FYI, Canare is pronounced like the final e is a "ay" -- ca-nare-ay. Armored LC fiber cables are pretty inexpensive... about $1/meter. And hold up fairly well to abuse.
For my small operation, HDMI Fiber is perfectly cost effective for me. (Knock on wood) I haven’t had a fiber hdmi cable fail on me. All my cameras are HDMI, call my cables are HDMI, and all my wireless transmitters/recievers are HDMI. I get that SDI is the more Professional route. But for now fiber HDMI has been great and until my business gets to a point where it makes sense to; we will graduate to SDI.
Everyone has to make their decisions based on where they’re at. For me, things grew and SDI made sense. I have a feeling anything beyond this would require fiber or 2110 which I’ve slowly started to add to the mix.
Yes me too. I work with both sdi and cheap fiber-hdmi cables and expected them to fail easy but it just never happened once yet and I use the cables for gigs in all kind of situations. Even outside gigs. I just make sure the cables are in special 'gutters' or under rubber mats where people walk or drive but that has to be done with sdi cables also so there is no difference there.
I am not using SDI cables because of static electricity. In my case I am very happy with optic HDMI, no issue at all. I even can put it right near the power cables where SDI signal will be flickering instantly. And this is the main reason for me.
I have had similar issues in the past. After much research and playing around, I learnt that the static from our hand held radios we were using for coms, was interfering with the converters and causing this problem. This was in my high schools setup so am definitely looking at alternatives (at least for now) whilst I look to start my own live streaming service
Personally, I use generic fibre for all long cable runs. Armoured duplex or uniboot os2 is much cheaper than SDI once you have the converters, and you have a spare core for backup or another signal. Plus we only need to stock a single cable type that can carry whatever we need, network, video, audio, even usb. I just wish more kit had SFP modules that would let you switch between copper and optical.
@@zephanmosesyeah I keep an eye on ebay for second hand yellobrik converters, but the blackmagic 12g with 3g SFPs aren't too costly. The other benefit for us as well is that it's less weight and volume overall to carry a couple dozen converters and fibre than the equivalent in sdi cables, and you can more easily run the thin cables under doors, along skirting boards, etc. Standard plastic os2 is light enough to even be taped to a wall or ceiling in a pinch. And there are ways to push multiple signals over the same core, e.g. with bidi sfps or multiplexers, which can further extend what you're able to do with cheap cables.
I use sdi and cheap fiber optic cables on the gigs. I have never had one fiber cable break yet even though I thought and calculated that would happen. The argument of sending the cable to repair is hilarious. Repairing a optical-fiber cable is for sure much more expensive then just replacing it. SDI cable can just as well break at gigs. Especially with the examples you gave. But an new sdi cable is about 4 times more expensive. Yes hdmi was never meant for pro use in the first place and the two way communication it needs to start working can be a bit of a pain. But as the majority of atem mini users are working with hdmi versions, you are bringing this way too unbalanced in this video. A hdmi to sdi converter and then back + a hdmi cable costs about the same as 4 fiber-optic hdmi cables. This was the reason I started trying fiber-optic hdmi in the first place. I am amazed at how many times I am using these cables and never has gone out yet. So I just have to completely disagree with you on this video. Keep up the good work :)
I've never used HDMI fiber cables just 'cause all the cons you mantioned so cannot tell anything about it. Happy that you finally realized the way to go ;-)
All we use in our portable chuch is SDI. They do wear out but they can easily be rebuilt if you have some basic soldering skills. We use black magic mini converters to go to or from HDMI. The pass through converters don't work that well over long runs. When we do big shows like Easter or Christmas we use an SDI to Ethernet converter so we can send multiple signals over 1 cable. It works out easier when the stage of 100+ feet away from the control room with 5 cameras. We've tried using Tascam wireless systems but they are aggravating to use.
