Video Assistant 4k - Resolution or FPS wont change

Hi everyone,

Today we received the Video Assistant 4k. We wanted to use it with our Sony NEX FS100 to be able to record in 4k.

However, if we connect the camera and the Video assistant, it shows 1080i and 50fps and it won't let us change it. Even when we change the camera settings, nothing changes.

And I can't seem to find anything about it.

Does anyone have an idea?

Nicole, Welcome Aboard the BM Special!

First of all adding a 4K recorder like the Video Assist 4K, does not mean, the recorder will upscale any video signal to 4K! The VA only records the signal it receives up to UHD 2160p23.98-30 fps) full 4K).
It will also record SD 525i59.94 and Pal 625i50, HD 720p59.94/60 and full HD 1080p23.98-60 fps, I. Addition to HD interlace 1080i50, 59.94 and 60 fps. The VA can not take a HD 1080 signal and record it as 2160 UHD/4K.

Background: Your camera, the Sony FS100 is an older HD camera, that can record in SD and HD formats only, at various frame rates. However, since it was made during NTSC and PAL broadcast standards, based on interlaced monitors, the HDMI output, which was designed for displaying the camera signal on an interlaced monitor (full HD 1080 progressive monitors then were rare and expensive), and not in common use as they are today. As a result, Sony, Canon, and Panasonic designed their early HD camera/recorders to output a interlaced 1080 video signal via the HDMI/SDI when recording a 1080p24-60. HD 720P50/60 however was displayed by many of the early LCD monitors and HD TV monitors, as it has a smaller band width than full HD 1080 progressive.

This is why your FS100 HDMI will only output a 1080i50 or 1080i59.94 signal (depending on the frame rate the camera is set for 24. 25, or 30) when the camera is set to record 1080p24-30. The progressive signal used in the internal recorder is converted to interlace using a 2/2 or 2/3 pulldown and placing the signal I. An interlaced wrapper, so,it appears to be a 1080i50/59.94 signal,to any external monitor or later external recorder.

Bad news: Some recorders, like the Atomos Ninja or Sumari, can remove the interlace pull down, and restore the signal back to 1080p24/25 or 30. But the VA does not do a pull down removal on the HDMI input. It will have converta a 1080PSF24/25 signal back to 1080p24/25 via its SDI imput (as PSF is useually a SDI interlace pulldown to take the progressive signal and make it look like interlace to a SDI monitor.

Good news: you can still record the HD 1080p25 signal as 1080i50 (2/2 pulldown) and convert it back to 1080p25 in most NLEs, including Resove (which provides better results than most in/recorder video processors) which is how BM decided to deal with interlace pull down recordings.

However, the VA is only going to record the signal it receives via HDMI, so your FS100'will be recorded at 1080i50, regardless of the camera setting, except if you set it to 720p50, then the VA will record the 720p50 output of the camera. Same goes for SD output, wich is always interlaced.
DS

Thanks a lot Denny. I was afraid that this is what it was.

Denny you are the freaking man!