ATEM 1 M/E 3.4 SD Composite Blackout

Since updating to 3.4, our Anamorphic Composite feed blackouts. The way to fix it is to change the 'Down Convert As:' from anamorphic to either 'Center Cut' or 'Letterbox' back to 'Anamorphic'. Thanks

**Update**
Both my SD-SDI & Composite feeds does it. It's no longer a solid black, it's changes to different solid colors.

I discovered that issue myself today I am using the SD output to drive Tek 1740A I plan to try re-flashing the firmware. to see if that resolves the issue.

Hi,

This is also a problem for me since upgrading to 3.4. Adobe Flash Media Encoder as well as Blackmagic Media Express show the problem. I have tried it on 2 ATEM ME/1s with the same result. Switching from center cut to anamorphic to letterbox will bring up the video for a second or so then it disappears with either a black screen or a pastel colored background.

This really needs to be fixed!

We have waited for months to get this update which fixes the 60hz issue and now this!

I think better testing and quality control is in order! (Spoken like a true Mangalore from Fifth Element)

Tony

I just tried the switch from side crop to anamorphic and also letter box the video appears on the SD output for less than a second and then goes back to black. I am going to call BMD

Seriously hope its not going to be another three months before this is fixed.

Hi,

Time for a little intense coding session and a 3.4.1 bug fix release, don't you think, Blackmagic?

Tony

I called them and it's a known issues and they are working on it. I'm thinking Firmware 3.7?

Hi Guys,

Well, well, well........
I've SCREAMED for 16x9 SD multiviewers- BUT i refuse to upgrade to 3.4 if this happens! Why would I loose functionality for a multiviewer?

We film on HDW750's or PDW700's- so the mixer can be running / recording in HD, use the built in down-converter to feed SD encoder for an SD sat uplink, and provide a composite confidence feed for a presenter or such like......If I upgrade, I'm going to loose the ability to do this- so to me, the ATEM becomes useless- and I'm off to re-instal my PANASONIC AV-HS400A mixer!!!!

I've installed it on my 1M/E- off to test it- but my main 2M/E is staying on 3.1.1 until this is fixed, or I can find a work-around..

I'm definately tiring of all of this.....

Cheers
Dave

Im having the same problem with my ATEM 1 M/E running at HD-59.94...SD composite downconvert is a no go...this is a big deal with our setup PLEASE FIX!!!

Thanks,
Aaron

Same issue here. Downconvert is not working after update to 3.4 . Running 1080i50.

Same problem here. Over a month a no fix for this basic functionality is pretty lame.

[Joshua Helling]

This is being addressed in 3.5 which is going through QA now. We are anticipating this will take 2-3 week, but this can always shift a little.

Thanks for the patience.

This is being addressed in 3.5 which is going through QA now. We are anticipating this will take 2-3 week, but this can always shift a little.

Thanks for the patience.

Thank You Joshua!! Can we find the change document for 3.5 somewere? Or can you post the changelog?

Many thanks in advance.

Nice of you guys to keep us in the loop. These bug fixes are getting to be a pain in the ass. We are getting clients who refuse to accept the ATEM as a switcher on remote productions. We are seriously looking at Dumping BMD and going to Grass Valley Kayak as a production switcher. Yes more $$ but reliability and better technical support. Convince us to reconsider !

It definitely is starting to influence prices, I just saw a Atem 1 go brand new for 1700 dollars on Ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321052112457?ss ... 1436.l2649
Sharyn

Xtreemtec,

Steady on there, this is a huge step for BMD, that's two firmware releases in a row, they've given us advanced warning of the approximate date. Huge round of applause due!!!!! Let’s just expect "baby steps", and not get our expectations too high.

DVCPRO50,

Not really fair mate, "BMD ATEM vs GV Kayak", is like "Reliant Robin vs Ferrari", so it's another big ask to expect BMD to be able to make the case to get you to reconsider.

Sharyn, do you reckon that tactic will work twice? I've got my fingers cross for ya.

