Small HD Finally is here

Adrian Price · July 9th, 2009, 02:03 AM

there's now a good video tutorial on SmallHDs wiki outlining calibration and setting bluegun only mode up properly.

Really wish I had watched it before i started like an idiot to play with the advanced settings menu and then inadvertently change the normal template's RGB color settings - idiot!

Could anyone let me know what the normal templates out of the box RGB is supposed to be - figure I should fix what I've broken!

Paul Joy · July 9th, 2009, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adrian Price

there's now a good video tutorial on SmallHDs wiki outlining calibration and setting bluegun only mode up properly.

Really wish I had watched it before i started like an idiot to play with the advanced settings menu and then inadvertently change the normal template's RGB color settings - idiot!

Could anyone let me know what the normal templates out of the box RGB is supposed to be - figure I should fix what I've broken!

If you toggle to the second tab in the main UI there is an option that seems to restore the factory settings, I've used this quite a few times already after experimenting with colour values too.

Peter Rixner · July 9th, 2009, 03:03 AM

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

You're probably right, that a V-Mount battery on the back would be too heavy and bulky.
So it's probably a good idea to do both :)

Using the original batteries for on-camera use and get a V-Mount connector like

16x9 Europe GmbH - 4-PIN XLR Swit S-7100S - Sony V-Mount Connector S-7100S

that is then adapted to that "barrel"-type connector in the DP1.

Trevor:
or as a M2e solution maybe use the microPowerPod. :)
Probably the most elegant solution.

The last thing that isn't answered or I have overlooked is, if the DP1 accepts a range of voltage.
Experience shows that there is not exactly 12V coming out of the most batteries.

Somehow I can not imagine to use a USB-Like power-connector with an AC Adaptor with a US to German Adapter to charge batteries on set :)

Thanks!

Peter

Trevor Meeks · July 9th, 2009, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Rixner

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

You're probably right, that a V-Mount battery on the back would be too heavy and bulky.
So it's probably a good idea to do both :)

Using the original batteries for on-camera use and get a V-Mount connector like

16x9 Europe GmbH - 4-PIN XLR Swit S-7100S - Sony V-Mount Connector S-7100S

that is then adapted to that "barrel"-type connector in the DP1.

Trevor:
or as a M2e solution maybe use the microPowerPod. :)
Probably the most elegant solution.

The last thing that isn't answered or I have overlooked is, if the DP1 accepts a range of voltage.
Experience shows that there is not exactly 12V coming out of the most batteries.

Somehow I can not imagine to use a USB-Like power-connector with an AC Adaptor with a US to German Adapter to charge batteries on set :)

Thanks!

Peter

Again, adapting a V-mount bracket (using an intermediate plate of some sort) to mount on the back of the DP1 would not be a problem structurally - the monitor is rock freakin' solid - but the problem lies more in the extra bulk of such a battery.

As far as the power pod goes, 1.) I'm not going to spend that much on another redrock accessory and 2.) it doesn't really allow the monitor to be used off of the camera rig, which I sometimes like to do (hand it to the director to review hand-held shots, etc) and 3.) again, the SmallHD batteries are so small and light that I can put my monitor up on the noga arm and not worry one bit about weight or balance...

Seriously, I'm not sure why people are so resistant to change... these batteries are pretty brilliant IMO.

As far as the voltage goes, I'd suppose you can probably give the DP1 anything from 11-13 volts safely, but of course you'd want to keep it as close to 12 as possible.... (and yet again, this is easily removed form the worry list by using the SmallHD batteries.)

Charging - I'm pretty sure the SmallHD battery chargers will accommodate 110-220 volts (like most other wall-plug accessories.) I haven't gone in to look and I'll confirm this shortly, but I'm pretty sure they'll take both voltages. You cannot charge the SmallHD batteries using a USB port, as they require a much different voltage/amperage than a USB port can provide)

I think the idea behind the mini USB formfactor charge receptacle on the battery was a.) to have a connector small enough to place on such a thin battery, and b.) to have a connector that is noticeably different from the output connector on the battery (which is a small barrel-type receptacle)

hope that helps :)

Steve Benjamin · July 9th, 2009, 05:47 AM

For those people using them in the UK, the power charger has an american plug but they plug straight into a normal 13amp shaver adaptor socket for use.

Peter Rixner · July 9th, 2009, 06:22 AM

Ok, I guess You're right Trevor for most of the points.

I just want to keep the number of different plugs and adaptors as minimal as possible, as my equipment becomes less and less interchangeable that way.

I would like to have one battery system for camera, steadicam and monitor.
Also I like the sturdy broadcast equipment more than small plugs and adaptors with thin cables.

