HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design

Allan Barnwell · April 20th, 2011, 10:37 AM

Blackmagic won't be selling the SSD drives from what they have told dealers like myself - although they will be offering plastic cases to hold them. No one wants to stock SSD in volume - they pricing is so volatile. While I'm tremendously excited to be a reseller for this, it is a product that will take off in a proportional trajectory to the cost of the SSDs. You are going to need to spend upwards of $850 for one hour of record time from what I'm finding online right now - and you need to be very careful to pick SSDs that have the necessary performance.

I plan to package these units with certified SSDs listing both the size and the record times. I'm still waiting for Blackmagic to release a list of drives they have tested.

We should see these units start arriving in the next few weeks.

Allan Barnwell
Omega Broadcast Group - Professional Video Sales, Rental & Services

Sanjin Svajger · April 20th, 2011, 12:18 PM

I think one would have to consider a price of an external monitor along the starting price of 350$. Right? There is no way to monitor what's going on - or is there?

Allan Barnwell · April 22nd, 2011, 07:55 AM

Yes - if you need to monitor the signal, you'll want an external monitor to go with this.

You'd need to factor that into the price of a NanoFlash, Ki Pro, or Ki Pro min as well. But most of my customers who purchase or rent these units are using larger field monitors anyway.

Then again, it can be nice to have physical buttons to operate these units. Many of the units that have touch screens present field operation challenges as a trade off. I like the simplicity of the buttons on this unit.

Allan Barnwell
Omega Broadcast Group - Professional Video Sales, Rental & Services

Sanjin Svajger · April 22nd, 2011, 11:39 AM

Nano and Aja mini both have screens which show what's going on -> this HyperDeck Shuttle doesn't have a screen of any sort. That's what I meant with "needing a monitor" so you can see some basic info - I wasn't referring to monitoring your image... The fact that it doesn't have even the smallest of a screen would suggest that's it primary intent of purpose is for studio use maybe?

Kenn Christenson · April 22nd, 2011, 01:32 PM

Is there a way to trigger the unit via running timecode - like the NanoFlash? So, you're basically hitting the camera's record button and activating record on the HyperDeck.

Denis Danatzko · April 22nd, 2011, 02:52 PM

The Tech Specs at the BMD site claims "NO CAMERA CONTROL".
Should that be taken at face value, i.e. manual start/stop with control buttons?

Steve Kalle · April 22nd, 2011, 03:09 PM

It also says a computer is required to adjust settings.

Btw, there is a 'studio' version with dual record slots and is rack mounted for around $1000.

Denis Danatzko · April 22nd, 2011, 03:45 PM

Pardon my ignorance, but will this work with the HDMI out on a Panny HMC-150?
And, even though that cam has an HDMI out, would I still only get 8 bit color?

FOR THE PRICE, this seems like it might be well-suited for much of what I shoot, i.e. equestrian barrel racing - short (20 sec +/-) bursts of horses running at full-gallop, intended for web and DVD.

And with a 2nd unit, could I hook that up to a laptop and external monitor, and swap SSDs to show footage shot just moments earlier?

Steve Kalle · April 22nd, 2011, 04:23 PM

Yes, all HDMI outputs from cameras are only 8bit even though the HDMI 'standard' supports up to 12bit (aka Deep Color).

Normally, I would suggest the nanoFlash or Atomos, but horses racing is extremely hard on all codecs so using uncompressed would significantly increase the quality. Btw, in the Convergent Deisgn forum (makers of nanoFlash), there is a thread showing how well various codecs handled recording a horse race. The 280Mb I-frame Nanoflash was noticeably superior to the Pro Res HQ.

I just want to add something I forgot when discussing one recorder versus another: the Aja Ki Pro Mini formats its cards to HFS+ only which makes like difficult for Windows users. Just to read the CF card, you must purchase a program for each computer. Secondly, many clients who want the CF card at the end of a shoot won't have a Mac to access the files.

Which brings me to my next thought: what does the Atomos use? Just found that it uses FAT32 - much SMARTER than Aja.

Nigel Barker · April 23rd, 2011, 05:50 AM

Mac users of the Aja Ki Pro Mini of course will be pleased that the cards are formatted as HFS+ so as to avoid the 4GB file size limit of FAT32.

If they were formatted to NTFS then Windows users would be happy to escape the 4GB limit & Mac users would be happy too as Macs can read NTFS files without the purchase of additional software.

So I guess that both Mac & Windows users could be unhappy with the Atomos Ninja.

