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Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 9:19 pm
by Brian@202020
I can confirm that something changed with the HDMI output with this latest firmware (1.5). I have the Aputure V-Converter A810 and with the BMPCC firmware version 1.42 it only worked in 29.98p and 30p when hooked up to my consumer TV. Now with the firmware 1.5 it works at 23.97p and 24p as well. The Aputure V-Converer A810 does a resolution conversion from 1080 going in to 720 coming out, so it now converts 23.97p and 24p correctly where as with FW 1.42 it did not. Something has changed. I recommend trying some TVs, monitors, and EVFs that didn't work before, maybe they do now. Also it might be a good idea to double check your stuff that has worked in the past just to be sure it still works now.

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 10:01 pm
by bhook
Why in the World doesn't BMD specify the changes in a firmware update? I just don't get it... :?

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 10:25 pm
by Thomas Schumacher
There are only two answers to that: they either do these undocumented changes accidentially or they wanna keep the user-forum busy - besides the moaning-threads.

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 10:25 pm
by Remo Pini
mhood wrote:Why in the World doesn't BMD specify the changes in a firmware update? I just don't get it... :?


As you might have seen by now, BMD isn't really great when it comes to communicating anything (except bigass announcements at NAB)

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 4:03 am
by Paul McMurrick
at least it is now fixed

nearly went out of my tiny mind trying to get picture via HDMI to an HD TV for 24 hours, till I tried changing the frame rate, in the first week I had the BMPCC

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 5:46 am
by symonty
Don't document features/fixes people ( or the press ) think you already have?

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 6:16 am
by cinetrade
mhood wrote:Why in the World doesn't BMD specify the changes in a firmware update? I just don't get it... :?


My thoughts exactly! BMD have really dropped the ball in the last couple of years when it comes to keeping people informed correctly. They are becoming as annoying as Apple haha

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 6:27 am
by christiangruner
It's perfectly normal that not everything line of code-change gets mentioned in the release note. It has been like that for years with all companies.

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 10:19 am
by Thomas Wong
Anyone has an ATEM switch to test if the new firmware will work the switch?

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 11:45 am
by Chris Hocking
christiangruner wrote:It's perfectly normal that not everything line of code-change gets mentioned in the release note. It has been like that for years with all companies.


Every line of code? Come on... there is no reason why BMD couldn't and shouldn't have noted the audio changes between 1.2 and 1.3. The ONLY documented change was "SDI outputs interlaced video when frame rate is set to 1080p25 or 1080p29.97 and overlays are turned off" - so is it too much to ask to list TWO items per release, especially given their significance?

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 12:06 pm
by Paul McMurrick
christiangruner wrote:It's perfectly normal that not everything line of code-change gets mentioned in the release note. It has been like that for years with all companies.


Rubbish

I don't want to know each line of code. Just what changes in the cameras function.

Even the most humble iPad app lists the functional changes and features with each update.

Some of the issues with software on this camera force significant workarounds, and any resolution of problems should be clearly broadcast

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 2:55 pm
by SteveNunez
Was hoping the Sigma 19 and 30mm lenses would work with the new firmware and I can confirm, they still don't!

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 4:00 pm
by ultraracingph
Before ver1.5 Firmware Update the Focus Peaking and Zebra is not visible over HDMI Output. This means that if you have the BMPCC connected to an LCD Monitor or an EVF you cannot see the peaking and zebra function.

With Firmware Ver1.5 you can now choose to disable HDMI Overlays, choose to see STATUS display, GUIDES, and ALL. Peaking function will be visible on the STATUS and ALL Setting. You can also set it to OFF when you want to record output via HDMI with an Atomos Device or something similar. Hope this helps! Thanks BMD for addressing this!

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 5:08 pm
by Brian@202020
ultraracingph wrote:Before ver1.5 Firmware Update the Focus Peaking and Zebra is not visible over HDMI Output. This means that if you have the BMPCC connected to an LCD Monitor or an EVF you cannot see the peaking and zebra function.

With Firmware Ver1.5 you can now choose to disable HDMI Overlays, choose to see STATUS display, GUIDES, and ALL. Peaking function will be visible on the STATUS and ALL Setting. You can also set it to OFF when you want to record output via HDMI with an Atomos Device or something similar. Hope this helps! Thanks BMD for addressing this!


