[ Update – Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q/7Q+ will support Canon c300 MarkII with 4k 60p in both RAW and Apple ProRes,HD120p supported in Apple ProRes]
Convergent Design (CD) just raised the stakes in the external recorder-monitor combo segment with the just announced update at NABShow 2015.
CD is now actively expanding the performance and features of their leading 4K recorder/monitors the Odyssey7Q and the new Odyssey7Q+ with regular firmware updates.
With the FREE update that the company just announced to their existing 7Q/7Q+ recorders, which are getting 4K/UHD ProRes to 60p and 2K/HD 240p included at no extra cost.
The new features will be available for all currently supported and industry standard Apple ProRes formats, Apple ProRes 422 (HQ), Apple ProRes 422, and Apple ProRes 422 (LT).
[Read more about the update on Convergent Design’s Blog- http://bit.ly/1GDwxDj]
John Schell, Hardware Design Manager, Convergent Design said on the blog
“We are pleased to provide these capabilities at no cost to our clients. While designing the Odyssey Family of Products three years ago, Convergent Design had a vision of a comprehensive solution for monitoring and recording. This vision pushed us to design a multi-generational platform to support cameras and formats not yet developed. The capability built into the Odyssey platform from the beginning allows us to continue to unlock new cameras, formats, and features, giving our clients new tools to express their creativity. The addition of 4K60p and 2K240p Apple ProRes shows the continuing vision of the Odyssey platform.”
HFR – High frame rate material is fast becoming the norm for most filming purposes and especially for slow motion needs. Both Canon and Sony have implemented their own respective versions of the AVCHD codec in their latest camera, the Canon C-300 mark2 (in the form of XF-AVC) and Sony FS-7 (XAVC) to support this higher frame rate options such as 60p and 4k. The Canon though still only offers 4k at 30p.
Where external monitor-recorder combos such as the CD Odyssey 7Q/7Q+ really help, is the convenience of recording higher frame rates in a memory size friendly codec such as Apple ProRes. Natively high frame rates on these camera are only possible in a RAW data format with their respective native recorders (Sony has the R-5 extension unit for its F-5/F55 line of cameras). High frame rates in RAW only consumes a lot of memory and significantly expands post production time and cost. More over, storing and archiving so much data over periods of time, further significantly increases costs for producer, production houses and indie- film makers.
The formats that are first going to be made available are the RAW signals from the Sony FS7 and the FS700 cameras. The formats included are – 60p in Apple ProRes for 4k/UHD/2k and HD, upto 240 fps in 2k or HD and upto 120fps in Apple ProRes for 4k/UHD (available on the FS700). The update will be made availabe in the future, free of cost to users already using the FS700 record option.
Future updates on the Odyssey 7Q/7Q+ will support 4k RAW and HD at upto 120fps from the Canon C500 as well as 4k/UHD video signals from the Sony F5/55.
Current owners of Record Options will receive increased capabilities within their Record Options at no additional cost.
CD has also gone a step further and added support for Samsung’s EVO line of SSD’s as well as the ability of custom Look Up Tables (LUT’s) while still routing “flat” log signals over SDI to engineers on location.
All in all a Convergent Design are providing a great product for high and mid level productions and have significantly up-ed the stakes with its main competitor and hugely popular Shogun by Atomos.
Stay tuned for more on this blog from the NABShow 2015!
kshitij nagar 