Half Off on smallHD Focus 5 Wireless Monitors *Today Only/B&H Deal Zone*

James0b57 said:
Oh awesome, really looking forward to that. Here on the west coast, i have a week to wait for shipping.
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Yeah, east coast/west coast shipments, at least ground, are bad enough when everything is "normal", but B&H hasn't been/isn't shipping everyday, so it's even longer. But they have been slowly improving. Ground is normally two days for me, but in April it was taking almost a week, late May was "down" to four days and now it's three days.
 
Well James... For the moment I'm gonna chalk this up to just a bad copy, because I have a long and good track record with smallHD across seven monitors, including three other Focus 5's.

This one is going back. Unresponsive to non-functioning touchscreen, locking/freezing up, asking for multiple registrations even after being registered, screen not coming on, not turning off with power button/have to pull the batt.

I was actually able to update the firmware and pair it with my Tx and see an image, but it only functioned properly for a few minutes. After reseting it and updating firmware, I thought it might have fixed it, but it resorted to unresponsive/non-functioning touch screen so that I couldn't switch it to the wireless input from the HDMI.

So, they'll get one chance at replacing it with a fully functioning copy, or I'll just return it out right. I will also say, the Focus 5's that I have are all OLED's. This is the first LCD monitor that I've bought from them since the DP6's, and they were not touchscreen.
 
There is usually a reason why things are on the BH daily deals. I’ve been disappointed with all but one of my daily deal purchases. It is great getting a deal, but most of the time the product doesn’t work.

One thing to consider if you are close to SmallHD, i wonder if they can repair it to 100% functionality?

If my copy of the Bolt Focus rx is a lemon, i’ll head directly to the Vitec service center here in SoCal, and see if they can get it working properly.

That said, i did see a couple Devastatingly bad reviews claiming similar issues to what you are experiencing.

My 702HB’s all had issues with the HDMI, and eventually the toggle button. But after Vitec services the hdmi issue, they never had that issue again.

SmallHD always makes me regret trusting them.

Here’s hoping. Seems like such a good concept for a product.
 
Just got an email earlier today saying that the Teradek showroom in LA is open. Maybe i will go down and test the monitor down there when it arrives.
 
I'm actually only a few hours from smallHD's offices(but I've never been there). They were already closed by the time I got done setting everything up and called. I'll call them tomorrow and see what they say before I contact B&H. For me, at least, "repair" isn't an option. If something is this bad out of the box, it's getting replaced. Now if sHD really wants to endear themselves to me(more), they'll replace it directly, because shipping would only be one day from Cary/Raleigh/Durham to me, whereas with B&H it will probably be a two week ordeal, because they won't ship a replacement until they receive the original back. Their process is straightforward and no fuss, but it takes too long. They should do it like Amazon, as soon as it's dropped off and the tracking number hits the system, they issue the refund or ship the replacement.

That's kinda disheartening that you've seen other reviews stating similar problems. It's actually kind of amazing just HOW bad it really was. Especially since this isn't a new product. It's been on the market since, I believe, 2018. If these problems are widespread and systemic, they should have corrected them by now, or pulled it totally from the market.

I will also say, because I believe you asked something along these line, it got REALLY damn hot. Surprisingly hot, based on my experience with the other three Focus 5 OLED's I own.
 
Yeah, my recent return with BH took 6weeks from printing shipping labels, to getting the refund back on the card.

I’m trying to keep things local from here on out, to avoid anything like that again.

But what you’re saying makes a lot of sense. That sounds like an awful lemon.

Might be nice if smallhd will replace it entirely. As who knows what kind of b-stock BH has right now.
 
Spoke with smallHD and they offered an expedited repair, but couldn't do a direct swap/replacement. I'd have to do that with B&H since that is who I purchased it from. Ironically, sending it in for repair would be easier and quicker and I would probably have it back by next Tue or Wed. If it was a few months old, yeah, but not being defective like that right out of the box. I want a brand new one.

