- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sat May 03, 2025 8:58 pm
- Real Name: NATHANIEL PHILLIPS
Sat May 03, 2025 9:16 pm
I run a Podcast setup. I have 4 Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K cameras connected to my Atem Mini Extreme ISO via 4 Blackmagic Bi-Directional 3G converters. They are connected via HDMI cables into the converters input and the ATEM Mini Extreme ISO is connected to the HDMI output on the converter. I use the SDI output of the converter to send a separate feed to an Atomos Shogun 7 so that I can record in ProRes.
When attempting to control the cameras from the ATEM Mini, the triggering of recording works for all cameras and even the Shogun 7. Timecode is also working across all devices (albeit a little clunky requiring resets at times) however, other camera control features do not work, such as focusing, tally, exposure etc. It actually works only for Camera 4 when attempting to make changes to CAM 1 from the ATEM software control. Furthermore, the naming of all clips when recorded in-camera result in being named CAM1 for all cameras, making it difficult to identify at a glance which recording is for which camera when copied onto the mac. Even if I update the name of the project and camera number manually on the camera, the ATEM mini overrides this when switched on.
The converters are all assigned their respective IDs using the converter software. After speaking to Blackmagic support on the phone, it turns out that the converters do not support sending camera control data back out of the HDMI port when the input signal comes from HDMI and not the SDI. They advised that this use case was never tested and that I should file a feature request in the support forum.
To me this feels like a bug as the Bi-Directional converters sole purpose is to carry camera control data and does not state any limits on the direction and the user manual advises that when a single input is used (either HDMI or SDI) then both the other outputs will produce the same signal. It does not state that the HDMI output will not carry the camera control data correctly. In my use case, the converters are behaving like the regular micro converters which I replaced by purchasing 4 Bi-Directional converters simply to get camera control.
I am still not sure if this is the best place to post this and hoping that Blackmagic engineers can fix this issue.
Thanks
When attempting to control the cameras from the ATEM Mini, the triggering of recording works for all cameras and even the Shogun 7. Timecode is also working across all devices (albeit a little clunky requiring resets at times) however, other camera control features do not work, such as focusing, tally, exposure etc. It actually works only for Camera 4 when attempting to make changes to CAM 1 from the ATEM software control. Furthermore, the naming of all clips when recorded in-camera result in being named CAM1 for all cameras, making it difficult to identify at a glance which recording is for which camera when copied onto the mac. Even if I update the name of the project and camera number manually on the camera, the ATEM mini overrides this when switched on.
The converters are all assigned their respective IDs using the converter software. After speaking to Blackmagic support on the phone, it turns out that the converters do not support sending camera control data back out of the HDMI port when the input signal comes from HDMI and not the SDI. They advised that this use case was never tested and that I should file a feature request in the support forum.
To me this feels like a bug as the Bi-Directional converters sole purpose is to carry camera control data and does not state any limits on the direction and the user manual advises that when a single input is used (either HDMI or SDI) then both the other outputs will produce the same signal. It does not state that the HDMI output will not carry the camera control data correctly. In my use case, the converters are behaving like the regular micro converters which I replaced by purchasing 4 Bi-Directional converters simply to get camera control.
I am still not sure if this is the best place to post this and hoping that Blackmagic engineers can fix this issue.
Thanks