Decklink Mini Monitor 4k for iMac

Hi,

I'm still sitting on my weak late 2012 iMac (i7@3,4GHz, 24GB Ram, 2GB GTX680MX) in my home office.

I have an Ultrastudio Mini Monitor and use its SDI output to convert it to DisplayPort via HDLink Pro for my Eizo.
I also have a Panasonic DX900 UHD HDR capable TV set that I want to feed with UHD HDR content.

I don't like the Ultrastudio 4k extreme as it's a pretty loud and expensive device.

I thought taking the Decklink 4k Mini Monitor and putting it in a Akitio Thunder PCIe enclosure.
This would make for a pretty cheap and calm 4k output with HDMi 2.0 via Thunderbolt.

Will it work?

Can you manually set your TV to HDR mode?
If not then Decklink won't trigger it as this model does not support it (at least spec does not mention it). Only best BM models do it at the moment.

Yes, the Pana can be set manually, but the MiniMonitor has HDR capabilities over HDMi 2.0.

But that's not the problem here.

I wanna know if it's possible at all to attach the Mini Monitor 4k via Thunderbolt PCIe box.

Yes, it should work, but I used only Sonnet expansion boxes, which have list of tested devices. In theory every device which is fine with x4 (gen 2) bandwidth should work.

Found text about HDR support. Shame it's not in the table area like for other cards. Lack of consistency from BM in products description.

All HDMI 2.0 devices support HDR, which by the way does only mean HDR flagging.

I already do HDR grading with the standard Mini Monitor...

Yes, this may be the case ( don't know if HDR flagging is mandatory or optional in 2.0 spec), but you also need software side to trigger it. If Resolve supports it on card A you still can't be 100% sure it will work for other model also.

If you know it works then this is good.

Resolve supports HDR independent from the video I/O device you're using.

As I wrote above, I already do HDR grading just with the Mini Monitor in HD resolution with my Pana manually set to REC.2020 and ST.2084.

I think I'll just try and report back.
But still, my iMac is much to weak for serious 4k HDR grading. It's awfully slow and crashes randomly.

Yes, but most TVs don't have HDR mode button, which means you need special HDR flag on HDMI signal in order for TV to switch to HDR mode. This is not going to work in Resolve with every BM card, but just few.

If you can switch to HDR mode in TV then it's way easier and you don't even need card with HDMI 2.0 (any will do). This is not the case for many people with eg. Sony, Samsung TVs.

True, but most of the Sony and Samsung HDR capable TVs have strange EOTFs with some weird highlight roll-off very different from ITU ST.2084 recommendation anyway. They're good for playing around but not for accurate HDR representation.

I'm still sitting on my weak late 2012 iMac (i7@3,4GHz, 24GB Ram, 2GB GTX680MX) in my home office.

I think an iMac will be a very underpowered choice to try to use with 4K, particularly for renders.

Yes it is, but I already did some 4k jobs.
There was a lot of caching and HD timeline involved though, but it was manageable.

I still try to wait one more time for new Apple hardware. I'm a FCPX user and don't want to make the switch to Win.

I have an iMac 5K with the DeckLink Mini Monitor 4K in an Akitio Thunderbolt 2 Box.

The HDMI 2.0a correctly outputs REC.2020 & ST.2084 HDR Meta data to my Samsung KS8000 and shows up accordingly as an HDR signal when 'send HDR Metadata over HDMI' is checked in Resolve.

Though I've noticed that even though I can playback 2160p24 ProRes HQ in the GUI just fine, when monitoring the frame rate drops to an unusable 19fps, those while editing I am playing back a 1080p timeline.

iMac specs
4GHz i7
R9 M395X 4GB
32GB 1867 MHz RAM

Thanks for the information!
That's what I needed.

Though I've noticed that even though I can playback 2160p24 ProRes HQ in the GUI just fine, when monitoring the frame rate drops to an unusable 19fps, those while editing I am playing back a 1080p timeline.

If you're in Resolve, maybe it's the same issue I wrote about here: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=55816

If Resolve is set not to output any audio to the default audio device ("Use System Audio Output" is disabled in Resolve Preferences) there is a significant performance decrease when using a BMD video device. At least on the Windows version of Resolve.

Hi Guys,

First time poster on this forum but I've been lurking for a while.

I'm setting up my edit suite and I'm thinking about the the decklink running from my new imac with a similiar setup as Christopher but with a LG B6 OLED. Have you guys had success with this setup? It'll be used both as a reference monitor and a "client" monitor. I think I can deal with the large size, I can put it a ways away because I have a bit of room. Any audio sync issues from Resolve and/or Premiere?

Thank you in advance!

If you take audio from HDMI/SDI then there should be no audio problems. If you start splitting signal an taking video form BM card, but audio from machine then this may introduce sync issue and this is not good way.

Can you force HDR mode in LG TV with setting (it's not HDR Effect setting!)? If not you need a BM card which supports HDR flagging, so it can trigger HDR mode in your TV.

Wanted to see if anyone out there have tried this on Mac Pro?

Hi there,

I just finished the following configuration:
- Final Cut Pro, with a library correctly set to Rec2020, and a project 4K 24p HLG.
- MacPro 2010 with a Mini Monitor 4K PCIe
- HDMI 2.0a cable
- LG 55B7 OLED 4K

In Final Cut Pro, I can simulate the HDR in the viewer, but the output on the B7 clips totally! The B7 does not activate in HDR. It's like the metadata is not transmitted.

Do you have any advice on which part of this workflow is problematic?

NLe has to support HDR over BM device. It needs to send special command to card to turn on HDR metadata on HDMI. I don't think FCP X supports it.

More I search about all of that, less I understand...

It seems that HDR PQ needs HDMI 2.0a. But HDR HLG needs HDMI 2.0b?

Decklink mini monitor 4K support HDMI 2.0a... so, no HLG ? Only PQ ?

And, you ask also the right question: but impossible to find the answer: does FCPX output correct HDR metadata trough BM mini monitor 4K???

I someone could help me to find the answer?

Vincent

More I search about all of that, less I understand...

It seems that HDR PQ needs HDMI 2.0a. But HDR HLG needs HDMI 2.0b?

Decklink mini monitor 4K support HDMI 2.0a... so, no HLG ? Only PQ ?

And, you ask also the right question: but impossible to find the answer: does FCPX output correct HDR metadata trough BM mini monitor 4K???

I someone could help me to find the answer?

Vincent

PQ needs HDMI 2.0a and metadata
HLG needs HDMI 2.0b no metadata (this is one of its benefits)

Confirmed HLG and PQ trigger HDR mode on the LG OLED B7A TV when exported as HEVC/H.265 10-bit from Compressor (Sent from FCPX 10.4.3) and playing off a NTFS formatted USB drive.

When I get the chance I'll test both when monitoring through the Decklink Mini Monitor 4K within Resolve/Final Cut.

Well! Keep us informed