New PIX-E recorders/monitors from Sound Devices

Emanuel said:
Very nice! It reminds me something from my early days... : D

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I really like this retro Sony image. I thought it would be worth cleaning up (I hope you don't mind). I like the fashions and hair styles :)
 
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TheTrickster said:
That pretty much nails it on the head.

You get 220Mbps - Less Macro Blocking
You get 10Bit color - Better Gradients (and for grading in post this could help)
You get 4:2:2 Chroma Subsampling - So you get truer colors

Now all this is true on paper - however all this doesn't give you automatically better video :) (as I've found out!)

For me, the on screen tools are more important at the moment and the VideoDevices overlays look great!
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this! and what Samuel said...also don't forget that prores, is a very "edit friendly" codec.
 
At $1400USD Pix-E5 looks like the new classic recorder -- super pro audio

At $1400USD Pix-E5 looks like the new classic recorder -- super pro audio

At $1400USD Pix-E5 looks like the new classic: a video / audio recorder work horse.


Something that the others don't have:


-- option to add Sound Devices audio preamp for $300 (this is unbelievable, this is unexpected,this is hard to describe the value)


-- looking at photos on BHphoto, this preamp (build-wise) looks like it is worth way more than $300


other specs:
-- touch screen (hi rez 440ppi / hi nits / 500nits)
-- real buttons
-- standard size connectors (no easy to fail micro connectors)



other nice stuff:

-- touch & 2x / 4x / move / zoom

-- low cost removable hard drive, in an adapter that a PC will see as USB device
-- (all the EE's will know this "enhanced USB" interface is a think outside of the box idea, quite tricky, makes media probably lowest cost & largest capacity for this type of recorder )


Anyway its great to know a 4K heavy duty low-cost audio / video recorder is being produced by a US based company.


Search hint
-- New brand name makes the Pix series hard for find, Sound Devices sells this under the Video Devices brand, Search bhphoto: video devices pix-e
 
I really want to like this new series, it is Sound Devices after all. However, I don't know, my Samurai Blade already seems to have most of the functionality, is cheaper and uses off the shelf drives if needed. The only thing that sets these products from SD apart is their capacity to do 4K. But, in reality they are once again a bit straightjacketed. No 60p or higher frame rates. Seems too limited to make a new investment in them. A bit as if they had been designed for the new Canon C300, which doesn't do higher than 30p at 4K. Seems to me this class of advance is just a stop gap, a glancing over period. Unless these kind of products get more varied fps it is hard to justify the expense at this current period.
 
But these can record 2000mbps of 4K ProResXQ which is pretty superb as a master file. I'm actually a little surprised that they can support such high bandwidth recording but can't manage the comparatively smaller 4k ProRes422 @ 50p/60p. But with firmware updates these days, who knows?

Personally, I think the PIX-Es are probably the most appealing monitors on the market at the moment - with the added benefit of recording video and audio as well. It's hard not to say that we're spoiled for choice.
 
Grug said:
But these can record 2000mbps of 4K ProResXQ which is pretty superb as a master file. I'm actually a little surprised that they can support such high bandwidth recording but can't manage the comparatively smaller 4k ProRes422 @ 50p/60p. But with firmware updates these days, who knows?

Personally, I think the PIX-Es are probably the most appealing monitors on the market at the moment - with the added benefit of recording video and audio as well. It's hard not to say that we're spoiled for choice.
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Check their spec sheet again. I believe the XQ codec is reserved for the 1080p recording. The device cannot accept 4:4:4 in 4K, so not much call for recording that.
 
I'm sorry to ask this if it was already covered, but is this recorder offering the same preamps and recorder capabilities of the SD 722T, etc.?
 
Sorry, I knew about the $300 preamp, I meant the audio recording itself. Is the audio recorder as good as a dedicated SD recorder, or is it more in line with a DSLR?
 
arturrito said:
I´m Pix240 owner and audio features are incredible! so, I expect new audio device has same quality.
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That's what I have read, in numerous places. I am trying to sort out a new set-up and if I were to go with a BM Micro CC and external I was thinking I could kill two birds with one stone, as I'd need an external monitor anyway.
 
The PIX-LR audio interface has no-compromise SD-caliber mic pres with limiters, HPF and phantom, gain pots and hi-res LED metering - yes it is like having a 7-series recorder front end built into your 4K recording monitor!! Note that the PIX-E records QuickTime files, not wave files.

Paul
Sound Devices | Video Devices
 
These units require a new kind of memory stick drive, mSata SpeedDrive But I don't expect them to be as cheap as SSDs. At the moment a 240GB mSata SpeedDrive costs $259.
 
moreover said:
These units require a new kind of memory stick drive, mSata SpeedDrive But I don't expect them to be as cheap as SSDs. At the moment a 240GB mSata SpeedDrive costs $259.
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You can buy the unpopulated SpeedDrive Enclosure for $59 and purchase your own mSATA from places like NewEgg, Amazon etc. That'll work out more cost effective. The SpeedDrive doubles as both the recording media and as a USB 3.0 thumb drive so you don't need any special cables or reader to transfer recordings to your NLE.
 
Hi Paul, will the monitors do frame guides for different aspect ratios this time round?
 
I haven't watched every NAB/PIX-E video out there, but I still haven't heard a release date. Anyone?
 
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