ScreenPort SDI Pro USER GUIDE

Introduction

ScreenPort SDI Pro is a 3rd generation of the unique ScreenPort hardware line, used primarily as an SDI video, audio and metadata capture card for iPad, iPhone and Mac. Latest iteration replaces battery slots with LEMO power connectors to provide seamless operation when mounted directly on the camera body. Additionally, ScreenPort SDI Pro features rugged metal enclosure with multiple mounting holes, which allows users to attach it to an iPhone or iPad for the smart SDI monitoring and recording experience.

ScreenPort SDI Pro can be used as a standalone streaming device, sending wireless feed from camera to portable devices over existing Wi-Fi infrastructure or using its own access point mode. However, its true power is unleashed when paired with an iOS device.

All ScreenPort devices come with a dedicated ScreenPort app, which provides monitoring, recording, playback, and image processing tools unmatched by most professional monitors. For more advanced setups, users can download QTAKE Monitor app, which adds multi-camera support, custom metadata, clip ranges and QTAKE Cloud integration.

Features

  • Video, audio, metadata monitoring & recording
  • SDI embedded or analog audio capture
  • Auto-recording using camera SDI flags
  • Streaming to remote monitors over the internet
  • Compatible with QTAKE applications
  • Powered over USB-C or LEMO 2-pin power connectors
  • Bus-powered operation when using Mac
  • Wired and wireless connection to a host device
  • Predefined and custom frame-lines
  • Custom 3D LUT import and processing
  • Waveform, vectorscope, and histogram analysis
  • Focus peaking and customizable false color
  • Future-proof design upgradable by firmware

Box Contents

ScreenPort SDI Pro package includes:

  • ScreenPort SDI Pro device
  • Two WiFi dual-band antennas
  • Power adapter with international plugs
  • LEMO to LEMO power cable
  • D-Tap to LEMO power cable
  • SDI to SDI video cable
  • USB-C to USB-C power & data cable
  • USB-C to Lightning power & data cable
  • Protective hard case with foam insert

Connectors and Controls

Video Input:
3G-SDI

Audio Input:
3.5mm unbalanced stereo / balanced mono

Video Output:
3G-SDI loop-through

Data ports:
Ethernet
WiFi (2.4/5.0 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2 x 2 MIMO)
USB-C

Power:
USB-C Input 15W (5VDC/3A)
LEMO 2-pin Input/Output 18W (6-18VDC)

Physical:
111 x 108 x 23 mm (4,37″ x 4,25″ x 0,91″)
240 g (0.53 lb)
1/4”-20 mounting hole
4x M2.5 mounting holes

Bitrate:
CBR or VBR
Adjustable from 1Mbps to 40Mbps

Encoder:
H.264
HEVC

Control:
Software control over USB-C or network

Software:
ScreenPort
QTAKE Monitor
QTAKE Video Assist

Operating frequency:
2400 - 2483.5 MHz
5150 - 5850 MHz

Max RF Output power:
< 20dBm EIRP

Power Options

ScreenPort SDI Pro offers multiple power options for its operation:

USB-C Power Adapter

When portability is not a requirement, ScreenPort SDI Pro can be powered using included AC/DC power adapter. Moreover, power will be passed to iOS devices allowing users to charge it. The power adapter accepts input of 100-240V, 50/60Hz, 0.55A max, and produces output of 5V 3A.

Lemo 2-pin power connectors

The most efficient powering option is to use power supply from the camera body. ScreenPort SDI Pro has two Lemo 2-pin connectors which can be used as power input and output, providing power supply for additional devices in the chain. Accepted voltage range is 6-18 VDC and maximum power draw is 18 W.

USB-C Power Bank

Alternative powering option is an external battery or power bank connected to USB-C port of the ScreenPort SDI Pro device. The compatibility requirement for the power bank is a 5V 3A power output.

Computer USB

When used with a computer, you can use a USB connection to transfer data and power, so no additional power source is needed for ScreenPort SDI Pro operation.

Charging iOS devices

When used with iOS host device connected over USB, ScreenPort SDI Pro will provide power to charge it if the power supply has sufficient current.

