Blackmagicdesign HDLink Pro DVI Digital, HDLink Pro 3D DisplayPort, HDLink Optical Fiber Operation Manual

Operation Manual

HDLink

Windows

™

July 2010

Mac OS X

™

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Installation

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HDLink Pro DVI Digital

2

HDLink Pro 3D DisplayPort

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Contents

HDLink Operation Manual

How to Install

Installation 5

Installing and Uninstalling on Mac OS X 5
Installing and Uninstalling on Windows 5

Software

Using HDLink Utility 7

Lookup Tables (LUTs) 8

How to use Lookup Tables in HDLink 8
Importing and exporting 3D LUTs 9
Importing and exporting 1D LUTs 9

Settings 10

HDLink Models

HDLink Pro DVI Digital 13

Connection Diagrams 15

HDLink Pro 3D DisplayPort 16

Connection Diagrams 18
3D Connection Diagrams 19

HDLink Optical Fiber 21

Connection Diagrams 23

04

12

06

Helpful Information

Troubleshooting 25

Support 28

Developer Information

Blackmagic 2K Format 30

Overview 30
Vertical Timing Reference 31
Data Stream Format 32

Previous HDLink models

Using HDLink Utility 34

Lookup Tables (LUTs) 35

Settings 36

HDLink and HDLink 2 37

Connection Diagrams 39

Troubleshooting 40

3 Year Limited Warranty

Warranty Terms and Conditions 45

33

44

29

24

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Welcome

3

Welcome to HDLink.

We hope you share our dream for the television industry to become a truly creative industry by allowing
everyone access to the highest quality video.

Previously SDI monitoring required small and very expensive CRT displays which were unable to show
the full detail of the video image. HDLink has changed all that and now full resolution SDI monitoring
with pixel-for-pixel accuracy is affordable for everyone using large flat screen displays. We hope you
get years of use from your new HDLink and have fun monitoring your video and film with full digital
accuracy on a large display with DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort connections.

This instruction manual should contain all the information you’ll need on installing your HDLink. We
think it should take you approximately 5 minutes to complete installation. Before you install HDLink,
please check our website at www.blackmagic-design.com and click the support page to download the
latest updates to this manual and HDLink driver software.

If you’ve previously purchased a HDLink Pro Displayport, you can update its features to that of HDLink Pro
3D by updating its firmware with the latest HDLink software. This is a free update and another good reason
to check the support page for the latest HDLink updates.

Lastly, please register your HDLink when downloading software updates. We would love to keep you
updated on new software updates and new features for your HDLink. Perhaps you can even send
us any suggestions for improvements to the software. We are constantly working on new features and
improvements, so we would love to hear from you!

Grant Petty

CEO Blackmagic Design

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How to Install

4

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Installation

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HDLink Utility enables you to update your HDLink with the latest firmware. Firmware updates may add new features,
support new formats and standards, or provide increased compatibility with other video and audio hardware.
It is always best to use the latest version of HDLink Utility so you receive all the latest updates for your HDLink.

The latest version of HDLink Utility can always be downloaded from
www.blackmagic-design.com/support/software/.

HDLink Utility runs on the latest Leopard and Snow Leopard versions of Mac OS X. On the Windows platform,
HDLink Utility runs on both 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 with the latest
service packs installed. Testing on earlier versions of these operating systems is not conducted so it is always best
to keep up to date with the latest versions of Mac OS X, Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Installing and Uninstalling on Mac OS X

After downloading the latest HDLink software and unzipping the downloaded file, open the resulting HDLink
Installer disk image to reveal its contents.

Launch the HDLink Installer and follow the on screen instructions. Restart your Mac when prompted. HDLink is
now installed.

To uninstall HDLink from your Mac, open the HDLink Installer disk image and launch the Uninstall HDLink utility.
Follow the on screen instructions to remove the software.

Installing and Uninstalling on Windows

After downloading the latest HDLink software and unzipping the downloaded file, you should see an HDLink
folder containing this PDF manual and the HDLink installer.

Double-click the installer and follow the on screen prompts to complete the installation. When the installation
has finished, it will prompt you to restart the computer. The restart will load a USB driver for HDLink Utility so
that it can communicate with any HDLink model. Click “Restart” to complete the installation process. Once the
computer has restarted, HDLink Utility will be fully installed and ready to use.

To uninstall HDLink from Windows XP, go to the Add or Remove Programs control panel, select Blackmagic
HDLink and click on “Remove”.

