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The Ultimate on set Tablet - Does it exist?

Stefan Scherperel

Stefan Scherperel

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So I've had this dream for a while now of having a full featured tablet on set for previewing dailies, small editing and comping tests and just general ability to do it all on set, even work as a preview monitor with Black Magics HDSDI - USB3 breakout box.
I'm having a hard time finding the tablet with everything, and don't know if it exists yet. I know it's close as many tablets have almost all the specs, but seem to fall off in one category or another.
Here are my Ultimate specs.

Windows 8 Pro
10-13" screen with at least 1080P resolution
2 USB 3 Ports - Could live with one but would need to have the option for a docking keyboard with additional ports
Core I7 Processor
256GB SSD
Additional Hard drive in docking station keyboard (Lenovo has this option)
8GB of RAM
Nvidia Graphics Card (I have found one tablet that has this called the Razor, but it has a 720P Screen - Boo) This isn't the most important, but it sure would help if CUDA could be enabled for running Premiere and After effects.

So I have found tablets that all have some of these specs, but none that have all of them together. Does anyone know of anything out there currently, or that is coming out shortly that would have all of these together?
 
I have a Surface Pro and it's awesome for light editing, compositing and playback. It only has one USB3 but I have a bus powered USB3 Hub that works really well.

That being said, with Intel's i7 Haswell out now I think you should really go for the doubleing of battery life and significantly improved graphics with the 4400 chip in Haswell. You probably won't find a tablet with dedicated graphics except for the Razor. The closest and most interesting tablet that is the Samsung Ativ Q

It's got a 3200x1800 screen. Windows 8 Pro and Android. S-Pen (wish it was wacom like Surface Pro though) and 4GB of RAM.

The downside is it's about 50% heavier than the Surface Pro and is a 13" instead of a 10" so is it a "tablet"... kind of. I don't know of any haswell 10" tablets though yet. I'm sure there'll be a gaggle by the end of the summer.

Sony has a similar competitor to the Ativ Q the Vaio Duo http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc...-and-netbooks/sony-vaio-duo-13-1156733/review Specs are nearly identical to the Samsung but with lower res screen. (1080p) However I think it has an i7 instead of i5 option.

The Yoga should be available soon too which also is a weird convertible tablet/laptop.
 
I think all of them have compromises in terms of battery life, picture quality, brightness in unpredictable circumstances (especially exteriors), speed, and the ability to calibrate the displays for color and grayscale. My take is: don't expect a tablet to do much. Rely on an on-set DIT to do what you need with reliable, heavy-duty computers and drive arrays, and use dedicated (calibrated) monitors when you need to make a judgement call on lighting or exposure. Editing and dailies are a whole separate issue, and my observation is that this works better as near-set than on-set.​

I think trying to run software while running around and either lighting, running camera, or directing, or whatever is just crazy. Don't try to do everything. Concentrate on just one thing at a time.

I have no problem with directors using a tablet for checking performance or a camera move. Even in those cases, brightness and battery life are big issues.
 
If I had to go for a very mobile solution I think the Mac Air is a real contender. PCI based SSD, Haswell battery life, contemporary ports. You can hook up a Red Rocket if needed...Its a pretty decent solution for its price and mobility I think... I am tempted to buy one myself, but I keep saying wait for the Mac Pro price/MBP update instead to myself...
 
Thanks for the reply's everybody. Gavin, I've been checking out that Ativ Q, and it seems pretty solid, I'm just wondering if when it's released it will have configuration options to beef it up a little bit.
Marc, My intention for the tablet is not to replace the DIT at all, but to push forward what can be done on Set. I work in so many different situations from feature films to music videos to commercials that it has brought out many situations where a tablet is the perfect tool for the situation, not to mention when I'm shooting still photography or just out by myself shooting fashion vignettes. Now with adobe Anywhere and network linked editing, it wouls be great to even work with the DIT to wirelessly have access to all the footage at anytime right from the tablet.
Also the great thing about tablets running full versions of windows 8 is the screen can also be calibrated.
I've thought about the Mac book Air, however I really feel like the tablet form factor will work better for me on set. No matter the lightness of the Air, there is still the clam shell design that does not lend itself well to standing with it on set, and passing it around. I guess I also like the idea of the touch screen and the ability to add the tablet to my editing workstation as a touch/control surface. Lots of ideas on how to use it many different situations, still just have to find the right one.
So far for me the top contenders have been.
Lenovo Helix (Has pretty much everything I need, but definitly most expensive at around 2Gs fully configured)
Surface Pro
Dell XPS 18 (just too big I think)
 
Stefan Scherperel said:
Marc, My intention for the tablet is not to replace the DIT at all, but to push forward what can be done on Set. I work in so many different situations from feature films to music videos to commercials that it has brought out many situations where a tablet is the perfect tool for the situation, not to mention when I'm shooting still photography or just out by myself shooting fashion vignettes. Now with adobe Anywhere and network linked editing, it wouls be great to even work with the DIT to wirelessly have access to all the footage at anytime right from the tablet.
Click to expand...
I'm confused, because to me, the work of the director of photography is to light the set, light the actors, move the camera, and expose the image. I'm not sure I understand how seeing all the footage wirelessly is an issue. Can't the DIT just set up a 19" monitor nearby on a C-stand and play stuff back for you?

