Blackmagicdesign H.264 Pro Operation Manual

Operation Manual

H.264 Pro Recorder

Windows

™

June 2011

Mac OS X

™

Contents

H.264 Pro Recorder Operation Manual

How to Install

Installation 5

H.264 Pro Recorder product diagram 5
Pre-installation overview and planning 6
Installing the software on Mac OS X 7
Installing the software on Windows 8
Updating the firmware 9

Software

Blackmagic Media Express 11

Media Express overview 11
Device Menu 13
Preferences 14
Media List 15
Capture 16
Playback 19

Helpful Information

Support 22

Which connections should I use for best quality video? 22
Consumer Level Analog Audio Signals 24
RS-422 remote device control 25
Help 26

04

10

Connection Diagrams

Component Analog Video Connections 28
S-Video Analog Connections 29
Composite Analog Video Connection 30
Betacam SP analog deck 31
SDI digital deck 32
Sony HDCAM SR deck in 4:2:2 33
HDMI camera 34

Warranty

Warranty Terms and Conditions 36

27

35

21

Welcome

3

Welcome to Blackmagic H.264 Pro Recorder!

Thank you for purchasing H.264 Pro Recorder. Now you can easily convert your videos to H.264 in real time
for the web, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, YouTube and more!

Previously, H.264 encoding was either a very slow software process or required fast, expensive computer
hardware. H.264 Pro Recorder has a built-in high quality H.264 hardware-encoding engine and image
processor so you get amazing quality H.264 video in real time.

H.264 Pro Recorder produces stunning quality digital video from the highest quality SDI, HDMI and
component analog video as well as regular composite analog video. It can even work with S-Video via a
third party S-Video breakout cable (not included) and supports 2 channels of professional balanced audio
input. With all these connections supported, you can encode from practically any device out there. It even
has an RS-422 remote control port so you can batch capture H.264 video from your decks just as you would
with normal video!

We think it should take you approximately 5 minutes to complete the installation. Before you install H.264
Pro Recorder, please check our website at www.blackmagic-design.com/support/ and click the support
page to download the latest updates to this manual and H.264 Pro Recorder software.

Lastly, please register your H.264 Pro Recorder when downloading software updates. We would love
to keep you updated on new software updates and new features for your H.264 Pro Recorder. We are
constantly working on new features and improvements, so we would love to hear your suggestions for
improvements to the software!

Grant Petty

CEO Blackmagic Design

How to Install

4

Installation

5

Blackmagic H.264 Pro Recorder

Audio Left

Audio Right

Y or NTSC/PAL

Analog video input

Analog audio input

on 1/4” TRS jacks

B-Y or S-VIDEO Y

R-Y or S-VIDEO C

RS-422 Deck Control

3G/HD/SD-SDI Input

USB 2.0 Connection

Power

Installation

6

Pre-installation overview and planning

H.264 Pro Recorder features an SD/HD-SDI input with a BNC input for connection to broadcast and
professional, digital video sources. An HDMI input is also included for use with professional and consumer
video sources with HDMI output, such as modern video cameras. Three BNC ports provide analog video
input which can be switched between component, S-Video and composite analog video. These BNC
ports are designed for connecting to legacy broadcast and professional, analog video sources such as
a Sony Betacam SP™ deck. Consumer video sources can easily use these same connections by adding
inexpensive BNC to RCA adapters or a dual-BNC to S-Video adapter cable. Two channels of professional,
balanced, analog audio input is also supported using 1/4 inch jack connections. Remote control of video
decks is also supported by the built-in RS-422 port. A USB 2.0 port and Media Express capture software for
Mac OS X and Windows is also included.

The SDI, HDMI and component input connections are switchable between SD and HD video. S-Video and
composite analog video are standard definition formats which only support NTSC and PAL video.

H.264 Pro Recorder requires QuickTime™ be installed for Mac OS X or Windows. QuickTime can be
downloaded from Apple’s website at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/.

Blackmagic Media Express capture software requires a computer display resolution of 1280 x 800 or higher,
and preferably 1920 x 1080 or 1920 x 1200.

Blackmagic Media Express software must be used to record video with the H.264 Pro Recorder hardware.
Third party software applications cannot currently be used to record video with the H.264 Pro Recorder
hardware. Once you have recorded your video to MP4 files with H.264 Pro Recorder, you should be able to
play back your H.264 movies with almost any software which supports QuickTime.

Blackmagic Media Express software runs on Mac OS X and Windows computers and uses a USB 2.0
connection to H.264 Pro Recorder. You will need to provide a USB 2.0 type A to mini B male cable. This
same USB cable can be used for applying occasional firmware updates downloaded from the Blackmagic
Design website. Programmable firmware can provide new features, compatibility with new hardware and
support for new formats.

H.264 Pro Recorder requires mains power and includes a universal power supply with international power
socket adapters for all countries. To stop power from being accidentally disconnected, a cable tie point is
included next to the power socket to lock down the power connection. You will need to provide a mains
power socket for the universal power supply.