I started working in live broadcast television in 2003, and started my own company for doing multi-camera live productions in 2014. Since then we've done all kinds of live productions, including live TV broadcasts, for clients of every size. I've used live production switchers from Grass Valley, Ross, and yes, Blackmagic. With that said, I have to say that I disagree with every point you made- 1) While HDMI was originally developed for home media use, the cable itself doesn't care what it was originally made for. HDMI over fiber is a very different cable than a home theater HDMI cable. There is no reason a HDMI over fiber cable cannot be engineered to higher standards. SDI became a standard in the broadcast world because, for a long time, there were no other options for transporting high-bandwidth digital video. 2) Most of the complaints about HDMI ports failing on Blackmagic switchers have nothing to do with plugging and unplugging HDMI cables multiple times. Blackmagic switchers tend to get really hot, and have poor heat management. Most of the HDMI port failures I have seen on them is simply that they get so hot that they start to de-solder themselves. While Facebook groups with users who are mainly using HDMI based ATEMs might give you the impression that this issue is only prevalent on the HDMI models, even Blackmagic's higher end SDI switchers, like their constellation series for broadcasters, have these same kind of overheating issues resulting in port failures. Besides overheating, another common cause of port failures, both HDMI and SDI, on Blackmagic switchers, is component damage caused by power supply issues. These switchers do not have much in the way of protection circuitry, which means issues with the power supply can easily fry internal components. To address these issues, one should always use active cooling and a conditioned power supply when working with ATEM switchers. Using SDI can create additional risks here. Because SDI cable is conductive, a problem at the other end of the cable, or anywhere along the line, can result in a power surge, static discharge, or interference. And because these SDI ports share a common ground, any issue on one source could risk frying all of your SDI ports. In the broadcast world, you would almost never plug a long SDI cable run directly into a video switcher. The video switcher would be protected using SDI isolating transformers. If you are using SDI and connecting directly to your switcher, you are taking a risk. 3) Yes, fiber optic cables can be fragile, but so can SDI. A lot depends on the specific cable you are using. You listed things you've seen happen to fiber cables, well, I've seen things happen to SDI cables- I've seen SDI cables get ran over, swept up by a street sweeper, and slammed in a door. Regardless of the cable you are using, it is important to practice safe cabling techniques and be careful with your cable runds. Fiber optic cable can be tough, and SDI cable can be flimsy. You just need to select the right cable and carefully plan your cable runs. Here are some reasons why HDMI over fiber can be a better choice than SDI- 1) When you start to approach the length limit of SDI cable, you can start to have interference issues, especially when dealing with higher bandwidth video. Fiber simply provides a more reliable signal. 2) Almost all cameras have HDMI outputs, where models with SDI outputs are more expensive. Yes, you can use converters, but this adds yet another potential point for failure and increases setup time. HDMI over fiber can help minimize the setup steps your crew needs to undertake and the total amount of gear you need. 3) You don't have to worry as much about electrical isolation, as the signal is being carried via fiber and only converted back to electrical at one end. It kind of provides its own electrical isolation. 4) Fiber is often cheaper than SDI, making it financially easier to have backup cable reels in place. 5) Fiber is far lighter and can be much more flexible than SDI, simplifying cable runs, speeding up setup and takedown times, and reducing crew labor. 6) HDMI is uncompressed, which can be beneficial in some situations. SDI video is limited to specific standards, which depending on your application, can result in lost quality. Even big broadcasters are switching to fiber for their outside broadcasts. And while they are mainly using tactical fiber solutions with locking connectors, inside, it is still just a fiber optic cable. However, recently I saw a large sports broadcast where the confidence monitor for the on-air commentors was being supplied by an HDMI over fiber connection, and this was for a big national broadcast. When I started in this industry, SDI was about all we had, but it wasn't that good. SDI created constant headaches, was prone to interference and breaking down, needed almost constant repairs (especially the connectors) and was a pain to work with.
I do live-streaming for community groups, cable runs are 100-150’ max and have been using Cat6 HDMI extenders. Two cameras and computer feed one TV & projector. Does SDI still benefit me being ALL gear is HDMI input/output? (Open to getting sdi switcher & converters if so.)