I started the return/exchange procedure with B&H and I had the RMA and return label in probably five minutes or less. So I'll drop it off at FedEx when I go pick-up some lunch. Now it will just be a waiting game, because it'll probably be Tuesday before they receive it and they said they are running 2-4 days behind on processing returns, which probably means probably Friday before it's processed which means middle to end of the following week before I get the replacement.
 
Run&Gun said:
Spoke with smallHD and they offered an expedited repair, but couldn't do a direct swap/replacement. I'd have to do that with B&H since that is who I purchased it from. Ironically, sending it in for repair would be easier and quicker and I would probably have it back by next Tue or Wed. If it was a few months old, yeah, but not being defective like that right out of the box. I want a brand new one.

I started the return/exchange procedure with B&H and I had the RMA and return label in probably five minutes or less. So I'll drop it off at FedEx when I go pick-up some lunch. Now it will just be a waiting game, because it'll probably be Tuesday before they receive it and they said they are running 2-4 days behind on processing returns, which probably means probably Friday before it's processed which means middle to end of the following week before I get the replacement.
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At least we have the time to allow for the extended shipping times. (smiling, but also crying)

My assumption, and this is just how I am thinking about going about it, is that these companies would swap out whole boards if something is that defective. And then it is a type of QC, when the tech has to test it. Like getting a custom built model. It doesn't seem, that with the electronic components, at least, that they either work, or they don't. But I am also out on the West Coast, where RMA with BH is a nightmare. So, I am in a different boat.

The silver lining, I read a review that seemed to indicate that these things either work or they don't, and some people love them, and some people get lemons. So, hopefully they make simple no fuss monitors. I am assuming most of my director collaborators won't be switching between pages and scopes. And hopefully the wireless JUST works. Nothing worse than spending $950(including batteries and hood) on a piece of kit I never use because of the hassle. ... but good lord, if this thing works, I'll be incredibly happy. Will make life so much better on set.
 
My Focus Bolt arrived today, ahead of schedule. Been charging the included battery for the last 3hours. Will try to head down to Teradek showroom I the morning tomorrow and will try to update this thread after that.

Took 10hrs to charge in “ECO” mode. There is a fast charge mode.
 
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Hopefully yours is ‘all good’. Tracking says mine was delivered back to B&H yesterday, so hopefully they get it processed quickly and ship my replacement out soon. If they get it out by tomorrow, I should have it Friday.
 
Run&Gun said:
Hopefully yours is ‘all good’. Tracking says mine was delivered back to B&H yesterday, so hopefully they get it processed quickly and ship my replacement out soon. If they get it out by tomorrow, I should have it Friday.
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Preliminary testing seems good. Snappy and responsive touch screen.

Uniformity of the screen could be better for a 5”. But i got this solely as a directors viewfinder for framing, and so, i don’t mind entirely.

Will try to get down to the Teradek show room and see how it pairs with the Bolt XT. Fingers crossed.

Wishing luck on your replacement. I’ve started reading more reports about lemons and overheating issues with this model.

In my testing, i wasn’t transmitting, so, i didn’t notice overheating. A reviewer mentioned the fritzing was when the monitor heats up. So, idk.
 
James0b57 said:
Preliminary testing seems good. Snappy and responsive touch screen.

Uniformity of the screen could be better for a 5”. But i got this solely as a directors viewfinder for framing, and so, i don’t mind entirely.

Will try to get down to the Teradek show room and see how it pairs with the Bolt XT. Fingers crossed.

Wishing luck on your replacement. I’ve started reading more reports about lemons and overheating issues with this model.

In my testing, i wasn’t transmitting, so, i didn’t notice overheating. A reviewer mentioned the fritzing was when the monitor heats up. So, idk.
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I read someone saying about the same thing. When they work, they’re good, but there are more lemons than glasses of lemonade out there. They said the ribbon cables come off internally and they have issues with running very hot or overheating, which probably causes some of the problems or additional problems.
 