But it's also right, that the dp1 battery is cheap enough to just try it in practice.

Thanks!

Peter

Dale Backus · July 9th, 2009, 12:40 PM

Regarding all the battery discussion:

The DP1 will accept voltages in the range of 11-14v. However certain 14.4 volt batteries have a tendency to fluctuate way beyond 14.4v and therefore are currently incompatible with the DP1. So attaching that v-mount plate (which is something we may offer support for in the future) may be physically feasible, the voltage of standard v-mount battery will not work.

That said, we are currently developing a wide voltage converter that will be small and inexpensive that can accept virtually any voltage and regulate it out 12v to the DP1. Then we will begin development on other battery support, starting with the popular ones such as V-mount and AB.

We understand that some people want to throw a battery the size of a volkswagen on their monitor and not have to worry about it for an entire shoot - the DP1 was designed to be portable and functional without having to be weighed down by a huge battery, but we understand the need for more stationary applications.

Paul Mailath · July 9th, 2009, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Rixner

I just want to keep the number of different plugs and adaptors as minimal as possible, as my equipment becomes less and less interchangeable that way.

Just grab a pair of pliers and bend the conectors on an angle - works fine for me

Dean Sensui · July 9th, 2009, 05:27 PM

This looks like an amazing little monitor.

Any chance of it being able to take in an HD-SDI input eventually? Otherwise it would have to have an HD-SDI - HDMI converter linked to it.

Adrian Price · July 9th, 2009, 06:38 PM

Hey Dean

Got our DP1 yesterday and it's a fantastically built little sucker, really very nice for the price! Haven't been able to test it with the EX3 at this point as our unit is in for servicing and firmware upgrade, but I'm suspecting we may have the same issues as Paul Joy is with his EX1 and the component input, with noise.

So....the HD/SDI to HDMI converter option may be the best solution to this. As mentioned way earlier in this thread there is this one

AJA | Hi5 HD-SDI/SDI to HDMI Video and Audio Converter | HI5

Not cheap, and then we still need to find a solution to power it also (would be great if there was a regulator to run this off one of the DP1 batteries). There's also the question of whether or not it would actually solve the noise issue. Is anyone currently using this to feed from their EX?

Trevor Meeks · July 10th, 2009, 12:41 AM

guys, there is no noise issue. at least as far as i've seen with NTSC - but those of you using PAL may be running into something else eh?

Paul Joy · July 10th, 2009, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trevor Meeks

guys, there is no noise issue. at least as far as i've seen with NTSC - but those of you using PAL may be running into something else eh?

Hi Trevor, I'd really like to get to the bottom of why I'm seeing different results to you. Can you confirm that in a low light environment you are not seeing results similar to those I posted at http://www.videotrader.co.uk/images/dp1noise.jpg ?

I get this effect either in NTSC or PAL so for me the signal type is not the cause. I'm still open to it being something wrong with either my camera or my Dp1 but I really want to know if other EX1 / 3 users see the same thing before returning either.

If the scene is fully lit then this isn't an issue, but that doesn't mean there isn't an issue at all as I do a lot of low light shooting.

Andrew Dean · July 10th, 2009, 05:20 AM

Hey Paul,

I reproduced the same issue (though much less severe and only in the darkest of details) and forwarded my findings to smallhd. We likely wont hear any official word on the subject until they have it pinpointed/resolved. However, they are definitely aware and based on the tenacity they've shown for every other minute detail, I have every confidence they won't rest until its resolved.

So, you aren't crazy, and its not just you. Well, you might be crazy, but not on this one thing. hehe.

Paul Joy · July 10th, 2009, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Dean

Well, you might be crazy, but not on this one thing.

Lol, I'm sure my girlfriend would agree with you on that one :)

I've been doing more tests for Dale today and sending him the results directly, I hope they can resolve it too as I really like a lot about the DP1.

By the way, how are you guys keeping the screen clean? It seems to pick up fingerprints very easily and I'm not having much luck getting rid of them.

Trevor Meeks · July 11th, 2009, 12:33 AM

don't touch it.

or canned air and/or a microfiber cleaning cloth :)

July 9th, 2009, 02:03 AM	#181
Adrian Price Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 29	calibration there's now a good video tutorial on SmallHDs wiki outlining calibration and setting bluegun only mode up properly. Really wish I had watched it before i started like an idiot to play with the advanced settings menu and then inadvertently change the normal template's RGB color settings - idiot! Could anyone let me know what the normal templates out of the box RGB is supposed to be - figure I should fix what I've broken!

