GoPro Hero 3 Black via HDMI to SDI issue

I recently purchased a GoPro Hero3 Black to use through a BM HDMI-SDI mini converter into my BM TVS. When the GoPro is connected directly into the TVS via HDMI, it works fine. When trying to use it through the converter, no luck. BM tech support has tried to resolve the problem with the same camera and has concluded that the problem is in the handshake to the converter which seemed to arrise with the latest firmware update by GoPro. BM's suggestion was to roll back the firmware on the GoPro but after several conversations with GoPro tech support, they rufuse to provide an earlier firmware and claim it would void the warrenty and could damage the camera. Before I return the GoPro, I thought I would plead my case in this forum and see if anyone has figured this issue out.
Thank you in advance for any consideration.

Has anyone ever tried an EDID manager on these things. I would think that might help.

What are you trying to running it at?


The latest firmware on the Go Pro is terrible for live. With the latest firmware, if you get it work, the camera will still be on 4x3 until you actually hit record. Then it will adjust to the right size.


if you are tying to run your cameras at 720, you'll have to run them at 120 fps to get them to work.

I am trying to use it to provide a live stream in a theatre via wifi to dressing room monitors (another challenge in itself). I have tried all combinations of settings with not so much as a glitch on the TVS. The tech support team at BM has also been very helpful because they have the same camera but have not been succesful in makeing it work either.

After researching EDID, I understand what it means but I have no idea how to impliment it. Any suggestions?

EDID is a real pain. It is designed for idiots and apple users who don't want to configure anything, the theory is "you plug it in and it just works" while that sounds great as we can see it really doesn't work in practice.

EDID works by having BI-DIRECTIONAL communication between the source and sink (ie. player and screen) that way when grandma plugs her blu-ray palyer into her plasma screen the screen can tell the player what formats it supports and then the blu-ray will only use those formats.

SDI don't work that way. SDI is UNI-DIRECTIONAL being a broadcast format the designers figured that users would be smart enough to know their frame-rate.

So what happens when we go from HDMI that in many cased uses EDID as the only way to set the video format, and does so automatically, to SDI where the format is always set manually? Crap shoot that's what.

What an EDID manager or emulator does is allow you to over ride this automatic process. What you would do is place the EDID manager in the HDMI line and it would tell the GoPro what format to send out. So if your running 720p you program the EDID manager to 720p59.94 and it tells the GoPro that the display on the other end of the cable only supports 720p59.94 and then it will send that.

Have never tried this, I get this info from working with media servers where we use EDID managers to keep everything running smoothly but its the same idea.

Everyone,
Thank you for your help. I returned the camera while I still could. BMD tech support couldn't work it out so I chalked this one up to video voodoo...

Other posts have mentioned: http://www.gefen.com/kvm/ext-hdmi-edidp ... od_id=8005

For a project I had the same problem with GoPro's in a show. We solved it by using BM DVI extenders instead.

I have had success using the Gefen HDMI Detective Plus with a GoPro 2. Then into a BMD HDMI to SDI Converter. One note, it only works at 720. I have been unsuccessful at 1080.

Go Pro Finally released their new update yesterday and it fixes issues with Go Pro 3's, they now output HD through the HDMI. Before they were only outputting HD when the go pro was in record mode.


Great Update for all of us! Tested and fully working on all of our go pros.

My experience with GoPro (and other consumer hdmi cameras) through the HDMI-to-SDI mini converter was to downgrade the firmware of the converter to v1.9. Something is broken in the 2.x versions.
Download the v1.9 utility for Mac or Windows, plug the converter with USB and "update" the firmware.
That's how we got our GoPro and Canon camcorders to play nice with SDI...

sad,

Luc

That sounds very encouraging. Ill have to give this another try.
Thank you for the updates.

Dear all,

I'm running HDMI-SDI mini converter, ver2.1 with gopro hero3 black edition, ver HD3.03.03.00 (latest).
I am running from the SDI output to an analog way eikos 500 (I wish I had something better, at least the preview screen). Anyway, after a while I discovered that having processing on (so I turned it off after discovering what it does), on the converter, causes the output to be in 576i (when gopro is in pal), even though my gopro is at 1080p/50 - then I read the retail box that lists the different resolution/frame rates. After lots of trial and error and discovering one of my hdmi cable is rubbish, I finally got it working at 1080p/24 (as per the box), and the switcher detects it correctly. Thank God.

Another tip I read on the forums was to activate a recording loop as the live hdmi output is higher quality.

Another tip I read is if you want 720p/50, set the gopro to 720p/100

Edit: Also helps when changing res/frame on gopro to restart the converter, otherwise it won't catch the new settings

Cheers

Any one know how to keep go pro 3 recording for the whole event?

battery: how long can it record with the battery pack? Is there external power source?

sd card: is there a way to keep it record without to need someone press it again

I haven't had any issues with a GoPro Hero2 on the 1 M/E. Although I have had issues with another mixer (Panasonic HMX100) and the Hero2 with various HDMI to SDI converters. I put a Gefen HDMI Detective in-line and it worked perfectly. Make sure you read the instructions on how to save the EDID.

JPParker provided the answer for our GoPro problem.
We were trying to add a GoPro Hero3 into a Panasonic HMX100 switcher for a superwide shot of the venue. The switcher simply would not accept the GoPro's HDMI signal. We were set-up for a 720/60 production. We expected the GoPro would also need to be set-up to output 720/60. It was not until we were nearly giving up that we stumbled on this forum (GoPro solutions on the BM Forum??) and saw JPParker's suggestion that we change the frame rate on the GoPro to 120...Shazaam!. Thank you JP...you made our day.

dal in Bellingham, WA