Budget SDI to HDMI Converters - Feb 2018 Update
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- Опубліковано 16 лют 2018
- A collection of budget friendly SDI-to-HDMI converters from Blackmagic Design, Decimator Design, and AVMatrix, along with my thoughts on each. The market has changed significantly since my last video on the subject, so an update was in order.
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Generic 3G-SDI to HDMI $25+
djp.li/gs2h
AVMatrix SC1112 3G-SDI to HDMI $65 - djp.li/avms2h
(HDMI-to-SDI djp.li/avmh2s)
Blackmagic Design Micro Converter SDI to HDMI $45 - djp.li/bmdms2h
(HDMI-to-SDI djp.li/bmdmh2s)
Blackmagic Design Mini Converter SDI to HDMI 6G $185 -
djp.li/bmds2h6
(HDMI-to-SDI djp.li/bmdh2s6)
Blackmagic Design Teranex Mini SDI to HDMI 12G $470 -
djp.li/bmdts2h
(HDMI-to-SDI djp.li/bmdth2s)
Decimator Design MD-LX Bidirectional SDI-HDMI $99 - djp.li/mdlx
Decimator Design MD-HX Converter/Scaler $295 - djp.li/mdhx
All SDI to HDMI Converters - djp.li/s2h
Wohhh this guy is amazing. Thanks so much for all your help with this and taking the time to teach all of us! Literally the best at what you do on here.
Thanks for the update Doug. We've loved the Decimator's and the Blackmagic Mini-Converters for converting SDI signals for projectors/screens, but I've been hesitant on the micro-converters. Sounds like I need to give them a try.
Thanks for the update Doug. With BMD's new price. It makes sense to get their devices. I got one of those cheap Amazon specials and it would not work with my BMD web presenter. It converted my 1080p 59.94 signal to 29.9 which the Web presenter hated.
Nice comparasion! Would like to know about the new Atomos connect converters line.
The bidirection feature and usb power puts the Decimeter MD-LX over Blackmagic Design Micro Converter SDI to HDMI and the AVMatrix SC1112 3G-SDI to HDMI pricewise, the overal best is the Decimator Design MD-HX Converter/Scaler.
Can you confirm if the Decimator MD-HX model outputs 576i50 SDI with the proper 50 fields of temporal data?
I'm having a hard time figuring out why the couple of SDI downconverters (Blackmagic and Decimator) I've tried seem to discard half of the fields and when they output 50, in fact it's 25 doubled, which causes stuttering with fast movement, which is very bad for TV broadcasting!
Also, I purchased that little generic black converter from Amazon and it doesn't work.
hi from spain.
I need a mini converter to hdmi to sdi for my camera , to do live reports on streaming and tv live.
So bmd micro converter is all ready works ok with the audio o is better the avmatrix ??
Wich one you choose???
Thanks .!!
I currently have one of those generic no name converters and I couldn't agree more for "you get what you pay for". In fact mine keeps cutting out/glitching on my Hyperdeck Studio HD Mini at 1080p 60. I personally would avoid any generic no name SDI converter on eBay or Amazon and go with a trusted brand such as BMD.
You said you didn't know why someone would prefer to power the micro BMD converter off the PC. I thought I would share since I do that. I have severe weight constants as I travel internationally with my equipment. To save a few ounces I leave the AC adapter at home and power it off the capture computer.
Does the SDI loop on the on the Blackmagic SDI-HDMI, boost the SDI signal? I am trying to run 164 ft * 2 SDI cables.
can anyone help me which one of those converters recieve the signal correctly from a DVCAM recorder (Namely DSR45AP). I tried two dicemator products but all I get is (no signal) indecator :(
It doesn't look like that deck has an SDI output. So you'd need to convert the analog signal to SDI before going into one of these converters. I recommend the Blackmagic Design Analog to SDI Mini Converter ( djp.li/bmdan2sdi ). Once the signal is SDI you can use the Decimator or another converter of your choosing.
can micro converter sdi to hdmi connect to laptop
No. If you need to capture video on a laptop you’d need a capture device rather than a converter.
Hi doug, thanks for the infos, I'm planning to upgrade a school video system where any computers can hook it up to a blackmagic atem studio pro hd switcher. Will this setup be compatible and work flawlessly?
Laptop with hdmi > bmd hdmi to sdi converter > sdi wall faceplate to control room sdi out > bmd switcher
Is there any "no signal" or incompatibily issues with that flow? It is better to include a decimator converter/bmd updowncross between the connection of the control room's sdi out to the switcher?
Hope to see your reply soon!
That's probably best answered with this video: ua-cam.com/video/6i0Ko7ShXrs/v-deo.html
Somewhat unrelated but how do you keep up to date with Black Magic's updates? Would be great to get emails or something, we own at least 8 devices so i can only imagine how it must be for you. Also a update bricked out ATEM TV switcher, lucky I'm 40 mins from there headquarters, not that that makes a huge difference with shipping but have you had any issues like this? Ill be getting it back Monday and I'm scared to update it if they didn't do it for me already.
