News

Certified SSDs for Blackmagic Production Camera 4K (November 2016)

The following SSDs are recommended for 4K RAW and ProRes capture:

• Angelbird AV Pro 250 GB
• Angelbird AV Pro 500 GB
• Digistor 1 TB SSD 4K Professional Video Series (DIG-PVD1000, pre-formatted ExFat)
• Kingston HyperX Savage 120 GB (SHSS37A/120G)
• Kingston HyperX Savage 240 GB (SHSS37A/240G)
• Kingston HyperX Savage 480 GB (SHSS37A/480G)
• Kingston HyperX Savage 960 GB (SHSS37A/960G)
• OWC 960 GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G (OWCSSD7P6G960)
• Samsung 256 GB 850 Pro (MZ-7KE256BW, spacer required)
• Samsung 512 GB 850 Pro (MZ-7KE512BW, spacer required)
• Samsung 1 TB 850 Pro (MZ-7KE1T0BW, spacer required)
• Sandisk Extreme Pro 240 GB (SDSSDXPS-240G-G25)
• Sandisk Extreme Pro 480 GB (SDSSDXPS-480G-G25)
• Sandisk Extreme Pro 960 GB (SDSSDXPS-960G-G25)
• Wise Cinema CMS-0240 240 GB

The following SSDs are recommended 4K and 1080 Apple ProRes (HQ) 422 capture:

• ADATA XPG SX900 256 GB (ASX900S3-256GM-C)
• Angelbird 240 GB AV Pro
• Angelbird 480 GB AV Pro
• Digistor 240 GB SSD Professional Video Series (DIG-PVD240S, pre-formatted ExFat)
• Digistor 480 GB SSD Professional Video Series (DIG-PVD480S, pre-formatted ExFat)
• Intel 530 Series 180 GB SSD (SSDSC2BW180A401)
• Intel 530 Series 240 GB SSD (SSDSC2BW240A401)
• Kingston 240 GB HyperX 3K (SH103S3/240G)
• Kingston 480 GB HyperX 3K (SH103S3/480G)
• Kingston 240 GB SSDNow KC300 (SKC300S37A/240G)
• Kingston 480 GB SSDNow KC300 (SKC300S37A/480G)
• OWC 120 GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G (OWCSSD7P6G120)
• OWC 240 GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G (OWCSSD7P6G240)
• OWC 480 GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G (OWCSSD7P6G480)
• PNY CL4100 240 GB (SSD7SC240GCL4)
• PNY CL4100 480 GB (SSD7SC480GCL4)
• PNY Prevail 240 GB (SSD9SC240GCDA-PB)
• PNY Prevail 480 GB (SSD9SC480GCDA-PB)
• PNY XLR8 480 GB (SSD9SC480GMDA-RB)
• Sandisk Extreme 240 GB (SDSSDX-240G-G25)
• Sandisk Extreme 480 GB (SDSSDX-480G-G25)
• Transcend 256 GB SSD370 (TS256GSSD370BM)
• Transcend 512 GB SSD370 (TS512GSSD370BM)
• Transcend 1 TB SSD370 (TS1TSSD370BM)
• Transcend 256 GB SSD720 (TS256GSSD720)

Important Notes About SSD Speed

Some models of SSD can’t save video data at the speed the manufacturer claims. This is due to the disk using hidden data compression to attain higher write speeds. This data compression can only save data at the manufacturer’s claimed speed when storing data such as blank data or simple files. Video data includes video noise and pixels which are more random so compression will not help, therefore revealing the true speed of the disk.

Some SSDs can have up to 50% lower write speed than the manufacturer’s claimed speed. So even though the disk specifications claim an SSD has speeds fast enough to handle video, in reality the disk isn’t fast enough when used to store video data for real time capture. However, this mostly affects HD capture and often these disks can still be used for playback.

Use Blackmagic Disk Speed Test to accurately measure whether your SSD will be able to handle uncompressed video capture and playback. Blackmagic Disk Speed Test uses data to simulate the storage of video so you get results similar to what you’ll see when capturing video to a disk. During Blackmagic testing, we have found newer, larger models of SSD and larger capacity SSDs are generally faster.

Certified SSDs
SSDs which are qualified for Uncompressed 10-bit video capture will also work well for compressed video capture. There are some SSDs which Blackmagic has tested and found to drop frames when capturing Uncompressed 10-bit video. However, they still work well when capturing compressed video.