Mounting

ScreenPort SDI Pro contains industry-standard 1/4”-20 threaded hole used for mounting on the camera body using magic arm or similar mounting points. Two additional pairs of M2.5 threaded holes located at opposite sides of the device are used for custom mounting accessories.

Getting started

Follow these steps to use ScreenPort SDI Pro connected via USB cable to an iOS device or Mac:

  1. Install ScreenPort or QTAKE Monitor application on your iOS device.
  2. Connect a power source to the ScreenPort SDI Pro device using a USB-C power connector or Lemo 2-pin power connector.
  3. Power on ScreenPort SDI Pro using the power switch (status LED will turn white). Power up sequence takes around 20 seconds.
  4. Connect a camera SDI output to the SDI input of the ScreenPort SDI Pro using an SDI cable (the status LED will turn green if the valid signal is detected).
  5. Connect the USB-C data port of the ScreenPort SDI Pro to your iOS device using a data cable.
  6. “Trust This Computer?” dialog will appear on your iOS device. Click the “Trust” button.

Connections

ScreenPort SDI Pro offers multiple ways to connect to a host device.

USB

Connecting ScreenPort SDI Pro USB data port to your host device provides the connection with the highest bandwidth. Therefore you can use the best visual quality without worrying your data connection will drop frames. The downside of the USB interface is the limitation of use to a single device.

Ethernet

When connecting multiple ScreenPort SDI Pro devices to multiple host devices, using the ethernet interface is the ideal solution.

When connected to a local network with an ethernet cable, a signal from each ScreenPort SDI Pro will be available to any device connected to the local network.

Wi-Fi

Similar to an Ethernet connection, the Wi-Fi interface establishes a connection to the local network. However, in this case, the connection is established wirelessly, eliminating the need for physical cables. It is the most practical way to stream from ScreenPort SDI Pro to monitoring devices. However, it is essential to note that the Wi-Fi interface can be the most fragile network connection method. It is primarily due to the possibility of data packet drops due to lower signal quality or interference.

Access Point Mode

Access Point Mode transforms how you can use your ScreenPort SDI Pro device. Instead of relying on existing Wi-Fi infrastructure, ScreenPort can create its own Wi-Fi network with support for up to 8 wireless clients. This mode requires firmware 2.54 or higher and ScreenPort app 1.6 or higher.

New devices ship with Access Point Mode enabled by default. To enable Access Point Mode on your existing ScreenPort SDI Pro device, tap SETUP in the ScreenPort app, then tap Network and set Access Point to ON.

If you need to connect to an on-set Wi-Fi network, set Wi-Fi to ON instead. It will automatically turn Access Point off but will retain your settings for future use.

Operation

ScreenPort SDI Pro features two modes of operation:

Standalone mode

Using industry-standard power connectors and rugged metal enclosure, ScreenPort SDI Pro was designed to be mounted on the camera to capture video, audio and metadata from SDI output and stream it over the local network to multiple clients. If there is no Wi-Fi available on the set, ScreenPort device can be switched to Access Point mode to create its own wireless network.

Host device mode

When connected to an iOS device, ScreenPort SDI Pro provides ultra-low latency streaming over the internet and proxy media upload to QTAKE Cloud project to make the recorded content instantly available to remote collaborators. Using camera SDI flags, the whole process of recording and cloud sharing can be automated and doesn’t require extra person to handle operation.

ScreenPort app

You can control the ScreenPort SDI Pro device using the ScreenPort application. When connected to an iOS device, ScreenPort SDI Pro will be automatically detected. The sections below describe basic functionality for monitoring, recording, and playback.

Monitor

Make sure to set the LIVE/DISK button, located in the top left corner, to live mode. The viewer will display the image of the incoming SDI feed. FORMAT label located in the top bar will show the format of the SDI signal.

Audio Meters

If the SDI signal contains audio, meters above the image viewer will show the audio level of the LIVE signal. During playback, meters will show the audio levels of the playback.

Metadata

If the SDI signal contains camera metadata, ScreenPort SDI Pro will extract it and display it in UI toolbars. Timecode and clip name are located in the bottom part of the screen. Camera and lens metadata is located in the top part of the screen.

