- Posts: 1
- Joined: Thu May 09, 2024 4:55 pm
- Real Name: Caleb Denman
Thu May 09, 2024 5:18 pm
I have a new install with video being routed by a 40x40 ATEM Constellation HD, out to several different destinations in the building and online.
In the main gathering space there is a LED wall, with TV's on either side of it as "side fill" lyric displays. These displays were intended to be driven by BMD SDI-HDMI 3G converters. The Converters would show it had lock on the SDI signal, but would not lock into sync with the TV. Picture would show, then drop to black, and the TV would do the "HDMI Connected!" dance and show the picture again for a few seconds before dropping again.
Here are things we did for troubleshooting.
- Replaced the 3G SDI boxes with Decimator Decoders - This ended up being the final solution
- Firmware update BMD 3G converter
- try "normal" and "illegal" broadcast levels - changing from "Illegal" to "normal" made the issue worse
- Tried 8 different "fresh from the box" 3G converters
- tried 4 different "fresh from the box" 3G BiDirectional Converters
- Take SDI at stage display and connect to portable production display - this display had both SDI and HDMI inputs. We experienced the same HDMI sync issues with the 3G SDI box, but when connecting the SDI directly to the portable display, the picture linked up perfectly.
- Replace SDI connection with NDI - this also worked, but customer wasn't happy with latency
- New and several different HDMI cables
- new and different power supplies for 3G converters
In short, we've troubleshot the ball bag off this problem, and have identified the issue is indeed the 3G SDI-HDMI converter.
The thing I'm baffled by is why just these two spots were being so terrible. At first I thought it was the brand of TV not liking the BMD converter, but the issue persisted across multiple displays. This issue also occured if I changed what SDI output I was using at the ATEM Constellation. I tried as many open SDI as I had available, and the outcome was the same.
Is there something I'm missing? or are are 3G line of micro converters just not very good?
In the main gathering space there is a LED wall, with TV's on either side of it as "side fill" lyric displays. These displays were intended to be driven by BMD SDI-HDMI 3G converters. The Converters would show it had lock on the SDI signal, but would not lock into sync with the TV. Picture would show, then drop to black, and the TV would do the "HDMI Connected!" dance and show the picture again for a few seconds before dropping again.
Here are things we did for troubleshooting.
- Replaced the 3G SDI boxes with Decimator Decoders - This ended up being the final solution
- Firmware update BMD 3G converter
- try "normal" and "illegal" broadcast levels - changing from "Illegal" to "normal" made the issue worse
- Tried 8 different "fresh from the box" 3G converters
- tried 4 different "fresh from the box" 3G BiDirectional Converters
- Take SDI at stage display and connect to portable production display - this display had both SDI and HDMI inputs. We experienced the same HDMI sync issues with the 3G SDI box, but when connecting the SDI directly to the portable display, the picture linked up perfectly.
- Replace SDI connection with NDI - this also worked, but customer wasn't happy with latency
- New and several different HDMI cables
- new and different power supplies for 3G converters
In short, we've troubleshot the ball bag off this problem, and have identified the issue is indeed the 3G SDI-HDMI converter.
The thing I'm baffled by is why just these two spots were being so terrible. At first I thought it was the brand of TV not liking the BMD converter, but the issue persisted across multiple displays. This issue also occured if I changed what SDI output I was using at the ATEM Constellation. I tried as many open SDI as I had available, and the outcome was the same.
Is there something I'm missing? or are are 3G line of micro converters just not very good?