HyperDeck Studio Mini recording error

I recorded a Christmas band concert the other day with 3 cameras. I put the ProRes422LT file recorded on the HyperDeck in the computer for a bit of touch-up editing when I found for the last 20 minutes of the file, the video went black while audio and timecode continued (there had been no indication of a recording error during the concert). Fortunately I had separate video recorded on each camera on SD cards so I was able to edit the last 20 minutes of the concert. Another anomaly: any clip above the black video on the FCPX timeline had opacity issues: if I lowered the opacity below 100% it went to black as if I had lowered the opacity to 0%. So the faulty black clip was somehow "infecting" the files above it.

According to BDM support it is a known issue (see response below), though I was unable to find a similar topic on the forum (I'm new here).

My questions: how long has this been an issue? How often does this happen? Do y'all think it is a software or hardware issue?

It was the 5th time I had used the HyperDeck unit (previous videos were of a 20-minute demo, a 3-hour grad, a 1-hour concert, and a 1.5 hour concert all with no blackouts). I was recording on a couple of SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SD cards that had only been used with the unit, always formatted before the show. I updated the HyperDeck unit to the latest firmware when I got it last May.

The workaround suggested by support is to go back and watch recorded video, and power cycle the HyperDeck if there is any black video. Assuming there was time to actually do this in a live mix setting, with no power switch on the unit, power cycling is a pain (it is installed with an ATEM TVS HD switcher and monitor in a rack mount case). I prefer not to turn off the power bar as the switcher goes back to some default settings.

So yeah, it's a major confidence-shaker, if not an outright deal-breaker! The whole point of a live mix is NOT having to edit much afterwards.

Anyway, here is the reply from BMD Support:

Hi Kevin,

Thank you for contacting us. Yes, we have heard of similar reports and our engineers are looking into it. We have reproduce the issue in-house and are working on a solution. If all goes well we plan to implement the fix on the next HyperDeck update release, if not soon after. I wish I had an immediate solution for you but I'm afraid the only thing you can do is wait until the next HyperDeck update

As feedback, we have seen this issue arise more often with the AVID DNx codecs, so if you can stick to capturing in ProRes as the issue is a lot less common in ProRes. Our testing shows that power cycling the HyperDeck "fixes" the issue until it arises again after a few more recordings. What you may want to do while we work on fixing this is playback the file right after it was recorded to see if it's fine. Normally when the issue arises the HyperDeck only plays back the audio and timecode while the video is just black. If/when this happens power cycle the unit and continue recording.
I hope this information is helpful.

Best regards,

Veronica Salas
Technical Support Representative
Blackmagic Design Inc.

I suppose I could stop recording on one card, pull it out and put it in laptop to view while recording with the other card, but who needs the extra stress while doing a live mix??

Kevin-

I hope they get this fixed SOON.

I bought a HyperDeck Studio Mini last October, but haven't used it yet on a paying gig due to these reports. I've used a borrowed Atomos Ronin on one C-SPAN job, but would like to use the unit I actually purchased.

It's amazing a modern video recorder won't always reliably record video.

David

I haven't tried it yet, but BMD just put an update up that has problem listed in the fixes.

David

I got a Mini in Oct to use on a new install. We just got the job done this past week and used first time Christmas eve. First service recorded then playback afterwards. Program froze 15 min in. Audio continued. I went to Walmart and got some fast disks. Lowered the Codec to Pro Res LT. When I got back guy said now it was playing back black when he recorded a short video. I tried the Extreme Plus card I bought which is on the list for LT use. This time 6 min in it froze. So after church we located a USB-C cable and did the firmware upgrade released on the 20th. Recorded 10min. It played fine. Going to record Sun night service. Hopefully this will fix this problem. These things are no good if unreliable. My reputation as an AV contractor is in jeopardy here too.

So far so good. Recorded 51min on NYE. Played back between services and all went well.
Hoping this update fixed this severe problem.

Update. Church just reported second service recorded the opening graphic for the engine time. Audio and TC continued. So there is still an issue with this. We have to solve this quickly. The SD format is more convenient but I may have to return this and get a regular Hyperdeck. Or a competitor.

I am having a recording issue as well. It will record to a certain point, then the video will freeze on playback. The audio and timecode will continue fine. I updated the firmware on Dec 20. This seemed to have corrected the issue. I had two productions after the update and it went flawlessly. On the third production after the update, the same issue occurred again - frozen video after a certain point and the audio and timecode continues fine. My productions usually run 45-55 minutes.

I am using:
Codec - Apple ProRes LT
Card: SanDisk Extreme Plus 64 GB, exFat

Which SD card are you using?
Cheers

SanDisk Extreme Plus 64 GB

I just did a four hour 1080i record using ProResLT spanning two SanDisk Extreme Plus 64 GB cards, and one SanDisk Extreme Plus 128 GB card (all exFat.) All audio / video was as it should be. Also on the December 20 firmware.

David

I've tried mostly with h.264 High / Medium / Low settings, cards were formatted in HyperDeck Mini, exFAT and OS X as well, but the issue appeared randomly.
I've used MD-HX with 1080p29.97 output.
Firmware is 6.0

Had this same problem last week during a 3 cam production. I Was recording onto Lexar 128GB 150mb/s card with h.264/High 1080p59.97. After about 8 minutes of record time, the record light began blinking. There was not much I could do at that point, but it appeared to continue recording. During intermission, I stopped recordining and started again to create new file. Did that 2 more times before the end of the day. When I checked the files on my PC afterwards, there was only one record file. It played for 8 minutes flawless and then went black. So in summary, I am missing 30 minutes of footage from clip 1, and also missing clips 2,3,4.

It seems to only happen on the h.264 setting

Just encountered the same issue. I was live streaming an 18 hour medical forum and the issue only popped up in one file one day into the conference. No issues before or after with the same cards and exact same setup (never moved over the weekend.) Live stream audience also reported no issues on their side. So it's unlikely to be source related.

Thankfully, I had an Odyssey recording ISOs and the Blackmagic was used for the mix record. Interesting to note that the HD Mini was recording footage that was looping out from a BM Web Presenter. (Which showed no issues.)

Dear Forum

I've been having the recording issues with the Black Magic Design Hyperdeck. I work at Plymouth University in England on a FILM and TV course. One of the modules we run is for the students to record a live broadcast of their magazine shows which is usually up to 30 mins in length.

The problem that we are having is whenever we record on the hyperdeck it records black, but you can hear the audio. This seems to happen everytime the hyperdeck plays back a recording it somehow creates the error of recording. This is devasting when students record their shows then afterwards playback their recordings to find that their shows are just black video. When recording it looks as though the video is being recording as the live view displays on the mini monitor of the hyperdeck. As a back up I had to record from one of the outputs of our rack unit using an atomos shogun.

This is not acceptable as a simple recording device. I hope that Veronica Salas, Technical Support Representative, Blackmagic Design Inc. can point us in direction that will resolve this problem?

It is black when you play it black on the hyperdack itself or onto the computer??

Also what codec and resolution are you using? What recording media? Are those SD cards on the compatible list of this model hyperdeck?

Does someone know how to rescue that mov-file? i have recorded a 5h gig and at about 1h, the video just freezes. (Prores LT). My client is going to kill me, if i don´t find a solution.

Couple years later, but same issue with an older Hyperdeck Studio 4K.

Lost 3 of my 9 hour-long clips. VLC is saying there is literally no video stream included. Due to that, I assume there is no coming back, but figured I would post and see if this issue was ever universally resolved.