Record

If the LIVE mode is ON, tap the white circle icon to initiate a recording session. ScreenPort app will record incoming video and audio signals into a media file. Tap the record icon again to finish recording. The app records a timecode if it is present in the SDI signal. In case of a missing timecode, it records the current system time instead.

Auto-record

In addition to manual recording, some cameras send SDI record flags to initiate automatic recording. To set the ScreenPort SDI Pro auto-record mode, tap the AUTO REC button (ARRI and SONY cameras are currently supported).

Browse

Tap the VIEW/CLIPS button in the bottom left corner to show the clip browser. Use the DAYS/CLIPS button in the top left corner to switch between days and clips mode. Each day item represents a folder that contains all clips shot during that day. Tap the day thumbnail to show corresponding clips.

Load

Tap the LOAD/SELECT button to switch between load and selection modes. When the load mode is active, you can tap the clip thumbnail to load the clip into the viewer.

Select

When selection mode is active, you can tap or drag your finger through browser items to select them. Selected items appear in blue.

Delete

Tap the DELETE button to remove items from the browser and delete corresponding media files from the device.

Playback

Once you load the clip into the viewer, you can play it. In addition to real-time playback, there are two buttons to the right of the PLAY button, allowing you to navigate the clip frame by frame. Use those to the left of the PLAY button to jump to the clip start/end.

Slider

The time slider resides above the playback icons. Use it to scrub through the clip. The slider represents the whole duration of the clip.

Jog

For more precise clip navigation, drag your finger horizontally over the viewer.

Functions

Switching the INFO/FUNC button to function mode provides access to various functions of the ScreenPort app.

SDI Source

This field identifies the connected camera. ScreenPort SDI Pro can extract timecode, clip name, and other camera and lens metadata from ARRI, Sony, Canon, Panasonic, and RED digital cinema cameras.

Setup

The bottom right corner of the ScreenPort user interface contains the TOOLS/SETUP button. Switching this button to setup mode reveals additional controls.

Device Control

Tap the BITRATE field to select the quality of the encoder output. A lower bitrate might be more suitable for wireless streaming. If you intend to wire ScreenPort, higher bitrates are available to provide better image quality. You can further control the encoder by setting it to constant (CBR) or variable (VBR) bitrate. Use the NETWORK field to connect to an existing Wi-Fi network.

Mute

You can turn off Live audio using the MUTE LIVE button. Use MUTE DISK to mute playback audio. Muting live audio will not affect audio recording.

Network

Tap the NETWORK field to access Wi-Fi and Access Point controls. Enable Wi-Fi to connect to existing Wi-Fi infrastructure. To create a new Wi-Fi network for client devices to connect to, enable Access Point instead.

When enabled through the ON/OFF switch, the Wi-Fi section expands to show available Wi-Fi networks. Allow a few seconds for scanning to complete after enabling. Tap a network to connect and enter the Wi-Fi password if prompted. There is a checkmark on the right of the connected Wi-Fi network name.

When Access Point is enabled, Wi-Fi will automatically turn off. The Access Point section will expand to show additional settings. To edit a setting, tap the corresponding row.

To change the access point password, tap the SSID field. It will open a dialog where you can set both SSID and password. To change the SSID, but keep your current password, leave the password field blank.

Advanced Network Settings

To set a manual IP address for your ScreenPort SDI Pro device’s Ethernet or Wi-Fi interface, tap the MORE button to reveal Advanced Network Settings. Tap the corresponding Configure IP row and set the mode to Manual. When set to Manual, you can edit the IP address, subnet, router, and DNS fields by tapping any of them.

Audio Settings

Tap the MORE button to open Audio Settings popover. If your SDI source is using audible timecode, you can set TC Channel to Left or Right to mute it.

QTAKE Monitor app

You can control ScreenPort SDI Pro also using the QTAKE Monitor application. When connected to an iOS device, the application will automatically detect ScreenPort SDI Pro. The sections below describe basic functionality for monitoring, recording, and playback.

