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[Lee Douglas]

You need to get a budget number and the actual goal that they want to achieve then see if the goal and budget are in the same place.

For a pro'ish basics figure $2000 for a camera and $300 for tripod.
You can add a zero to each of those prices real fast!

This is just me wanting to help them improve what they are already doing and giving myself an excuse to play with some new toys.  My goal is to provide them with another shot that can be a little more dynamic than switching between static cams.  Let's start with your basics package at $2500

[Erik Jerde]

The new BlackMagic Studio Camera Pros have communication, and with another dodad can run EVERYTHING through an ethernet cable.

That new studio camera is pretty sharp.  I’m always nervous about blackmagic stuff because it works great (if it actually works for your need) right up till the moment it breaks.  In my experience that’s usually right at or before show time.  That said, if it does work for your need you often can’t find something similar without at least doubling the price.  Or adding a zero.  It’s a question of how much you want to pay for reliability - or how much potential reliability you want to put on the line to meet a budget point.  Kinda like the x32!

For 3.2K + lens and cable you’ve got a pretty good system there though.  I’d look to spend closer to 1K for a quality fluid head tripod.  If Mike has a source for one at $300 I’d love to see it.  That price point is news to me but if it’s for real that’s great news for the budget conscious.  It is too bad the studio converter doesn’t have HDMI out so you may still need a converter there.

[Mike Caldwell]

$300 did get me an ok (for a small camera) tripod fluid head combo. Would it hold up shooting ENG...no way. Worked perfect for a small church live stream.

Would it compare to the Sachtler carbon fiber tripod I used back 20 years ago shooting TV commercials.....only in your dreams.

[Dave Garoutte]

That new studio camera is pretty sharp.  I’m always nervous about blackmagic stuff because it works great (if it actually works for your need) right up till the moment it breaks.  In my experience that’s usually right at or before show time. 

Have you had a BMD failure?  I haven't.  What failed?

[Erik Jerde]

Have you had a BMD failure?  I haven't.  What failed?

Multiple mini-converters.  Both power supplies and the actual units themselves.  If the PSU dies it’s usually just a no video situation.  If the converter dies it’s video noise.  I’ve had a router freeze up and go unresponsive to control but still pass video.  These are just my personal experiences.  I’ve worked with integrators who have told tales of far more issues.  Given the choice I will never use blackmagic in mission critical locations like routing and switching.  I fight for budget to put in bulletproof solutions like Ross stuff there.

[Stephen Beatty]

 A good tripod is essential. You need a nice steady mount regardless of the camera you put on it. Make sure it will handle the weight of the camera and is the height you need.
 As far as cameras, you can go with something like the BMD, a mirrorless DLSR that can record long sessions or a straight camcorder. Each has its pluses and minuses. Want different lens options? DLSR or BMD. Want to record on the unit? Etc, etc.
 So maybe rent something to try it out? Maybe B&H used for a good deal?

[Patrick Tracy]

Have you had a BMD failure?  I haven't.  What failed?

My Intensity Shuttle USB was buggy and inconsistent when I got it. It would only stream at 720. Sometimes it wasn't recognized by the computer when plugged in. Driver updates resolved a lot of the issues. A recent OBS update rendered the audio inputs of a bunch of hardware unusable (in OBS), and when the update came out to fix it, my Intensity Shuttle still wouldn't pass audio. It started working a week later even though I hadn't done any further updates.

At my day job I use BMD SDI-HDMI converters and they seem to be reliable.

[Caleb Dueck]

Have you had a BMD failure?  I haven't.  What failed?

Multiple integrators I've known or worked with have had plenty of issues.  Had one cheap job with a good bit of BMD products - around a 25% failure rate.  That's higher than average but still insane.  They are the Behringer of video - good for learning on before moving up to real gear. 

For converters that last - Decimator Design.   

[Tim Hite]

For converters that last - Decimator Design.

I've had multiple folks tell me the same thing. Decimator is a big step up in reliability for the small step in price.

I think AJA is the next tier up from there.

[Erik Jerde]

I've had multiple folks tell me the same thing. Decimator is a big step up in reliability for the small step in price.

I think AJA is the next tier up from there.

I wouldn't put AJA over Decimator for similar products.  AJA does have a larger portfolio of products though.  I prefer the power plug on the MD-HX/MD-Cross and similar design products.  The MD-LX is great to slap on the back of TVs for conversion from SDI because it's tiny so a little velcro gets the job done and it can be powered off of a USB port which every TV has these days so you don't need a separate power brick.

[ProSoundWeb Community]