Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q+ adds HDMI to 4K recorder

News

by Tim FokDecember 13^th, 2014

Convergent Design has released a recorder that will compete nicely with the Atomos Shogun. The Odyssey 7Q+ is a 4K raw recorder, with the addition of a HDMI input for direct compatibly with cameras like the Panasonic GH4 and Sony A7S.

The Odyssey 7Q is a compact solution combining advanced recording abilities over SDI with a 7.7″ OLED screen for monitoring. The Odyssey 7Q+ offers exactly this, but with a HDMI input also.

Check out the below video released by Convergent Design discussing the wide capability of Odyssey 7Q+.

https://vimeo.com/114257003

The down conversion of a signal is a nice touch; on smaller budget shoots sometimes not every component is 4K compatible. Having the ability to record in 4K but output FullHD will help in these workflows, a perfect example of this is displayed in the above video where you want to record drone footage in 4K, but send a wireless signal in 1920X1080.

The ability to apply LUTs to your image whilst recording in raw/log is great; not everyone on set will know how to determine a log image, having the ability to supply an image in the ballpark of a finished result is much more pleasing to clients.

The Odyssey 7Q+ has the ability to record 4K images up to 60p, and 2K images up to 120p. The purchase of the device includes ProRes capture of up to 30p in 4K, and 60P 2k/1080. The former mentioned higher frame rates are unlocked with an additional software purchase/hire.

This is worth noting with the 7Q+, like all Odyssey recorders only certain features are included in the initial purchase, this along with proprietary media can significantly add to the overall cost of your package, so factor this into your purchase. Here is a list of the included features and available paid upgrades:

Included Recording Options

Compressed Formats:
4K/UHD 10-bit YCC 4:2:2 up to 30fps in Apple ProRes 422 HQ
2K/1080p 10-bit YCC 4:2:2 up to 60fps in Apple ProRes 422 HQ
1080i 10-bit YCC 4:2:2 up to 60i in Apple ProRes 422 HQ
720p 10-bit YCC 4:2:2 up to 60fps in Apple ProRes 422 HQ

Uncompressed Formats:
2K/1080p RGB 10/12-bit 4:4:4 up to 30fps in DPX file format
1080p RGB 10-bit 4:4:4 up to 60fps in DPX file format

Record Options for Purchase or Rental

ARRI ALEXA
ARRIRAW (16:9) up to 60fpsCanon C500
4K (4096×2160) RAW up to 60fps
UHD (3840×2160) RAW up to 60fps
4K “Half-RAW” up to 120fpsSony FS RAW
4K RAW up to 60fps
4K RAW 120fps burst
2K RAW up to 240fps
“4K24K” 4K RAW to 4K Apple ProRes 422 HQ up to 30fps
“4K2HD” 4K RAW to HD Apple ProRes 422 HQ up to 60fps

POV RAW
POV 2K 10-bit RAW
POV HD 10-bit RAW
POV HD 12-bit RAW

Note: ARRIRAW above 30fps, Canon RAW 50/60fps, and Sony FS 2K RAW 200fps and 240fps require two SSDs

And here is a list of the key features of the Odyssey 7Q+

• 7.7″, OLED, 8-bit, touchscreen panel
• 1280×800 resolution
• Intuitive touchscreen interface
• 3400:1 contrast ratio, true blacks
• HD/2K/UHD/4K recording over HDMI or SDI
• 2x 3G-SDI inputs, 2x 3G-SDI outputs, 2x bi-directional inputs
• Supports Single, Dual, and Quad Link formats
• HDMI input: up to 1080p60 4:2:2, up to 30 fps in UHD (3840×2160), and up to 24 fps in 4K (4096×2160)
• HDMI output: up to 1080p30
• Output downscaling
• 2 channels of embedded audio, 48kHz, 24-bit
• ARRI, Canon, and Sony LUT Support
• Image analysis tools (Waveform, Histogram, False Color, Focus Assist, Zebras, Pixel Zoom)

The Odyssey 7Q+ is available for pre-order now, and is likely to ship before the end of the year. At $2295.00 it is more or less in the ballpark of the Atomos Shogun. Although as stated earlier, media and additional firmware support will significantly up the price (albeit with more peripherals, so pick the package that suits you best).