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2011Video Assist and Video Accessories forum

Power supply compatibility and voltage sensitivity of Blackmagic HDMI-to-SDI mini-converters

15 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.

DisputedParticipants disagreed and reached no conclusion. Read the findings as positions, not as an answer.

What the thread found

  • Original Blackmagic HDMI-to-SDI mini-converters have a maximum input voltage of 12V and will shut down if supplied with voltage above 12.5V.
  • Blackmagic Heavy Duty and Battery Converter versions of the HDMI-to-SDI converter accept input voltages between 12V and 31V.
  • Older generation Blackmagic mini-converters are more sensitive to voltage variations than newer versions, with some units unable to tolerate voltages above 14V.
  • Newer generation mini-converters of the same model have been redesigned to accept wider voltage ranges, making generation 1 and generation 2 units behave differently despite having the same model designation.
  • Power from V-mount battery sleds may output unregulated voltage that can exceed 12V when the battery is fully charged, potentially damaging converters with strict voltage requirements.
  • An inline voltage regulator cable (such as those with P-tap connectors or LEMO connectors) can protect sensitive converters when using unregulated power sources from battery sleds.
  • AJA mini-converters and Decimator converters are generally more tolerant of higher voltages than older Blackmagic units.
  • Blackmagic SDI-to-Analog converters in the Heavy Duty line have different voltage specifications than their HDMI-to-SDI counterparts, with the analog version limited to 12V input.

Depends on

  • Thread discusses equipment from 2011, and Blackmagic may have updated designs since then.
  • Voltage sensitivity appears inconsistent across Blackmagic product line, with different models and generations having different specifications.
  • No definitive method provided for safely testing a converter's voltage tolerance without risk of damage.
  • Original poster did not follow up with resolution to their specific problem.

Gear in this thread

Zephyrcatalog

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