SDI is still more reliable and if you used an SDI switcher you could just convert back to HDMI before it feeds the TV. It would probably reduce latency by a little bit. One less link in the chain to go wrong. But if your setup is working for you no need to change it.
I think it’s up to what one prefers, most newer streaming guys have hoped for an all in one portable tablet size video switcher for a long time. I remember around 2010 audio visuals experts saying that an all in one unit can never work as it will fail during live streaming and that BlackMagic and Tricaster were the only way. I’ve had my reasons as to why I always wanted various video switcher making companies to come up with all in one units. Now we have the YoloBox doing everything perfectly from action replay, ISO recording, 4 internet sources bonding, SRT, Graphics, Chroma Key, NDI etc that BlackMagic cannot do. In my opinion the future tech always wins. I prefer using Hollyland Mars units and YoloBox for all my streaming needs. All fits in my backpack doing all that a client can ever request for. I’m not a fan of pulling cables be it hdmi or SDI. I’m starting to look into Mine Media equipment for distant /remote cameras, I got to ignore anything bulky.
I wish I could just completely switch over to SDI. HDMI is problematic and irritating. But most TVs, laptops, projectors, and other devices I use only have HDMI. HDMI-SDI devices are nice, but HDMI-ethernet is cheaper and just as good. But it sucks that either solution needs to be powered to be effective.
I use SDI Cable myself and i am doing an install for a church and they ran HDMI to there projectors and they have a lot of issues with their projectors working. So i am rerunning sdi for them
@@aaronwerner830 curious if it was hdmi fiber optic cable or just long hdmi cables. Lots of times people cheap out and get regular hdmi cables at whatever length and don’t realize it was never designed to be run that far.
Honestly surprised it took you so long Zeph! :D Yes, I went through 10m conventional HDMI leads, 25m over Ethernet and then 50m Fibre Optics. All of these would be intermittent. "I'm not spending £80 on a 50m SDI cable!" I would exclaim to myself. My wasted cable money would have paid for one and a convertor! For gawdsake I was already running to an SDI ATEM and had to use convertors anyway to come out of the Ethernet! And 100% on the cable reels!
I still am using HDMI from my cameras to my ATEM as 99% of the time my cameras are only HDMI and are close enough for a 10' HDMI cable and those are not an issues. But I checked the cost of those Fiber HDMI cables, and it was the same cost to do 2 bi-directional converters with the 100' SDI cable that the 100' fiber cable would have been. So for longer cable runs, I agree SDI is the way to go. But also for a plus, those Blackmagic bi-directional converters work as an HDMI/SDI splitter, so you can use it as HDMI in from the laptop, with HDMI and SDI out for the Projector and your source for the stream. I am looking at getting a SDI capable camera this year, so I will also be starting that process. Possibly even grabbing the ATEM EXTREAM SDI ISO next.
I typically avoid the bidirectional on a laptop and use the decimator Md-hx because it can scale just to make sure the signals play nice. I’ve had a few bidirectionals give me grief when it comes to laptops. On the camera side I’m a fan of the Canon XA70 and XA75 (formerly XA50-55)
What do you think about those slim cable in longer lenght, seen 50' to 100' of those slim cable on amazon and other sites. Any reason not to use them for longer run. cos they are pretty small overall, easy to carry around than normal sdi of same lenght, they could be very bulkky.
Yea I have them. They’re ok but they don’t take a beating long term like SDI can. I think it’s a good in between option for a year or two but the thin cables are especially fragile.
I have found that many SDI cables on Amazon and elsewhere meet their bandwidth specs (e.g. 3G or 12G) only when used alone. Traditionally, SDI cable runs could be extended out to 300ft at the cable's rated bandwidth. These days, you can only count on an off-brand 100ft 12G-SDI cable to do no more than that, i.e. to transport a 12G video signal 100ft. String two or three of them together, and you'll have to test for yourself whether that extended cable run can reliably support a 12G-SDI signal.
