Installation and Operation Manual
HyperDeck
Disk Recorders
February 2017
Contents
HyperDeck Disk Recorders
Contents
Getting Started 4
Recording 6
Playback 9
HyperDeck Status Indicators 11
About SSDs and SD Cards 11
Blackmagic HyperDeck Setup 17
Control Panel Display Menu 20
RS-422 Control 23
Connecting to an ATEM Switcher 28
Understanding Post Production
Workflows 29
Using DaVinci Resolve 30
Introducing DaVinci Resolve 30
Importing your Clips 31
Editing your Clips 31
Trimming Clips 33
Mapping Keyboard Shortcuts 33
Adding Transitions 34
Adding Titles 35
Adding Audio Tracks 36
Color Correcting your Clips 36
Using Scopes 37
Secondary Color Correction 39
Qualifying a Color 39
Adding a Power Window 40
Tracking a Window 41
Using Plugins 42
Mastering your Edit 42
Developer Information 44
Blackmagic HyperDeck
Ethernet Protocol 44
Protocol Commands 44
Protocol Details 45
Help 54
Regulatory Notices and Safety
Information 55
Warranty 56
Getting Started
Getting Started with Blackmagic HyperDeck
Getting started with your HyperDeck disk recorder is as easy as connecting power, plugging in
your video sources and destination equipment to your HyperDeck’s inputs and outputs and
inserting your SSDs or SD cards.
Plugging in Power
Simply plug a standard IEC cable to your HyperDeck’s power input on the rear panel.
Connect power to your HyperDeck Studio using a standard IEC power cable
Plugging in Video and Audio
Plug your source video to the SDI or HDMI inputs, and your destination equipment to the SDI or
HDMI outputs.
HyperDeck Studio 12G has 12G-SDI connectors so you can input or output Ultra HD up to
2160p60 using a single BNC cable.
HyperDeck Studio Pro provides additional inputs and outputs for connecting video equipment
that supports single link, dual link or quad link Ultra HD.
Plugging in Analog Audio and Timecode on HyperDeck Studio Pro
If you want to connect analog audio sources to HyperDeck Studio Pro, plug into the XLR or RCA
connectors. To select your desired audio input, simply press the ‘input’ button on the front
control panel to cycle through combinations of video and audio inputs. For example, SDI + XLR,
SDI + RCA, and more. External timecode can also be connected to and from your HyperDeck
Studio Pro via the timecode XLR input and output connectors.
HyperDeck Studio Pro lets you plug in external analog audio and timecode
via the rear panel XLR connectors. You can even plug in analog audio from
audio equipment such as iPods and HiFi systems via the RCA inputs.
REF OUT
REF INETHERNET PoE+
SDI OUT
SDI IN
HDMI OUT
REMOTE IN
BA
USB-C
POWER REMOTE
IN
SD/HD/3G/6G-SDI IN
TIMECODE
IN OUT CH 1 CH 2 CH 1 CH 2
ANALOG AUDIO IN ANALOG AUDIO OUT
OUT
IN A
Y IN B-Y IN R-Y IN R-Y OUT REF IN
L
R
STEREO IN
B-Y OUTY OUT
IN B IN C IN D OUT A OUT B OUT C OUT D MON OUT
ETHERNET
PUSH PUSH
HDMI
PUSH
SD/HD/3G/6G-SDI OUT
44Getting Started
Plugging in SSDs and SD Cards
All HyperDeck models ship ready to record immediately without having to configure any
settings. All you need is a formatted SSD or SD card.
You can easily format media via the front LCD based menu settings. You can also format using
a computer.
Refer to the ‘About SSDs and SD Cards’ section in this manual for more information on how to
format, the types of media that are best for recording video and a list of recommended drives
and cards.
To plug in an SSD:
1 Hold a 9.5mm SSD with the connection pins facing the bottom and aligned with your
HyperDeck’s drive bay. Gently push the SSD into the drive bay until you feel it slot
into place.
2 Your HyperDeck will verify the SSD. This is shown by an illuminated green light
surrounding the drive bay. When the light or indicator turns off and the ‘stop’ button on
the control panel is illuminated, your HyperDeck is ready to record.
Hold your SSD with the connection pins facing the bottom, aligned with your HyperDeck’s
drive bay and gently push the SSD into the drive bay until you feel it slot into place
To plug in an SD card:
1 Hold the SD card with the gold connectors facing your HyperDeck’s LCD and align it
with the media slot. Now gently push the card into the slot until you feel it lock firmly
into place.
2 Your HyperDeck will verify the SD card. This is shown by an illuminated green indicator
above the SD card slot. When the indicator turns off and the stop button on the control
panel is illuminated, your HyperDeck is ready to record.
To remove the card, gently push until you feel it click, then release. The card will eject a short
distance, allowing you to hold the edge of the card and remove it from the slot.
Gently push the SD card into the slot until you feel it click into place
Card
1
55Getting Started
Recording
Recording Ultra HD and HD video with HyperDeck
HyperDeck models that support Ultra HD video record compressed Ultra HD using Apple
ProRes, plus Avid DNxHR on HyperDeck Studio 12G and HyperDeck Studio Mini. All HyperDeck
models can record HD video using ProRes and DNxHD codecs. HyperDeck Studio models that
record on SSDs can also record uncompressed HD.
Recording Video with HyperDeck Studio Mini
HyperDeck Studio Mini can record compressed HD and Ultra HD video up to 2160p30
via 6G-SDI.
To record video:
1 Insert your formatted SD card into either of the SD card slots. The indicator above the
slot will illuminate green as your HyperDeck reads the card. When the indicator turns
off, HyperDeck Studio Mini is ready to record.
2 HyperDeck Studio Mini automatically detects when SDI video is connected and
displays the image on the control panel LCD.
If you want to change the codec, you can choose from a variety of codecs using the
control panel LCD menu or the Blackmagic HyperDeck Setup utility software. For more
information, refer to the ‘control panel display menu’ section, or ‘Blackmagic HyperDeck
Setup/selecting your video format’.
3 Press the ‘record’ button and the indicator above the slot will illuminate red.
As your HyperDeck is recording, the slot indicator on the control panel LCD will
alternate between displaying the active slot, and record time remaining on the card.
4 Press the ‘stop’ button to finish recording.
The indicator above the SD card slot illuminates red when recording video
Recording Video with HyperDeck Studio SSD Models
1 Insert your formatted SSD into either SSD slot. The LED strip surrounding the drive
will illuminate green as HyperDeck reads the disk. When the slot light turns off, your
HyperDeck is ready to record.
2 Press the input button on the control panel to cycle through your HyperDeck’s inputs.
When your connected source is selected, it will appear on the control panel LCD.
For HyperDeck Studio Pro, pressing the input button will also cycle through
combinations of video and audio connections, for example SDI + SDI, SDI + XLR, and
SDI + RCA. This lets you record SDI or HDMI video with external audio.
01:23:47:08
2160p30
Card 2
01:23:47:08
1080p59.94 SD 2
66Recording
If you want to record using a different codec, you can choose from a variety of codecs using the
control panel LCD menu or the HyperDeck Setup utility software. See the ‘control panel display
menu’ section, or ‘Blackmagic HyperDeck Setup/selecting your video format’ section for more
information.
3 Press the ‘record’ button to start recording instantly. A looping red light on the SSD slot
indicates the SSD is recording.
4 Press the ‘stop’ button to finish your recording.
On HyperDecks with SSD slots, the slot indicator will illuminate red to show the unit is recording
Recording using Dual Media Slots
When there is less than 3 minutes of record time remaining on your SD card or SSD, the
timecode counter on your HyperDeck’s LCD will turn red and the ‘stop’ button will flash slowly.
This also means there is no second disk with space that recording can continue onto. In this
case, you simply need to insert a disk with space so recording can continue. Once you insert a
blank disk into the slot that’s not being used for recording, the slow flashing will stop and this
means HyperDeck can continue to record, because this second disk has been checked ok and
there is space to keep recording.
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
01:42:56:12
SSD
2
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
01:42:56:12
SSD
2
TIP If HyperDeck records from a video source that contains closed caption data, the
QuickTime or MXF movie will be recorded as well as a separate .MCC file containing
the closed caption data.
01:42:56:12
SSD
2
01:42:56:12
21
If you have less than three minutes
of recording time left on your current
disk and no formatted media in your
HyperDeck’s second slot, the timecode
indicator will turn red indicating your
recording is about to stop.
If there is space on a formatted
disk in the second slot, HyperDeck
will display an icon in the top right
corner to indicate that recording will
automatically switch over
once the current disk is full.
77Recording
If you want to change the disk you are recording to at any time, and you have a second disk that
has free space, then simply hold down the record button and the recording will move from the
current disk to the second disk. This is very useful when you want to get that disk out of the
HyperDeck without pausing recording. This can happen during live events when you need to
get an important recording out to another location, but you don’t want to miss anything and you
don’t want to stop recording.