The following SSDs are recommended for Uncompressed 10-bit or compressed video capture:

• ADATA XPG SX900 256 GB (ASX900S3-256GM-C)
• Angelbird 250 GB AV Pro
• Angelbird 500 GB AV Pro
• Digistor 1TB SSD 4K Professional Video Series (DIG-PVD1000, pre-formatted ExFat) - not compatible with HyperDeck Shuttle
• Digistor 240 GB SSD Professional Video Series (DIG-PVD240S, pre-formatted ExFat)
• Digistor 480 GB SSD Professional Video Series (DIG-PVD480S, pre-formatted ExFat)
• Intel 335 Series 240 GB SSD (SSDSC2CT240A4K5)
• Intel 520 Series 240 GB SSD (SSDSC2CW240A310)
• Intel 520 Series 480 GB SSD (SSDSC2CW480A310)
• Intel 530 Series 180 GB SSD (SSDSC2BW180A401)
• Intel 530 Series 240 GB SSD (SSDSC2BW240A401)
• Kingston 240 GB HyperX 3K (SH103S3/240G)
• Kingston 240 GB SSD Now KC300 (SKC300S37A/240G)
• Kingston 480 GB HyperX 3K (SH103S3/480G)
• Kingston 480 GB SSD Now KC300 (SKC300S37A/480G)
• Kingston HyperX Savage 120 GB (SHSS37A/120G)
• Kingston HyperX Savage 240 GB (SHSS37A/240G)
• Kingston HyperX Savage 480 GB (SHSS37A/480G)
• Kingston HyperX Savage 960 GB (SHSS37A/960G)
• OWC 120 GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G (OWCSSD7P6G120)
• OWC 240 GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G (OWCSSD7P6G240)
• OWC 480 GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G (OWCSSD7P6G480)
• PNY Prevail 240 GB (SSD9SC240GCDA-PB)
• PNY Prevail 480 GB (SSD9SC480GCDA-PB)
• PNY XLR8 480 GB (SSD9SC480GMDA-RB)
• Samsung 1TB 850 Pro (MZ-1T0BW, spacer required)- - not compatible with HyperDeck Shuttle
• Samsung 256 GB 850 Pro (MZ-7KE256BW, spacer required)
• Samsung 512 GB 850 Pro (MZ-7KE512BW, spacer required)
• Sandisk Extreme 240 GB (SDSSDX-240G-G25)
• Sandisk Extreme 480 GB (SDSSDX-480G-G25)
• Sandisk Extreme Pro 240 GB (SDSSDXPS-240G-G25)
• Sandisk Extreme Pro 480 GB (SDSSDXPS-480G-G25)
• Sandisk Extreme Pro 960 GB (SDSSDXPS-960G-G25)
• Transcend 256 GB SSD720 (TS256GSSD720)

 
In addition to the above, these SSDs work ONLY for compressed video capture:

• Crucial 256 GB M4 (firmware 000F) (CT256M4SSD2)
• OCZ Agility 3 240 GB (AGT3-25SAT3-240G)
• Sandisk Extreme 120 GB (SDSSDX-120G-G25)

The following SSDs are either discontinued or only supported as part of a legacy configuration and may no longer be available with the required firmware:

• Crucial 256 GB C300 (CTFDDAC256MAG-1G1) - (discontinued)
• Digistor 128 GB SSD Professional Video Extreme (DIG-PVD128E, pre-formatted ExFat)
• Kingston 120 GB SSD Now V+200 (SVP200S3/120G) - (discontinued)
• Kingston 128 GB SSD Now V+100 (SVP100S2/128G) - (discontinued)
• Kingston 240 GB SSD Now V+200 (SVP200S3/240G) - (discontinued)
• Kingston 512 GB SSD Now V+100 (SVP100S2/512G) - (discontinued)
• Kingston 64 GB SSD Now V+100 (SVP100S2/64G) - (discontinued)
• Kingston HyperX 240 GB (SH100S3/240G) - (discontinued)
• OCZ 240 GB Deneva 2 (firmware 2.22) (D2CSTK251M21-0240) - (discontinued)
• OCZ 240 GB Vertex 3 (VTX3-25SAT3-240G) - (discontinued)
• OCZ 480 GB Vertex 3 (VTX3-25SAT3-480G) - (discontinued)
• OWC 120 GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G (Firmware Rev 5.0.7) (OWCSSDMX6G120T) - (discontinued)
• OWC 240 GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G (Firmware Rev 5.0.6) (OWCSSDMX6G240T) - (discontinued)
• OWC 480 GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G (Firmware Rev 5.0.6) (OWCSSDMX6G480) - (discontinued)
• OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD (firmware 5.0.2) (OWCSSDMX6G240T) - (discontinued)

The following SSDs are known only to work with specific firmware versions:

• Crucial 512 GB M4 (firmware 009 only) (CT512M4SSD2)

Important Notes About SSD Speed
Some models of SSD can’t save video data at the speed the manufacturer claims. This is due to the disk using hidden data compression to attain higher write speeds. This data compression can only save data at the manufacturer’s claimed speed when storing data such as blank data or simple files. Video data includes video noise and pixels which are more random so compression will not help, therefore revealing the true speed of the disk. Some SSDs can have up to 50% lower write speed than the manufacturer’s claimed speed. So even though the disk specifications claim an SSD has speeds fast enough to handle video, in reality the disk isn’t fast enough when used to store video data for real time capture. However, this mostly affects HD capture and often these disks can still be used for playback.

