Blackmagic 8 bit codec woes

Hopefully this is a simple question, that will merit a simple answer.

I'm getting the white video-screen of death. A client digitized a couple of tapes onto my external hard drive, captured with a Blackmagic card. I don't have a Blackmagic card, and seem to be missing the necessary codec to play back this video. The audio is fine, just no video.

System details:

New Mac Pro duo-core, up to date Mac OS X, up to date Quicktime, Final Cut Pro 6 installed with Studio 2.

The quicktime files are in the Blackmagic 8 bit (DVOO) format.

I have surfed to the Blackmagic site and downloaded their "universal codec for systems without decklink", and I dropped the resulting uncompressed file in my /library/quicktime folder, but still I'm getting just audio and the white screen of death.

What am I missing here? What else can I do? Is there something else I need to do to get my system to accept these codecs? I have restarted twice, and am running out of ideas.

Jeff

Here's a puzzling update:

I got both quicktime 7.2 and Final Cut Pro 6.0.1 to acknowledge the Blackmagic uncompressed 8 bit and 10 bit codecs. (At least, in both apps when I go to export, there are the blackmagic codec options listed.) I did this by installing the software that runs the blackmagic card, even though I don't have it, but installing the software that runs the card seems to have gotten the codecs to appear.

Unfortunately, I'm still getting the white screen of death. Still getting audio. The video is there, because after the digitizing was finished, I opened up one of the files right there on the system with the Blackmagic card installed.

But here at my home base, I've got nothing.

Any thoughts?

Can you choose Blackmagic 8bit as a codec for your timeline?
If its properly put into your system the blackmagic options should be
in your Final Cut Pro.

Have you tried opening the file in quicktime as well as FCP?

Johan Polhem
Motion Graphics
www.johanpolhem.com

If the BlackMagic codecs are properly installed (is the BlackMagic component visible in your QuickTime folder?) then you shouldn't be having any problems. Have you been to the support section on the Blackmagic website? Drop them a query, they're very good at helping you get the codecs up and running.

Clay

"I got both quicktime 7.2 and Final Cut Pro 6.0.1 to acknowledge the Blackmagic uncompressed 8 bit and 10 bit codecs."

Thats interesting. Those codecs are EXACTLY the same as Quicktime uncompressed 10 bit
and 8bit and you dont need blackmagic codecs to view them.

Johan Polhem
Motion Graphics
www.johanpolhem.com

I'll drop the Blackmagic support people a line.

I have tried opening my capture files in Quicktime, and I get the same result. White frame of video, and full audio.

Johan - I was under that impression too, that I wouldn't need extra fancy codecs to play back this video once it was captured.

Could it be something else? Other, full-resolution quicktimes play back without a problem. Beyond the codec, what else could be causing this white screen? Is there anything else I should trouble shoot?


Jeff

> That's interesting. Those codecs are EXACTLY the same as Quicktime uncompressed 10 bit
> and 8bit and you dont need blackmagic codecs to view them.

I think there might be a catch there. While the codecs do the same job, I don't think FCP and QuickTime necessarily view them as interchangeable. I don't deal with Blackmagic codecs often, but last I did, it was in an FCP timeline that used a Blackmagic Uncompressed 10-bit SD codec, received from a client. That timeline refused to function until I actually changed its setting to the built-in Apple Uncompressed 10-bit codec. Johan, have you had a different experience with this?


www.derekmok.com

I've tried fooling around with the timeline settings, but I get nothing but the white screen in my viewer window as well, before the video even gets to the timeline.

Now I am a relative FCP newbie, is there a project-wide codec setting?

Let me throw a new thought out there, for the Blackmagic users who might read this: Is there a capture setting on the Blackmagic that requires a Decklink card for playback? Could this be a capture problem?

Would going back and re-capturing the footage with a different capture setting give me different results?

Oh, this is making me crazy!

Just out of curiosity have you been able to view these captured files on anything? Is it possible that the files where corrupted to begin with?

I did solve the problem this morning, but I've been cranking along on this edit and haven't had time to share the magic solution.

It was a codec mis-match issue.

My client digitized with the Blackmagic 5.7.2 codec. The company website only offers version 6.1 for download. I pilfered their codec folder and all was well.

Who knew they weren't backwards compatible?

Jeff

"I don't deal with Blackmagic codecs often, but last I did, it was in an FCP timeline that used a Blackmagic Uncompressed 10-bit SD codec, received from a client. That timeline refused to function until I actually changed its setting to the built-in Apple Uncompressed 10-bit codec. Johan, have you had a different experience with this?"

-Yes Derek, I have for some reason. I can digitize as 10 bit Black magic and then place the file
in an Apple uncompressed 10 bit and it will need no render and work just fine.
I wonder why you cant. Have you tried recently with the latest QT?

Johan Polhem
Motion Graphics
www.johanpolhem.com

> Yes Derek, I have for some reason. I can digitize as 10 bit Black magic and then place the file
> in an Apple uncompressed 10 bit and it will need no render and work just fine.
> I wonder why you cant. Have you tried recently with the latest QT?

Nope, that's part of why I can't nail this down. I'll come back when I encounter the issue again.


www.derekmok.com