using Blackmagic Video Assist as output monitor/recorder?
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advice sought from more professional colleagues:
I do some solo av performances, and thinking about using a Black Magic Video Assist monitor which would also allow me to record my Macbook Pro video output (I think) without CPU impact during performances.
my questions are:
has anyone tried this? would it work?
would it function like an 'extended desktop' monitor for the Mac or would/could it take video signal straight from Izzy, and allow me to output (throughput) without the Mac orange dot?
Are there other alternatives that would do this, possibly better, and/or cheaper?
thanks
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hello,
i own a blackmagic video assist 7" 12G HDR monitor and i wouldn't want to be without it. on the one hand, i use it for almost every setup - i do rather complex (live) video installations as part of live performances - to check whether HD-SDI or HDMI signals are sent or arrive at the end and in which resolution and frame rate (both are displayed by the monitor).
i have also used the device several times to record signals, mostly as throughput, both as an “extended display” on the HDMI output of a mac and to record a single live video signal via HD-SDI before the input in isadora. in this case, i connected the incoming camera signal to the HD-SDI input and the HD-SDI output to an HD-SDI-capable capture card on/in the computer.
i have also done the second (throuput via HD-SDI) during live shows and did not have the impression that this increases the latency of the live video. however, i have not really tested this yet.
with the first variant (throuput via HDMI), i had the impression just yesterday, when i used the video assist as a second external monitor on my mac for a quick test, that there was a slightly higher latency than with the second connected “normal” monitor. however, the “normal” monitor was also connected to the native HDMI output of the mac book pro, while the assist was connected to the HDMI output of a small noname thunderbolt dock. this could also be the reason for more latency.
of course, the latency issue is only important in live situations. i also often use the device to record content developed in isadora cleanly and without additional cpu load. but actually only video. the blackmagic video assist can of course also record sound via HDMI.
what i don't quite understand is what you mean by “could it take video signal straight from Izzy”. does that mean you would want to connect the device to the output of a computer-internal video card, for example, so that it is not connected via a normal graphics output but from isadora directly via the video card? that should of course also work.
as far as the stupid orange dot is concerned: since i don't work much with live sound, i'm not quite up to date. isn't it somehow possible to switch it off anyway?
so much for now, if you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.
greetings,
benjamin
