Dan Keaton
Well-known member
Dear Friends,
Here is our current plans.
First, our Compressed Codecs Option will be free with both the Odyssey7 and Odyssey7Q.
The units ship as Monitors only, but when a Convergent Design SSD is inserted, it unlocks the "Compressed Codecs Option" immediately.
Initially this will mean that the Avid DNxHD codec will be available. We are trying to have this ready for our intial shipping date of July, 2013, for the Odyssey7Q.
The Decode portion, the "dec" of "codec" is done and working great. Our engineering team has been working on the encode portion for some time now.
And later (probably next year), we will add, for free, another very popular codec, but we have to code it first, then obtain certification before we can discuss it by name.
And once the CD SSD is inserted all of the currently avaiable recording options will be available for your testing, but there will be a watermark in the images.
There will never be a watermark in the Compressed Codecs Option (DNxHD for now), and recording options rented or purchased will not have watermarks, just those in demo mode.
And we have two other high priority recording option projects:
Canon C500 support, full support for all modes of the Canon C500 in one unit and
Sony FS700 support, support for HD, in compressed, and full uncompressed, 2K Raw up to 240 fps and 4K full uncompressed up to 30 fps.
It is our goal to have the two above recording options ready by the end of July, 2013.
Thus, if we meet our goals, one will be able to record in Avid DNxHD, and with extra cost options, full Uncompressed in HD and 2K, Canon C500 Modes, 2K + 4K + Quad HD, 4K Half Raw and Quad HD Half Raw, and Sony FS700 modes. If some of these are late, then they will be added via a later firmware release.
We are also working on a recording option for Weisscam, IO Industries, Indiecam, P&S Technik, and Lux Media Plan HD/2K (with Raw options) cameras.
Some other recording options, such as ARRIRAW may not be available until December, 2013.
Another recording option supports recording four video streams into four separate recordings using Avid DNxHD, all in one Odyssey7Q. I do not have an estimate date for this option yet.
While I reported that we were unable to support 3D LUT's, our engineers took another look at this and feel that they will be able to support 3D LUT's.
So, let's just consider this a "maybe" and I will announce this later when our engineers have had time to implement the 3D LUT's. It is certainly our goal to implement 3D LUT's.
And while we reported July 15 as the initial shipping date for the Odyssey7Q, I now say July in order to give a little leeway to our team.
On a very positive note, we feel that all of our monitoring features that we have announced, which is an extensive list, will be ready in July.
Our team has our first pass of the Color Vectorscope working, and I am certain that we will improve on it prior to July.
Prior to NAB our team had Zebras and False Color working, but did not have time to integrate into our "master code", so we did not demonstrate these at NAB.
We did demonstrate Focus Assist (three modes), Waveform Monitor (multiple modes) and Histogram (multiple modes) at NAB.
Our Focus Assist is an interesting story.
Our team was creating a Focus Assist, showing Video + Edges that are in focus (sharp edges) (in Red, Blue or Green, plus vibrating colors, if desired to distinguish the edges from items in the scene.)
I had asked for a new mode, where only the items in focus were visible.
Our team implemented this as Focus Assist Mode 2 (Edges Only) and only the edges that are in focus are visible. This works very well.
But, then they added Mode 3, (Edge Enhanced) where only the Edges are shown, but any edge that is detected, even if it is not in focus will be shown, but the edges actually in focus are shown in color.
Some labeled this our "Tron" mode. While it looks cool in red, green, or blue, the important part is it is very useful for showing what is in focus. This is now my favorite of the three modes.
(These modes are much harder to describe than actually use!)
At NAB, we did not have our human interface for these Focus Assist modes as fine-tuned as I would have liked, and we are greatly improving that now. Our team is working on better ways to instantly activate your favorite Focus Assist Modes, thus you will be able to choose which modes you like, which sensitivity, which colors, etc, and quickly engage and disengage these modes.
As it was, with our less than perfect ways to engage these modes, almost everyone liked the Focus Assist options that we demonstrated at NAB.
And we have some improvements planned for our Waveform Monitor. What we demonstrated was good (maybe very good) but they will be better soon.
For example, our Waveform Monitor is available in Full Screen, Picture-in-Picture (overlay mode), and in Luma Only, RGB, RGB Parade, and Red Only, Green Only and Blue Only.
But, we were showing our Luma Only in yellow, and I feel that white would be nicer.
We received a suggestion from an industry leader, for activating our 1:1 Pixel Mode (zooming), which we immediately accepted.
This will allow one to select which area of the image to zoom into instantly.
We expect to have this ready by July also.
Side Notes:
For the FS700, the Odyssey7Q is required, the Odyssey7 will not be able to support all of the high speed/high resolution modes of the updated FS700.
The Odyssey7 will work with the original FS700, but only in Comrpessed Codecs modes, no uncompressed modes, and no high speed/high resolution modes.
Thus, for anyone that even comtemplating upgrading their FS700, we recommend the Odyssey7Q.
Since the Odyssey7 cannot be upgraded to the Odyssey7Q, please choose carefully while planning for the future.
The Odyssey7Q will support the extra cost recording options, such as FS700 support, ARRIRAW Support (Later), Canon C500 Support, many HD/2K POV cameras, full uncompressed, and certain F55 recording modes. But these extra cost recording options will not be available on the Odyssey7, just on the Odyssey7Q.
This is a change, and it is based on the feedback from NAB attendees.
Almost everyone wanted the Odyssey7Q, but I realize that not everyone, nor every segment of our industry gets to go to NAB.
We still feel that the Odyssey7 will be very popular, especially since we added the Compressed Recording Option for free.
We just feel that Canon C500 users, and ARRI ALEXA users will want the Odyssey7Q for the many extra features that it offers.
And those wanting to record full uncompressed will also want the Odyssey7Q.
We plan on releasing the prices for our recording options and our SSD's as early as next week.
So the Odyssey7 becomes a great monitor that can become a great compressed recorder with the addition of an SSD or two.
I hope this helps.
Respectfully,
Dan Keaton
Convergent Design
Here is our current plans.
First, our Compressed Codecs Option will be free with both the Odyssey7 and Odyssey7Q.
The units ship as Monitors only, but when a Convergent Design SSD is inserted, it unlocks the "Compressed Codecs Option" immediately.
Initially this will mean that the Avid DNxHD codec will be available. We are trying to have this ready for our intial shipping date of July, 2013, for the Odyssey7Q.
The Decode portion, the "dec" of "codec" is done and working great. Our engineering team has been working on the encode portion for some time now.
And later (probably next year), we will add, for free, another very popular codec, but we have to code it first, then obtain certification before we can discuss it by name.
And once the CD SSD is inserted all of the currently avaiable recording options will be available for your testing, but there will be a watermark in the images.
There will never be a watermark in the Compressed Codecs Option (DNxHD for now), and recording options rented or purchased will not have watermarks, just those in demo mode.
And we have two other high priority recording option projects:
Canon C500 support, full support for all modes of the Canon C500 in one unit and
Sony FS700 support, support for HD, in compressed, and full uncompressed, 2K Raw up to 240 fps and 4K full uncompressed up to 30 fps.
It is our goal to have the two above recording options ready by the end of July, 2013.
Thus, if we meet our goals, one will be able to record in Avid DNxHD, and with extra cost options, full Uncompressed in HD and 2K, Canon C500 Modes, 2K + 4K + Quad HD, 4K Half Raw and Quad HD Half Raw, and Sony FS700 modes. If some of these are late, then they will be added via a later firmware release.
We are also working on a recording option for Weisscam, IO Industries, Indiecam, P&S Technik, and Lux Media Plan HD/2K (with Raw options) cameras.
Some other recording options, such as ARRIRAW may not be available until December, 2013.
Another recording option supports recording four video streams into four separate recordings using Avid DNxHD, all in one Odyssey7Q. I do not have an estimate date for this option yet.
While I reported that we were unable to support 3D LUT's, our engineers took another look at this and feel that they will be able to support 3D LUT's.
