Video Assist 4K Lexar 128GB UHS-II not working

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stefan.szczuka

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Video Assist 4K Lexar 128GB UHS-II not working

PostThu Mar 16, 2017 2:46 pm

Hello,
I just purchased a Video Assist 4K.
To be able to record in 4K I bought a Lexar Professional 128GB UHS-II 2000x Card.
The problem is, that the Video Assist just doesn't recognise the card at all.
It will work fine with a Sandisk Ultra SDXC Class 10 Card for HD but the Lexar is not showing up in any of the two slots.
The card came with an UHS-II Cardreader. With my MacBook I was able to read an write to the card. It is ExFat formatted, so I thnik the card ist OK. The internal card reader of the MacBook works with the card ass well (of course only with reduced speed).
Is this Card just not compatible with the Video Assist? Am I doing something wrong?
By the way, I updated the Firmware to the latest V2.3.2. but that didn't make any difference...
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Denny Smith

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Re: Video Assist 4K Lexar 128GB UHS-II not working

PostThu Mar 16, 2017 5:13 pm

This card is listed by BM as being for HD up toy 1080p60:
The following SD cards will record at a maximum of 1080p60 and are recommended when using HFS+ or exFAT:
Lexar SDHC UHS-II 1000x 150MB/s 32GB
Lexar SDXC UHS-II 1000x 150MB/s 64GB
Lexar SDXC UHS-II 1000x 150MB/s 128GB
.

To use it for HD, try reformatting it nin your computer, then reformat it with the VA.
However, this card is not going to record 4K, see BM list: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/faq/59010
Denny Smith
SHA Productions
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stefan.szczuka

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Re: Video Assist 4K Lexar 128GB UHS-II not working

PostSun Mar 19, 2017 12:15 pm

Denny, that is not the problem.
I do have the 2000x Card, the 64GB Version of it is expicitly listed as being compatible.
The problem is, that this card is not even recognized in any of the two slots of the Video Assist 4K. I can format it in my mac but either exFat nor HFS+ lets the card show up in the video assist.

Is my Video Assist faulty?
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Mike Proulx

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Re: Video Assist 4K Lexar 128GB UHS-II not working

PostMon Mar 20, 2017 7:55 pm

Hi, I bought this card too in hopes that it would work in my Video Assist 4K, since the 64g version is on the approved list. But, it did not work. I also bought the new Sandisk 128g UHS II SD card hoping that it would work in the Video Assist 4K, but again, it didn't work either. I have a 64g Sandisk UHS II card that works, although I have to power cycle the VA to get it to see the card. I'm planning on buying a new camera later anyway, so the Sandisk 128g card will get used.

The Lexar 128g 2000x UHS II SD card works in my 5" Video Assist though.

What is it that determines the compatibility of a card with any particular piece of equipment?

mike
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roger.magnusson

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Re: Video Assist 4K Lexar 128GB UHS-II not working

PostMon Mar 20, 2017 9:09 pm

The 5" Video Assist can use the "unsupported" 128GB UHS II card because the card slot doesn't have the extra pins for UHS II, in other words it only sees a standard SD card.
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Denny Smith

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Re: Video Assist 4K Lexar 128GB UHS-II not working

PostMon Mar 20, 2017 9:28 pm

It is all about continuous digital (Vedic) data write rate (not the read rate). Just because the Lexat 32 and 64GB UHS II card works, and is recommended (after being tested) does not mean the 128GB 2000x card is going to work, which you have just found out. That is why the 128GB card is Not listed, it does Not work, for what ever reason. Different size cards use different memory components, and may not write data in the same way. There have been numerous discussions previously on the why's and why not of various cards. SanDisk had issues also, a 64 GB Pro card worked in the Pocket camera, but the 32GB version of the same card ISO not! Later, a newer version of the same card did work.

It is all about the testing, BM is doing for you, and recommends which cards to get, to Prevent issues like this -- buying SD cards that will not work. Maybe down the road Lexar will come up with a UHS II 128GB card that will work in the VA 4K, but cirrently, only these Lexar 2000 series UHS II cards Are recommended:
The following SD cards will record at a maximum of 2160p30 inc MXF and are recommended when using HFS+ or exFAT:

Transcend SDXC UHS-II 180MB/s 64GB
Lexar SDXC UHS-II 2000x 300Mb/s 64GB
Lexar SDHC UHS-II 2000x 300Mb/s 32GB

Cheers
Denny Smith
SHA Productions
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Mike Proulx

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Re: Video Assist 4K Lexar 128GB UHS-II not working

PostTue Mar 21, 2017 4:06 pm

The Transcend 64g UHS II card has been discontinued by the manufacturer. I got an email from B & H yesterday because I had an order in for 2 of these cards since last November.

It would be very nice to have a larger capacity card (larger than 64g) to use in the Video Assist 4K. I can get 20 minutes per 64g card using ProRes LT. I record a lot of longer stage-type events.
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Denny Smith

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Re: Video Assist 4K Lexar 128GB UHS-II not working

PostTue Mar 21, 2017 4:43 pm

If you are shooting 2160p30/4K ( or lower fps/resolution) you can use the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-II 280MB/s. For up to 1080p60, you can use:
Lexar SDXC UHS-II 1000x 150MB/s 128GB
Lexar SDXC UHS-II 1000x 150MB/s 256GB

If you need linger recording times than these cards will give you, or need a higher resolution recording, the VA 4K is not the best choice right now. The Video Devices PixE 5/7 uses Samsung 850 Evo mSATA SSD, which come I. 250GB, 500GB and 1TB, and it can record full 4K DCS, and ProRes 444 to these cards, which offer larger GB sizes, and faster write Speeds than the SD UHSII cards are currently available can do. I sold my VA, and got the PixE for this reason (the AV4K was not out yet at the time, but the PixE would still be my first choice). On the down side, it costs more, but is does more also, including pro level sync'd audio.

Cheers
Denny Smith
SHA Productions
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stefan.szczuka

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Re: Video Assist 4K Lexar 128GB UHS-II not working

PostFri Mar 31, 2017 10:33 am

Blackmagic Support told me that at the moment they have not certified any 128GB UHS-II cards for 4k recording, which in my opinion seriously limits the value of the Video Assist 4K.

I purchased the Video Assist 4K to use it to record 4K from my Sony A7s that internally only can record up to HD but outputs a fantastic 4K image via HDMI.

Well, I can do this now, but have to switch cards every 10 to 15 Minutes which limits the the usefullness of this combination.
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Denny Smith

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Re: Video Assist 4K Lexar 128GB UHS-II not working

PostFri Mar 31, 2017 7:56 pm

This is one of the reasons I did not get rhe VA4K right now, a lack of longer recording times in 4K UHD mode. Once this is solved, which seems to be happening with the new SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-II 280MB cards, it is a great little bit of kit for the money. The 280MB cards will give you longer recording times also.
Cheers
Denny Smith
SHA Productions

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