I get that some projects are low budget and people have to do several jobs at one time, but to me, there is a limit. As much as I stand up for post people and the sound department, I have no doubt that the DP has arguably the most difficult job on the set -- and that's without doing any editing, color correction, file organization, or anything else. I think hiring more people is a better solution than buying a laptop.
 
Marc Wielage said:
I'm confused, because to me, the work of the director of photography is to light the set, light the actors, move the camera, and expose the image. I'm not sure I understand how seeing all the footage wirelessly is an issue. Can't the DIT just set up a 19" monitor nearby on a C-stand and play stuff back for you?

I get that some projects are low budget and people have to do several jobs at one time, but to me, there is a limit. As much as I stand up for post people and the sound department, I have no doubt that the DP has arguably the most difficult job on the set -- and that's without doing any editing, color correction, file organization, or anything else. I think hiring more people is a better solution than buying a laptop.
Click to expand...

You know it's funny, I just worked on a film last month where the sound department had an ipad wirelessly hooked up to their mixer monitoring levels and performing all kinds of crazy functions that I couldn't care less about. Maybe I should have told him that he could just hire an extra hand to readout the levels to him because he was so busy with other tasks.
Ahh, Marc, it's so easy right, just hire more people. Sure, I'll be sure to let the producers know next time that they aren't doing their job right.
It's always fun to come and ask a question about something and then have to come up with 10 reasons to justify my reasoning for asking the question, but here goes.
!. I work as a DP on large sets all the way down to small sets or even just by myself. Every situation is different and while I can't always control who I work with, I can control weather or not I have the right tools to not only get the job done, but get it done right in every situation.
2. I have been working in the industry for over 10 years, and I can't count the number of times either I or someone on set could have used a portable slate for a huge number of tasks.
3. As a visual effects supervisor I can't count the number of times I need to bring up certain comparison shots during a scene. Sometimes I have a Playback technician on set, sometimes I don't.
4. The industry is saturated right now with many proficient artists and professionals, It never hurts to be constantly trying to push what you can do even further than the next guy.
5. I've never had an issue with having a backup plan on set.
6. Laptops, tablets, etc can be used for many more things than just playback, hell they even have a use in the audio industry as well. . . or so I have heard.
7. I like to comp on set. Not everybody does, but I do, and I can even do it while we are still shooting the same scene.
8. I would like to color correct while I light. Is this a DIT's job, sure is. But I can't always count on the fact that my crew will always consist of a DIT that does this job. Plus the many times that I'm working with a Skeleton crew, or by myslef in my studio, I'm not about to pay a DIT out of my own pocket to do something that I am capable of doing.
9. I'm also a still photographer, and having a tablet or laptop on set is a great benefit.
10. Did I mention that It's time to replace my old laptop of 4 years, which is a hefty, very capable beast, but weighs in at 7 lbs and no longer carries a charge?
11. Extending my studio at home to remote editing from my tablet spending time with my beautiful wife, instead of stuck in my studio editing in the dark.

So there's 11 reasons why I should be able to by a tablet that completes all of the tasks that I need it to, and not have to hire an extra person on set to take care of that for me. Do I like working with more people, absolutely. That's what I love about the film industry is the collaboration that exists between a group of artists all working together. But for the industry that I work in, every set is different, you don't always know what to expect, but from experience I do know what to prepare for. And for me, to fill in that gap, a full featured tablet fills that hole nicely.

http://www.vimeo.com/59796561 - 2013 Demo Reel
 
Ivan Kovax said:
You edit on your Surface?? WHat king of video are you editing?
Click to expand...

Dropping in r3d clips to see how they play back in a sequence. I did a some software demo-video sound recording and editing. Checking out GoPro footage etc.

I've also done on-set compositing and layout. It's nice because you can use Nuke, work out your comps and then show them their 'final' shot before they even roll a single take to verify all the pre-pro work. And since it's a tablet you also just hand it to them and you don't have to pull them off into a side-room off-set and disrupt their schedule. I don't think post should be any more of an imposition than it has to be. Instead of making everyone go to you, bring it to them. And you don't have to render off an MPEG4 and copy it to an ipad, you can show them right inside the application and even do really small tweaks through touch like repositioning or rescaling a green screen element straight from the R3D files.

The only thing that would make it even more amazing would be to have a wifi connection to the camera and pull off a previous take during a reset. That would be awesome.
 
Panasonic had an unreal Windows-based tablet working prototype with a 4K screen at NAB. It was a beauty. But no release date available, if ever.

I sure wish they would unleash this technology - the booth attendant had a $5-7K price tag guesstimate. I bet they would sell zillions of these, if they could get their shit together to build this thing.
 
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