Transcript
ALEXA Software Update Packet 7.0 (7.0:21867) for all ALEXA cameras R E L E A S E
N O T E S
Date: 26 November 2012
A. Introduction We are proud to announce the release of our latest software update for the ARRI ALEXA family of cameras. ALEXA Software Update Packet (SUP) 7.0 brings important new features to ALEXA cameras that further improve the image quality, enable 16:9 and 4:3 in-camera ProRes 2K recording and that offer a better overall user experience. All new ALEXA cameras will have this SUP installed, and all existing cameras can be upgraded to this SUP. This release notes document contains a detailed description of the new features and changes, a list of known issues and instructions for upgrading. Please take some time to read through this document and familiarize yourself with the update. New Features Overview SUP 7.0 runs on all ARRI ALEXA cameras – ALEXA, ALEXA Plus, ALEXA Plus 4:3, ALEXA M and ALEXA Studio. Here is an overview of the features in SUP 7.0. The full list of new features and other changes from previous SUP versions are described in detail in the following chapter. •
ProRes 2K recording in the 16:9 and the 4:3 aspect ratio
•
New and improved in-camera debayering (ADA-3 HW)
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New and improved in-camera high speed debayering
•
Redesigned status display on EVF and MON OUT
•
Simplified camera menus
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Clone monitor out option for REC OUT
•
Low Contrast Curve (LCC) look file included as part of the SUP
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Added support for new Controlled Lens Motor CLM-4
•
3D sync now available on all ALEXA M without license key
Update Recommendation SUP 7.0 contains major improvements from the previous release versions, we highly recommend for all ALEXA owners to update to this Software Update Packet. Downgrading It is possible to downgrade back to SUP versions 6.1 or 6.1.1 from a camera that had the SUP 7.0 installed. Perform a FACTORY RESET before and after downgrading. We do not recommend downgrading to SUP versions lower than 4.0. ALEXA M cannot be downgraded below SUP 6.1.
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Table of Contents
A. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 2! New Features Overview ........................................................................................... 2! Update Recommendation ......................................................................................... 2! Downgrading ............................................................................................................ 2 B. New Features ................................................................................................................ 5! Equipment/Accessories Supported .......................................................................... 5! CLM-4 Support .................................................................................................... 5! General ..................................................................................................................... 5! Imaging ..................................................................................................................... 5! Sensor Readout Size for ProRes 2K Recording ................................................. 5! Image Processing/Look Files ................................................................................... 5! New Standard Speed Debayering Algorithm ....................................................... 5! New High Speed Debayering Algorithm .............................................................. 5! Low Contrast Curve ............................................................................................. 5! SxS Onboard Recording ........................................................................................... 5! ProRes 2K recording ........................................................................................... 5! Outputs ..................................................................................................................... 6! MON OUT clone .................................................................................................. 6! Inputs ........................................................................................................................ 6! Electronic Viewfinder and/or MON OUT ................................................................... 6! Status Display on EVF and MON OUT ............................................................... 6! ARRI 1.85 2K DCI Frame Line ............................................................................ 6! Metadata/Time Code ................................................................................................ 7! External Time Code ............................................................................................. 7! Lens Metadata ..................................................................................................... 7! Remote Control/3D ................................................................................................... 7! 3D on ALEXA M .................................................................................................. 7! User Interface ........................................................................................................... 7! GUI Homescreen and Menus Updates ............................................................... 7! Accessories Behavior ............................................................................................... 7! Service/Manufacturing .............................................................................................. 7
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C. Known Issues ............................................................................................................... 8! Accessories .............................................................................................................. 8! ALEXA M .................................................................................................................. 8! ALEXA Studio ........................................................................................................... 8! Audio ........................................................................................................................ 9! EVF/MON OUT ......................................................................................................... 9! EVF ......................................................................................................................... 10! Firmware update ..................................................................................................... 10! Frame grab ............................................................................................................. 10! Framelines .............................................................................................................. 10! High speed mode ................................................................................................... 10! Imaging ................................................................................................................... 11! Metadata ................................................................................................................. 11! REC OUT/MON OUT ............................................................................................. 11! SD card ................................................................................................................... 11! Sync ........................................................................................................................ 12! Test signal .............................................................................................................. 13! Timecode ................................................................................................................ 13! Usability .................................................................................................................. 13! User setup .............................................................................................................. 14! Workflow ................................................................................................................. 15 D. Updating Instructions ................................................................................................ 15! Download and Registration Process ...................................................................... 15! Registration ............................................................................................................ 15! Camera Update Procedure via SD Card ................................................................ 16! Precautions ....................................................................................................... 16! Preparing the SD Card ...................................................................................... 16! Performing the Update ...................................................................................... 16! Updating only the Electronic Viewfinder EVF-1 with a Computer........................... 17! Updating the V-Mount Top and/or Back Battery Adapter with a Computer ............ 17!