So, let's just consider this a "maybe" and I will announce this later when our engineers have had time to implement the 3D LUT's. It is certainly our goal to implement 3D LUT's.
And while we reported July 15 as the initial shipping date for the Odyssey7Q, I now say July in order to give a little leeway to our team.
On a very positive note, we feel that all of our monitoring features that we have announced, which is an extensive list, will be ready in July.
Our team has our first pass of the Color Vectorscope working, and I am certain that we will improve on it prior to July.
Prior to NAB our team had Zebras and False Color working, but did not have time to integrate into our "master code", so we did not demonstrate these at NAB.
We did demonstrate Focus Assist (three modes), Waveform Monitor (multiple modes) and Histogram (multiple modes) at NAB.
Our Focus Assist is an interesting story.
Our team was creating a Focus Assist, showing Video + Edges that are in focus (sharp edges) (in Red, Blue or Green, plus vibrating colors, if desired to distinguish the edges from items in the scene.)
I had asked for a new mode, where only the items in focus were visible.
Our team implemented this as Focus Assist Mode 2 (Edges Only) and only the edges that are in focus are visible. This works very well.
But, then they added Mode 3, (Edge Enhanced) where only the Edges are shown, but any edge that is detected, even if it is not in focus will be shown, but the edges actually in focus are shown in color.
Some labeled this our "Tron" mode. While it looks cool in red, green, or blue, the important part is it is very useful for showing what is in focus. This is now my favorite of the three modes.
(These modes are much harder to describe than actually use!)
At NAB, we did not have our human interface for these Focus Assist modes as fine-tuned as I would have liked, and we are greatly improving that now. Our team is working on better ways to instantly activate your favorite Focus Assist Modes, thus you will be able to choose which modes you like, which sensitivity, which colors, etc, and quickly engage and disengage these modes.
As it was, with our less than perfect ways to engage these modes, almost everyone liked the Focus Assist options that we demonstrated at NAB.
And we have some improvements planned for our Waveform Monitor. What we demonstrated was good (maybe very good) but they will be better soon.
For example, our Waveform Monitor is available in Full Screen, Picture-in-Picture (overlay mode), and in Luma Only, RGB, RGB Parade, and Red Only, Green Only and Blue Only.
But, we were showing our Luma Only in yellow, and I feel that white would be nicer.
We received a suggestion from an industry leader, for activating our 1:1 Pixel Mode (zooming), which we immediately accepted.
This will allow one to select which area of the image to zoom into instantly.
We expect to have this ready by July also.
Side Notes:
For the FS700, the Odyssey7Q is required, the Odyssey7 will not be able to support all of the high speed/high resolution modes of the updated FS700.
The Odyssey7 will work with the original FS700, but only in Comrpessed Codecs modes, no uncompressed modes, and no high speed/high resolution modes.
Thus, for anyone that even comtemplating upgrading their FS700, we recommend the Odyssey7Q.
Since the Odyssey7 cannot be upgraded to the Odyssey7Q, please choose carefully while planning for the future.
The Odyssey7Q will support the extra cost recording options, such as FS700 support, ARRIRAW Support (Later), Canon C500 Support, many HD/2K POV cameras, full uncompressed, and certain F55 recording modes. But these extra cost recording options will not be available on the Odyssey7, just on the Odyssey7Q.
This is a change, and it is based on the feedback from NAB attendees.
Almost everyone wanted the Odyssey7Q, but I realize that not everyone, nor every segment of our industry gets to go to NAB.
We still feel that the Odyssey7 will be very popular, especially since we added the Compressed Recording Option for free.
We just feel that Canon C500 users, and ARRI ALEXA users will want the Odyssey7Q for the many extra features that it offers.
And those wanting to record full uncompressed will also want the Odyssey7Q.
We plan on releasing the prices for our recording options and our SSD's as early as next week.
So the Odyssey7 becomes a great monitor that can become a great compressed recorder with the addition of an SSD or two.
I hope this helps.
Respectfully,
Dan Keaton
Convergent Design
