Camera data overlay in NanoFlash HDMI-out monitoring

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I assume it's possible to hook a monitor to NanFlash's HDMI output while recording to it via HD-SDI, right?

What I'd like to know is how NanoFlash will handle the camera data overlay display (battery / camera media info, iris / gain settings, etc.) - will it make it to the HDMI monitor or not?

Thanks,

Piotr

[Mike Schell]

Originally Posted by Piotr Wozniacki

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I assume it's possible to hook a monitor to NanFlash's HDMI output while recording to it via HD-SDI, right?

What I'd like to know is how NanoFlash will handle the camera data overlay display (battery / camera media info, iris / gain settings, etc.) - will it make it to the HDMI monitor or not?

Thanks,

Piotr

Hi Piotr-
Yes, you can monitor via HDMI out from either the HD/SD-SDI or HDMI source. Both the HD-SDI and HDMI outputs can be simultaneously active.

If the camera overlay data is present in the HD-SDI or HDMI stream, then you will see this on the output and this data will also be recorder. nanoFlash does not strip out any data, it simply records the signal you feed it.

Best-

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Mike Schell

If the camera overlay data is present in the HD-SDI or HDMI stream, then you will see this on the output and this data will also be recorder. nanoFlash does not strip out any data, it simply records the signal you feed it.

Thanks Mike for this very important information - of course, we hardly ever want this data to get recorded, which in practical terms we need to remember to switch it off...

However, in the case of the EX cameras, the recording / standby status (red dot) is always on (even with all the other info turned off) - how does NanoFlash get rid of it in the recorded material?

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Piotr,

The HD-SDI output of the Sony EX1/EX3 cameras does not have a Red Dot in the output signal. It is clean and a great way to record the 4:2:2 image from these cameras.

We do this all the time, there is no problem using these cameras with the Flash XDR or nanoFlash.

(Note: The Sony EX1/EX3 cameras do not have an HDMI ouput).


When using the HD-SDI signal, as input to the nanoFlash, the signal is reclocked and repeated on the nanoFlashes HDMI output.

In other words, the nanoFlash can record from either HD-SDI or HDMI, and both outputs, HD-SDI and HDMI are active for connections to a monitor.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Dan,

Of course I'm sure you would have noticed the red dot if it were recorded :)

But frankly, Mike's answer to my original question has come as a little surprise to me - if "nanoFlash does not strip out any data" from the HD-SDI signal, it means that:

- to record without the overlay, it must be switched off (which makes it impossible to see all the important info on the monitor, connected to SDI or HDMI-outs - which is a pity)

- the recording status (red dot or "standby" string) is always output, regardless of the DISPLAY setting in the EX1, starting from the firmware version 1.11; could it be on yet another overlay that NanoFlash actually CAN and DOES strip the HD-SDI signal of?

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Piotr,

Sorry, but we can not strip out any data.

We receive a pixel by pixel image, if we removed certain pixels in order to remove the data, we would not know what the the underlying pixels would be.

The data is not presented in layers, it is just 1920 x 1080 pixels.

The Sony EX1/EX3 cameras have various options to control what data and image is sent out the HD-SDI port. Our recorders work very well with these cameras.

We have worked with numerous EX1/EX3 cameras.

The primary purpose of the HD-SDI output port on these cameras is to allow recording of the high quality 4:2:2 images, versus the 4:2:0 that is recorded internally. As such, do not feel that Sony would have disabled this feature by including a red dot that can not be removed via a menu option.

The Sony EX1/EX3's are very popular and we have many who use their cameras with the Flash XDR and have tested them with the nanoFlash. As far as I know, we have no reports of a red dot affecting the recordings.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Dan & Mike,

Indeed, there is a possibility to remove any informational display from HD-SDI signal in the EX cameras (just checked in the manual; sorry for the false alarm - it originated from the fact that I only used the hardware DISPLAY toggle switch, which removes everything BUT the recording status indicator).

It's a pity that once it's set in the menu to not send this data to SDI, it will not appear in the Component, either - but this is of course the Sony's problem, not Nanoflash.

Well, it looks like I will have to learn to use my monitor AND the camera's LCD simultaneously...

Thanks,

Piotr