If the ‘record’ button flashes quickly, this means the disk is not fast enough for sustained
recording. In this case, if you are recording uncompressed HD, we recommend changing to a
compressed recording format such as ProRes or DNxHD, or if you are recording compressed
video and the record button flashes quickly, try using faster recommended media.
Ref Input
If your HyperDeck has a reference input, it can accept black burst and tri-level sync signals from
a sync generator. Connect a reference source to this input if you want to synchronize
HyperDeck with other video equipment, such as a production switcher.
If your HyperDeck has a reference input, you can sync your HyperDeck with other
video equipment
Ref Output
The reference output on HyperDeck Studio Mini lets you connect an internally generated black
burst or tri-level sync signal to other video equipment if you want to synchronize other
equipment with your HyperDeck.
On HyperDeck Studio Mini you can sync other video equipment with your HyperDeck
using the reference output
REMOTE
ETHERNET SD/HD/3GHD-SDI HDMI
IN OUT
REF INMON OUTOUT 2OUT 1LOOP OUTIN
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
REMOTE ETHERNET SD/HD/3GHD-SDI HDMI
IN OUT
REF INMON OUTOUT 2OUT 1LOOP OUTIN
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
REF OUT
REF INETHERNET PoE+
SDI OUT
SDI IN
HDMI OUT
REMOTE IN
BA
USB-C
REF OUT
REF INETHERNET PoE+
SDI OUT
SDI IN
HDMI OUT
REMOTE IN
BA
USB-C
88Recording
Playback
Playing Video with HyperDeck
1 Press the ‘play’ button once for instant playback and you’ll see your video on the LCD,
and any displays connected to your HyperDeck’s video outputs. When a clip is playing,
pressing ‘play’ again will loop it continuously. On HyperDeck Studio Mini, pressing play
a third time will let you loop all recorded clips.
2 To skip to the next clip, press the ‘next clip’ button on the control panel.
3 Press ‘previous clip’ once to go to the start of the current clip or press twice to skip
back to the start of the previous clip.
Press the play button on your HyperDeck’s control panel to play back a clip, and press
the forward or reverse skip buttons to restart the current clip or skip to a different one
If the play button flashes on HyperDecks that record on SSDs, this means the disk is not fast
enough and playback cannot keep up. We recommend you change to a compressed recording
format such as ProRes or DNxHD, or use a faster recommended SSD for uncompressed or Ultra
HD recording.
SSD slots have rotating LEDs to show the unit is in playback mode
NOTE With HyperDeck Studio Pro, you can choose to play back Ultra HD
using single link, dual link or quad link outputs. Refer to the ‘Ultra HD Playback
on HyperDeck Studio Pro’ section for more information.
01:23:47:08
1080p59.94 Card 2
01:23:47:08
1080p59.94 SD 2
01:23:47:08
1080p59.94 SD 2
01:42:56:12
SSD
2
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
01:42:56:12
SSD
2
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
99Playback
Ultra HD Playback on HyperDeck Studio Pro
HyperDeck Studio Pro can play back Ultra HD video via single link 6G-SDI, dual link 3G-SDI,
and quad link HD-SDI.
To select your desired Ultra HD playback output:
1 Press the ‘disp’ button to open the control panel LCD menu.
2 Using the jog/shuttle wheel and ‘set’ button, select ‘video’, then ‘2160p SDI out’.
3 Select your desired output type and press ‘set’ to confirm. Press the ‘disp’ button to
close the menu.
For HyperDeck Studio Pro, you can choose between single link 6G-SDI,
dual link 3G-SDI or quad link HD-SDI for Ultra HD playback
Jog or Shuttle
You can use the jog or shuttle wheel to shuttle to a particular section at variable speeds. The
more you turn it forwards or backwards, the faster your HyperDeck Studio will play through your
video. Once you’ve found the section you want to review, press ‘play’ to resume
normal playback.
If you want to slowly jog through your video frame by frame, press the ‘jog’ button once to
enable jog operation. Turning the jog or shuttle wheel in the desired direction will then jog
through your video. Pressing the ‘jog’ button again will return the wheel to shuttle operation.
If your HyperDeck has ‘reverse’ or ‘fast forward’ buttons, you can press these buttons to play
through the clip at 2x speed. Press the ‘reverse’ or ‘fast forward’ buttons again and the speed
will increase to 4x and then 8x. Once you’ve found the section you want to review, press ‘play’
to resume normal playback.
On HyperDecks with fast forward and reverse buttons, press the buttons repeatedly
to gradually shuttle playback forwards and backwards at faster speeds
TIP If you play back a video clip that has an associated .MCC file, the closed caption
data will be played out with the video via the SDI output of your HyperDeck.
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
2160p SDI Out
Dual 3G-SDI
Quad HD-SDI
Video In
4K SDI Out
Single 6G-SDI
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
01:42:56:12
SSD
2
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
01:42:56:12
SSD
2
1010Playback
HyperDeck Status Indicators
Status Indicators
When recording or playing video with HyperDeck, any information you need to know is
displayed on the unit itself via LED indicators for each media slot and the built in LCD.
Media Slot Indicators
When you first power on HyperDeck, or any time you insert an SSD or SD card, the slot
indicator will illuminate green while checking the media and then switch off. If the disk has not
been formatted correctly, or fails to work, the slot will illuminate solid red until the disk is
removed. In this case, check if the disk is formatted correctly and also check that it works with
a computer.
HyperDeck’s media slot indicators illuminate to let you know the status of
the disk, for example red when recording, and green during playback
Control Panel LCD
HyperDeck Disk Recorders feature an LCD that not only shows your video but also displays
status information such as video format and frame rate, record, playback and jog modes, the
active media slot as well as timecode and audio levels.
HyperDecks have a built in LCD that shows your video as well as status information
About SSDs and SD Cards
Choosing a Fast SSD
When working with high data rate video it’s important to carefully check the SSD you would like
to use. This is because some SSDs can have up to 50% lower write speed than the
manufacturer’s claimed speed, so even though the disk specifications claim an SSD is fast
enough to handle video, in reality the disk is not fast enough for real time video recording.
Hidden data compression mostly affects recording and often these disks can still be used for
real time playback.
01:23:47:08
2160p30
Card 2
01:23:47:08
1080p59.94 SD 2
01:42:56:12
SSD
1
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
1111HyperDeck Status Indicators
In our testing, we have found larger newer models of SSD and larger capacity SSDs are
generally faster. SSDs recommended for use with HyperDeck for uncompressed 10 Bit HD and
ProRes or DNxHR Ultra HD video recording include:
Brand SSD Name/Model Number Storage Supported Formats
10-bit
uncompressed
HD and UltraHD
ProRes or DNxHR
HDProRes
and
DNxHD
ADATA XPG SX900. ASX900S3-256GM-C. 256GB Yes Yes
Angelbird AV Pro. 480GB Yes Yes
AV Pro. 240GB Yes Yes
Crucial M4 (firmware 009 only). CT512M4SSD2. 512GB Yes Yes
M4 (firmware 000F only). CT256M4SSD2. 256GB No Yes
Digistor
4K Professional Video Series.
DIG-PVD1000, pre-formatted exFat.
1TB
Yes
Except HyperDeck
Shuttle
Yes
Except HyperDeck
Shuttlew
Professional Video Series.
DIG-PVD480S, pre-formatted exFat.
480GB Yes Yes
Professional Video Series.
DIG-PVD240S, pre-formatted exFat
240GB Yes Yes
Intel 520 series. SSDSC2CW480A310. 480GB Yes Yes
520 series. SSDSC2CW240A310. 240GB Yes Yes
530 series. SSDSC2BW240A401. 240GB Yes Yes
530 series. SSDSC2BW180A401. 180GB Yes Yes
335 series. SSDSC2CT240A4K5. 240GB Yes Yes
Kingston HyperX 3K. SH103S3/480G. 480GB Yes Yes
HyperX 3K. SH103S3/240G. 240GB Yes Yes
SSDNow KC300. SKC300S37A/480G. 480GB Yes Yes
SSDNow KC300.SKC300S37A/240G. 240GB Yes Yes
OCZ Agility 3. AGT3-25SAT3-240G. 240GB No Yes
OWC
Mercury Extreme Pro 6G.
OWCSSD7P6G480.
480GB Yes Yes
Mercury Extreme Pro 6G.
OWCSSD7P6G240.
240GB Yes Yes
Mercury Extreme Pro 6G.
OWCSSD7P6G120.