David Stuart Shapton · April 23rd, 2011, 03:20 PM

We currently use Fat 32 because it's the most compatible file system of all. The 4Gh chunks are not an issue because you can import whole folders and the chunks are laid out contiguously as if they were one clip. There's also a big advantage: if - for any reason - a recording stops (because of physical impact, or whatever) the MOST you're going to lose is 4GB - and not a whole hour-long clip.

We can do other file systems. It's just a firmware upgrade, but we'll stay with Fat 32 for now. We've had enough user feedback to know now that it's not a bit issue.

Dave Shapton
Atomos

Kristian Lam · April 27th, 2011, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Bell

Was hoping that BlackMagic would put up the manual for the shuttle today... didn't happen... but looking a the specs and looking at the input/outputs it looks like your going to need an extra card in your computer if your going to use the shuttle for off loading the files... it has a usb, but that looks to be for control/firmware upgrades... so the only other outputs are the HDMI and SDI ports... for HDMI I'm thinking you'll need the intensity pro card...??

Hi Ray,

You don't need to. The SSDs are HFS+ formatted and mount on your desktop just like a Mac volume. The files are standard Quicktime files you can simply drag and drop off the SSDs, or play them directly.

Emmanuel Plakiotis · April 27th, 2011, 05:10 AM

The name of the device is very revealing. It is conceived more as a portable deck than a field recorder.

It can't control the camera, it is limited by its internal rechargeable battery (this could turn into major problem during a long shooting), it doesn't have readout screen, no latch for the SSD or mount options to be attached to a camera. Its more an expensive SSD deck, companion to a laptop, than a cheap field recorder. I think BM lost an opportunity to create a really breakthrough product with an amazing price, simply by positioning this product in the wrong segment.
I just hope to reconsider it soon, even if that means a price hike, because the idea of uncompressed field recording is ideal for a number of jobs, especially for budget feature films.

Paul Cascio · April 29th, 2011, 04:47 PM

My guess is that we will see a "Deluxe" version in the near future.

Kenn Christenson · May 2nd, 2011, 03:59 PM

As the unit is able to be powered by a 12V transformer - wondering if external batteries would be an option - given the limitation of the internal battery.

April 20th, 2011, 10:37 AM	#91
Allan Barnwell Sponsor: Omega Broadcast Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 239	Re: HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design Blackmagic won't be selling the SSD drives from what they have told dealers like myself - although they will be offering plastic cases to hold them. No one wants to stock SSD in volume - they pricing is so volatile. While I'm tremendously excited to be a reseller for this, it is a product that will take off in a proportional trajectory to the cost of the SSDs. You are going to need to spend upwards of $850 for one hour of record time from what I'm finding online right now - and you need to be very careful to pick SSDs that have the necessary performance. I plan to package these units with certified SSDs listing both the size and the record times. I'm still waiting for Blackmagic to release a list of drives they have tested. We should see these units start arriving in the next few weeks. Allan Barnwell Omega Broadcast Group - Professional Video Sales, Rental & Services

April 20th, 2011, 12:18 PM	#92
Sanjin Svajger Major Player Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Slovenia Posts: 356	Re: HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design I think one would have to consider a price of an external monitor along the starting price of 350$. Right? There is no way to monitor what's going on - or is there?

April 22nd, 2011, 07:55 AM	#93
Allan Barnwell Sponsor: Omega Broadcast Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 239	Re: HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design Yes - if you need to monitor the signal, you'll want an external monitor to go with this. You'd need to factor that into the price of a NanoFlash, Ki Pro, or Ki Pro min as well. But most of my customers who purchase or rent these units are using larger field monitors anyway. Then again, it can be nice to have physical buttons to operate these units. Many of the units that have touch screens present field operation challenges as a trade off. I like the simplicity of the buttons on this unit. Allan Barnwell Omega Broadcast Group - Professional Video Sales, Rental & Services

April 22nd, 2011, 11:39 AM	#94
Sanjin Svajger Major Player Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Slovenia Posts: 356	Re: HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design Nano and Aja mini both have screens which show what's going on -> this HyperDeck Shuttle doesn't have a screen of any sort. That's what I meant with "needing a monitor" so you can see some basic info - I wasn't referring to monitoring your image... The fact that it doesn't have even the smallest of a screen would suggest that's it primary intent of purpose is for studio use maybe?

April 22nd, 2011, 01:32 PM	#95
Kenn Christenson Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Medford Oregon Posts: 152	Re: HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design Is there a way to trigger the unit via running timecode - like the NanoFlash? So, you're basically hitting the camera's record button and activating record on the HyperDeck.

