RED Control- excellent app - request for a few improvements

[Brian Timmons]

1st the app is a bit of a revolution. I never experienced the level of control over a camera that the app gives and the wireless video really takes things to another level.

I truly hope the industry recognizes Mikael Lubtchansky's work on developing this app.


A few issues I really hope to see improved in the future.

1) Better responsiveness for pinch to Full screen mode.

For whatever reason the two finger pinch for switching between full screen and smaller screen is just very finicky and often unresponsive.

If there is an issue working out the gesture functionality for Full/Small screen toggle, please create a Full/Small screen toggle button that can do this without issues.


2) More robust app to camera connection performance.

I'm usually able to get the camera to connect consistently but sometimes the app connects where the video image is blank.
The workaround is to quit out of the RC app and re-start. While this works it is time wasted which is precious in some situations where one really needs to follow the action.

3) More reliable wifi video transmission.

This already works well for me 90% of the time. It's that 10% where the image starts to stutter and freeze that I'm referring to. If there is anyway to improve upon what is already done (even if it means better antennas) it would be great and extremely helpful.


4) Loading In Camera Presets are sometimes buggy
I notice a few times where I try to load a preset and the app would ignore my selecting the preset (after selecting the desired preset it skips to the topmost preset) or I will get a message stating "Error Applying".


Sounds like a bit but this app is too much of a groundbreaking tool to not be taken all the way.

Brian Timmons
BRITIM/MEDIA

 

[Christoffer Glans]

1. Video feed without frame-drops and hiccups when using Komodo Link (it's expensive and should be a viable monitoring solution, not as it is now, being the same as wifi but without the most serious dropouts).

2. Monitor only mode or a separate app only for monitoring. This is crucial if we want to be able to give clients or other people monitor only solutions on set. It's not good at all that everyone who gets monitoring in their phone can at the same time control the camera. A monitoring only solution could also improve on the performance by only driving monitoring and nothing else.

3. Face/eye tracking for AF. Since it feels like Red won't be able to get face/eye tracking into the camera, then just enable this in the app. If Snapchat apps and other toys can use tracking features on phones, so should an app be able to with the images from the Komodo. The value increase by even this workaround solution is pretty big.

 

[Blair S. Paulsen]

(snip) 2. Monitor only mode or a separate app only for monitoring. This is crucial if we want to be able to give clients or other people monitor only solutions on set. It's not good at all that everyone who gets monitoring in their phone can at the same time control the camera. A monitoring only solution could also improve on the performance by only driving monitoring and nothing else. (snip)

+1. I would assume that by requiring an IP address, or other unique ID from the camera would sort security issues. If not, it would still be useful for productions not worried about someone snatching a clip.

I love how unobtrusive the little on camera antenna is! That said, there are definitely situations where a larger antenna would be easy enough to live with in exchange for a stronger signal. Of course that's moot if a more robust antenna would have little effect on range.

Cheers - #19

 

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

1st the app is a bit of a revolution. I never experienced the level of control over a camera that the app gives and the wireless video really takes things to another level.

I truly hope the industry recognizes Mikael Lubtchansky's work on developing this app.


A few issues I really hope to see improved in the future.

1) Better responsiveness for pinch to Full screen mode.

For whatever reason the two finger pinch for switching between full screen and smaller screen is just very finicky and often unresponsive.

If there is an issue working out the gesture functionality for Full/Small screen toggle, please create a Full/Small screen toggle button that can do this without issues.


2) More robust app to camera connection performance.

I'm usually able to get the camera to connect consistently but sometimes the app connects where the video image is blank.
The workaround is to quit out of the RC app and re-start. While this works it is time wasted which is precious in some situations where one really needs to follow the action.

3) More reliable wifi video transmission.

This already works well for me 90% of the time. It's that 10% where the image starts to stutter and freeze that I'm referring to. If there is anyway to improve upon what is already done (even if it means better antennas) it would be great and extremely helpful.


4) Loading In Camera Presets are sometimes buggy
I notice a few times where I try to load a preset and the app would ignore my selecting the preset (after selecting the desired preset it skips to the topmost preset) or I will get a message stating "Error Applying".


Sounds like a bit but this app is too much of a groundbreaking tool to not be taken all the way.

Thanks for this feedback Brian, it's useful.

1/ I'll look closely at the toggling issue.
Gesture detection could be a bit funky at times between the AF / Magnify boxes gestures and the ones to go full screen and show / hide the tools... will try to make them all play together better !

2-3 / Having a reliable connection will greatly help with general performance of the video and control connections, either thru wired (USB-C tether or USB-C -> GIG-Ethernet) or wifi (using larger antennas, uncluttered ad hoc wifi channel or a strong on-set router)
With that said I will sure look deeper into those cases where the video stream is lost and see how to best restart it properly...

4 / Looks like you've found a bug as I was able to reproduce and fix it.
Some nasty code was both resetting the list and making first item unselected ! Thanks. Look for an imminent app update fixing this.

