Ursa BROADCAST G2 questions

Hello,

I have some questions regarding the new Ursa Broadcast G2 camera:

The HD video is pixel binning or pixel skipping or oversampling (best technique)?

Is there an Auto Tracking Whitebalance (AWB)? That is, the camera continuously adjusts for the best WB? AWB seems to be Manual White Balance where you just point a white area and then the camera adjusts it

In PLAY mode, is there a way to see a thumbnail grid?

I find it weird that there is no way to record interlaced footage when almost 99% of the broadcasters are based in interlaced workflow

I find that the camera is very power hundry at 40W of consumtion. Do you agree? Similar broadcast cameras from Sony or Panasonic are between 23W to 28W.

What is the latest firmware available? I cannot find it on the web.

Thank you all!

Hey,

1. i have no idea
2. No, not as far as I know
3. no
4. yes this is weird
5. Yes the Ursa Cameras in general are quite Power hungry. I use my 12K with 2x 300 Watt V-Mounts
6. Latest is 7.7 But u can ignore it. U Download a update HUB with the newest camera firmware (there is no individual Camera specific firmware. Only for all cameras in general). The hub then tells u if your individual camera needs this update.

Blackmagic Cameras are quite buggy. My first 12k got a sensor error and my second won't make a WB on the AWB button. An my viewfinder had a gamma issue.

Thanks for your response. You don't seem very happy with BMD cameras, right? Well we cannot expect Sony or Panasonic quality at this price point I guess. Maybe they kinda fix those issues through firmware updates.

Hey,

1. i have no idea
2. No, not as far as I know
3. no
4. yes this is weird
5. Yes the Ursa Cameras in general are quite Power hungry. I use my 12K with 2x 300 Watt V-Mounts
6. Latest is 7.7 But u can ignore it. U Download a update HUB with the newest camera firmware (there is no individual Camera specific firmware. Only for all cameras in general). The hub then tells u if your individual camera needs this update.

Blackmagic Cameras are quite buggy. My first 12k got a sensor error and my second won't make a WB on the AWB button. An my viewfinder had a gamma issue.

I want to file a complaint against this support team and the handling of this RMA.

I previously reported the screen defect with a recorded video link. from the last response, it looks like
1. support team never inspected the recorded video and cannot replicate the issue.
2.support team did not respond or notify customer (i.e me) per request of the issue
3. I request if the support team cannot reproduce the issue, I seek your supervisor approval to replace the hardware. there is no response.
and the support team unilaterally send back the defective camera without fixing it via fedex.

this is unprofessional and this does not fix the issue.

i request to stop the return and request a hardware replacement.

pls escalate to the supervisor.

PS. i provided 2 youtube links before in this email thread
3.1. original video showing the flickering problem (

) - 332 viewers so far
3.2 test footage from this camera (no flickering problem)

- 84 viewers so far ( I provided this link today on 1/24

. you can actually tell from the attachment)

This is a user forum, you can't resolve a support issue here.

Hello,

I have some questions regarding the new Ursa Broadcast G2 camera:

The HD video is pixel binning or pixel skipping or oversampling (best technique)?

Is there an Auto Tracking Whitebalance (AWB)? That is, the camera continuously adjusts for the best WB? AWB seems to be Manual White Balance where you just point a white area and then the camera adjusts it

In PLAY mode, is there a way to see a thumbnail grid?

I find it weird that there is no way to record interlaced footage when almost 99% of the broadcasters are based in interlaced workflow

I find that the camera is very power hundry at 40W of consumtion. Do you agree? Similar broadcast cameras from Sony or Panasonic are between 23W to 28W.

What is the latest firmware available? I cannot find it on the web.
Thank you all!

Hi Robert, here are some answers to your questions:

1. BMD cameras do not pixel bin or line skip. To get full sensor readout HD, it is oversampled/processed to HD, but only when recording ProRes. You can not record full sensor to HD in BMD BRaw files, so HD is a HD window crop of the full sensor.

2. Not sure about the new Broadcast camera, but none of the previous cameras had tracking AWB on the fly, which does not work ver accurately anyway with most cameras, background lighting can throw off thr WB. When I was shooting for TV, we always did a proper white balance with a WB card.