Create Project

QTAKE Monitor is a client application that connects to QTAKE Server. After the existing QTAKE project is downloaded into QTAKE Monitor, you can use the app as a standalone monitor/recorder without connection to the server. Once QTAKE Monitor is re-connected to the server, it will sync media and metadata into the QTAKE ecosystem.

Select SDI Input

QTAKE Monitor can display up to 4 views, and they can display different content. To set the active view to SDI input, tap the button in the top right corner and select ScreenPort SDI Pro. If the device is not listed, refer to the troubleshooting page.

Record SDI Input

When the view is in LIVE mode, you can tap the bottom middle part of the SDI view to initiate the recording session. The app records incoming video and audio signals into a media file. Tap the bottom middle part of the view again to finish recording. In addition to manual recording, some cameras send SDI record flags to initiate automatic recording. Refer to the Device Settings section to set the ScreenPort SDI Pro auto-record mode.

Set In/Out Range

Each clip in QTAKE Monitor can have multiple ranges to allow only selected parts of the media file to play. Use IN and OUT buttons to set the desired range during recording or playback.

Playback

Tap the REPLAY button located in the top bar to play the last recorded clip. Tap the BROWSE button to open the clip browser and select the clip to load into active view. View mode will change from LIVE to DISK. Tap the bottom middle part of the active view in the DISK mode to initiate playback. Tap the top middle part of the view to switch between two playback modes: using ranges or ignoring ranges. Tap the top left or right view corner to jump to the previous or next range. To move the playhead frame-by-frame, tap the bottom left or right corner.

For more details about advanced functionality, please refer to QTAKE Monitor User Guide.

Firmware Update

Firmware update of the ScreenPort SDI Pro is a simple procedure. To update your ScreenPort SDI Pro firmware, launch the ScreenPort app on an iPhone or iPad connected to the internet, then connect your ScreenPort SDI Pro device via USB. If a newer firmware version is available, the ScreenPort application will notify you. Proceed with the update process for the new firmware to be downloaded and applied. Tap UPDATE to start the firmware update, then wait for the process to finish. You will see the update progress via the playback slider. Your device will restart twice.

Troubleshooting

The following table provides instructions on solving the most common problems related to the use of ScreenPort SDI Pro. If your problem is not on the list, contact the manufacturer or your reseller.

Problem Possible reason Solution
Power LED does not light up. Device is not powered up. Turn power switch on.
Device does not power up. No external power. Supply external power.
No input signal. Invalid signal sent by SDI source. Provide valid SDI signal.
No pass-through output signal. Missing input signal. Check the input signal.
No input or output signal. Broken SDI cable. Replace SDI cable.
No video in the app. Broken data cable. Replace data cable.

Important Safety Instructions

  • Carefully read and follow all instructions and keep them for future reference.
  • Do not use this device with water.
  • Clean only with a dry cloth.
  • Do not use this device with any heat sources or near fire.
  • Protect all cables.
  • Use the antenna included in the package that is approved by the manufacturer. The antenna gain that is used with this device cannot exceed 3.2dBi.
  • Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. * Servicing is required when the device has been damaged in any way, either by physical or electrical means.
  • This product uses semiconductors that can be damaged by electrostatic discharge (ESD). When handling, care must be taken so that the device is not damaged. Damage due to inappropriate handling is not covered by the warranty.

Disposal Information

ScreenPort SDI Pro shall be disposed of separately from household waste. When it reaches its end of life, take it to a collection point designated by local authorities. Separate collection and recycling at the time of disposal will help conserve natural resources and ensure that ScreenPort SDI Pro is recycled in a manner that protects human health and the environment. For more information about electronic and electrical waste equipment that will ensure the safety of human health and environment disposal, recovery, and collection points, contact your local city center, household waste disposal service, reseller, or equipment manufacturer.

COMPLIANCE

If for import of ScreenPort SDI Pro to or its operation within any country other than Slovakia it is required to fulfill additional legal requirements than those provided by the manufacturer herein, you agree to obtain all permissions and for legal compliance.

ScreenPort SDI Pro is a trademark of IN2CORE s.r.o.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.