Camera Fiber Converter DB25 Tally coms ect

Its me again

So ive been reading that the External tally and coms on the Camera Fiber Converter and the URSA broadcast dont work i just read in the camera updates notes something about coms.

I just want to check that i can externally feed tally and coms into this camera

Thanks
Trav

[Gary Adams]

Hello Travis. The External Tally and Talkback connections on the Studio Fiber Convert DB-25 are functional. In fact all the connections on this connector are supported. It is important that an ATEM switcher SDI feed be connected to SDI Input #1 on the Studio Talkback Converter for everything to work correctly. This could be confusing to some. And make sure you are on the current firmware.

Regards, Gary

Hi Gary

Can you please confirm what is meant by

"It is important that an ATEM switcher SDI feed be connected to SDI Input #1 on the Studio Talk back Converter"

Im not sure if im using a ATEM switcher or not and im using a full independent coms system so if i do use the ATEM switcher i wont be using the coms section of this will this be a issue

Thanks
Trav

[Gary Adams]

Hello Travis. When using the Studio Fiber Converter with Blackmagic cameras, the ATEM switcher provides Tally, Camera Control and Talkback. It is ok to use another switcher for switching but generally you still need an ATEM to control the cameras. On the back of the Studio Fiber Converter, there are three SDI inputs that go back to the camera. SDI Input #1 is important to making this all work. The frame rate of the camera must match the frame rate of SDI #1 and also SDI #1 must be an ATEM switcher that carries the ancillary data for tally and camera control. You can add external tally from a different switcher but it needs to ride on the ATEM SDI inside the converter. While people may do this, it's difficult to imagine not having an ATEM anyway because that is where the camera control originates.

I am editing this to add a possible workaround that I use for testing. Without an ATEM SDI signal, you can loop one of the Camera SDI outputs to Input #1. In this case, make sure the camera is referenced either Internally or Externally and not Program. This SDI feed has the ancillary data to support the external Tally and Intercom.


Regards, Gary

[quote="Gary Adams"]Hello Travis. When using the Studio Fiber Converter with Blackmagic cameras, the ATEM switcher provides Tally, Camera Control and Talkback.

So then what is the DB25 used for? I want to use external tally and external coms into the Studio Fiber Converter in some situations (I realize that you need a ATEM connected to get said control as you cant do this standalone with these cameras so there will be atem there purely for control). So what your saying is that you cant use external sources into the Studio Fiber Converter you have to generate it all from the ATEM?

I guess tally isnt really a issue but external coms is in this case

Thanks
Travis

[Gary Adams]

Hello Travis. That is the purpose of the DB-25. You may use a 3rd party switcher for switching and providing tally via this connector. The ATEM is still used for Camera control and connected to SDI #1 but you may connect your switcher video to SDI #2 or #3. You may wire the tally from your switcher to this connector. The interface requires a + voltage to work which may be a configuration of your switcher or a simple external relay circuit to work. You can connect a 4 Wire interface from your 3rd party intercom to this connector as well. You only need to connect to one camera and the ATEM will interconnect multiple cameras in this case.

Regards, Gary

Hello, I have a problem with the talkback via the Blackmagic Camera / Studio Fibre Converter.

I use the Micro Studio 4K Camera for my Polecam. This is connected to the Blackmagic Camera Converter. Depending on the production, my Studio Fibre Converter is either in the OB van or in the control room.
The camera is controlled with the Skaarhoj RCPv2 SDI. The other cameras are from Grass Valley.
Everything usually works great. Even the intercom. It is connected via the DB25.
In some studios, such as emg, the talkback does not work. In particular, I can't hear the control room on my Polecam, regardless of whether I'm connected to ENG/Prod/PGM.
Interestingly, the way it works depends on the return signal. Apparently there are certain video signals that the fibre converter does not understand and then switches off the talkback.
What is wrong here?

[Gary Adams]

In order for the external talkback audio to reach the camera, Return 1 must have 16 channels of audio embedded in the SDI. Without channels 13-16 present the audio from the 4 wire interface will not pass. Usually this return has an ATEM that has the channels present. I hope this helps.

Gary

Hello Gary.
I don't understand that now.
I connect my Studio Fibre Converter in the TV studio.
IN goes into the Studio Fibre Converter, the TV back image and the audio from the director to me. Prod. listen, prod. speak via DB25.
The Studio Fibre Converter should then automatically embed the audio in channels 13-16.
But this does not always happen. Is there a video signal that the Studio Fibre Converter does not understand and therefore cannot embed the audio?

[Gary Adams]

I realize I may not be perfectly clear on this. The SDI video signal connected to Return 1 of the Studio Fiber converter, must already have SDI audio on channels 1-16. This means the data for audio must be present there. It does not need to contain audio specifically, but the carrier for all audio channels must be present. To embed audio on 13-16 for talkback, the channels must already be present. You did not say the source of this SDI you are using, but It must have 16 channels of audio present or the embedding will not work. The other condition that I like to present which may or may not be necessary in your setup is the Return 1 frame rate must match the camera frame rate. This is the way our Studio/Camera Fiber converters were designed.

Gary