Odyssey7Q February 2014 Firmware Update

Mitch Gross said:
We are actively working on a 4K compressed video recording. When it is complete we will be able to capture the output of the GH4 (via the YAGH base) as well as other cameras which can output 4K over SDI, such as the Sony F55 and the new Phantom Flex4K. We will also be able to capture 4K from the Blackmagic Design Studio Camera with a small Blackmagic adapter.
Click to expand...
Could you capture HD compressed from such signals now? I mean with the high quality down-scaling done in the o7q?
 
We are not currently set up to do that, but it may be something that we could implement with relative speed. I will put it to engineering.

Note that the cameras can all output their own HD, so it would have to be an improved HD from the Odyssey to be worth it. That's currently the case on the FS700 but not so on the C500, which offers an excellent HD output.
 
Hi Mitch,
Will the current firmware in multicamera mode accept 1x HD-SDI signal and 1x HDMI signal at the same time, asumming the are both 1080p for monitoring?
Sorry I dont have 2 sources to be able to test:)

Thanks
 
Cliffs71 said:
Mitch...
Any word on the ProRes File Transfer tool? Got an interview shoot on Thursday and would love to finally use my 7Q as more than a monitor.
Click to expand...

Confused by this request. You don't need the ProRes transfer tool to transfer the ProRes files off the O7Q. Just eject the SSD's and copy/cut/paste the files over to your computer.
 
Confused by this request. You don't need the ProRes transfer tool to transfer the ProRes files off the O7Q. Just eject the SSD's and copy/cut/paste the files over to your computer.
Click to expand...

No... the way the 7Q handles the files, they are broken up into smaller 4GB/3 min chunks. Mitch said they are releasing a ProRes transfer tool that merges the clips back together on import.
 
sunnyjimfilms said:
Worryingly yes.
Click to expand...

Hmm, what battery plate are you using? I am using the Westside video or something like that.

Mitch, next bug; The 7Q loses video signal A LOT. Seems like every time I touch the SDI cable, the picture screws up and it says "video signal lost during recording". SDI cable are not usually that sensitive. Have you heard anyone else reporting this problem?

Thanks

p.s. I'm not in a situation to call customer support right now. Any chance you could pass this onto your team please?
 
Last edited:
I'm using Vlock batteries with Dtap connections. Was advised by CD to see if problem recurred with AC connection but am unable to replicate rigours of location shooting at home and am not seeing problem with configuration I used on shoot let alone when hooked up to mains. Got so bad was powering up every other shot and waiting for clip recovery each time.
 
Cliffs71 said:
No... the way the 7Q handles the files, they are broken up into smaller 4GB/3 min chunks. Mitch said they are releasing a ProRes transfer tool that merges the clips back together on import.
Click to expand...

Yes. But why would the unavailability of the tool prevent you from "finally using my 7Q as more than a monitor" as you stated? Drop the ProRes 4GB chunks into any NLE timeline and there is no gap on playback. Nest the spanned clips into a sequence if you need to organize it.
 
Cliffs71 said:
No... the way the 7Q handles the files, they are broken up into smaller 4GB/3 min chunks. Mitch said they are releasing a ProRes transfer tool that merges the clips back together on import.
Click to expand...
I think it's a tool that joins them once they are offloaded into your computer/HD/etc. So it shouldn't stop you from using the 7Q now... Just import the footage and join them when it's released.
At least that's how I understood it.
 
Prendi said:
Hmm, what battery plate are you using? I am using the Westside video or something like that.

Mitch, next bug; The 7Q loses video signal A LOT. Seems like every time I touch the SDI cable, the picture screws up and it says "video signal lost during recording". SDI cable are not usually that sensitive. Have you heard anyone else reporting this problem?

Thanks

p.s. I'm not in a situation to call customer support right now. Any chance you could pass this onto your team please?
Click to expand...

That sounds like a connection problem. Are you using Elbows? Or maybe your BNC cable has a faulty end. On my Small HD DP 6 I used to use these crappy elbows and quite a few times after touching the cable / elbows, the screen would go out. I then got these high quality elbows and it did not happen anymore.

I know Mitch hates elbows, but I've been using a quality set I got from Pacific Radio in Burbank and a set from Olof @ Westside AV and they have worked great. Not a single lost connection yet.

