Blackmagic intensity pro & 1080p
 

After asking many questions myself regarding the blackmagic intensity pro card and if it was able to output native 1080p footage from a NLE timeline i finally have the answer. First of all I should state that the spec of the card says that the highest resolution it will output is 1080i so as an EX1 user i was hugely dissapointed that i wouldnt be able to monitor 1080p. I decided to purchase the card anyway on the assumption that i would be happy editing my footage on a 720p timeline which the specs of the card say it will handle fine and after setting up a quick project i was easily able to view my timeline on a HDTV connected via HDMI and the quality was perfect HD.

I decided to give the 1080p a go even tho I have heard many times that the card couldnt do this, so i opened up 1080p project i had been working on previously and before i even had chance to configure the output settings i was able to see my timeline displayed perfectly on my 40 inch 1080p sony bravia HDTV. The quality was perfect and i made sure that what i was seeing was indeed my footage at full resolution, so i did the usual checks of sequence settings, render settings, compressor codec ect and i found it to be identical to what it was before the intensity card was ever installed. I didn't have to use any blackmagic codecs, i didnt have to change the field order of my footage all i had to do is select 'view/video playback' to intensity HDTV 1080i in final cut pro, now i don't know what the card is doing but all i know is im seeing a full 1080p image in real time and in YUV colour space. I suspect what actually is happening is that the output is 1080i but for some reason i am seeing it progressivly on my tv (maybe because its a progressve hdtv).

I just thought it was important to put this info up as while i was searching for this answer i came across many people that were not sure themself but would be of huge benefit to them if it did work. Im so suprised that there has never been a clear answer to this question, i mean even the blackmagic customer representative told me 'he doubts it would work'. The reason i took the chance on the card was because i've heard rumors that it should work in theory and I'm so glad it does.

NOTE: the card also works flawlessly in Apple Color and I am able to grade a 1080p project with no problem. I still can't believe how smooth the whole process is. Really hope this helps someone

daniel,

i too have a card and it all works well, i only work in 720p but have tried the 1080p footage from my EXE and yes no problems.

The only thing i can say is some times the audio runs a bit out of sync.

But other than that i agree with you.

Rob.

Does Intensity HDMI out work like an ordinary 2D graphics card? Is it useable as a second or third display "head" assuming 3D isn't needed?

Daniel that is good news. I have had the same BM IP card in my Mac Pro for a year and have not hooked it up. Using two Dell 24" monitor one with MXO has worked well but I had a client ask can we see this on a HDTV while in my studio.

Could you let us know the specs of you HDTV?

Be aware that when I visited the Blackmagic stand at BIRTV in Beijing they said they had updated the Intensity cards SDI at some point in the last year. Not sure how , when or whether it was firmware or hardware. Just be aware that the cards age may be a factor.

Hope this helps

Dan

Hi Jeff, the card doesnt act as a graphics card as your only able to the output video from a timeline not a general display of your desktop or application interface etc, however if you wanted a HDTV output for a third monitor you could always get a dvi/ga splitter so that you could run 2 monitors and a HDTV all at the same time.

Hi Paul, my HDTV is the sony bravia 40v3000, which is a 40 inch 1080p LCD. I chose this TV as all of it's features are configurable including the backlight which makes itself very easy to be calibrated, not to mention i got a good deal on it ;p.

That a card, with specs only indicating 1080i, can display 1080p just fine, doesn't surprise me at all. What's happening is that the 1080p picture is indeed carried over as 1080PsF (with fields offset time being zero, as they're taken from the same frame of the progressive source).

The same principle is used for burning BD's from 1080/25p (or 30p) material, even tough neither is in the BD specs. After having edited my 1080/25p source in Vegas, I always encode into 1080/50i m2v's for DVDA, and burn BD's which don't show any typical interlace artifacts (like combing) even on a PC monitor, which is of course progressive and doesn't do any deinterlacing (as HDTV's can do).

PS BTW, when you hook up a progessive camera (like the EX1) to a full HDTV using component, the same thing happens - both interlace and progressive content is seen by the HDTV as 1080i, and NOT 1080p.

What NLE do you use with BM Intensity Pro?

Thanks Daniel looks like a great HDTV for the price.

Piotr is this the same card you are using on your setup? Also how far away are you viewing your HDTV? I noticed on pictures of your camera with your editing station in the background how the TV was just over the desk.

Just looking for input since I will make this move very soon to please a few great clients.

No, Paul - the 50" full HD plasma you saw hanging above my desktop is fed from my ATI HD 3870's secondary DVI->HDMI. And of course, the plasma says it's getting 1080p.

When I attach the camera via component, the plasma sees it as 1080i, but there is no difference in the picture whatsoever.

And you won't believe me, but when previewing my HD Vegas projects, I'm watching this big screen from ca. 1m - absolutely great experience with a video of the EX quality.

Of course, when watching for leisure, I move back a little, but not much at all - to just some 2.5m from the plasma.

Sounds great nothing like being in the picture.

Frame Rate
 

Hi Daniel,

are your working on 30p or 24p ? It's being said that won't playback 24p timelines.


thanks in advance