120GB Yes Yes
Samsung 850 Pro. MZ-1T0BW, spacer required. 1TB
Yes
Except HyperDeck
Shuttle
Yes
Except HyperDeck
Shuttle
850 Pro. MZ-7KE512BW, spacer required. 512GB Yes Yes
850 Pro. MZ-7KE256BW, spacer required. 256GB Yes Yes
SanDisk Extreme Pro. SDSSDXPS-240G-G25. 240GB Yes Yes
Extreme Pro. SDSSDXPS-480G-G25. 480GB Yes Yes
Extreme Pro. SDSSDXPS-960G-G25. 960GB Yes Yes
Extreme. SDSSDX-480G-G25. 480GB Yes Yes
1212About SSDs and SD Cards
Brand SSD Name/Model Number Storage Supported Formats
10-bit
uncompressed
HD and UltraHD
ProRes or DNxHR
HDProRes
and
DNxHD
Extreme. SDSSDX-240G-G25. 240GB Yes Yes
Extreme. SDSSDX-120G-G25. 120GB No Yes
PNY Prevail. SSD9SC480GCDA-PB. 480GB Yes Yes
Prevail. SSD9SC240GCDA-PB. 240GB Yes Yes
XLR8. SSD9SC480GMDA-RB. 480GB Yes Yes
Transcend SSD370. TS1TSSD370. 1TB Yes Yes
SSD370. TS512GSSD370. 512GB Yes Yes
SSD370. TS256GSSD370. 256GB Yes Yes
SSD720. TS256GSSD720. 256GB Yes Yes
Please visit the Blackmagic Design support center at www.blackmagicdesign.com for the latest
support notes and information. If you find an SSD that isn’t fast enough for uncompressed HD
video or Ultra HD, try a faster SSD or switch to a compressed recording format such as ProRes
or DNxHD. These recording formats have a much lower data rate and are easier for the SSD
to handle.
Choosing a fast SD Card
For high quality HD recording on HyperDeck Studio Mini, we recommend high speed UHS-II SD
cards. These cards need to be capable of write speeds above 110MB/s for recording up to Ultra
HD 2160p30. However, if you are recording standard definition or lower bit rate, lower quality
compression you might be able to use slower cards. Generally the faster the cards, the better.
It’s worth regularly checking the latest version of this manual for more up to date information
and can always be downloaded from the Blackmagic Design website at
www.blackmagicdesign.com/support
Brand Card Name Storage
Max Read/Write
Speed
Supported Formats
Ultra HD ProRes
or DNxHR
HD ProRes or
DNxHD
Lexar
Professional
2000x
64 GB 300 MB/s Yes Yes
Sandisk Extreme Pro 128 GB 300 MB/s Yes Yes
64 GB 300 MB/s Yes Yes
32 GB 300 MB/s Yes Yes
Sandisk Extreme Pro 64 GB 95 MB/s No Yes
32 GB 95 MB/s No Yes
Sandisk Extreme 64 GB 90 MB/s No Yes
Sandisk Extreme Plus 64 GB 90 MB/s No Yes
1313About SSDs and SD Cards
Formatting SSDs and SD Cards
Media used by HyperDeck must be formatted as either HFS+ or exFAT. These disk formats
allow long clips to be recorded as single files. You can easily format a card or SSD via the
format feature in HyperDeck’s LCD menu, or via a Windows or macOS computer.
HFS+ is also known as Mac OS Extended and is the recommended format for HyperDeck as it
supports journaling. Data on a journaled disk is more quickly recovered in the rare event it
becomes corrupted, and less likely to be corrupted in the first place. HFS+ is natively supported
by macOS.
ExFAT is supported natively by macOS and Windows without needing to purchase any
additional software. However, exFAT does not support journaling.
While navigating through the format feature on the LCD menu, you’ll have plenty of
opportunities to cancel the format and return to the previous menu by selecting the return
arrow on the bottom right of the LCD and pressing the ‘set’ button on the control panel, or by
pressing the menu button on HyperDeck Studio Mini. Always press the ‘set’ button to confirm
settings and enter setting menus.
To format using your HyperDeck:
1 Insert the media you want to format into either of the SD card or SSD slots.
2 Press the ‘disp’ or ‘menu’ button on your HyperDeck’s control panel.
3 On HyperDecks that record on SSDs, turn the jog/shuttle wheel and press the set
button to select ‘format SSD’ on the LCD menu.
On HyperDeck Studio Mini, turn the jog/shuttle wheel and use the set button to enter
the ‘record’ menu on the LCD and select ‘format card’.
Turn the jog/shuttle wheel clockwise to select ‘format SSD’ on the LCD menu. On
HyperDeck Studio Mini, the ‘format card’ setting is in the ‘record’ menu.
4 Select the SD card or SSD you want to format on the LCD using the jog/shuttle wheel.
Remember to press the ‘set’ button to confirm your selection.
5 Now set your desired format from the ‘HFS+’ or ‘exFAT’ options.
6 A warning message will appear on the LCD asking you to confirm the format. Make sure
you have backed up any important data before you confirm as this action cannot be
undone. Confirm the format by selecting ‘format’ for SD cards, or ‘format SSD’ using the
jog/shuttle wheel and pressing the ‘set’ button.
Main MenuVideo
Timecode
Setup
Format
SSD
Record
Select
Open
SET
Audio Channels
Format Card
Record Trigger
Codec
4 Channels
None
ProRes HQ
Record
1414About SSDs and SD Cards
Set your desired format from the HFS+ or exFAT options.
On HyperDeck Studio Mini, HFS+ is labeled ‘OS X Extended’
Confirm the format by using the jog/shuttle wheel and pressing the set button
A progress bar will show you the formatting progress. When your HyperDeck has finished
formatting, ‘formatting complete’ will display on the LCD. Press the ‘set’ button again to return
to the menu.
Formatting Media on a macOS Computer
The Disk Utility application included with macOS can format a drive in the HFS+ or exFAT
formats. Make sure you back up anything important from your disk as you will lose everything
on it when it is formatted.
To format on a macOS computer:
1 Connect an SSD to your computer with an external dock or cable adapter and dismiss
any message offering to use your SSD for Time Machine backups.
For SD cards, insert the card into your computer’s SD card slot, or connect it to your
computer via an external card reader.
2 Go to applications/utilities and launch Disk Utility.
3 Click on the disk icon of your SSD or SD card and then click the erase tab.
4 Set the format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or exFAT.
5 Type a name for the new volume and then click erase. Your media will quickly be
formatted and made ready for use with HyperDeck.
Select Format
exFat
OS X Extended
Format SSD 1
exFAT
Format
SSD 1
Format
SSD 2
HFS+
Cancel
This will erase all data from your card
This action cannot be undone.
Format SD 2 to OS X Extended?
Format
!
Format SSD 1 as HFS+?
Cancel Format SSD
This action cannot be undone.
Your disk’s contents will be erased.
1515About SSDs and SD Cards
Use Disk Utility on macOS to erase your SSD or SD card in the
Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or exFAT format
Formatting Media on a Windows computer
The format dialog box can format a drive in the exFAT format on a Windows PC. Make sure you
back up anything important from your SSD or SD card as you will lose everything on it when it is
formatted.
To format on a Windows computer:
1 Connect an SSD to your computer with an external dock or cable adapter.
For SD cards, insert the card into your computer’s SD card slot, or connect it to your
computer via an external card reader.
2 Open the start menu or start screen and choose computer. Right-click on your
SSD or SD card.
3 From the contextual menu, choose format.
4 Set the file system to exFAT and the allocation unit size to 128 kilobytes.
5 Type a volume label, select quick format and click Start.
6 Your media will quickly be formatted and made ready for use with HyperDeck.
1616About SSDs and SD Cards
Use the Format dialog box feature in Windows to format
your SSD or SD card in the exFAT format
Blackmagic HyperDeck Setup
Using HyperDeck Setup
Blackmagic HyperDeck Setup is used to change settings and update the internal software in
your HyperDeck. In addition to installing HyperDeck Setup, uncompressed 10 bit codecs are
installed for Mac and Windows.
The home page of HyperDeck Setup. If you have multiple HyperDecks
connected to your computer, you can choose between them by
clicking on the arrows at the sides of the home page
1717Blackmagic HyperDeck Setup
How to Update Your HyperDeck Software on macOS
1 Download and unzip the HyperDeck Setup software.
2 Open the resulting disk image and launch the HyperDeck Installer.
Follow the onscreen instructions.
3 After installing, connect a USB cable from HyperDeck to your computer.
4 Launch Blackmagic HyperDeck Setup and follow any onscreen prompt to update the
internal software in your HyperDeck. If no prompt appears, the internal software is up
to date and there is nothing further you need to do.
How to Update Your HyperDeck Software on Windows
1 Download and unzip the HyperDeck Setup software.
2 You should see a HyperDeck Setup folder containing this manual and the HyperDeck
Setup utility installer. Double-click the installer and follow the onscreen prompts to
complete the installation.