GOOD REVIEW

Ok, tested the Bolt at the Teradek showroom. You would think after such a dry spell and no one in the showroom they would be happier about a customer. They seemed pretty annoyed. One guy was very nice, but he was doing a bunch of stuff.

So, my Bolt worked! That was a relief. And they were kind enough to send me a video feed, and let me know that you rrrreeeally have tighten down those side handles.

Luckily for you RnG, you live on the east cost where a mail in return is pretty fast.

As far as the monitor performance goes, it held a signal, and as long as there was a breeze it stayed just warm. Monitor was bright enough to see under direct sun, although not for judging exposure or anything, but still better than just making out shapes. Could see an actual image. With a hood, it would probably be great. The handles were a little weird installing, but I was being too gentle. Really have to crank them down to get them to not wobble. Some guys may have the reverse problem and maybe over tighten. I was using the supplied hex tool, and it was short, so, perhaps with a longer hex, it would feel like less of a cranking down.

I left the monitor running, and started looking at other products, as it turned out the SmallHD Cine7 with Red control was on sale too. The Focus Bolt was on the whole time and kept a signal without overheating.

Had hiccups pairing. They said it was the wifi interfering. The two sales guys couldn't get it to pair, and then they had the service guy come over. He was one of those guys that seems used to being the only technically minded person in the building. He got to make us feel like idiots, even though he didn't do anything different except move the focus bolt closer (from 9ft to 4ft). I still appreciated getting to see them problem solve the connection issue. Gives me more confidence if/when it happens in the field. But also let's me know not to expect it to just work every time. After the monitor was paired, I was able to turn the monitor off and then when I turned it back on it automatically and almost instantly received wireless feed. So, at least you don't have to pair every time.

Very excited to get this thing to work. Hoping your return goes well!
 
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BAD REVIEW

The Cine 7 I purchased while I was there had a purple glow on the left side. The three guys there all said they had never seen that issue before. One of the guys was the service tech that repairs the monitors, and he was like "no, I've never seen that issue". He told me to take it home and see if it just goes away. That didn't sound very technical. When I asked about an exchange, the service guy started acting like I was being overly cautious, but he also would not say anything that gave me confidence the issue was normal and would go away. You know when people don't want to do what you want, so they try to make you feel silly or foolish for having the idea? He was that kind of guy. Earlier he made us feel stupid about pairing the Teradek's too, so I assume that is just how he talks at work, and decided not to be offended. The sales guys had gone silent.

After saying an exchange makes more sense, the service guy kept asking me "so, what do you want, do you want to exchange?" and then go into trying to convince me that the 30days warranty thing, and screens need to burn in. Ok, burn in, that makes sense, so had he seen this issue before? "no, never seen it before".

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Eventually, the service guy said he'll get me a new one. he went to the back and came out with just a monitor, no box. Seeing how he is the repair man there, I was a little curious if it was a refurb. He didn't say if it was the one I was getting in the exchange. So, I asked what this one was for, and he said "It's the NEW one. I had to open a box." I turned it on, and this second monitor had the same issue, but much less obvious. The service guy said "See! it is the same issue. I told you, you have to let it burn in!" I asked if he had seen the issue before, and he still said "No, never seen it before".

Never seen it before, but totally not surprised that the 2nd new one also has the issue. ...ok.

So, man, SmallHD keeps striking out for me. I am going to see if my brand-new-refurbish-from-the-back-room monitor eventually stops having a purple glow... because I have 30days to exchange.
 
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Glad to hear the Bolt was good for you. It did take a little doing to pair for me. Until I hit the reset button on the Tx, like it says to. Then bam, it paired. The handles kind of sleeve me out. I don't have a ton of confidence in them. You can crank the F out of them and you can still rotate them and pull them off by hand without any heroic feat of strength required. I just hope someone is always using the neck strap. I emailed B&H Thursday asking about the status of my return, since tracking showed it was delivered to them on Monday. Got the canned response within minutes that someone will respond quickly. But nothing yet.

