By technical editor Matt Allard:
Spanish company Cinemartin have released the NEXT, a 4K 60p capable video recorder/display/computer. It features 3D and true uncompressed AVI, Motion-Jpeg and DPX native recording, plus all variants of ProRes up to 4444 and H265 transcoding. Interestingly it also supports H.265 encoding – a first to my knowledge.
According to Cinemartin the NEXT is unique in this category because it acts not only as a monitor/recorder, but as a portable computer as well.
For a limited time is starts at 995€ (regular price 1295€) for a OEM Basic kit for DIY users that have or plan to separately purchase or integrate their own memory, drive and any compatible card. There are some pre-build models, at 1695€ for an entry model and 2195€ for a Pro Kit. Customers can choose the features they want and can select video input/outputs, RAM, internal storage capacity, battery packs, box or briefcase and other accessories.
It will be interesting to see how the NEXT compares to already established recorders from Atomos and Convergent Design. While the price is very competitive it weighs 1.5Kg – unsurprising considering there is a computer under the hood. The reliability and user operation are yet to be proven and start up times may be slower than recorders like the Atomos Shogun. I think it looks too big and heavy to be using in the field with smaller cameras like the a7S that often require an external recorder to capture material in a higher quality format.
It is available as of now, and the first shipments will start in May 2015. Deliveries will be 4-5 weeks after order.
This from Cinemartin:
NEXT records up to 4K (UHD 24-25-30-50-60P & DCI 24-25P) at 8 & 10-Bit, plus 1080p60, 720p60 and lesser framerates, at 4:2:0, 4:2:2 or up to 4:4:4 being the first in his class to feature RGB recording (in addition to YUV), support for 4K60P using dual 6G-SDI inputs, and featuring the ability to record and playback in 3D (side by side or frame packing). The first portable video computer, a video recorder up to 4K, a high brightness monitor and a computing device engineered and produced by Cinemartin, that fits into your palm. It allows you to record up to 4K & UHD (4096×2160 and 3940×2160) up to 60 frames per second or 1080P at 60 frame per second, 720P and NTSC – PAL variants, plus 3D frame packing or side by side recording and playback, at the world highest quality, 8 or 10-Bit at 4:2:0, 4:2:2 or 4:4:4, being the only one to be able to record and get your scenes in Uncompressed, Mjpeg, DPX, ProRes, DNxHD, H.264 and H.265. NEXT comes with Live T, a background transcoder tool able to convert clips from uncompressed or M-jpeg or DPX to all variants of ProRes, H264 and HEVC H.265.
NEXT it is able to record true uncompressed video (true cinema quality in a single .avi file) at up to 4K30P in both HDMI & SDI inputs or at up to 4K60P in dual 6G-SDI (6G-SDI are backwards compatible with HD-SDI & 3G-SDI). The uncompressed recorder / tablet size / desktop powered device from Cinemartin also supports 3D recording and playback. NEXT features a Industrial 64-Bit Intel Based computer, 4th or 5th generation processor, with a 6.7″ HD 500NIT IPS touchscreen, 8 to 16GB RAM and a integrated internal SSD of up to 1TB.
3D Recording and playback
High end model (DUAL) provide 3D recording and playback, featuring dual SDI input/output and Dual HDMI. NEXT is able to record color space sampling in 420, 422 and up to 444.
UPGRADEABLE
NEXT, as a industrial computer powered device, means that software is a great feature; as software, diferently to “firmware only” upgrades, means that updates, tools, addons and other software applications can be provided to NEXT by Cinemartin or by third parties and other developers.
The Hardware side, as a computer, means some parts can be upgraded (by your vendor or qualified people certified by Cinemartin) like the internal SSD and the memory, but Next will be on sale with different configurations including custom builds where you can build your own one according to your requeriments.
Combining high quality components, with capture cards provided by a reputable company with extra support, along with a custom slim chassis, design, low power consume and great software, makes NEXT devices the choice of pro users, providing almost no-limit in performance, quality, easy of use, and long term usage.