Use Blackmagic Disk Speed Test to accurately measure whether your SSD will be able to handle uncompressed video capture and playback. Blackmagic Disk Speed Test uses data to simulate the storage of video so you get results similar to what you’ll see when capturing video to a disk. During Blackmagic testing, we have found newer, larger models of SSD and larger capacity SSDs are generally faster.

The new 2.6 firmware update for the popular Panasonic GH4 4K camera resolves an issue with the Battery Grip, where an error message pops up if the remaining power of the battery in the Battery Grip is low. Also resolved is an issue with a Panasonic H-RS100400 lens (LEICA DG VARIO-ELMAR 100-400mm / F4.0-6.3 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S.) or some Olympus interchangeable lenses, where the monitor blacks out while the user tries consecutive shooting in manual mode in AFC setting.

Chaos Group announced a major new release of its versatile, all-in-one fluid dynamics plug-in, Phoenix FD 3.0 for 3ds Max. Frequently used to simulate realistic water, fire, and other fluid effects for multiple television series such as Game of Thrones and The Flash, Phoenix FD has been significantly upgraded for fast-paced productions. With its new FLIP liquid solver and improved smoke and fire solver, Phoenix FD is now more powerful and able to bring more realism to visual effects projects.

Phoenix FD 3.0 for 3ds Max has been given a full makeover, with new intuitive controls, presets and GPU-accelerated previews, making it a fast and easy way to tackle tight deadlines. The new Phoenix FD integrates seamlessly into Autodesk 3ds Max and renders with V-Ray, Chaos Group's industry-standard lighting and rendering solution.

Phoenix FD 3.0 is available now for Autodesk 3ds Max and is a free upgrade for all Phoenix FD 2.x customers. A Phoenix FD 3.0 for 3ds Max Workstation license is 600EUR and includes one floating user license and one floating simulation license. Additional simulation licenses are available for 150EUR ex. VAT.

Highlights of Phoenix FD 3.0 for 3ds Max:

Ocean simulations

Infinite ocean – Create infinite ocean waves that never repeat.

Ocean & beach waves – Seamlessly transition from procedural ocean waves to simulated beach waves.

Advanced simulations and controls

FLIP solver – Enables faster, more realistic liquid simulations for splashes, sprays, foam, mist and waves.

Improved fire and smoke solver – Realistic smoke and fire with natural rolling motion and fine details can be created without increasing resolution.

Cascade simulations – Create a series of simulations that trigger and interact with each other.

Refine existing simulations – Add detail and increase resolution without changing simulation shape or behavior.

Simulation retiming – Speed up or slow down simulation playback, perfect for slow motion effects.

Custom emission sources – Use a wide range of emission sources including animated meshes, texture maps, particles and more.

New forces – Influence simulations with forces like wind, spline follow, and mesh attraction.

Pipeline and compatibility

Compatibility – Compatible with top industry tools such as Alembic, Krakatoa, Stoke MX and OpenVDB.

Blackmagic Design's new Blackmagic URSA Studio Viewfinder, a high resolution 7” studio viewfinder with variable tension mounting points, tally, external controls and more, will soon be available. The monitor turns Blackmagic URSA Mini into a true professional studio camera! The Blackmagic URSA Studio Viewfinder features a large 7” high resolution screen and is perfect for camera operators working on live events at which they need to stand behind the camera and capture the action for hours on end. The all metal design is durable and features the highest quality variable tension mounting points available, as well as an articulated arm so the viewfinder can be raised, lowered, moved forward and backward. These mounting points can be set for the perfect amount of resistance so that customers can pan and tilt the viewfinder to whatever position they need. When attached to URSA Mini, the camera sends information via the SDI connection to the viewfinder so customers can see the critical information they need such as recording status, camera settings, battery life and more while shooting. The design of the Blackmagic URSA Studio Viewfinder makes it familiar and easy to use for anyone that’s worked with other traditional studio cameras before, as the layout of the controls follows a familiar industry layout!



Blackmagic URSA Studio Viewfinder Features

• Super bright 7” high resolution viewfinder with detachable sunshade.
• Large handles and variable tension articulated pivot points to adjust viewfinder position.
• Tactile physical dials, knobs and customizable function buttons for quickly adjusting settings.
• Large RGB LED tally indicator with clip on perspex camera numbers for easy camera identification.
• Integrated V-Lock mounting plate for quick setup and attaching to the URSA Mini top handle.
• Connects to SDI input and power from camera, so no extra cables or power supplies needed.
• Compatible with Blackmagic Video Device Embedded Control Protocol for full control of camera functions such as talkback, tally, color correction, image detail, gains, all lens functions and much more.