William Demeritt

Another question for Teradek people in the thread: have you run into problems with the Bolt shutting off Anton Bauer batteries, probably related to the batteries detecting they're charging another battery and faulting out? Curious to hear thoughts.

Preliminary thought/edit: the Bolt only accepts 6-16v power, and I probably gave it more.

That's great to hear (both beautiful Steadicam and fucked up). I was a huge fan of "The Assassination of Jesse James...", and have looked forward to Andrew Dominik's next offering for a while!

Wow, that's one smooth cock.

As more and more HD digital cinema cameras are trickling out, so too is the market growing for accessories and tools to work with those cameras. Inevitably, the question of backwards compatibility and multi-use comes up: does that onboard recorder receive SD? SDI? What tools do I need to make it work as many places as possible? Since I get a few questions from time to time (and I seem to be the resident geek, what with Afton working and being a Dad and all), I thought I'd write up a small primer.

Let's start in the past: the film cameras you're (probably) accustomed to working with had a video tap that gives analog video, or composite video. Read the following if you're a REAL nerd:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composite_video

Composite video is an analog signal, as in it's a modulated video signal carried over the cable from camera to your monitor. As a modulated signal, it's susceptible to attenuation, noise, interference, etc. Otherwise, the signal itself IS the video. Since it attenuates over distance, often times weak signals were amplified by adding a video distribution amplifier to "beef up" the strength of the signal. As the wiki article says, let's called this CVBS.

Now, we have all these fangled HD digital cinema cameras, and usually their monitor or video outputs HD (some cameras don't have a specific "MONITOR" feed, so we just tap one of the video outs). Now, the camera itself is digitizing the image, sending the video to internal storage as well as video outputs. They come out in a format called HD-SDI.

HD-SDI is digital signal, in that it is not a modulated signal like CVBS, but rather a stream of data whose signal constitutes a transmission of images.

To use a household analogy, your old school telephone line is an analog signal. Your internet connection, ethernet cables, etc are a digital signal.

So, HD-SDI signal carries an HD video image, and connects to an HD-SDI input on a monitor, recorder, or some other bulkhead jack with a receiver in mind. To any receiver not expecting a serial digital interface signal, it won't know what to do it and disregard the signal. Likewise, to any receiver expecting a modulated signal, be it NTSC, PAL or SECAM, it won't know what to do with an SDI signal and ignore it.

Now, for some confusion: SDI, being a digital signal, can carry standard definition much like it can carry high definition. The signal carries less data, but it's a digitized signal all the same.

Lots of accessory manufacturers sell things and say, "Yes, our product transmits/records/handles SD as well as HD!"

Technically, they're not wrong. Yes, that device does transmit/record/handle standard definition, but they handled it in a digital format: NOT CVBS. Their product is already set up to handle a digital interface, regardless of the resolution. What their product is generally not set up to do is handle an analog signal (unless they specifically say that it does).

Most of us think of our world in HD or SD: HD means HD-SDI and SD means CVBS. What we're thinking of is 2 different technologies, but in our heads, it's just a video feed. Many accessories out there will say, "Yes, we do SD!" and we think it to mean "Sweet, I can use this on my film camera jobs with an SD video tap as well as my Alexa jobs!" IT DOES NOT.

Products I've seen that are misleading in this way include:

• Decimator MD-DUCC - Specifically says it cross-converts SD to HD, HD to SD, HD to HD, SD to SD... but in actuality, it only does all those cross conversions in SDI. Yes, it still has HD to SD down-converting, but even I made the mistake thinking it would convert CVBS to HD-SDI. Nope.
  
• Atomos Samurai - a few operators have told me that the Atomos people have told them it records SD. Again, that's correct... it records standard definition when inputed as SDI. No, it does not demodulate an NTSC analog signal, convert it to digital and then store it.
  
• Switronix Recon - I think a few operators bought one, expecting it to transmit SD. Yes, it transmits SD-SDI, but not CVBS. To my knowledge, one of the few transmitters I know that transmit CVBS and HD-SDI is the Boxx Meridian.
  

Just some thoughts to keep with you this Christmas shopping season, as well as going into this digital future we're facing. If you're considering buying a tool or accessory, and it has anything to do with the video signal, MAKE SURE you ask the sales rep to distinguish if it works with CVBS, SD-SDI and HD-SDI.

p.s.- I kinda hate the new post editor. What does it leap back 5-10 words randomly when I hit backspace!?!

Rick,

With my PRO arm and arm post, I don't keep the screw locked, and when I'm standing up straight in my operating pose, the gimbal arm and arm post stay still unless I move them. I haven't experienced the gimbal arm wanting to travel anywhere I didn't want to put it, and that's with the screw fairly backed off (the arm post is very free to spin).