Installation

7

Installing the software for Mac OS X

Contents

The Desktop Video software installer will install the following components which are used by H.264 Pro
Recorder:

 Blackmagic Desktop Video drivers

 Blackmagic Media Express

The Desktop Video software installer will also install the following components which are used by other
Blackmagic Design capture products when installed on the same computer:

 Blackmagic Design system preference
 Blackmagic Disk Speed Test
 Blackmagic LiveKey
 Blackmagic Multibridge Utility
 Adobe

®

presets and plug-ins
 Apple Final Cut Pro™ Easy Setups, presets and enablers
 QuickTime™ codecs

Note: Before installing any software or hardware you will need administrator privileges.

Desktop Video software

1. The CD supplied with the H.264 Pro Recorder contains the Desktop Video software. Before you
install, ensure you have the very latest driver. Visit www.blackmagic-design.com/support

2. Open the “Desktop Video Installer” folder and launch the “Desktop Video Installer”.

3. Click

Continue, Agree and Install buttons and the drivers will be installed on your system.

4. Now restart your machine to enable the new software drivers.

Follow the Desktop Video installer prompts.

Installation

8

Installing the software for Windows

Contents

The Desktop Video software installer will install the following components which are used by H.264 Pro
Recorder:

 Blackmagic Desktop Video drivers

 Blackmagic Media Express

The Desktop Video software installer will also install the following components which are used by other
Blackmagic Design capture products when installed on the same computer:

 Blackmagic Design Control Panel
 Blackmagic Disk Speed Test
 Blackmagic LiveKey
 Blackmagic Multibridge Utility
 Blackmagic AVI and QuickTime

™

codecs

 Adobe® presets and plug-ins

Desktop Video software

1. The CD supplied with the H.264 Pro Recorder contains the Desktop Video software. Before you
install, ensure you have the very latest driver. Visit www.blackmagic-design.com/support

2. Open the “Desktop Video” folder and launch the “Desktop Video” installer.

3. The drivers will now be installed on your system. An alert will appear: “Do you want to allow
the following program from an unknown publisher to make changes to this computer?”
Click

Yes to continue.

4. You will see a dialog bubble saying “found new hardware” and the hardware wizard will appear.
Select “install automatically” and the system will find the required Desktop Video drivers. You will
then receive another dialog bubble saying “your new hardware is ready for use.”

5. Now restart your machine to enable the new software drivers.

Click “Yes”.

Follow the Desktop Video Setup Wizard prompts

Restart your PC!

Installation

9

How to update the H.264 Pro Recorder software!

Blackmagic Design will release new software for your H.264 Pro Recorder with new features, bug fixes and
increase compatibility with third party software and devices.

To update your H.264 Pro Recorder with new software, simply connect it to your computer via USB and your
computer will let you know if a new software update for your H.264 Pro Recorder is available.

Once the software installation has been completed and H.264 Pro Recorder is powered on, connect it to a
USB 2.0 port on your computer. The Desktop Video driver software will automatically check the H.264 Pro
Recorder software if it is up to date. Software updates can provide new features, compatibility with new
hardware and support for new formats.

If the software version does not match, the software will offer to update the firmware. This is
automatic and all you need to do is click

Update now to start the process. The update will take about

1 minute to complete. If no software update is required, no message will appear. Please skip the rest of the
steps in this section as your H.264 Pro Recorder is already up to date.

The following message should appear at completion of the update: “Software Update Complete. The
firmware on your H.264 Pro Recorder was updated successfully. Please unplug both power and USB cables
to restart it.” Click

OK to dismiss the message and then unplug the power and USB cables from H.264 Pro

Recorder and then reconnect them again.

H.264 Pro Recorder is now ready to be used.

This message will appear if a software update is required.

The update will take about 1 minute to complete.

When the update has completed, unplug the power and
USB cables from H.264 Pro Recorder and then reconnect
them again.

Software

10

Welcome

11

Blackmagic Media Express

11

Media Express overview

Blackmagic Media Express is a sophisticated software application which enables H.264 Pro Recorder users to
capture video and audio to industry standard MP4 files with frame accurate RS-422 device control. It automatically
detects whether the video source is HD1080, HD720, NTSC or PAL and also automatically detects the frame rate.
Capture from progressive and interlaced video sources is supported and the captured file is stored in a progressive
format for maximum compatibility with media player software on Mac OS X, Windows and portable video players.

Media Express has an intuitive interface and requires a 1920 x 1200, 1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 800 pixel computer
display to compliment its uncluttered appearance. The capture view is the main view used with H.264 Pro
Recorder. The master view is not used by H.264 Pro Recorder but may be used with other Blackmagic Design
capture and playback products. The capture, playback and master views are color-coded so you will know at a
glance which mode is being used.

Media Express uses many of the same keyboard shortcuts which are standard in the video industry so there is
little to learn. Use j, k, l to shuttle backwards, pause and shuttle forwards, or use i and o to mark in and
out points when batch capturing. Hold down the control and shift keys to reveal a jog wheel and then use your
mouse, with the jog wheel, for precision control of your video deck.

VITC timecode is supported via RS-422 and RP188 timecode is supported via SDI.

H.264 Pro Recorder users can use the Media List feature to log multiple clips for batch capture.

Blackmagic Media Express is not NLE software and does not have a timeline. It is a great tool when you don’t
need the complexity of NLE software but simply want to capture old or new programming content into the same
file format used on the web, iPad™, iPod™, iPhone™, Apple TV™, YouTube™ and more.