Decklink 8k pro

[dirkdamerau]

Hi everyone, I recently tested my machine with a Decklink 8k Pro. It works in 2160p50 incl. key output. The config of channel 1 is identical to my Duo2. Key output is on connector 2 on the 8k Pro. BUT there are no additional output channels possible as the 8k Pro is only one Decklink device to the system. If the card is set to In & Out Mode via BM Software, connector 3 can be use as an input but no more outputs possible.

I also mentioned that e.g. the Transform, Anchor Point and Distort Tools are not working in 2160p (V2.2.0).

[didikunz]

Thanks for testing and posting back. That is good to know.

[davedv]

Originally the DeckLink 8K Pro was only a single channel card (similar to the DeckLink 4K Pro) with the multiple connectors only used for dual-link or quad-link SDI input and output.

As of a firmware update included with Desktop Video 11.0 in March, the DeckLink 8K Pro is now like a 4K version of the DeckLink Duo 2. Each of the 4 SDI connectors can be independently assigned as inputs or outputs (so you could have four 4K inputs, four 4K outputs, or two in/two out).

When setup for keying, the DeckLink 8K Pro is capable of outputting two independent fill and key signals simultaneously. Here is the link to the announcement from Blackmagic:
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/release/20190305-04

[zcybercomputing]

That is awesome! I had suspected the card was capable of that, but didn’t have evidence the firmware was set up to allow it. This might be why BMD had such a hard time confirming exactly what functionality this card was meant to have back when I called them about it…

[MarkThackeray]

Does anyone have a working config for two fill & key using the 8K pro? I’m trying to install one (currently working in 1080i50) and not having much luck getting anything out of it in either 4 independent channels (and trying to get the external_separate_device to work - keep getting an error that it cannot set up a fill output on channel 2 which I had specified as key only) or just a single channel with key (output 2, which I assume would be the fill, turns itself off for some reason).

Relevant section from my config (in 4 channel mode):

  <consumers>
  <decklink>
  	<device>1</device>
  	<embedded-audio>true</embedded-audio>
  	<keyer>external_separate_device</keyer>
  	<key-device>2</key-device>
  	<key-only>false</key-only>
  </decklink>
  <decklink>
  	<device>2</device>
  	<embedded-audio>true</embedded-audio>
  	<key-only>true</key-only>
  </decklink>
  <decklink>
  	<device>3</device>
  	<embedded-audio>true</embedded-audio>
  	<keyer>external_separate_device</keyer>
  	<key-device>4</key-device>
  	<key-only>false</key-only>
  </decklink>
  <decklink>
  	<device>4</device>
  	<embedded-audio>true</embedded-audio>
  	<key-only>true</key-only>
  </decklink>
  </consumers>

[Andrea]

Hi,
I have a DeckLink 8k Pro fully functional, double channel fill+key
for me the trick was in the blackmagic settings: 1ºin+2ºout and 3ºin+4ºout
in this way the f+k are linked together and perfectly in sync
(external keyer)

I tried only in 1080@50i, I don’t have any way to test higher resolution at the moment

[LateGreat]

would you mind posting your config file?

[Andrea]

Sorry for the long long time
Deckling 8k Pro works really fine with CasparCG
the channels needs to be linked in Blackmagic tool 1&2 and 3&4

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <paths>
    <media-path>media\</media-path>
    <log-path>log\</log-path>
    <data-path>data\</data-path>
    <template-path>templates\</template-path>
    <thumbnails-path>thumbnails\</thumbnails-path>
  </paths>
  <channels>
    <channel>
        <video-mode>1080i5000</video-mode>
        <consumers>
            <decklink>
                <device>1</device>
                <embedded-audio>true</embedded-audio>
                <channel-layout>stereo</channel-layout>
                <latency>normal</latency>
                <keyer>external</keyer>
                <key-only>false</key-only>
                <buffer-depth>3</buffer-depth>
            </decklink>
          <system-audio />
        </consumers>
        </channel>
    <channel>
        <video-mode>1080i5000</video-mode>
        <consumers>
            <decklink>
                <device>2</device>
                <embedded-audio>true</embedded-audio>
                <channel-layout>stereo</channel-layout>
                <latency>normal</latency>
                <keyer>external</keyer>
                <key-only>false</key-only>
                <buffer-depth>3</buffer-depth>
            </decklink>
          <system-audio />
        </consumers>
        </channel>
        <channel>
        <video-mode>576p2500</video-mode>
        <consumers>
          <screen>
            <device>1</device>
            <windowed>true</windowed>
            <key-only>false</key-only>
            <name>[Preview]</name>
            <borderless>false</borderless>
          </screen>
          <system-audio />
        </consumers>
    </channel>
  </channels>
  <controllers>
    <tcp>
        <port>5250</port>
        <protocol>AMCP</protocol>
    </tcp>
  </controllers>
</configuration>

[m.masoori]

I think this problem solved in newer blackmagic driver version 11.6

[bobby.dk]

@Andrea Have/ could you try this with 2160p?