Does audio signal travels both ways through fibre hdmi??I want to connect my tv box to the hdmi in of the dolby atmos soundbar and the hdmi out(earc) to the arc port of the projector...but i want to know that if i connect ps5 or pc to projector , will i get the dolby atmos sound from my soundbar if i connect my soundbar and projector with fibre hdmi???does the source and target thing applies to only video signals or with audio signals too??
Hmm I’m not sure how a sound bar would work. I’m not familiar with that. Typically hdmi fiber is one directional with a “source” end and a “display” end so the signal usually travels one direction. Is the signal passing through your sound bar to the tv or projector? If that’s the case then maybe it works? Only one way to tell. This simply isn’t a usage case I document on my channel. We use it for live streaming purposes.
There are various SDI options including 3G, 6G and 12G SDI. 3G SDI carries 1080p video while 6G and 12G carry 4K signals at various framerates depending on which one you choose.
HDMI wasn't originally made to go longer than 25ft. That's not an ATEM issue, that's a HDMI issue. If you're just looking to buy a passive HDMI cable, then your realistic maximum range is around 25ft. That is about the maximum length for older HDMI cables, like HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 1.4, before you’ll start to see a degradation in signal quality due to attenuation. Although passive HDMI cables can support distances more than twice that in theory, the environment would need to be practically perfect to not experience severe negative consequences of such a long cable without some sort of active power to counteract the signal degradation. HDMI 2.1 cables can only go to around 9ft before running into trouble with attenuation.
Over the last 5 or so years I put a decimator Md-hx between any laptop and my switcher and have not once had an issue. But there’s plenty of cheapo hdmi splitters on Amazon that strip HDCP.
I use Fiber HDMI cable professionally all the time and its cheap, most of the time it saves me having to use a ton of convertors for sdi. I was worried about the cable breaking but haven't had a problem yet. It is also cheap to fly with I can have a couple 1000 feet worth in my pelican when I fly . its hard for me to say its not worth it also if you are 1005 black magic you can send camera data over them pretty cool. I understand the why of staying in a broadcast only equipment environment but... run and gun I always have 3 100 foot runs in my pelican.
You video editors might be using SDI, but us CSC video/studio guys use mellanox since like 2009. Pair it with a good media server and live IP streaming camera software and you're golden. SDI usually binds you to a proprietary system (which I try to avoid (and especially with live streaming stuff)). Unix + ssh + mpv + ffmpeg + android. I just use straight up server grade hardware and serve the video from the camera over wifi or hdmi to wifi. I don't mind the drop outs sometime. Good video though.
Reels are a bad idea for SDI 👎🏻 just wrap them by hand. Only use reels for 1000 feet fiber or longer. It be cool if you made a video showing people how easy it is to make your own SDI cables. It's surprising how many people don't know how.
While I learned how to crimp SDI cables a long time ago, I'm lazy and it's a business expense to just buy them ready to go. The reels haven't failed me and I've had them for years at this point. I've also worked with other people who use reels without any issues.
FYI, Canare is pronounced like the final e is a "ay" -- ca-nare-ay.
Armored LC fiber cables are pretty inexpensive... about $1/meter. And hold up fairly well to abuse.
For my small operation, HDMI Fiber is perfectly cost effective for me. (Knock on wood) I haven’t had a fiber hdmi cable fail on me. All my cameras are HDMI, call my cables are HDMI, and all my wireless transmitters/recievers are HDMI. I get that SDI is the more Professional route. But for now fiber HDMI has been great and until my business gets to a point where it makes sense to; we will graduate to SDI.
Everyone has to make their decisions based on where they’re at. For me, things grew and SDI made sense. I have a feeling anything beyond this would require fiber or 2110 which I’ve slowly started to add to the mix.
Yes me too. I work with both sdi and cheap fiber-hdmi cables and expected them to fail easy but it just never happened once yet and I use the cables for gigs in all kind of situations. Even outside gigs. I just make sure the cables are in special 'gutters' or under rubber mats where people walk or drive but that has to be done with sdi cables also so there is no difference there.
I am not using SDI cables because of static electricity. In my case I am very happy with optic HDMI, no issue at all. I even can put it right near the power cables where SDI signal will be flickering instantly. And this is the main reason for me.
