Flanders Scientific and SmallHD compatability issue

[Rippie]

I'd love to hear thoughts if any of you have Flanders Scientific monitors or SmallHD, or even if you have neither.

I own a Flanders Scientific CM171 17" client monitor and just a few days ago received my SmallHD 702.
I didn't find out till after I received it that it has a compatibility issue with Flanders monitors (and possibly others)
in which they won't see each other.

Wanting to use the 702 onboard, and the Flanders back at Video village this will obviously be a problem.
I contacted both and received emails back.

I wanted to share them here for possible advice since other than the compatibility problem I very much like each one and what each has to offer.

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SmallHd's response:
"As far as what I have come to understand is that the issue is not one so easily solvable. Our engineers have invested a good amount of time trying to find a resolution but either the hardware is limited or the fix is unknown. We have put the notice on the site so that people can know what to expect.
If you are reliant on the monitor working with a Flanders, I cannot promise it will happen. I hope they will eventually have a fix, but I have no ETA nor guarantee at this time "
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Flanders Scientific's response:
"FSI monitors are not just "compatible" with incoming signal formats like consumer and prosumer sets, but actually lock onto the incoming SDI signal and display it as such, which will be important in order to detect potential signal format issues, and ultimately to prevent bigger problems downstream in the workflow.

We have analyzed the physical layer of the SDI signal from a SmallHD HDMI to SDI converter with our Omnitek testgear and found it to be far out of spec. We have been in contact with SmallHD on this, and have looked into "widening" the tolerance on our end, but to date no workable solution was found.

It is possible that this will get solved in future firmware releases, but technically it is kind of a dilemma on our end between offering compatibility with this popular product and to maintain a reference grade product line of monitors, and at this time I don't have any concrete timetable for a solution to this incompatibility."

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I'd love to hear if you happen to own both or even just one and how you're dealing with it.
It does look like I'll have to return the 702 simply because it should still be under a return policy. I love what it has to offer, but if
it's "far out of spec" that would worry me for future problems as well with any monitor/camera.

If I do return it, what other options are you guys using out there that has as many bells and whistles as the 702?
(I absolutely love that it takes canon and sony L mount at the same time, output luts, and the "page" system)

I sold my TvLogic 5.6" to get the 702. Looking to move forward not backwards.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Run&Gun]

So, if I'm interpreting the response from Flanders correctly, the issue is the original signal is HDMI and then the sHD monitor is converting that to SDI and you're sending that to the FSI monitor(you didn't really lay out an explanation of your problem or give much tech info) Is it out of the question to use a dedicated HDMI-to-SDI converter box from Blackmagic(or others) earlier in the chain, before any monitors?

 

[Rippie]

So, if I'm interpreting the response from Flanders correctly, the issue is the original signal is HDMI and then the sHD monitor is converting that to SDI and you're sending that to the FSI monitor(you didn't really lay out an explanation of your problem or give much tech info) Is it out of the question to use a dedicated HDMI-to-SDI converter box from Blackmagic(or others) earlier in the chain, before any monitors?

Well that's what I was trying to figure out as well. On the website it just said incompatible (?).
Even with the responses it wasn't clear. It seems that it's a problem with cross conversion, hdmi input to sdi output.
I do think it's kind of dumb to have to use an external box when one of the major pluses of buying an expensive monitor like this is that it has built in cross conversion.
However, because I do like each of these monitors on their own I will be keeping the 702 and just as you mention use an external atomos converter I already own. More unnecessary bulk.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Run&Gun]

More unnecessary bulk.

That's the way I feel with so much of our stuff, especially when I have to shoot with my C300.

It's a shame that you do have to resort to a stand alone converter. You'd think that once it was SDI, you'd be good to go into almost anything as long as it was the right frame rate and rez.