View Full Version : Given the camera should be outputting UHD over HDMI OR SDI


Bill Kerrigan
October 18th, 2021, 10:40 AM
I’m using a SONY PXW-X70 CAMERA (with a 4K upgrade) and want to record UHD/30p (100 Mbps) both in camera as well as on an Atomos Shogun (1st generation).
I get a UHD signal on the Shogun when connecting with an HDMI cable. However, when connecting via SDI, the Shogun indicates a 3G-SDI connection which limits the recording to 1080p as one would expect.
Given the camera should be outputting UHD over HDMI OR SDI, is the likely issue a cable standard SDI limitation?
Since SDI cables are not well marked, I’m not sure whether I might just have several 3G-SDI cables which are preventing the Shogun from receiving the UHD signal.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

Donald McPherson
October 18th, 2021, 11:32 AM
Unfortunately the processor is running at it's maximum. You get HDMI 4k out and no monitor, but still records to sd. SDI must need more processing.

Ron Evans
October 18th, 2021, 03:22 PM
I think that the X70 SDI is only 3G so restricted to 1080 that is HD. If you want UHD the SDI would have to be at least 6G.

Christopher Young
October 18th, 2021, 05:52 PM
Ron is correct. Both the x70 and the z90 are only 3G SDI so the only way you will get the UHD out is on the HDMI. Even bigger brother cameras like the FS7 are only 3G SDI on output.

BM led the charge on outputting 6G and 12G so companies like Sony are now slowly joining the UHD over SDI. Something I look forward to.. How the industry ever went down the HDMI route using a connector that was designed for fixed installations as a connector for mobile camera work is inconceivable from an engineering point of view. Plus the fact that a lot of HDMI camera outputs have latency issues running anywhere up to 6 frames of delay making those cameras very hard to integrate and sync accurately into a switch alongside SDI cameras with a one frame delay.

Chris Young

Ron Evans
October 18th, 2021, 06:06 PM
For info, the HDMI delay of both my GH5 and GH5S to the Ninja V is 6 frames. The Ninja calibration is very handy for sync. Not sure if you can do this sync calibration without the sync module though.

Christopher Young
October 19th, 2021, 03:29 AM
Sadly that's why Atomos had to invent the sync module, Ron.

Chris Young

Ron Evans
October 19th, 2021, 06:07 AM
Sync module works great with my GH5 and GH5S . Start one and they both start with the same timecode even if they are a distance away from each other.

Christopher Young
October 19th, 2021, 11:40 PM
Yes Ron. Atomos realised there was a crying out need for this capability and they achieved a fairly elegant solution to address that issue and it seems to work. I haven't sucked it to see for myself but I hear good things.

Chris Young