots

Frame 2: (20:20 slots full)
– 2 Cobalt dual SDI distro amp 4 slots
– 8 Cobalt analog distro amp 16 slots

Two suggestions:
1. Buy the frame with the middle of the line network card. The middle of the line network card gives you the ability to label the cards in the Dashboard software,
2. If you run house reference to the frame, all of the cards get reference as well.

We, like Bob, have had really good luck with these cards. We are a church and use them for all of our down conversion and just added an embedder for our internet stream. They work great!

[Jon Ackerman]

Bob,

Thanks again for your help. I have figured out a few things with the BM DVI extender.

1. It only works for you if you can use it on a secondary display port (i.e. DVI port #2 on your Mac Pro).

2. You can use it on your Mac Mini, but you have to use a usb to DVI port adapter that is sold by companies like Arkview. They are relatively cheap ($90 +s/h).

3. The BM DVI extender really does a good job of converting your secondary output on your monitor to HD-SDI. I have it patched into my Miranda Kalidescope wall and it works flawlessly.

All that to say, I guess I have found a way around my issues for now. I still would love to hear from BM why the DVI extender doesn’t work on the primary port, or why it couldn’t work from a DA, but other than that, I have been happy with these relatively cheap devices for converting DVI-D to HD-SDI for monitoring.

Jon

[Jon Ackerman]

Maurice,

The DVI extender did not work out of the Mac Mini at all. I think that BM has programmed the DVI extender to only work out of the 2nd display port. If this is the case, then it won’t work at all. Although I can’t think of a reason (there probably is one though), why it shouldn’t work off of any DVI-D port.

As for the Ultrascope issues: I again think that BM over rides the graphics card, however I should still be able to overcome that by telling Windows to control the graphics instead of the program. Although this might freak out the Ultrascope software.

I would have thought that all of BM gear would have played nicely together. But I am might be mistaken. I know they don’t work on the weekends, but if I could get some insight from them that would be great.

In a live setting, being able to use the DVI extender to extend the Ultrascope to a router so I could send it anywhere I need to would be perfect. So why can’t we use the DVI extender on the main DVI-D port?

Jon

[Jon Ackerman]

I have one, and love it completely. I would suggest getting the one with the better networking ability. The base one leaves a little bit to be desired. I would like to see Black Magic make a sync card that will sync to a house master sync. So instead of their Sync card having 10 outputs, having 9 outs and one input. That would be awesome!

[Jon Ackerman]

Bob,

Thanks for your input on my issues….

I totally get the idea behind the DVI Extender. My question is: has anyone gotten one of these to work with a Mac Mini. I am trying to basically extend the DVI-D in a Mac Mini.

I can get the BM Ultrascope computer to extend the DVI to HD-SDI because on my HD-SDI monitor, I can see the desktop. However, once I launch the UltraScope software, it stops displaying the Ultrascope software on the DVI Extender.

I was just hoping to get some answers or input from someone who has gotten it to work on the Mac Mini. Black Magic? Anyone else?

Jon

[Jon Ackerman]

I have been having this same issue. I don’t understand what happened, but I didn’t change anything and yet everything I export is off, and it varies with each export. I think that there is something going bad with my Decklink Extreme HD card….