Production Switchers

I have an Acuity with a single Multiprocessor input board. It's running 59.94 reference and our show is 1080i59.94. We have some old Panasonic HPX250 cameras and are testing the newer CX350 to replace them. We switch between 23.98 and 59.94 on-the-fly between music and speaking segments, as we like the slower frame rate for music. The HPX250 sends a ~60Hz signal at 23.98 and the Acuity accepts this, but the CX350 sends a 48Hz signal and the Acuity will not display the video. The CX350 has a menu setting for SDI output, and it indicates it's sending 1080 PsF, and there's no option to change it to something else except a lower resolution, which does display but looks terrible.

I'm inquiring to Panasonic why the difference, but is there anything the Acuity (or other gear) can do to receive and display the 48-50Hz signal? I don't know much about PsF, or why the two cameras are different. I read something about SmartConversion, but it doesn't seem to be supported on the MultiProcessor input card, and it may have nothing to do with frame rate anyway. I don't know if other outboard gear can up-convert a lower frame rate, and without adding frame delay, since the CX doesn't have genlock and we'd also be losing a frame to sync already with this camera - important for IMAG.

Thanks for any help.

------------------------------
Bryan Block
Malick Media
------------------------------

We can not do that kind of Frame Rate conversion in the Acuity.

The older 23.98 is also interesting that it even worked.  It would not have been doing frame rate conversion on it either so yes there must have been something in the signal that was "tricking" the switcher into thinking it was 59.94i ..  I am sure there was Fields being dropped or repeated butt that kind of goes to that "film effect" look...

You might look at a Terranex frame rate converter and see if that can do the frame rate conversion on those cameras.

------------------------------
Les O'Reilly
Director - Switcher Product Management
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2022 02:07
From: Bryan Block
Subject: Acuity at 59.94Hz accepting 50Hz signals (i.e. Panasonic CX350 23.98 PsF output)

I have an Acuity with a single Multiprocessor input board. It's running 59.94 reference and our show is 1080i59.94. We have some old Panasonic HPX250 cameras and are testing the newer CX350 to replace them. We switch between 23.98 and 59.94 on-the-fly between music and speaking segments, as we like the slower frame rate for music. The HPX250 sends a ~60Hz signal at 23.98 and the Acuity accepts this, but the CX350 sends a 48Hz signal and the Acuity will not display the video. The CX350 has a menu setting for SDI output, and it indicates it's sending 1080 PsF, and there's no option to change it to something else except a lower resolution, which does display but looks terrible.

I'm inquiring to Panasonic why the difference, but is there anything the Acuity (or other gear) can do to receive and display the 48-50Hz signal? I don't know much about PsF, or why the two cameras are different. I read something about SmartConversion, but it doesn't seem to be supported on the MultiProcessor input card, and it may have nothing to do with frame rate anyway. I don't know if other outboard gear can up-convert a lower frame rate, and without adding frame delay, since the CX doesn't have genlock and we'd also be losing a frame to sync already with this camera - important for IMAG.

Thanks for any help.

------------------------------
Bryan Block
Malick Media
------------------------------

Thanks for the quick reply, Les. 

I'll look into Teranex - it adds 2 frames of delay, but looks like it'll do what we want. Would an Ultrix router do this type of conversion? We're considering one. I've also forwarded your response to Panasonic to see if I can get more details on the difference between the two cam outputs.

------------------------------
Bryan Block
Malick Media
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2022 09:56
From: Les O'Reilly
Subject: Acuity at 59.94Hz accepting 50Hz signals (i.e. Panasonic CX350 23.98 PsF output)

We can not do that kind of Frame Rate conversion in the Acuity.

The older 23.98 is also interesting that it even worked.  It would not have been doing frame rate conversion on it either so yes there must have been something in the signal that was "tricking" the switcher into thinking it was 59.94i ..  I am sure there was Fields being dropped or repeated butt that kind of goes to that "film effect" look...

You might look at a Terranex frame rate converter and see if that can do the frame rate conversion on those cameras.

------------------------------
Les O'Reilly
Director - Switcher Product Management

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2022 02:07
From: Bryan Block
Subject: Acuity at 59.94Hz accepting 50Hz signals (i.e. Panasonic CX350 23.98 PsF output)

I have an Acuity with a single Multiprocessor input board. It's running 59.94 reference and our show is 1080i59.94. We have some old Panasonic HPX250 cameras and are testing the newer CX350 to replace them. We switch between 23.98 and 59.94 on-the-fly between music and speaking segments, as we like the slower frame rate for music. The HPX250 sends a ~60Hz signal at 23.98 and the Acuity accepts this, but the CX350 sends a 48Hz signal and the Acuity will not display the video. The CX350 has a menu setting for SDI output, and it indicates it's sending 1080 PsF, and there's no option to change it to something else except a lower resolution, which does display but looks terrible.

