Clips don't Play - YPbPr/SDI Out Select - SD or HD - EX1 firmware 1.11
 

I got my EX1 back from Sony after firmware 1.11 upgrade, battery drain issue, backplate letters wearing off.

I found that clips recorded on SxS (or MxR) don not play when YPbPr/SDI Out Select - SD or HD. I'm seeing this in both Camera mode an Media mode.

Steps to reproduce:
Camera mode
Menu/Video Set YPbPr/SDI Out Select to either SD or HD
Record Clip any HQ any duration
ClipReview - results in media error

More details:

Turn YPbPr/SDI Out Select - OFF
Playback WORKS. Both SxS and MxR last clip review WORKS. Media Mode Playback WORKS.

Turn YPbPr/SDI Out Select - SD or HD
Playback does NOT WORK. Both SxS and MxR last clip review results in Media Error. This has no impact on going right back into record or anything else
Media mode playback does NOT WORK. Black screen when attempting playback. Cards is briefly accessed (light goes Red the goes Green and stays Green) and tally light flashes. Camera locks up and must be shut off.

I've done a Reset All. I've removed and reinserted lithium backup battery. No impact on issue.

My guess is that there is either an issue with Sony's install of the new firmware or they screwed up the hardware.

Can anybody else with EX1 firmware 1.11 check this?
Anybody experiencing this?

Sounds like it gotta get serviced unfortunately.

I have 1.11 (double checked in the maintenance menu) and no problems playing back clips in cam mode and media mode.

Thanks for checking that Juan.
I called Sony and spoke to the tech who worked on my camera. I'm driving it back in to their service center today. There's definitely something wrong with the camera but it doesn't correlate to any known problem.

Craig, have you confirmed you actually have 1.11 installed?
Part of the 1.11 upgrade process is to install 1.10 first, then 1.11.

As mentioned before, I have no issues with my EX-1 with v1.11.

Drove to Sony Teaneck. Showed the issue to the tech who had done the original maintenance. He confirmed he had never seen anything like this before.

I told him that I believed it was a firmware issue. He reinstalled the firmware and . . . the issue is FIXED!

IMHO this is why the firmware should be user or local dealer installer. Fortunately it's only about a 30 minute drive to Teaneck for us. Had it been San Jose it would likely be 10 or more day turnaround between shipping and sitting on the wait list for a tech.

Time for us was 30 minutes there. 1 hour between waiting and 30 minutes of tech time to explain issue, update again, test again. 30 minutes back. Total time 2 hours.

For those getting their cameras back from Sony after firmware upgrade. Check all functions. Even obscure ones.

Good point. After the upgrade, the "Battery info" on my EX1 displays the number of "dots" appropriate for the battery's state, but reads "0 remaining" regardless.

Anyone has this problem?

Piotr, is it the internal menu or the soft battery info button on the top?

I'm certain most will agree here.
But, they installed yours initially, right?

Yes, that's the irony. If it had been me or a local dealer it would be easy to reinstall. Fortunately Teaneck is not that far away so we drove back and they took care of it while I waited. My local VAR is within walking distance (and they are an Authorized Sony Pro Service facility too) and as a former video facility engineer who has done Avid, BetaSX, DigiBeta maintenance, I really could have done it myself. I did need the battery drain and back plate fading character issue addressed too though.

Personally I can't imagine an engineer at a back logged Sony service facility having the time to do only the most cursory QC. The tech was very apologetic though. I still shudder to think what it would have been like to ship to San Jose from NY though after waiting over 3 weeks for the camera already.

I mean the latter, Craig.

Hi Piotr,

You do mean the EX1 LCD saying there is zero minutes left of battery life although battery is full? I remember something similar happening on my camera after it was first sent to service and had was updated to 1.05 (I think, not really certain about from what firmware to what it was updated though). The battery time would go up instead of down. From 200 minutes to 230 minutes. This happened in real time, 30 minutes of usage would add 30 minutes of battery time on the LCD.

The problem went away after I had used the camera for an hour or so and tried removing and putting the battery back. I've used the camera plenty after that and both my batterys (30 and 60) have always shown correct times since. Although with my bigger battery I nowadays get a battery error message and have to take it off and put it back again to get it working.

Sami

Hi Sami,

It seems it's not the same kind of strange behaviour, as my unit always shows 0 minutes remaining when I press the DISPLAY/BATT INFO button under the handle (with camera off) - regardless of whether the battery is full, near-empty, or anything in between...

I don't care too much, as the indicator in the upper left of the LCD seems to be more realistic than that :). Nevertheless, it's indicative that what Craig says is true - a firmware update can introduce some strange side effects (the indicator used to work properly before I upgraded to 1.11).

- When I press the DISPLAY BATT INFO button under the handle, the display blacks out except for the record/standby indicator.

- When the display is not blacked out, the battery icon in the upper left corner shows 5 bars and reads 268min.

- If I press the STATUS button under the handle, and scroll to page 5, the bar graph for the battery shows 10 bars, reads Charge Count 84. simultaneous in the upper left corner is the aforementioned battery icon with 5 bars and reads 268min.

Version 1.11

Same here. Also, even though my camera's been back to Sony twice, it still has the battery drain issue. Even with a new power board.

This is strange. This should be fixed by replacing I believe two PCBs.

I see what Tom sees.

Note that the Display Batt Info under the handle only displays the Battery Info when the camera is OFF (and battery installed). Turn camera off and then hold down that button for a few seconds. It's a way to check the attached battery without turning on the camera. This actually a good way to check battery drain issue.

What we need to do is document the rate of change over a set amount of time. One method might be to attach a full battery and let the camera sit off for 24 hours (can you stay away from it that long?) and check again using the above button.

Thanks Craig. I wasn't holding the button down long enough. The bar graph reads 100% and the counter 260 minutes.

My cam has the original power supply boards, and shipped with V1.05. It now has V1.11, and the battery drain on the BP-U60 battery lasts about a week on-camera with no usage, so I don't know how that compares. I now just remove the battery.

I have experienced most of the issues, backfocus, battery drain, I guess that's it just those two. I have not had the vignette problem. The silkscreen lettering on the body is wearing off around the ND selector switch.

To me, the most important fix was the back flange adjustment, which had to be repeated after the firmware upgrade.

I'm completely satisfied with the cam.

I think Piotr had his firmware flashed by Sony. I wonder if it's something other than the firmware causing his faulty battery readout, perhaps not using a Sony battery, or perhaps they replaced his power supply boards to address the battery drain issue, i.e. ribbon cable not seated on p.s. board?

Yes Tom, mine was upgraded by Sony. Actually they did quite a lot, including lens replacement (I did ask them to fix the sticking ND filter switch, but never complained about any other lens-related issue). They also replaced 2 body panels for rubbed off lettering; it's possible they didn't put things back together quite properly.

As I said, I'm not too worried about the battery read-out problem (I'm only using originals), as having 2 years of Prime Support, I will certainly be sending my unit once more for a general overhaul.

As to the battery drain, yes they said 2 PCB's were replaced; indeed the problem is much less noticeable now, but not gone completely. In my old good V1E, I could leave the battery for weeks and its capacity didn't change at all!