Interesting. I've never had any issues putting SDI cables near power cables. In fact I do it nearly every day.
I have had similar issues in the past. After much research and playing around, I learnt that the static from our hand held radios we were using for coms, was interfering with the converters and causing this problem. This was in my high schools setup so am definitely looking at alternatives (at least for now) whilst I look to start my own live streaming service
Personally, I use generic fibre for all long cable runs. Armoured duplex or uniboot os2 is much cheaper than SDI once you have the converters, and you have a spare core for backup or another signal. Plus we only need to stock a single cable type that can carry whatever we need, network, video, audio, even usb. I just wish more kit had SFP modules that would let you switch between copper and optical.
And sorry, because this isn't a comment on the video at all - completely agree that an SDI chain, whether copper or optical, is superior to HDMI
@@allanclloyds fiber is definitely the next step I’ve also adopted some 2110 for my work. Those converters are just so unnecessarily expensive.
@@zephanmosesyeah I keep an eye on ebay for second hand yellobrik converters, but the blackmagic 12g with 3g SFPs aren't too costly.
The other benefit for us as well is that it's less weight and volume overall to carry a couple dozen converters and fibre than the equivalent in sdi cables, and you can more easily run the thin cables under doors, along skirting boards, etc. Standard plastic os2 is light enough to even be taped to a wall or ceiling in a pinch.
And there are ways to push multiple signals over the same core, e.g. with bidi sfps or multiplexers, which can further extend what you're able to do with cheap cables.
I use sdi and cheap fiber optic cables on the gigs. I have never had one fiber cable break yet even though I thought and calculated that would happen. The argument of sending the cable to repair is hilarious. Repairing a optical-fiber cable is for sure much more expensive then just replacing it. SDI cable can just as well break at gigs. Especially with the examples you gave. But an new sdi cable is about 4 times more expensive. Yes hdmi was never meant for pro use in the first place and the two way communication it needs to start working can be a bit of a pain. But as the majority of atem mini users are working with hdmi versions, you are bringing this way too unbalanced in this video. A hdmi to sdi converter and then back + a hdmi cable costs about the same as 4 fiber-optic hdmi cables. This was the reason I started trying fiber-optic hdmi in the first place. I am amazed at how many times I am using these cables and never has gone out yet. So I just have to completely disagree with you on this video. Keep up the good work :)
Typewriter has only 10 alphabets but here are the top 2 winners teetertotter & rupturewort which has 12 and 11 alphabets respectively.
I've never used HDMI fiber cables just 'cause all the cons you mantioned so cannot tell anything about it. Happy that you finally realized the way to go ;-)
Heh well it was fun while it lasted. Mostly once I switched to SDI switchers there was no need for it.
Most times there is only 1 aes output for high end sources, but for stereo we need 2 speakers.
Each active speaker with a DAC.
Hey, is it normal for the "Source" part of an HDMI fiber optical cable(FiberCommand)to get really hot, hotter than the display connection?
I can't say that I've experienced that but I would contact the manufacturer.
@zephanmoses Me neither with Monoprice. My First, using 4K HDMI Fiber Optical power by USB (FiberCommand)
All we use in our portable chuch is SDI. They do wear out but they can easily be rebuilt if you have some basic soldering skills. We use black magic mini converters to go to or from HDMI. The pass through converters don't work that well over long runs. When we do big shows like Easter or Christmas we use an SDI to Ethernet converter so we can send multiple signals over 1 cable. It works out easier when the stage of 100+ feet away from the control room with 5 cameras. We've tried using Tascam wireless systems but they are aggravating to use.
I just got the Blackmagic 2110 for 6 video signals over ethernet. Haven't put it to the test yet but need to break it out soon.
