NAB 2015: Atomos adds impressive list of new features

Soon everyone will be able to attach a Power Station to an A7s

With a flurry of new announcements, upgrades and improvements, Australia’s Atomos has had a busy Vegas as it seeks to pile on the features to its units and provide its competitors with something of a serious headache.

First out of the gate, a mere four months after release, Shogun users are already in the happy position of seeing their unit gaining seven significant hardware enhancements and 4 OS feature improvements, all of which will be available via free download over the coming months.

Here’s the headline list of the Shogun enhancements:

• Anamorphic de-squeeze for Panasonic GH4 and standard lenses
• RAW recording to ProRes, DNxHR and Cinema DNG for compatible RAW formats
• Expanded RAW compatibility to include Sony FS series, Canon, Arri and AJA
• 3D LUTs on HDMI/SDI output
• Cinema 4K DCI support
• Uncompressed V210 support
• Genlock

And here’s the slightly shorter but still impressive list of the AtomOS 6 enhancements:

• Custom meta data tagging
• Pre-roll Recording
• Time lapse video
• Playlist generation

Where to start with this all? Well, one quote from Atomos CEO, Jeromy Young, probably sums it all up nicely. “Expensive RAW is no more,” he says. “When we see companies charge over $4000 for the RAW formats we include for free or alienate existing users by adding new features only for new users, we run the other way. We reward the early adopter just as much as tomorrow’s buyer with a steady stream of new functions for free, this is at the core of our product philosophy.”

So far it’s a philosophy the company is delivering on too. Sony FS RAW will be available from mid June, while Canon C500, Arri Alexa, and AJA CION RAW will all be available from the end of June 2015, and you can read all the details of all the upgrades on the following pages.

One more thing worth highlighting here though are the new Bare Bones editions the company is introducing across its range that removes all accessories apart from the AC power supply, thus letting users buy the kit cheaper and use  legacy equipment with it. This dips the prices of the Atomos range to Shogun $1,695, Ninja 2 $395, Ninja Blade $795 and Samurai Blade $795.

And finally, the company’s Power Station is ready to ship in May. There are two models, Power Station Photo ($295) and Power Station Video ($395) featuring 2 x 2600mAh 2 cell batteries and 2 x 5200mAh 4 cell batteries respectively.

Details over the page/s.

Record back in time, Customizable Tagging and Play-out Server with New AtomOS6

Atomos announce a schedule of OS changes that bring with them exciting new features for the already popular Atomos Shogun.

Melbourne, Australia – 13th April 2015: In the space of only 4 months, more than 15,000 Shoguns have rolled off the production line, arming film professionals around the world with the most streamlined, high quality way to create 4K productions. At NAB 2015, Atomos announce even more features for new and existing Shogun users, releasing details of upcoming enhancements for AtomOS6. Available via free download over the coming months, Shogun users will gain the following:

Custom meta data tagging
Pre-roll Recording
Time lapse video
Playlist generation

“OS updates shouldn’t be just about bug fixes,” said Jeromy Young CEO of Atomos. “For AtomOS updates, equal Free Features that we share with new and existing Shogun users. This is the world you buy into with Atomos.”

The new features open up 4 completely different creative angles for Shogun, described below.

Custom Meta Data Tagging.
Shogun, Ninja and Samurai users would already be familiar with the ability to tag content on the go i.e. marking content as Favorite/Reject on the fly or during review and saving out as an XML file that is dropped straight onto the timeline in FCPX. This latest firmware for Shogun takes things one step further. Now users can create their own custom meta data tags, storing up to “10” tags on the Shogun which are completely customisable. Imagine the ability to mark “Directors pick”, “Out takes”, “Over exposed”, “Audio Pop” and more, all the time slicing through the time taken for the main edit in post production. Available with AtomOS6.3 at the end May 2015.

Pre-roll Record or Cache Recording
Sure to be a huge deal for documentary, sports and wildlife videographers, the Shogun will introduce Pre-roll Record. Even with Shogun not in recording mode, it will continually buffer content internally allowing the user to record the previous 8s of HD recording or 2s of 4K the moment you hit the record button. We go back in time to ensure missed takes are a thing of the past. On show at NAB, released with AtomOS6.3 at the end May 2015.

Time Lapse Video
Time lapse lends itself to creative angles on everyday scenes and has traditionally been limited to photography. The Atomos video time lapse feature maximises video creativity by allowing both the duration of recording in number of frames or length of time and the interval be altered depending on the director’s intent and even multi stage recording is possible, altering the time and duration throughout the period of the shoot. Essentially we have made time lapse keyframeable and flexible in the video arena. Creative customers will be amazed at what they can achieve with this feature. On show at NAB, released with AtomOS6.3 at the end May 2015.

