Apollo Option

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Friends,

I want to provide some information on our Apollo Option for the Odyssey7Q and Odyssey7Q+, as well as our Apollo unit.

This is in response to questions that come up time to time.

1. If I have an Odyssey7Q+ is there any advantage to purchasing an Apollo, as opposed to adding the Apollo Option to my Odyssey7Q+?

The answer is no. The Odyssey7Q+ and the Apollo use exactly the same hardware platform.

One does not miss any features or functionality if one adds the Apollo Option.

And one retains all of the features of the Odyssey7Q+.

2. If I have an Odyssey7Q and add the Apollo Option do I miss anything compared to using the Odyssey7Q+ or Apollo?

Yes, the Odyssey7Q's HDMI input is limited to up to 1080p30, thus no Ultra-HD or 4K signals can be received over HDMI.

And the Odyssey7Q+ SDI A and SDI B inputs now support up to HD-SDI 6G, which is required for just a few cameras at this time.

-------------------------

If one needs to record from multiple cameras, then the Odyssey7Q/Odyssey7Q+ or Apollo can save time on set, as well as save a significant amount of time in post. And this savings in time can save a significant amount of money.

(I will just use the term Apollo, for simplicity, to describe the Odyssey7Q or Odyssey7Q+ with the Apollo Option, or the Apollo unit itself.)

With Apollo, one can record from up to four cameras, in one unit.

But, it is much more than simply recording four video streams in one recorder.

All video streams start on exactly the same frame, and all frames have the exact same timecode, thus making it much easier in post.

When recording with multiple cameras, one can sometimes get the same timecode to all cameras, and the cameras can sometimes (depending on the camera) put this same timecode on each frame of video recorded in camera. But the Apollo guarantees the same timecode on each frame, even if the camera's timecode is not setup properly.

And all of the video streams are recorded to one SSD, greatly reducing the time and effort to upload footage to a computer. During one upload process, up to five video streams will be uploaded simultaneously, to individual isolated files.

On top of this, is that the Apollo makes recording multi-camera shoots quicker and easier. This replaces a rack of gear.

If one is recording up to 1080p30, then the Apollo adds two major capabilities:

1. It includes four frame synchronizers so that non-genlocked or genlocked cameras may be used.
And it includes a four-channel glitchless switcher with a touch screen control surface.

Currently this is a Cuts Only switcher, but additional features are coming soon.

In this Live Switch mode, one sees the four video streams in a Quad-Split mode on the OLED,
and on SDI A and our HDMI outputs.

The SDI B output is the Program Feed, thus the channel being output follows which channel is selected on the control surface (the switcher function.)

Thus, one can easily setup two external monitors, one with the four channels being displayed in Quad-Split and one with the Program Feed.

The Program Feed is also recorded as the "Fifth Channel", thus one gets the four isolated channels, plus the "Fifth Channel", which is the final result of any switching activity.

If all of the live switch points were good, then one only needs to use the "Fifth Channel" and perform and other editing that needs to be performed.

If any of the switch points need to be changed, this is very easy and quick.

This is the beauty of the Apollo. If one or two switch points need to be changed, this will not take long, as one does not need to recreate all of the other switch points in Post, thus saving a great deal of time.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. The second main mode is Quad-Split mode.

In this mode, the recorded "Fifth Channel" is a Quad-Split image of the other four channels.

(Of course, one does not need to have all four channels, the concept is the same.)

This Quad-Split recording has great advantages:

The Director may quickly review the last clip (or any other clip) instantly, scrubbing through the footage, viewing all four camera angles simultaneously.

He or She may pause at any spot and instantly jump to any other spot in the clip.

The Director can review each camera angle, and if one is not acceptable (out of focus, bad framing, etc.) he or she can instantly decide if one of the other camera angles suits his or her needs.

At the end of the day, the Director can leave with all of the Quad-Split footage, with timecode, so he or she can review the day's footage, which again saves lots of time.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is relatively common to use different types of cameras for a multi-camera shoot, and each have a different type of media,

It is fair to say that at the end of the day, the data wrangling to upload, and then copy all of this diverse media is a big task (and it is time consuming).

With the Apollo, and reasonably fast backup drives, this task becomes easier and faster.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------


If you have questions on the Apollo, please feel free to post them here, or for instant answers, you may call me at:

Seven one nine ---- nine three zero --- one three seven six

Our goal is to make recording multiple camera shoots easier.

Respectfully,