3. No, you do not get a thumbnail or menu list of recorded clips. Camera operators in Commerical, Broadcast and Cinema shooting do not edit or delete their recordings. The media is passed to editing team for that. You can quickly p,ay back the last clip recorded by pressing Playback, and Back button for reviewing clips in opposite order they were shot. That said, you need the camera set to the same recording settings/codec as the clips were recorded in.

4. Interlaced Broadcast use went out with SD, while 1080i is still in use, the transition is going to progressive, with several networks using 720p (ABC). Some community cable TV operations, still using SD are interlaced. Interlaced was needed for CRT TVs, but the moderne flat screens are not interlaced display screens, they are native progressive displays, which convert interlaced signals on older units to progressive to display them.

5. Larger sensors, and more in camera processing takes more power. Sony or Panasonic are between 23W to 28W cameras are 2/3rds sensor cameras, not S35 like the new BMD Broadcast 2 camera. Thankfully the new LiPro compact camera batteries pack more watts into the same or smaller packages as lower wattages batteries did a few years back.

6. BMD Camera Update 7.5 is the only firmware update available, which adds support to the new Camera for future firmware updates. Yiur camera was shipped with the latest firmware. Upload and Run 7.5 to get the updater support added to your computer, and to set correct time/date on the camera.
Cheers

4. Interlaced Broadcast use went out with SD, very few stations still use interlaced, none of the networks do. Some community cable TV operations, still using SD are interlaced. Interlaced was needed for CRT TVs, but the moderne flat screens are not interlaced display screens, they are native progressive displays, which convert interlaced signals on older units to progressive to display them.

Interlaced broadcast is still very much in use here in the UK, with 1080i50 being the standard HD delivery format for all the major broadcasters.

You can shoot 1080p50 and interlace it on render.

James, good point, and whist many stations are using 1080i, the current shift is going towards progressive 1080P and UHD frame rates.

The move is to 50p/60p progressive formats and is currently used in high-end HDTV systems, and many in tenet streaming services. While it is not technically part of the ATSC or DVB broadcast standards yet, reports suggest that higher progressive frame rates will be a feature of the next-generation high-definition television broadcast standards.[13] In Europe, the EBU considers 1080p50 the next step future proof system for TV broadcasts and is encouraging broadcasters to upgrade their equipment for the future.[14] Many modern cameras can shoot video at 50p and 60p in various resolutions. YouTube allowed users to upload videos at 50 FPS and 60 FPS in June 2014. YouTube also allowed full HFR videos previously uploaded before 2014. Douglas Trumbull, who undertook experiments with different frame rates that led to the Showscan film format, found that emotional impact peaked at 60 FPS for viewers.[15]

BMD tends to make equipment supporting future applications. Also the best way to cover productions, is to shoot them in the highest quality available, progressive formats and render them to interlace for markets still using interlaced. Some productions are still shot on film, for digital encoding and rendering to fit market requirements. This way as market requirements change, the higher quality master recordings can be rendered back to meet the newer format requirements as they change.
Cheers

Since this is already started, I have some questions about the G2 as well:

Does ISO 3200 produce a usable image throughout it's dynamic range specifically using an EF lens?

Are there any limitations regarding what can be recorded to SD cards or SSD via USB?

What is the difference between Gen 4 and Gen 5 color science?

Does the camera come with an EVF mounting plate and screw?

What is the power draw of the camera?

What recording modes are windowed?

Beyond producing H.264, H265 files, providing 150 fps, having ND filters, and using Gen 5 color science, can the camera do anything that the BMPCC 4k cannot?

Since this is already started, I have some questions about the G2 as well:

Does ISO 3200 produce a usable image throughout it's dynamic range specifically using an EF lens?

Are there any limitations regarding what can be recorded to SD cards or SSD via USB?

What is the difference between Gen 4 and Gen 5 color science?

Does the camera come with an EVF mounting plate and screw?

What is the power draw of the camera?

What recording modes are windowed?

Beyond producing H.264, H265 files, providing 150 fps, having ND filters, and using Gen 5 color science, can the camera do anything that the BMPCC 4k cannot?

The URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 Cine model, I assume is what you are referring to and not the Broadcast model, does not have dual ISO and at ISO 3200, when appropriately lit, produces DR as specified in the DR chart that can be found in the manual. As to capture limitations based on media, you can get a list of them from the Blackmagic support web page. The G2 cine version does not record H.264 or H.26. That is only available on the G2 Broadcast. It supports BRAW and ProRes in various formats (422, HQ,...). Again, refer to the tech spec on the BMD website for the particular product. There is no Gen 5 color science on the G2 cine version, at least to date. It only supports Gen 4 in camera. However, you can shoot in BRAW and in DaVinci Resolve 17.4 grade it for Gen 5 color science. It has built-in ND filters and depending on the resolution, you can set HFR, again assuming the media being used can handle it.
All your questions can be answered on the G2 manual, which can be downloaded from the BMD support website. I hope this helps and sorry to detract from the OP original questions regarding the BROADCAST G2.

PS. i provided 2 youtube links before in this email thread
3.1. original video showing the flickering problem (

)
... you can actually tell from the attachment)

Ray, as Jack said, this forum is not where you can get the kind of assistance you seek from BMD. This is just a user forum. Contact them directly.
On the first attached video around 0:30, where you show the viewfinder red line, I believe those are the Focus Peaking lines. They are not issues. If you have focus peaking turned on and in playback, the FP lines will appear. Yours is set to the default "Red" color. Peaking lines can have other colors too and is set in the menu.

Since this is already started, I have some questions about the G2 as well:

Does ISO 3200 produce a usable image throughout it's dynamic range specifically using an EF lens?

Are there any limitations regarding what can be recorded to SD cards or SSD via USB?

What is the difference between Gen 4 and Gen 5 color science?

Does the camera come with an EVF mounting plate and screw?

What is the power draw of the camera?

What recording modes are windowed?

Beyond producing H.264, H265 files, providing 150 fps, having ND filters, and using Gen 5 color science, can the camera do anything that the BMPCC 4k cannot?

The URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 Cine model, I assume is what you are referring to and not the Broadcast model, does not have dual ISO and at ISO 3200, when appropriately lit, produces DR as specified in the DR chart that can be found in the manual. As to capture limitations based on media, you can get a list of them from the Blackmagic support web page. The G2 cine version does not record H.264 or H.26. That is only available on the G2 Broadcast. It supports BRAW and ProRes in various formats (422, HQ,...). Again, refer to the tech spec on the BMD website for the particular product. There is no Gen 5 color science on the G2 cine version, at least to date. It only supports Gen 4 in camera. However, you can shoot in BRAW and in DaVinci Resolve 17.4 grade it for Gen 5 color science. It has built-in ND filters and depending on the resolution, you can set HFR, again assuming the media being used can handle it.
All your questions can be answered on the G2 manual, which can be downloaded from the BMD support website. I hope this helps and sorry to detract from the OP original questions regarding the BROADCAST G2.

It really was the Broadcast G2 I was referring to. I will try to find more in the user manual for it. Thanks.

Since this is already started, I have some questions about the G2 as well:

Does ISO 3200 produce a usable image throughout it's dynamic range specifically using an EF lens?

Are there any limitations regarding what can be recorded to SD cards or SSD via USB?

What is the difference between Gen 4 and Gen 5 color science?

Does the camera come with an EVF mounting plate and screw?

What is the power draw of the camera?

What recording modes are windowed?

Beyond producing H.264, H265 files, providing 150 fps, having ND filters, and using Gen 5 color science, can the camera do anything that the BMPCC 4k cannot?

The URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 Cine model, I assume is what you are referring to and not the Broadcast model, does not have dual ISO and at ISO 3200, when appropriately lit, produces DR as specified in the DR chart that can be found in the manual. As to capture limitations based on media, you can get a list of them from the Blackmagic support web page. The G2 cine version does not record H.264 or H.26. That is only available on the G2 Broadcast. It supports BRAW and ProRes in various formats (422, HQ,...). Again, refer to the tech spec on the BMD website for the particular product. There is no Gen 5 color science on the G2 cine version, at least to date. It only supports Gen 4 in camera. However, you can shoot in BRAW and in DaVinci Resolve 17.4 grade it for Gen 5 color science. It has built-in ND filters and depending on the resolution, you can set HFR, again assuming the media being used can handle it.
All your questions can be answered on the G2 manual, which can be downloaded from the BMD support website. I hope this helps and sorry to detract from the OP original questions regarding the BROADCAST G2.

