VA 12G support for Sigma FP - BRAW over HDMI...

I just saw the exciting news that Blackmagic and Sigma are collaborating on supporting BRAW recording over HDMI for the Sigma FP. Would anyone know if or when the VA12G firmware update will be available that supports this feature?

I'm waiting for that too and I'll know as soon as BM likes to tell me, since I'm writing about that stuff.
I'll post here.

Atomos made a big deal out of their integration with the FP and gave a timeline of when to expect a firmware release. Based on that I bought one. So it looks like I'm gonna be using a ProRes RAW workflow.

It's as if BM doesn't give a flying fart if anybody is adopting their BRAW format. Just a big thud on new announcements. Based on that I'm not sure I'll get a VA. If they don't care then why should I?

It's a shame because BRAW is by far the superior codec (see The DP Journey's video covering Prores RAW), not to mention being able to use Resolve. As such I really do hope BMD is pursuing camera manufacturers as aggressively as Atomos to implement BRAW compatibility... hoping to use my VA for something more than Prores 422 recording.

I've got 5 of the gen 1 VAs. And based on my experience with those and what I see with gen 2, unless there is something a VA does that I can't get anywhere else, I would not buy one. In general it seems to me that BM gives this product much less thought in terms of operation and features than they do with their other product like cameras or even ATEMs. In the gen 1s you couldn't even prepend the file name with a unit name so you could differentiate the files from different units. Something they had on the original pocket.

It seems to me that the VA's are sold on specs and price and not on customer experience, because the customer experience on the product is not that great. I can't recommend it.

I’ve also noticed how some ‘independent’ reviews report on the ProRes raw capability of the Sigma camera in their headline or tagline but fail to mention BRAW. I suspect some are promoting ProRes raw and have no incentive to mention BRAW. Not overly happy about that but...

Rick, I can't get too upset about third parties waving the prores raw flag when BM doesn't bother to make a big deal about their own BRAW support. I had to learn about this from Sigma, but not a word from BM. I've always found BM marketing to be a bit retarded in many respects. They try to make a big deal about every production a BM camera is used in, they seem to understand that from a very basic marketing point of view that this should be done, but are completely oblivious to the notion that product wins for their own company standards like BRAW are just as important, if not more important for a company that makes hardware intended to work with the products of other companies.

Although what may be worse is the inability of BM to make it's own products work well with it's own products, like the inability to control BM cameras with BM VAs. But this may be mostly a problem with the VA product line in general. Since they've managed to make the ATEMs work to control their cameras. Again, not speaking well for how important BM thinks the VA product line is within the company.

Which is why I can't recommend them. I'd recommend a portkeys over a BM.

Rick, I can't get too upset about third parties waving the prores raw flag when BM doesn't bother to make a big deal about their own BRAW support.

My guess is that BMD is working on a larger firmware update for the Video Assists that will include BRAW support for other cameras in addition to the fp, as well as bug fixes and maybe some new features, and they're simply waiting until that firmware update is ready to make any announcements.

I'm sure that when BM comes out with a new VA firmware announcement supporting the FP camera, they will at least mention it in the version notes. But notice how Atomos made an announcement and they don't intend to have a firmware release until September. Notice how Atomos marketing figured out that support for new standards in their products is something that they should get the word out on. But BM can't manage to do it for their very own standard.

I've seen state government agencies with more marketing savvy than BM.

Notice how Atomos marketing figured out that support for new standards in their products is something that they should get the word out on. But BM can't manage to do it for their very own standard.

I'm not sure there's a big marketing benefit for BMD in this case. Everyone who owns an fp currently and using it for cinema is already doing their grading in Resolve because there's pretty much no other viable option. So they're already in the BMD ecosystem, and knowing that BRAW support is coming would be incentive enough for them to get a Video Assist. Sigma is already advertising the Video Assist on their recommended third-party accessories page for the fp. And the only people who'd prefer ProRes Raw over BRAW are those who use Final Cut and the small number of other NLEs that currently support ProRes RAW. Having ProRes Raw available might make the fp more practical for people who were avoiding it up to now, but the people who want to use BRAW are going to wait for it to become available on the Video Assist.

Brad, you are quite right. No need to inform people that are already informed. You might consider for one second that the purpose of marketing is to inform people that are not already informed, or to reassure people that have bought into your products or standards that you are aggressively working to make sure that their decision to adopt your standards or products has a future. Again, not necessary to do for people who already know, or fanboys of BM, but most definitely needed for people who do not know or who are not fanboys.

This is marketing 101 and is the reason why BM marketing is retarded.