3 After installing, connect a USB cable from HyperDeck to your computer.
4 Launch Blackmagic HyperDeck Setup and follow any onscreen prompt to update the
internal software in your HyperDeck. If no prompt appears, the internal software is up
to date and there is nothing further you need to do.
Selecting Your Video Format
All HyperDecks record compressed HD video using Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD codecs.
HyperDeck models that record on SSDs can also record uncompressed HD video.
HyperDeck Studio Pro records Ultra HD using ProRes codecs. HyperDeck Studio Mini and
HyperDeck Studio 12G support ProRes and DNxHR for Ultra HD recording.
You can change the codec you want from the front panel LCD menu, or you can use the
HyperDeck Setup software utility depending on what you prefer. For more information on how
to change your codec using the front panel, refer to the ‘control panel display menu’ section.
HyperDecks that record on SSDs can record 10-bit uncompressed QuickTime files on a fast
SSD, or to a compressed format if you have a slower SSD or want to fit longer high definition
recordings on a single SSD. This means if you have changed the format between recording
clips, it is possible to have uncompressed QuickTime files as well as compressed files on the
same disk.
Working with uncompressed video is exciting as there is simply no better quality. However, if
compressed video better suits your workflow, or if you need to fit more video on a SSD, you
can choose a high quality professional compressed video format which is also perfect
for editing.
To choose a video format using HyperDeck Setup:
1 Connect HyperDeck to your computer via USB.
2 Launch HyperDeck Setup. Your HyperDeck model will be named in the setup utility
home page.
3 Click on the circular ‘setup’ icon or the image of your HyperDeck to open the
settings page.
4 In the ‘record’ settings, click on the ‘codec’ drop down menu and select your desired
codec. Click ‘save’ to confirm your setting.
1818Blackmagic HyperDeck Setup
REF OUT
REF INETHERNET PoE+
SDI OUT
SDI IN
HDMI OUT
REMOTE IN
BA
USB-C
REF OUT
REF INETHERNET PoE+
SDI OUT
SDI IN
HDMI OUT
REMOTE IN
BA
USB-C
To change settings using HyperDeck Setup, plug HyperDeck
into your computer via the USB port
Use HyperDeck Setup to select your desired recording and playback format
All subsequent clips will be recorded in the chosen format.
Setting the recording format also sets the playback format. For example, if you want to play
back an uncompressed 10-bit QuickTime file, set the recording format to Uncompressed 10-bit
QuickTime. Setting Avid DNxHD as the recording format lets you play DNxHD QuickTime and
MXF clips, and by selecting Apple ProRes you can play clips using any of the ProRes codecs.
ProRes codecs include:
Codecs Bit Depth Description
Apple ProRes
Codecs
ProRes 422 HQ 10-bit
For the highest quality HD and Ultra HD compression at the maximum
ProRes data rate.
ProRes 422 10-bit
For extremely high quality HD and Ultra HD compression using a low
ProRes data rate.
ProRes 422 LT 10-bit
For high quality HD and Ultra HD compression at a lower ProRes
data rate.
ProRes 422 Proxy 10-bit
For high quality offline compression of HD and Ultra HD at the lowest
ProRes data rate.
Avid DNxHR and
DNxHD Codecs
DNxHR HQX 10-bit
For the highest quality Ultra HD compression at the maximum DNxHR
data rate.
DNxHR SQ 8-bit
For extremely high quality Ultra HD compression using a low DNxHR
data rate.
1919Blackmagic HyperDeck Setup
Codecs Bit Depth Description
DNxHR LB 8-bit
For high quality compression of Ultra HD using a lower DNxHR
data rate.
DNxHD 220 10-bit
For the highest quality HD compression at the maximum DNxHD
data rate.
DNxHD 145 8-bit
For extremely high quality HD compression using a low DNxHD
data rate.
DNxHD 45 8-bit For high quality HD compression at a lower DNxHD data rate.
Control Panel Display Menu
Using the Display Menu
Use your HyperDeck’s control panel display menu to change your video and audio inputs and
outputs as well as any settings changes you would make in HyperDeck Setup such as trigger
recording, timecode output and your chosen recording codec.
HyperDeck Studio Mini has a list based menu, and HyperDecks that record on SSDs have a
tile based menu, so the position of some settings in the menu may appear slightly different
To change a setting in the menu:
1 Press the ‘display’ or ‘menu’ button to display the main menu.
2 Use the jog/shuttle wheel on the front of HyperDeck to highlight different options.
3 Press the ‘set’ button to confirm a selection.
4 To return to a previous menu, press the ‘menu’ button on HyperDeck Studio Mini, or
scroll to the ‘return’ arrow and press ‘set.
5 Press the ‘display’ or ‘menu’ button to exit.
CodecCodec
ProRes
ProRes LT
ProRes Proxy
Uncomp 10-bit
Record
Trigger
ProRes HQ
Codec
ProRes LT
ProRes Proxy
ProRes
ProRes HQ
2020Control Panel Display Menu
Press the ‘display’ or ‘menu’ button to enter the LCD menu where you
can select between various codecs and change settings
Selecting Timecode Source
When recording from HD-SDI video sources that provide embedded SMPTE RP 188 metadata,
you can record the embedded timecode from the video source instead of using timecode
generated by your HyperDeck.
To set this using the display menu:
1 Press the ‘display’ or ‘menu’ button to display the main menu.
2 Scroll to the ‘timecode’ menu and press ‘set’.
3 Press ‘set’ to enter the ‘timecode input’ menu and select ‘input’.
4 Press ‘set’ to confirm your selection.
It might be necessary to turn on the RP 188 setting in your camera before HyperDeck
will be able to record the timecode.
SDI Start/Stop Recording
HyperDeck supports start/stop recording, which means when you press the record button on
an HD-SDI camera, HyperDeck will start recording without also having to press the record
button on your HyperDeck disk recorder.
To set start/stop trigger recording using the display menu:
1 Press the ‘disp’ or ‘menu’ button to display the main menu.
2 Scroll to the ‘record’ menu and press ‘set’.
3 Scroll to the ‘record trigger’ menu and press ‘set’.
4 Select ‘SDI start/stop’ and press ‘set’ to confirm your selection. Press ‘disp/
menu’ to exit.
5 On HyperDeck Studio Mini, press the menu button to open the LCD menu, navigate to
‘settings’ and set remote to ‘on’.
HyperDecks that record on SSDs have a remote button on the front panel marked REM.
Simply press the remote button to enable remote control. The button will illuminate to
let you know remote is enabled.
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
Codec
ProRes HQ
ProRes
ProRes LT
ProRes Proxy
Codec
Record
Trigger
Uncomp 10-bit
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
Codec
ProRes HQ
ProRes
ProRes LT
ProRes Proxy
Codec
Record
Trigger
Uncomp 10-bit
NOTE You will need a camera that can trigger the record function of HyperDeck via
HD-SDI. Cameras which support trigger recording via HD-SDI may include menu
options such as ‘trigger rec’, HD-SDI remote I/F’ or ‘SDI remote start/stop trigger’.
2121Control Panel Display Menu
You can use the control panel LCD menu on HyperDeck, or use
HyperDeck Setup to enable Start/Stop recording
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
Record Trigger
Timecode Run
Codec
Record
Trigger
None
SDI Start/Stop
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
Record Trigger
Timecode Run
Codec
Record
Trigger
None
SDI Start/Stop
The ‘record trigger’ settings let you set your HyperDeck to start and stop
recording triggered by data received over an HD-SDI connection
Timecode Run Recording
HyperDeck also supports timecode run recording, which is similar to start/stop recording, but is
only used if your HD-SDI camera does not support trigger recording via HD-SDI.
To set up Timecode Run recording using HyperDeck Setup:
1 Go into your camera’s timecode settings and change them from ‘free run timecode’ to
‘record run timecode’.
2 In HyperDeck Setup, set trigger recording to ‘timecode run’.
3 Remote must also be enabled via HyperDeck’s front panel or via the control panel
display menu on HyperDeck Studio Mini.
To set up Timecode Run recording on HyperDeck’s control panel display menu:
1 Press the ‘disp’ or ‘menu’ button to display the main menu.
2 Scroll to the ‘record’ menu and press ‘set’.
3 Scroll to the ‘record trigger’ menu and press ‘set’.
4 Select ‘timecode run’ and press ‘set’ to confirm your selection. Press ‘disp’ or
‘menu’ to exit.
2222Control Panel Display Menu
5 On HyperDeck Studio Mini, press the menu button to open the LCD menu, navigate to
‘settings’ and set remote to ‘on’.
HyperDecks that record on SSDs have a remote button on the front panel marked REM.
Simply press the remote button to enable remote control. The button will illuminate to
let you know remote is enabled.
Now whenever your HyperDeck detects the timecode running via HD-SDI it will start recording.
Recording will stop whenever the timecode stops.
