BRAW and ProRes recording format - Bluetooth control BMPCC6K

Currently using BMPCC6K on software version 6.9.6

Following the developer documentation I am trying to swap between BRAW and ProRes codecs and codec variants. The commands work well when the codec is already selected, but going from BRAW to ProRes selected codec and variant does not work. It is odd because the commands work fine if I change codecs via the camera touchscreen, but they do not work when sending via Bluetooth unless you select the codec first.

Sample packet: changing from BRAW Q0 to ProRes, HQ [255, 6, 0, 0, 10, 0, 1, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0]
This packet will not work until you swap to ProRes and then re-try.

Any thoughts from the BM dev team?

Currently using BMPCC6K on software version 6.9.6

Following the developer documentation I am trying to swap between BRAW and ProRes codecs and codec variants. The commands work well when the codec is already selected, but going from BRAW to ProRes selected codec and variant does not work. It is odd because the commands work fine if I change codecs via the camera touchscreen, but they do not work when sending via Bluetooth unless you select the codec first.

Sample packet: changing from BRAW Q0 to ProRes, HQ [255, 6, 0, 0, 10, 0, 1, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0]
This packet will not work until you swap to ProRes and then re-try.

Any thoughts from the BM dev team?

I'm far from an experienced developer, but I can't replicate this on my BMPCC 4K.

The only time the camera doesn't respond is if the BRAW resolution isn't available in ProRes. Perhaps it works when you select the codec because it's changing resolution to one ProRes supports? Double check that.

Currently using BMPCC6K on software version 6.9.6

Following the developer documentation I am trying to swap between BRAW and ProRes codecs and codec variants. The commands work well when the codec is already selected, but going from BRAW to ProRes selected codec and variant does not work. It is odd because the commands work fine if I change codecs via the camera touchscreen, but they do not work when sending via Bluetooth unless you select the codec first.

Sample packet: changing from BRAW Q0 to ProRes, HQ [255, 6, 0, 0, 10, 0, 1, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0]
This packet will not work until you swap to ProRes and then re-try.

Any thoughts from the BM dev team?

I'm far from an experienced developer, but I can't replicate this on my BMPCC 4K.

The only time the camera doesn't respond is if the BRAW resolution isn't available in ProRes. Perhaps it works when you select the codec because it's changing resolution to one ProRes supports? Double check that.

Thanks for the reply and that makes sense, and sounds like you are on the right trail. I fired up the camera and noticed there are no shared resolutions between BRAW and ProRes on the 6K camera. I have found this issue to be easily replicated on a few different commercial applications from the App Store.

What application did you use to have it work on the BMPCC 4K and what shared resolutions does that camera have that swap between the BRAW and ProRes codec?

Thanks!

Currently using BMPCC6K on software version 6.9.6

Following the developer documentation I am trying to swap between BRAW and ProRes codecs and codec variants. The commands work well when the codec is already selected, but going from BRAW to ProRes selected codec and variant does not work. It is odd because the commands work fine if I change codecs via the camera touchscreen, but they do not work when sending via Bluetooth unless you select the codec first.

Sample packet: changing from BRAW Q0 to ProRes, HQ [255, 6, 0, 0, 10, 0, 1, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0]
This packet will not work until you swap to ProRes and then re-try.

Any thoughts from the BM dev team?

I'm far from an experienced developer, but I can't replicate this on my BMPCC 4K.

The only time the camera doesn't respond is if the BRAW resolution isn't available in ProRes. Perhaps it works when you select the codec because it's changing resolution to one ProRes supports? Double check that.

Thanks for the reply and that makes sense, and sounds like you are on the right trail. I fired up the camera and noticed there are no shared resolutions between BRAW and ProRes on the 6K camera. I have found this issue to be easily replicated on a few different commercial applications from the App Store.

What application did you use to have it work on the BMPCC 4K and what shared resolutions does that camera have that swap between the BRAW and ProRes codec?

Thanks!

I used a little ESP32 box called an M5 Stick-C and Csaba Nagy's Bluemagic32 library. There's a thread here in the developer forum if you're interested.

