Teradek Bolt 4K MAX is Now Shipping to Make Your HD Look Much Better

The move from one platform to another is always annoying.

In an ideal scenario, we would upgrade everything in the image pipeline—camera, lens, wireless, and monitor—all at once. But in reality, that is just not something that many of us can afford to do in one sitting. And not every item works well with other formats; there are many 4K cameras in the world that only output 1080p through their SDI. Teradek is filling in the "wireless 4K video signal" void with their new Teradek Bolt 4K, first announced back at NAB and now shipping. The company is also pushing the product for its HD transmission use.

This is a super smart way to position the unit. One major fear users have when upgrading is that the new item won't fit into their current workflow. If your camera only puts out 1080p, and your on-set monitor is only 1080p (our current favorite on set monitor, the DM250, is 1080p, for instance), it can be worrying to think about upgrading your wireless to 4K and if it will work in your current setup.

Teradek is arguing not only that it can work, but that it will also give you superior video quality compared to their normal Bolt line of 1080p monitor/transmitter kits.

This is due to the 10bit high-quality encoding of the Bolt 4K. While it's honestly rare that the original Bolt 1080p units show any image quality degradation, it does happen a little bit—which is something we've mostly gotten used to for the benefits of having wireless video.

However, in mission-critical focus situations, every bit of resolution matters. It is exciting that the Bolt 4K can offer better image quality even for straight-up 1080p workflows. This will likely make this an attractive option for filmmakers, especially for those working in fast-moving car and action gigs, who need every ounce of detail through the wireless link to be confident of focus.

In reality, 4K monitors on set might take a while, since often on set we're only monitoring 7" or 17", and 4K resolution doesn't matter much there. But knowing you're getting clearer 1080p with the Bolt 4K might make this an attractive upgrade path that has you ready for when 4K becomes the default on set.

Tech Specs

• Video Inputs: 1x 12G-SDI SMPTE 2082-1 standard / 75 Ohms (accepts 12G-SDI, 6G-SDI, or 3G-SDI)
• 1x HDMI Type-A receptacle accepts HDMI 2.0 or HDMI 1.4)
• Video Outputs: 1x Loop out 12G-SDI SMPTE 2082-1 standard / 75 Ohms
• SDI Ancillary Data Support: Supports transmitting metadata, timecode and start/stop flags from most camera manufacturers
• Color Sampling: SDI: YCbCr 4:2:2, 10-bit/ HDMI: RGB 4:4:4, 8-bit
• Input Cross Conversion:  HDMI to SDI
• Delay Tx To Rx <0.001sec
• Audio Format: 48kHz 24-bit PCM
• Transmitter Power Input: 2-Pin Circular locking Connector 7-28V DC
• Transmitter Nominal Power Consumption: 20 Watts, Receiver 18 Watts
• Operating Temperature: 0 to 40 deg. C (32 to 104 deg. F)
• Milled Aluminum(Chassis) and regulation-compliant PCB
• Transmitter: 132 x 91 x 27mm (5.20 x 3.58 x 1.06")
• Receiver: 112 x 139 x 27mm (4.41 x 5.47 x 1.06")
• Bolt 4K Tx without antennas (no battery plates): 360g (12.70 oz)
• Bolt 4K Tx with 4x antennas (no battery plates): 408g (14.39 oz)
• Bolt 4K Rx without antennas (no battery plates): 440g (15.52 oz)
• Bolt 4K Rx with 5x antennas (no battery plates): 496g (17.50oz)
• Gold-Mount battery plate set (male+female): 172g (6.07 oz)

Pricing and Availability

Here's a quick pricing breakdown of the Teradek Bolt Max:

• Receiver: Gold Mount | V-Mount ($6890)
• Transmitter: Gold Mount | V-Mount ($6890)
• Transmitter/Receiver Set: Gold Mount | V-Mount ($13,590)
• Deluxe Kit: Gold Mount | V-Mount ($14,990)

Available now.