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B. New Features Equipment/Accessories Supported CLM-4 Support All ALEXA models with integrated motor drivers for ARRI Controlled Lens Motors will support the compact and powerful CLM-4 in addition to CLM-2 and CLM-3. As for CLM-3, the motor torque is adjustable for smoother operation of lens rings with more resistance. General No changes. Imaging Sensor Readout Size for ProRes 2K Recording When the camera is switched from HD to 2K resolution in-camera recording, the size of the captured frame changes slightly. This is necessary, so the debayering can work with an optimized downscale factor and deliver the best possible 2K image quality. • Recording ARRIRAW 16:9, HD-Video, ProRes HD and DNxHD uses 2880 x 1620 photosites with a frame size of 23.76 x 13.365 mm. • ProRes 2K 16:9 uses 2868 x 1612 photosites (23.661 x 13.299 mm). • ARRIRAW 4:3 uses 2880 x 2160 photosites (23.76 x 17,82 mm). • ProRes 2K 4:3 uses 2868 x 2150 photosites (23.661 x 17,738 mm). When recording ARRIRAW and ProRes 2K in parallel, it is important to note, that the ARRIRAW frame holds a few more columns and lines of pixels. This is taken into account in the latest release of our ARRIRAW SDK, where the user can select, which ARRIRAW frame size will be used to create a 2K image. Image Processing/Look Files New Standard Speed Debayering Algorithm ADA-3 HW, a new and improved debayering and downscale algorithm is now available for all ALEXA models. The new algorithm produces cleaner high contrast edges and crisp fine detail, which results in sharper images. The camera uses ADA-3 HW for HD-SDI, ProRes and DNxHD output at up to 60 fps. Note: The ARRIRAW Converter and ARRIRAW SDK, in addition provide ADA-3 SW, a more sophisticated software version of the new algorithm. New High Speed Debayering Algorithm The high speed algorithm provides the same overall image characteristics as the regular speed algorithm. It is active for HD-SDI monitoring and ProRes or DNxHD recording at 60 to 120 fps. The new version improves the rendition of flat color fields and delivers a cleaner overall image. Please note: In certain situations, saturated objects with little or no texture may exhibit a faint checkered pattern in the red and blue color channel. This effect was clearly visible in the previous SUP and has now been greatly reduced. Low Contrast Curve The LCC ARRI Look File is now distributed as part of the SUP and always available in the camera menu, even after a factory reset. SxS Onboard Recording ProRes 2K recording Recording 2K resolution to the camera storage module is only possible in one of the QuickTime ProRes codecs. ProRes recording in HD and 2K resolution put very similar requirements on the recording media. A 64 GB SxS Pro card allows recording up to 60 fps in the 16:9 aspect ratio and up to 48 fps in the 4:3 aspect ratio. It will hold approx. 19 minutes of ProRes 2K 4:3 and approx. 25 minutes in 16:9. ProRes 2K recording is not available in high speed mode (60 to 120 fps).
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Outputs MON OUT clone The REC OUT can optionally be set to show a cloned output from MON OUT. This is the forced behavior in high speed mode since SUP 6.1 and can now optionally be activated for all other sensor and recording resolution configurations in regular speed mode. The "MON OUT clone" option can be found at MENU > Recording > REC OUT > HD-SDI format. Sensor mode
SxS resolution
REC OUT options
4:3
2K
ARRIRAW (default)
MON OUT clone
–
16:9
2K
ARRIRAW
MON OUT clone (default)
–
16:9
HD
ARRIRAW
MON OUT clone
HD-Video (default)
Inputs No changes. Electronic Viewfinder and/or MON OUT Status Display on EVF and MON OUT The status display in the electronic viewfinder and the MON OUT image has been redesigned.
