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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 Error? Really?

Harry Clark

Harry Clark

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Remember that one? I thought we did not have to worry about it anymore.
I was shooting in Central Park last week on Build 21 and I tried to do a few tracking shots looking up at the trees, a bit of hazy sun poking through. Screen would grey out and I'd get the CODEC_ERROR message. I could either stop way down (too far down) or defocus, and the camera would record fine. 4K, 16x9, RC 36, Max Mode off. Red Raid Drive.
I had never gotten one of these before, but I think I remember it was a big deal when we all moved to Build 17? Leo T. had the tree that was the "codec breaker" that Red used to test the issue...
Anybody get one of these lately? The only thing I can think of is that I was at Redcode 36, not 42. And of course I did not remember to try it until after the fact. ;)
Anyone at Red want me to send a log? If it was from Thursday and I shot a bit with the camera again Friday, would the relevant info still be in the log file?
Cheers,
Harry
 
I would like to know if it is always on the same piece of media? If you are getting it on multiple drives is it also across multiple drive cables? Thanks

Sean Ruggeri
 
Sean, in my case it's been on different drives, as well as a 16 gig card.
I made a log file and sent to Brent and you, as I have had another drive issue since then...
Cheers,
Harry
 
similar issue. MX camera running 3k 16x9 redcode 42 on 16GB cards.

about 30sec into the shot, it came up with the error.
-switched to another card, camera wouldn't record (same error)
-went to a drive, still same issue
power cycled camera and took the card out of rotation and that seemed to work for a while. until it happened again on a 16gb card a couple hours later.
-power cycled the camera and then went to red rams to finished out the day just fine.

any more ideas?
thanks!
 
Happened on our two RED MX's this past weekend.

We were shooting all day at 4k 16:9 24fps, RC36, and switched to 3k 16:9 to do 50fps.

Got the error right away as soon as we rolled at 50fps. same thing on 4 different drives, and even swapped cables.

Bumped down to RC28 and still got the codec error.

Turned of Proxies and still got the error.

Switched bodies, reinstalled build 30.5, still got the error.

Dropped down to 48fps and everything was fine.

Might I add that all the content was outdoor exteriors on bright sunny days.

In my opinion I think it is a hardware/bit-rate limitation, limited to shooting

certain contrasty scenarios. RED should possibly update their 'MAX frame rate' section in

manual......
 
I'm getting codec errors today as well. Shooting 3K 2:1 RC28 60FPS in a 29.97 timebase. It's an updated MX body. We are shooting talent against an LED light wall animating plus strobes, it doesn't happen when the camera is backed away from the LED on the master shot but as soon as we moved in on the wall it happens after 2000 frames are recorded. Happened 4 times in a row to 3 different cards, reboots didn't help. Wish I had more time to test with this led wall, seems to be the culprit.
 
Eric Matthew said:
Happened on our two RED MX's this past weekend.

We were shooting all day at 4k 16:9 24fps, RC36, and switched to 3k 16:9 to do 50fps.

Got the error right away as soon as we rolled at 50fps. same thing on 4 different drives, and even swapped cables.

Bumped down to RC28 and still got the codec error.

Turned of Proxies and still got the error.

Switched bodies, reinstalled build 30.5, still got the error.

Dropped down to 48fps and everything was fine.

Might I add that all the content was outdoor exteriors on bright sunny days.

In my opinion I think it is a hardware/bit-rate limitation, limited to shooting

certain contrasty scenarios. RED should possibly update their 'MAX frame rate' section in

manual......
Click to expand...

Can you please send images of the scene and log files to tech support?
 
codec errors

codec errors

We got codec error last month shooting at a tea plantation. I thought it was because of the complexity of the landscape, millions of small leaves... We re-installed the firmware and the codec errors never appeared again. We are still in build 21 (M) sensor. I have noticed that if we use heavily the camera for 15 days or so, studio and then exteriors, airplanes etc. it is better to fresh install the firmware and black shade it. We got codec errors in another occasion and by re-installing the problem was gone again. MX? I dont know yet, I will find out soon...
Panos
 
I have had issues with our M-X as well this past month. 4k ANA at RC42.
One drive would frequently give playback_error and codec_error during playback and the other started giving codec_error after about 2 seconds of rolling.
Tried playing with various settings and combinations but nothing which led me to believe it was the drives playing up.

Took both drives out of the equation and switched to CF cards at RC36 and it fixed the problem. Spinning media mounted on camera...scary. I'll never use Red drives again. Loving the CF cards.

Both drives are on their way back to Red I believe with recorded settings etc.
 
I've seen codec errors a few times over the last 3 months on 3 cams shooting B30 - RED1 - M. Different media. Different shooting conditions. Different cams.

Re-boot. Change media. Restart. Works.

Odd.

Haven't had time for the logs and such. Should have, I am sure.
 
aye aye aye aye. shooting traditional healing dance in namibia yesterday, last 4 minutes were gone because of a codec error. hardly had the time to reinstall firmware. red 1 m on build 30, red drive, 16x9 25fps; lot of contrast in the scene shortly before sunset in the desert. Can't believe it is the hardware, because I read that it happens with all kinds of media; maybe build 30 has a bug, or it is too sensitive on the faults in the media; I've sent a drive in before because build 21 (I think?) was very sensitive on transferring info.
I'm reading a lot here about bright sunlights; I know I had to blow out the sky now and then in order to not to get the faces too dark
 
had this happened to me 5 times in about 40 shoots two weeks ago, always when sun was hitting the camera outdoors. Lowering quality to RC28 and covering camera with cloth seemed to solve this problem. Tried multiple hard drives. Built 21. 4kHD 30fps.
 
We've been getting it in the studio on 3 different Red 1s but it's not overly brightly lit--shooting talking heads at T3.9--so it doesn't reconcile in our circumstances that it's a "too much light" issue. Similarly we don't have a glut of detail either so it doesn't appear to be from data overload. I want to say very clearly how attentive and accessible Sean and all the crew at Red have been, although unfortunately we're still getting the fault. Have sent one camera body back to no avail; and drives also. Sending more drives and cables in next week. Typically our takes are pretty long (over 1 hour) although we have got codec faults after only a few minutes of recording sometimes. We shoot to 320GB drives and usually 4 mics running +48V; HDMI out; LCD (no EVF). Have had codec faults across a number of builds (B21 from memory; and 30.1.5).
 
Yep, we got some too. Shooting dawn into the sun at the beach. Build 30 with MX sensor trying different cables and drives. Our camera has been stable as a Red One can be, bit of a shock to get these from the old days...not good. No log files as the strange thing the camera just slowly sorted itself out with less errors and less errors until it just stopped faulting...then was fine the rest of the day and next.
RED GREMLINS i have called them and please oh please let these type of things be a thing of the past with DSMC cameras.
 
Had the same problem yesterday at 50fps, 3K 16:9, 180 degrees shutter, and frame rate 25.
Once we set it to 50fps the camera won't run and said "codec error" and had to reboot the camera.
However, no problem with 30fps. Since the director were shouting too loud we have to skip that scene,
we move to another location and suddenly it went okay at 50fps for the rest of the day.

Did a re-shoot today for that particular scene, different red body and the camera start having problem
again at 50fps. Reboot the camera several times until it went fine again.

Anyone knows why this thing happened? It's quite frustrating if this thing happened when we're shooting out of
the town and take several hours driving to send the back up body. Thanks heaps in advance, guys.
 
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