Blackmagic HyperDeck Extreme HDR User Manual Recording

HyperDeck Extreme records video using H.264, H.265, Apple ProRes and DNx codecs. The default codec is H.265 so you can press record straight away. To record 8K video on HyperDeck Extreme 8K HDR, you can also change the codec to ProRes LT. This section of the manual will show you how to do that.

Selecting your Source and Codec

Change the source and codec settings using the intuitive touchscreen display.

To select a source:

1. Tap the ‘source’ icon to the right of the timecode display at the top of the touchscreen to open the ‘record’ menu.

2. From the input options, tap the icon corresponding to the source input your video signal is connected to, for example HDMI or component.

To select a codec:

1. From the codec options, tap on H.264, H.265, ProRes or DNxHR.

2. Different quality settings are available depending on the codec selected and you can choose one by tapping the desired ‘quality’ icon. For ProRes, ‘HQ’ is the highest quality available. If you have selected H.265, ‘high’ will record the highest quality.

To return to the main display, tap the menu icon in the top right corner. Your input and codec selection will appear on the top toolbar of the main display along with the video source on the LCD.

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TIP For more information on codecs and available quality settings, see the ‘codec and quality’ section in the record menu later in this manual.

Starting Record

Now that you have set your source and codec, you can start recording.

Press the ‘record’ button on the front panel, or tap the red record icon on the touchscreen. You can see your HyperDeck is recording because the record button will illuminate red along with the timecode display and media icon. To stop recording, simply press either the touchscreen or front panel ‘stop’ button.

Media Warning Indicator

If you are recording Ultra HD or high quality 8K video using slower media, you may experience problems with your media. For example, 8K recording uses a higher data rate compared to Ultra HD, so your CFast cards need to be the fastest available. If there are problems with your media during recording, you will see a red exclamation icon above the audio meters on the touchscreen overlay.

An exclamation mark will appear in the lower right hand corner of the display if problems with your media have been detected

We strongly recommend making sure your media is on the approved media list, which can be found in the ‘storage media’ section later in this manual.

Cache Recording

You can avoid the risk of problems with your media completely by using the optional cache recording feature. This lets you record the highest resolutions and frame rates on even the slowest media. For example, with a cache you can record 8K ProRes HQ files onto a CFast card. The optional cache is also important for when recording to network storage as it ensures your recordings continue even if there are dropouts on your network.

The optional cache recording feature records all files to an internal M.2 PCIe NVMe flash disk before they are transferred to your storage media. Depending on the speed of your storage media, this transfer can appear almost instantaneous! A benefit of M.2 PCIe NVMe flash disks is that they are incredibly fast, completely removing the risk of problems even with slow recording media!

Another benefit of the cache feature is that recordings will continue even after your connected storage media is full! When the card has no recording space left, the recording will continue to the cache. Once a formatted CFast card, external USB disk or network drive is added, the recording will automatically start transferring to the card or drive.

For more information about cache recording, including how to install the M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, see the ‘using the optional internal cache’ section later in this manual.