Epiphan SDI2USB 3.0 User's Guide

User Guide

Epiphan SDI2USB 3.0



Release 3.30.7.8

June 21, 2019

UG102-07

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Thank you for choosing Epiphan!

At Epiphan Video (“Epiphan”), product function and quality are our top priority. We make every effort to make sure that our products exceed your expectations.

Product feedback

Your feedback is important! We regularly contact our customers to ensure our products meet your performance and reliability requirements. We strive to continually enhance our products to accommodate your needs. Please let us know how you think we can improve our products by emailing your suggestions to

info@epiphan.com.

Specifications

Go to the SDI2USB 3.0 product page on the Epiphan website to get the most recent product specifications and additional information about SDI2USB 3.0.

Warranty

All Epiphan Systems products are provided with a 100% return to depot warranty for one year from the date of purchase.

Technical support

Epiphan’s products are backed by our professional support team. If you are having issues with your product, please gather details about your system and contact our team by:

l Emailing support@epiphan.com

l Live chat via the link on our support site https://www.epiphan.com/support/

l Phone toll free at 1-877-599-6581 or call +1-613-599-6581

Be sure to include as much information about your problem as possible. Including:

l Problem description

l Details of the video or audio source (type, connection, resolution, refresh rate, etc.)

l Product serial number

l Product firmware version (if applicable, from web admin interface)

l Product LED lights

SDI2USB 3.0 Release notes

Firmware update 3.30.7.8 for SDI2USB 3.0 is a maintenance release that contains stability and performance enhancements. Update your device to take advantage of the improvements offered in this latest firmware update.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This firmware update 3.30.7.8 is the final update to include a windows 32-bit driver version for SDI2USB 3.0.

Removed the Web broadcasting demo feature

The Web broadcasting demo feature has been removed from the Epiphan Capture Tool and the icon no longer appears in the tool bar.

Start here

Use the topics in this section of the user guide to get started quickly with your SDI2USB 3.0.

Review What's in the box?, get a system overview in What is SDI2USB 3.0?, ensure your system meets the

System requirements and get your video grabber installed and working right away using the Quick start

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide What is SDI2USB 3.0?

What is SDI2USB 3.0?

SDI2USB 3.0™ is Epiphan's professional-series external SDI (3G-SDI, HD-SDI and SD-SDI) video grabber. It captures images and video from SDI video sources and digitizes them on your laptop or workstation via connection to a USB 3.0 port.

The video capture workstation can record and/or stream the resulting uncompressed diagnostic-quality images and videos. On Windows, both audio and video capture is supported for SDIsources. Thanks to EpiphanVideo capture technology, this small, portable product connects directly to your computer's USB 3.0 port - no need for a large workstation with a free peripheral component interface (PCI) slot.

SDI2USB 3.0 captures video and audio from any 3G-SDI, HD-SDI or SD-SDI source. Meeting greater demands for transferring larger files at faster speeds, this external video grabber supports USB 3.0 technology, capable of transferring uncompressed data with speeds of up to 5.0 (Gbits/s) - about ten times faster than USB 2.0.

In practice transfer speeds are dependent on factors such as USB load and hardware configuration.

SDI2USB 3.0 is versatile and can be used with multiple workstation configurations. It is backward compatible with USB 2.0 connections, however it transfers video at a reduced frame rate when using USB 2.0.

Using the included Epiphan Capture Tool, SDI2USB 3.0 captures full 1080p HD in RGB-24-bit color at 30 frames per seconds and supports resolutions up to 1920×1080. When working with third-party software,

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide What is SDI2USB 3.0?

such as Windows Media Encoder with YUV 4:2:0 chroma sub-sampling, 1080p video is captured and recorded 60 frames per second. Note in all cases the SDI video signal is captured in RGB 24-bit color and in the case of YUV 4:2:0 chroma sub-sampling, it is converted to this new color space.

For more information about maximizing the frame rate when capturing, recording and streaming video using third-party applications, refer to the How to Record Video using Window Media Encoder tutorial on Epiphan’s website.

