Sony VENICE MPC-3610: reference by firmware version and filmed-screen tests

Identify the model and manual edition before following a setting

Sony VENICE MPC-3610 Operating Instructions, Firmware Version 2.0, 4-735-109-12 (1): pp. 32, 40, 48, 57 and 72. The cover shows © 2017; that mark does not establish the publication date of this edition.

The official MPC-3610 file listing links 47351091M.pdf, released December 25, 2022. The following table applies only to the firmware 2.0 manual; another version needs its own documentation. Release notes 4-745-610-09 (1) describe changes through 6.3 but do not replace the tables or procedures in the manual for each firmware version.

Reference by project rate: record P, i and PsF precisely

On p. 72 of the firmware 2.0 manual, the valid reference list depends on Project Frame Rate. These rows retain Sony's notation. Record the full signal; “24” or “50” alone omits resolution and transport format.

For Project Frame Rate 24P, the table lists 1920×1080 48i (24PsF). It does not list 1920×1080 24P as reference for that row. The 23.98P row is different: do not substitute 24 for 23.98 when configuring or documenting the test.

Page 40 presents Project Frame Rate as a project setting. Capture rate is set separately under Shooting > FPS, described on pp. 32 and 48. Read the camera's project setting before choosing a reference row; neither shooting FPS nor the projected file's frame rate substitutes for it.

Do not change the project rate solely to obtain lock without agreeing it with camera and production teams. Save the original configuration, choose a documented reference for the actual combination and record the result off air. Acceptance by the generator and every other receiver depends on their own models and manuals.

Input Source selects the path; Reference Lock Type reports status

The firmware 2.0 manual, pp. 57 and 72, distinguishes HD SDI and Analog under Technical > Genlock > Input Source. GENLOCK IN accepts interlaced or PsF 1.5G digital HD-SDI, analog HD Y and analog SD VBS within the listed references. Record signal type and Input Source before comparing paths.

The C10DA v1.0r1 path, p. 5, has analog input and outputs. If the test uses the HD-SDI reference accepted by this camera-manual edition, an analog C10DA's controls do not prepare that distribution path. For analog reference, follow the C10DA guide and check signal and settings on each branch.

On p. 57, Reference Lock Type reports Internal, External(HD) or External(SD). Internal means there is no genlock; the other two states report lock to an HD or SD signal. This is a status display, not a reference selector. Page 72 warns that unstable reference prevents genlock.

For a proposed test, keep reference, Project Frame Rate and receiver settings constant while moving from a direct to a distributed connection. Record Input Source and Reference Lock Type in both cases. If only the distributed path fails, that difference narrows the path to inspect; it does not identify a fault, incorrect gain or rejected format by itself.

Record timecode and picture lock separately. The same section on p. 72 treats LTC synchronization through TC IN as another operation. An external timecode indication does not substitute for Reference Lock Type when checking picture reference.

Filming a projection at 50 fps: separate capture, project and reference

Do not assume that setting projectors to 50 Hz will eliminate bands. During a rehearsal with the full setup, check output frequency, shutter and camera behavior.

For that test, record those details alongside capture FPS, playback format, processor output and each projector's settings. Do not infer lock from “25/50” written on a production sheet.

In this edition, Project Frame Rate 50P has listed references of 1080 50i and SD 50i. If capture is 50 fps under another project rate, use the row for the actual project setting. This reference list is neither a playback-file specification nor a projector-setting instruction. The reference row does not confirm operation in every Fixed/Variable mode; check the capture combination against the applicable manual and rehearsal.

Record an off-air comparison using the actual content and planned movements, keeping all settings and reference status. Review the clips and note any bands; this guide has no GLMedia test result and no guarantee that selecting 50 Hz will remove them.

The firmware 2.0 edition documents Input Source and Reference Lock Type. To set an offset on the camera or projectors, you need documentation for the actual devices and versions.

Plan the checks and identify missing documentation

Complete the VENICE reference and projection worksheet for the signal path, or the firmware, shutter and filmed-screen worksheet to compare clips. Both are blank. Keep document, version and result for each test; do not mix a proposed rehearsal with a completed one.

Connect the reference branch with GEN10: generated signal, C10DA: distribution and Canon C400: reference and LTC. Controls and compatibility belong to each model.

For a conference with screens, recording and streaming, record every destination and test clip before planning video processing and distribution. The full Sony manual linked in 2022 and the actual setup's models and firmware remain to be checked. The verified release-note features are explained below.

For the capture side, see TouchDesigner: Video Device In TOP and synchronization (Spanish guide). That guide bounds Transfer Mode, input groups and counters to accessible Latest documentation; the actual build and hardware still need checking.

Reference locks, but the filmed screen still has bands

If reference reports lock but a clip still shows bands or jumps, the cause cannot be assigned without recording camera firmware, playback-software version and the signal path. Playback in TouchDesigner requires its own test.

Reference lock does not demonstrate that selecting 24PsF, changing a synchronization policy or switching codec will remove bands in another system. Record the camera's reference status, playback path and what appears in the clip. Lock alone does not establish that the bands are resolved.

For the MPC-3610, the official release notes, PDF page 6, Version 6.1 section, describe Pre Shutter Off. With a 360° shutter (shutter off), it can bring exposure close to the maximum for the capture frequency and may reduce flicker when filming electronic screens sharing the same synchronization system. Sony warns that excessive light, such as a flash, can leave a residual image for one frame. Keep both the conditions and warning; do not present it as a general fix for projectors or event lighting.

If the unit and its documentation support the setting, compare it off air. First save firmware, project rate, capture FPS, shutter, reference and playback configuration. Record one clip with the planned content and motion; then change only the setting authorized for the test and record another. Compare bands, residual image and motion in both clips, and record the return to the agreed configuration. The exact control and menu path still need checking in the applicable manual; release notes alone are not enough for a button-by-button procedure.

The consulted notes do not identify a specific sync-offset control for this setup. Applicable documentation and results from an actual test remain pending.

Identify firmware and record genlock and timecode states separately

A menu screenshot from another version may show functions your camera does not have. The MPC-3610 notes, PDF page 6, Version 6.3, state that the version appears at startup beside the CineAlta symbol. If your unit has that function, record what it shows. If not, use the version-identification procedure in its manual; absence alone does not identify the firmware.

The official V6.01 file listing attributes improved display of genlock and external timecode lock states to V6.00. The notes on PDF page 6 identify viewfinder and SDI monitor outputs and the subdisplay. Record both states separately. For firmware 2.0 controls, the earlier section explains Reference Lock Type; do not apply its menu path to another version without checking.

Sony also describes reducing flicker from lighting tied to mains frequency using a 50/60 Hz selection. That differs from Pre Shutter Off for screens under the same synchronization system. A 50 Hz selection alone does not prove that camera and projector are synchronized or that either function resolves bands in another setup.

Use the table to choose the document and value to check. It is neither a complete compatibility matrix nor an update procedure. The operating manual for the actual firmware and the setup tests are still missing.