Hello Steinar
If this is a p50-Problem, and if BM does not read their forums anyway, we could switch to German for conversation
I have a ticket open since 4 weeks or so, If I send another mail, I also get a reply from them that they are doeing something. But I am not 100% sure, if they really investigate this problem or are just waiting until I give up.
In the mean time I did some more tests with other HDMI-to-SDI-Converters:(one is from a China source for sure, both are quite cheap and I assume are for home and CCTV markets). I run tests with them also (got the from Amazon Germany):
1. Port-ta
2. Musou
Both also can convert 1080p50, but both can not be user set for the 3G-mode A/B, they always produce 3G-A.
Both did not work with the LEGRIA camera, they just did not produce any SDI stream at all. The cameras HDMI status just did not show any information, so the camera does not even recognize that there is something hooked up.
So I again took my Sat-TV-receiver as HDMI souce:Feeding the above mentioned two new converter with a TV-Sat-receiver HDMI signal, they produce the 3G-A signal, but the BM TelevisionStudioHD does not receive a picture. The Magwell-USB-Capture can decode it, so its only the BM-TS-HD that has a problem with 3G-A (again, similar to my report, when the BM converter starts up with 3GA after power on with the camera hooked up, even if the converter is software set to 3G-B).
To make it short: With the LEGRIA, we get 3G-A, which the Magwell capture device can decode, but the BM TelevisionStudioHD does'nt. So there is definitely 1080p50 video going over the wire.I assume, if the BM converter can be fixed in a way that - if set to 3G-B by software - it definitely does stick to what has been set (no matter what device feeds the HDMI input), it might also work with the LEGRIA camera. But its a guess after what you wrote about Payload ID.
I dont think the camera is the main problem, even if the HDMI signal seems to lack some information (or whatever is the reason), so it does not work well with converters. It works, if the camera is hooked up to one of the BM TelevisionStudioHD's direct HDMI-Input. When the converter is "triggered" with the Sat-Receiver HDMI signal before the camera is hooked up, it works with the camera, too, and continues to produce a 3G-B-DL-type of SDI stream (until converter is diconnected from USB-power).
With the TV source hooked up, I can switch the converter (using the BM converter tool) between A and B and it reacts instantly. With the camera hooked up, you can set it to A and B, but the output completely ingnores the settings, and stays at what has been before hooking up the camera.
If you figured out that the SMPTE 352M Payload ID is missing on the SDI signals from the converter, that could also be a hint. Because, if I set the converter to 3GA and feed the TV-Receiver-Signal it also works with the Television studio. And BM also claims it works with both A and B.
Even if the ATEM is set to level A, it does not recognize input from the HDMI-SDI-converter
set to Level A, with camera as HDMI input.
Funny: When I set the BM TelevisionStudioHD to 1080p50 Level A(!), I wonder why ATEM is delivering segmented frames instead of progressive here? The Magwell sees 1080sF 50Hz, and can not decode it.
This SMPTE 352M Payload ID missing problem might be some explanation, why sometimes its working and in other cases its not.
Do you also have an HDMI analyzer, too? Maybe you can figure out the difference between the camera handshake/data and the one from a TV-receiver.
I would expect, BM will do exactly this, but maybe only the p50-camera has this problem and not the 60p US-version (called VIXIA).
I hope to get in hold of a camera of a different manufacturer, to see how that will work out. But the LEGRIA is one of the cameras tested with best results out of its class. I get good results when shooting under low light conditions.