Odyssey7Q+, and support for Odyssey7Q

I honestly feel a bit disappointed by Convergent lately. The 7Q+ is a pretty major debacle any way you look at it. Yes, it's now a good recorder but it took a long time and a lot of stress to get their.

I guess what really has me a bit disheartened is the price of the 7Q Extended Warranty - $250 for one year or $450 for three. That's really, really expensive.

I feel like Convergent has really put 7Q users through a lot of ups and downs, way more than any customer deserves and they could have given existing 7Q users who bore the brunt of the firmware debacle a break on the extended warranty. Maybe keep the higher price for new buyers but give back sometime (lower price extended warranty) to the 7Q users who bought theirs before the 7Q+. Why? Because for many early 7Q owners, the units barely worked as recorders until the first firmware release almost 5 months into the cycle. It's was so glitchy, then we had to contend with so much drama with subsequent firmware releases.

I feel like the 7Q is something that needs an extended warranty because it does seem like quite a few have had bad units, but the extended warranty is so expensive.

Just to compare - a three year warranty on an iMac (cost $2000) is $199 and Samys is offering me $400 for a 3 year warranty on the FS7 + Back Recorder which is $10,000. That's so much more reasonable than what CD is offering.

Please reconsider the price on the extended warranty for existing 7Q customers to something reasonable. It's the least you can do for the super drama filled first year and to rehabilitate the companies image which took a beating with the 7Q.

We will take your comments into consideration.

Please note that the Odyssey7Q is not an FS700 accessory. About half of the units in the field are used as monitors only. We serve many clients.
 
UGH, I *just* bought 3 of their expensive cables and THX goes and pulls this!

http://cinescopophilia.com/thx-4k-interconnect-certification-programme-for-hdmi-cables/

I emailed their customer service dept and asked them to exchange my practically brand new, but now outdated, HDMI cables for these new HDMI 2.0 cables....greedy company said NO! Can you believe it?!

THIEVES
Sean, I'm guessing that your post was made in jest or somehow in comparison to Convergent Design. But in case people don't click through the link, let me note that this has absolutely nothing to do with our company.
 
And to sound like a broken record and beat a dead horse: It's "outdated" a month after getting it's advertised launch feature.

I wouldn't say it's end of life, they have said they are continuing to support it with firmware updates. But actions speak louder than words, as we've learned here. Sometimes it's hard for me to reconcile pre-paying for "promised features" when the Odyssey7Q website says (and I quote) "All specifications are subject to change without notice." I know it's a typical legal line but they don't really have any obligation to further implement user-loadable LUTs or any other features that were talked about in the past. They already ditched Bluetooth (not a big deal, but it was a cool feature when I was dropping money on the 7Q).
As has been explained, Bluetooth was dropped because we found that it could effect the signal being recorded at the Odyssey7Q. We take our recording abilities very seriously, so we reluctantly chose to drop Bluetooth after many months of development.
 
As has been explained, Bluetooth was dropped because we found that it could effect the signal being recorded at the Odyssey7Q. We take our recording abilities very seriously, so we reluctantly chose to drop Bluetooth after many months of development.

Mitch, a suggestion if I may. Why not implement an app that only works while Odyssey is not recording? What I have found during our last 25 days of feature film shooting is that it would be very beneficial if someone could log in the metadata to Odyssey remotely from an iPad or an iPhone between takes so the camera would be free to rehearse etc.
 
UGH, I *just* bought 3 of their expensive cables and THX goes and pulls this!

http://cinescopophilia.com/thx-4k-interconnect-certification-programme-for-hdmi-cables/

I emailed their customer service dept and asked them to exchange my practically brand new, but now outdated, HDMI cables for these new HDMI 2.0 cables....greedy company said NO! Can you believe it?!

THIEVES

Your joke would be more apt if they said your cables were going to have the capabilities in the future you just have to wait patiently for an announcement, like you have for every single feature that cable has.... and then that announcement was that you have to buy new cables as yours are now obsolete.
 
Mitch, a suggestion if I may. Why not implement an app that only works while Odyssey is not recording? What I have found during our last 25 days of feature film shooting is that it would be very beneficial if someone could log in the metadata to Odyssey remotely from an iPad or an iPhone between takes so the camera would be free to rehearse etc.
Unfortunately the nature of the issue precludes this.
 
Your joke would be more apt if they said your cables were going to have the capabilities in the future you just have to wait patiently for an announcement, like you have for every single feature that cable has.... and then that announcement was that you have to buy new cables as yours are now obsolete.
Except that the Odyssey7Q is not obsolete, not at all. Except for just one function -- 4K over HDMI -- the Odyssey7Q does everything the Odyssey7Q+ does. If you do not need this then there is nothing obsolete about your device.
 
Except that the Odyssey7Q is not obsolete, not at all. Except for just one function -- 4K over HDMI -- the Odyssey7Q does everything the Odyssey7Q+ does. If you do not need this then there is nothing obsolete about your device.

