ATEM Mini HDCP

[Stuart91]

Here's the scenario - I've got a customer who's setting up a community cinema. They'll be using a fairly bog-standard projector, probably a Hitachi / Maxell ultra-wide model, but a standard office style machine rather than anything cinema-specific.

 

They are looking to use a computer to run a looping slideshow of notices / adverts beforehand, then change over onto the movie itself when the time comes. They'll be using Blu-ray Discs, which I'm assuming will be HDCP protected.

 

The challenge is getting a smooth switchover between the two, without any obvious glitching or on-screen displays. The customer has suggested a Kramer switcher/scaler since they used one of ours at a conference, however it seems like overkill for the task, when they only need two inputs and no scaling. I'd expect that most cheap mechanical "crash switches" will confuse or annoy the projector, and at the very least it'll have to re-establish the sync, so it's not going to be smooth.

 

The ATEM Mini looks like a good option. It's relatively inexpensive, and simple enough to operate. The one thing that I'm not sure about is how it would handle HDCP. There's no mention of it in the manual, and I don't suspect it's an issue for most of their target market.

 

Has anyone got experience of using the ATEM Mini with HDCP protected content? Or are there any alternative solutions that I should be considering for these guys?

[alistermorton]

I asked the self same question in the qlab forum on facebook ,and the consensus from other users was that it won't pass HDCP content. I've yet to verify that, but since the inputs are expected to be connected primarily to cameras I doubt HDCP support was high on the list for that particular device.

 

Where's Joe when you need him :-)

[dosxuk]

None of the Atem devices support HDCP, and further than that, none of the Blackmagic kit supports it.

[J Pearce]

How smoothly will the projector switch between inputs? Some are fairly graceful, and a wired remote/control panel may be a simpler option than a switcher.

[alistermorton]

None of the Atem devices support HDCP, and further than that, none of the Blackmagic kit supports it.

 

That being the case, would something like the HDFury that Joe Ferrand has mentioned get around that particular part of the problem?

[Dave m]

I'm fairly sure that a cheap hdmi bi directional splitter can be used ?They are pretty cheap as are Amazon returnsWorth investigating?

[Stuart91]

Thanks for the replies. Seems fairly conclusive that the Mini ATEM is not what we want here, and quite understandable given their target market.

 

I've got an HDFury on hand so could give that a try. I'm wary of adding another box to the situation, but I suspect it could be hidden away inside a rack or something. The equipment is going to be operated by volunteers, some reasonably tech-savvy, but also some complete novices so I need to try and keep it all as "plug and play" as possible. An extra incentive is that they're ~90 mins drive from me, so nipping over for a quick bit of troubleshooting isn't going to happen.

 

We haven't bought the projector yet, but from similar models that I've played with, there doesn't seem to be a way to seamlessly switch, without some sort of message appearing on screen.

 

One other suggestion has been that they simply play the blu-ray disks on a laptop, and switch between Powerpoint and the player software. This eliminates the HDMI sync issues, and HDCP will be fine with a straight connection between PC and projector. Of course, it opens up a whole new can of worms of how to do it elegantly on the computer...

[david.elsbury]

The Roland V1 handles HDCP fine

[Stuart91]

The Roland V1 handles HDCP fine

 

Good point, but it would take up about 20% of their total budget for the project so it's hard to justify.

[alistermorton]

The Roland V1 handles HDCP fine

 

Worth knowing - thanks,

 

 

 

[abbotsmike]

I'd probably go down the route of putting a cheap HDMI splitter before the ATEM to "fix" the HDCP issue. Technically and morally it works, it may upset some licensing folk though!

[DrV]

I realise it's a bit left field but an inexpensive solution could be a crash switch plus a mechanical shutter (remotely controlled of course) to blank the projector while it regains sync. I know little about video so this may be a totally dumb suggestion!

[Stuart91]

I realise it's a bit left field but an inexpensive solution could be a crash switch plus a mechanical shutter (remotely controlled of course) to blank the projector while it regains sync. I know little about video so this may be a totally dumb suggestion!

 

I like the lateral thinking here! Unfortunately, whilst that would work with a conventional lens, they are probably going to end up with an ultra-wide projector, so blanking off the light output is a good bit more difficult.

[Dave m]

The startle reflex causes people to blink when they hear a sudden loud noise.Simply hit a biscuit tin with a hammer and switch over at the same time?

[dosxuk]

I'd probably go down the route of putting a cheap HDMI splitter before the ATEM to "fix" the HDCP issue. Technically and morally it works, it may upset some licensing folk though!

 

The licensing folk shouldn't be bothered, provided you've got the bit of paper (/ email) to say you've got permission to show the protected content. After all, HDCP isn't there to stop people showing unlicensed content, it's there to stop you being able to rip bit-perfect copies of media, and in this case you're not trying to do that.

 

The cheap splitters do work with the Atem's to do exactly this, although it can be a bit hit and miss whether they remove the HDCP protection or not - you may need to try a couple before you get one that works suitably. Look for options with decent refund options, or that are cheap enough to throw away if it doesn't work.