I have a Dell Precision 7720 laptop setup with CasparCG, playout works fine out of the HDMI port but I want to use a Blackmagic UltraStudio HD Mini for playout. The laptop sees the box, but how do I set up the config file to to utilize it for playout?
I’m pretty new to the CasparCG world and have only used previously setup systems. I recenty built a new desktop setup for our production trailer but I handed it off to someone to do the final setup which included setting the config file to use 2 Decklink cards for multiple channel playout so I’m kinda trying to figure this out all on my own.
I wish CasparCG was a little more user-friendly…coming from using the app to set outputs for post-production editing systems (AVID/Premiere?DaVinci etc)…I guess I’m spoiled!
You can not run the Desktop app and Caspar on the same channel. On multiple channel cards you can use them independently, but grab an image or record something can also be done by Caspar.
I’ve not encountered any problems. Mostly the CasparCG server just uses the drivers installed as part of the Desktop Video install.
I tend to start the CasparCG and only invoke any Blackmagic Utilities such as Media Express when CasparCG is already running. Media Express lists the devices it can access, so it may not offer access the Mini HD for playout but it will probably allow you to use the SDI input to make recordings unless you have opened the SDI In as an input under CasparCG control.
I use UltraStudio 4k video interface devices. These are older versions of the HD Mini, just supporting more signal forms (SDI, analogue composite, analogue component) for input and output. It operates as a two channel device - one input channel and one output channel with video and key.
I have tested the system and when the output channel is in use by CasparCG I can still open Blackmagic Media Express to capture video from the input channel. As best I can tell from the specifications the HD Mini also operates as a one input channel, one output channel device.
I’m very familiar with the 4k cards and their breakout boxes, but now everything has to be a box that connects to an external port because no one is buying real computers nowadays that can take full-sized PCIe cards…
well, the Ultra Studios were Thunderbolt boxes though right? not in the post-production world anymore, broadcast and don’t use any video monitoring in our editing rooms…everything goes straight to the AVID AirSpeeds for playout
we still have some old decklink duo 2s and 4k extreme cards lying around that we use for our Caspars…we have a few still in service playing out to monitors on our news set
Yes the UltraStudios are Thunderbolt connected. One “plus” to the old 1U rackmount UltraStudio 4k is the Thunderbolt loop through. This gave me the potential to hook the UltraSudio into my Macbook Pro for use with Final Cut, or via boot camp run Windows and Caspar on the same device. Good for portable operations.
At home I could then add the second UIltraStudio unit connected to a small footprint Windows device I use for testing and template development. It looks as if I will need another solution as the second unit has gone hyper-tempremental and it does not boot up 98% of the time) . There is a nasty dry joint in there somewhere - but looking at the board the chances of rework are minimal.
The only device in the current Blackmagic range with loopthrough is the very expensive UltraStudio Extreme 3, so most solutions now tend to need the thunderbolt to PCIe chassis that allow the end user to mount a lower cost Blackmagic Duo 2 card or similar.
I have specified several CasparCG systems for production quality use. I have alwys specified large deskop units such as HP Z4 or similar because I could get the high performance graphics cards that were needed for the full throughput needed, as well as install raided SSD for media storage.
Some of the mini computers with built in graphics devices are quite good (eg Intel NUC i7), but I have had major issues with 1080p50 or 1080p60 on server 2.3, because of the internal p50 or p60 operations even using interlace input and output.
we have older desktops, some still running Win7 or 8 actually. These are the ones just for display on the set which we will be replacing 1st Q with a complete new set build. I just replaced an older Dell T3610 with a 5820 for our production trailer. I used 2 4k Extreme cards in there. I have one Precision 7720 laptop with the nVidia P4000 chip in it for a mobile system, that’s the one I’m trying to get the UltraStudio to work on…it does send out the graphics via HDMI, but I don’t think it sends out an alpha channel so it’s probably used for only fullscreen graphics. I could be wrong, I don’t use it, I just build it lol.
The Ubuntu system I trying to set up is a DellPrecision 5820 with a P400 card I believe, haven’t checked if those specs are good yet, but I have other 5820s with P2000s which would probably work if needed.
thankfully I’m doing this on time when I have it to spare, and I have a lot of free time at work to concentrate on it. I’m sure I’ll eventually read the right info and get it working, but having to learn Ubuntu at the same time is a bit of a challenge.
I thought Ubuntu had a nice Windows-like GUI, but only the desktop is, any secondary drives I’ve only been able to format and mount in terminal and I’m not quite sure how to use them for CasparCG yet. I want everything to live on the faster raid and not the boot drive, even though it is an SSD drive. Still working on that.
this was a request from my boss, to try to get this working on Ubuntu. I get to do this while I am at work and I get paid while researching…it’s called R&D. I don’t do anything just for the fun of it.
This is for a specific use so it is indeed an island. Not to mention it is for a future project so if it doesn’t work, we can always use the Windows versions which we have plenty of.
One of my superiors is an Ubuntu fanatic and he had to abandon this to focus on other projects so it fell into my lap.
. There is a nasty dry joint in there somewhere - but looking at the board the chances of rework are minimal.
If I were your boss 
I would tell you to stick with Windows 10: