Magewell Device Troubleshooting

Ensure Magewell Capture devices are functioning properly, especially when getting connected to Production Truck. This primarily outlines troubleshooting for the Magewell USB Capture HDMI, but some of these tips can be used on other Magewell capture devices.

Downloading Drivers

Single camera Magewell devices, such as the Magewell USB Capture Devices, typically do not require driver downloads. They are "plug-and-play" devices. Magewell Capture Cards require drivers to be downloaded from Magewell. Drivers for Magewell Capture Cards can be downloaded directly from within Production Truck.

Go to Help in the toolbar and navigate to Download Links. Select Magewell. You will be taken through a standard software install process and your computer will likely need to be restarted afterward.

if after reopening Production Truck, the camera views don't show up, the cameras may need to be toggled on/off.

Verifying Input within Production Truck

Verify that Production Truck is detecting the correct settings. When attempting to connect a camera source, you will be given three key options: Source, Line In, and Format.

• Source should be "USB Capture HDMI+", "USB SDI Video", or the name of the recording device, likely with the brand name.
• Line In should indicate the cabling type you are utilizing, HDMI or SDI.
• Format should be the format that the camera is set to output at. Auto Format will be checked by default and will be set to the format that the camera is currently set to output at. We would recommend changing the output settings of the camera itself in order to get to the correct format.

We do not recommend recording in 1080i, instead opting for 1080p, as 1080i can cause issues, particularly regarding filming sports. That format causes interlacing issues which can cause video to look grainy and blurry.

Powering the Capture Card

Magewell devices are not internally powered and require external power from the computer. In the case of the Magewell USB Capture HDMI, some MacBooks cannot power more than one without being externally powered itself via the Macbook's charging cable.

To ensure the Magewell device is being powered, there is a small indicator light located on most Magewell devices. To better troubleshoot what is occurring with the device itself, below are the breakdowns of various light indicators:

• On: the indicator light will be on steadily when a signal source is connected
• Pulsing: there is no signal or the signal cannot be locked or supported
• Flashing: there is a problem with the device

If your Mac computer is having trouble powering certain Magewell devices, the computer will likely prompt you with an error.

Testing Video Input

Another Magewell program can be downloaded in order to test if it is properly bringing in the video feed from the camera. That program can be found and downloaded here: Magewell Capture Express (specific for Windows)

If you attempt to open Magewell Capture Express, and the Magewell software cannot detect the Magewell Capture Device, then it will throw an error. If the Magewell Capture Express software cannot detect the capture device, Production Truck will not be able to either.

How it should Look in Magewell Capture Express:

If the Magewell capture device is working properly and is able to be recognized by your PC it should show on Magewell Capture Express as Follows:

This indicates the capture card is receiving picture from the camera.

If the camera and capture device are not listed in the video/audio device section in Magewell Capture Express the capture device is not being recognized by the computer and you will need to check your hardware connection and formatting on your camera.

BlueFrame Technology can help with some preliminary troubleshooting, but when it comes to these hardware-specific issues then you may need to look at your equipment set up and try some troubleshooting with your equipment to find the root cause of the issue.