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Digital Camera World
Digital Camera World
Sebastian Oakley

DJI's new affordable wireless video transmission could be revolutionary for solo filmmakers

Dji SDR Transmission Combo.

If you're a solo filmmaker who often produces productions either on your own, or joins in on mid-sized productions, DJI has announced an outstanding wireless video transmission product targeting you. It has brought pro-grade features from its Hollywood transmission products into a compact, affordable package that any filmmaker can take advantage of on set. 

DJI has unveiled its DJI SDR Transmission Combo, tailored for stable and high-quality video transmission on small-to-medium-sized shooting sets. It utilizes DJI's proprietary video transmission technology (something it's spent some time on as the company behind most of the best camera drones). Its transmitter and receiver offer long-range footage transmission up to 1080p60 resolution. 

The SDR (Software Defined Radio) technology features a tri-band system with automatic frequency-hopping across DFS, 2.4 GHz, and 5.8 GHz, ensuring high penetration and a range of up to an astonishing 1.9 miles (10,000 ft). 

This makes it ideal for transmitting footage from a camera rig to an unlimited number of receivers or mobile devices, even in environments crowded with obstacles that would typically disrupt conventional consumer Wi-Fi solutions. In other words, perfect for a mid-sized "video village" for clients to sit back and watch the action without getting in the way!

(Image credit: DJI)

DJI SDR Transmission transmitter employs SDR (Software Defined Radio) technology to accommodate wide and dynamic filming areas. This tech means software on processor chips – rather than dedicated analog components – handle most of the load. It boasts a minimal latency of just 35ms, ensuring smooth and extended monitoring. 

The system supports video transmission at up to 1080p60 resolution with a high bit rate of up to 20 Mb/s, which ensures smooth monitoring and collaboration with high image detail, crisp audio, and vivid colors. SDR technology’s ability to seamlessly auto-frequency hop across various bands further enhances its reliability in complex environments with numerous obstacles.

In Broadcast mode, the transmitter can connect to an unlimited number of receivers, providing a high-quality monitoring experience for multiple collaborators. This meets the independent monitoring needs of various professional roles on set. The SDR Transmission system supports PTP control over cameras, allowing users to display and adjust aperture, shutter, ISO, and trigger the camera’s photo-taking and video-recording functions through the app. 

It also supports CEC control for Sony cameras in Mirror Control mode, and additional camera compatibility can be checked on the DJI SDR Transmission Camera Compatibility list.

(Image credit: DJI)

When connected to a gimbal, the system supports advanced functionalities such as Force Mobile, virtual joystick, and gimbal recentering via the app. Additionally, in SDR Control mode or Wi-Fi mode, users can manually switch channels within the app and monitor channel quality in real-time.

This robust suite of features makes the DJI SDR Transmission system a powerful tool for professional filmmakers and videographers who require reliable, high-quality video transmission in challenging shooting environments while looking for an affordable solution.

DJI offers the SDR Transmission as a Combo pack (with 1 receiver and 1 transmitter) currently for $549 / £519 / AUD $959 or you can buy them separately for a respective $309 /  £285 / AUD $549 making these a great option for solo filmmakers who want to offer a professional service to clients.

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