New icons indication the SxS recording resolution, screen grab, RET IN active, the settings/functions for MON OUT, EVF and which output shows an image with applied look file are now grouped by function and moved to both sides of the MON OUT image. The main status info remains in place. In 16:9 sensor mode, the camera image is scaled to fit inside the status info border. In 4:3 sensor mode, a few lines on top and bottom of the camera image are covered by translucent status info bars. Please note: When activated, the electronic horizon, the LDS info or the reel and clip number extend into the camera image in all sensor modes. ARRI 1.85 2K DCI Frame Line The maximum frame size of a 2K DCI-compliant image is 2048 x 1080 pixels. The frame size captured with an ALEXA in 2K recording mode is 2048 x 1152 pixels with the sensor set to 16:9 and 2048 x 1536 pixels with the sensor set to 4:3, which offers room for vertical repositioning and which enables cropping out 2K material in any aspect ratio for digital cinema release from the camera footage. A 1.85:1 aspect ratio is a special case, because it is too tall to fill the full width of the digital cinema 2K container. The 1.85:1 2K frame size is 1998 x 1080 pixels. There are two options to get to this format and each way requires the DP to use a special frame line. • Use the full captured image width, scale down the image to 1998 width and cut off a few lines on top and bottom to get to 1080 height. This option requires using the "ARRI 1.85:1" frame line. • Cut the 1998 x 1080 frame out of the 2048 x 1152 captured image. Because of the slightly tighter field of view, this option requires using the "ARRI 1.85 2K DCI" frame line (only available for 2K recording). For more information, please read the "ProRes 2K in Editorial White Paper", which can be downloaded from our website at http://www.arri.de/alexa/downloads. Software Update Packet 7.0 (7.0:21867) for all ALEXA cameras – Release Notes
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Metadata/Time Code External Time Code The camera will no longer REGEN or JAM time code while it is recording, as this was suspected to have caused single underexposed frames. Lens Metadata The lens metadata is now recorded/output as both raw lens encoder information and interpreted LDS information. The interpreted lens data is delayed by 1 frame. Remote Control/3D 3D on ALEXA M 3D sync features are now available without license key on all ALEXA M cameras. User Interface GUI Homescreen and Menus Updates
• Sensor mode (16:9 and 4:3), SxS/ProRes recording resolution and remaining recording time are now indicated on the camera menu's home screen. • The color settings "DCI P3" and "Film Matrix On" were removed. • "Vari Flag" and "SDI Rec Flag" were removed as options and are now permanently enabled. • The "Electronic level" option was renamed to "Electronic horizon". • The "Tropical" sensor temperature setting was renamed to "High humidity". • A progress bar now indicates the remaining time for switching between regular and high speed mode. • The WNA-1 menu was removed. • The RUN beeper indicates when the camera has reached speed. • The Project menu was extended to show sensor mode (16:9 or 4:3), SxS resolution (2K or HD) in addition to active codec, project frame rate, camera index, next reel count and production info. • It is now possible to enter upper- and lower case characters for all user-created items (e.g. user setup). • One additional USER button. Pressing the jog wheel opens the edit menu. • New USER button options for: o "MON OUT look" on/off o "EVF look" on/off o "Color Bars" on MON OUT and REC OUT o "Grab GUI" to store a .png of the current menu screen (use operator side buttons 1-3) o "Mirror shutter" to leave the shutter spinning or stop in VIEW or GATE position when stopping the recording (ALEXA Studio only) Accessories Behavior No changes. Service/Manufacturing No changes.
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C. Known Issues This is a list of known issues for this particular software update packet. For a listing of answers to frequently asked questions please visit our website at www.arri.com/alexa/learn. Accessories • RS connectors output voltage The RS connectors on the camera output the unregulated input voltage from the BAT connector. Since ALEXA cameras accept an input voltage from 10.5 to 34 V DC, it is possible that an accessory that is powered from an RS connector may not function as expected or even take damage. • No power down countdown when RCU-4 is connected Occasionally the camera does not show a power down countdown on its display but the message "Turn off remote control?" on a connected RCU-4. Press and hold the camera´s power button until the camera shuts down. • WCU-3 does not display camera warnings On the WCU-3, camera warnings (i.e. battery warning, card full, etc.) are not displayed. • WCU-3 lens calibration possibly unstable We received unconfirmed reports that lens calibration and wireless functionality might be faulty in certain situations. If this happens please send an email to
[email protected] providing as detailed information as possible including a User setup file and camera log files. ALEXA M • Missing camera head If the camera menu shows asterisks in EI WB and other fields at boot time, there may be a problem with the connection of camera body and head. However, the camera menu will not report "No M Head detected" until after it is fully initialized. • Duration of firmware update Updating the firmware may take longer than for other camera models. Please let the update finish and do not interrupt the process. • EVF Image Occasionally, an electronic viewfinder connected to the camera will loose the image. Disconnect and reconnect the EVF to remedy this defect. • EVF may not update using an ALEXA M An EVF that was produced before the release of the ALEXA M or that is running a software version prior to 1.34, will not update while connected an ALEXA M. Update the EVF via webpage or with another ALEXA camera. • Firmware update - camera head has to be connected when updating If no camera head is connected to the camera body and a update is started the update will fail with the message "APIC failed". • RCU-4 only works with body ETH connector The RCU-4 has to be connected to camera body Ethernet connector (rear). When connected to the camera head, it will not work. ALEXA Studio • No ARRIGLOW while recording with deactivated mirror shutter Turning OFF the mirror shutter will also deactivate the ARRIGLOW, as this could cause faulty exposure of the sensor. • Slave Camera does not show shutter angle For a perfect working Sync setup you have to use Setting and Sensor Sync. If you only use Sensor Sync the Slave shows a different shutter angle value than the Master as long as only one of them has its mirror running - The value being greater or smaller depends on which of the two mirrors is spinning.