Be careful if your HyperDeck is connected to the SDI output of a video router, as any change to
the video source might cause HyperDeck to start recording unexpectedly due to a change in
timecode being detected via HD-SDI.
You can use the control panel LCD menu, or use HyperDeck
Setup to enable timecode run recording
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
Record Trigger
SDI Start/Stop
Codec
Record
Trigger
None
Timecode Run
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
Record Trigger
SDI Start/Stop
Codec
Record
Trigger
None
Timecode Run
The ‘timecode run’ recording feature lets you trigger your HyperDeck
to record whenever running timecode is detected via the HD-SDI
connection. Recording will stop when the timecode stops.
RS-422 Control
What is RS-422 Control?
The RS-422 standard is a serial deck control broadcast standard and has been used by
broadcasters since the early 1980s and is found on many decks, linear editors, non linear
editors and broadcast automation products. All current HyperDeck models support this
standard so can be integrated into broadcast automation, remote control systems, editing
systems and any kind of custom control you might like to design yourself.
2323RS-422 Control
Using an External RS-422 Controller
All current HyperDeck models feature an industry standard Sony™ compatible RS-422 deck
control port, which has the correct pin connections for a direct connection to any remote
controller with RS-422.
You can use pre-manufactured 9 pin cables as long as each end of the cable is wired ‘pin for
pin’ where the same pin numbers on each end of the cable are connected together. If you
would like to make custom cables, please refer to the accompanying wiring diagram.
You can remotely control your HyperDeck from an RS-422 controller instead of locally
pushing buttons.
1 Connect a video signal to your HyperDeck’s video input.
2 Connect an RS-422 cable from your external controller to your HyperDeck.
3 Enable remote control by pressing the remote button on the front control panel, or via
the LCD menu in HyperDeck Studio Mini, to allow remote deck control.
You can now remotely start and stop recording and playback of your HyperDeck as well as
performing other common jog and shuttle functions. The full list of supported RS-422
commands is in the following section named ‘supported RS-422 commands’.
RS-422 remote pin connections
Remote port on HyperDeck Studio and HyperDeck Studio 12G
INPUT
DISP
SET
JOG
01:42:56:12
SSD
2
REM
INPUT
DISP
SET
JOG
01:42:56:12
SSD
2
REM
Make sure your HyperDeck has remote set to ‘on’ in the LCD menu, or via
the control panel remote button, to enable RS-422 deck control
5 4 3 2 1
9 8 7 6
Receive
(–)
Receive
(+)
Transmit
(–)
Transmit
(+)
Ground
Pins
2 7 8 3 1, 4, 6, 9
REMOTE ETHERNET SD/HD/3GHD-SDI HDMI
IN OUT
REF INMON OUTOUT 2OUT 1LOOP OUTIN
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
REMOTE ETHERNET SD/HD/3GHD-SDI HDMI
IN OUT
REF INMON OUTOUT 2OUT 1LOOP OUTIN
INPUT
DISP
SET
REM
JOG
2424RS-422 Control
Supported RS-422 Commands
Command Reply No Remote Notes
0 - System Control
0x00 0x11 DeviceTypeRequest
NTSC: 0xF0E0
PAL: 0xF1E0
24P: 0xF2E0
Enabled
1 - Slave Response
0x20 0x00 Stop Acknowledge Disabled
0x20 0x01 Play Acknowledge Disabled
0x20 0x02 Record Acknowledge Disabled
0x20 0x10 FastFwd Acknowledge Disabled
0x21 0x11 JogFwd1 Acknowledge Disabled
0x22 0x11 JogFwd2 Acknowledge Disabled
Treated as N=1;
Same as JogFwd1
0x21 0x12 VarFwd1 Acknowledge Disabled Uses ShuttleFwd1
0x22 0x12 VarFwd2 Acknowledge Disabled
Treated as N=1;
Same as VarFwd1
0x21 0x13 ShuttleFwd1 Acknowledge Disabled
0x22 0x13 ShuttleFwd2 Acknowledge Disabled
Treated as N=1;
Same as ShuttleFwd1
0x20 0x20 Rewind Acknowledge Disabled
0x21 0x21 JogRev1 Acknowledge Disabled
0x22 0x21 JogRev2 Acknowledge Disabled
Treated as N=1;
Same as JogRev1
0x21 0x22 VarRev1 Acknowledge Disabled Uses ShuttleRev1
0x22 0x22 VarRev2 Acknowledge Disabled
Treated as N=1;
Same as VarRev1
0x21 0x23 ShuttleRev1 Acknowledge Disabled
0x22 0x23 ShuttleRev2 Acknowledge Disabled
Treated as N=1;
Same as ShuttleRev1
0x20 0x30 Preroll Acknowledge Disabled
0x24 0x31 CueData Acknowledge Disabled
0x20 0x34 SyncPlay Acknowledge Disabled
0x21 0x38 ProgSpeedPlayPlus Acknowledge Disabled
0x21 0x39 ProgSpeedPlayMinus Acknowledge Disabled
0x20 0x40 Preview Acknowledge Disabled Status bits are set
0x20 0x41 Review Acknowledge Disabled Status bits are set
0x20 0x43 OutpointPreview Acknowledge Disabled
0x22 0x5C DMCSetFwd Acknowledge Disabled
0x22 0x5D DMCSetRev Acknowledge Disabled
0x20 0x60 FullEEOff Acknowledge Disabled
0x20 0x61 FullEEOn Acknowledge Disabled
0x20 0x63 SelectEEOn Acknowledge Disabled
4 - Preset/Select Control
0x40 0x10 InEntry Acknowledge Disabled
0x22 0x23 ShuttleRev2 Acknowledge Disabled
Treated as N=1;
Same as ShuttleRev1
0x20 0x30 Preroll Acknowledge Disabled
0x24 0x31 CueData Acknowledge Disabled
0x20 0x34 SyncPlay Acknowledge Disabled
0x21 0x38 ProgSpeedPlayPlus Acknowledge Disabled
0x21 0x39 ProgSpeedPlayMinus Acknowledge Disabled
0x40 0x11 OutEntry Acknowledge Disabled
0x44 0x14 InDataPreset Acknowledge Disabled
0x44 0x15 OutDataPreset Acknowledge Disabled
2525RS-422 Control
0x40 0x18 InFwd Acknowledge Disabled
0x40 0x19 InRev Acknowledge Disabled
0x40 0x1A OutFwd Acknowledge Disabled
0x40 0x1B OutRev Acknowledge Disabled
0x40 0x20 InReset Acknowledge Disabled
0x40 0x21 OutReset Acknowledge Disabled
0x40 0x22 AInReset Acknowledge Disabled
0x40 0x23 AOutReset Acknowledge Disabled
0x44 0x31 PrerollPreset Acknowledge Disabled
0x40 0x40 AutoModeOff Acknowledge Disabled
ignored, Status bit
remembered
0x40 0x41 AutoModeOn Acknowledge Disabled
ignored, Status bit
remembered
6 - Sense Request
0x61 0x0A TimeCodeGenSense
Request for Gen TC GenTCData Enabled
Timer1Sense Timer1Data Enabled
UserBitsVITCTimeSense
UserBitsVITCTimeData Enabled
LTCUserBitsTimeSense
LTCUserBitsTimeData Enabled
VITCUserBitsTimeSense
VITCUserBitsTimeData Enabled
0x60 0x10 InDataSense InData Enabled
0x60 0x11 OutDataSense OutData Enabled
0x60 0x12 AInDataSense AInData Enabled
0x60 0x13 AOutDataSense AOutData Enabled
0x61 0x20 StatusSense StatusData Enabled
0x60 0x2E SpeedSense SpeedData Enabled
0x60 0x31 PrerollTimeSense PreRollTimeData Enabled
0x60 0x36 TimerModeSense TimerModeData Enabled
0x60 0x3E RecordInhibitSense RecordInhibitStatus Enabled
7 - Sense Reply
0x78 0x00 Timer1Data - -
Current Time and
00:00:00:00
0x78 0x04 LTCUserBitsTimeData - -
Current Time and
00:00:00:00
0x78 0x06 VITCUserBitsTimeData - -
Current Time and
00:00:00:00
0x74 0x06 VITCTimeData - - Current Time
0x74 0x07 UserBitsVITCTimeData - - 00:00:00:00
0x74 0x08 GenTCData - - Current Time
0x78 0x08 GenTCUBData - -
Current Time and
00:00:00:00
0x74 0x09 GenUBData - - 00:00:00:00
0x74 0x10 InData - -
0x74 0x11 OutData - -
0x74 0x12 AInData - -
0x74 0x13 AOutData - -
0x74 0x14
CorrectedLTCTimeData
- - Current Time
0x70 0x20 StatusData - -
Please see “Status
Bits” sheet: Limited to
9 bytes of status,
silently truncated
0x71 0x2E SpeedData - -
0x74 0x31 PrerollTimeData - -
0x71 0x36 TimerModeData - - Returns 0 (TimeCode)
0x72 0x3E RecordInhibitStatus - -
2626RS-422 Control
RS-422 Developer Information
bit 7 bit 6 bit 5 bit 4 bit 3 bit 2 bit 1 bit 0
Byte 0 0 0
Cassette
out
0 0 0 0 Local
Byte 1 Standby 0 Stop 0 Rewind Forward Record Play
Byte 2 Servo Lock 0 Shuttle Jog Var Direction Still 1
Byte 3 Auto Mode 0 0 0 Aout Set Ain Set Out Set In Set
Byte 4 Select EE Full EE 0 0 0 0 0 0
Byte 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Byte 6 0 Lamp Still Lamp Fwd Lamp Rev 0 0 0 0
Byte 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Byte 8 0 0 Near EOT EOT 0 0 0 0
Byte 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Variables
Cassette Out Set if no SSD is present
Local Set if Remote is disabled (local control)
Standby Set if a disk is available
Direction Clear if playback is forwarding, set if playback is reversing
Still Set if playback is paused, or if in input preview mode
Auto Mode Set if in Auto Mode
Select EE, Full EE Set if in input preview mode
Lamp Still/Fwd/Rev Set according to playback speed and direction
Near EOT Set if total space left on available SSDs is less than 3 minutes
EOT Set if total space left on available SSDs is less than 30 seconds
Others
Cue Complete (byte 2, bit 0) Always 1: Cue requests are always instantaneous
HyperDeck Serial RS-422 Protocol
Protocol Based on Sony 9-pin protocol
Interface Baud rate 38.4 Kbps
1 start bit
8 data bits
1 stop bit
1 parity bit
Odd parity
2727RS-422 Control
Connecting to an ATEM Switcher
If you’re using an ATEM switcher, you can plug in up to 4 Blackmagic HyperDeck disk recorders
and control them using the ATEM software control panel. This is a very powerful feature that
effectively gives you an entire videotape department at your fingertips. You can also trigger
recording on your HyperDeck from an ATEM switcher, which is a great way of making an archive
copy of a live broadcast, or capturing B roll when live switching a production that will be fine
tuned later.