I started working in live broadcast television in 2003, and started my own company for doing multi-camera live productions in 2014. Since then we've done all kinds of live productions, including live TV broadcasts, for clients of every size. I've used live production switchers from Grass Valley, Ross, and yes, Blackmagic. With that said, I have to say that I disagree with every point you made-
1) While HDMI was originally developed for home media use, the cable itself doesn't care what it was originally made for. HDMI over fiber is a very different cable than a home theater HDMI cable. There is no reason a HDMI over fiber cable cannot be engineered to higher standards. SDI became a standard in the broadcast world because, for a long time, there were no other options for transporting high-bandwidth digital video.
2) Most of the complaints about HDMI ports failing on Blackmagic switchers have nothing to do with plugging and unplugging HDMI cables multiple times. Blackmagic switchers tend to get really hot, and have poor heat management. Most of the HDMI port failures I have seen on them is simply that they get so hot that they start to de-solder themselves. While Facebook groups with users who are mainly using HDMI based ATEMs might give you the impression that this issue is only prevalent on the HDMI models, even Blackmagic's higher end SDI switchers, like their constellation series for broadcasters, have these same kind of overheating issues resulting in port failures.
Besides overheating, another common cause of port failures, both HDMI and SDI, on Blackmagic switchers, is component damage caused by power supply issues. These switchers do not have much in the way of protection circuitry, which means issues with the power supply can easily fry internal components. To address these issues, one should always use active cooling and a conditioned power supply when working with ATEM switchers.
Using SDI can create additional risks here. Because SDI cable is conductive, a problem at the other end of the cable, or anywhere along the line, can result in a power surge, static discharge, or interference. And because these SDI ports share a common ground, any issue on one source could risk frying all of your SDI ports. In the broadcast world, you would almost never plug a long SDI cable run directly into a video switcher. The video switcher would be protected using SDI isolating transformers. If you are using SDI and connecting directly to your switcher, you are taking a risk.
3) Yes, fiber optic cables can be fragile, but so can SDI. A lot depends on the specific cable you are using. You listed things you've seen happen to fiber cables, well, I've seen things happen to SDI cables- I've seen SDI cables get ran over, swept up by a street sweeper, and slammed in a door. Regardless of the cable you are using, it is important to practice safe cabling techniques and be careful with your cable runds. Fiber optic cable can be tough, and SDI cable can be flimsy. You just need to select the right cable and carefully plan your cable runs.
Here are some reasons why HDMI over fiber can be a better choice than SDI-
1) When you start to approach the length limit of SDI cable, you can start to have interference issues, especially when dealing with higher bandwidth video. Fiber simply provides a more reliable signal.
2) Almost all cameras have HDMI outputs, where models with SDI outputs are more expensive. Yes, you can use converters, but this adds yet another potential point for failure and increases setup time. HDMI over fiber can help minimize the setup steps your crew needs to undertake and the total amount of gear you need.
3) You don't have to worry as much about electrical isolation, as the signal is being carried via fiber and only converted back to electrical at one end. It kind of provides its own electrical isolation.
4) Fiber is often cheaper than SDI, making it financially easier to have backup cable reels in place.
5) Fiber is far lighter and can be much more flexible than SDI, simplifying cable runs, speeding up setup and takedown times, and reducing crew labor.
6) HDMI is uncompressed, which can be beneficial in some situations. SDI video is limited to specific standards, which depending on your application, can result in lost quality.
Even big broadcasters are switching to fiber for their outside broadcasts. And while they are mainly using tactical fiber solutions with locking connectors, inside, it is still just a fiber optic cable. However, recently I saw a large sports broadcast where the confidence monitor for the on-air commentors was being supplied by an HDMI over fiber connection, and this was for a big national broadcast. When I started in this industry, SDI was about all we had, but it wasn't that good. SDI created constant headaches, was prone to interference and breaking down, needed almost constant repairs (especially the connectors) and was a pain to work with.
I do live-streaming for community groups, cable runs are 100-150’ max and have been using Cat6 HDMI extenders. Two cameras and computer feed one TV & projector. Does SDI still benefit me being ALL gear is HDMI input/output? (Open to getting sdi switcher & converters if so.)
