First announced around NAB, the $1,600 7" 1920 x 1200 touchscreen external monitor/recorder is the flagship device in the new E series of PIX recorders, with the two other models featuring 5" screens, and all capable of Apple ProRes. The E7 is capable of recording 4K/UHD up to 30fps, and with a firmware update released in early December, is capable of 1080p up to 120fps, as well as 6G-SDI compatibility with cameras like those from Blackmagic. Here's more from them on the E7:
The 4K-compatible PIX-E7 offers a full suite of precision-monitoring tools, SDI and HDMI I/O, plus the ability to record all available Apple® ProRes codecs, up to 4444 XQ 12-bit. The PIX-E7, like the PIX-E5 and PIX-E5H, is compatible with the innovative, super-fast USB-based SpeedDrive™ - a custom-made enclosure that holds an industry standard mSATA solid-state drive. The monitor incorporates a “best-of-both-worlds” user interface that combines easy-to-access tactile buttons with an intuitive touch screen. The PIX-E7 also accepts external timecode via a BNC linear input connection, and features a second SDI In, and a general purpose input/output port for tally light and remote control workflows.
Though it doesn't feature RAW recording like the Convergent Design 7Q+ and eventually the Atomos Shogun, it does compare very favorably on price, and while it uses small 240GB drives that cost $250, you can get one of their enclosures and a slightly more affordable SDD (It should be noted that these use the much smaller mSATA drives internally). The nice thing about the enclosure is that it's essentially already a USB 3 thumbdrive that you can plug into any USB 3 port.
Here's a quick overview of the PIX-E7:
And to see how it compares to the rest of the E series line, here's a look at the specs:
It looks like it should be available from B&H in January, but we may very well see it in other places sooner.
Firmware 1.20
In addition to this announcement, they've also got new firmware available:
Since the PIX-E Series was first introduced, Video Devices has released several feature enhancements through regular firmware updates. With the latest firmware version 1.20, the PIX-E7 and PIX-E5 offer 1080i over SDI out, and 6G-SDI to support 4K over a single SDI cable for cameras like the Blackmagic® URSA®. All three PIX-E models offer higher frame rate recording of 1080p 120fps via HDMI – ideal for capturing slow motion footage via HDMI, enhanced playback capabilities such as jog, shuttle, and FF/REW, 4:3 anamorphic desqueeze, 3:2 pulldown, external timecode, and the ability to enable or disable a LUT on an SDI output.
You can find the download link here.
Source: Video Devices
