Codec Error

Dan Keaton · May 17th, 2012, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Corfield

Oh dear! Well, I decided anyway to return the firmware to vers 1.6.29 as Samer's link suggested. That's my second update. One to go!

This time the Nanoflash did recognise my SD signal from the Matrox. But only if i set the HDMI out in the Matrox preferences to YUV. Wouldn't recognise RGB native for some reason. I made a recording but all the colours were back to front, and something weird happened with the sound. But I could see enough to confirm that there was the same softening of the image as when I recorded via SDI.

But I would like to know why the Nanoflash appears to soften the image when recording Standard Definition.

Dear Richard,

The nanoFlash will only record a signal, if it is in one of the "Camera" standards as opposed to non-Camera standard signals which are common from a Computer.

If you computer can be setup to output one of the "Camera" standards, then we can record it.

The image size must the correct, and the frame rate must be correct. And it must not be RGB.

We support SD and HD.

Also, the nanoFlash will not soften the image. What nanoFlash options were you using?

MOV, MXF, or MPG?
Long-GOP or I-Frame Only?
Bit-Rate?

Proper Downconverting of an HD Signal to SD is a complex task.

Not all HD cameras output a great SD signal.

Dan Keaton · May 17th, 2012, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Corfield

I’m too am having problems with "codec error", but in my case it is with trying to record SD PAL in some configurations onto my Nanoflash.

My goal is to take 1080/50i files previously recorded with the Nanoflash (from a Sony EX3) and convert them using my Matrox MXO2LE to SD PAL. Viewed on my HDMI monitor (HDMI-out set on the Matrox to SD channel) those SD files look clean and crisp. An excellent down convert.

I tried connecting the matrox to the Nanoflash via HDMI, but the Nano refuses to recognize the incoming signal. The Nanoflash read-out (on the bottom line of the display) says “no SRC” and “codec errors” on the top line. But if I switch the Matrox video out to HD, then the Nanoflash happily recognizes the incoming video as 1080i.

So I tried recording that SD stream onto the Nanoflash using an SDI connection instead. This time the Nanoflash accepted the SD stream but the resulting files looked soft. About as soft as exporting those HD files from an FCP timeline as prores PAL. Not particularly good.

So my two questions are

1. Why does the SD-SDI stream when recorded onto the Nanoflash look soft?
2. Why won’t the Nanoflash recognize the HDMI SD stream?

I should add that I normally output SD-SDI from the ex3 and record direct onto the Nano using an SDI connection and the results are fine.

Macbook pro 15””
Mac OS X 10.7.4
FCP 7.0.3
Matrox MXO2LE Firmware version 34.0, software 2.3.3.0016

Dear Richard,

The nanoFlash does not support SD over HDMI.

We did not implement recording SD over HDMI as this is rarely requested.

Samer Aslan · May 17th, 2012, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Keaton

Dear Richard,

The nanoFlash does not support SD over HDMI.

We did not implement recording SD over HDMI as this is rarely requested.

Hi Dan, after more than a year i got the answer here from you :-) ..(i still think you give the best customer support and i thank you for that)
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/converge...1-6-248-a.html

are you saying that the sd recording option from HDMI was deleted with the last firmware?,is it something that you can add with the new firmware or it is something definitive?!
i remember it worked well with the earlier firmware,but i think if you need space to add other more important things than supporting sd via hdmi, it's not a big deal...it would be nice to have it and i know that nanoflash gets better and better with every new firmware...
thank you for your time
Samer

Dan Keaton · May 17th, 2012, 06:59 PM

Dear Samer,

I try hard to provide accurate answers to the best of my ability.

These are based on my knowledge of the nanoFlash and/or Gemini 4:4:4.

Sometimes I do not remember an important detail.

For example, I do not remember our nanoFlash ever supporting SD over HDMI, in or out.

I was not aware that any release prior to 1.6.248 supporting SD input over HDMI, but your earlier post indicates that this was possible.

To the best of my knowledge we did not intentionally take out this feature to make room.

I can ask our team tomorrow.

Ronan Fournier · May 18th, 2012, 01:28 AM

Message deleted.

Jack Zhang · May 18th, 2012, 01:30 AM

Dan has since corrected me in saying that it is not true, however, when you go into the "About" screen of the nano, it will show something on the lines of 3 REG and 3 UPD remaining. Those numbers should stay the same if there is no limit.

Richard Corfield · May 18th, 2012, 08:43 AM

thanks Dan for your reply re my perceived softening of SD when recorded on the nanoflash.

