Development Team: Don't Lose Track of This (ATEM Mini)

I've been away from BMD for awhile due to the pandemic. Just before it began I had designed and built a $500,000 studio for a state college using BMD equipment (Constellation switcher, advanced panel, URSA Broadcast cameras with fiber converters, studio viewfinders, camera control panel, etc., etc., etc.). This isn't to say "wow, look at me" but to suggest a lot of confidence has been invested in BMD.

Which brings me to a much smaller product: the ATEM Mini Extreme ISO, which I'm using for an upcoming production. In tracking down suitable drives for it I looked at the (two year old) drive compatibility list and realized some of the drives on it are either obsolete or otherwise no longer widely available. One drive in particular, the Samsung T5 (a 1TB drive) was hard to find but the newer T7 (2 TB) was readily available. An inquiry to tech support simply yielded "if it's not on the list we don't recommend it." Not especially helpful.

So my suggestion: that compatibility list should REALLY be being updated at least every six months as long as you're shipping products that use those drives. To do otherwise is kind of unfair to your customers who purchase a BMD product new and then (by virtue of an outdated list) are directed to ancillary products that are either already obsolete or about to be. The market moves quickly. You need to do so as well.

It's great to keep introducing new products but essential not to forget about the ones you're already selling.

I think the real solution here would be to get the users to post their findings.
If it become precious knowledge to them then just post what doesn't work and save people from purchasing large capacity document holders.

My contribution here would be to recommend what I am using with my SDI Extreme ISO.

LaCie 1TB Rugged USB Type-C Portable External SSD
This can record all cameras and audio as required by the DaVinci project that is created.

Baz

I find I've had no problems with Sandisk SATA SSDs (Extreme 480Gb) using a SATA to USB-C adapter, for at least up to four inputs which is the most I've needed to use. I've also used a WD Blue SN550 1Tb NVMe SSD in a basic from-Amazon enclosure without problems.

I think the real solution here would be to get the users to post their findings.
If it become precious knowledge to them then just post what doesn't work and save people from purchasing large capacity document holders.

I don't disagree BUT: when something doesn't work and hoses a project, BMD's response is that if it wasn't on their list it's your fault.

There's an entire website devoted to large-capacity drives for the HD8 ISO, supposedly by a BMD expert who extensively tested everything and had a good/better/best recommendation. We bought the 4TB drive from that list (he wasn't selling them - just making recommendations). The drive works for anywhere from ten minutes to an hour and then starts blinking, locks up, and loses everything. Thank GOD we didn't find that out the hard way on a money project. BMD says "YOUR problem, not on our recommended list." So I have a serious sense of caution about this stuff.

I don't disagree BUT: when something doesn't work and hoses a project, BMD's response is that if it wasn't on their list it's your fault.

It doesn't matter if you use approved drives or not. If something fails it is always your fault. I'd consider the approved drive list the starting place for vetting your personal workflow. Quoting Blackmagic's (or anyone's) recommended drive list, current or otherwise, to a client after a failed capture would be a futile exercise in my business.

Good Luck