Studio Camera 4K Pro and Studio Converter on Ethernet

Hi all,

I would like to use four Studio Camera 4K Pro and the Studio Converters to realize a fully remote control room over a Ethernet/IP network. I won't go into much details explaining why I need this solution, but in short I have a studio far away from the control room (up to 1 mile) interconnected with a proprietary Ethernet based network with enough bandwidth to support up to 4 cameras. BTW, we use 1080 video resolution on the cameras not 4K.

My question is: can I connect the Studio Camera 4K Pro and the Studio Converters through an Ethernet switch-based network? I can also dedicate a specific VLAN to each couple of devices (camera and converter) to simulate different network segment to avoid interference. Is that possible?

[Gary Adams]

Hello Daniele. This is a good question and for sure will come up many times. Hopefully many users will see this post.

The 10G Ethernet connection from the Studio Converter to the Studio Camera 4K Pro is intended to be a point to point connection. It cannot be used through any type of switch. While it is an IP based signal it cannot be used in a networking environment. There are many reasons but the simplest one to consider is all the IP addresses would be the same causing confusion for the switch. I know this won’t be the last word on this but will hopefully guide some users in the right direction.

Regards. Gary


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Thanks Gary,

I understand the the view of BMD that define these products as P2P but let me make some hypotheses. I don't want to reverse engineering the communication of the studio camera and the converter but only understand a possible future capability of those devices. If you confirm that the communication is based on IP, I could suppose that the protocol/codec would rely on TICO specification like other BMD products (as instance Teranex Mini IP Video 12G), following the SMPTE RDD35 specification. I can also understand that the the firmware of those devices would be locked to work on a specific configuration (fixed IPs on the NICs, fixed multicast addresses, fixed UDP ports, etc.) that limit the usability of multiple couple of devices on the same network constraining the product to be P2P. But if this is true, there shouldn't be any limitation to use studio camera + converter on a dedicated network segment that contains only a couple of them (with enough network bandwidth available). As explained, I am constrained to my use case that requires a remote communication of cameras and control room and limits the applicability of P2P devices, this consequently exclude BMD products from my purchasing list (at the moment).

So, I would take this opportunity to ask you if BMD has planned to release in future a firmware for camera and converter with the relative configuration software to support the communication on a networking environment. I would support a lot this update that I think that could be done only at software level. This will open a very interesting video over IP scenario that BMD customers would enjoy a lot (I would be the first)! If not, could I gentle ask you where I can submit my "feature request" at commercial/development level at BMD? I also know some Italian broadcast companies that would be very interested on such feature (for Studio Camera 4K but also for URSA Broadcast G2).

Best regards,
Daniele

[Gary Adams]

Hello Daniele. I'm not able to discuss much of the design and any future development, however, I will pass along your interest in a more user friendly IP based system. What I can say is we do use the same TICO compression system very similar to the SMPTE fiber converters which are also point to point based. Very similar. The Teranex Mini IP Video is also this same scheme but it is network based and functions like you would expect. So please don't plan on any possible workflow that doesn't already exist with our converters. I hope things are well in Bologna. I really enjoyed attending the Film Festival a few years back.

Regards, Gary

Thanks again, Gary. I understand your point and the BMD policies. Anyway, let me strongly support the BMD choice to develop video broadcast equipment based on video over IP, I think that in a few years the IP technology will be dominant in video broadcast systems.

Unfortunately, in Bologna the situation on COVID pandemic is becoming worse, hope to get out soon, so you can attend again to the Film Festival. Stay safe and healthy!

Best,
Daniele

Hi

I'm consider buying a BMD Studio Converter to connect to Studio 4k Pro Camera using the Cat6a cable.

I have a doubt, since I have an ATEM Extreme ISO, I would like to know if the camera control and tally works thru return SDI, with a bi-directional 12G converter.

the flow:
ATEM Extreme HDMI 1 >
Converter Bidirecional 12G SDI >
Studio Converter SDI Out and SDI Return

Thanks in advance

Best regards,
Nuno

Hi

I'm consider buying a BMD Studio Converter to connect to Studio 4k Pro Camera using the Cat6a cable.

I have a doubt, since I have an ATEM Extreme ISO, I would like to know if the camera control and tally works thru return SDI, with a bi-directional 12G converter.

the flow:
ATEM Extreme HDMI 1 >
Converter Bidirecional 12G SDI >
Studio Converter SDI Out and SDI Return

Thanks in advance

Best regards,
Nuno

I do not have one yet to fully confirm(will be ordering soon to replace my pocket cams) but it is well documented that this will work. so long as you also connect an sdi cable from the output of the bidirectional converter to the programme input of the camera / studio converter.

You will though need to make sure you go into the converter settings (plug it in to a computer with a usb cable and run the software utility) and the camera’s settings and set its camera number to match which input you plugged it into on the Atem.