Just my experience, of course.

That's fantastic news, Chris! I'm looking forward to placing my order once they start trickling out! Although, I'm not sure I want another reason for the DP to hang around my sled and not be at the monitor?

It´s even less funny when you understand German...

aaaaaand end thread.

I usually forego HD with DSLR gigs and just use the composite SD feed. Never cuts out, way less finicky, and gets the job done when the camera fights you.

I'll wait to play with Papert's.

You heard me...

I'll ask this guy:

I did 2 basketball games for a "street ball" game that did a season of 10 games in Northridge in 2011. 2 hours running up (well, quick stepping) and down a court, docking only for time outs or halftime (5 minutes without the vest). I think they've done another season this year, but stopped doing it multi cam and completely without a Steadicam operator. A basketball hit me a few times, and a referee ran into me while my camera was live (had to explain to the TD I broke my shot because the ref clobbered me).

The basketball game "league" was working with the video production company to make it BIG, and it was broadcast on Fox Sports, so I was actually encouraged/allowed to get beyond the out of bounds paint and breach the court when I saw fit (wasn't often). It was a hell of a test of stamina, and I do kinda miss it.

However, for the sake of discussion here, and in my honest opinion, Steadicam was the wrong tool for that job. Too much danger, too exhausting and nowhere near a worthwhile payoff for shot necessity. Sure, they got a few shots of me running alongside a breakaway and maybe more dynamic shots when someone on the break faced off with someone near me. However, that didn't happen enough to really make it worthwhile.

p.s.- nice greenscreen monitor! For anyone who asks: Pro2 sled pre-HD upgrade, Pro2 monitor, Sony P1 with Link system provided by AVS.

So, a colorist or an editor made this? "I don't give a f**k" about shallow depth of field? Yea, for sure there buddy.

Suddenly very hungry for some Swiss cheese...

Looks great, can't wait for the deliveries to begin!

For those of us with a Cinetronic yoke for our gen 1, can we "upgrade" the yoke to suit the gen 2? Looks like just the crossbar and clamp changed for gen 1 owners.

Still very eager to see some photos of the digital level?

Thankfully, I don't have many medical issues, so I keep a high deductible health insurance plan thru Blue Shield CA. Thinking of getting a HSA to helps offset some income and have money to pay the deductible if my arm needs reattaching.

From what it looks like, the BlackMagic Hyperdeck Shuttle 2 software was updated this morning to now include compression through Apple ProRes HQ. You update the device with their software, and can select recording formats (also including Avid DNxHD 220 Mb/s).

When I first had a Hyperdeck Shuttle, a limiting factor I knew going into the purchase was the recording duration. I had a 256GB SSD bought specifically for the Shuttle, but I got a small fraction of recording time (I think maybe 25 minutes? I can't remember). The onboard battery was OK, and the device was stupidsimple to use, but with limited recording time and no deletion capability, I quickly decided it wasn't right for me.

Well, now the $345 device can record Apple ProRes HQ. My 256GB SSD drive in my Atomos Samurai gives me about 90 minutes of recording time on Apple PR HQ, so I'm assuming the Shuttle 2 will do the same. Now, the price tag is INCREDIBLY attractive. Likewise, the Shuttle 2 also accepts record trigger over HD-SDI, so if that functions properly, it becomes an attractive alternative to the Atomos Samurai at $1600.

http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/hyperdeckshuttle/

Shuttle 2 owners can head over to support to download the software.

http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/

I would love to come down to your office and play with it sometime!

From what I've read on other forums, the Teradek Bolt has basically built-in the cross-converters to an HDMI TX/RX that is probably very similar to the Paralinx Arrow. FWIW, it's apparently not a native HD-SDI transmission. It also promises the same range as the Arrow, I believe.

HDMI is just the plug the technology uses to get a signal into it, and since the HDMI plugs carry a standard signal, I think that's what the transmitter was built on. The AMIMON transmitter/receiver capabilities are what's exploited in pretty much every 5Ghz latency free uncompressed wireless HD transmitter on the market, because they did it right and well. However, I'm inclined to think there's more than just format conversion going on. The Arrow transmitter lives in a plastic case, but the Bolt is T6061 aluminum. If it uses PCB antennas, then I'd think the aluminum chassis would attenuate the signal and they'd need to counteract that affect somehow.

Further, the Bolt has LEMO power input accepting 5-18V power while the Arrow is only 5V regulated power. The Bolt also has external link strength indicators, something the Arrow only has on screen at the receiver. Most importantly, the Bolt has already implemented the multicast capability which the Paralinx has said was "down the road".

