BLACK-MAGIC DESIGN HYPERDECK : 350$ - 325€

4:2:2 UNCOMPRESSED ONLY

This is the last device was announced.

PROS: 

Super affordable..

CONS: 

Not as small as it seems (based on 2.5 drive lenght it is like 210mm wide)

1 hour battery only.

No monitor.

ISSUES:

What about remaining disk space ¿?

What will happen when the drive is filled ¿?

MY OPINION:

For that budget segment (4:2:2) a only uncompressed.. hmnn will be best an uncompressed & compressed recorder, but for that price is almost impossible. 

ATOMOS NINJA: 1000$ - 800€ (price without drives)

4:2:2 COMPRESSED ONLY - MAC ONLY

PROS: 

A good device, affordable, very small, 2 batteries

ISSUES:

It is not able to playback the recorded clips

Some others have reported issues with audio sync. on recorder clips

MY OPINION: 

I think they will resolve the current issues, but i prefer to not buy one until they resolve problems

UPDATE: Seems that a firmware update allows for playback at slow resolution.

Great !!, now remains the rec button to be at the monitor screen but this is a minor

FAST FORWARD SIDEKICK: 2.500€ 

4:2:2 COMPRESSED ONLY - MAC ONLY

PROS: 

HDMI + HDSDI

CONS:

Small monitor

Price ¿?

SOUND DEVICES PIX 240: ??? PRICE

4:2:2 COMPRESSED ONLY

PROS: 

HDMI + HDSDI 

XLR input, multiplex audio from to SDI

eSata

CONS:

??

CONVERGENT DESIGN GEMINI : 5.995$ - 6.295$, 5.795€ (price without drives 745$ for 256GB)

4:2:2 or 4:4:4 UNCOMPRESSED ONLY

PROS: 

4:2:2 or 4:4:4, 2x drives, small, hi-bright lcd, luts, low consump.

CONS: 

1.8 drives, no compressed

ISSUES:

Recording 4:4:4 may drop frames

Propietary Media drives

Notes: If not C.D. tell me i'm wrong, The only one manufacturer that provides 1.8 ssd drives, sata 6G, and with up to 512GB, that also sell to OEMs .. is M*****-C******

These SSDs, again the only ones unless CD decides to buy more than 100.000 units or create its own SSD company, are topped out at 260MB/s. But manufacturer said maximum 260MB/s as opposed to CD that was said that 260MB/s is the minimum (on some forum).

You can't go with a recorder that needs sustained (sustained means minimum) 240MBps with a drive that tops max. at 260MBps (maximum). You need a more speed drives to avoid issues, or at may opinion, wait until C.D proves they made tech. solution for that issue.

Convergent Design was not able to show real full live record on gemini at NAB, but they show some limited record and playback. 

Release date was delay to August. Currently there are no 1.8 ssd drives alone that supports 4:4:4 1080p recording without issues.

MY OPINION:

Wait until C.D. prove that this device is able to ingest 4:4:4 without frames drop issues on all space of ssd's, or at least with proven technical specifications (a more speed drives), when then, will be the best for uncompressed only.

UPDATE: C.D. updates that gemini will be able to record 4:4:4 1080p24 well. But no info or correction about ssd manufacturer. 

I prefeer to wait until their code will be stable and until their demos will be not limited.

Thats my opinion, anyway remember that c.d. is a company with years of experience (at least in flash memory recorders).

CINEMARTIN SFVe & SFV : 3000€ -- 5.000€ (both with drives)

4:2:2 OR 4:4:4 BOTH UNCOMPRESSED OR COMPRESSED OPEN CODEC

*prototype photo, retouch by german user

You need to know that i'm a colaborator of the martin guys team

PROS: 

4:2:2 or 4:4:4, 3x Drives, 2.5' std. wide available, raid for allow spinning drives or fast speed

Uncompressed or compressed (cineform, lagarith, mpeg2 up to 300mbps,..)

CONS: 

A litle bit more bigger than cinedeck, VMount batteries are a bit expensive

MY OPINION:

Wait until they disclose more info (expected soon), but an uncompressed & hq. compressed is my prefered device 

CINEDECK : 8.000$ -- 11.000$

4:4:4 UNCOMPRESSED OR COMPRESSED

PROS:

7" LCD, uncompressed cineform by default, portable computer

CONS:

1X drive only, Uncompressed recording requires to buy extra +3.000$

ISSUES: 

Detected on uncompressed recordings, this is why they'd launched an extra solution (+3000$) for uncompressed

MY OPINION: A 2x drive will be best

MY FINAL CONCLUSIONS:

Be carefull as if you're thinking in buy one of them, cause i don't understand why so many companies are accepting pre-orders for a devices that have not been demostrated its capacities or sell with some serious issues.

I prefer to watch a video to see recording & playback features (both mandatory) prior to order any one, or test in-hand on some shop (a must if you can).

Lets open to discuss.., more than 1 year ago there was no one portable HQ. HD recorder, and from now will be a lot.

UPDATE: 

Here's a features comparison pdf made by Frank: link

What are your prefered device ? What you will like to have on ?

Are you good with prores only, or you prefer cineform. HQ. Compressed or uncompressed ?