April 22nd, 2011, 02:52 PM	#96
Denis Danatzko Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: NYC Metro area Posts: 579	Re: HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design The Tech Specs at the BMD site claims "NO CAMERA CONTROL". Should that be taken at face value, i.e. manual start/stop with control buttons? __________________ Denis ------------ Our actions are based on our own experience and knowledge. Thus, no one is ever totally right, nor totally wrong. We simply act from what we "know" to be true, based on that experience and knowledge. Beyond that, we pose questions to others.

April 22nd, 2011, 03:09 PM	#97
Steve Kalle Trustee Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,554	Re: HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design It also says a computer is required to adjust settings. Btw, there is a 'studio' version with dual record slots and is rack mounted for around $1000.

April 22nd, 2011, 03:45 PM	#98
Denis Danatzko Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: NYC Metro area Posts: 579	Re: HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design Pardon my ignorance, but will this work with the HDMI out on a Panny HMC-150? And, even though that cam has an HDMI out, would I still only get 8 bit color? FOR THE PRICE, this seems like it might be well-suited for much of what I shoot, i.e. equestrian barrel racing - short (20 sec +/-) bursts of horses running at full-gallop, intended for web and DVD. And with a 2nd unit, could I hook that up to a laptop and external monitor, and swap SSDs to show footage shot just moments earlier? __________________ Denis ------------ Our actions are based on our own experience and knowledge. Thus, no one is ever totally right, nor totally wrong. We simply act from what we "know" to be true, based on that experience and knowledge. Beyond that, we pose questions to others.

April 22nd, 2011, 04:23 PM	#99
Steve Kalle Trustee Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,554	Yes, all HDMI outputs from cameras are only 8bit even though the HDMI 'standard' supports up to 12bit (aka Deep Color). Normally, I would suggest the nanoFlash or Atomos, but horses racing is extremely hard on all codecs so using uncompressed would significantly increase the quality. Btw, in the Convergent Deisgn forum (makers of nanoFlash), there is a thread showing how well various codecs handled recording a horse race. The 280Mb I-frame Nanoflash was noticeably superior to the Pro Res HQ. I just want to add something I forgot when discussing one recorder versus another: the Aja Ki Pro Mini formats its cards to HFS+ only which makes like difficult for Windows users. Just to read the CF card, you must purchase a program for each computer. Secondly, many clients who want the CF card at the end of a shoot won't have a Mac to access the files. Which brings me to my next thought: what does the Atomos use? Just found that it uses FAT32 - much SMARTER than Aja.

April 23rd, 2011, 05:50 AM	#100
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Re: HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design Mac users of the Aja Ki Pro Mini of course will be pleased that the cards are formatted as HFS+ so as to avoid the 4GB file size limit of FAT32. If they were formatted to NTFS then Windows users would be happy to escape the 4GB limit & Mac users would be happy too as Macs can read NTFS files without the purchase of additional software. So I guess that both Mac & Windows users could be unhappy with the Atomos Ninja.

April 23rd, 2011, 03:20 PM	#101
David Stuart Shapton New Boot Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Nottingham Posts: 20	Re: HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design We currently use Fat 32 because it's the most compatible file system of all. The 4Gh chunks are not an issue because you can import whole folders and the chunks are laid out contiguously as if they were one clip. There's also a big advantage: if - for any reason - a recording stops (because of physical impact, or whatever) the MOST you're going to lose is 4GB - and not a whole hour-long clip. We can do other file systems. It's just a firmware upgrade, but we'll stay with Fat 32 for now. We've had enough user feedback to know now that it's not a bit issue. Dave Shapton Atomos

April 27th, 2011, 05:10 AM	#103
Emmanuel Plakiotis Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 344	Re: HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design The name of the device is very revealing. It is conceived more as a portable deck than a field recorder. It can't control the camera, it is limited by its internal rechargeable battery (this could turn into major problem during a long shooting), it doesn't have readout screen, no latch for the SSD or mount options to be attached to a camera. Its more an expensive SSD deck, companion to a laptop, than a cheap field recorder. I think BM lost an opportunity to create a really breakthrough product with an amazing price, simply by positioning this product in the wrong segment. I just hope to reconsider it soon, even if that means a price hike, because the idea of uncompressed field recording is ideal for a number of jobs, especially for budget feature films.

April 29th, 2011, 04:47 PM	#104
Paul Cascio Trustee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bristol, CT (Home of EPSN) Posts: 1,192	Re: HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design My guess is that we will see a "Deluxe" version in the near future. __________________ Paul Cascio www.pictureframingschool.com

May 2nd, 2011, 03:59 PM	#105
Kenn Christenson Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Medford Oregon Posts: 152	Re: HyperDeck Shuttle from Blackmagic Design As the unit is able to be powered by a 12V transformer - wondering if external batteries would be an option - given the limitation of the internal battery.