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REVIEW:  Fast Forward Video Sidekick HD Recorder/Monitor

Bottom of the Sidekick HD

There is no doubt that the best way to record from a high-def camera is with the HD-SDI jack; that’s where you get the signal before it goes through whatever compression the camera’s electronics impose to lay it to tape.  When I connected the Sidekick HD to the HD-SDI ports of cameras that do support embedded audio and time code (like the Canon XH-G1 and the Sony HDW-790 ENG/EFP camera) the Sidekick HD rolled and stopped reliably, and recorded audio just as you would expect.  Of course, I haven’t yet met a camera that will start and stop time code without a tape in the drive; you can look at this as either a waste of tape or as mandatory backup.  Even on the XL-H1, manual rolling and stopping was a piece of cake, due to the large, silver buttons, which wear the classic squares and triangles we all now know by heart for Rewind, Fast Forward, Play, Stop, and the red Record button.

While not high-definition by any measure, the 4.3”, 480x272 monitor on the Sidekick HD is a great thing to have.  Bright, colorful and reasonably sharp, it is a huge asset to any camera that doesn’t have a built-in LCD display.  However, the form-factor made me think:  what do you do with the Sidekick HD when you are going handheld?  For DSLR rigs, that might not be a problem; for ENG/EFP cameras, it probably would be.

Look, Ma, I’m transferring!

Here’s how hard it is to transfer footage from the Sidekick HD to your computer: 

1)    Power the Sidekick HD down and slide out the 2.5” SATA drive from the back;

2)    Plug the miniSATA cable into the drive and the USB end into your computer;

3)    Transfer the clips.

Seriously.  That’s it.  Start editing.  Sure, there could be a faster bus than USB2 (and if you have an eSATA drive “toaster” you could mount the drive there for much higher datarates) but seriously,  it is that simple.  As I trumpeted before, ProRes clips no longer pose any issues for PCs.  Fast Forward Video touts the ability to record in other codecs as well, but as of November 2011 the only other choice is ProRes 422 (HQ).  Future plans include codecs for Avid DNxHD and AVCIntra; any of these codecs will be an additional-cost purchase.

Sounds great, right?  Well it is, but this transition comes with a price tag attached.  Street price for the Sidekick HD is in the high-$1800 range, with one included 128GB drive.

UPDATE 12/19/12:  Pricing for the Sidekick HD with a 128Gb drive *and* the ProRez HQ codec is now $2495, and with the codec but *no* drive, the price is $2195.  And I am told that FFV has recently qualified the Intel 320-series SSDs, so now you have more storage choices.

  Laptop-size solid-state drives (SSDs) are not (yet) inexpensive;  the 128GB drive that ships with the Sidekick HD holds around 70 minutes of 10-bit ProRes footage, and costs over $700.  A 256GB drive is over $1500 - that’s over $10 per minute of storage. The competition generally records to CompactFlash memory, and when you get into the 32Gb and 64Gb sizes, the costs almost equalize, with an slight advantage to CompactFlash. However, when you consider that the Sidekick HD throws in a built-in confidence monitor, loop and HDMI/HD-SDI transcode capacity to feed other, higher-rez monitors, and even a speaker to check your footage, it is a pretty compelling package.  If you are looking to move your production to 10-bit recording and solid-state acquisition, the Sidekick HD is easily worth some careful consideration.

DISCLAIMER:  I was provided with a Sidekick HD on a loaner basis by Fast Forward Video; it is soon going back.  Nothing of value changed hands as a result of this review.

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Great review, thanks Bruce.  Have you been using it since your review, and, if so, any follow-up? Has it been working OK?  Any issues?

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  01/06  at  02:45 PM

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Actually, I have sent it back to the manufacturer (it was only a loaner, after all.)  But it did get me thinking…I would love to have that capability on my shoots, but since the Canon XL-H1 doesn’t have embedded audio and timecode, it’s not really very usable for me.  When it comes time to upgrade my cameras, though, that’ll be another story.  It would be a pretty compelling tool on a Sony EX3, for example…double record in 10-bit for safety and get a monitor int he deal.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  01/06  at  02:56 PM

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Thanks Bruce.  I’m thinking about it for the Sony F3 as well.  Seems like a lot of recorders are still having some growing pains though, so not sure I want to jump just yet.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  01/06  at  03:04 PM

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Seems like a decent recorder but at this price I’d rather go with an Atomos Ninja/Samurai + a nice 600p/720p monitor (SmallHD, for example). Or if ProRes and recrun are not required a BlackMagic Design Shuttle 2 will be an even greater saving. It records 10 bit 422 Avid files which should be useable in CS5.5 with the right codec.

Posted by Review Maze  on  02/06  at  12:22 PM

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