Getting QLab to recognize camera through Ultrastudio Mini Recorder

[Lisa Coir]

Hi,

I'm trying to get Qlab to recognize a camera input - Axis Camera through micro HDMI to Ultrastudio Mini Recorder. The camera shows on other programs but I can't get Qlab to recognize it. The camera needs about 50 ft from its location to the Mac running the show, so I'm hoping to use HDMI and get this to work, but it's not.

Anyone have any ideas or help? I'm very green.

Thanks,
Lisa

[Sam Kusnetz]

Lisa Coir wrote:
> I'm trying to get Qlab to recognize a camera input - Axis Camera
> through micro HDMI to Ultrastudio Mini Recorder. The camera shows on
> other programs but I can't get Qlab to recognize it. The camera needs
> about 50 ft from its location to the Mac running the show, so I'm
> hoping to use HDMI and get this to work, but it's not.

Hello Lisa

Unlike some other programs, QLab requires that the resolution and frame
rate be proactively set and matching on the camera, in the Blackmagic
software, and in QLab itself.

In QLab, this is done in Settings > Camera with a dropdown menu that
appears next to the patch to which you assign the Blackmagic device.

Can you confirm that the camera, the Blackmagic, and QLab are all set to
the same resolution and frame rate?

Cheerio
Sam
--
Sam Kusnetz | Figure 53
s...@figure53.com

[Lisa Coir]

Hi Sam,

Thanks for the response. I'm not sure I understand. There is nothing in the dropdown menu in settings/camera for the patch except my webcam. I'm not getting the ability for Qlab to recognize the input coming from the mini recorder at all, so I don't know to adjust the settings.

[Sam Kusnetz]

Lisa Coir wrote:
> Thanks for the response. I'm not sure I understand. There is nothing
> in the dropdown menu in settings/camera for the patch except my
> webcam. I'm not getting the ability for Qlab to recognize the input
> coming from the mini recorder at all, so I don't know to adjust the
> settings.

The Blackmagic device doesn't appear in the dropdown lists next to the
eight camera patches?

You need to have the Blackmagic device connected and configured before
launching QLab. If you quit and re-open QLab, does the Blackmagic device
appear in the list of patchable cameras?

[Lisa Coir]

Post-patch it is showing up. I thought I had the most recent patch, but I didn't. Still having a problem though. The camera natively exports in 720p at 25/30 frames, but I don't see that in blackmagic or Qlab. Can I duplicate the frames somehow or otherwise get it to work?

[Sam Kusnetz]

Lisa Coir wrote:
> Post-patch it is showing up. I thought I had the most recent patch,
> but I didn't. Still having a problem though. The camera natively
> exports in 720p at 25/30 frames, but I don't see that in blackmagic or
> Qlab.

If the Blackmagic device is set to PAL (and not NTSC), then 1280x720p25
or 1280x720p30 should be available options, both in the Blackmagic and
in QLab. Again, though, QLab has to be closed while the Blackmagic is
set up.

Does that help?

[Lisa Coir]

On the device I'm not getting PAL as a resolution option. The device is a AXIS M1025.

[Sam Kusnetz]

Lisa Coir wrote:
> On the device I'm not getting PAL as a resolution option. The device
> is a AXIS M1025.

I'm sorry, I mean the Blackmagic needs to be set as PAL to work with PAL
frame rates.

[Aksel Gundersen]

Hi,

Looks like the Ultrastudio Mini Recorder don't support 720p25/30, but it might work at double framerate setting.

You can try:

Download and install the latest "Desktop video" software from Blackmagic Design. (pt. v10.5.4) https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/family/capture-and-playback

Read the user guide on AXIS M1025 (page 14):

Connect the Camera to a Monitor
When the camera is  first connected to a monitor and then powered up, the default capture mode is automatically set for viewing the image stream over HDMI. If the camera is connected to a monitor after power up, restart the camera or set the capture mode to 720p (HDMI)@30/25 fps. This can be done from the Capture mode drop-down list from Video > Camera Settings. This can also be done from the Con gure capture mode window (see Con gure Capture Mode on page 8 ) after a factory default (see page 46).

http://www.axis.com/files/manuals/um_axis_M1025_63354_en_1509.pdf

Connect everything, power on camera and open up QLab.

Workspace settings -> Camera

Aksel

[Lisa Coir]

I tried this on a friend's Mac and it seems to work. Weirdly blackmagic media express would blink the settings at the bottom and when I set it to 59.94 at 720p it started working on blackmagic and qlab. However, when I tried to do this with the show computer (new imac) with the same camera (exact same, not the same model) it wasn't working. The only difference that I can see is the HDMI cord is 50 ft instead of 6 ft but I wouldn't think that would cause a black screen. Any tips? Since it worked once, I want to be optimistic about it working again!

On Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 1:14:38 PM UTC-8, Lisa Coir wrote:

[dorfma...@gmail.com]

I had this issue this evening. For what it's worth this method worked for me;

- Plug in video source (camera=>Black Magic=>Mac)

- In settings, patch video device (don't bother with the resolution yet, just set the device)

- On the Cue List, create a camera cue

- Go into audition mode (shift cmd A, to exit audition mode you can hit escape or repeat the shortcut)

- Play Camera cue

- While playing, open settings and change to the resolution (known or unknown) on the patch screen. If it's known, this is easy, if not, keep working through the list. Mine was a known @1080i 59.94.

- video should pop up when you've selected the correct resolution

My working theory is that an initialization script is sent every time you change resolutions. I don't have any evidence to support this, but it's a theory.

Good luck and Cheers!