They're pretty good about announcing product updates (including software/firmware updates) on their Twitter feed.
I got this new Blackmagic Pro h.264 recorder but do not get any audio signal via the analog port. I was using HDMI input for video. Did I miss anything?
I've never used that product, so I'm not sure I can be of much assistance. Have you checked the capture device preferences to make sure you've selected the appropriate audio input?
Hey I am new to the channel. I have a basic question, when trying to use any MacBook Pro with a converter box.( HDMI to SDI 3G) I cant get signal. When I place a PC laptop in the mix I get signal. I may sometimes get a flashing screen on my projector but they won’t stay. I have used a SDI DA and I still don’t get any video.
Macs are tricky. They don't have an easy way to set the resolution and frame rate on the output, so often we have to resort to using scalers like the Decimator MD-HX or Blackmagic Design UpDownCross HD to ensure the signal type is what we need.
Hi Doug first of all thank you for all the videos they have been really helpfull because I'm new in this livestream / broadcast thing. Now I would like to do some sports livestream with 3 cameras lower thirds and also instant slowmotion replay. So what do you think do I need to do that on budget as small as possible?
thanks and greetings from switzerland :-)
Some high quality camcorders (Sony FDR-AX33 or FDR-AX53 perhaps), the Blackmagic Design Television Studio HD switcher, and a video capture card for a computer would be about the cheapest way to go. But I'd recommend going with a hardware video encoder (Teradek VidiU, for example) for much better encoding results without tying up a computer.
Doug Johnson Productions Wow thank you for that superfast answer, now my latest problem, because I want to stream skijumping competitions the cameras are pretty far away from the computer. I guess like at least 200 meters. What do you think would be the best solution for that?
If you're at 200M you're pretty much going to have to go with fiber optic connections between camera and switcher. SDI won't travel that far. See some of the other videos on my channel on how to use fiber.
You mentioned that you didn't think that the Teranex mini converter was worth the extra but you also forgot to mention that is does have scaling built in.
It does, but it isn't something you can control -- you can't specify the output format. It is determined by negotiating with the connected display. The Mini Converter works exactly the same way, so in that way the Teranex doesn't offer any advantage. In actuality the Teranex Mini has been a little problematic for me -- when I connect it to my Teradek video encoder, for example, for some reason the two devices will try to re-negotiate the resolution and frame rate right in the middle of an event, causing loss of signal for a minute or longer. I had to switch to a Mini Converter to stop that from happening. Unless someone actually does need 12G support, I don't see any reason to get the Teranex.
Great video. Do you typically leave these on continuously or do you turn them off when not needed?
Powered on as needed. Considering I typically use this setup about once a week, it wouldn't make much sense to leave it all running.
3:24 - "It's powered off of micro HDMI connection, so 5v..." haha. Sounds like something I would say.
I need to convert a sony fs5 that outputs 24p 1080p to 23.98 1080p can the Decimator MD-HX HDMI and SDI Cross Converter w/ Scaling & Frame Rate Conversion unit do that for me?
Yes.
I can connect directly from the camera to a micro sdi to hdmi converter
Hey Doug, always good content. Thanks for providing vital information. Doug, I am trying to spin this in my head. I am using a ATEM Mini Pro switcher with only HDMI inputs. I am trying to figure how to connect my roaming camera which is Canon M6 Mark II with HDMI out. I need roaming in excess of 200 feet so I want to use SDI. Do I need two HDMI to SDI converters?
You'd want an HDMI-to-SDI converter at the camera, and then an SDI-to-HDMI converter at the switcher. The Blackmagic Design Micro Converters would work well for this. djp.li/bmdmh2s and djp.li/bmdms2h
@@djp_video Hey Doug, thanks a million. I am new to this and trying to run around i the dark finding answers. Thanks for the links also. Best-
Hi Doug, do you think that the signal quality is downgraded in any way from using these type of Mini-Converters?
That depends on the source.
SDI uses what we call 4:2:2 video, where the brightness and color data are split up, and the resolution of the color portion is reduced a little in order to reduce the amount of data carried across the wire. For real-world images taken from a camera, you'll probably never see the difference. But if you have a computer source (4:4:4) displaying small font, colored text on a background of radically different color, the loss in detail can be seen if you know to look for it. Black text on a white background will be nice and crisp, though -- the "compression" only affects color information and the brightness portion of the data retains its original, full resolution.
@@djp_video Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. Yes, I'm outputting an SDI RGB 4:4:4 signal from my BMD Ultrastudio 3D to a BMD Mini Converter SDI to HDMI 6G, which is connected to my Eizo ColorEdge monitor via HDMI. It's an older Eizo so its input is definitely no higher than HDMI 1.4a, in its manual it says the HDMI input accepts 8 bit, 10 bit, and 12 bit signals. I'm wondering though if I'm downgrading the RGB 4:4:4 signal in any way through this daisy chain? The SDI cable is a new Pro 75-ohm coax Hosa Tech BNC-06-115 (15ft). Thanks again in advance Doug
I think you need to let people know that the HDMI to SDI 6G does NOT have the 3DLUT processor, since Blackmagic thinks there is no need for them on PCs. Apparently PCs are the ONLY thing that would need this converter, and there is NO need to think about them being used on anything else.
