Mini recorder black screen with certain HDMI sources

I have just installed a mini recorder and it works fine with a Panasonic video camera or my MacBook using the HDMI output. However when I connect to certain other sources including the output from a CCTV DVR I just get a black screen.

Your mini recorder is able to capture up to 1080I or 1080P30 maximum..
The other sources will output 1080P50/60 or are HDCP protected..

DVR is almost certain 1080P50/60 So unless there is a resolution setting for 1280x720P you wont be able to capture that..

Thanks. I have changed the DVR ouput to 1280x720 and it now works with Blackmagic Media Express. However, it still shows a black screen with other applications including Photo Booth. Any thoughts ?

If mediaexpress works. And you exited Media express and photobooth does not work.. Then this app is not compatible with the BMD hardware..

But mediaexpress is leading.. If that works.. The hardware workflow is OK and working..

It also doesn't work with Ecamm Live which explicitly says on its website that it supports the Mini Recorder.
I only mentioned Photo Booth because it is an Apple built-in app and one would assume that BM have tested with it.

I now have it running with Ecamm Live, however it is very curious. I tried running OBS which showed the camera feed and then switched to Ecamm Live which started to work. However, I then ran Photo Booth which still didn't work and after that Ecamm Live wouldn't work until I ran OBS again.

If a non-BlackMagic Design app doesn't work with the hardware of BlackMagic Design try at the support of the app for help, or at a OBS forum for help, big chance they use also the BMD harware, or have a FAQ about it, or a Google with all related keywords will help, sometimes i've expierenced that Google gives better results than the local search function of a forum.

Also switching between apps and it stops somewhere in between.. Might be that 1 app did not release the device..
Keeping it hold and blocked for other apps to use..
The driver is protecting that multiple apps can use the device..

Restart your machine and replug the device.. See what happens..

And i'm with Eric.. Who says that Apple Photobooth is even remotely compatible with this capture device??
It needs a complete integration into the software to support it.. It is a high end capture device.. Not a USB Webcam that works in almost all software..

I think BMD does a great job in making affordable (broadcast/capture) video equipment, but also great software like Davinci Resolve or even de Studio version for a one time fee, my (longtime) experience with computers is,
one should not expect automagicly that things just will work together.
It is not the task of BMD to fix 3rd party software apps, it would be an impossible task for BMD.
Through Davinci Resolve i noticed also the BMD hardware, an ideal combination !

Only way to check if any hardware will work with BMD hardware, is to put both manuals next to each other and compare the specifications, even before buying equipment you can download the (PDF) manuals, in most cases.
If you can't find any user experiences for the app you plan to use with BMD hardware, big chance is that it can't be used that way.

And as long as HDCP is active on your DVR or Cable Box HDMI Output... a copy-protection scheme added to the HDMI standard... you will continue to have 'Black Screen' recording results with the Mini Recorder.

And as long as HDCP is active on your DVR or Cable Box HDMI Output... a copy-protection scheme added to the HDMI standard... you will continue to have 'Black Screen' recording results with the Mini Recorder.

I'm curious as to why a DVR manufacturer would make HDCP active. By definition the video is private.

I think BMD does a great job in making affordable (broadcast/capture) video equipment, but also great software like Davinci Resolve or even de Studio version for a one time fee, my (longtime) experience with computers is,
one should not expect automagicly that things just will work together.
It is not the task of BMD to fix 3rd party software apps, it would be an impossible task for BMD.
Through Davinci Resolve i noticed also the BMD hardware, an ideal combination !

Only way to check if any hardware will work with BMD hardware, is to put both manuals next to each other and compare the specifications, even before buying equipment you can download the (PDF) manuals, in most cases.
If you can't find any user experiences for the app you plan to use with BMD hardware, big chance is that it can't be used that way.

I think you are gving a little more credit to user manuals there than is my general experience. Also as I said above, the developer of Ecamm Live claims it supports BMD, so I hardly think the user manual is going to say it doesn't. Obviously, I need to get help from Ecamm Live if the problem persists. I would have natually gone to their support forum but they don't have one. I will have to email them. I raised the question here because I rather thought that there would be users of BMD and Ecamm Live.

[Gary Adams]

Hello Anthony. The Mini Recorder should work fine for your setup. The important things to remember are only one software can have control of any of our capture devices. The HDMI source should be free of HDCP or it will not pass. To test the Mini Recorder, make sure all applications that might use it are closed and not just minimized. Open Media Express and verify that you are seeing the signal. If so, close Meidia express (not minimize). Open your desired software and it should work. Switching software is not valid. They must be closed and not minimized. If a software product does not see the capture device (and should) then probably some other software is using it.

Regards, Gary

Sometimes the Apple "Force Quit" function will show a program is still running, while the lower app bar has no dot under the icon.