Connecting HyperDecks to ATEM switchers is very easy!
1 Update your ATEM Switcher to software version 6.8 or higher. This process outlined in
the ATEM Switcher manual and can even be done over Ethernet.
2 Update your HyperDeck’s internal software to version 4.3 or later. Updating your
HyperDeck software is explained later in this manual.
3 Connect your HyperDeck to the same network as your ATEM Switcher and note its
IP address.
Your HyperDeck’s IP address can be found via its front panel and LCD menu by
entering the ‘setup’, then ‘Ethernet’ menus from the main menu.
Alternatively, you can access your HyperDeck’s IP address on your Mac or PC via the
‘configure’ tab in BlackMagic HyperDeck Utility.
4 Connect one of your HyperDeck’s SDI or HDMI outputs to an SDI or HDMI source input
on your ATEM Switcher.
5 If you want to use your ATEM Switcher to trigger recording on your HyperDeck, you’ll
also need to connect a video source to your HyperDeck.
Simply connect an SDI or HDMI source to your HyperDeck as usual. To record your
ATEM switcher’s program output, connect one of your switcher’s auxilary SDI outputs to
your HyperDeck’s SDI input.
6 Enable remote by pressing the remote button on HyperDeck’s front panel, or via the
LCD menu on HyperDeck Studio Mini, to allow remote control from the switcher.
7 Complete the connection process by entering your HyperDeck’s source and IP
address information into your ATEM software or ATEM broadcast panel. This is very
straightforward and laid out in your ATEM switcher manual.
ATEM switchers, such as the ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K,
can connect with up to four HyperDeck disk recorders
PUSHPUSHPUSHPUSH
1 7 13 19 COL 1 BARS AUX 1
2 8 14 20 COL 2
SPR
SRC
AUX 2
3 9 15
KEY
MASK
CLEAN
FEED 1
ME 2
PVW
AUX 3
4 10 16 BLK
CLEAN
FEED 2
ME 2
PGM
AUX 4
5 11 17 MP 1 MP 1K
ME 1
PVW
AUX 5
6 12 18 MP 2 MP 2K
ME 1
PGM
AUX 6
28Connecting to an ATEM Switcher
INPUT
DISP
SET
JOG
01:42:56:12
SSD
2
REM
INPUT
DISP
SET
JOG
01:42:56:12
SSD
2
REM
Make sure your HyperDeck has remote set to ‘on’ in the LCD menu, or via the
control panel remote button, to enable Ethernet control with an ATEM switcher
Understanding Post
Production Workflows
Accessing Your Clips
To access your clips, simply plug the SD card or SSD into your computer via an SD card slot,
external reader, or SSD dock. You can either drag the files from the SSD or SD card directly to a
local hard drive, or you can work directly from the SSD or SD card. You can also connect SSDs
to your computer with a 2.5” eSATA to USB cable adapter, however this won’t be fast enough to
handle working directly from the SSD and is really only recommended as a portable solution for
getting your video files off the SSD and onto a laptop.
macOS
QuickTime is built into macOS. Apple ProRes, Avid DNxHD and DNxHR, and uncompressed
QuickTime movies recorded by HyperDeck can be opened in almost any video software on macOS.
DNxHD and DNxHR MXF files recorded by HyperDeck can be opened with Avid Media
Composer and DaVinci Resolve for Mac.
MCC closed caption data files recorded by HyperDeck can be opened with MacCaption
software for macOS from http://www.cpcweb.com.
Windows
Apple ProRes and uncompressed QuickTime movies recorded by HyperDeck require
QuickTime to be installed on your PC. Almost any video software on Windows that supports
QuickTime can open movies recorded by HyperDeck. QuickTime for Windows can be
downloaded free from http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/.
DNxHD and DNxHR MXF files recorded by HyperDeck can be opened with Avid Media
Composer and DaVinci Resolve for Windows.
MCC closed caption data files recorded by HyperDeck can be opened with CaptionMaker
software for Windows from http://www.cpcweb.com.
29Post Production Workflow
Using DaVinci Resolve
Introducing DaVinci Resolve
Recording clips with your HyperDeck Disk Recorder is only part of the process of creating film
and television content, and just as important is the process of media backup and management
as well as editing, color correction and encoding final master files. DaVinci Resolve for macOS
and Windows can be downloaded free from the Blackmagic Design website so you can have a
complete solution for recording and post production!
After connecting your SD card to your computer, you can use DaVinci Resolve’s ‘clone’ tool in
the ‘media’ page, to create running backups of your media. This is recommended as any type of
media is susceptible to becoming damaged or developing a fault so creating backups ensures
your shots will be immune to loss. Once you have used DaVinci Resolve to back up your media,
you can then add your clips into the DaVinci media pool, then edit, color correct, and finish your
production without ever having to leave DaVinci Resolve.
DaVinci Resolve will help you adjust your clips to get any kind of look you are after. DaVinci
Resolve is the same tool used on most major blockbuster movies, so it’s much more than a
simple NLE software tool, as it has extremely advanced technology built in for high end digital
film. You get the advantage of this technology when you use DaVinci Resolve to edit and color
correct your work.
Included here is information on how to get started using DaVinci Resolve with your recorded
clips. Of course, DaVinci Resolve is extremely advanced and includes a lot more features than
you immediately see when first looking at its user interface. To learn more about how to use
DaVinci Resolve, please check for the DaVinci Resolve instruction manual pdf file that is
included in the DaVinci Resolve software download, or check online for the many training
courses and tutorial videos available.
30Using DaVinci Resolve
Importing your Clips
To start editing your clips, you’ll first need to import them into the media pool:
1 Launch DaVinci Resolve. If this is the first time you’ve opened DaVinci Resolve, wait
for the Project Manager to appear, and double click the ‘untitled project’ icon in the
project manager window. If the log in window appears, that means you have the
Resolve multi-user environment enabled. In this case, click Add New at the bottom left
of the log in window and create a new user by entering a user name and clicking Setup
New User. Then double-click the user icon to proceed to the Project Manager. Now
click ‘new project’, enter a title for your project and click ‘create’.This will add your new
project to the project manager. Double click on your project to open it.
2 You’ll now see the ‘media’ page with a ‘media storage’ browser at the top left. The
‘media storage’ browser displays all your linked media folders from where you’ll drag
your clips and drop them into the media pool.
3 If your clip folder doesn’t appear in the library, you’ll need to add it. This is easily
done by clicking on preferences in the DaVinci Resolve title bar and clicking on the
‘add’ button in the ‘media storage’ tab. Browse to and select a drive or folder path,
click ‘open’, restart DaVinci Resolve and reopen your project to refresh the ‘media
storage’ settings.