In addition to an input port, the SDI2USB 3.0 offers an SDI output port that can be used for confidence monitoring. In the example below, a monitor connected to the output port allows you to monitor the input signal and make quick adjustments if required.

The SDI2USB 3.0 video grabber is fully compatible with DirectShow in Windows and Video4Linux in Linux.This means you can use it with a number of different third party applications for capturing, recording and streaming video.

SDI2USB 3.0 is part of Epiphan’s complete line of video and audio signal capture products. For more information about all Epiphan’s video signal capture products, refer to the USB Video Grabbers page on the EpiphanVideo website.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide What's in thebox?

What's in the box?

The SDI2USB 3.0 package includes the following

1. SDI2USB 3.0 video grabber (read more, Physical attributes)

2. One 3G compliant SDI cable

3. One USB 3.0 cable

Table 1 Description of included cables (images for identification only, color and appearance may vary)

Image Name Description

SDIcable Connects SDI sources the video grabber.

USB 3.0 cable

High speed transfer cable that connects the video grabber to your capture workstation or laptop computer.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide System requirements

System requirements

System requirements are the technical essentials your computer needs to work with your Epiphan video grabber. System requirements to use SDI2USB 3.0 are:

Video source

Video capture workstation

Video capture workstation operating system

RAM Minimum recommended value: 4 GB

Available hard disk space 16 GB (32-bit OS) or 20 GB(64-bitOS)

Contact support if you need to use earlier Windows platforms with your capture card. Epiphan drivers for SDI2USB 3.0 from release 3.30.2 onwards use SHA-2 signing, which is not supported on Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Any 3G-SDI, HD-SDI orSD-SDI source. (SDI2USB

3.0 cannot capture from HDCP encrypted sources)

A computer (laptop/desktop/other format) with:

l a compatible USB 3.0 host controller for

SuperSpeed operation (recommended Intel ® USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller); or,

l a USB 2.0 controller

Windows 10 A list of precompiled linux drivers (kernel 3.5 or later) is available on the Support page under

Software.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide Quick start

Quick start

Use this quick start to get up and running quickly with your SDI2USB 3.0 on Windows capture workstations. You can also use these procedures to install firmware updates. For Linux systems, seeSDI2USB 3.0 on Linux.

Before you get started:

l Have all required cables, components, and adapters (if needed), see What's in the box?.

l Ensure your capture workstation meets the System requirements.

l Have a video source, such as a camera, computer, tablet, or phone and ensure that the content isn't

HDCPprotected. For Windows systems, ensure there's audio and video on the same source cable.

l Internet access to download drivers from the Epiphan website.

l Administrator privileges for your capture workstation.

Install the video grabber drivers

This step must be completed before connecting the video grabber to your video capture workstation.

1. (Optional) Disconnect the video grabber from your capture workstation if it is currently connected.

2. Log into your capture workstation using an account with administrator privileges. If you're workstation

is on a domain, ensure that you log into the local administrator account on the workstation and not an account on the domain.

3. Using a web browser on your capture workstation, go to your video grabber's Support page under

Software and download the appropriate driver for your system's operating system.

For Windows 10 operating systems, choose either the 64-bit or 32-bit driver as required for your particular operating system. If you don't know which driver version you need, see this Microsoft knowledge base article for help https://support.microsoft.com/en- us/kb/827218.

4. When the download is complete, open the download destination folder.

5. (Optional) Close any unnecessary windows and shut down programs that are running on the

workstation. Note that overly restrictive security software can block the installation of device drivers. In that case, consult your system administrator for the procedures to allow the driver update on the capture workstation.

6. Extract all driver files and install the drivers and the Epiphan Capture Tool on your Windows

workstation.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide

a. Right-click on the .zip file and Extract All.

b. From the extracted files folder, right-click on setup.exe and select Run as administrator.

c. Click Install and follow the prompts to install the drivers. The Epiphan Capture Tool is installed

at the same time as the drivers.