I'm inquiring to Panasonic why the difference, but is there anything the Acuity (or other gear) can do to receive and display the 48-50Hz signal? I don't know much about PsF, or why the two cameras are different. I read something about SmartConversion, but it doesn't seem to be supported on the MultiProcessor input card, and it may have nothing to do with frame rate anyway. I don't know if other outboard gear can up-convert a lower frame rate, and without adding frame delay, since the CX doesn't have genlock and we'd also be losing a frame to sync already with this camera - important for IMAG.

Thanks for any help.

------------------------------
Bryan Block
Malick Media
------------------------------

No ultrix can not do Frame Rate conversion and I am not sure that the Gator Product supports this format and frame rate conversion.

Anything doing Frame Rate conversion is going to have Delay..

------------------------------
Les O'Reilly
Director - Switcher Product Management
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2022 12:34
From: Bryan Block
Subject: Acuity at 59.94Hz accepting 50Hz signals (i.e. Panasonic CX350 23.98 PsF output)

Thanks for the quick reply, Les. 

I'll look into Teranex - it adds 2 frames of delay, but looks like it'll do what we want. Would an Ultrix router do this type of conversion? We're considering one. I've also forwarded your response to Panasonic to see if I can get more details on the difference between the two cam outputs.

------------------------------
Bryan Block
Malick Media

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2022 09:56
From: Les O'Reilly
Subject: Acuity at 59.94Hz accepting 50Hz signals (i.e. Panasonic CX350 23.98 PsF output)

We can not do that kind of Frame Rate conversion in the Acuity.

The older 23.98 is also interesting that it even worked.  It would not have been doing frame rate conversion on it either so yes there must have been something in the signal that was "tricking" the switcher into thinking it was 59.94i ..  I am sure there was Fields being dropped or repeated butt that kind of goes to that "film effect" look...

You might look at a Terranex frame rate converter and see if that can do the frame rate conversion on those cameras.

------------------------------
Les O'Reilly
Director - Switcher Product Management

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2022 02:07
From: Bryan Block
Subject: Acuity at 59.94Hz accepting 50Hz signals (i.e. Panasonic CX350 23.98 PsF output)

I have an Acuity with a single Multiprocessor input board. It's running 59.94 reference and our show is 1080i59.94. We have some old Panasonic HPX250 cameras and are testing the newer CX350 to replace them. We switch between 23.98 and 59.94 on-the-fly between music and speaking segments, as we like the slower frame rate for music. The HPX250 sends a ~60Hz signal at 23.98 and the Acuity accepts this, but the CX350 sends a 48Hz signal and the Acuity will not display the video. The CX350 has a menu setting for SDI output, and it indicates it's sending 1080 PsF, and there's no option to change it to something else except a lower resolution, which does display but looks terrible.

I'm inquiring to Panasonic why the difference, but is there anything the Acuity (or other gear) can do to receive and display the 48-50Hz signal? I don't know much about PsF, or why the two cameras are different. I read something about SmartConversion, but it doesn't seem to be supported on the MultiProcessor input card, and it may have nothing to do with frame rate anyway. I don't know if other outboard gear can up-convert a lower frame rate, and without adding frame delay, since the CX doesn't have genlock and we'd also be losing a frame to sync already with this camera - important for IMAG.

Thanks for any help.

------------------------------
Bryan Block
Malick Media
------------------------------

Cheaper than Teranex is the UpDownCross HD Converter also from Blackmagic Design. It uses Teranex technology and doesn't do all the fancies of the Teranex, but will do what you want. I also believe they have an openGear version (that's if you have an openGear frame).

------------------------------
James Hope
Technical Director
3ABN Australia Inc
Australia
------------------------------

Thanks for this, James! It looks like it'll do what we want.

An update - Panasonic also said we could put the camera into 29.97/59.94 mode, and use the variable frame rate feature to dial down to 24fps, while still outputting a proper 29.97/59.94 frequency. I just tried it and it works great, so problem solved! Good to know about the frame rate converters, though.

------------------------------
Bryan Block
Malick Media
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-15-2022 17:09
From: James Hope
Subject: Acuity at 59.94Hz accepting 50Hz signals (i.e. Panasonic CX350 23.98 PsF output)

Cheaper than Teranex is the UpDownCross HD Converter also from Blackmagic Design. It uses Teranex technology and doesn't do all the fancies of the Teranex, but will do what you want. I also believe they have an openGear version (that's if you have an openGear frame).

------------------------------
James Hope
Technical Director
3ABN Australia Inc
Australia
------------------------------