Cheers

John

John Basically If the support is lacking and the fixes are so many months apart. Do you not think that confidence will fall off in a product. Reliant Robins fell off the face of the earth, and Ferrari's are still here. Yes you pay more but the thing works. When you have a facility that has invested large sums of money on a product range that consistently fails in some key area on every firmware release then, justifiably so people lose confidence in the hardware, and have to look elsewhere. If you are running a webcast for a church this kind of issue is annoying but to the none broadcaster not critical. However when you have a Broadcast facility these things tend to be a tad more important. The firmware fixes are MONTHS apart yes this stuff takes time but surely theses problems need to be addressed quicker!

Don't get me wrong some really nice product ideas that just have issues in every release.

+ 1,000,000

Hi Guys,

I'm afraid I have to agree with Adrian here!

As a broadcast provider, it's just not good enough to have a product that since August 2011 (!!) has NOT fulfilled it's original release specification! Can you imagine if the Panasonic AV-HS400 had been released without it's original spec meeting it's listed spec? It's a bit like selling you a Ferrari but telling you it only has a Reliant Robin engine- " but we'll have the proper engine in the next firmware update"- eventually......

We all cut BMD lots of slack- as what they've done has been amazing, great products and great prices, but surely just meeting the original (nearly 2 years old) spec is an essential.

No more 'added extra' features- just the original spec please BMD- I know you agree with that one John......

Cheers
Dave

No more 'added extra' features- just the original spec please BMD

+1trillion (platinum edition if you like)

Seriously can we have a full change log on each and every update too? How is anyone supposed to know which versions have which features without change logs? When a new "upgrade" arrives I like to review what it is suppose to add and only install it if i need to, when i choose to install i like to test the new functionality. With BMD gear this is simply impossible as nobody is ever able to tell me what functions have been added / removed / changed.

I seem to have been able to mis-represent my own views here.

Here is a screen shot of my ATEM about screen. I've been waiting 348 days for a reply to questions asked about features removed from 2.7.2 in 2.8. The removal of those features cost me ~$20K in a lost contract. I know the changes only really affect developers, but they also effect all my users, and that is a reasonably large number now.

I'm with you guys 100%, I really wish BMD would put back all lost features, especially those that will soon have been missing for 1 year, but I am not expecting too much.

John,

As that version was before i got my Atem i'm a bit curious what functions were removed?
Can you sum some up? or link me to the topic?

Many thanks
Daniel

Xtreemtec,

I've posted loads of ranting on this issue, if you like that kind of thing, over on the ATEMUser.com both in the developer sub-forum and amongst the normal topics, so I won't go into too much detail here.

But the Short version:

In versions of firmware 1.0->2.7.2 there was a fully functional public and published API/SDK (i.e. all key /transition settings, media control, crosspoints, multi-viewer control absolutely everything on the mixer ), was controllable from 3rd party integration solutions. In 2.8 that control was reduced to just the program/preset bus and the ability to trigger Auto Transitions and Fade to Black.

Effectively they removed 90% of the functionality if you were driving your mixer from your in-house systems, or slaving the mixer from a big production switcher for just a small part of your product.

There are incomplete workarounds to this problem, but I think it's pretty bad that they removed all this functionality from people who bought the mixer, in the first place specifically because this functionality existed.

My warranty ran out, whilst I've been waiting for them to put the SDK back to a usable standard, which is something they promised to do "within a couple of versions" around January 2012.

So basically I've had zero firmware updates between buying my mixer and the warranty expiring. I know they updates have existed, I've tested them. But just like 3.2 & 3.3 wasn't relevant to anyone requiring 60Hz, and 3.4 is irrelevant to users requiring the down-converter. The following versions have been irrelevant to me: 2.8, 3.0, 3.0.1, 3.1, 3.1.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4.

Sorry if this means I'm sometimes sarcastic on these forums. By those 348 days have made me believe BMD don't really prioritise updates based on customer request, but in order to make new sales, and I'm yet to see any evidence to contradict this theory.

Cheers

John

+1
Same problem, so I tried to use my Multibridge Pro (the one that connects anything to anything) to downconvert instead...same problem. This is a big problem for me because my church's entire CC system runs off of the composite out.

Brandon