That's not the first time I've heard of that purple issue. Just read about it on another forum recently. If it wasn't you, then it's 'a thing', because others are experiencing it, too. Sounds like a BS answer from the tech.
 
Run&Gun said:
Glad to hear the Bolt was good for you. It did take a little doing to pair for me. Until I hit the reset button on the Tx, like it says to. Then bam, it paired.
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No dice for us. Bot me and the sales guy spent a while waiting and hitting the pairing button and waiting and cycling power and waiting and .... etc. They do this taking off the antennas thing and cover the top of the TX to force it to, idk, they didn’t know, but it seemed to work one of the times. But yeah, even the pairing button wasn’t working at one point. Then it worked all of a sudden. even the guy seemed surprised, like he wasn’t quite sure what he did that made it work.

The handles kind of sleeve me out. I don't have a ton of confidence in them. You can crank the F out of them and you can still rotate them and pull them off by hand without any heroic feat of strength required. I just hope someone is always using the neck strap. I emailed B&H Thursday asking about the status of my return, since tracking showed it was delivered to them on Monday. Got the canned response within minutes that someone will respond quickly. But nothing yet.
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I had to ask them about it after the 5business days, or whatever. Apparently they were slammed and just put off checking my return at one point. So, if they go over the time they say it takes to process, they may just haven’t gotten round to it yet. I buy local in LA now, since i can drive up the street for a quick exchange. And ever since BH started charging taxes, it is cheaper to buy local. (Other than a daily deal, of course)

That's not the first time I've heard of that purple issue. Just read about it on another forum recently. If it wasn't you, then it's 'a thing', because others are experiencing it, too. Sounds like a BS answer from the tech.
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Appreciate that info!
i should have googled it. But that sales guy was a bit intense, and the vibe was weird. Good to know that. Thank you, i was beginning to think i had imagined the purple glow.

Walking out of there, having been semi arm twisted into buying a purple fringed monitor, i thought, what the hell just happened. Haha, i was holding a defective monitor that has the same list price as a Macbook Pro. what was i doing.
 
You'll laugh but so far my $199.00 Accsoon CineEye has been flawless for almost a year of usage. Every director I have handed my iPad Mini to has loved using it, they know how it works, image looks surprisingly decent and it cost me almost nothing.
I just velcroed an Anker battery to the back of it and it runs all day, I have a stand adapter for it, a Hoodman too for daylight viewing and it's adequate. For my limited wireless video needs and none of our clients are willing to pay for renting a Teradek or something high end, it's been a great investment.
 
puredrifting said:
You'll laugh but so far my $199.00 Accsoon CineEye has been flawless for almost a year of usage. Every director I have handed my iPad Mini to has loved using it, they know how it works, image looks surprisingly decent and it cost me almost nothing.
I just velcroed an Anker battery to the back of it and it runs all day, I have a stand adapter for it, a Hoodman too for daylight viewing and it's adequate. For my limited wireless video needs and none of our clients are willing to pay for renting a Teradek or something high end, it's been a great investment.
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Actually, that makes a lot of sense. If I didn't also need/want a wireless HD-SDI option, I would go that route. Although, now that you've said it, I may not be able to unsee how clever that set up is. In all honesty, the good AC's often have their own wireless setup, so I really only need an iPad for the director.

I mean, the Focus Bolt Rx is $1200, and an iPad Pro is $800... The iPad Air $500... Ancor battery a hundred bucks? And the iPads can do a lot of other stuff, and even multi task.

The Focus Bolt can rent though. And the Teradek can be used with a lot of industry standard gear. Man, you got me thinking. At the very least, I am going to propose that to all of my director friends.
 
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