I tested with 4K DCI and UHD and those both worked. I also tested 4K 2.4:1 and I think the 2.7K Anamorphic mode which both didn't work.

I should have tested HD, because I'm not sure how a resolution with different sensor area options works. There doesn't seem to be a way to change sensor area in the blackmagic protocol.

With the new update, you should be able to switch to 4K DCI Braw -> ProRes and then switch to a different ProRes resolution from there, if you want. Let me know if you solve the sensor area question. I might experiment with it tomorrow.

RyLo, I have been looking into the Bluemagic libraries as well. Haven't had a chance to compile them and test them, but I have taken the packet structure from the commands and put them into my sample app and noticed the same thing.

For anyone interested, I updated my firmware today (7.3) after yesterdays release, the codec values for Q1 and Q3 are not in the developer documentation yet but their enum values are Q1 = 7 and Q3 = 8.

The 6K does not have the ability to change the sensor area like you mentioned, but I think that is the piece that is currently missing. I still cannot change between ProRes and BRAW unless I am just doing something completely wrong on the camera. Maybe there is a setting that is forcing the incompatibility I am missing? The codec data payload is two parts, [0] is the bit for the codec, and [1] is the bit for the codec variant.

I tested with 4K DCI and UHD and those both worked.

Would you mind expanding on this just a little bit? This is my first time using this camera and I am not sure how you got the camera in these modes and had it work, but then put it in 4K 2.4:1 and Anamorphic and saw it did not work. Sorry for being a noob just trying to get this one portion solved.

RyLo, I have been looking into the Bluemagic libraries as well. Haven't had a chance to compile them and test them, but I have taken the packet structure from the commands and put them into my sample app and noticed the same thing.

For anyone interested, I updated my firmware today (7.3) after yesterdays release, the codec values for Q1 and Q3 are not in the developer documentation yet but their enum values are Q1 = 7 and Q3 = 8.

The 6K does not have the ability to change the sensor area like you mentioned, but I think that is the piece that is currently missing. I still cannot change between ProRes and BRAW unless I am just doing something completely wrong on the camera. Maybe there is a setting that is forcing the incompatibility I am missing? The codec data payload is two parts, [0] is the bit for the codec, and [1] is the bit for the codec variant.

I tested with 4K DCI and UHD and those both worked.

Would you mind expanding on this just a little bit? This is my first time using this camera and I am not sure how you got the camera in these modes and had it work, but then put it in 4K 2.4:1 and Anamorphic and saw it did not work. Sorry for being a noob just trying to get this one portion solved.

Good find on Q1 and Q3!

I set up the M5 Stick-C to send the packet in your first post when I push a button.

I would put the camera in BRAW and select a resolution and then push the button. 4K DCI and UHD successfully switched to ProRes HQ. The others stayed in BRAW. I didn't get a chance to test HD today, but based on your experience, I might have trouble with that one due to the different sensor area options. UHD, while windowed only has one sensor area on the Pocket 4K.

You might have to send a concatenated packet with both resolution/framerate + codec/variant.

You might have to send a concatenated packet with both resolution/framerate + codec/variant.

Oh man good call I had never thought of that. Thanks for your help so far

Which command sets the resolution? I cannot find it in the documentation but I see it in different apps online.

You might have to send a concatenated packet with both resolution/framerate + codec/variant.

Oh man good call I had never thought of that. Thanks for your help so far

Which command sets the resolution? I cannot find it in the documentation but I see it in different apps online.

No problem, I'm surprised nobody else has chimed in yet.

It's under 1.9 "Recording Format."

Awesome thanks, derp frame height and width..

Will post back with results here in a bit

Was still unable to swap between BRAW and ProRes on the BMPCC6K when sending concatenated (or separate) packets. Other commercial apps on the app store are having the same issue. Hope to get some BM support from this in the near future. They have been good about firmware releases lately so hopefully this gets addressed soon

Just an update that this is still a known issue (changing codecs through Bluetooth) and hopefully it gets addressed soon.