Ultimately I do blame myself for getting too excited and jumping to get one. I just hope that next time they come out with new converters that Blackmagic Design considers having LUT engines in their converters without dismissing the possibilities.
When I do a video on HDMI-to-SDI converters I will be sure to mention it.
Hi Doug, i hope you can help. i use ATEM Production Studio 4K for switching i use two guys who use Sony z7u cameras, the cameras are HDMI only. I used generic converters to convert sdi, the cameras keep flickering on and off, i bought the Decimator MD-HX, i've changed cables, i've changed connectors, i've connected direct to ATEM and bypassed my break connection still cameras flicker. I can use HDMI and i've been using my IDX CW-1 Wireless HDMI for long runs but i like to use SDI. The funny thing is i can use my SJ5000x (gopro type) and my Sony HDR-CX580V consumer palmcorder without any issues. BM can't help. Any advice? Thanks in advance.
That would seem to indicate that it is an issue with the cameras themselves, wouldn't it...
I'd start with a branded converter like the BMD Micro Converter to see if that helps at all... if not, you may need to step up to something more sophisticated like the Decimator MD-HX (djp.li/mdhx) and run the output through the scaler to ensure that the video coming out is exactly the format and frame rate the switcher wants to see.
Yea that has been my thought it's the cameras, but we already have the cameras and like i said before "i bought the Decimator MD-HX, i've changed cables, i've changed connectors, i've connected direct to ATEM and bypassed my break out connection" Ok i guess we're going to have to replace BM Switcher, thanks for your help.
I doubt it's the switcher, since it works with the other cameras.
With the MD-HX, did you use the built-in scaler, or did you just use it as a converter?
i'm not sure, i just connected hdmi from camera and set Decimator hdmi to sdi.
Nice videos keep them coming. I have a question I’ve been trying to livestream in 3 bite rates at the same time using livestream producer app. But my computer isn’t able to de so. Can you recommend any computer that can do the job?
I'm not really qualified to make a recommendation for you; I gave up trying to make computer-based encoding work quite a while ago in favor of dedicated hardware.
Doug Johnson Productions
Ok do you have videos on dedicated hardware
Alex I don’t, but I can tell you that I use the Teradek VidiU and it has worked very well. But if I was buying again today I’d probably spring for the VidiU Pro instead.
Ok thank you I’ll look into it
Doug, thanks a lot for making these videos! Would you mind elaborating (or anyone reading) on what level a and level b means? Thanks.
I've already got a video about that... ua-cam.com/video/uMCBuf6HHnE/v-deo.html
Thanks!!! I bought the md-lx and didn't know that it could do so much!!
Can I convert from HDMI to SDI run 100 feet of RG-6 and then convert back from SDI to HDMI?
Absolutely!
Doug Johnson Productions Thank you very much.
Can connect the sdi output of this device to DVR as an input???
If the DVR has an SDI input (which isn't likely).
@@djp_video will u please suggest me a DVR which has an SDI input signal .... It will be helpful to. Me. Please
I've never researched that. I'm not aware of any off the top of my head.
Thank you sir for ur help👍👍
Awesome video Doug, I've been running in to problems I'm trying to convert my sdi from a datavideo SE-1200 to HDMI so I can plug a GoPro Hero 6 but I'm not getting any feed. What can I do, what converter would u recommend? Thanks
Rmc-260 from datavideo
The GoPros are notoriously difficult to get to work properly in switched video environments, mostly because they don't like to cooperate when selecting the proper video formats. The best way to ensure you're getting the video format you need into the switcher is to run it through a converter that can change signal formats, like the Decimator MD-HX or Blackmagic Design UpDownCross HD.
Doug your the man! Got the blackmagic works fine! Thank you!
At this point in time, Blackmagic Design should be making SDI/HDMI-to-NDI converters.
They might be in the works. But considering BMD just announced a "new" switcher that doesn't support NDI, it doesn't seem that they're committed to the format yet.
lutmap.com doesn't exist
It's lutmath.com.
I'm a n00b, but the matching section is awesome. I have an xrite color checker passport and I use DaVinci Resolve so I gotta try this soon. This is a great service. Thanks for providing it for free.
Currently experimenting with OBS, I noticed it has the ability to load a LUT, but it does so in the form of a PNG image file. I suppose I get a reference image and apply the LUT in resolve to render PNG that OBS needs. Unreal Engine works similarly (png file).
Great info. But could you make more noise when you swallow your saliva?:-) So annoying
There's always a critic.
Are you listening on decent speakers/headphones? It's barely audible on the studio monitors and high-end headphones I use here.