SDI is still more reliable and if you used an SDI switcher you could just convert back to HDMI before it feeds the TV. It would probably reduce latency by a little bit. One less link in the chain to go wrong. But if your setup is working for you no need to change it.
Great explanation!!! Thanks!!!
Thanks for watching
Great video but what HD-SDI cameras are you using? Usually, HD-SDI cameras are more expensive.
Canon XA55, Canon CRN300, Canon CRN500, Canon C200, Sony FX6, etc. I have a Canon C70 that we just use a converter with.
@@zephanmosesGood list. I was wondering what he used too.
I think it’s up to what one prefers, most newer streaming guys have hoped for an all in one portable tablet size video switcher for a long time.
I remember around 2010 audio visuals experts saying that an all in one unit can never work as it will fail during live streaming and that BlackMagic and Tricaster were the only way.
I’ve had my reasons as to why I always wanted various video switcher making companies to come up with all in one units.
Now we have the YoloBox doing everything perfectly from action replay, ISO recording, 4 internet sources bonding, SRT, Graphics, Chroma Key, NDI etc that BlackMagic cannot do.
In my opinion the future tech always wins.
I prefer using Hollyland Mars units and YoloBox for all my streaming needs. All fits in my backpack doing all that a client can ever request for.
I’m not a fan of pulling cables be it hdmi or SDI.
I’m starting to look into Mine Media equipment for distant /remote cameras, I got to ignore anything bulky.
Have you seen the Magewell Director Mini? It’s also a newer all in one.
I wish I could just completely switch over to SDI. HDMI is problematic and irritating. But most TVs, laptops, projectors, and other devices I use only have HDMI. HDMI-SDI devices are nice, but HDMI-ethernet is cheaper and just as good. But it sucks that either solution needs to be powered to be effective.
I use SDI Cable myself and i am doing an install for a church and they ran HDMI to there projectors and they have a lot of issues with their projectors working. So i am rerunning sdi for them
@@aaronwerner830 curious if it was hdmi fiber optic cable or just long hdmi cables. Lots of times people cheap out and get regular hdmi cables at whatever length and don’t realize it was never designed to be run that far.
@@zephanmoses Regular HDMi, so when i do the install the cables are getting replaced with 3g sdi to prevent furture issues
@@aaronwerner830 I’d still go SDI too so that makes sense.
Honestly surprised it took you so long Zeph! :D Yes, I went through 10m conventional HDMI leads, 25m over Ethernet and then 50m Fibre Optics. All of these would be intermittent. "I'm not spending £80 on a 50m SDI cable!" I would exclaim to myself. My wasted cable money would have paid for one and a convertor! For gawdsake I was already running to an SDI ATEM and had to use convertors anyway to come out of the Ethernet! And 100% on the cable reels!
I still am using HDMI from my cameras to my ATEM as 99% of the time my cameras are only HDMI and are close enough for a 10' HDMI cable and those are not an issues. But I checked the cost of those Fiber HDMI cables, and it was the same cost to do 2 bi-directional converters with the 100' SDI cable that the 100' fiber cable would have been.
So for longer cable runs, I agree SDI is the way to go.
But also for a plus, those Blackmagic bi-directional converters work as an HDMI/SDI splitter, so you can use it as HDMI in from the laptop, with HDMI and SDI out for the Projector and your source for the stream.
I am looking at getting a SDI capable camera this year, so I will also be starting that process. Possibly even grabbing the ATEM EXTREAM SDI ISO next.
I typically avoid the bidirectional on a laptop and use the decimator Md-hx because it can scale just to make sure the signals play nice. I’ve had a few bidirectionals give me grief when it comes to laptops.
On the camera side I’m a fan of the Canon XA70 and XA75 (formerly XA50-55)
What do you think about those slim cable in longer lenght, seen 50' to 100' of those slim cable on amazon and other sites. Any reason not to use them for longer run. cos they are pretty small overall, easy to carry around than normal sdi of same lenght, they could be very bulkky.
Yea I have them. They’re ok but they don’t take a beating long term like SDI can. I think it’s a good in between option for a year or two but the thin cables are especially fragile.