To uninstall HDLink from Windows Vista or Windows 7, go to the Programs and Features control panel, select
Blackmagic HDLink and click on “Uninstall”.

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Software

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Installation

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Using HDLink Utility

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After running the HDLink software installer, a USB driver will be installed on your system and the HDLink
Utility will be added to the Applications or Programs folder. To use the HDLink Utility, you will need to connect
HDLink as follows.

1. Connect the 12 volt power supply which was included with your HDLink. The white power lamp
will illuminate.

2. Connect a USB cable between HDLink and a USB 2.0 port on your computer.

3. Open the HDLink Utility and the settings should be adjustable. If they are disabled and unadjustable,
check the USB connection to the HDLink, try another USB cable or try another USB port on your
host computer.

4. If your version of the HDLink Utility contains newer firmware than is currently installed on the HDLink, you
will be prompted to update the firmware. You must allow the firmware to be updated before you can
use this version of HDLink Utility to configure the HDLink. Select ‘download firmware’ for the firmware
to be updated.

5. If the firmware has been updated, it is important you unplug the power cable from HDLink, wait
5 seconds, and then plug in the power cable again. This ensures the HDLink is reset correctly.

6. HDLink allows 3D lookup tables (LUTs) to be applied to the display output. You can make changes to
lift, gamma and gain settings for red, green and blue color, and import custom 3D lookup tables. These
HDLink models will also import 1D tables created for the original HDLink. Changes to settings can be
seen on the DVI-D, HDMI or DisplayPort output in real time allowing accurate setup.

7. 3D lookup tables can be applied to the loop-through SDI and optical fiber SDI outputs, so you can use
the outputs for inline video processing. Simply enable the Send to all video outputs checkbox in the
Settings of HDLink Utility to enable 3D lookup table processing on all video outputs.

8. Changes made in the Settings tab of the HDLink Utility are updated immediately and don’t need HDLink
to be restarted.

The HDLink Utility interface is the same for all current models of HDLink on both Mac OS X and Windows
platforms. Any features that are not applicable to your HDLink model will be grayed out and inactive.

HDLink lookup table controls

HDLink Settings

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Installation

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Lookup Tables (LUTs)

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HDLink supports the use of LUTs to adjust the appearance of video on your monitor and optionally on the loop­through SDI output. Lookup tables can be used for standard definition and high definition video as well as 2K film.

All current models of HDLink are capable of enabling LUTs on the monitor output when working with the
demanding 1080p50/60 video formats. HDLink Pro 3D is also capable of optionally applying 3D or 1D lookup tables
to 1080p50/60 video, on its loop-through SDI output, as it has a more powerful processor than previous models of
HDLink.

1D LUTs are useful for making quick adjustments to a video image but any adjustments to color will also affect
brightness. They are often used when working with log video so that the image can be displayed on screen as
normal linear video. Built-in 1D LUTs are provided for log to linear conversion when playing video captured from
Panasonic Cinegamma

™

and Viper Filmstream™ cameras. 1D LUTs are supported in all HDLink models.

3D LUTs provide the ability to increase and decrease the amount of color in each color channel independently
from brightness. This allows for precise color grading to ensure a video monitor matches the color printed to tape
or film. 3D LUTs are supported in current HDLink models.

How to use Lookup Tables in HDLink

Connect HDLink to your computer with a USB cable.

Launch the HDLink Utility from your Applications folder in Mac OS X or from Programs in Microsoft Windows.
The HDLink interface should immediately be visible and adjustable. If the interface does not appear to be “active”,
check the USB connection, try another USB cable or try another USB port and it should become active.

The lookup table interface in HDLink Utility can be adjusted using a method similar to that used for image
adjustment with the Curves feature in Adobe Photoshop

™

. The horizontal axis of each graph represents the
original color input values and the vertical axis represents the new color output values. When first opened, each
lookup table displays a straight diagonal line because the color values have not yet been changed.

Changes made to the lookup tables can immediately be seen on a monitor attached to the DVI/HDMI or
DisplayPort output of HDLink. Changes are saved to the HDLink hardware by clicking the Download button so
that you don’t need to leave HDLink connected to your computer via USB. Lookup tables can be reset to original
values by clicking the Reset Unity button and this effectively disables the lookup tables. Click the Download
button again if you wish to save the original values.

