RPSharman Posted October 24, 2012 Report Share Posted October 24, 2012 The DIT on my show asked me why I don't have HD monitors. He says they're so much better. Didn't want to set up downconverts like he did on previous season. I told him I don't need the picture to be "better". I don't want to buy new monitors. I don't want to be cabled to the village, and his 'B' operator is thrilled to dust off his Modulus and get a few bucks for something he thought he'd never rent again. He brought up having the WiFi solution on his last show. But the delay was significant. If it ain't broke... If I need to cable up at some point, I still believe it's reasonable to have downconverters be in the camera package. I'll run a CAT5 system from DIT or video assist (if we have one). Why would a sound mixer need an HD signal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Burstein Posted October 24, 2012 Report Share Posted October 24, 2012 Why would a sound mixer need an HD signal? To attract a crowd around you while you're working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted October 24, 2012 Report Share Posted October 24, 2012 Because when the picture looks better the sound sounds better. Works that way in the studio, anyhow. philp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Steigerwald Posted October 24, 2012 Report Share Posted October 24, 2012 Blackmagic Design makes a great 3RU dual 8" HD-SDI unit for ~$700. SmartView DUO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McL Posted October 24, 2012 Report Share Posted October 24, 2012 Scott Farr (I think) brought up this piece of wireless, low-latency kit last week on the G+ Hangout: http://www.paralinx.net/ Price and specs are right if it works... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izen Ears Posted October 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 Still waiting on an HDSDI balun! Sup wit dat? 'Till then... no HD monitors for me. Anyone try those powered baluns that supposedly do HDSDI? It's so fun to read this, brings me right back and it's infinitely better than starting a new thread with the same questions. Dan Izen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelza30 Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 I switched to the black magic smart view duo. So far very happy. I have to be 100' from video village which is a downside, but the upside is you are the best friend to the hair, makeup, and wardrobe departments who all seem to hang around my cart after making the switch. I also noticed the gaffer and DP have been merciless on me over boom shadows since since they are so much easier to see on my monitors. If only they'd stop using those damn back lights. Couldn't get it to work with my ETS passive balun system and AJA down converters. I think the balun didn't like the Sdi signal, if it was down converted. I now ask the camera department to wrangle some more BnC from their rental house when ordering the package. It's not bulletproof, but at least it's theirs and not mine. Keep us posted if you find a good HD passive balun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Smith Posted October 28, 2012 Report Share Posted October 28, 2012 There is a HD-SDI made by Mulab, whi they state will supprt full HD-SDI over CAT 5E for 330 feet. Lookup product #500700 on Muxlab's website at: http://www.muxlab.com Unfortunatly, it will only support a sngle HD-SDI signal, so you would need y run two cat 5E cables for dual monitors. I think that the bandwidth limitations of CAT 5E are going to be th limiting factor here. I think fiber is going to be the way to go, although the interfaces aren't cheap! --S Still waiting on an HDSDI balun! Sup wit dat? 'Till then... no HD monitors for me. Anyone try those powered baluns that supposedly do HDSDI? It's so fun to read this, brings me right back and it's infinitely better than starting a new thread with the same questions. Dan Izen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomboom Posted October 28, 2012 Report Share Posted October 28, 2012 Just for info, IF somebody happens to buy/try the Teradek Bolt system within next weeks, feel free to share your experience. Should be available october. Paper specs: $2000 , HD-SDI wireless, no latency, 300' range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
commpost Posted October 28, 2012 Report Share Posted October 28, 2012 This is a great thread. I really appreciate the equipment recommendations! Cart picture monitoring is something I want for mine. The camera dept have their video village; I have come to call my cart the "sound town". You are so right -- a sound cart can attract a crowd of it's own if properly equipped. What has bugged me almost more than anything is when the video cart gets moved around, and I have to chase it. I suppose on some shoots you wanna be near the video cart, on others you don't. It's a political decision. For the moment, I am done chasing the video village all over the place. Even when I'm near it, I usually can't see the picture because it's got blinders and people crowd around it anyway. ~ Commpost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roundbadge Posted November 2, 2012 Report Share Posted November 2, 2012 I finally made the switch from my old Ikan analog monitors,bit the bullet and got a Marshall Vmd702 HDSDI rack dual monitor..does HDSI or Standard def. hate to say it but I'm now addicted to the picture quality. although after being on 100 foot Cat 5's for years now I hate running the dual bnc's again..unwieldy and fragile. I have my old analog Cat5 system running on the SD ports for the odd film shoot and just made some 75 foot dual BNC/single audio snakes for the SDI inputs. I can go either way if needed.most the video guys I work with have down conversion but I'm tellin' ya,the SDI picture quality on the cart is fan-tastic! . I really want to lose the BNC and go Cat5 or wireless on the SDI. onward and upwards ..I guess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnpaul215 Posted November 2, 2012 Report Share Posted November 2, 2012 Scott Farr (I think) brought up this piece of wireless, low-latency kit last week on the G+ Hangout: http://www.paralinx.net/ Price and specs are right if it works... I've worked with these on a few jobs over the Summer. The steadycam op had one on his Epic. He had a Decimator2 to split the video for his monitor and to provide the HDMI port that this transmitter uses. The transmitter looks like a slightly larger USB flash drive, but has a HDMI plug instead of a USB plug. We were filming in restaurants around Philly and never had reception issues. The owner was out of NYC and said he uses it there all the time too. It definitely worked better than other systems I have been around in the past. I never got to really test the range of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthias Richter Posted February 6, 2013 Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 bringing back this topic - I believe the Decimator 2 is the only converter that does HD-SDI to Composite (PAL in my case)? The AJA and the Blackmagic ones can do downconvert to Composite with SD-SDI but not with HD-SDI. Right? Is that flickering problem with the Decimator still alive? Every new shoot needs way too many discussions now just to get me a picture. Time to look into a personal solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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