Blackmagic HDMI Intensity Pro Display restart

[broadley]

So I have had my Blackmagic Intensity Pro HDMI capture cards (3) for over a year now, and noticing that when I plug a DVI input into the machine while in Watchout, the machine freezes up and restarts! I have 3 Display machines, same spec, all Windows 7 64bit.

 

When I run a backup system, and split the signal from 1 source (Screenpro 2/Macbook Pro) through a Kramer VM-4HDCP or simple HDMI splitter, the machines both have the same issue and restart. Very annoying and embarrassing when watching the machines boot up across a wide screen.

 

Has anyone else had this issue? What am I doing wrong?

 

If I start machines with solid inout signal plugged in they seem very happy!

[Jonas Dannert]

Not surprising at all. And not a WATCHOUT issue, I think.

BMD Intensity Pro does not support hotswap of the HDMI cable,
instead it either freezes or crashes the BMD driver which can lock up
Windows. WATCHOUT have no way to counter this, hence it stops.
A restart, with the HDMI signal already applied, will cure this.

Datapath cards does not suffer from this behaviour, they support hotswap of cables.

/jonas

[broadley]

thank you for your prompt response Jonas, makes sense.

 

need to get some Datapath cards installed, cannot have this problem on shows!

[Walter]

Can you humour me and explain in what situation you would like to plug/unplug signals during show?!? Sound incredibly risky during show. I have datapath cards but would never come to my mind to do so and if needed, I would stick a seamless switcher in between.

[songyost kesornsuwan]

 I have had my Blackmagic Intensity Pro 4k  HDMI capture cards hdmi input into the machine

in Watchout, the machine not  freeze but in the prefereance can see the card

I have 5 Display machines, same spec, all Windows 7 64bit.

i have 5.5.2Watchout pls. help me

best

[jfk]

All Blackmagic Design cards are finicky.

There is an art to making them work.

It is possible to encounter motherboards that simply will not work with them under WDM / WATCHOUT.

While the BMD utility will confirm connections, it does not confirm the WDM driver.

i.e. Their utility uses their proprietary driver which tells you nothing

about the function of the generic WDM driver required by WATCHOUT.

 

Buying five of anything without first testing a sample is a very risky approach.

 

Your experience is a good example of the value added by Dataton WATCHMAX

or the VARs who specialize in WATCHOUT tuned hardware.

Looking at the straight hardware cost underestimates the value of tuning and testing to insure compatibility.

The configuration process can be very time consuming and challenging as your experience shows.

 

I know of one WATCHOUT specialized VAR using the Intensity Pro 4K with WATCHOUT successfully,

And it took them many days and a many, many hours of research and testing to get it working correctly.

I was hoping they would volunteer their knowledge here, but that does not appear to be the case.

I can understand their reluctance to share what they learned,

that is the added value that justifies the increase in price the WATCHOUT specialization demands.

  i.e. The preparation and after sale support are what add to the cost of their WATCHOUT offerings.

So when you look at a WATCHMAX or a WATCHOUT specialized VARs offerings,

consider not only the hardware cost, but the time required to make that hardware function reliably.