Built-in lookup tables can be loaded for log to linear conversion

3D lookup table controls provide independent adjustments
for the red, green and blue color channels

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Installation

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Lookup Tables (LUTs)

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Importing and exporting 3D LUTs

Current HDLink models support the popular Autodesk .3dl, IRIDAS .itx and IRIDAS .cube lookup table formats
when importing 3D LUTs. Click the Load Table button to load lookup tables.

3D LUTs can also be exported from HDLink in the .cube format. HDLink uses the .cube format to store 3D LUTs
internally as this is a most memory efficient way to store complex lookup tables. Both 3D LUTs created with curves
in the lookup table interface, and 3D LUTs imported from .3dl, .itx and .cube files, are exported from HDLink in
the .cube format. Click the Save Table button to save lookup tables.

The .cube file format is fully compatible with current and previous Blackmagic Design products which share the
same LUT format: HDLink Pro 3D, HDLink Optical Fiber, HDLink Pro DVI Digital, Multibridge Eclipse, Multibridge
Pro (October 2007 model) and DeckLink HD Extreme 2.

Importing and exporting 1D LUTs

All HDLink models can import 1D LUTs. The 1D file format is any tab-delimited text file with red, green and blue
values for each record and the first line (title line) is skipped. Lookup tables need to be 1024 records long with
the first line reserved for the title line. Check out the sample 1D lookup table accompanying the HDLink software
installer. 1D lookup tables can be created in a spreadsheet program and then must be exported to a ‘tab separated’
text file prior to being imported in to HDLink Utility. Click the Load Table button to load lookup tables.

1D LUTs can also be exported from HDLink in the same text format mentioned above. Both 1D LUTs created with
the curves in the lookup table interface, and 1D LUTs imported from text files, are exported from HDLink in the
same text format. Click the Save Table button to save lookup tables.

The 1D LUT text file format is fully compatible with the following Blackmagic Design products which share the
same LUT format: HDLink Pro 3D, HDLink Optical Fiber, HDLink Pro DVI Digital, HDLink 2, HDLink, Multibridge
Eclipse, Multibridge Pro (October 2007 model), Multibridge Extreme (DVI output), DeckLink HD Extreme 2 and
DeckLink HD Pro 4:4:4 (PCI-X).

Load Table and Save Table buttons can be found in the lower
left corner of the HDLink interface

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Welcome

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Settings

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Settings

HDLink Utility provides several settings for current HDLink models.

Scale video to fill larger display.

Most HDMI displays automatically scale video to fill the screen so a PAL or NTSC image would automatically
scale to fill the high definition display. By contrast, DVI and DisplayPort displays rarely provide scaling. This
option enables current HDLink models to scale smaller video formats to fill larger DVI and DisplayPort displays
and avoid thick black borders around the video. When this feature is used with SD video, the aspect ratio
chosen below will also be applied.

Standard definition video scales as:

1:1 Direct pixel for pixel

This option allows for precise pixel-for-pixel viewing of standard definition video. However as HDLink uses
square pixels, and standard definition video uses rectangular pixels, your video may seem squashed and
circles may appear to be egg-shaped.

4:3 Aspect ratio

This option scales standard definition video in the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio so it will appear normally on
your computer display via HDLink. Circles will appear as circles as expected but the image will no longer
be presented pixel-for-pixel.

16:9 Anamorphic aspect ratio

This option scales widescreen standard definition video to appear in the expected 16:9 aspect ratio on the
computer monitor attached to HDLink. The image will appear correctly but will no longer be presented
pixel-for-pixel.

Display video using blue only

This option enables blue only mode which is helpful in detecting noise in video.

Simulate interlace on monitor

This option attempts to display interlaced video on progressive DVI and DisplayPort monitors, with a similar look
to traditional CRT monitors, and to avoid video tearing.

HDLink Settings pane in Mac OS X

HDLink Settings pane in Windows

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Welcome

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Settings

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When a lookup table is used, Send to all video outputs.

This option sends the effect of any lookup tables to all HDLink outputs. It is useful for inline color correction of an
SDI signal as the effect of the LUTs will be seen on all SDI, optical fiber SDI, DVI/HDMI and DisplayPort outputs
of your HDLink model. If you want to leave the SDI output unchanged, and only apply the LUTs to the attached
display, leave this option unchecked.

3D settings

HDLink Pro 3D supports dual stream 3D HD-SDI input and output to compatible 3D displays with a HDMI, DVI or
DisplayPort connection. HDLink Utility provides several settings to control 3D behavior.

3D stereoscopic.

