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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Codec_Errors - status quo?

Jannard said:
Dylan... the assumption is always that it is a camera issue. While infrequently that might be true, more often is is a peripheral issue. It is hard for us to determine exactly what is the culprit. We don't have log info that covers everything. With EPIC we have designed in more visibility...

Jim
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim. I will investigate further this week. Symptoms are erratic. I've been using different cameras with different project settings and have gotten codec errors. It hasn't been just my camera.

As mentioned - I haven't seen a codec error in over a year - then "all of a sudden" at least one per shoot on two different cameras.

Todays mission - "log file"!

Thanks.
 
JIM,
Thanks..... its reassuring to know you guys are working on this problem. I continually get these record errors. I have sent the log file from my cameras in twice and each time was told the problem was not conclusive. I know just by looking at the scene now if we are going to have these record codec errors. If its a sunny day (living in Hawaii this is what what we mostly get) with trees with fine leaves blowing in the wind its a problem. Another case where I know there is going to be a problem is where the scene has strong reflections in the water in both these examples it only happens on the master wider shots. Sometimes both cameras will drop out of record with this error at the same time say when the sun comes out though a cloud or if the wind starts blowing the leave in the trees.
Sometimes the record errors are so bad we just can't shoot that shot and have to move in closer until the error go away. Sean suggested disabling the audio for these shots but this doesn't help.
I have changed Red Dives cables and the only thing that I have found helps is to change from recoding 3k,50fps,16x9,RC36 to 2:1 3k,50fps,RC36.
I have ordered the SSD drives with my fingers crossed that this is going to fix the problem.
Do you think the SSDs will help?
 
Richard Lowther said:
I know just by looking at the scene now if we are going to have these record codec errors...
Click to expand...

While there were recording errors with highly detailed scenes in very early builds, I haven't seen that happen for several years now.

We were shooting babies on a green screen. Very low-detail, low-motion, easy to compress scenes.
 
SSD

SSD

Richard Lowther said:
I have changed Red Dives cables and the only thing that I have found helps is to change from recoding 3k,50fps,16x9,RC36 to 2:1 3k,50fps,RC36.

I have ordered the SSD drives with my fingers crossed that this is going to fix the problem. Do you think the SSDs will help?
Click to expand...

Just by apparent co-incidence it might, because it will take both the RED DRIVE and the RED DRIVE cable out of the SATA recording path, and some unobserved damage to either one of those may be causing the issue you are experiencing.

SSD is a faster media, but the data rate being recorded to the RED DRIVE or SSD will be the same at the same settings.

If you have not sent a LOG file in from your cameras can do you so - you can send it to me at stuart@red.com
 
Thanks Stuart,
As I said I have sent the Error log twice but I will please to send it to you again if you think it will help. I also emailed you.
Richard
 
Jannard said:
If these errors seem to be increasing then I would certainly take inventory of a few things. As mentioned, cables. Recording media. Did the camera get dropped? Could boards be loose? There is always a cause for these errors, rarely the camera itself... just because it doesn't feel well that day. Electronics are usually repeatable. If the camera is unhappy, it will tell you it needs attention by repeating the symptom most every time. Intermittent errors are usually something else...

Jim
Click to expand...

Jim.

As mentioned in the threads Dylan linked to, these codec errors seem to be beyond drive related and cabled related issues.

I'm 4 weeks into a series with 5 RED's across two units recording on both drives and CF cards and have had codec errors across all of them and both media.

Clearly it's not a drive / media issue only in this case all the time.

I've sent log files back to be told that the drive had to updated. The rental company tell me that that actual drive already HAD been updated and it doesn't explain why I'm getting them on CF cards.

The frustrating thing is that in season 1, I did the entire show without a single codec error. Now I'm getting one every few days. Everytime I get one the hard won confidence I have built from the production in this camera takes a ding.

The only thing that's changed is we now use MX bodies and we're on 30.6.12.


jb
 
John Brawley said:
Jim.

As mentioned in the threads Dylan linked to, these codec errors seem to be beyond drive related and cabled related issues.

I'm 4 weeks into a series with 5 RED's across two units recording on both drives and CF cards and have had codec errors across all of them and both media.