[Andrea]

Yes, I will try it

@Andrea

Hi, I can test it, more or less if the card does work at 4k resolution, or at least if don’t work

more or less because I have just a web presenter that can accept 4k signal, so I can just see the four output one by one, not simultaneously

so it is not a proper test but probably a good indication
also my card is connected with half of the lanes (four instead of eight)
but for that I will try with just one f+k at first and then the double f+k after.

[Andrea]

So far so good,
I have tested 2160p@2500, 2160p@5000, 2160p@6000 both single channel anche dual channel and it works very well, I can see both fill and key for all of the four SDI output.

I cannot try for the actual sync between fill and key but since they are managed internally I do not expect any out of sync issue.
But if needed I could find a creative way to do that, but the real test would be with a proper 4k mixer which unfortunately I do not have.
Let me know if other resolution and frame rate are needed

[bobby.dk]

That’s great!

That indeed does not confirm the sync, but it’s a good first indication. The resolutions you specified are fine for now.

Would love to know if the sync is also correct. For now, I will offer this solution to my client. If you ever get the opportunity to test the sync with a 4k mixer, I would love to hear the results.

If my client accepts the offer and I get my hands on the hardware, I will post the results here as well.

[Andrea]

@bobby.dk

That’s great!

nice to hear that

unfortunately I have no opportunity to try a 4k mixer
the only thing that I can think of is to made a precise timed loop template, record a unique clip switching input and then put it on a editing software.
Very unorthodox and out of the box way to check synchronisation

[carmacoma]

Hi all, just bumping this topic:

I have had no luck at all in getting 2 x 1080i SDI Key + Fill outputs working on an 8kPro Decklink, with any of the configs posted above, or with any other configurations I’ve tried.

Has anyone had recent success with this? And if so, could you post a known working config file?

Many thanks!

[didikunz]

Can you output anything from Caspar? Maybe to a screen consumer? Do you run it as administrator?

[carmacoma]

• Yes Caspar works fine. I can get screen consumers all that stuff.
• I can get key and fill out of either the top two (SDI 1 & 2) or bottom two (SDI 3 & 4), depending on the caspar.config settings file and Blackmagic Desktop Video Setup application connector mapping combinations, but never 2 channels at once. I have tried all 4 different connector mappings with every suggested caspar.config file, so far no luck.
  Sometimes this results in the same ch 1 fill signal also being output on the third and fourth sdi connectors, but never a second separate output (ch2). Ch 2 works fine on a screen consumer when all this is happening.
• Caspar always thows the traditional decklink_consumer.cpp errors of a misconfigured Decklink. Thoe only time I don’t get these errors is when only allocating one Caspar channel to the Decklink.
• I do happen to be logged in to the windows admin account, but that does not seem relevant to these errors

[carmacoma]

UPDATE: It works!
It seems counter intuitive, but for future reference this is the correct Blackmagic Video Desktop connector mapping setting for 2 x HD key + fill channels:

SDI 1 in, SDI 2 out

And this is the config I have:

  <channels>
    <channel>
      <video-mode>1080i5000</video-mode>
      <consumers>
        <decklink>
          <device>1</device>
          <embedded-audio>true</embedded-audio>
          <channel-layout>stereo</channel-layout>
          <latency>normal</latency>
          <keyer>external</keyer>
          <key-only>false</key-only>
          <buffer-depth>3</buffer-depth>
        </decklink>
      </consumers>
    </channel>
    <channel>
      <video-mode>1080i5000</video-mode>
      <consumers>
        <decklink>
          <device>2</device>
          <embedded-audio>true</embedded-audio>
          <channel-layout>stereo</channel-layout>
          <latency>normal</latency>
          <keyer>external</keyer>
          <key-only>false</key-only>
          <buffer-depth>3</buffer-depth>
        </decklink>
      </consumers>
    </channel>
  </channels>

Thanks to everyone for their help!!

[didikunz]

@carmacoma

SDI 1 in, SDI 2 out

Does not make any sense

[Andrea]

Totally agree!
At the time I tried it just by exclusion

edit: could actually make a liiiiiittle sense in the internal keyer case, but anyway more cryptic than a sibyl