Enabling this option configures HDLink Pro 3D to receive dual stream HD-SDI input and mux the signals for
display on a 3D monitor. Disabling this option returns HDLink Pro 3D to traditional 2D operation.

3D stereoscopic output format.

There are a number of different standards for 3D stereoscopic video. Select a standard that is supported by your
3D display from the following list: Side by Side, Line by Line and Top and Bottom.

Apply video adjustment.

If you have used a beam splitter camera rig (mirror camera rig) to shoot 3D stereoscopic video, one eye might be
upside down or the mirror image of how it should look. Enable this option if you need to adjust the orientation
of either the left eye or the right eye input.

When this option is enabled, choose to flip the video horizontally, vertically or both depending on the
configuration of the camera rig.

When in 3D mode, send video to SDI output

This option determines whether the left eye, right eye or 3D muxed video is sent to the SDI loop through output
when 3D stereoscopic operation is enabled. Video adjustments are applied to 3D muxed video but not just to
the left eye or right eye.

While 3D muxed video is useful for watching or recording 3D video with a single SDI connection, some colorists
may prefer to send a single eye to a traditional CRT monitor for color grading at the same time as viewing the 3D
stereoscopic output via the DisplayPort output of HDLink Pro 3D.

3D pane in Mac OS X

3D pane in Windows

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HDLink Models

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Installation

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HDLink Pro DVI Digital

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HDLink Pro DVI Digital is easy to use because any valid video signal received by the SDI input is sent to all outputs,
i.e. DVI/HDMI and SDI outputs. HDLink Pro DVI Digital automatically detects the format of the incoming signal
and displays the video on any supported DVI or HDMI-based monitor.

Check the HDLink verified compatibility matrix

www.blackmagic-design.com/support/detail.asp?techID=186

HDLink Pro DVI Digital features an indicator lamp to show the operational status of the unit:

 Off HDLink Pro is powered off.

 Dim HDLink Pro is powered on but is not receiving a valid SDI video signal.

 Bright HDLink Pro is powered on and is receiving a valid SDI video signal.

6 Channel Analog Audio Output DVI-D

or HDMI

SDI
In A

SDI
In B

SDI
Out

USB 2.0

Input

Power

Input 12V

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Installation

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HDLink Pro DVI Digital

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Valid video signals supported by HDLink Pro DVI Digital include 2K, HD1080, HD720, NTSC and PAL. Computer
video formats are generally not supported unless they coincidentally match a TV format. HDLink can be used to
monitor the output of a Blackmagic Design DVI Extender in either Video or Extender (computer resolution) modes.
Detailed information is available in the DVI Extender manual. Please see the following HDLink specifications link
on the Blackmagic Design website for a full listing of current formats supported via DVI and HDMI displays.
Check www.blackmagic-design.com/products/hdlink/techspecs/

HDLink is preconfigured for you, requiring no initial setup to connect. Your HDLink will simply run without
changing any settings, however, if you would like to update the firmware, modify settings or load custom gamma
tables, then use the HDLink Utility software. This can be downloaded from the Blackmagic Design web site
support page. Check www.blackmagic-design.com/support/

HDLink Pro DVI Digital uses the same software as other HDLink models and shares the same software interface
for changing settings including 3D LUTs. 3D and 1D lookup tables can be applied to the DVI/HDMI output of
HDLink Pro DVI Digital. If HDLink Pro DVI Digital is configured to send lookup tables to all video outputs, the
lookup tables will be applied to the SDI output in addition to the DVI/HDMI output.

DVI-D monitors are shown in most of the connection diagrams shown for this HDLink model. An HDMI display
can be used in all cases except for 2K monitoring as HDMI displays do not have sufficient resolution to display
a full 2K image. HDMI displays are best for use with HD720p50 as most DVI displays do not support this
format. The included DVI-to-HDMI adapter can be used to attach an HDMI display to the DVI output of
HDLink Pro DVI Digital.

HDLink Pro DVI Digital provides two SDI inputs which can be used for standard definition SDI, HD-SDI
4:2:2, Dual Link HD-SDI 4:4:4, 3 Gb/s HD-SDI 4:4:4 video or 2K film as shown in the connection diagrams
of this manual.

The consumer level analog audio outputs are fully compatible with a wide range of consumer HiFi equipment
and are perfect for monitoring of stereo audio or even up to 6 channels of audio. 2 channel audio output via
HDMI is provided for maximum compatibility with HDMI TVs and monitors.

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