ATEM Mini HDCP

[Stuart91]

Ok, I'll explain all this to the lead customer and see if he can be bothered with a splitter (or HDFury) ahead of the switcher. If we can hide it all away neatly then it might be feasible.

 

It may be that he uses the switcher when he's leading a session, and novice volunteers don't bother (or resort to Dave's biscuit tin idea).

 

I have a variety of splitters kicking around so can try a few out first without any spend.

 

It's a properly set up project, so I expect they'll have all the correct licensing and permissions in place. Nonetheless someone might have a bee in their bonnet about stripping HDCP - I've had people complain about far less in the past. At least it's not critical and easily abandoned if it becomes a sticking point for some busybody.

[timsabre]

I might be getting this wrong but I don't think HDCP works like that. An HDCP source eg bluray player has to see an HDCP display using data passed back down the hdmi, or it won't output. Atem devices don't pass HDCP so the source won't see a valid display and won't output.

 

What you can do is put something like HDFury between the source and the Atem. The source will see the HDFury as a valid display device and will output the picture.

 

I don't think a cheap splitter is going to help, you don't need to strip HDCP, you need to respond to it.

[dosxuk]

Without going into detail here, because of the many dodgy reasons for removing HDCP, all I can say is it does work.

 

There are plenty of links on Google for people using cheap splitters in this way.

 

With the Atem - it would be the display in the chain, it wouldn't be passing data to a display for HDCP purposes - after all most of the models only have SDI outputs so there is no way to do the HDCP handshake. The Atem captures the exact pixel data into a frame buffer to do what it wants with, it doesn't treat incoming HDMI as just a data stream that can be switched to an output. On all of the Atems , bar the Mini & new Mini Pro, if they did support HDCP, then they could be used to get exact copies of the incoming video signals, in a format with no copy protection available (SDI). Therefore they don't support it.

[Stuart91]

if they did support HDCP, then they could be used to get exact copies of the incoming video signals, in a format with no copy protection available (SDI). Therefore they don't support it.

 

Thanks - that makes a lot of sense. I've had some similar problems with a Kramer unit which wouldn't pass signal from an HDMI input to a non-HDMI output.

[TomHoward]

Given the ATEM doesn't seem to have a Preview out, and you'll be wanted to cue the Blu-Ray maybe before switching to it - could the splitter be sold as a way to get a local HDMI preview (just a cheap monitor) and also strip the HDCP for the ATEM - it's a more complicated setup but sold that way it doesn't have an extra box just for illicit legal reasons.

[Stuart91]

Good argument, Tom. And yes, I suspect they haven't thought about previewing the Blu-Ray to line up the start.

 

(Do you still get unskippable trailers and "YOU WOULDN'T STEAL A CAR" adverts at the start of discs? It's so long since I've actually sat down with a DVD...)

 

Some sort of small rack with Blu-Ray, ATEM, and a preview monitor might be the answer. All the other gubbins can hide down the back.

[abbotsmike]

Given the ATEM doesn't seem to have a Preview out, and you'll be wanted to cue the Blu-Ray maybe before switching to it - could the splitter be sold as a way to get a local HDMI preview (just a cheap monitor) and also strip the HDCP for the ATEM - it's a more complicated setup but sold that way it doesn't have an extra box just for illicit legal reasons.

 

This is the main reason I don't own one already. One HDMI out that (I think) does Program, or Preview, or Multiview. In almost every environment I'm working in I'd want at least 2 of those things at the same time!

[dosxuk]

No multiview on the Atem Mini (the new Pro version has added it though, but with the same limitation of only having on HDMI output).

[adamantiumxt]

Another (cheaper) option rather than the ATEM could be a HDMI KVM switch (ignoring the USB ports), which generally should switch between inputs seamlessly as they emulate the display being connected to both devices. They do claim to work with HDCP, but probably worth buying somewhere with good returns anyway!

[Joe Fernand]

As others suggest you will likely need to 'deal' with HDCP before you put the signal into the Mixer/Switcher - most of the HDFury range will give you that option, enabling it is not always; 'out of the box' so if you are testing it you will need to know the work arounds!

 

Joe