Installation may fail for computers inheriting security permissions from a Windows domain, even when the installer is run as administrator. In that case, contact your local IT team for assistance with installation.

7. Restart the capture workstation after the installation completes and reconnect the video grabber.

Installthe video codec for Windows and set video

compression options

Install the video codec for Windows and set video compression options

For Windows operating systems, we recommend installing the K-Lite (Mega) video codec pack. This codec pack adds video compression options for recording video using the Epiphan Capture Tool. Recording video without compression consumes a large amount of disk space, especially when recording at higher resolutions and isn't recommended. We've tested and found that codec x264vfw in this codec pack is the better choice for use with your video grabber.

To install the K-Lite (Mega) video codec pack on your Windows capture workstation:

1. Log into your capture workstation using an account with administrator privileges and launch the

Epiphan Capture Tool.

2. From the Tools menu, select Options... and ensure that Display format on the Display tab is set to

RGB 24 bits per pixel (default).

3. Using a web browser on your capture workstation, download the K-Lite (Mega version) video codec

pack (32-bit and 64-bit versions are included):

l K-Lite (Mega) video codec pack

4. Locate the executable file that was downloaded, then double-click the file and follow the prompts to

install the K-Lite (Mega) codec pack for your Window's version. Use the Normal installation mode and accept the default options. Click Finish when the codec pack has finished installing.

5. From the Tools menu in the Epiphan Capture Tool, select Options... and click the Recording tab.

6. From the Recording tab, set the Record as field to Video and click Select Codec.

7. In the Compressor drop down, select x264vfw - H.264/MPEG-4 AVC compression and click OK.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide Connect thevideo grabber and the video source

For most common installations, use the default settings for the video compression codec. You are not required to configure the video compression parameters.

8. Click Apply to save your changes. Click OK until you've exited all the configuration menus.

Connect the video grabber and the video source

Now that the drivers and video codec are installed, you're ready to begin capturing! Although the steps below ask you to connect the video source to the grabber, then the grabber to the workstation, you can connect the video source and video grabber in any order.

1. Connect the video source to the SDI IN port on the video grabber. (If necessary, use an adapter or

appropriate converter cable.)

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide Connect thevideo grabber and the video source

2. Connect the provided USB 3.0 cable to the bottom of the video grabber.

3. Connect the other end of the USBcable to an available USB port on your video capture workstation

(use a USB3.0 port for best performance).

4. Optionally connect an SDI monitor to the SDIOUT port using another SDIcable (not included). Note

the monitor will only work when the video grabber is connected to the workstation.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide Capture video using the Epiphan CaptureTool

If using a splitter cable for your video source, use a high-quality SDI splitter to split the signal between an other devices and the video grabber. The SDI out port is a practical way to simultaneously display the video to a remote monitor while it is captured, recorded and streamed.

Capture video using the Epiphan Capture Tool

If needed, read Epiphan Capture Tool for information on how to launch the capture tool.

You can also use third-party capture applications to capture video from SDI2USB 3.0. Consult the documentation that came with the third-party capture application to select the device.

1. Start the Epiphan Capture Tool; your video source is immediately detected (if you see a No Signal

message, disconnect and reconnect the cables to make sure they are all seated correctly).

2. (Windows only) If you want to capture audio from the video grabber, click the Enable Audio button in

the toolbar; it's style changes to show audio is enabled. (If your source doesn't have audio or if you want to use a different audio input method, select Capture » Audio Input Device to select your audio source.)

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide What’s next?

3. Use the red record button to start recording. On Windows, the Save dialog opens. Specify the filename

and folder to save your file.

4. When you are done capturing, use the pause (Windows only) or stop buttons to pause or stop

recording.

5. Use your operating system's file browser (Windows Explorer or Finder) to find your saved capture file.

Windows only:If you're having trouble capturing embedded audio, make sure you have the video grabber connected to a USB 3.0 port. Because of the extra volume of data that needs to be captured, embedded audio capture is only supported when connected via USB3.0.

