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GH3 & HDMI stream : continuous signal after 5 minutes
  • Hello, I'm setting up a particular workflow for recording an audio-video HD stream via HDMI on a computer via a capture card. I'm planning to buy a GH3, But someone on a french website warned me that when the LCD or the EVF shuts down, the stream stops. The only setting appears to be the LCD/EVF "wake" time : max 5 minutes. So after 5 minutes no more HDMI stream !

    I need the camera to be on 6 or 7 hours per day, sending HDMI stream continuously (GH3 not recording : in pause mode). Someone could confirm the 5 min issue ? If it's true, could it be fixed via hack or something ?

    PS, Vitaliy answered me earlier in this thread : http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/5810/studio-setup-with-atem-television-studio-switcher-and-ghx/p1

    but I'm wondering if someone with a GH3 could check this 5 minutes issue.

    Thanks Al

  • 23 Replies sorted by
  • Confirmed - it turns off after 5 min unless recording so you are limited by record times. The Panasonic Rep in my area is looking into it and alerting corporate. It's a bummer as I wanted to lives stream with the camera... HDMI does not work w Matrox MXO2 mini in 1080 as far as I could test it, weird signal issues. Hope it is hacked or fixed by Panasonic

  • @NMS

    Hmm, it is weird.

    Do you have all energy saving turned off?

  • NMS, I did some test with a Sony XDCAM videocamera and a MXO2 mini. With 1080p25 setting : weird signal issues With 1080i50 setting : no problem.

    I think there's an issue with the progressive HDMI ingest with MXO2...

  • Yes, all of the energy savings are set to off. The issue is the camera does not have the option to turn off the AUTO LVF / MONITOR OFF.

    So the GH3 is NOT usable for live streaming at this point. Unless you put it in record mode, but that creates an issue when the camera is out of memory. Also the hope was for remote start and stop via WIFI to iPad. The issue now is when connected to HDMI the ipad app stops working.

    Panasonic is so close to getting it right but seems they forgot to ask real customers how they would use the features so the GH3 is basically lame.

  • I will call Matrox Tomorrow. It is likely a problem with their card for ingestion. Next will have to try a Black Magic ingestion card or other.. Anyone have any luck at all getting a usable HD HDMI signal in from GH3?

  • @xniala - Today, I retested the GH3 setting for HDMI output to connect with a Matrox MXO2 with Max. This time it worked with the camera set to AVCHD 60i. Thus, a clean input for live streaming with Wirecast by Telestream or direct to hard drive recording via HDMI.

    The only issue is you have to hit record or the HDMI signal turns off after 5min due to the camera settings for the LCD monitor. Thus, with a 16gig SD card at the setting you get one hour for live streaming.

    Now I wish the Wifi function worked to send photos while streaming over HDMI. The camera will turn off the HDMI stream if it is sending photos over WIFI. This must be due to processor loads and heat generation. Thanks to the team from Panasonic and Telestream for your support!

  • Yes, I have the same issue with blackmagic intensity pro. I can't record more than 5 minutes streaming. Only solution is to hit record... but i'm in Europe, so record stops at 30 min !!! If I push record again, the streaming has a one second glitche in audio & video. Very, very annoying ! What's the point of hdmi out if it shut off after only 5 min ??? Just like the "10 seconds info display", it's so absurd that at first, I was convinced I was doing something wrong... How such a stupid thing can get through all the stages of development to the final product is really... well i don't have the word for it... So absurd... Maybe I should post this to the Don't cry for me Agentina section ?...

  • This may be an odd solution: if the problem is that after 5 minutes the LCD/EVF shuts down and goes into sleep mode, then maybe you can trick it by placing a piano metronome that swings in front of the EVF. Every time the arm swings in front of the EVF the LCD is deactivated and when the arm swings away from EVF the LCD is activated, just the same as when you put your eye up to the EVF. So maybe this activity will prevent it from going into sleep mode. (Note: to get this toggle effect I think you have to select it in menu). Odd solution. ..but maybe it works.

  • @matt_gh2 hahahah, great! There is a great business potential in future metronome rig holders for GH3!

  • @inqb8tr That's hilarious! I was thinking original poster was doing some kind of 6 hour streaming on a tripod and wouldn't be there...but together we've come up with a mobile solution for GH3 hmdi streaming out in the field! Dude-we should go 50/50 in on this business idea together...we'll be millionaires....but first...we must run a $250, 000 kickstarter campaign like digital bolex! "Please help us fund our dream...a GH3 Rig with built-in metronome"

  • Maybe once its hacked you can create some ultra low bitrate settings so it records pixel garbage for weeks, while outputting clean HDMI.

