Brighteye 75 issues or my settings

[dellsam34]

FLP437, as dellsam34 told me in Post #2, that the Ensemble software does not need to be used/open all the time during capture. I thought it did, so I would leave it open during capture and it would often drop out. However, at times, when I need to make adjustments, the software does not recognize the BE75 is connected. It is a PIA.

If that happens try hit refresh button, If not closing the app and reopening it will revive it.

[Sergei316]

If that happens try hit refresh button, If not closing the app and reopening it will revive it.

I do usually do both procedures but it doesn't usually work. I have to unplug the USB and plug it back in for the software to recognize it. Minor issue to say the least.

[FLP437]

@Sergei316
“However, at times, when I need to make adjustments, the software does not recognize the BE75 is connected”

It happens exactly the same to me with the BE 3 but I have usually it connected to a usb 3.0 port. I have to try with a usb 2.0 port as dellsam34 proposes and see if the behaviour changes .
As I have told this seems to be an old problem in the document included from 2012, page 30 one can read

Troubleshooting the BE3
Sometimes the BE3 does not respond, does not allow adjustments under the Proc tab, or does not read the video signal. Try the following in order:
1. Click Rebuild List on the top-left of the window to refresh the signal.
2. Restart the application.
3. Unplug the power supply of the BE3 and wait 10 seconds before reconnecting. Once plugged in, the BE3 will automatically refresh.

Im my case sometimes I have to unplug and plug again the BE 3 to have it recognized. I usually get luck disconnecting , launch the app and at last connect the usb cable , but it depends.

@dellsam34
Im my case with the BE 3 the issues are not only with magewell devices (pcie cards that by the way do work very well with all my other equipment, and I have a lot) but with a large selection of devices that refuse the SDI handshake when tbc is on.

[jwillis84]

I know this is an old thread.


I thought I would contribute two pieces of information from a newbie who just started playing around with BM SDI/HDMI PCIe card (not the 4K).


1. USB 2.0 versus USB 3.0


Its very common with desktop support and laptop design to include one "pure" USB 2.0 port, usually on the upper right hand side for keyboard or mouse troubleshooting when nothing else it working. Both because older Windows operating systems like Win7 had native USB2.0 and not USB3.0 support built-in.. and because USB 2.0 was a (hard) specification that was "enforced" on manufacturers at the time the spec was brought to market.


Manufacturers hated the USB2.0 specifications so bad.. they refused to sign on to the USB3.0 spec and make chipsets that supported it until they dissolved the (hard) specifications and compatibility testing requirements. It became a free for all and interoperability was more defined by a pseudo competition among hardware manufacturers. The Defacto winners of that competition in effect were barely compatible with other venders.. USB3.0 was retro actively abandoned for USB3.1 and now USB3.2 its a royal mess to this day.


Today.. if you stay within one manufacturers ecosystem for old USB 3.0 devices.. say all Dell.. all HP.. or all Asus things sort of work.. mix and match however things lock up.. go to sleep and just plain don't work.


The desktop solution is buy a USB 2.0 adapter card and put it in the PC and only use those ports. For USB 3.0 speeds.. get a USB 3.1 or USB 3.2 adapter and use those ports.


The laptop depends on whether your maker included a USB 2.0 port and use only that port.. Dell, HP, Asus all include a USB 2.0 port.. lesser known brands often make all the ports USB 3.0 since that is cheaper for them.


2. Perhaps due to the USB 2.0 / 3.0 mess


I have found with the BlackMagic sdi / hdmi mini recorder, PCIe card.. my Rode Podcaster microphone can cause the BM SDI input to lock up and stop working after a reboot.


It makes no sense.. except to say the USB 3.0 chip is on the PCIe bus.. and it says in the motherboard manual.. all USB 3.0 ports are mass storage compatible "only" plugging in anything other than mass storage devices "may" lock up the motherboard.. this from an Asus motherboard.


I had the Rode plugged into the USB 3.0 port.. and mostly it works.. it frequently flakes out however.. but given its USB 3.0 .. the old USB 3.0 with no real interoperability standard.. I'm not surprised.


The FIX (I kid you not ! ) is.. after a reboot.. unplug the Robe Podcaster mic from the USB 3.0 port and plug it back in again.


Then the Blackmagic sdi /hdmi mini recorder starts behaving normally.


--


bottom line.. when you hear USB 3.0 .. just run far.. run fast.. and run very far away..



and if you don't have a USB 2.0 port in your system go buy a USB 3.1 or above adapter card and put dust covers over all the USB 3.0 ports in your system

[dellsam34]

Professional gear always took USB 2.0 as a joke, therefore they used it only for device control or firmware update, They always used PCI or SDI coupled to a tape based deck or solid state recorder, Non until USB 3.0 came along when they started making USB 3.0 capture devices, BM, Aja, GrassValley and others all worked well under USB 3.0, the only one I had problems with and it may just have to do with my particular computer is the Magewell SDI to USB 3.0. So there is no need to use USB 3.0 for device control if a USB 2.0 is available.

[jwillis84]

I couldn't agree more.

