Small HD DP7 Pro or Convergent Design Odyssey 7 for Canon 1DC???

[Nicholas Natteau]

Question for anyone who has been able to see both monitors up close at NAB 2013:

($2,700) Small HD DP7 Pro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji0eCSiZnf0

($1,250) Convergent Design Odyssey 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NVHwjtDy3g

Which one would you feel is better suited for monitoring 4K on the Canon 1DC???
I know you won't actually be getting 4K on these monitors, 1080p at best.

But which one do you prefer if you've seen both?

I know that the Small HD is more than $1,000 greater than the Odyssey 7, so what are you getting for that much more money? Is it worth the difference?

[eco_bach]

More importantly, why do you really need OLED and a touchscreen? I have the SmallHD AC7 and it works great with my 1DC.

I also recall reading that OLED's really suck batteries

[Nicholas Natteau]

Thanks for replying eco. It's not so much the touch screen and OLED but I understand that the DP7 Pro has a waveform display and that it can also cover the whole screen. Unless I'm mistaken, doesn't the AC7 lack a waveform display?

[marvinhello]

I recommend Odyssey 7 if you don't have an external recorder at the moment. you'll need a HDMI to SDI converter though.

[AndreeOnline]

I also went with SmallHD AC7. For that price it's hard to go wrong.

And honestly, for all the theoretical reasons of using a waveform, when do you need it? I look at the Live View and what I see is what I get. The AC7 has false colors if there is something special I'd want to monitor, like skin tones.

But hey, if you know you need it, then you need it!

[bimdas]

The Odyssey looks hard to beat at the price even though its not out yet. As far as I know, it has both sdi and hdmi IO and every kind of scope and waveform you'd ever need. Plus the added bonus of being able to record to a high quality codec. I just don't see any other monitor that can compete at its price point.

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Friends,

Disclaimer: I am the Director of Sales and Marketing for Convergent Design, and I favor our Odyssey7 and Odyssey7Q Monitor/Recorders.

The Odyssey7 is $1,295 (US) and is scheduled for initial shipping in November 2013.

The Odyssey7Q is $2,295 (US) and is scheduled for initial shipping in August 2013.


Both have the following features built in:

1. Recording to a compressed codec, up to 1080p60.
2. Timecode Display
3. Audio Level Meters
4. Waveform Monitor (Full Screen and Overlay - Picture in Picture), in Luma Only and RGB Parade Modes.
5. Histogram (Full Screen and Overlay - Picture in Picture), in Luma Only and RGB Modes.
6. Focus Assist (Peaking) - in three modes:
...Edge + Video (Edges that are in sharp focus are presented in Red, Blue, or Green, with or without plusing)
...Edge Only (One only sees the edges of the items in the scene that are in focus)
...Edge Enhanced (One sees all of the edges that we can detect, and the ones in focus are in color)
7. 1 to 1 Pixel Mode. For Odyssey7Q, in 4K, one can select 4K 1 to 1 Pixel Mode.
8. False Color
9. Zebras (Two Level, with one level that can be set to a range or a specific IRE level)
10. Color Vectorscope
11. LUT Support
11. And we plan on adding more features.

The Odyssey7Q adds

12. Onion Skinning (Reference Frame + Live Video with variable opacity)
13. User loadable LUT's and we expect to be able to support 3D LUT's
14. Quad Split Display, allowing for monitoring of up to four camera simultaneously.
15. Quad Split output to an external monitor
16. 4-Channel Live Switcher, with output to an external monitor (in addition to the Quad Split output to another monitor)
17. Four Channel recording, in compressed, up to 1080p30 for each channel, via an extra cost option.

The Odyssey7 has two HD-SDI 3G Inputs, and two HD-SDI 3G Outputs + HDMI (up to 60 fps) input and output)

The HD-SDI input signal can be sent, full time to the HDMI output.

The HDMI input can be sent, full time, to the HD-SDI output.

The image on the Odyssey7 and Odyssey7Q can be sent to external monitors.

The Odyssey7Q adds two more HD-SDI 3G ports, which can be setup as inputs or outputs.

The Odyssey7Q allows for, with specific extra cost options, (such as Canon 4K Raw or ARRI ALEXA ARRIRAW) recording from HD-SDI 3G Dual Link, such as Canon 4K Raw or ARRIRAW, while simultaneously accepting the cameras Monitor output. This can be displayed on the screen, as desired so one can see the actual viewfinder data, and/or can be recorded as a proxy.

