Atomos Shogun or Convergent Design Odissey?

[Eugen Oprina]

Hi,
I am planning to record 4K from GH4. Can anyone give a qualified advice on which recorder would fit my needs.
Thank you for your input,
Eugen

[Gary Huff]

Do you plan to purchase the YAGH add-on or not?

[Eugen Oprina]

Sorry, good question :).
Yes, I have already ordered the YAGH interface.
Eugen

[Gary Huff]

The YAGH is only compatible with the Shogun via the HDMI port, but so is the microHDMI port on the GH4 body itself.

The Odyssey 7Q will be compatible with the four streams of HD-SDI into it, but you are missing two software features: the first is compressed 4K and the second is the ability to assemble four HD-SDI streams into 4K. There is no way of telling when both of these features will be implemented, and it's possible the Shogun will be available before Odyssey 7Q can record 4K from the GH4 (it can already record 1080p from the GH4). More than likely, the Odyssey will not be compatible with the HDMI 4K option as that will surely require a hardware upgrade to the port, but that remains to be seen.

Currently, the only device capable of recording 4K from the GH4 with the YAGH interface is the AJA Ki Pro Quad.

[Eugen Oprina]

Thank you very much your answer Gary.
I would also need that the recorder I buy to be able to record ProRes from my Sony F3 dual link SDI out.

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Eugen Oprina

I would also need that the recorder I buy to be able to record ProRes from my Sony F3 dual link SDI out.

In that case, I would discount the Shogun as it only has one 6G-SDI connector. Either the Ki Pro Quad or the Odyssey 7Q, however, only the Ki Pro Quad works today. No one will be able to tell you when the Odyssey's software will be updated to do what you want.

[Eugen Oprina]

Thanks again Gary.
I am going to wait for a while, we'll start the next short feature at the end of July. Hopefully Convergent design will come up with an update.
The Ki pro quad is the right tool for what I need but I am not confortable with it's size and weight.

[Gary Huff]

I can tell you that the Odyssey won't be ready for your needs by July. I would expect compressed 4K sometime in the fall most likely.

[Roger Martin]

Originally Posted by Gary Huff

In that case, I would discount the Shogun as it only has one 6G-SDI connector. Either the Ki Pro Quad or the Odyssey 7Q, however, only the Ki Pro Quad works today. No one will be able to tell you when the Odyssey's software will be updated to do what you want.

I am very uncomfortable buying a product that requires a software to do what I want.
Kodak never came thru with the potential promised for the DSC 760 and
Nikon seldom comes up with more than a fix in their firmware updates.
You may be waiting forever and then it will be the nest product that finally does what you need.

I now buy products with no quivel return policies and
if they don't work right out of the box, I return them.

[Buba Kastorski]

Originally Posted by Eugen Oprina

Hi,
I am planning to record 4K from GH4. Can anyone give a qualified advice on which recorder would fit my needs.

GH4 records 4K internally @ 8bit 4:2:0, but if you need 10 bit 422, you can use external recorder, Shogun does 4K 10 bit 422 out of HDMI, so you don't have to buy YAGH for either 8 or 10 bit recording.

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Buba Kastorski

GH4 records 4K internally @ 8bit 4:2:0, but if you need 10 bit 422, you can use external recorder, Shogun does 4K 10 bit 422 out of HDMI, so you don't have to buy YAGH for either 8 or 10 bit recording.

However, considering the feature shoot begins at the end of this month, the Shogun will not be available.

[Buba Kastorski]

most likely,
but depending on delivery media, it might not even be a sensible option to use 422 as oppose to 420 straight from the GH4, it is surprisingly good looking footage for 8 bit and i wouldn't hesitate to shoot anything on it, especially for the web.
Just take your time, prepare a few picture profiles and expose picture properly.

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Buba Kastorski

it might not even be a sensible option to use 422 as oppose to 420 straight from the GH4, it is surprisingly good looking footage for 8 bit and i wouldn't hesitate to shoot anything on it, especially for the web.

Bitrate is probably more of an issue than the chroma subsampling difference. ProRes HQ in 4K is about 800Mbps. That keeps the macroblocking in 4K down, but it depends on how the movie is going to be mastered. If the final master will be 1080, then I would be less hesitant to shoot in 4K internally for that, though I think I would still shoot 4K downscaled to 1080 over HDMI to a Ninja Blade in 10-bit ProRes HQ for that.

However, if the project is desired to be mastered in 4K, then shooting to the Ki Pro Quad is probably the best option.