July 9th, 2009, 05:27 PM	#189
Dean Sensui Inner Circle Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 2,054	This looks like an amazing little monitor. Any chance of it being able to take in an HD-SDI input eventually? Otherwise it would have to have an HD-SDI - HDMI converter linked to it. __________________ Dean Sensui Exec Producer, Hawaii Goes Fishing

July 9th, 2009, 06:38 PM	#190
Adrian Price Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 29	HD/SDI to HDMI Hey Dean Got our DP1 yesterday and it's a fantastically built little sucker, really very nice for the price! Haven't been able to test it with the EX3 at this point as our unit is in for servicing and firmware upgrade, but I'm suspecting we may have the same issues as Paul Joy is with his EX1 and the component input, with noise. So....the HD/SDI to HDMI converter option may be the best solution to this. As mentioned way earlier in this thread there is this one AJA \| Hi5 HD-SDI/SDI to HDMI Video and Audio Converter \| HI5 Not cheap, and then we still need to find a solution to power it also (would be great if there was a regulator to run this off one of the DP1 batteries). There's also the question of whether or not it would actually solve the noise issue. Is anyone currently using this to feed from their EX?

July 9th, 2009, 03:03 AM	#183
Peter Rixner Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: near Munich, Bavaria Posts: 139	Thanks for all the help and suggestions. You're probably right, that a V-Mount battery on the back would be too heavy and bulky. So it's probably a good idea to do both :) Using the original batteries for on-camera use and get a V-Mount connector like 16x9 Europe GmbH - 4-PIN XLR Swit S-7100S - Sony V-Mount Connector S-7100S that is then adapted to that "barrel"-type connector in the DP1. Trevor: or as a M2e solution maybe use the microPowerPod. :) Probably the most elegant solution. The last thing that isn't answered or I have overlooked is, if the DP1 accepts a range of voltage. Experience shows that there is not exactly 12V coming out of the most batteries. Somehow I can not imagine to use a USB-Like power-connector with an AC Adaptor with a US to German Adapter to charge batteries on set :) Thanks! Peter

July 9th, 2009, 05:47 AM	#185
Steve Benjamin Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: morbihan/france and enfield/uk Posts: 42	For those people using them in the UK, the power charger has an american plug but they plug straight into a normal 13amp shaver adaptor socket for use.

July 9th, 2009, 06:22 AM	#186
Peter Rixner Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: near Munich, Bavaria Posts: 139	Ok, I guess You're right Trevor for most of the points. I just want to keep the number of different plugs and adaptors as minimal as possible, as my equipment becomes less and less interchangeable that way. I would like to have one battery system for camera, steadicam and monitor. Also I like the sturdy broadcast equipment more than small plugs and adaptors with thin cables. But it's also right, that the dp1 battery is cheap enough to just try it in practice. Thanks! Peter

July 9th, 2009, 12:40 PM	#187
Dale Backus Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 132	Regarding all the battery discussion: The DP1 will accept voltages in the range of 11-14v. However certain 14.4 volt batteries have a tendency to fluctuate way beyond 14.4v and therefore are currently incompatible with the DP1. So attaching that v-mount plate (which is something we may offer support for in the future) may be physically feasible, the voltage of standard v-mount battery will not work. That said, we are currently developing a wide voltage converter that will be small and inexpensive that can accept virtually any voltage and regulate it out 12v to the DP1. Then we will begin development on other battery support, starting with the popular ones such as V-mount and AB. We understand that some people want to throw a battery the size of a volkswagen on their monitor and not have to worry about it for an entire shoot - the DP1 was designed to be portable and functional without having to be weighed down by a huge battery, but we understand the need for more stationary applications.

July 10th, 2009, 12:41 AM	#191
Trevor Meeks Major Player Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Sonoma, CA Posts: 336	guys, there is no noise issue. at least as far as i've seen with NTSC - but those of you using PAL may be running into something else eh?

July 10th, 2009, 05:20 AM	#193
Andrew Dean Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Motukarara, New Zealand Posts: 475	Hey Paul, I reproduced the same issue (though much less severe and only in the darkest of details) and forwarded my findings to smallhd. We likely wont hear any official word on the subject until they have it pinpointed/resolved. However, they are definitely aware and based on the tenacity they've shown for every other minute detail, I have every confidence they won't rest until its resolved. So, you aren't crazy, and its not just you. Well, you might be crazy, but not on this one thing. hehe.

July 11th, 2009, 12:33 AM	#195
Trevor Meeks Major Player Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Sonoma, CA Posts: 336	don't touch it. or canned air and/or a microfiber cleaning cloth :)