GH4 HDMI output not using photo style

[Steve Kimmel]

Trying to record HDMI out from GH4 to PIX240i. Having 2 problems:

- The Photo Style doesn't seem to carry over the hdmi. I'm using Cine D, but external recording looks very "rec709".

- Also, when I set output to 10-bit, the PIX240i still sees it as 8-bit.

Any thoughts on these?

Thanks.

[William Hohauser]

You are entering the mystery world of HDMI and your experiences are going to be strange. I only have my GH3 experiences to work from but I can tell you that working with HDMI with any gear that uses it is a shot in the dark. One reason for this is that the HDMI circuit in the GH series runs sideways to the recording circuit that makes the video/photo files. It isn't always processing the output of the imaging chip the same way. This is probably why the photo style isn't going out the HDMI feed although this may not be the only reason.

First, make sure the PIX240i has the latest firmware update. I had a Blackmagic UltraRecorder that initially couldn't even accept the GH3 HDMI signal until a firmware upgrade was issued. While one came down, plus a few more, in the end the firmware upgrades never enabled me to record 24p from the GH3. The UltraRecorder always recorded 29.97 even if I was simultaneously recording 24p on the SD card. The video was even two different frame rates. Not sure how the camera could do that but I filmed motion and compared the UltraRecorder files with the SD card files and discovered zero pull down from the UltraRecorder. No repeated frames which is what you would expect from 24 going into 30. Meanwhile my HDMI monitors were getting 24p from the GH3 with the same HDMI output from day one, no upgrades needed. I am not sure if anyone has made an external recorder for the GH3 that does 24p.

HDMI is a two way street and if the two pieces of equipment are not talking to each other properly, strange things will happen. This maybe why the 240 is still seeing 8-bit. It's up to the manufacturers to program the correct crosstalk but who knows where the problem might lie. Years ago JVC would not program the FireWire chip in their decks and cameras properly and it was up to the software designers to code around this so their programs would work with JVC equipment. Is Panasonic doing the same thing here? Don't know. Hopefully you can sort this out but I have a feeling that Panasonic made the SDI attachment for a reason beyond making some extra money.

[Steve Kimmel]

Thank you William, that is very helpful. I have the latest PIX firmware. I sent a note to SoundDevices to see if they can help as well.

Has anyone had success with HDMI out to other recording devices? Anyone try the YAGH yet?

[Cees van Kempen]

I have given up to use my GH3 with HDMI recorders, because it is completely unreliable. My nanoflash and Ninja don't manage to read a proper progressive (Pfs) from it, it becomes a weird, useless interlaced picture in a progressive frame. And other devices don't manage to make anything out of the GH3's hdmi signal at all. I have had terrible frustrations with it, while all my other hdmi cameras are no problem at all.

I was hoping that Panasonic would have solved these problems with the GH4, but obviously not.

[Steve Kimmel]

Heard back from Sound Devices. They said it should be working -- i.e., they don't have a solution. Also, I'm not getting 10-bit from the HDMI (when set to 10-bit output). Called Panasonic -- they didn't know what was going on and said they'd get back to me.