I did find the answer to ISO. It appears they are using a dual ISO platform but I can't find anything listing the dynamic range distribution. -12db correlates to 100 ISO, 0 db to 400 iso, and 36 db to 25600 ISO. I would imagine 12 db would be the usable upper limit or 1600 ISO. They are apparently using 6db half ratios to monitor voltage.

Since this is already started, I have some questions about the G2 as well:

Does ISO 3200 produce a usable image throughout it's dynamic range specifically using an EF lens?

Are there any limitations regarding what can be recorded to SD cards or SSD via USB?

What is the difference between Gen 4 and Gen 5 color science?

Does the camera come with an EVF mounting plate and screw?

What is the power draw of the camera?

What recording modes are windowed?

Beyond producing H.264, H265 files, providing 150 fps, having ND filters, and using Gen 5 color science, can the camera do anything that the BMPCC 4k cannot?

The URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 Cine model, I assume is what you are referring to and not the Broadcast model, does not have dual ISO and at ISO 3200, when appropriately lit, produces DR as specified in the DR chart that can be found in the manual. As to capture limitations based on media, you can get a list of them from the Blackmagic support web page. The G2 cine version does not record H.264 or H.26. That is only available on the G2 Broadcast. It supports BRAW and ProRes in various formats (422, HQ,...). Again, refer to the tech spec on the BMD website for the particular product. There is no Gen 5 color science on the G2 cine version, at least to date. It only supports Gen 4 in camera. However, you can shoot in BRAW and in DaVinci Resolve 17.4 grade it for Gen 5 color science. It has built-in ND filters and depending on the resolution, you can set HFR, again assuming the media being used can handle it.
All your questions can be answered on the G2 manual, which can be downloaded from the BMD support website. I hope this helps and sorry to detract from the OP original questions regarding the BROADCAST G2.

I did find the answer to ISO. It appears they are using a dual ISO platform but I can't find anything listing the dynamic range distribution. -12db correlates to 100 ISO, 0 db to 400 iso, and 36 db to 25600 ISO. I would imagine 12 db would be the usable upper limit or 1600 ISO. They are apparently using 6db half ratios to monitor voltage.

The URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 does not have dual ISO and an advertised 15 stops of DR. The URSA Mini Broadcast G2 has dual ISO and an advertised 13 stops of DR. They have different sensors. If you’re quoting the specs for the broadcast G2 model, then that’s about right.

The move is to 50p/60p progressive formats and is currently used in high-end HDTV systems, and many in tenet streaming services. While it is not technically part of the ATSC or DVB broadcast standards yet, reports suggest that higher progressive frame rates will be a feature of the next-generation high-definition television broadcast standards.[13] In Europe, the EBU considers 1080p50 the next step future proof system for TV broadcasts and is encouraging broadcasters to upgrade their equipment for the future.[14] Many modern cameras can shoot video at 50p and 60p in various resolutions. YouTube allowed users to upload videos at 50 FPS and 60 FPS in June 2014. YouTube also allowed full HFR videos previously uploaded before 2014. Douglas Trumbull, who undertook experiments with different frame rates that led to the Showscan film format, found that emotional impact peaked at 60 FPS for viewers.[15]

I see the Wikipedia article you posted as well as what you wrote above. However it's not reality, 1080i is the common standard for terrestrial cable tv and will be for long while longer. That's why all the sources on that section are a decade + old and it's been more than 17+ with the same old 1080i and the random 720p station. I actually work with these cable companies and they're still mostly using mpeg2 transport stream. To change, all the head ends will have to be completely upgraded to h.264 or better as well as the set top boxes. The content providers may also need to upgrade their systems for broadcasting. I had to fight for a year to be allowed to send a 1080i60 SDI signal over fiber to my areas headend, because they didn't want to upgrade the parts.