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• Voltage Low Battery Warning ALEXA Studio may show a warning "Voltage level too low for mirror shutter" if the camera is set to > 30 fps and an on-board battery is used. When using the mirror shutter at higher frame rates an external 24V battery should be used. Audio • Adjusting input or output level gives distorted audio When adjusting audio input level a "clicking" noise can be heard on audio outputs. Adjustment of audio levels therefore is disabled during recording. Please bear this in mind when recording audio on external devices. • DNxHD audio is up to 3 frames ahead of video When the camera is recording MXF/DNxHD clips, audio is recorded up to 3 frames ahead of video, depending on the project frame rate and codec. • No audio playback in highspeed mode When playing back a clip recorded with audio in highspeed audio playback is not available. EVF/MON OUT • Artefacts due to peaking and anamorphic desqueeze When monitoring in sensor mode 16:9 with peaking and 2x anamorphic desqueeze enabled, a vertical stripe of artefacts may appear in the middle of the image. Deactivate peaking to get a clean image. • False color causes purple status bars Using false color in 4:3 sensor mode with surround view turned on/anamorphic desqueeze off causes the status info to have a purple background on the EVF and MON OUT. • False color display and look files The adjustments to color or the tone map curve in ARRI look files may cause "wrong" exposure indications in the false color display, when the look files is activated on the MON OUT. • LDS and CLIP + REEL info overlays obscure image when not using surround view When Surround view is turned off, the background of LDS INFO and REEL/CLIP are solid black and cover parts of the recorded area. Do not use these overlays or leave surround view turned on to see the full recorded frame. • No anamorphic desqueeze with surround view in 4:3 mode Turning on surround in 4:3 sensor mode disables anamorphic desqueeze for MON OUT/EVF. • No surround view with anamorphic desqueeze in 4:3 mode Activating anamorphic desqueeze in 4:3 sensor mode will deactivate the surround view on EVF/MON OUT. • Return in image partially obscured by status info When activating RET IN, the image is not scaled to fit inside the status info bars. Left, right, top and bottom are partially obscured on MON OUT. On EVF only left and right are covered. Use Status info off to view the complete RET IN image. • Semi-transparent overlays obscure playback image When playing back 16:9 HD or 4:3 clips while in 4:3 mode, the image is partly obscured by semitransparent status info overlays. • Semi-transparent overlays obscure recorded image In 4:3 mode the semitransparent status info overlays obscure the recorded image on Mon Out and EVF in certain situations. • Some recorders will not record the MON OUT feed When the REC OUT is set to ARRIRAW, an external recorder that interprets the ALEXA metadata in the HD-SDI header may refuse to record HD video from the MON OUT as the meta data indicates that the signal is ARRIRAW. • Status info on active RETURN IN The camera shows its own status info (FPS, SHUTTER etc.) when RET IN is activated. These camera parameters are not related to the RET IN signal.
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• Thin reddish line at top of EVF/MON OUT A thin reddish line can be observed at the top of the EVF-1/MON OUT image at slow fps and/or small shutter angle with Surround View on. This is not in the active image area, only at the very top edge of surround view. EVF • Changing FPS causes image to be disturbed Changing the FPS may momentarily exhibit a flickering image in the EVF. • Smooth mode When activating smooth mode the image in the EVF will get slightly darker. This has no effect on recorded material. • Updating old EVF software An EVF that still runs on software V1.31 or earlier may not update together with a standard SUP via SD-card. In this case, it is possible to connect to the camera via Ethernet and use the web-interface for updating to V1.34 or later. Firmware update • An update from 6.1 or 6.1.1 to 7.0 can fail at ACOM Sometimes the ACOM update fails when updating from 6.1 or 6.1.1 to 7.0. If this happens, please try running the upgrade again using the SD-card or the web-interface. • Do not ignore "Update failed" messages In rare cases an "Update failed" message may appear on a dark red screen. You MUST retry to update the camera if this occurs. Please note that INFO > VERSION may indicate a successful update although some components of the camera may still have an older firmware version. If in doubt about update success please contact ARRI Service. • Downgrade from 7.0beta Downgrading from SUP 7.0beta to SUP 6.1.1 may show an error message that the CMC update failed. Please try running the downgrade again using the SD-card or the web-interface. Frame grab • ARRIRAW frame grab metadata ARRIRAW frames stored to an SD-card with the frame grab function may contain invalid lens metadata from LDS lenses. • No ARRIRAW frame grabs from SxS playback When playing back a ProRes or DNxHD clip from an SxS card, REC OUT needs to be set to HD Video to be able to grab frames from the playback. If the REC OUT is set to ARRIRAW, pressing grab will store a live image instead. • No frame grabs in highspeed mode The camera cannot create frame grabs in high speed mode. • Frame grabs may take long Depending on the file format, frame grabs may take very long. It is recommended to use fast SD cards to minimize the required time. Framelines • Framelines are resized according to SxS recording resolution When SxS recording resolution (under MENU > Recording > SxS Cards > SxS resolution) is set to 2K framelines will be resized. This is also true when SxS recording is actually turned off High speed mode • Debayering Artifacts When shooting highly saturated colors, high speed debayering, in some cases, may exhibit a faint checkerboard pattern in the red and blue channel.