4 In the ‘media storage’ browser, click on your newly added clip folder. Now simply drag
your clips from your storage folder and drop them into the media pool. If your project
settings are different to your clip settings, you’ll be prompted to either change the
project settings to match your clips, or leave the settings as they are. To get started
quickly, click ‘change’. Now your project settings match your clips.
To import your clips, simply drag them from the ‘media storage’ browser and drop
them into the media pool. You can also drag and drop files from your desktop.
Editing your Clips
With your clips in the media pool, click on the ‘edit’ tab to open the edit page.
Now you can start building your edit!
1 You’ll first need to create a new timeline. Right click anywhere within the media
pool and choose Timelines > New Timeline. When the dialog box appears, click the
‘create’ button.
31Using DaVinci Resolve
To start editing your clips, you’ll need to create a new
timeline. Thetimeline is the stage upon which all your
editing will take place.
2 Double click a clip in the media pool to open the clip in the source viewer. Use the
mouse pointer to scrub the play head in the source viewer left and right until you find
the start frame you want for the clip. Mark the in point with the ‘I’ shortcut. Do the same
for the end frame using the ‘O’ shortcut.
3 Go to the timeline and position the timeline play head where you want your clip to
be inserted.
4 To insert the clip onto the timeline, click inside the source viewer then drag the mouse
pointer across to the timeline viewer. A list of edit options will appear. Select the type of
edit you want.
Your clip will be placed onto the timeline using the edit type you selected. You’ll find a
description of each edit type and how to use them in the DaVinci Resolve manual.
A faster way to add clips to your edit is by dragging them from the media pool and dropping
them directly onto the timeline where you can adjust your in and out points, position your clips,
try different plug in effects, titles, and more. This particular workflow is like using the timeline as
an artist’s palette.
The ‘edit’ page. You can trim your clips, change their order, move them
around and add transitions between them using the timeline editor.
32Using DaVinci Resolve
Trimming Clips
When editing clips you’ll want to trim them to include only the specific actions you want in each
shot. There are various ways, but the easiest is to adjust the clips’ in and out points on
the timeline:
1 After adding clips to your timeline, hover your mouse pointer over the start of a clip until
the pointer becomes a ‘trim’ icon.
2 When the ‘trim’ icon appears, click on the start of your clip and drag it forwards or
backwards to trim the in point. Watch the timeline monitor as you trim to find the
edit point.
3 Now click and drag the end of your clip to adjust the out point.
The zoom slider is located above the timeline, to the right of the tools that are centered in the
toolbar. By dragging the slider left and right you can zoom in and out of your timeline to make
fine adjustments.
Turning the ‘snapping’ feature off is handy when fine tuning edits, but it’s a helpful feature to
keep your clips held tightly against each other, so it’s worth turning back on once you’re done.
Press the ’N’ key to quickly turn snapping on or off.
The ‘edit’ page. You can trim your clips, change their order, move them
around and add transitions between them using the timeline editor.
Mapping Keyboard Shortcuts
If you are familiar with keyboard shortcuts using other editing software, you can easily map your
own in DaVinci Resolve to increase speed and optimise your workflow.
To map your own keyboard shortcuts:
1 Click on the project setting ‘gear’ icon at the bottom right of your DaVinci workspace,
then select ‘keyboard mapping’ from the settings list.
2 Select the shortcut you want to change from the categories provided, for example
timeline cut and paste shortcuts will be in the ‘edit’ category.
3 Click on the shortcut once to highlight the setting. Double click on the shortcut to
enable the change.
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4 Press your new shortcut keys on the keyboard. If you make a mistake you can easily
undo the change by clicking the ‘undo’ icon next to the setting.
5 Click ‘save’ to confirm your new shortcut setting.
Trim your clips by dragging their start and end points left or right.
The‘snapping’ feature can be turned off when making fine adjustments.
Adding Transitions
A transition is a visual effect used to bridge one clip to another in a pleasing way, for example
dissolves, wipes, dips to color, and more. These can add a layer of excitement to your edit.
Transitions don’t always have to be joining two clips, for example you can apply a dissolve
transition to the end of one clip to create a quick and easy fade to black.
The transitions palette contains many types of transition effects.
To add a dissolve transition between two clips:
1 Make sure there are two clips edited right next to one another on the timeline. Click the
‘effects library’ button in the UI toolbar at the top of the ‘edit’ page, and make sure the
‘toolbox’ panel is open.
2 Click on the ‘cross dissolve’ transition, drag it to your timeline and hover it over the edit
point between two clips. You’ll see the mouse pointer highlight both the end section of
the first clip, and the start of the second. Drop the transition onto the clips. It’s important
both clips have enough length before and after their edit points to make room for
the dissolve.
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You now have a smooth transition mixing from one clip to the other. If you want to adjust the
length of the transition you can lengthen or shorten its start and end point using a similar
approach to trimming a clip. Hover your mouse pointer over the start or end of the transition
until the transition ‘trim’ icon appears, then drag it left or right.
Simply drag and drop transitions between adjoining clips.
Adding Titles
It’s easy to create titles for your edit. You can place a title on any video track just as you would a
clip. If you run out of tracks you can easily add new ones by right clicking next to an existing
track name and selecting ‘add track’.
To create a title:
1 Scroll down towards the middle of the toolbox in the ‘effects library’ located underneath
the media pool and you’ll see the ‘titles’ generators. Use the scroll bar to reveal more
‘titles’ options.
2 Drag and drop a text title on the empty video track above the clip you want the title
to appear. You can even drop your title next to a clip on Video 1 if you just want it to
appear over black. To see the title, make sure the timeline playhead is on the title.
3 Double click on the title clip. The ‘inspector’ will appear showing you the settings for
your title. Type your title into the ‘text’ field.
You can choose from a variety of fonts and adjust the appearance of your title by changing
settings such as color, size, alignment, position, and more. Transitions can be added to titles,
just like they can for clips.
Drag a title type from the ‘titles’ palette and drop it on an empty track.
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Adding Audio Tracks
If you want to mix a large sound edit with lots of sound effects and music, you can easily add
more audio tracks when you need them.
To add an audio track:
1 Right click next to the name of the last audio track on your timeline and select
‘add track’.
2 Select the type of audio track you want, such as stereo, mono, 5.1 or adaptive.
Your new audio track will appear on the timeline.
This can be handy when you want to separate your audio elements into individual tracks for a
sound mix, for example voice, sound effects, and music.
Refer to the DaVinci Resolve manual for more information on how you can use all the powerful
editing tools.
To add a new audio or video track, right click next to a track name
andselect ‘add track’. For audio, select the track type you want.
Color Correcting your Clips
Once you have edited your sequence of clips, you can start color correcting. This is best begun
after you have finished editing your sequence so you can maintain a consistent look, but part of
the fun of DaVinci Resolve is being able to move between the edit and color page to make fine
adjustments and discover new creative choices.
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With the ‘color’ page you get absolute control over the look of your clips.
First, click on the ‘color’ tab to open the ‘color’ page.
You’ll see the color wheels, curves palettes and general color correction tools as well as the
preview and nodes window. Don’t feel overwhelmed by the vast array of features in front of you,
they are all there to help you get the most amazing looking pictures. The DaVinci Resolve
manual will show you exactly what the tools are for and how to use them in easy to follow steps.
You’ll learn the same techniques the professionals use in high end color correction facilities.
Generally, the first thing you’ll want do is optimize the shadows, mid tones and highlights in your
clips. In other words adjust the ‘lift’, ‘gamma’ and ‘gain’ settings. This will help get your pictures
looking their brightest and best with a clean, uniform starting point from where you can begin
grading the ‘look’ of your film.
Using Scopes
Most colorists make creative color choices by focusing on the emotion and the look they want
their program to have and then simply work using the monitor to achieve that look. You can look
at everyday objects and how different types of light interact with them to generate ideas on
what you can do with your images with a little practice.
Another way to color grade is to use the built in scopes to help you balance shots. You can
open a single video scope by clicking the ‘scope’ button, which is the second from the right on
the palette toolbar. You can choose to display a waveform, parade, vectorscope and histogram.
Using these scopes you can monitor your tonal balance, check the levels of your video to avoid
crushing your blacks and clipping the highlights, plus monitor any color cast in your clips.
The ‘color wheels’ palette contains the ‘lift’, ‘gamma’ and ‘gain’ controls which will generally
constitute your first adjustment. These should resemble controls you’ve seen in other
applications for doing color and contrast adjustments. For more accurate control of each color
using a mouse, you can change the color wheels to ‘primaries bars’ which let you adjust each
color and luminance channel for the lift, gamma and gain controls separately. Simply select
‘primaries bars’ from the drop down menu near the top right of the color wheels.
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The parade scope helps you optimize highlights, mid tones and shadows.