 

[Robert Hofmeyr]

Thanks for this feedback Brian, it's useful.

1/ I'll look closely at the toggling issue.
Gesture detection could be a bit funky at times between the AF / Magnify boxes gestures and the ones to go full screen and show / hide the tools... will try to make them all play together better !

2-3 / Having a reliable connection will greatly help with general performance of the video and control connections, either thru wired (USB-C tether or USB-C -> GIG-Ethernet) or wifi (using larger antennas, uncluttered ad hoc wifi channel or a strong on-set router)
With that said I will sure look deeper into those cases where the video stream is lost and see how to best restart it properly...

4 / Looks like you've found a bug as I was able to reproduce and fix it.
Some nasty code was both resetting the list and making first item unselected ! Thanks. Look for an imminent app update fixing this.

Hi Mikael, happy you are working on the issues. As I'm sure you know, video preview on ios works really well, but on android it is so laggy it is unusable. I have tried different antennas, different phones, multiple Komodos. It seems the lagginess may have become worse with more recent updates. Have you looked at this issue, and can we expect an update with improved video preview performance on android?

 

[Brian Timmons]

Thanks for this feedback Brian, it's useful.

1/ I'll look closely at the toggling issue.
Gesture detection could be a bit funky at times between the AF / Magnify boxes gestures and the ones to go full screen and show / hide the tools... will try to make them all play together better !

2-3 / Having a reliable connection will greatly help with general performance of the video and control connections, either thru wired (USB-C tether or USB-C -> GIG-Ethernet) or wifi (using larger antennas, uncluttered ad hoc wifi channel or a strong on-set router)
With that said I will sure look deeper into those cases where the video stream is lost and see how to best restart it properly...

4 / Looks like you've found a bug as I was able to reproduce and fix it.
Some nasty code was both resetting the list and making first item unselected ! Thanks. Look for an imminent app update fixing this.

Hey Mikael-
I appreciate the consideration and follow up post on the stated issues.
Already appreciate the high level of work put into the app and it does indeed greatly extend how we use the camera.
Thanks again.

Brian Timmons
BRITIM/MEDIA

 

[Brian Timmons]

This is in response to Chrstopher Glans post #2 in the thread.
Was never good using multi quotes and kind of mangled the response.

1. Video feed without frame-drops and hiccups when using Komodo Link (it's expensive and should be a viable monitoring solution, not as it is now, being the same as wifi but without the most serious dropouts)..

Luckily it looks like that's being looked into.


[/QUOTE] 2. Monitor only mode or a separate app only for monitoring. This is crucial if we want to be able to give clients or other people monitor only solutions on set. It's not good at all that everyone who gets monitoring in their phone can at the same time control the camera. A monitoring only solution could also improve on the performance by only driving monitoring and nothing else..[/QUOTE]

I haven't dealt with that issue yet with a client but it does make sense.
I can see situations where of clients sinking a shot but bumping the iris or the shutter.



[/QUOTE] 3. Face/eye tracking for AF. Since it feels like Red won't be able to get face/eye tracking into the camera, then just enable this in the app. If Snapchat apps and other toys can use tracking features on phones, so should an app be able to with the images from the Komodo. The value increase by even this workaround solution is pretty big.[/QUOTE]

This would be nice.

RED- please give Mikael whatever resources he needs to really push and further refine this app.
As great as the sensor and color is on the Komodo (and it is indeed excellent) RED Control has provided such a
fundamental evolution in how an operator interacts with the camera. The app goes so much deeper than the
basic control provided by similar apps for other cameras.
The wireless video, monitoring tools, programmable lens control, deep menu system support, etc.
It's just on another level.

Brian Timmons
BRITIM/MEDIA

 

[Blair S. Paulsen]

Would it be viable to run a short USB-C <-> Ethernet cable from Komodo Link to a nearby router to generate a stronger signal? I'm thinking of a day where the camera package rides on a dolly with a block battery and/or AC mains power anyway so the extra cabling and a place to put a legit wireless router is no sweat? Rather than running a Teradek, Vaxis or other wireless video TX - could one potentially just boost the WiFi signal and use that as an alternative? Yes, adding a powerful 2.4 or 5Ghz signal may impact other wireless devices on set, but...

We all want the camera and it's little antenna to work perfectly in every scenario, but for some situations that's not reality. Just wondering if there's a low latency alternative on the TX side, even if it means more cables/power draw/etc.

Cheers - #19

 

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Would it be viable to run a short USB-C <-> Ethernet cable from Komodo Link to a nearby router to generate a stronger signal? I'm thinking of a day where the camera package rides on a dolly with a block battery and/or AC mains power anyway so the extra cabling and a place to put a legit wireless router is no sweat?

If you’re looking for a small GIG E router that can easily be powered via USB there finally is a good option from gl-inet :

https://www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-ar750s/

It is a robust little beast that some Hollywood DITs even mod now to add larger antennas and lemo 2 pin 12 V input…