Of course, the Arrow is actually for sale today, whereas the Bolt....... of course, I'm less inclined to designate it as vaporware since Teradek is a company already delivering the gear they announce.

Also, the Arrow is inexpensive, but the SDI conversion, at it's cheapest, will cost you about the same as a Teradek Bolt... once it comes out, of course.

Victor: that's a step backwards in my opinion. They're using WiHD consumer transmitter/receiver packages that work in the 60Ghz frequency range, so they'll ALWAYS have a shorter transmission length due to atmospheric absorption (oxygen eats up radio signals at 60Ghz). Then they're adding Atomos H2S and S2H devices like we were doing before with the AirSyncHD and Paralinx Arrow owners use (or Decimator, etc).

Thomas: any transmitter based on the AMIMON chips (pretty much anything WHDI or anything advertising HD transmission in the 5Ghz range) has a "too close" limitation of 6 feet. The transmission distance must be at least 6 feet in order for the signal to lock.

Further, just putting some thoughts out there, the AMIMON chips that first made it into the CW-5 were an earlier revision of the transmitter/chipset, so they had a built-in limitation of distance. I believe AMIMON released the newer chips in April 2009 with the AMN 2120 transmitter and AMN 2220 receiver. The new chipset had more capability at better distance, and I think IDX probably silently started deploying those chips since they were a ready swap.

NAB 2012 is a bit of a haze (thanks to me drinking with Eric Fletcher and Jim Bartell), but I stopped by the IDX booth to discuss the CW-7 with their rep. In my brief encounter, I don't recall any new specs of features that extended beyond what the CW-5 already had to offer. Some new video format handling capabilities belong to IDX, but their "DFS" (dynamic frequency selection) is a spec of the AMIMON chips. I got the feeling they're just formally advertising the AMN 2120 transmitter and AMN 2220 receiver chips in the CW-7 when they never did in the CW-5. The only other advertised feature was "better performance outdoors" because the earlier CW-5 performed better with reflective surfaces but not line of sight problems (big empty room was it's perfect setting, but not too big).

If the Paralinx Arrow had delivered HD-SDI earlier, I would have completely put my stock into them. However, Teradek claims to have an HD-SDI transmitter of a tiny size on the way. If they deliver, and the transmission range is what they advertise, I'll probably buy one and call it a day. Like Thomas, I want to keep a small transmitter on hand to help get me out of trouble when they want to tether, etc. If they have a transmitter, let's use their transmitter, and I don't want to have to troubleshoot it (although I always seem to).

Victor: upon first review, I would say the Switronix might have better transmission/reception based on the fact that it has the external antennas adding to the transmission fidelity.

The Bolt most likely has PCB transmission antennas similar to most other AMIMON chipset devices (consumer devices, WHDI devices, even the unmodified Camwave).

The Switronix Recon has external antennas, which will help increase the transmission strength and the likelihood of reception at the receiver.

Both devices seem to have the same simple feature set: SDI transmission. Switronix might have power amplifiers on the antennas, but I would doubt it. Personally, if I was making the purchasing decision, I'd go with the Bolt. Over the next few months, as they come out and start getting reviews, I might pick one up. Got a few other things to pay for first (Cinetronic upgrade, wedding, lightweight PRO battery base).

I found it was cheaper, and generally I'm staying away from Decimator products.

I bought one of these and made a 5v cable to power it from my sled. Fixes the irregularities I've seen in the RED MX and gives amplified output.

http://www.markertek.com/Routers-Switchers-DA's/HD-SDI-Distribution-Amplifiers/Matrix-Switch-Corporation/MSC-HDDA4.xhtml

I think, in the immortal words of BJ McDonnell: "Just be cool." I don't think it gets any simpler.

Was that guy trying to get someone for a student shoot? Or was he asking for someone on a "student rate" for a legit gig?

Can't wait till this puppy comes out. Hopefully it's good and reliable. Most things Sony are, so here's hoping.

Seems like a grat alternative to the big brother 65

 

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/show-highend/resource.solutions.bbsccms-assets-show-highend-F55.shtml

I'm eager to see how the images intercut with the F65. Perhaps this could be a good lightweight body for use on F65 shows for handheld/steadi/aerial/underwater/etc/bacon? Is this the same sensor as in the F65 with diagonal photosites?

Also, I think this is the first camera I've seen to record 4K to "cards".

Really depends on what shots you need. Front and back mounting techniques are probably easier that side mounting/shooting techniques.

Best to shop for stabilizer arms on YouTube anyway.