The ‘lift, ‘gamma’, ‘gain’ and ‘offset’ color wheels give youtotal control over the
color and tonal balance of your clips. To make auniform adjustment to all colors
for each tonal region, drag thedial underneath the color wheels back and forth.
1 Adjusting the ‘lift’
With your first clip selected on the color timeline, click on the ‘lift’ dial underneath the
first color wheel. Slide it back and forth and watch how it affects your image. You’ll
see the brightness of the dark regions of your picture increase and decrease. Set it to
where you want the dark areas to look their best. If you decrease the lift too much,
you’ll lose details in the blacks and you can use the parade scope to help avoid this.
The optimal position for blacks on the waveform is just above the bottom line of the
parade scope.
2 Adjusting the ‘gain’
Click on the ‘gain’ dial and slide it back and forth. This adjusts the highlights which are
the brightest areas of your clip. The highlights are shown on the top section of the
waveform on the parade scope. For a brightly lit shot, these are best positioned just
below the top line of the waveform scope. If the highlights rise above the top line of the
waveform scope, they will clip and you will lose details in the brightest regions of
your image.
3 Adjusting the ‘gamma’
Click on the ‘gamma’ dial underneath the color wheel and slide it back and forth. As
you increase the gamma you’ll see the brightness of the image increase. Notice the
middle section of the waveform will also move as you adjust the gamma. This
represents the mid tones of your clip. The optimal position for mid tones generally falls
between 50 to 70% on the waveform scope. However, this can be subjective based on
the look you are creating and the lighting conditions in the clip.
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You can also use the curves palette to make primary color corrections. Simply click to create
control points on the diagonal line inside the curve graph, and drag them up or down to adjust
the master RGB contrast at different areas of image tonality. The optimum points to adjust are
the bottom third, mid, and top third of the curve line.
There are many more ways of doing primary color correction in DaVinci Resolve. Check the
DaVinci Resolve manual to learn how to use them all.
The curves palette is another tool you can use to make primary color corrections,
or enhance specific areas of your clip when using a power window.
Secondary Color Correction
If you want to adjust a specific part of your image then you need to use secondary corrections.
The adjustments you have been doing up until now using the color wheels and lift, gamma and
gain adjustments affect the whole image at the same time and so they are called primary color
corrections.
However if you need to adjust specific parts of your image, say for example you wanted to
improve the color in the grass in a scene, or you wanted to deepen the blue in a sky, then you
can use secondary corrections. Secondary color corrections are where you select a part of the
image and then adjust just that part. With nodes, you can stack multiple secondary corrections
so you can keep working parts of your image until everything is just right! You can even use
windows and tracking to allow the selections to follow movement in your images.
Qualifying a Color
Often you’ll find a specific color in your clip can be enhanced, for example grass by the side of
a road, or the blue in a sky, or you may need to adjust color on a specific object to focus the
audience’s attention on it. You can easily do this by using the HSL qualifier tool.
Use the HSL qualifier feature to select specific colors in
your image. Thisishandy when you want to make areas
of your image ‘pop’, to add contrast, or to help draw the
audience’s attention to certain areas of your shot.
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To qualify a color:
1 Add a new serial node.
2 Open the ‘qualifier’ palette and make sure the ‘color range’ sample eyedropper tool
is selected.
3 Click on the color in your clip you want to affect.
Usually you’ll need to make some adjustments to soften the edges of your selection
and limit the region to only the desired color. Click on the ‘highlight’ button to see your
selection.
4 Adjust the ‘width’ control in the ‘hue’ window to broaden or narrow your selection.
Experiment with the high, low and softness controls to see how to refine your selection. Now
you can make corrections to your selected color using the color wheels or custom curves.
Sometimes your selection can spill into areas of the shot you don’t want to affect. You can easily
mask out the unwanted areas using a power window. Simply create a new window and shape it
to select only the area of color you want. If your selected color moves in the shot, you can use
the tracking feature to track your power window.
Adding a Power Window
Power windows are an extremely effective secondary color correction tool that can be used to
isolate specific regions of your clips. These regions don’t have to be static, but can be tracked
to move with a camera pan, tilt or rotation, plus the movement of the region itself. For example,
you can track a window on a person in order to make color and contrast changes just to that
person without affecting his/her surroundings. By making corrections like this you can influence
the audience’s attention on areas you want them to look at.
Use power windows to mask out areas you don’t want to be
affected by the HSL qualifier secondary adjustments.
To add a power window to your clip:
1 Add a new serial node.
2 Open the ‘window’ palette and select a window shape by clicking on a shape icon.
Your selected window shape will appear on the node.
3 Resize the shape by clicking and dragging the blue points around the shape. The pink
points adjust the edge softness. You can position the shape by clicking the center
point and moving it to the area you want to isolate. Rotate the window using the point
connected to the center.
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Now you can make color corrections to your image in just the area you want.
Power windows let you make secondary corrections
to specific parts of your image.
Tracking a Window
The camera, object or area in your shot may be moving, so to make sure your window stays on
your selected object or area, you’ll need to use DaVinci Resolve’s powerful tracking feature.
The tracker analyzes the pan, tilt, zoom and rotation of the camera or object in your clip so you
can match your windows to that movement. If this isn’t done, your correction can move off the
selected target and call attention to itself, which you probably don’t want.
You can track objects or areas in your clip using the tracker
feature so power windows can follow the action.
To track a window to a moving object:
1 Create a new serial node and add a power window.
2 Go to the start of your clip and position and size the window to highlight just the object
or area you want.
3 Open the ‘tracker’ palette. Select the pan, tilt, zoom, rotate, and perspective 3D
settings appropriate for the movement in your clip by checking or unchecking the
relevant ‘analyse’ checkboxes.
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4 Click on the ‘forward’ arrow to the left of the checkboxes. DaVinci Resolve will now
apply a cluster of tracking points on your clip and then step through the frames to
analyze the movement. When the tracking is done, your power window will follow the
path of the movement in your clip.
Most of the time automatic tracking is successful, but scenes can be complex and sometimes
an object can pass in front of your selected area, interrupting or affecting your track. This can
be solved manually using the keyframe editor. Refer to the DaVinci Resolve manual to
find out more.
Using Plugins
While making secondary color corrections you can also add OpenFX plugins to create fast,
interesting looks and effects using the ‘color’ page, or imaginative transitions and effects on your
clips on the ‘edit’ page. OFX plugins can be purchased and downloaded from third party suppliers.
OFX plugins are a quick and easy way to create imaginative and interesting looks.
After installing a set of plugins, you can access them on the color page by opening the OpenFX
inspector to the right of the ‘node editor’ Simply click the ‘OpenFX’ button to open the OpenFX
inspector, create a new serial node and drag and drop a plugin onto the new node. If the plugin
has editable settings, you can adjust these in the adjoining ‘settings’ panel.
In the ‘edit’ page you can add plugin generators and transitions to clips by opening the
‘OpenFX’ panel in the ‘effects library’ and dragging your selected plugin onto the video track
above your clip on the timeline.
Mastering your Edit
So now you’ve edited, color corrected and graded your clips you’ll want to export a render of
your edit in the ‘deliver’ page. This page lets you select the range of clips you want to export,
plus the format, codec and resolution you want. You can export in many types of formats such
as QuickTime, AVI, MXF and DPX using codecs such as 8-bit or 10-bit uncompressed RGB/YUV,
ProRes, DNxHD, H.264 and more.
To export a single clip of your edit:
1 Click on the ‘deliver’ tab to open the deliver page.
2 Go to the ‘render settings’ window on the top left of the page. In the ‘format’ settings,
select ‘single clip’. You can now choose from a number of export presets, for example
YouTube, Vimeo and audio presets, or you can set your own export settings manually
by leaving it set to the default ‘custom’ preset and entering your own parameters. For
this example, select YouTube, then click on the arrow next to the preset and select the
1080p video format.
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3 The frame rate will be locked to your project frame rate setting.
4 Underneath the presets you will see the timeline filename and the target location for
your exported video. Click the ‘browse’ button and choose the location where you want
to save your exported file.
5 Immediately above the timeline, you’ll see an options box with ‘entire timeline’ selected.
This will export the entire timeline, however you can select a range of the timeline if
you want to. Simply choose ‘in/out range’ and then use the ‘i’ and ‘o’ hot key shortcuts
to choose the in and out points in your timeline.
6 Go to the bottom of the ‘render settings’ and click on the ‘add to render queue’ button.
The ‘deliver’ page is where you export your edit. You can select
from many different video formats and codecs
Your render settings will be added to the render queue on the right side of the page. Now all
you have to do is click ‘start render’ and monitor the progress of your render in the
render queue.
When your render is complete you can open the folder location, double click on your new
rendered clip and watch your finished edit.
After adding your render settings to the render queue,
click the ‘start render’ button to export your edit.
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