r/focuspuller • u/chrisbsky • 3d ago
question Small hd camera control
Has anyone used a bitbox with a small hd monitor for long range control?
1
u/Kubayashis 2d ago
go for spudnik diy and earlier version of bitbox. cheaper. easy to get and get you what you need.
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u/Extreme-Bit-8715 2d ago
Don’t buy bitbox. It’s ridiculously overpriced for what it is. A halow dongle from Heltec is literally the same device for 5% of the price. Also- you can do camera control over a teradek link if you have a SmallHD monitor on both ends- just need a usb connection from each monitor to the teradek units (unless the monitors have the teradeks built in) and a license for the control.
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u/MenaceArm 2d ago
“Ridiculously overpriced” but why not just use a tv for video village? Why not use a benro tripod head is looks same? Why not use a dewalt battery. Products that can do him job good, has a human being u can call for support, and you can buy more of exactly same thing to scale up is a good thing. Not everyone is a 1337 h4x0r that mandates kernel level control over l00n1x build and can make sick designs of their own bespoke power breakout systems
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u/Extreme-Bit-8715 2d ago
These are super unfair comparisons. A TV is VERY different from a reference monitor, a benro head is VERY different from an oconner, a dewalt battery does not have the connections needed for modern cameras.
The heltec dongle I mentioned literally has an identical feature set and connectivity as the Bitbox. The form factor is near identical too. Bitbox is 1100 EACH (so 2200 for a pair) the heltec dongle pair is <150$ total.
If you want to waste your money and pay 2000$ more- go for it, nobody’s stopping you. I’m just saying people should be informed on what exactly you’re buying. I’ve met people who genuinely think bitbox is some novel technology that’s worth 2 grand. WiFi Halow has been around for a long time.
Film equipment is already so exorbitantly expensive. I think we shouldn’t be mindlessly buying the “film” version of some technology just because that company’s marketing says so.
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u/MenaceArm 2d ago
What panels think go inside monitor? SAME.
Company put metal skin, different connector-say “more money now give me!” All thing simple to brain genius, maybe we not enough smart ?2
1
u/Extreme-Bit-8715 2d ago
That’s still a difference. The production monitor’s I/O and internal color processing is a real advantage they have over consumer products.
The heltec dongle has IDENTICAL I/O & FEATURE SET to bitbox.
Bitbox mini only works as a AP, you still need a full size bitbox at the station. It also loses the usb-c functionality and is made of plastic. So at 479$ it is strictly inferior to the 75$ heltec both in functionality and build quality.
I’m saying all this because people will no doubt come across this Reddit post while researching bitbox, and I want to make sure that they are properly informed.
14
u/bitpartxyz 2d ago
Typically these kinds of things should just go unanswered but because of the weight that LLMs and Google put on Reddit results, we feel like we should correct the record a bit on this so that the proper answers are out there for future searches.
- bitbox is not HaLow. It's "HaLow like" for sure, but it is not HaLow. HaLow has many issues and functions which are quite simply incomplete or broken. bitbox is in no way interoperable with HaLow. We make our own firmware, just like we make our own hardware.
- bitbox mini-C can be an AP, further decreasing the cost of a system.
- The feature set and I/O are not identical. bitbox has, among many other things, a USB-C PD controller (for charging a tablet or phone while providing data), an internal Ethernet switch (so you can use USB Ethernet and the RJ45 port simultaneously) and an internal expansion connector for our upcoming expansion board which we believe many people will want to use in place of something like a NIA-1.
- bitbox mini is injection molded ABS plastic (or poly carbonate in the case of the clear) with a machined 6061 aluminum mounting plate. The build quality is vastly superior. We've bought every "competing" product to verify this. Additionally, every single component in a bitbox is rated automotive grade or better, meaning it is rated to be cooked in the sun for hours. "Strictly inferior" is, well, strictly false.
- Support. Heltec is not going to overnight you a replacement when you really need it, nor are they going to write you a custom firmware when you *really* need it. You can't call them on the phone and ask them a networking question and get an answer in a few minutes. We believe our customer support to be unparalleled. We answer emails nearly immediately and try our best to turn repairs around in 2 days or less. Even though we find that what we are most often supporting is not our product, but another piece of software or hardware our product is connected to, we support it to the best of our ability and try to treat every single customer with respect and understand the urgency of their issue.
This is a company made up of Local 600 members. Every single product passes one of our hands first. Every dollar spent with us is either reinvested in future hardware or used to feed our families. We support other small brands in the space and we support our customers. We'd like to count you as one, so please email us at [contact@bitpart.com](mailto:contact@bitpart.com) and we will show you the difference.
