FS7: Can't get anything out of SDI 1 or 2 but 1080 (no 4K ???)

Chris Johnston

Chris Johnston

Veteran
I know I'm probably doing something wrong but....
When I go into the FS7 menu, go into "Video" then output format, I get a menu with only 3 output format options like this

SDI..........................HDMI
O---.......................... 4096 x 2160P
O---...........................3840 x 2160P
O 1920 x 1080PsF........1920 x 1080i

I'm trying to get the SDI to feed my 7Q with 4K from the sdi port but it would appear the FS7 isn't putting out anything but 1080 out of the sdi port? (both sdi and hdmi are set to "output on" in the previous menu.

Am I doing something wrong? Missing a setting somewhere?
FS7 Ver 3 firmware.

Works fine with 7Q if I select the bottom (1080) option and set the 7Q to FS7 HD to HD (prorez)
 
It's not Sony at fault - a single 3G SDI is only capable of HD, so either a 12G SDI or 3x 3G SDI would be needed. And HDMI - while not as secure connection - is a simple and versatile protocol; for instance you can connect it straight to a HDMI 2.0 equipped UHDTV and play 4K in full glory. Doing so with 12G SDI would require a very expensive super-pro monitor.
 
To get a RAW signal out of the FS7, one needs to add the XDCA-FS7 extension unit to the back. That has a RAW data output. With an Odyssey7Q+/7Q with the Odssey RAW Bundle activated, this allows recording 4K60p and 2K240p in either CinemaDNG or Apple ProRes.
 
Think one of these would work to get 4K out of the FS7 and into the 7Q? (spec don't say if it's hdmi 2.0 complient, if that even applies to a cable??)

HDMI CABLE

If not....any suggestions/
 
There are very few cameras capable of outputting 4K video (not RAW data) via SDI. I can count them on one hand.

The FS700 outputs 4K in RAW data form. You can do that on e the FS7 as well with the XDCA extension box.
 
But as said in the other thread - why is it not possible to use the HDMI interface of the FS7 to get UHD 50p/60p 10bit 422? If it is true that the interface is HDMI 2.0 that should be possible.
 
wschmid said:
But as said in the other thread - why is it not possible to use the HDMI interface of the FS7 to get UHD 50p/60p 10bit 422? If it is true that the interface is HDMI 2.0 that should be possible.
Click to expand...

Wait, what signal is coming out of the HDMI if I set the cam to 4K internal? (or is the FS7/7Q combo pretty much just a monitor unless a buy the $2K Sony attachment?)
 
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Chris Johnston said:
Wait, what signal is coming out of the HDMI if I set the cam to 4K internal? (or is the FS7/7Q combo pretty much just a monitor unless a buy the $2K Sony attachment?)
Click to expand...

http://camalot.nl/downloads/website/broadcast/fs7-manual.pdf

If you read the manual, pages 94 to 104 are a detailed chart of what each possible video format will permit as a possible SDI or HDMI output.

Note the linked manual is not the latest revision (not having great google-fu this afternoon), and may not reflect modes made available in more recent firmware.

The general rule is this: if you use internal 4k, sans XDCA, you get 4k HDMI out at the same frame rate as an option (but can intentionally choose 1080p for monitor compatibility if preferred). You may get to choose between 4096 and 3840 widths for the HDMI out regardless of the internal record width.

Easiest way to verify this all is to hold the camera and switch to the desired mode, then look at the menu for video out settings.
 
Got it, but I was trying to find out about bit rate, etc.... i.e. If it's (HDMI) putting out 4K at 8 bit 420 (or something lower than internal) , I'd rather just use internal recording.
 
Chris Johnston said:
Got it, but I was trying to find out about bit rate, etc.... i.e. If it's (HDMI) putting out 4K at 8 bit 420 (or something lower than internal) , I'd rather just use internal recording.
Click to expand...

HDMI is going to be an uncompressed bit stream, so bit rates are pretty immaterial, but could could be calculated by the color encoding (YUV,RGB), frame size, and frame rate, and the carrier bit rate - which could be padded.

If you simply want to know whether it's 8bit or 10bit - I've read some sources claiming 10 bit, but nothing I can personally confirm. Running a saw test or ingesting an uncompressed 10bit frame grab into some image editing software should let you know if the bits got padded.

Mitch Gross might have an answer for you.
 
wschmid said:
But as said in the other thread - why is it not possible to use the HDMI interface of the FS7 to get UHD 50p/60p 10bit 422? If it is true that the interface is HDMI 2.0 that should be possible.
Click to expand...
I do not believe that you are correct here. I am positive that the FS7 4K/UHD HDMI output is 4:2:2 and about 95% sure that it is 10-bit. It would simply not make sense for the camera to send out 8-bit or 4:2:0 as the internal processing of the machine does not call for that in its architecture. Sony would actually be forced to do MORE work in order to add 8-bit or 4:2:0 just to then spit it out over HDMI. Please show me the documentation that states otherwise.
 
Viddovation said:
HDMI is going to be an uncompressed bit stream, so bit rates are pretty immaterial, but could could be calculated by the color encoding (YUV,RGB), frame size, and frame rate, and the carrier bit rate - which could be padded.

If you simply want to know whether it's 8bit or 10bit - I've read some sources claiming 10 bit, but nothing I can personally confirm. Running a saw test or ingesting an uncompressed 10bit frame grab into some image editing software should let you know if the bits got padded.

Mitch Gross might have an answer for you.
Click to expand...


Internal saw test... I need to try recoring that to internal plus Shogun and see if I observe color pollution in the Shogun recording, as I do with the moon shots.
 
Mitch Gross said:
I do not believe that you are correct here. I am positive that the FS7 4K/UHD HDMI output is 4:2:2 and about 95% sure that it is 10-bit. It would simply not make sense for the camera to send out 8-bit or 4:2:0 as the internal processing of the machine does not call for that in its architecture. Sony would actually be forced to do MORE work in order to add 8-bit or 4:2:0 just to then spit it out over HDMI. Please show me the documentation that states otherwise.
Click to expand...

The 4K/UHD HDMI output of the FS7 is definitely 10 bit 4:2:2. Mitch is correct.
 
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