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Imaging • Do not change EI while recording Changing the EI setting during a recording may cause momentary image artifacts. • Do not change white balance while recording Changing the white balance setting during a recording may cause momentary image artifacts. • Extreme Overexposure An area that is overexposed more than eight stops above clipping can appear darker than its surroundings. • Long exposure times reduce image quality ALEXA allows setting the exposure time higher than 1 second (i.e. 358° shutter at 0.75fps = 1.33 seconds exposure). Doing so will increase noise and cause individual pixels to light up. To achieve optimum image quality at slow frame rates, the exposure time should not exceed 40ms or 1/20th of a second. • Pin hole effect In scenes with high contrast and sharpness, a small focused highlight (like a pin hole) that activates only a small region of about 2x2 pixels on the sensor, will be reproduced as a colored highlight. If the highlight moves slowly, it will change its color from cyan to magenta and white. This is a limitation of the dynamic defect pixel correction. Metadata • ARRI META Extract v1.6.5 is not compatible with SUP 7.0 Metadata cannot be extracted from SUP 7.0 footage using ARRI META Extract prior to version 2.0. • Cameras do not identify properly in metadata Camera models do not identify properly in the various metadata outputs. • Shutter angle and EVF smooth mode Using the EVF in smooth mode may cause incorrect shutter angle values in the metadata. • Wrong iris lens metadata for Variable Primes On the lens data, recorded from an ARRI Variable Prime, the "Near Close" and "Close" values are reversed. REC OUT/MON OUT • HD-SDI outputs deliver a vertical phase offset The REC OUT and MON OUT HD-SDI timing is not exactly in sync. A vertical offset of >0 lines can be measured. Activate "REC OUT fps sets sensor fps" to get a synchronized output. • Cannot switch to clean REC OUT when deactivating SxS in ProRes 2K mode Setting the ProRes recording resolution to 2K limits the options for REC OUT to ARRIRAW or MON OUT clone. When SxS recording is deactivated in this configuration, the REC OUT limitation remains in effect. Switch the ProRes recording resolution back to HD to avoid this behavior. SD card • TestImages Directory on SD card When formatting or preparing an SD card in the ALEXA a directory ARRI\ALEXA\TestImages is created. This is meant for future use. SxS recording/playback • "AlogV5 RX CRC Error" during playback in high speed mode Playback of clips in Highspeed mode could trigger an "AlogV5 RX CRC Error". The clip itself is fine. Camera must be rebooted to clear this error. • 2K 16:9 SxS playback not showing full image When playing back 16:9 ProRes 2K material from an SxS card, the playback image is slightly cropped/smaller. The recorded footage, however, shows the same framing as indicated in the live EFV/MON OUT image. Software Update Packet 7.0 (7.0:21867) for all ALEXA cameras – Release Notes
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• 4:3 playback image smaller than live view When the camera is set to 4:3 sensor mode, the playback image from an SxS card is slightly smaller than the live image. • Certain clips cannot be played back in some recording modes Clips recorded in 16:9 2K cannot be played back in 4:3 mode and clips recorded in 4:3 mode cannot be played back in 16:9 mode (this includes highspeed mode). • Image error after switching codecs When the camera is switched from ProRes to DNxHD recording, the playback of recorded clips may temporarily show image errors. The clips are recorded without image error. If unsure, play back the clip outside the camera. • "Wrong file system" SxS cards that have been recorded with SUP6.0 or higher will show an error message "Wrong file system" when inserted into a camera running SUP5.x or below and cannot be played back in camera. The material is fine and will not cause any problems further down the production pipeline. • Changing EI very fast while recording may lead to a system error When changing EI during recording very fast the recording may stop with an "Unexpected stop recording 107". The camera has to be rebooted. • "Card#: files not consistent!" Please reboot the camera if this error is shown in the info screen. If the warning disappears, further recording on this card will be fine. If the warning persists, backup up this card and format it before further usage • DNxHD White Balance CC metadata column is missing in Avid Media Composer Bin White balance CC values metadata column is missing in Avid Media Composer when linking