HDMI splitter issue at DVinfo.net

Burk Webb · January 23rd, 2011, 03:39 PM

Just wondering if anyone else has seen this.

Just did a shoot with a 7D. We were splitting the HDMI signal with a Small HD HDMI splitter box and feeding a HDMI to SDI converter box as well as a Small HD DP1. The cable out of the camera to the HDMI splitter was about 2 feet, The DP1 cable length was probably 2 feet, the SDI converter cable was probably 25 feet.

When I tested it everything worked fine, but (of course) on the day the camera was not turning on and I was getting a flashing dead battery warning on the top lcd screen. Tried a few different (fully charged) batteries, same thing. Plugged the camera straight into the DP1 and everything fired up as normal. Huh.

The HDMI splitter was supposed to work without power but we got a power supply for it and that solved the issue. It was kind of freaking me out because I never would have guessed that an HDMI issue would manifest itself in this way. I figured the camera would turn on but not send the signal out the HDMI port. I never would have guessed that the camera would just stop responding, giving an incorrect dead battery warning.

I had not heard of this before but our DIT said that she had seen this happen on another shoot.

Anybody had this happen to them? Anybody know of a bomb proof HDMI splitter?

Gerry Gallegos · January 28th, 2011, 01:45 PM

HDMI is a digital signal that uses EDID to handshake between devices, it requires power to properly operate, sometimes the power within the original signal may power the "splitter" which should really be a distribution amp rather than a passive splitter. that being said, to bomb proof you must used a powered DA (distribution amp) passives will never be reliable.

January 23rd, 2011, 03:39 PM	#1
Burk Webb Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 249	HDMI splitter issue Just wondering if anyone else has seen this. Just did a shoot with a 7D. We were splitting the HDMI signal with a Small HD HDMI splitter box and feeding a HDMI to SDI converter box as well as a Small HD DP1. The cable out of the camera to the HDMI splitter was about 2 feet, The DP1 cable length was probably 2 feet, the SDI converter cable was probably 25 feet. When I tested it everything worked fine, but (of course) on the day the camera was not turning on and I was getting a flashing dead battery warning on the top lcd screen. Tried a few different (fully charged) batteries, same thing. Plugged the camera straight into the DP1 and everything fired up as normal. Huh. The HDMI splitter was supposed to work without power but we got a power supply for it and that solved the issue. It was kind of freaking me out because I never would have guessed that an HDMI issue would manifest itself in this way. I figured the camera would turn on but not send the signal out the HDMI port. I never would have guessed that the camera would just stop responding, giving an incorrect dead battery warning. I had not heard of this before but our DIT said that she had seen this happen on another shoot. Anybody had this happen to them? Anybody know of a bomb proof HDMI splitter?

January 28th, 2011, 01:45 PM	#2
Gerry Gallegos Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 262	HDMI is a digital signal that uses EDID to handshake between devices, it requires power to properly operate, sometimes the power within the original signal may power the "splitter" which should really be a distribution amp rather than a passive splitter. that being said, to bomb proof you must used a powered DA (distribution amp) passives will never be reliable.