What’s next?

Now that you have done a basic recording, you might like to know more about the following topics:

l Configure your device

l DirectShow video adjustments

l Epiphan Capture Tool

Refer to the table of contents for a complete list of the topics covered.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide SDI2USB 3.0 on Linux

SDI2USB 3.0 on Linux

Epiphan provides drivers and an API for linux, but does not provide a capture application. The video grabber is compatible with Video4Linux, so you can use any Video4Linux application for capture. You can also use the EpiphanLinux SDK to write your own application. For more information see the Epiphan product downloads page for your SDI2USB 3.0. You'll find the Software Development Tools section which contains C and C++api and a java interface and example.

If your capture workstation uses UEFI Secure Boot, your workstation won't be able to discover SDI2USB 3.0. You must disable Secure Boot on your Linux workstation.

USB device driver (linux)

The Epiphan USB device driver for linux come as a set of pre-compiled binaries and additional source files that you may need to compile before installing on your computer.

To download the drivers for your product, go to www.epiphan.com/support and find the support page for SDI2USB 3.0. From the Downloads tab, select the Linux download link; the linux download page appears.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide Epiphan captureAPI

Choose vga2usb from the first dropdown box, and specify your linux distribution specifics in the other boxes. Once you've drilled into the version of linux for which you want the drivers, click the file links to download a compressed file with everything you'll need to compile and install the driver. Unzip the file and read the README for further instructions.

The driver works with Video4Linux compatible applications (including gStreamer, VLCand the Video4Linux application), and with the Epiphan API.

Epiphan capture API

The Epiphan capture API receives captured images from the USBdevice driver. To record or stream these images you can use a compatible Video4Linux application(such as VLC or gStreamer) or you can use the API to write your own capture application.

TheAPI is optimized for capturing high resolution images from your SDI2USB 3.0. It analyzes individual images, performs on-device cropping and handles video mode changes.

See the product support page to download the Software Development kit, which includes the Epiphan capture API.

Sample applications

Epiphan provides some sample applications including a sample capture application, a sample settings application and a sample utility for reading and writing EDIDs. Source for some of the samples (such as the capture application) is included in the SDK.

You can download the samples from the same downloads page as the driver.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide Physicalattributes

Physical attributes

The SDI2USB 3.0 device measures 90mm x 60mm x 23mm (3.54” x 2.36” x 0.91”). It features a single SDI (BNCtype)connector, an SDI passthrough port, a USB 3.0 connector and an LED indicator. This small, portable product easily fits in the palm of your hand.

Table 2 Connectors and indicators

Number Interface Description

SDIInput

SDIOutput

USB 3.0 Output

Connect an input source with an SD-SDI, HDSDI or a 3G-SDI signal.

Connect an SDI output source, such as a monitor, to the SDI2USB 3.0 device. Note: the SDI output port is ONLY active if the SDI2USB

3.0 is connected to a video capture workstation providing power and running the SDI2USB 3.0 driver.

Connects the video grabber to the capture workstation and enables data transfer from the video source to the workstation.

The video grabber works best when connected to a USB 3.0 port on the capture workstation, but is also backward compatible withUSB2.0.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide Physicalattributes

Number Interface Description

LEDindicator light indicates the current status

LED

Epiphan always recommends using a USB 3.0 port for best performance. If a USB 2.0 port is used instead, SDI2USB 3.0 transfers video at a lower frame rate and is unable to capture embedded audio.

of the video grabber. See Indicator LED details for the meaning of different light colors.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide Indicator LED details

Indicator LED details

The color and action of the indicator LED depends on whether you are connected by USB 3.0 or USB 2.0. For maximum performance, always use a USB 3.0 port and the included USB 3.0 cable. Note that frame capture rate will be reduced when connected via USB 2.0.