file with ARRI AMA plugin. • In Dual recording very rarely one card might not record Trying to record after such an occurrence will issue a "### Dual recording failed. Check cards!". The cards need to be copied and formatted before they can be reused for Dual recording. Sync • Cannot sync cameras with different sensor modes It is not possible to synchronize a camera in sensor mode 16:9 with a camera in sensor mode 4:3. • Different focus ring classes may cause problems 3D lens sync with non-LDS lenses requires lenses of the same focus ring class. • Focus settings may not match Lens-sync does not work reliably and can cause the lens pair to have a different focus setting. • No warning if no SxS card present in one of two synced cameras When recording to SxS on two synced cameras make sure you use cards of same size in both cameras. • Sync ALEXAs with and without mirror shutter It is not possible to use Sensor sync in a setup where an ALEXA Studio with a running mirror shutter is connected to an ALEXA without mirror shutter. • Licensed features To be able to use features that require a license key, all cameras in a master/slave setup need to have the licenses installed. • Loading and unloading HS mode in Sync Setup When using two cameras in a master/slave setup, wait until both cameras are fully booted before loading/unloading HS mode. • Slave recording stops with delay With 2 cameras in a master/slave setup, the slave SxS recording will stop with a few frames delay, causing non-matching clip-lengths. Syncing up the clips by time code will ensure matching master/slave footage.
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• Using different ALEXA camera models Under certain circumstances, using settings sync with two (or more) different ALEXA models may not work reliably. When available it is recommended to sync only matching ALEXA models. • Adjusting the HD out phase may result in asynchronous HD outputs "Send HD sync trigger" brings the HD output of connected cameras back into sync. • EXT Sync does not work below 1 fps The sensors of two cameras cannot be synchronized with an EXT sync cable below 1 fps. Test signal •Enabling test tone Test tone can only be enabled if Audio recording is active (AUDIO > RECORD = ON) and the SENSOR FPS matches the PROJECT FPS. •Loading time After the camera is re-started, turning on the test signal (color bars) may take a few seconds. Once the test signal has been loaded, it can be turned on and off without the delay. Timecode • Do not use REC RUN TC if recording to external recorders Using REC RUN TC in combination with external recorders may result in frames with identical timecode but plausible image information. • Jam Sync shown in INT TC mode Even though jam synching is not possible in INT TC mode, Generator, Jam Sync is shown as an option in the menu. This has no influence on the camera functions. • LTC out on TC connector may differ from actual timecode TC connector will only output a correct timecode during Free Run and when sensor speed equals project speed. Also in SxS playback TC connector does not provide playback timecode. • Rec Run TC lost after power loss If camera is running Rec run TC and camera power is lost during recording, the camera powers up with a TC different to when power was lost • Time Code INT FREERUN reset to 00:00:00 With asynchronous recording, i.e. "Project frame rate" NOT EQUAL to "Sensor fps" and time code set to INT FREERUN, the time code will be reset to 00:00:00 after reboot. Usability • ARRI UDM-1 not fully supported The ARRI Ultrasonic Distance Measure UDM-1 can be powered via the EXT connector cable, but communication between ALEXA and UDM-1 is not implemented yet. • AUTO WB can be executed when test signal is on Although test signal is present on MON OUT/REC OUT automatic white balance is executed on the image as seen in the EVF (camera live image). • Compare - no anamorphic desqueeze The anamorphic de-squeeze function can only be applied to the live camera image. It is not possible to load an anamorphic frame grab and display/compare it as de-squeezed image. • Do not change settings during loading of SxS module When turning on the SxS module, wait until the loading has finished before changing any settings. Settings changed during the loading process of the SxS module might not get applied correctly. • Do not use "REC OUT fps sets sensor fps" and MON OUT Clone Activating "REC OUT fps sets sensor fps", followed by "HD-SDI format: MON OUT clone" will disable control over the sensor fps. This could happen, for example, when the SxS recording resolution is set to 2K and REC OUT is set to MON OUT clone.