  • Page 48 of the manual states " the economy mode is cancelled when using the unit with the optional AC adapter". This makes sense, since the whole issue of economy mode is to conserve battery life. Once AC is plugged in, it overrides battery use. Someone with the AC adapter ought to try this. If it works, it may be good for live use through a switcher or recorder, since you probably will be using a tripod. Also, lets hope for optional 3rd party power adapters, as it was for the GH2. They simply might work if it is through a coupler.

  • I don't think it's going to work. The manual says the AC adapter cancels the economy mode which can already be set to "none" with battery. It's the display shut off that needs to be cancelled. Or at least not to be in sync with the hdmi out. When the screen is closed, the display shut off timing still applies on the hdmi out... Damn again, so absurd !

  • Yes this is absolutely pissing me off too - economy mode greyed out but camera going to sleep - nice head Panasonic. You won't need that but of course we will just force economy settings to the place you don't need for live production. So yes, for AC adaptor ... i experience what i believe PhilMyself is referring to and it is definitely something that is a bug/design flaw that i hope would be easily fixed/firmware. Why wouldn't economy be available on AC anyway - people want their camera to sleep sometimes on AV power.

  • Perhaps more on-topic (please don't flame for the above ... it was relevant VERY MUCH) - i can capture with Blackmagic capture device - HDMI framerate on my US cam is 59.94, and voila. I haven't tested all the modes. Another one that is a bit of a halfway to fixed - yes, now you can choose several modes for HDMI out but frame-rate not a choice .. ie not assuming PAL a choice since they lock that out for region/grey market but at least 60 or 59.94 would be good to offer. I accept that perhaps i am a noob on this by with BM-TVS video switcher you have different standards and you have to choose one standard - so don't buy that if you have GH2/GH3 mixed environment - you are going to have for example 1080/60i on a US mode GH2, no choice (i have a pal one on 1080/50i so maybe it is 1080/59.95i or something? on the US one). I would have to screw around to find if i can get them onto a common mode before i would by that budget switcher.

  • I know that this thread is a bit old but I just got my GH3. I've found that turning the Auto EVF eye sensor to off and closing the rear screen solved the problem. The EVF is then constantly on and I can record to my Ninja 2 for as long as I need to. Apologies in advance if I just bumped this post needlessly.

  • @onepointsixtwo - Thanks for the post. That is a trick I hadn't heard of and I will definitely be keeping it in mind!

    Scott

  • did anyone figure out or hear about a solution to this problem? I'm having a hard time trying to figure why this would even be a problem seems pretty silly.

  • The following suggestion from onepointsixtwo works for me but only if the monitor screen is closed with the touch screen facing out. If the touch screen faces in, the stream shuts off in 5 min. With the screen out, I can successfully capture more than 5 min. to a Hauppauge Colossus2 card. I just tested 7 min. The touch screen goes dark but the stream is still live at 1080p.

    "I know that this thread is a bit old but I just got my GH3. I've found that turning the Auto EVF eye sensor to off and closing the rear screen solved the problem. The EVF is then constantly on and I can record to my Ninja 2 for as long as I need to."

  • I have tried everything but i had no luck. The solution "Auto EVF eye sensor to off and closing the rear screen" does not work for me and my gh3 with live streaming. Any news on this? Can you help me out?

  • I think I found a solution with the problem of the screen turning off after 5 minutes. The solution is to use the time-lapse function. First you need to set the shutter to electronic mode, then set any settings for the time-lapse, it does not matter. Then press the shutter button to start the time lapse. Then a strange bug occurs - nothing happens: the camera does not start taking frames, the frame counter will remain unchanged. To end the time-lapse, you need to press the Fn1 button. Due to such a bug, the stream does not turn off after 5 minutes, I tested it and did not touch the camera for more than 10 minutes and it works. All this time hdmi cable was connected to camera. Hope that works for you!

  • VoitcoEduard - I tried this solution, but my camera turns off after taking a time-lapse photo. Then turns on when taking the next photo, and off when it's done. Maybe I'm doing something wrong here - but your solution didn't work for me. Thanks

  • Actually I found the solution now! Upgrading firmware to 1.2. Solves the problem. https://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/download/fts/dl/gh3.html