Blackmagic Forum

Will the same SSDs be approved for the 4k as the BMCC?

Seems logical but would like to know for sure before I purchase more of them.

mikesneed2 wrote:Will the same SSDs be approved for the 4k as the BMCC? Seems logical but would like to know for sure before I purchase more of them.

We don't know yet. Probably best to wait for BMD to publish their list of tested & approved drives when the BMPC-4K camera actually starts shipping.

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Actually in the BMC manual it gives instructions for the 4K on page 8 and shows a picture of a sandisk SSD being loaded and instructs you to go to page 11 for the approved list for the 4k camera and the 2.5k I just bought two 480gb SSD's on that basis Especially as another thread reckons SSD drives may go up in price due to a fire.

Hi Mark: You're right about the info in the current (recently updated) user manual, but note that it says on page 11:

"... SSDs recommended for 2.5K CinemaDNG RAW and ProRes Ultra HD 4K video recording include ..."

The listed SSDs are approved for recording 4K ProRes.

I suppose there's a chance that the yet-to-be-released compressed 4K RAW CinemaDND format might require different SSDs. A bit of a question mark until the new recording format becomes available?

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Fire? Prices going up?
Extremely bad timing on that for us who are in the "hold off till official list is announced" mode.

Drat!

Thanks for the info guys. APpreciate it.

Peter J. DeCrescenzo wrote:Hi Mark: You're right about the info in the current (recently updated) user manual, but note that it says on page 11:

"... SSDs recommended for 2.5K CinemaDNG RAW and ProRes Ultra HD 4K video recording include ..."

The listed SSDs are approved for recording 4K ProRes.

I suppose there's a chance that the yet-to-be-released compressed 4K RAW CinemaDND format might require different SSDs. A bit of a question mark until the new recording format becomes available?

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I've sent a personal message to Kristian Lam. A mod on the forum. But as yet received no reply.

It seems inconceivable they would recommend hard drives for just prores on the 4K.

Surely a recommended hard drive would have to include RAW. Also the hard drives for the BMCC are the best of the SSD's I imagine the Sandisk SSD has to be right up their with the very best. I just can't imagine that it wouldn't be on an approved list.
Happy to hear other thoughts on this.

Also isn't the 4k RAW supposed to have some compression making the data rate similar to the BMCC RAW?

Mark2929 wrote:Also isn't the 4k RAW supposed to have some compression making the data rate similar to the BMCC RAW?

Yes, the expected compression talked about at NAB 2013 for raw was visually lossless (lossy) 2.5x compression so that the data rate would be similar to ProRes. I haven't done the math to see where 2.5x lies compared to ProRes.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

rick.lang wrote:

Mark2929 wrote:Also isn't the 4k RAW supposed to have some compression making the data rate similar to the BMCC RAW?

Yes, the expected compression talked about at NAB 2013 for raw was visually lossless (lossy) 2.5x compression so that the data rate would be similar to ProRes. I haven't done the math to see where 2.5x lies compared to ProRes.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Rick is correct that those numbers were reported at NAB, but since SSDs are relatively expensive, I'd not rely on "expected".

I prefer to wait until there's a list of "tested/approved" SSDs for BMD's new 4K compressed RAW recording format(s), TBD.

Hopefully BMD will be able to publish this info "soon".

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Peter Black Magic have put an approved list for the 4k and on that basis I have already bought the disks. If they intended the disks to only be suitable for prores then why haven't they give some kind of warning like may not be suitable for RAW OR said something here
Considering we have a thread on it and I have personally emailed a mod re this.

Buy camera 4k and after ssd

Mark2929 wrote:Peter Black Magic have put an approved list for the 4k and on that basis I have already bought the disks. If they intended the disks to only be suitable for prores then why haven't they give some kind of warning like may not be suitable for RAW OR said something here
Considering we have a thread on it and I have personally emailed a mod re this.

As noted above, the tested/approved list of SSDs for the BMPC-4K explicitly states it's for 4K ProRes, not 4K RAW.

The list may or may not change in the future. That's what the testing & approval process is for. After The BMPC-4K camera and BMD's new compressed RAW 4K recording format are finalized, then BMD will be able to publish a new list of SSDs -- not before.

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Come on Peter They wouldn't recommend people go out an buy an SSD for their product when it will only work for one half of what it does.

That's just plain ridiculous.

And another thing The sandisk SSD is basicly cutting edge Are you pondering they are waiting for a new faster SSD drive Well doesn't USB 3 have a finite speed or do you think they will wait for hard drives with thunderbolt whereby we will have to update our computers as well?

Well, since Blackmagic is always full of surprises, I'll agree with those that advise to wait for the camera first and then buy an SSD. Even though it will be hard to have the long-waited 4K camera in your hands and not be able to use it the moment you unbox it, it's still better than having to buy an extra SSD.

Well, not being a rich man, I'm hoping to purchase SSDs that work on both the BMCC and the 4K since I will end up with both cameras before too long. That's why I asked.
Same for monitors and battery solutions.
MS

georgetsirogiannis wrote:Well, since Blackmagic is always full of surprises, I'll agree with those that advise to wait for the camera first and then buy an SSD. Even though it will be hard to have the long-waited 4K camera in your hands and not be able to use it the moment you unbox it, it's still better than having to buy an extra SSD.

I thought you had a 4k?
The real problem is the concern about the cost of SSD drives going up as reported in another thread about a factory burnt to the ground let alone they may become difficult to get hold of.