Teradek Firmware Update

Teradek Firmware Update: "

Teradek Cube streaming from 5DMkII to iPad from Teradek on Vimeo.

I’ve been a big fan of Teradek’s wireless Cube System (check it out on the GEAR PAGE)- It’s a great solution for both HDDSLR and RED filmmakers, as  it offers a wireless solution for monitoring what you are shooting on camera.  Moreover, it’s the only reliable system that I have found that is also relatively affordable in the market.  Monitors are extremely important on set as they allow everyone to see what the camera sees and this allows for better communication – whether its between you and your crew or even you and a client.  However, when you have a mess of chords running out of your camera body, into a Blackmagic box, and then out to a couple external monitors or a video village, you are really tying yourself down, and that can many time eliminate the very freedom and flexibility that these small camera systems can afford you.  With the ability to wirelessly stream, and the small form factor, the Cube is a solid solution.

 

And now, with their new Firmware update (released 5/27), the Cube is offering even more solutions.  The new update allows the Cube to negotiate with the Canon 5D/T2i’s HDMI output so that it always streams a 480p image and thus bypasses the delay that accompanies the resolution change as you switch recording on and off – and it does this without any additional modification of the camera’s firmware.  This is a small but significant detail that is very very welcome.

 

What’s even cooler is that this update isn’t just a benefit for the cube, but for any other accessory you have running off the camera’s HDMI port through the Cube (Monitors, EVF’s*, etc…).  So you can say goodbye to those annoying signal drops that you have to endure before every take you record.  And don’t be scared off by the 480p resolution – with advanced video scalers on most viewing devices these days (including the iPad and MacBook) and the native resolution of their screens – 480p monitoring is definitely more than "good enough."   This should be plenty of resolution for you, your crew, and the client.  However, I would not recommend the lower resolution signal for an AC trying to pull critical focus – but we are talking about wireless monitoring and a more streamlined workflow with the absence of signal dropping – no other device offers this on these cameras.

 

Any generation of Cube can accept this firmware upgrade, including the new models (Cube 150 & Cube 250) that feature dual-band (2.4GHz/5.8GHz) WiFi radios, line level audio in, adjustable mic level in with AGC and compression, and USB and WiFi outputs.

 

*Zacuto’s Z-Finder EVF is currently not supported by this update, so you must split the signal before reaching the Zacuto EVF.

 

 

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