As a further example: be sure to take a look at the Blackmagic release notes on the Intensity USB 3.0 shuttles. They explicitly call out companies "versions of USB 3.0" that are (known compatible) and those that are (known not to work). ASMedia made USB 3.0 ports are called out as incompatible.. and only Renesas USB 3.0 ports were called out as known to work.

Its a blind assumption, based on the success of USB 2.0 that companies sold products with USB 3.0 ports that were variations on a weak weak standard watered down by the industry seeking to do whatever they wanted and call it USB 3.0

The big deal with USB 2.0 was you got to put the brand on it "USB 2.0" you were forbidden by law if you varied and did not participate in certification.

The same thing is happening right now with Thunderbolt.

Thunderbolt was tightly controlled by Intel for Thunderbolt 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 but for Thunderbolt 4.0 Intel has relented to get companies to adopt 4.0 and its getting watered down.. certification is becoming "optional".

The thing with USB 3.0 is so many Third Party hardware vendors had to include a slip of paper in the box that called out companies "by name" whose version of chips simply did not work.. and were already irreversibly embedded in their product. Its like a car being manufactured without brakes.. and having no "recall" for .. oops.. we goof up to save a few pennies. USB 3.0 is a toxic mess.. its so unreliable. Its why even Asus included a handful of USB 2.0 ports that connect to a different manufacturers chips.. but the majority are proprietary USB 3.0 ports that connected to their cheap, uncertified chips. Grrr.. it makes me mad.

In the case of Video capture.. it was especially bad.. needing top speed for a device that could not rely on a smooth consistent bandwidth. They would save on memory buffers, or implement their version of power savings.. everyone got in on designing a chip themselves.. and they had no experience.. instead of paying more for a chip from a company that knew what worked and what did not. USB 3.0 became a design implemented by not one or two committees but dozens of committees and then never tested.. they got to save on certification by not doing it.

The "salty" bit is when the USB 3.0 ports appear "to work" for your situation.. until they don't.. and things start flaking out.. like your PCIexpress slots go dead.. or the USB 3.0 port simply won't power up because it was used for charging and burned the cheap port out. Its positively infuriating.

I am going to be very skeptical of Thunderbolt 4.0

It costs a lot of money to build ports that can deliver the wattage Thunderbolt 4.0 calls as part of the standard. I bet a lot of TB4.0 ports will cave.. or simply shutdown for no reason.. and you'll find in the small print.. this is not a "fully compliant" Thunderbolt 4.0 port.. we decided to save money by strictly limiting this or that feature to save money.

USB 2.0 was a joke because of the low bandwidth.. but it was rock solid as a standard. Uncompressed video has a hard time getting through USB 2.0 consistently. A compressed video data stream can get through USB 2.0 for Standard Def.. but not HD or faster video. For those faster video streams you need a faster port. SDI and PCIe have those ports. Even plain old PCI is faster than USB 2.0 but its not a common port factor or as convenient to connect and disconnect.

USB 3.0 (in theory) would work well for Uncompressed video streams.. but not if it tends to shutdown by going into power savings mode due to poor firmware design.. or overly sensitive thermal shutdown because it was never tested during certification for 90/100 duty cycle use.. instead of 10/100 duty cycle. USB 3.0 sacrifices expectations to cut corners and save manufacturers money at every turn.

Renesas (formerly Japan NEC) was one of the original USB 2.0 chip designers and fab that won certification, when they designed their USB 3.0 chips they knew what to do.. and its often why.. video capture cards come with documentation that says "if all else fails with your USB 3.0 ports" then buy a USB 3.0 adapter card with Renesas chips and try again.

USB 2.0 can work well however for a control channel, that sends human speed controls dragging settings across a GUI.

Professional gear always took USB 2.0 as a joke, therefore they used it only for device control or firmware update, They always used PCI or SDI coupled to a tape based deck or solid state recorder, Non until USB 3.0 came along when they started making USB 3.0 capture devices, BM, Aja, GrassValley and others all worked well under USB 3.0, the only one I had problems with and it may just have to do with my particular computer is the Magewell SDI to USB 3.0. So there is no need to use USB 3.0 for device control if a USB 2.0 is available.

[energizerfellow]

As a further example: be sure to take a look at the Blackmagic release notes on the Intensity USB 3.0 shuttles. They explicitly call out companies "versions of USB 3.0" that are (known compatible) and those that are (known not to work). ASMedia made USB 3.0 ports are called out as incompatible.. and only Renesas USB 3.0 ports were called out as known to work.

To expand on quality USB chipsets, here's what I've seen in the field from from various high-bandwidth USB applications:

Good USB chipsets:
AMD Zen (***)
ASMedia (10+ Gpbs chips, e.g. ASM1142 and newer)
Intel
Parade Technologies (nee Fresco Logic)
Renesas

Chipsets with known issues:
AMD (pre-Ryzen)
ASMedia (older, e.g. ASM1042A)
Etron
Texas Instruments
VIA

Note:
*** Provided you update your motherboard's firmware to fix USB disconnects (along with fixing fTPM-related lockups). The X570 chipset also has SATA performance issues.