Clearly it's not a drive / media issue only in this case all the time.

I've sent log files back to be told that the drive had to updated. The rental company tell me that that actual drive already HAD been updated and it doesn't explain why I'm getting them on CF cards.

The frustrating thing is that in season 1, I did the entire show without a single codec error. Now I'm getting one every few days. Everytime I get one the hard won confidence I have built from the production in this camera takes a ding.

The only thing that's changed is we now use MX bodies and we're on 30.6.12.


jb
Click to expand...

John... I am sure you have sent log files to Stuart or Deanan by now? Are you seeing them on multiple cameras? Or the same camera with either CF and drives? 4K? 4.5K? Frame rates? REDCODE? We can't help if we don't have info. And best to take this offline with Stuart or Deanan. You have my email address. If you send all the info and they can't help you, email me.

Jim
 
We have experienced a lot of codec faults across 3 cameras, going back about 18 months. We've sent the bodies back to Red for inspection, along with 6 drives and cables. Red (especially Brent and Sean) have been extremely helpful and attentive. They couldn't find any problems with our equipment yet the codec faults continue to occur. We conducted over 70 hours of testing with our equipment and could not isolate the cause. Red then sent us a loaner camera body which had been cleared by the Red engineers as 'stable'. Once we started test shooing with the loaner, it too started to get a lot of codec faults. Our testing eventually revealed that the codec faults occur when our studio lighting is on. We've since had to return the loaner unit but are continuing to test with our cameras to try to isolate the cause. What's certain is that the codec faults we experience are not related to media, eSATA cabling, monitoring or audio, or even mains power Vs batteries.

I'm happy to discuss our experiences further if it's of assistance to anyone--please PM me.

Best of luck John and Dylan.

PS Dylan--your early shoot for the mining company was an inspiration for us in the early days and is still a fabulous reference--thanks for posting all the details here :-)
 
James Press said:
...Once we started test shooing with the loaner, it too started to get a lot of codec faults. Our testing eventually revealed that the codec faults occur when our studio lighting is on. We've since had to return the loaner unit but are continuing to test with our cameras to try to isolate the cause. What's certain is that the codec faults we experience are not related to media, eSATA cabling, monitoring or audio, or even mains power Vs batteries...
Click to expand...

Interesting - I guess the next step might be having the Reds recording a static image, while you turn on your studio lights one by one and seeing if you can induce the codec fault? If that doesn't do it, it may be a combination of lamps, so then turn on as many as possible with your studio current capacity, and go through your lamps in batches.

I would suspect RF interference, so tungstens are unlikely culprits, but HMI and fluorescent ballasts, as well as dimmers (in line or DMX bays) might be suspects.
 
So who's heard about this upgrading of drives? I remember a while ago after a new build was released we had to send our drives and cables in. Now it turns out you might have to do it again. If you check the serial number of your media in the status screen a the number has a long list of x's then the drive needs upgrading.

Was this mentioned in any small-print somewhere?
 
Thomas Wright said:
So who's heard about this upgrading of drives? I remember a while ago after a new build was released we had to send our drives and cables in. Now it turns out you might have to do it again. If you check the serial number of your media in the status screen a the number has a long list of x's then the drive needs upgrading.

Was this mentioned in any small-print somewhere?
Click to expand...

Hi Thomas

I had the same thing when I had already had my drives upgraded. Apparently Red Pinewood weren't fully up to date on the upgrade procedure and missed a step (drive speed check I think) which would also update the drive serial number.

It didn't stop my drives working, but they thought it might have something to do with a couple of Sata type errors I had. I'm not entirely convinced, but there you go. Also, I've not had any codec errors on my drives, only rental drives from Panavision.

Cheers
Eric
 
XXXX report

XXXX report

If the Status Screen shows an attached RED DRIVE with XXXX in the model number field, it simply means that RED-DRIVE (or RED-RAM) has not been returned to RED Tech Support for inspection following a report of SATA bus based record errors. i.e. If your camera is experiencing record errors, please contact Tech Support and send us a camera LOG file for analysis.

In summary though, the presence, or not, of XXXX in that field does not indicate a "good" or "bad" drive. The vast majority work fine either way.
 
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