The Odyssey7Q, with an extra cost option supports the FS700 camera including many high speed modes, such as 2K Raw, 12-Bit Linear, in Cinema DNG, at 240 fps, continuously (until the SSD's are full)

And the Odyssey7Q can, with extra cost options record full uncompressed as well as Raw from certain cameras.

And we expect to be adding some very special features to support the Sony FS700, included in the FS700 extra cost option.

And we will support all of the Canon C500 modes in one recorder via an extra cost option.

And our extra cost options can be rented instead of purchased, if desired.

I like to think of the Odyssey7Q as a "Very Capable Video Platform".

I also like to think of the Odyssey7Q as an investment. Even if you are using it only as a monitor, in the future you can add recording options as needed.

On a side note, we have found that the image on good OLED Monitors, compared to LCD monitors with the same actual resolution, appear clearer and easier to focus. And there is no doubt that a good OLED Monitors have truer blacks than most any LCD.

Please feel free to compare the Odyssey7Q to any camera mountable monitor, at any price.

The power for the Odyssey7 and Odyssey7Q are 10 to 34 Volts DC, 8 to 15 watts, with over-voltage and reverse-voltage protection.

As recorders, both units have two SSD slots, so that recording can span from one SSD to another automatically (in certain modes).
And, in certain modes, we plan to support "Dual Master" recording so that we create two identical master copies simultaneously, for safety.

And all of this weighs about 1.3 pounds, about the same or less than most other 7" or larger monitors.

As with almost any monitor, when used in bright sunlight, a monitor hood is desirable and we will offer one.

(When direct sunlight shines on almost any monitor, it is hard to see all of the details in the image.
There is one type of monitor that is an exception to this rule, this is a transflective liquid crystal display.)

I will be more than happy to answer any questions. In fact, we provide 24/7 service.


Respectfully,


Dan Keaton
Convergent Design

[cookinghusband]

1DC do not have output more than 1080p (i do not have a 4K mon)
focus is near totally impossible without additional assistant like zebra or peep.

without these any cheap mon will be the same.

[Chris Lawes]

O.M.G. Both the Odyssey and SmallHD monitors sound amazing. I remember just a few years ago spending this kind of money on Panasonic, TV Logic, etc or buying junk Liliputs for extras. The features we are getting now under a $2k price point are pretty mind boggling, props to these companies to listening and answering user needs.

I have one question for Dan, one of the big reasons why I am looking at the lowly Non-HD Sound Devices PIX240i is because it can jam-lock timecode to an external SMPTE source. (It can even generate TC for that matter.) This is great for cameras like the FS700, Blackmagic Camera, etc that can't jam-sync for multicam shoots or shoots with a professional audio mixer. Having your recorder/monitor be able to jam-sync to a SMPTE source is a big deal for many, is that an option with your product or will it be in future?

[Chris Lawes]

Also is there a remote control available for the Odyssey? So that for instance when you are shooting on a very long lens you can change monitor display modes and check out your image without risking making your footage wobbly?

[George A.]

I would also recommend the Odyssey 7 route, given the track record of the company.

[Shawnvfx]

I recommand something that can Calibrate. Otherwise why you need a monitor

[Rishaar]

I've just heard that the Odyssey 7(Q) and Small HD ac7 share the exact same OLED panel. (which sounds like a great news!)
I don't know if it's true but this is coming from a representative working at a major importer in Japan.

On a side note: I was looking for a 5.6" monitor there, really liked the TVLogic. He told me they are releasing a 1920x1080 panel in november...um?
Also, he begged me to wait until i see the Odyssey 7Q to have my mind blown!

[Shawnvfx]

dumb question. is there a portable battery solution on Odyssey ? if not then it only going to make your 1DC rig bigger as you need a AB battery !

[José Alkon]

Hey Nicholas,

The Odyssey is pretty awesome with everything it can do I've never used it but saw it at SMPTE in Sydney however I thought it's size was pretty large great for seeing image but could become annoying in the field. I've got a Atomos Samurai Blade recorder/monitor and the pictures are beautiful and crisp and a tonne of features, by far the best Atomos has made so far. Size is great and it runs all day on two Sony NP-F750 batteries however it is HD-SDI only and you will need a Connect HDMI>HD-SDI converter which will add bulk and 2 more batteries as it sucks up more juice.

I've just done a job with it and my 1DC set to 4k but only recording onto the Blade (as we didn't need the benefits of proper 4k) and I was blown away by the quality of the picture compared to s35 mode, plus no compression banding from the crappy Motion JPEG format! Will post up some pics and write up soon.