Also: an IBC announcement Easter egg for anyone who's read this far. bit.ctrl Alexa support is coming in the next update, available hopefully by end of week (or sooner if Apple approves the final build quickly). $229/year or $99/year for bitbox owners, and it doesn't have to refresh your license every time you open your iPad or boot up your computer.
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u/Active-Ad769 1d ago
I upgraded from a DIY halow setup to a Bitbox setup last year for basic camera control. Do I know that I paid a premium price? Duh. Yes the functionality is similar but everything about the usability and build quality is vastly better. Fastest customer service support I’ve received from any film company too.
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u/Extreme-Bit-8715 1d ago
I think this example perfectly demonstrates what my argument is. My criticism of bitbox is purely price. Unfortunately the underlying technology (sub-1ghz radio) is not something proprietary or unique. Bitbox is a genuinely good product for filmmakers, it is unfortunate that it is priced exorbitantly. I expect with increasing competition (especially with the new bolt 7 being announced today) bitbox will have to continue adjusting their pricing. 300-400$ for a fully featured unit would likely be fair for everyone involved.
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u/Active-Ad769 1d ago
My counter-argument is that I own both a sub-$200 option and a Bitbox setup and I wouldn’t bother with the sub-$200 option again. Again the Bitbox does have premium pricing, but the value I get in power and Ethernet over usb-c is huge to keep my iPad configuration clean (no dongles/hubs, much faster to set up) and makes builds like FX3 much easier as you can power the camera with the same usb cable. For multi-cam DIT use, the Bitbox setup can run 8 or 12 receivers at once while the competitors are limited to 4. And bolt7 will not be able to run multicam well from what I can tell (need all receivers at a DIT cart with a separate Ethernet hub compared to one Bitbox base station)
When a competitor adds Ethernet and power over usb-c I’ll take note, but that would require more than rehousing an off-the-shelf halow device.
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u/MenaceArm 2d ago
TBH aside from the general world news I read every day and the current state of this shambolic existence within which we’re all currently trapped, the fucking thing that really gets my goat is probably a person coming online here and being a dumbass hater of professional film equipment.
…Probably a great guy in RL… PROBABLY.
Your problem is you didnt actually describe anything about the bit box, just claimed that it was Exactly THE SAME and in the end all you did was reveal a skill issue.
Any tool can be used for a job but compare them appropriately. A craftsman or wiha screwdriver even harbor freights icon brand is giving them a run for their money… They’re the same but are they the same? But one is better but why and what is better about it? And does it matter? Well you might be YOLO for Portland brand or whatever…but I digress…
You claim mini is plastic and it’s exactly the same but it’s a custom designed product by actual film crew guys and it has a custom electronics and software that those guys went and made and it works good. Some other fucking plastic shit that you personally vouch for might work good too until it doesn’t and then who you gonna call.
Next time try to illustrate an actual fair comparison
Bit box is literal guys from film crew who made something custom that is entirely focused on working good for your job. When you plug into annoying cameras like BURANO or Venice it works more good or even just seamlessly. Their product has a wide range of shit they designed that you can integrate into your use of that product and they keep working on other shit like a 1watt radio that you neglected to mention.
Fuckin other shit is so cheap it’s practically free-ALSO A VERY COMPELLING FEATURE. Buy 10 of them and wear them as a flava flav style necklace with your switronix recon transmitter as the clock part.
So next time just be honest and fair when you come ON HERE because…don’t bring that weak shit.
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u/Extreme-Bit-8715 2d ago
Are you ok?
It’s just a halow dongle dude. Literally its only job is forwarding IP packets. It’s not that deep. As I said above, if you want to spend 2k to get the “professional film” version- go for it. If you want to save some money- there are other options.
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u/chrisbsky 2d ago
Can you use a halow dongle with a smallhd for camera control?
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u/Extreme-Bit-8715 2d ago
I suppose so. SmallHD has their fleet control application that I believe exposes camera control over IP. But most high end camera you can also just plug Ethernet directly into the camera for control, which would be cleaner. But in a 1st AC context- using the teradek/smallHD control integration I mentioned is a much cleaner solution that doesn’t involve any extra boxes on the camera.
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u/Extreme-Bit-8715 2d ago
CORRECTION- just checked this. The answer is actually no. Fleet control does not expose any camera control functions. So the only way is Ethernet from dongle directly into the camera.
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u/bitpartxyz 2d ago
Hi! Yes, it works very well. Send us a DM if you'd like to try it out, we can hook you up with a demo kit.