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Convergent Design: Odyssey 7
Have you ever thought about what a Convergent Design device would look like if they combined their Gemini 4:4:4 with their Nanoflash along with a production monitor? Convergent Design has with their two new mobile recorders, the Odyssey7 and 7Q, which function both as small production monitors as well as mobile recording devices. Both models sport a 7.7” OLED screen with 1280 x 800 RGB pixel array, and can record everything from Canon 4K RAW to DNxHD. As mobile recording devices, they can record in both 10 bit and 12 bit formats. But what is atypical about the Odyssey7 and 7Q is that Convergent Design has decided to set a base price, and then charge by each codec. This allows them to keep the base cost down. The Odyssey uses Solid State Drives that come in 240GB, 480GB, and 960GB sizes.
With a multifunctional device you can save space, energy, and cost for your client. If you happen to need a new monitor but also want a recorder, or the reverse, then this device is perfect for you. The OLED monitor on the Odyssey7 includes a waveform function, zebras, histogram, vectorscope, focus assist, timecode display, audio level meters and 1:1 pixel mode. The Odyssey7 has a plethora of inputs including HDMI and SD/HD/3G-SDI and the Odyssey7Q even adds 2 input and 2 output bi-directional SDIs that enable a 4K recording option at 60 frames per second. The Odyssey7 and 7Q are the first recorders that require costs for each codecs. This keeps the cost down if you only need a few codecs and allows for the recorder to adapt with constantly changing camera formats and new codecs without costly upgrades. Also Convergent Design gives you the ability to lease licenses for codecs on a daily basis for projects. This is helpful to DPs and Producers who need to shoot with a codec they don’t normally use.
There are differences between the Odyssey7 and 7Q that are worth noting. The “Q” in 7Q
stands for quad which allows the user to record 4 streams of video at the same time. The Odyssey7Q adds the 2 bi-direction SDI’s that enable it for 4K as previously mentioned. The 7Q has 8 channels of 48K, 24 bit embedded audio where the Odyssey7 only has 2. The 7Q will support additional codes like Sony F3 uncompressed HD, ARRIRAW 12 bit, Canon C500 4K 10 bit RAW, Sony F55 4K, Sony Fs700 2K RAW and others. With its monitor the 7Q can do display and image analysis during playback. The Odyssey7Q functions closer to the Gemini 4:4:4 recorder where the Odyssey7 is more like the Nanoflash. But with both Convergent Design’s Odyssey7 and 7Q, you get a high functioning monitor and a versatile mobile record in one device.
The Odyssey7Q will be released August 2013 with a list price of $2295 and Odyssey7 in November of 2013 with a price of $1295. The Convergent Design Odyssey Series is the first to sell and lease codecs separately from the device, so what are your thoughts on this new trend? Do you think it’s worth it for one-off video shoots? Do you think it will catch on, or do you dislike the idea of buying or leasing a codec?
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