Regularly-timed camera blackouts: HDMI sync issue

Questions about ATEM Switchers, Camera Converter and everything live!
  • Author
  • Message
Offline

TinenTech

  • Posts: 10
  • Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2021 3:06 am
  • Real Name: Dan Tinen

Regularly-timed camera blackouts: HDMI sync issue

PostMon Jan 17, 2022 7:07 pm

During a live stream I had periodic blackouts in one camera connected to my ATEM Mini Pro. Never had this problem with this camera and cable before. It's a Panasonic camcorder running at 1080p/60 fps.

Today I hooked it up to the ATEM and used a stopwatch to time the on/off periods. Interesting artifact: the ON periods were always about 55 seconds, though off periods varied. When it's ON, the picture image is fine. During OFF periods, the audio meters for this camera still register signal (on the ATEM multi view screen).

When I connect the camera to an HDMI monitor it had the same issue, although the OFF periods tended to be about 55 seconds as well (not consistently). To me, this indicates some kind of drift between the sending frame clock and the receiving clock.

Conclusion: either the camera HDMI out or the cable is defective. (I don't have another Mini-HDMI cable at the moment, it's on its way).

My question is: what is the equivalent of "house sync" (or "word clock") in an HDMI system like ATEM? Is one of the HDMI lines dedicated to timing so that if that HDMI contact is dirty or wire broken, it drifts on its own? What unit is the master and which is the slave, or do they all just go into a digital buffer and get reclocked so they can be switched?

Thanks for any enlightenment the community can offer.
Offline

ManchesterV

  • Posts: 283
  • Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:29 pm
  • Real Name: Gavin Gration

Re: Regularly-timed camera blackouts: HDMI sync issue

PostMon Jan 17, 2022 10:15 pm

How long is the HDMI cable?
Offline

TinenTech

  • Posts: 10
  • Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2021 3:06 am
  • Real Name: Dan Tinen

Re: Regularly-timed camera blackouts: HDMI sync issue

PostTue Jan 18, 2022 1:31 am

The cable is only 10 feet, a good quality cable that's been reliable for a long time. Having said that, contacts could be bad in the camera or the cable. Amazon has 2 cables on the way, we'll see if that's the issue.

Return to Live Production

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 54 guests