HD-Out over HDMI while recording
 

According to the jap. Canon Site the T2i (Kiss X4) output 1080i while recording:
jap. Canon Website|EOS MOVIE

But in the english handbook on page 136 is the following passage:
"If connect the camera to a TV Set with a hdmi cable an shoot a movie in [1920*1080] or [1280*720], the movie being shoot will be displayed at a small size of TV."

That sounds for me that the Output drop like the 5D II to 576p / 480p while recording.


Please can any one of the owners of the new T2i check this out.
I think that is not only for me a critical function by the choise between the 7D and T2i.


Thank you
Daniel

The Canon DSLR's will output a 480 signal while recording. This is due to the EU tariff issue.

I am 99% sure the 7d still outputs 1080 via HDMI, even when recording. Initially the display is small and surround by menu items but if you hit the info button it toggles to fuill screen mode, 1080 output. At least "my" 7d is like this.

This is incorrect - the 7D definitly and in think the 1D IV also output 1080i during recording.


sorry
Daniel

According to the PDF of the 550D manual the HDMI output display format can be changed to suit the TV resolution by pressing DISP.

Now what this actually means in real terms i wouldn't mind finding out!

I seem to remember that initially the buffer size on the 5D was too small for a full 1080 image anyway, it was something like 540 vertical, which would explain 1080i. But does it output a full 1080 over two fields?

cheers
paul

The Magic Lantern custom firmware enabled 1080i output on the 5D while recording. So it was not less capable than the other Canon DSLRs.

Unfortunately, Tramm claims that he's had some reliability/quality issues when doing 1080i. My guess is that with access to the source code, one could get 1080i to work without bugs through efficiency improvements. Tramm doesn't have access to the source code or all the DSP details.

HD HDMI Out while recording
 

I have read all the posts and need to know the same thing.

Can the T2i feed HD signal out the HDMI port to an external HD monitor while recording
HD video ?

My T2i will be here Tuesday the 2nd Mar, then I will know for sure. I need to hook it up to my SmallHD DP1. If I can't, it's going back to Amazon for a 7D.

I will test this with Matrox MXO2.

Kaku , Thanks , I look forward to your test results.

It does output at 1080 but it's windowed. Not a clean output. The signal become 1080 then it shows look around area that is vertically lessens the size then the sides are reduce to go even with the ratio. Also, if you stay in the manual mode, the zoom box stays on the screen.

When you connect HDMI, the onboard LCD gets turned off, so then you have to deal with terribly slow monitoring on the external monitor.

Also, when you turn it to the playback mode, the signal is ALMOST clean and displays the whole 1080, but the clip length remains on the output and I can't seem to find the way to turn it off.

AND, as you turn on the video REC, it turns off the HDMI output.

@Kaku Ito:

I have a few questions:

- What mean you with "terribly slow monitoring on the external monitor"?

- "It does output at 1080 but it's windowed" You can not changed this by pressing the display button?

- Absolute no signal over HDMI during recording? (according to handbook it must possible)


????


Daniel

That sounds like what it looks like when viewing video feed from a Canon XHA1 into Final Cut Pro on a Mac. Delayed video, just by a few frames, but enough to drive you crazy.

We need a test into a regular HD monitor, maybe that is different? I hope!

On the monitoring while recording part, I didn't do justice to the original question of the thread, I shifted the topic toward recording on external route, so let me fix that. It was just before I went to bed (way after the bed time) so it was too sketchy. Sorry.

I connected the TVLogic XVM-245W via HIDMI and it did output video while recording. It goes to blank a short while when you press the record button, but it comes back. And the latency in displaying was as normal latency as what you expect.

On the Windowed question, the display button will change only between three ways, this windowed style, with shutter speed/exposure/ISO, and one more with more information.