SmallHD debuted at the NAB Show 2018 five new monitors which drastically expand the FOCUS monitor family, by adding OLED, SDI, and wireless into the mix. Here are the RX and TX models in more detail.
With five new monitors added to the SmallHD family, the company’s presence at NAB 2018 was the right moment to check the multiple choices available, not only the new FOCUS models, but the whole collection. Highlights of the show, though, the new 5-inch wireless monitor system, the FOCUS Bolt TX (transmitter) and FOCUS Bolt RX (receiver), are different, as they are built on FOCUS touchscreen monitor platforms, with built-in Teradek transmitter and receiver systems.
First, though, let’s look at the other solutions presented in Las Vegas. The FOCUS OLED HDMI is a 1920×1080 resolution, 5-inch OLED touchscreen with a Micro HDMI input. Similar to the original FOCUS monitor, this wide color gamut display has a 7.2v power output to power DSLR/mirrorless cameras. The FOCUS OLED HDMI costs $699 and will be available May.
The FOCUS OLED SDI is identical to the HDMI version, except it has a full-size SDI input. Both have an edge-to-edge bonded glass display, include the SmallHD Tilt Arm mounting solution, and are equipped with the OS3 software suite. This monitor, priced at $799, will be available in June 2018.
Complementing the SmallHD FOCUS (which was announced last year at NAB) is the FOCUS SDI. This daylight viewable LCD offers the same functionality and portability as the original FOCUS but offers a full-size SDI input as opposed to a Micro HDMI. The FOCUS SDI ships with the SmallHD Tilt Arm, which will attach quickly atop a camera handle via shoe mount. High resolution Scopes, customizable False Color, real-time 3D LUTs and many more professional software tools are easily accessible on the FOCUS SDI’s 800 nit bright touchscreen. Priced at $599 it is expected to be available by the end of May.
The new pair of wireless monitors, which, as said, mix features of the FOCUS family with the Bolt solutions already available at SmallHD, are designed with mobility in mind. The transmission in the 5GHz band from a single TX can be received by as many as four FOCUS Bolt RXs within a range up to 500 feet, meaning they allow directors, directors of photography, DITs and lighting directors to view live takes, preview and review scenes, untethered.
Regarding the new simplified onset wireless monitoring solution, Wes Phillips, SmallHD CEO explains, “With the FOCUS Bolt RX/TX we have created a sleek and capable wireless monitor ecosystem that puts our feature-rich displays in the hands of the director who can freely roam around the set.”
The FOCUS Bolt system streamlines the wireless workflow in a very convenient way. On a typical shoot, a FOCUS Bolt TX transmitting monitor is located at the camera, connected via a Micro HDMI cable, ready to perform the normal duties of an on-camera monitor and transmit a video signal. That TX monitor transmits the full high definition signal that can be received by RX monitors. RX monitors can also receive input through a Micro HDMI connector, functioning as a stand-alone high definition monitor.
All FOCUS Bolt monitors can be powered by a Sony L-Series battery through an integrated slot on the back. The FOCUS Bolt units can also supply 7.2V power to DSLR and mirrorless cameras via camera specific power adapter cables. The monitors can also be powered off an optional D-Tap to battery adapter or AC power.
These monitors provide an 800 nit 1280 x 720 high definition display, featuring 294 pixel per inch-density. With 10-bit color processing, they display a color gamut of 70% NTSC color accuracy. For convenient viewing by multiple crew members, FOCUS Bolt monitors provide a wide, 160° viewing angle horizontally and vertically.
FOCUS Bolt touchscreen monitors utilize the SWIPE interface to the OS3 operating system to provide access to SmallHD’s extensive toolset, which includes Waveform, Scopes, Focus and Exposure Assist, and real-time 3D LUTs. The PageBuilder system allows quick access and customization of the tools on the display. An audio monitoring VU meter can be displayed on the screen as well.
Each FOCUS has a built-in full-size SD card slot that provides even more utility. Both models ship with a mounting solution included. The FOCUS Bolt TX gets a camera shoe arm with friction-based tilt mount. The FOCUS Bolt RX comes with a neck strap and a set of lightweight monitor handles that attach natively to the monitor.