Another test you might try is just power the 7Q using the supplied Power Adapter into the wall instead of the using the battery plate. Then you can see if that's the issue.
 
jamesc said:
Yes. But why would the unavailability of the tool prevent you from "finally using my 7Q as more than a monitor" as you stated? Drop the ProRes 4GB chunks into any NLE timeline and there is no gap on playback. Nest the spanned clips into a sequence if you need to organize it.
Click to expand...
Right... but why go though the extra steps (especially as that doesn't automatically preserve timecode and I would manually have to go in and reset timecode for these new clips) when there is supposed to be a tool to do the job released 'any moment?' Just because I CAN do something to make it work doesn't mean I SHOULD do that thing. I'd be better off just using the 7Q as a monitor and my Samurai for recording (as I've been doing since I got my 7Q months ago).

dmitrizigany said:
I think it's a tool that joins them once they are offloaded into your computer/HD/etc. So it shouldn't stop you from using the 7Q now... Just import the footage and join them when it's released.
At least that's how I understood it.
Click to expand...
Well, I was hoping for a chance to test the workflow BEFORE committing to shooting this on the Odyssey.

Again, there's always probably going to be workarounds, but I wanted to test before going into the shoot. Mitch was saying he thought it would be signed off on yesterday, so that's what I'm waiting on. If it's not up and available by tomorrow, I'll just stick to recording on the Atomos for now. I'm not offended or angry, just anxious.
 
So, dare I ask, now that the firmware hump has been driven over, when does the O7 ship? I can't possibly be the only one interested in this---huh what's this?

*letter arrives just now*

"Dear Mr. John Boss" (why can't they ever get my name right?)

"You are in fact the only one interested in our Odyssey7 product.

Sincerely, Convergent Design"

Well, huh. There it is then.
 
Cliffs71 said:
Right... but why go though the extra steps (especially as that doesn't automatically preserve timecode and I would manually have to go in and reset timecode for these new clips)
Click to expand...

Timecode is preserved across spanned clips for ProRes. No extra steps. Try it out.
 
Prendi said:
Hmm, what battery plate are you using? I am using the Westside video or something like that.

Mitch, next bug; The 7Q loses video signal A LOT. Seems like every time I touch the SDI cable, the picture screws up and it says "video signal lost during recording". SDI cable are not usually that sensitive. Have you heard anyone else reporting this problem?

Thanks

p.s. I'm not in a situation to call customer support right now. Any chance you could pass this onto your team please?
Click to expand...

3G-HD-SDI is FAR more sensitive to connection problems than 1.5G. Not all BNC's are equal (far from it) and not all cable is equal. They quality of the initial build of the cable and the current condition of the cable is critical. It takes experience to terminate a cable well enough to be used for camera original data. A cable that has been kinked or pinched will have a higher return loss because the dielectric has been smashed changing the impedance of the cable. I am very reluctant to ever use elbows or barrels at 1.5G when I am recording the signal as camera original - at 3G I would never do it. Direct connections only no matter how inconvenient it may be for cable management.

Without any specific equipment in mind - 3G-HD-SDI must be dealt with using only the best connectors, cable, and care. When a cable gets tied in a not, pinched in the dolly, etc - it must go.

This comes from my practicing knowledge of electrical engineering and 20 years on set dealing with progressively more challenging signals on movies and TV shows. If my 7Q was giving me that error, I may send them a thank you note ;-)
 
Cliffs71 said:
Right... but why go though the extra steps (especially as that doesn't automatically preserve timecode and I would manually have to go in and reset timecode for these new clips) when there is supposed to be a tool to do the job released 'any moment?' Just because I CAN do something to make it work doesn't mean I SHOULD do that thing. I'd be better off just using the 7Q as a monitor and my Samurai for recording (as I've been doing since I got my 7Q months ago).


Well, I was hoping for a chance to test the workflow BEFORE committing to shooting this on the Odyssey.

Again, there's always probably going to be workarounds, but I wanted to test before going into the shoot. Mitch was saying he thought it would be signed off on yesterday, so that's what I'm waiting on. If it's not up and available by tomorrow, I'll just stick to recording on the Atomos for now. I'm not offended or angry, just anxious.
Click to expand...
The tool will merge spanned clips together once they're copied over to your Mac. With it you only have the one clip to manage, without it, import the collection and slot them together on your timeline. It's really not a big overhead, given the choice of 4k 12 bit super sampled to HD and 8 bit HD, I'd put the Atomos to one side ;-)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top