FreeFly HDMI | SD Converter

Anyone tried this HDMI converter on a Sony HDR CX760? It would mean flying the camera with the LCD screen partially open as the min-HDMI connector is covered by the LCD screen/door -- so I figured I'd mount some protective plastic cover on the LCD screen and some cushioning so the screen is not in hard contact with the right-angle mini-HDMI. But at least the shooter on the ground can get feedback of whether the camera is recording or not -- those viewfinder icons are not on the composite video signal emitted by the camera, but *are* on the HDMI output.

Andy.

 

I'm using a Sony HDR CX760 and originally just feeding the composite video output into a Mondo Stinger 5.8Ghz TX for downlink.

On of the big problems is the lack of status regarding recording on/off being available to the camera operator -- the shooter I work with would like to record both stills and record video while airborne controlling zoom in/out, record on/off, and digital still trigger using a Strato Snapper or an MK Infra Red Controller.

I did some ground tests and I noticed that when I connect a SmallHD DP6 monitor to the mini-HDMI connector on the CX760, I see the full viewfinder information, that is, the video image, including the "REC" status, battery status and so on.

However, when I installed the FF HDMI converter, to my abject disappointment, only the video image comes down (it's very good quality video!), but the screen icons are not visible, so it doesn't solve the problem I was trying to solve.

Incidentally, it seems to suggest that there are two different video streams emerging from the CX760's mini-HDMI, which surprised me--but I've never studied the pinout for an HDMI connector.

That also suggests that a different HDMI cable might solve the problem? I've not seen any good right-angle mini-HDMI cables out there yet, though.

Anyone solved the problem of getting recording status downlinked from the CX760, please?

I have seen the MK IR documentation which suggests programming a "Menu" button press with temporarily brings up the recording/not recording status, but that takes away from one of the actions you can perform. So your choices would then be: zoom in or out but not both (doesn't seem like a good idea), and record on/off and "menu". So that means no digital stills.

Looks like I need a three servo IR command board!

Has anyone solved the problem of getting screen icon with the FF HDMI board please?
Thanks
Andy

 

Thanks, Tabb. It struck me as odd too. Is there really a second video stream in the HDMI spec?

Andy.

 

Hi Tabb:
Thanks for responding so quickly!

That's even more odd. So how does the Sony know the difference between the FF HDMI converter and the SmallHD DP6 monitor, and why would that alter anything, I wonder?

That would seem to suggest that there's something that the Sony CX760 is sensing and that is altering what it's outputting to the HDMI port: DP6 monitor, show icons; FF HDMI converter, hide icons. Hmmm.

As you say on the Canon XLH1a's that I have you can specify the elements being output to the external video. I also went looking through the Sony CX760 manual and came up dry.

And I thought computers were wacky enough...
Andy.

 

Sigh....and it gets worse. If you set the CX760 to record at 1080p60 at the highest quality, it kills the output to the mini-HDMI port entirely -- the screen just goes black. So no point in having any HDMI converter, I am sad to report.

I've devised what I think is a sub-optimal solution to the problem of finding out whether or not you are currently recording while the C8 is in flight:

1. Use composite output from the CX760, feed that into the Mondo Stinger.
2. Set up the Strato Snapper for zoom in/out, digital still/record start stop.

When the CX760 takes a digital still, the video image you see on the ground monitor (and the LCD screen of the CX760 too) very briefly goes out of focus and back into focus as the digital image is captured. (An interesting phenomenon. I can only speculate about it's cause: two sensors? Something moving in and out of the optical path for the digital still?)

Thus, here's how you find out whether or not you're recording when you're flying:

1. Watch the downlinked video.
2. Attempt to take a digital still using whatever means you've configured on the Tx.
3. If the screen flicks briefly out of focus and then back, then you are not recording! If nothing happens, then you are recording!

This works only because at 1080p60/Best quality, you cannot take digital stills.

Yeah, yeah, I know it's an ugly solution. But it's an ugly problem. But the solution works 100% of the time. And it's butt ugly 100% of the time.

So: No flicker on attempt to take digital still: you're recording!
If you really want to take a digital still, stop recording, take a digital still, and start recording again.

Note: It takes the CX760 about 3.8 seconds to write the digital still to the SD card and it appears you cannot start recording until that's finished. Take the digital image and do the one/Mississippi, two/Mississippi thing for four seconds.... (Brits please use one/Hammersmith, two/Hammersmith )

PS: I did some more tests. It turns out that you can send the "record start" command before the digital still has been written to the SD card. Once the CX760 has finished saving the digital still, it will then automatically honor the "record start" command. So there's no need to have your shooter count to four seconds, unless, of course, they want to impress you by counting up to four correctly.

Then start recording and verify that the recording is on by attempting to take another digital still. No out of focus/back in focus artifact should occur.

Hope this helps someone else struggling with the problem. I'm sure Sony will sort things out based on this posting alone.
Riiiight.

Andy.

 

Tabb:
I just tried the experiment using this HDMI Converter: http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Univer...id=1347131327&sr=8-10&keywords=hdmi+converter as a substitute for the FF HDMI converter.

Exactly the same problem -- no electronic viewfinder icons downlinked. But the camera still emits all viewfinder icons if I use an external HDMI monitor. How does it "know" the difference, one wonders?

Andy.

 

Derrick. I think all of the Iftron's are direct passthrough of the voltage. I've seen that someplace but last time I saw Ira, when I was buying my stuff, I asked that question. Most FPV cameras can handle 12V. You may be able to repair the board just hard to find the parts even if you know what got fried. I bought a 1/2 dozen RECOMS from DigiKey since I seem to always need something stepped down.