This is not true. In FW 1.42 you could get focus peaking out of the HDMI it just turns off when you hit record. Now with FW 1.5 it stays on even if you hit record.

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 8:37 pm
by ultraracingph
Brian@202020 wrote:
ultraracingph wrote:Before ver1.5 Firmware Update the Focus Peaking and Zebra is not visible over HDMI Output. This means that if you have the BMPCC connected to an LCD Monitor or an EVF you cannot see the peaking and zebra function.

With Firmware Ver1.5 you can now choose to disable HDMI Overlays, choose to see STATUS display, GUIDES, and ALL. Peaking function will be visible on the STATUS and ALL Setting. You can also set it to OFF when you want to record output via HDMI with an Atomos Device or something similar. Hope this helps! Thanks BMD for addressing this!


This is not true. In FW 1.42 you could get focus peaking out of the HDMI it just turns off when you hit record. Now with FW 1.5 it stays on even if you hit record.


Really? It didn't work on mine. My comment is based on my experience and could be different from yours. I used it on a Liliput 7" monitor and a Zacuto EVF. It didn't work on preview and on record. Now I have the option to enable or disable the function.

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 12:41 am
by Jules Bushell
BMD, I hope when you do your programming that you are using appropriate version control software. May I recommend something like Subversion or TortoiseSVN.

Whenever you do code changes, you can type in some notes about the change each time you check-in your code to the repository. Then all you need to do is export these notes and include them with the release of the firmware as a single list of changes in a text file.


Jules

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 6:28 am
by Andrew.Agnew@TheDoco.Co
@ultraracingph: you can see it happen here...
this was running 1.42 when filmed

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:40 pm
by virtualevans
Hi, I´m visiting Costa Rica for New Year´s eve, and after received the BMCC from Support (resolving the rolling banding issue) I discovered that the camera has the black sun spot issue again, as if it doesn´t have any driver upgrade before. I think this is bad... The Lab said they test it... so this is incredible, why they sent the camera without the 1.5 driver?, I lost some shots and a good oportunity.
I don´t have my Mac computer, so I wondering if I can borrow a PC to do this driver upgrade while I´m here. Any one knows if it doesn´t matter if I use a windows system to upgrade the driver? ? my main system is MAc and I will always connect the camera to that system.

Best Regards

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 4:21 pm
by Tom
virtualevans wrote:Hi, I´m visiting Costa Rica for New Year´s eve, and after received the BMCC from Support (resolving the rolling banding issue) I discovered that the camera has the black sun spot issue again, as if it doesn´t have any driver upgrade before. I think this is bad... The Lab said they test it... so this is incredible, why they sent the camera without the 1.5 driver?, I lost some shots and a good oportunity.
I don´t have my Mac computer, so I wondering if I can borrow a PC to do this driver upgrade while I´m here. Any one knows if it doesn´t matter if I use a windows system to upgrade the driver? ? my main system is MAc and I will always connect the camera to that system.

Best Regards



The BMCC never had the black sun issue fixed, it still exists on all versions of the firmware. It was only fixed for the pocket camera.

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 5:19 pm
by virtualevans
I can´t believe it...... So they solved the issue for the Pocket and let us in the dark with the First One¨? I allways though this issue was thing of the past.

What happend with this guys for god sake...

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 6:47 pm
by Jules Bushell
virtualevans wrote:I can´t believe it...... So they solved the issue for the Pocket and let us in the dark with the First One¨? I allways though this issue was thing of the past.

What happend with this guys for god sake...

I remember that the last thing I read from a couple of months ago, the BMD team said they were using what they learnt from their firmware work on the BMPCC for the BMCC. Nothing saying for when they were going to release a fix though.

Jules

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:29 pm
by Tom
To be frank, I can appreciate how minutely inconvenient the black dot issue can be, but its hardly a major problem.

I have never had it occur on any professional shoot and I even saw it happen 4 times on an episode of Sherlock on the BBC just now, filmed with an Arri Alexa - when torches were briefly pointed directly into the lens.

Despite what one might think - it is evidentially not a simple fix - and most likely the solution varies from camera to camera, making it easier on one camera to fix than on another.

I will be glad when it is fixed, but its hardly something to get upset about.