Dont worry about the media, It comes with integrated SSD media (from 250GB to 1TB), so you save from buying a drive/s for (propietary or not). You may connect a external SSD USB drive like Samsung T1, but Next allows to simply plug a keyboard / mouse, connect up to 3 additional monitor or screens, and use it as a computer, so you dont need to move files as you can edit them in the same device, simple, fast, affordable, all-in-one..
NEXT is available in different models from OEM to complete Kits plus custom builds, all the way up with price differences based on digital inputs/outputs, processor, memory, ssd, battery kits, windows license, etc.
It can be ordered with or without batteries. Next is optimized for low power consume, from 15W to an average of 29W, can be supplied with a V-Mount adaptor or with a special belcro adapter system that allows you to supply power using many external “labtop” battery. 12 – 19V 12000mAh – 33000mAh, say from betwen 60 to 120Whr. This will give you between 3 and 5 hours for external outside recordings. Next can be powered directly to the wall using a compatible AC-DC adapter, 19V 60 Whr+ recommended, connector type J from HP (7.4×5.1mm or 7.4×5.0mm). It Weights only 1.5 Kg.
All models are computer based, featuring 64-Bit Intel industrial components, providing hours and hours of battery life, more than 3 without sleep or hibernate modes that can be enabled on device to long battery for more than 5-7 hours, then simply put a finger over the display, move it, and Cinemartin NEXT gets back from sleep in less than 1 second. Cinemartin has been partnered with a industrial manufacturer to be able to provide this features in this space with this power consume, as there is no mass produced computer boards providing this specs.
With state of the art last technology including 8 to 16GB of RAM, and a integrated SSD 6G from 250GB to 1TB, featuring 4th or 5th Intel generation chipset, the unit provide for hours of material in Motion-Jpeg, or 40 minutes of uncompressed 4K 25P or DPX as defaults native recording formats, and hours and hours of professional codecs once transcoded to Prores or H.265 using the included background transcode tool.
The unit comes with Windows 8.1 (upgradeable to Windows 10) and it is a powerfull station with plenty of realtime input and outputs, with up to 4x 6G-SDI and 2x HDMI and 2x DisplayPort and 2x GigaEthernet ports. From a Celeron to latest Core i7 5th gen., meaning users can plug a keyboard and mouse,plug a computer display and/or a video monitor and start editing.
NEXT is Wifi and Bluetooth ready so users can connect to internet, send, share or upload to youtube, or send to an FTP but as it comes with dual GigaEthernet ports plus wifi host enabled, users can host a streaming server and once joined a network, other users can play the clips recorded and stored on NEXT, everywhere, like from the other side of the world, from their own computers, tablet, mobiles and monitors just with a internet connection.
Cinemartin NEXT device may complement and convergent with existing and new recorders including VideoDevices PIX-E5, PIX-E7, Atomos Shogun and Convergent Design Odyssey. The advantatges of NEXT are being able to record 4K in true uncompressed avi, up to 4:4:4, 3D, múltiple formats, and providing a portable computer compatible with Windows, Linux and MAC OS to enable a streaming server, a portable high speed NLE and DIT box, etc. for a reasonable comparable price
NOTE: For OEM and DIY users, it will be possible to install any OS via USB pendrive: Windows, Linux and MAC OS*, but Cinemartin will only provide software for Windows on the beggining, being possible to port the included windows Live & Live T applications for fullscreen recording and transcoding to MAC at later date. *MAC OS is only compatible on NEXT devices with predefined or custom OEM builds based on models powered by Corei7 4th or 5th gen or Core i5 or i7 5th gen.
Several models; with 6G-SDI, HDMI. Features:
Up to 4K UHD record at 60P (High end model) and up to 30P and 4K DCI 25P other models
4:2:0, 4:2:2 and 4:4:4
3D recording and playback
8 & 10 Bits
Record in Uncompressed (cinema quality) or Motion JPEG, DPX
Transcode to Cinemartin Prores, DNxHD, H264, HEVC H.265
Other standard resolutions supported: 1080, 720, PAL & NTSC
Compatible with almost any Professional SDI and HDMI cameras