Thanks@@zephanmoses . a year or two of usage is pretty ok, for me, especially cos it saves alot of packing and weight stress.
I have found that many SDI cables on Amazon and elsewhere meet their bandwidth specs (e.g. 3G or 12G) only when used alone. Traditionally, SDI cable runs could be extended out to 300ft at the cable's rated bandwidth. These days, you can only count on an off-brand 100ft 12G-SDI cable to do no more than that, i.e. to transport a 12G video signal 100ft. String two or three of them together, and you'll have to test for yourself whether that extended cable run can reliably support a 12G-SDI signal.
Does audio signal travels both ways through fibre hdmi??I want to connect my tv box to the hdmi in of the dolby atmos soundbar and the hdmi out(earc) to the arc port of the projector...but i want to know that if i connect ps5 or pc to projector , will i get the dolby atmos sound from my soundbar if i connect my soundbar and projector with fibre hdmi???does the source and target thing applies to only video signals or with audio signals too??
Hmm I’m not sure how a sound bar would work. I’m not familiar with that. Typically hdmi fiber is one directional with a “source” end and a “display” end so the signal usually travels one direction. Is the signal passing through your sound bar to the tv or projector? If that’s the case then maybe it works? Only one way to tell. This simply isn’t a usage case I document on my channel. We use it for live streaming purposes.
Does 4k transmit over SDI?
There are various SDI options including 3G, 6G and 12G SDI. 3G SDI carries 1080p video while 6G and 12G carry 4K signals at various framerates depending on which one you choose.
The OG ATEMs couldn't even see a signal if the HDMI was over 25 feet.
HDMI wasn't originally made to go longer than 25ft. That's not an ATEM issue, that's a HDMI issue.
If you're just looking to buy a passive HDMI cable, then your realistic maximum range is around 25ft.
That is about the maximum length for older HDMI cables, like HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 1.4, before you’ll start to see a degradation in signal quality due to attenuation.
Although passive HDMI cables can support distances more than twice that in theory, the environment would need to be practically perfect to not experience severe negative consequences of such a long cable without some sort of active power to counteract the signal degradation.
HDMI 2.1 cables can only go to around 9ft before running into trouble with attenuation.
What about HDCP? How does SDI get around that? In the consumer market HDCP is a real pain.
Over the last 5 or so years I put a decimator Md-hx between any laptop and my switcher and have not once had an issue. But there’s plenty of cheapo hdmi splitters on Amazon that strip HDCP.
I use Fiber HDMI cable professionally all the time and its cheap, most of the time it saves me having to use a ton of convertors for sdi. I was worried about the cable breaking but haven't had a problem yet. It is also cheap to fly with I can have a couple 1000 feet worth in my pelican when I fly . its hard for me to say its not worth it also if you are 1005 black magic you can send camera data over them pretty cool. I understand the why of staying in a broadcast only equipment environment but... run and gun I always have 3 100 foot runs in my pelican.
You video editors might be using SDI, but us CSC video/studio guys use mellanox since like 2009. Pair it with a good media server and live IP streaming camera software and you're golden. SDI usually binds you to a proprietary system (which I try to avoid (and especially with live streaming stuff)). Unix + ssh + mpv + ffmpeg + android. I just use straight up server grade hardware and serve the video from the camera over wifi or hdmi to wifi. I don't mind the drop outs sometime.
Good video though.
Reels are a bad idea for SDI 👎🏻 just wrap them by hand.
Only use reels for 1000 feet fiber or longer.
It be cool if you made a video showing people how easy it is to make your own SDI cables. It's surprising how many people don't know how.
While I learned how to crimp SDI cables a long time ago, I'm lazy and it's a business expense to just buy them ready to go. The reels haven't failed me and I've had them for years at this point. I've also worked with other people who use reels without any issues.
Hdmi is great for the average person.. this is about pro video stuff
I cover a wide range from beginner to pro on my channel. Thanks for watching.
Way too much zooming in and out in this video. Very distracting.
Sorry. My style isn’t for everyone.