To answer your questions ...

the files in question have originally been recorded on the EX3 as 1080/50i, via the Nanoflash which is usually mounted on the camera. So the files are XDCAM 4:2:2

FCP timeline is set to 1080/50i Prores HQ. This is passed through the Matrox MXO2LE box. The image I observe on my HD monitor, connected to the HDMI out (set in the matrox preferences to SD) is good, sharp (for an SD signal) and clean.

Now I want to down-convert the files to standard definition (PAL). I set the SDI output of the matrox to SD channel. I connect the SDI out of the matrox to the SDI input of the Nanoflash and record SD files. When i replay those files on to the same monitor, they look softer than straight through the Matrox.

The Nanoflash is set to .mov at 50Mb/s. I've tried both long-gop and intraframe. Same result.

I'm not so worried about not being able to record SD from HDMI. That was just an experiment. Nanoflash is normally always connected thru SDI.

Am I doing something wrong? Is it that i've set the timeline to prores and it should be XDCAM?

Dan Keaton · May 18th, 2012, 09:18 AM

Dear Richard,

When recording the downconverted signal, please monitor the images to check for softness.

Then playback the files recorded in the nanoFlash, by playing back the files in the nanoFlash.

(But this may not be possible since you may only have an HDMI monitor).

This is the test to determine if the images are soft.

But, if this is not possible, please load the nanoFlash footage into your NLE, keeping it in an XDCam timeline.

I hope this helps.

Richard Corfield · May 18th, 2012, 07:26 PM

Thanks for your reply, Dan. I'll try your suggestion in a few days when i have access to the camera again.

May 17th, 2012, 06:59 PM	#19
Dan Keaton Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Augusta Georgia Posts: 5,421	Re: Codec Error Dear Samer, I try hard to provide accurate answers to the best of my ability. These are based on my knowledge of the nanoFlash and/or Gemini 4:4:4. Sometimes I do not remember an important detail. For example, I do not remember our nanoFlash ever supporting SD over HDMI, in or out. I was not aware that any release prior to 1.6.248 supporting SD input over HDMI, but your earlier post indicates that this was possible. To the best of my knowledge we did not intentionally take out this feature to make room. I can ask our team tomorrow. __________________ Dan Keaton Augusta Georgia

May 18th, 2012, 01:28 AM	#20
Ronan Fournier Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Paris, France Posts: 201	Re: Codec Error Message deleted. __________________ http://www.songesdemoai.com/ Last edited by Ronan Fournier; May 18th, 2012 at 11:39 AM. Reason: Sorry, I didn't saw that my question has been already clarified by Dan.

May 18th, 2012, 01:30 AM	#21
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	Re: Codec Error Dan has since corrected me in saying that it is not true, however, when you go into the "About" screen of the nano, it will show something on the lines of 3 REG and 3 UPD remaining. Those numbers should stay the same if there is no limit.

May 18th, 2012, 08:43 AM	#22
Richard Corfield New Boot Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 21	Re: Codec Error thanks Dan for your reply re my perceived softening of SD when recorded on the nanoflash. To answer your questions ... the files in question have originally been recorded on the EX3 as 1080/50i, via the Nanoflash which is usually mounted on the camera. So the files are XDCAM 4:2:2 FCP timeline is set to 1080/50i Prores HQ. This is passed through the Matrox MXO2LE box. The image I observe on my HD monitor, connected to the HDMI out (set in the matrox preferences to SD) is good, sharp (for an SD signal) and clean. Now I want to down-convert the files to standard definition (PAL). I set the SDI output of the matrox to SD channel. I connect the SDI out of the matrox to the SDI input of the Nanoflash and record SD files. When i replay those files on to the same monitor, they look softer than straight through the Matrox. The Nanoflash is set to .mov at 50Mb/s. I've tried both long-gop and intraframe. Same result. I'm not so worried about not being able to record SD from HDMI. That was just an experiment. Nanoflash is normally always connected thru SDI. Am I doing something wrong? Is it that i've set the timeline to prores and it should be XDCAM?

May 18th, 2012, 09:18 AM	#23
Dan Keaton Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Augusta Georgia Posts: 5,421	Re: Codec Error Dear Richard, When recording the downconverted signal, please monitor the images to check for softness. Then playback the files recorded in the nanoFlash, by playing back the files in the nanoFlash. (But this may not be possible since you may only have an HDMI monitor). This is the test to determine if the images are soft. But, if this is not possible, please load the nanoFlash footage into your NLE, keeping it in an XDCam timeline. I hope this helps. __________________ Dan Keaton Augusta Georgia

May 18th, 2012, 07:26 PM	#24
Richard Corfield New Boot Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 21	Re: Codec Error Thanks for your reply, Dan. I'll try your suggestion in a few days when i have access to the camera again.