Ok, Obsolete is the wrong word. The implication was that we as 7Q owners would get the solution for 4K over HDMI, That solution being buy a different product is just a little cheeky. I'm happy with the 7Q.... Now, but it has been an awfully bumpy road to get here... I just think the whole 4K over HDMI ended up being a bait and switch (Maybe not intentional, but still). It doesn't reduce the 7Q as a tool, but it reduces your credibility (even further). Maybe you don't see it that way, but I know some of your customers who do. Myself among them.
 
As has been explained, Bluetooth was dropped because we found that it could effect the signal being recorded at the Odyssey7Q. We take our recording abilities very seriously, so we reluctantly chose to drop Bluetooth after many months of development.

I feel compelled to say that this wasn't how things were explained to me on 2 separate occasions. First occasion, I called CD HQ and spoke with Amber. This was back before you announced that CD had decided to pull the plug on the App. I wanted to know when it was going to happen, as this was one of the reasons invested in the 7Q. She basically said that the App had been put on the back burner because the guy who was making the app had been flat out working on the new website. She said she wasn't sure if it was going to happen and that NO PROGRESS had been made on developing the App.

Second occasion was whilst I was on the phone to Mike Schell (CEO). I was raising all the issues that I'd had with the 7Q and basically wanted to an explication from the CEO as to why he feels it's ok to treat customers so badly. I guess he hadn't seen the memo that the App had been shelved because of a Bluetooth issue. He straight up told me that they'd decided to pull the App because they needed to focus all their resources into getting all the promised features working and they simply didn't have the man power to get the Bluetooth working.

Economics - simple

Not sure who told you the story about the Bluetooth thing, Mitch but it doesn't align with my conversations with Amber and CEO, Mike Schell.
 
So there is a new video on newshooter.com detailing the shogun which has shipped, showing 10-bit 4k hdmi in from the gh4.

mitch said the new receiver chips in the 7q+ were the only game in town but the 7q+ is limited to 8bit. Hoping the next a7sii will be ungimped 10-bit out. Sony (or someone else, may even ungimp the current a7s (not sure what it's hdmi chip is). I seem to recall at least for tvs 1.4b was firmware upgradeble to 2.0 (allowing for 4k60p).

whats the go Mitch? Can/will the 7q plus do 10-bit hdmi from gh4 or other cams?

what special sauce Has the shogun the brand new 7qplus does not?

even though hdmi is more consumer, it's clearly where Sony is testing its tech for our b cams, ibis, low light etc.

Cheers
 
So there is a new video on newshooter.com detailing the shogun which has shipped, showing 10-bit 4k hdmi in from the gh4.

mitch said the new receiver chips in the 7q+ were the only game in town but the 7q+ is limited to 8bit. Hoping the next a7sii will be ungimped 10-bit out. Sony (or someone else, may even ungimp the current a7s (not sure what it's hdmi chip is). I seem to recall at least for tvs 1.4b was firmware upgradeble to 2.0 (allowing for 4k60p).

whats the go Mitch? Can/will the 7q plus do 10-bit hdmi from gh4 or other cams?

what special sauce Has the shogun the brand new 7qplus does not?

even though hdmi is more consumer, it's clearly where Sony is testing its tech for our b cams, ibis, low light etc.

Cheers
I guess you didn't see this from earlier today:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?331824-Odyssey7Q-will-support-4K-10-bit-over-HDMI

Sorry, I posted this info on several threads but missed this one.
 
For everyone else. Talked it over with engineers, 10-bit shipping with 7qplus and all good.

Thanks Mitch! Good news indeed. Does this mean your chip is also fw upgradeable to 2.0 to allow 4k60p over hdmi in the future?

Does the 7q do 10-bit hdmi at any lower resolutions and frame rates?
cheers
 
For everyone else. Talked it over with engineers, 10-bit shipping with 7qplus and all good.

Thanks Mitch! Good news indeed. Does this mean your chip is also fw upgradeable to 2.0 to allow 4k60p over hdmi in the future?

Does the 7q do 10-bit hdmi at any lower resolutions and frame rates?
cheers
I don't know if it is upgradeable. The 7Q will do 10-bit in 1080p60 over HDMI is a camera can supply it. Not sure about any other resolution/formats, and seriously doubt there are any implemented in any camera ever made.
 
Umm, you mean like the
[h=1]Sony PXW-Z100 4K Handheld XDCAM Camcorder[/h]
  • 4K HDMI and 3G/HD-SDI Interfaces
    The HDMI interface can output 4K as 50/60p signals and, when connected to a Sony PVM-X300 4K professional monitor or a 4K-compatible Sony BRAVIA TV, the recorded 4K image can be displayed at full 4K 50/60p quality. A future firmware update is planned to upgrade the HDMI interface from 1.4a to 2.0, enabling 4K 50/60p output to a wider range of devices. Other interfaces include 3G/HD-SDI, which outputs up to Full HD 60p signals, even during 4K recording. Simultaneous 4K HDMI and 3G/HD-SDI output in not supported.
 
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