Camera Starts/Successful Boot Ratios

[Bill Goehring]

I've had my camera now for a couple of weeks and am finding that I get about a 5:1 attempt:success ratio on cold (inside room temp) boots. The ratio improves as the camera warms up. Is this what others are seeing?

The camera came with Build 13 and I have upgraded to 14, though that doesn't seem to have changed anything. I have tried re-installing both builds over themselves and each other, but I didn't see any differences there either. I also have done a little dance with the CF card and SD card: in, out, together, separate. I suspect any apparently improved result would be due more to superstition than science.

Along the way, I have had trouble getting the camera to recognize an upgrade folder on the SD card, even though the card is recognized on the lcd. The camera refuses to format the card, stating that it is too slow for the selected resolution (4k 2:1). I thought the SD card was to be used for system installation, as well as for future use with "look" files. How do I get the camera to format the SD card?

I understand that the CF card can be used to do this and have successfully done that, but I'd like to carry different builds and looks on SD cards and devote CF cards to content. Besides, I bought only one CF card (I have a raid drive too), since I'm convinced that 16 GB cards will ship the day I buy any more 8 GB cards.

[jbeale]

That's not what I saw in my brief Red experience so far, and from reading the forums I believe your experience is unique. Most people report bootup failure only very rarely, so my guess is there is some problem specific to your camera.

[Barry Green]

Knocking on wood, but it's never failed to boot yet. Used 13 release and 14 beta.

[Stuart English]

Along the way, I have had trouble getting the camera to recognize an upgrade folder on the SD card, even though the card is recognized on the lcd. The camera refuses to format the card, stating that it is too slow for the selected resolution (4k 2:1). I thought the SD card was to be used for system installation, as well as for future use with "look" files. How do I get the camera to format the SD card?

The camera does not support formatting the SD card Bill, just the CF card or RED-DRIVE. The SD card interface we use on the camera is much too slow for video.

[Bill Goehring]

Thanks, Stuart.

I'm not trying to put video on the SD card, but thought that the camera's refusal to see an upgrade folder on the card might be alleviated if the camera could format it.

But my problem remains: the camera is not recognizing an upgrade folder on the SD card. Isn't it supposed to?

Also, should I expect to hit the kickstart five times before it fires up and boots on a "cold" start?

[Mick van Rossum, NSC]

Thanks, Stuart.

I'm not trying to put video on the SD card, but thought that the camera's refusal to see an upgrade folder on the card might be alleviated if the camera could format it.

But my problem remains: the camera is not recognizing an upgrade folder on the SD card. Isn't it supposed to?

Also, should I expect to hit the kickstart five times before it fires up and boots on a "cold" start?

Bill, the boot problem sounds serious, it never let me down on my Red so far. About the update; In the update folder that you download from the Support site (with the build number) is another update folder, take that out to the SD card, and it will recognize it instantly (I only found out today myself while reading the manual)
Good luck

Good luck

[Jay A. Kelley]

I have had this problem. Successful boot ups are not consistant. Every 3 or four times, the system seems to hang.

Jay

[Bill Goehring]

Mick--

Thanks for the response.

I could have sworn I'd tried both folders AND the zip file. But apparently I hadn't, because the camera recognized the interior upgrade folder on an SD card like a champ.

However, I AM concerned about the boot issue. Sounds like no one has had this problem for quite a while.

EDIT: ...except for you, Jay.

[Michael Morlan]

The only time I've had a boot failure thus far was after accidentally jacking the LCD into the EVF output. (Easy to do, BTW.) The monitor wouldn't come up after properly jacking into the LCD output. A subsequent boot cycle caused the rear display to garble. A third boot attempt and everything came up fine.

Michael

[donatello b]

today on Red 355 - we could not get it to boot up ( it would hang after approx 20sec) ...after 20 min of trying different things it ended up being the LCD cable ( got me) ... once we switch out the cable it booted up ....

[Bill Goehring]

Excellent, donatello! That was it!

I only have one LCD cable, so I couldn't swap it out, but simply disconnecting it allows the camera to boot--each and every time. After booting, I can attach the LCD cable and everything's fine.

So, failure to boot can be an indication of a faulty LCD cable. Disconnect before booting, and re-attach after booting is complete and there will be tears of joy.

In retrospect, I should have been able to figure this out myself through trial and error. I just didn't know where to start. I guess physical connections are that place. Doh!

Thanks again.

[Paul Leeming]

We've had ours not book once or twice, hasn't been an issue really as I just cycle it and it wakes up properly :)

I'll try the LCD cable solution if it ever gets worse than that, though I suspect by build 15 this issue might also disappear.

Cheers,

Paul