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:34 pm
by Jace Ross
Chris Hocking wrote:
christiangruner wrote:It's perfectly normal that not everything line of code-change gets mentioned in the release note. It has been like that for years with all companies.


Every line of code? Come on... there is no reason why BMD couldn't and shouldn't have noted the audio changes between 1.2 and 1.3. The ONLY documented change was "SDI outputs interlaced video when frame rate is set to 1080p25 or 1080p29.97 and overlays are turned off" - so is it too much to ask to list TWO items per release, especially given their significance?


I'm not sure why but this is common place. I work for a large software company and when our software drops we get the public list of changes and being in technical support I often come across numerous other fixes which aren't listed. No idea why but it's common place to see.

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:17 am
by Mac Jaeger
Isn't that obvious? As every documented bug is one more witness to my imperfection i also wouldn't write down all the little errors i found and fixed while i was paid to hunt down known bugs and be a hero for that. The same goes for whole companies: some people cry for full disclosure, but i guess more people would cry out in pain if they had to swallow hundreds of fixed errors with every new firmware, asking themselves how many more there might still be undetected. Honestly: would you trust your money (and the success of an important project) on a company that hosts long lists of previous errors ...?

Tom wrote:I have never had it occur on any professional shoot and I even saw it happen 4 times on an episode of Sherlock on the BBC just now, filmed with an Arri Alexa - when torches were briefly pointed directly into the lens.

I think once you are aware of and had to deal with a certain problem, you tend to detect it much easier than your general audience might. I just found the dark sun in the ice skating scene at the end of last weeks "white collar" - and i doubt it was shot on BMCCs...

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 1:11 pm
by Grzegorz Styczen
ultraracingph wrote:Before ver1.5 Firmware Update the Focus Peaking and Zebra is not visible over HDMI Output. This means that if you have the BMPCC connected to an LCD Monitor or an EVF you cannot see the peaking and zebra function.

With Firmware Ver1.5 you can now choose to disable HDMI Overlays, choose to see STATUS display, GUIDES, and ALL. Peaking function will be visible on the STATUS and ALL Setting. You can also set it to OFF when you want to record output via HDMI with an Atomos Device or something similar. Hope this helps! Thanks BMD for addressing this!


Still doesn't work with my monitor connected through atomos s2h, on BMCC. Only 25p and no overlays - displays right. If I turn on overlays, I get blue screen of death...

I'd ask for a fix, but I'm smarter than that, so I accepted the truth. Turned out, I can handle the truth. Not comfortable, though.

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 1:27 pm
by João Gomes
Tom wrote:To be frank, I can appreciate how minutely inconvenient the black dot issue can be, but its hardly a major problem.

I have never had it occur on any professional shoot and I even saw it happen 4 times on an episode of Sherlock on the BBC just now, filmed with an Arri Alexa - when torches were briefly pointed directly into the lens.

Despite what one might think - it is evidentially not a simple fix - and most likely the solution varies from camera to camera, making it easier on one camera to fix than on another.

I will be glad when it is fixed, but its hardly something to get upset about.



I just saw it on a Soderbergh movie where Benicio Del Toro plays Che Guevara. Unbeliavable that they didn´t fix it in post...

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 9:38 pm
by burrencrawler
Hi Guys, Sorry to seem so stupid, but how the devil do I get the version 1.5 firmware for my BMPCC? I have searched everywhere on the BMD site and i cannot see it, i do not need glasses! It has to be the worst website I've ever been on. Is there instructions on how to install it? Quentin

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 9:54 pm
by Chris Hocking
Click the Support tab, select your host, select "Blackmagic Cameras", then select "Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera" and click "Search". You'll see a "Blackmagic Camera 1.5.1" download button.

The latest Mac Firmware can be found here:
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support ... lse&os=mac

The latest Windows Firmware can be found here:
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support ... lse&os=win

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:00 pm
by burrencrawler
Man that was quick.....you rule, its downloading now......Legend

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:20 pm
by burrencrawler
Just worked it out. I was trying to find a way to get it onto a SD card (like the canons Ive been used to for the last few years), all good now, has to connect through usb, Ill now next time, thanks.

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:22 pm
by Chris Hocking
Simply run the "Blackmagic Camera Utility" application.

Re: Undocumented BMPCC 1.5 firmware change

PostPosted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:32 pm
by burrencrawler
Yes it just updated, Thanks. I'll now next time.