If you’re not sure if your controller is USB 3.0 or USB 2.0, plug SDI2USB 3.0 into the capture computer and look at the indicator LED (note that test this assumes there is no video source plugged into the video grabber):

A flashing blue LED means USB 3.0 A flashing green LEDmeans USB 2.0



LED color USB 3.0 connection USB 2.0 connection

The video grabber is powered on but is not functional. The

Solid red

Blinking red

Solid yellow Image/video capture or data transfer is in progress.

Flashing blue

Flashing green

Solid green -



driver is not installed or failed to load. If you installed theEpiphan CaptureTool and drivers, disconnect and reconnect the USB cable.

The video grabber's security validation has failed. Contact Epiphan support with the product serial number and details of your system.

The firmware is loaded successfully, the device is idle.

Video mode detection is in progress.

The firmware is loaded successfully, the device is idle.

Video mode detection is in progress.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide Troubleshoot

Troubleshoot

If you're experiencing problems with your SDI2USB 3.0, use the following tips to attempt to rectify the problem.

Capture device not found

If the Epiphan Capture Tool does not find the video grabber, the message Capture device not found is displayed in the capture application.

Try the following troubleshooting tips:

l Confirm that the video grabber is connected to the capture workstation's USB port. The device's LED is

lit when it is connected.

l Disconnect and reconnect the video grabber from the USB port. This allows the operating system to

load drivers for the video grabber, if they haven't already been loaded.

l Check the indicator LED colors and compare to the list described in Indicator LED details.

l On Windows, check the Windows Device Manager to verify that you can see the video grabber in the list

of devices.

l If trying the above suggestions does not resolve the issue, close all applications and restart your video

capture workstation.

No signal detected

If the Epiphan Capture Tool finds the video grabberbut does not see a connected video source, the message No signal detected is displayed in the capture application.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide Troubleshoot

Try the following troubleshooting tips:

l Confirm that the video grabber used by the application is the correct one. Compare the serial number

in the window frame (300292 in the example above) with the serial number sticker on the back of your device. If they do not match, use the Capture » Select device... (Windows) item to select a different video grabber.

l Confirm that your video source is on and is outputting data to the video cable connected to the video

grabber(this may be a hardware or software setting in your video source).

l Disconnect and reconnect the video source from the video grabber.

l Check the indicator LED colors and compare to the list described in Indicator LED details.

No button to apply configuration changes

On Windows, if you don't see the button to apply your configuration changes in the Epiphan Capture Tool, the application was opened without administrative privileges. Close the application and then re-open with administrative privileges.

When I power on my Windows workstation, the connected video grabber isn't detected

Try disabling the Fastboot settings on your workstation. You can disable fast start up from Control Panel >

Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do and deselect Turn on fast startup under Change settings that are currently unavailable.

If the problem on your Windows capture workstation persists...

Try modifying the power settings. From Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings, ensure that the power options are set to High performance. If you're workstation is a laptop, ensure that the AC adapter is plugged in.

SDI2USB 3.0 User Guide Troubleshoot

Also under Change plan settings, modify these advanced power settings:

l USB settings: Change the USB selective suspend setting to Disabled.

l PCI Express: Set the Link Stat Power Management setting to Off.

While you're at it, open the Device Manager and under Universal Serial Bus controllers, ensure that any USB 3.0 Hubs that are listed here have the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power setting Disabled under Properties > Power Management.

My Linux workstation doesn't discover the video grabber

If your Linux workstation uses UEFI Secure Boot, your workstation won't be able to discover SDI2USB 3.0. You must disable Secure Boot on your Linux workstation.

+ 58 hidden pages

Epiphan SDI2USB 3.0 User's Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

SDI2USB 3.0 Release notes

Start here

What is SDI2USB 3.0?

What's in the box?

System requirements

Quick start

Install the video grabber drivers

Install the video codec for Windows and set video compression options

Connect the video grabber and the video source

Capture video using the Epiphan Capture Tool

What’s next?

SDI2USB 3.0 on Linux

USB device driver (linux)

Epiphan capture API

Sample applications

Physical attributes

Indicator LED details

Troubleshoot