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• Entering high speed mode from sensor mode 4:3 When entering highspeed mode from sensor mode 4:3 the information under MENU > Project shows SxS resolution: 2K (2048x1152). This is wrong, as SxS resolution is always set to HD in highspeed mode. The correct recording resolution is, in this case, only shown under MENU > Recording > SxS Cards > SxS resolution. • Identical file names When two frame grabs with the same file name are loaded subsequently, the first frame grab will not be replaced by the second file (MENU > FRAME GRABS > COMPARE GRAB 2 LIVE IMAGE > COMPARE). Repower the camera to clear the internal frame store. • Momentary EVF artifacts when activating RET IN Switching between live view and return in video causes a glitch in the EVF image. Please note: If the RET IN signal has a different fps than the camera speed, the EVF will show a stuttering image. • Sensor FPS not restored when entering/exiting high speed Sensor FPS in standard/high speed mode is not restored as expected when entering/exiting high speed mode. The desired sensor FPS should always be double-checked by the user. • SENSOR MODE 4:3 defaults to ProRes If the high speed codec is set to DNxHD, the camera will switch to regular speed with ProRes codec when changing to 4:3 sensor mode. Always double-check you are using the desired codec when changing regular/high speed and sensor mode! • SxS slot LEDs go GREEN as soon as recording is stopped Do not remove the active card until the REC LED stops blinking red and shows steady green. • Temperature error may occur directly after bootup and prevents instant recording Wait until temperature error has gone before recording. • Web remote - submitting LDA data may result in an HTTP error 404 "Bad request" ALEXA web remote is a beta implementation only. • Web remote LDA The LDA page of the ALEXA web remote is non-functional for any ALEXA without motor connectors. • Web remote still in beta The ALEXA web remote currently is a beta implementation with limited functionality. • Changing user setup and REC OUT settings in short succession In very rare cases after loading a User setup or doing a Factory reset and immediately changing REC OUT settings, an error "RecTuple not existing: 1 1 6" may occur. The camera then has to be rebooted. • White Balance CC correction insufficient for some ND filters When using non-ideal ND filters the available range of CC correction might not be sufficient for a neutral image. This has to be corrected in postproduction. User setup • Additional configuration files User setups do not contain, or reference to look files, lens data archive files or custom frame lines. Recalling a user setup therefore does not reactivate any of these additional files, even if an SD card containing these files has been inserted into the camera. This has to be done manually after loading the user setup. • Custom look files Loading a user setup will not re-assign custom look files to any output. The look file needs to be activated and assigned manually. If a factory reset was performed, the look file also needs to be loaded back into the camera before it can be activated. • Custom look not cleared when User setup loaded that does not conatin a look Always double-ceck that no unwanted look is applied when working with User setups. • Custom userbit settings A user setup will not restore custom userbit settings but defaults to 00:00:00:00. If userbits are set, the entries have to be re-entered manually after loading a user setup.
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• Internal ARRI LCC look file Loading a user setup will not re-assign the internal LCC curve to any outputs. The LCC curve needs to be activated and assigned manually. • Color Bars not cleared when User setup loaded Recalling a User setup while the test signal/color bars are active will not deactivate the color bars. Deactivate the test signal or perform a factory reset before loading a user setup. Workflow • Final Cut Pro Consolidate Error in Media Manager FCP 7 does not correctly recognize ALEXA QuickTime clips without audio. These clips are not marked as file type 'MooV' in the file structure. The ALEXA UDF file system does not allow changing the file type.
D. Updating Instructions Download and Registration Process You have to register your ALEXA camera by serial number to download Software Update Packets. SUPs can then be uploaded to a camera either from an SD card (described in detail below), or from a computer via the ALEXA Ethernet/RJ-45 Cable KC 153-S (order number K2.72021.0). SUP 7.0 beta can be installed on all ALEXA models: ALEXA, ALEXA Plus, ALEXA Plus 4:3, ALEXA M and ALEXA Studio.
Registration You can register following the link in the 'ALEXA Software Update Packet X.Y' section on the ALEXA downloads page http://www.arri.com/alexa/downloads. Fill in the relevant data and make sure to put in the serial number(s) of your camera(s), agree to the registration terms at the end of the page and click the 'create account' button. The system will send a confirmation email with a link for the activation of your account. Once you activated the account by clicking on the activation link, you will receive a welcome email containing the login credentials. Login at http://www.arri.com/login/login.html and navigate to the camera downloads again. Most of the downloads, such as technical information and manuals, are now available. To access the software package downloads you have to apply for the activation to be entitled to download software by clicking on '-> Apply for activation to access this file'. A pop-up window will ask you to 'Apply for activation' please do so. The activation process is a manual procedure so this might take up to one workday. You will receive a mail when your software download has been activated. Upon access of the software package download you will be asked to agree to the terms and conditions of this download. If you agree to these terms the download link is released.
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Camera Update Procedure via SD Card Using the SD card for updating is the easiest method. This method updates the ALEXA camera as well as the Electronic Viewfinder (EVF-1), as long as the viewfinder is connected to the camera. Precautions Make sure the power supply of the camera is stable. The best way to achieve this is by using a mains power supply attached to the battery socket. We strongly recommend against updating an ALEXA that is powered through a battery. Preparing the SD Card Have a FAT16 or FAT32 formatted SD card ready. Cards larger than 4 GB are not supported. If you have a larger card, you need to create one partition with max 4GB so it will be compatible with an ALEXA. Insert the SD card into a camera and use the ‘Format + prepare SD card’ or – if there is content on the cards that should not be deleted – the ‘Prepare SD card’ command in MENU > SYSTEM > SD CARD. You can also create the folders manually on your computer. The SUP needs to be put on the card under /ARRI/ALEXA/Firmware. Save the update package ‘xxx.pkg’ file in the ‘Firmware’ folder on the SD card. Performing the Update Turn the camera on. Perform a factory reset in MENU > USER SETUPS > FACTORY RESET. Insert the SD card into the SD card slot of the camera. The slot is located below the display on the bottom of the camera. The direction how the SD card has to be inserted is shown on the camera housing. A card icon will show up in the notification area of the camera display. If not, the card is not recognized by the camera. Use MENU > SYSTEM > FIRMWARE and select the update file. Press the two lower outer screen buttons simultaneously to start the update. DO NOT REMOVE THE SD CARD WHILE THE SUP IS COPIED TO THE CAMERA! When the copy dialogue screen disappears, you can remove the SD card if desired. The update process will take 10 to 20 minutes. Wait until the update process has finished. This is indicated by a green screen informing you that the update process is completed. If the update process fails, which will be indicated by a red screen, repeat the update procedure. After the update, press and hold the power button to turn the camera off. Then turn it on again. The camera firmware is now updated and you can use the camera. Please note that User Setup files cannot be used across different SUPs, i.e. a User Setup file created with SUP 6.1 is not compatible with SUP 7.0. At the end of the update process, the camera must be rebooted manually. This is done by pressing the ON/OFF button until the camera switches off, then pressing the button again.
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Updating only the Electronic Viewfinder EVF-1 with a Computer In case that the ALEXA electronic viewfinder (EVF-1) has not been updated with the camera, it is possible to update the EVF-1 separately by using a computer. Download the Software Update Package and place it in a folder on your computer. For information on how to obtain the SUP see ‘Download and Registration Process’ above. Connect the Ethernet port of the computer to the camera with the ALEXA Ethernet/RJ-45 Cable KC 153-S (3.00m/9.8ft, order number K2.72021.0). Connect the EVF-1 to the camera. Open the URL: http://alexaXXXX.local/update.cgi (where XXXX is the camera’s serial number) or http://XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX /update.cgi (where XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX is the camera's IP address from the INFO screen) in a web browser to access the update web page. In the ‘Camera Update’ section select the Software Update Package by clicking the ‘browse’ button and selecting the path to the downloaded package on your computer. Click the 'Update EVF' button in the ‘EVF Update’ section. You can watch the progress of the update on the screen. When the update is done, the last line on the screen reads successfully updated Evf. The update is now finished even though the web browser continues to refresh the page. This is normal. The viewfinder is up to date. Depending on its software version the camera will state a ‘software error – reboot camera’ on the camera display. This is normal. Please reboot the camera. Updating the V-Mount Top and/or Back Battery Adapter with a Computer To update the firmware of the V-mount battery adapters please perform the following steps: Update the camera with SUP 4.0 or later. Place the SUP in a folder on your computer. Connect the Ethernet port of the computer to the camera with the ALEXA Ethernet/RJ-45 Cable KC 153-S (3.00m/9.8ft, order number K2.72021.0). Attach a charged V-Mount battery to the mount. Open a web browser on the computer and enter the following URL: http://alexaXXXX.local/update.cgi (where XXXX is the camera’s serial number) to access the update web page. In the ‘Camera Update’ section select the Software Update Package by clicking the ‘browse’ button and selecting the path to the downloaded package on your computer. Click the 'Update VMOUNT' button in the ‘V-Mount Update’ section. The update will take approximately three minutes. You can watch the progress of the update on the screen. If you get an error, you have an old style V-mount battery adapter, which can only be updated by ARRI in Munich. When the update is done, the last line on the screen reads successfully updated VMount Adapter and the battery mount is up to date. If your V-mount battery adapter cannot be updated, please contact ARRI Service http://www.arri.com/service.
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