Playlist Generation
One of the key features of Shogun is the ability to playback and review 4K footage on screen or out to a monitor taking advantage of the full suite of monitoring tools to check shot accuracy and tagging Favorite/Reject as a result. The new playlist function allows users to not only tag sections within a clip for play-out but also tag entire clips and have them all replayed as a playlist. Convenient when pulling together the best takes of the day or in commercial situations where 4K play-back for immediate storyline review is needed. Shogun is now the world’s first fully portable play-out server. On show at NAB, released with AtomOS6.3 at the end May 2015.

These 4 exciting new OS feature improvements are in addition to the 7 new hardware enhancements, 25% student discount, 3 year warranty and exciting new $1695 price point announced for Shogun at NAB.

Atomos Shogun Bolsters Support for High-end Cinema with RAW, Anamorphic, Cinema 4K – Arri, AJA, Canon and Sony Supported

Atomos continue to develop and enhance Shogun with 7 new hardware features available over the coming months which are free to both new and existing registered users.

Melbourne, Australia – 13th April 2015: After only 4 months in the market, Shogun users will receive a major creativity overhaul with their unit gaining 7 significant hardware enhancements, in addition to the 4 OS feature improvements, all of which have been announced at NAB 2015. Available via free download over the coming months, Shogun users will gain the following:

Anamorphic de-squeeze for Panasonic GH4 and standard lenses
RAW recording to ProRes, DNxHR and Cinema DNG for compatible RAW formats
Expanded RAW compatibility to include Sony FS series, Canon, Arri and AJA
3D LUTs on HDMI/SDI output
Cinema 4K DCI support
Uncompressed V210 support
Genlock

“Expensive RAW is no more.” said Jeromy Young CEO of Atomos. “When we see companies charge over $4000 for the RAW formats we include for free or alienate existing users by adding new features only for new users, we run the other way. We reward the early adopter just as much as tomorrow’s buyer with a steady stream of new functions for free, this is at the core of our product philosophy.”

The new features, available for demonstration at the Atomos NAB Demo booth add thousands of dollars to the value of Shogun at no extra cost. The 7 new hardware features are described in detail below.

Anamorphic de-squeeze 2x, 1.5x and 1.3x
Anamorphic lenses use optics to ‘squeeze’ a 2.39:1 image into a 1.78:1 ratio. With a free firmware update due at the end of May 2015, Shogun users will be able to de-squeeze monitored anamorphic content to their true 2.39:1 ratio. In addition to 2.39:1 anamorphic, Shogun will also de-squeeze the Panasonic 8:3 format. These translate into commonly used terms of supporting 2x 1.5x 1.3x anamorphic lenses.

RAW recording to ProRes, DNxHR and Cinema DNG
Handling RAW in high-end cinematography is vital with some cameras on the market only outputting their 4K content in RAW data format over SDI, these include Sony FS700, FS7, Canon C300MkII and C500). On the post production side, some people request to keep the RAW format for grading while others would prefer to encode to a more edit friendly format like ProRes or DNxHR with 3D LUT’s applied. The Shogun will maximise flexibility for the user with the ability to take the RAW data from the camera and record direct to RAW (wrapped as Cinema DNG) or to edit friendly Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHR codecs in 4K, UHD, 2K or HD.

Expanded RAW compatibility to include Sony, Canon, Arri and AJA
RAW recording, until now has been both an expensive and cumbersome challenge. Individual RAW licenses that can cost up to $1995 are now available for free with the Shogun and they can be recorded to affordable, reliable off the shelf SSD from brands like Sandisk, Transcend, Intel etc. With RAW options available for Sony FS series, Canon C500, Arri Alexa and AJA CION no other monitor-recorder on the market offers more RAW recording options than Shogun. Sony FS RAW will be available from mid June, while Canon C500/ Arri Alexa / AJA CION RAW will be available from the end of June 2015.

3D LUTs on output and in recording
Another free update made recently for Shogun users was the addition of 3D LUTs, covering both standard LUTs (C-Log, S-Log 2/3, V-LUT) as well as user defined LUTs in the standard “.cube” format. Up to 8 can be stored on the Shogun which can be accessed via a simple monitor button at the bottom right of screen. Not only are Atomos LUTs flexible, they are also the most accurate on the market, offering 65-point accuracy. At NAB 2015, we will announce that LUTs will be available to toggle on/off not only on the Shogun 7” screen but also out to a larger TV via the HDMI and SDI loop out. DOPs can record with a LUT applied for maximum post-production flexibility, while director’s can easily see the final image quality during review. LUTs on the output available via free firmware update end May

Cinema 4K and 2K DCI support
Shogun will be updated to accept and record Cinema 4K and 2K DCI (4096 x 2160p) in addition to the 4K UHD and HD it already is capable of receiving (3840 x 2160p). Available via free update mid June 2015.

Uncompressed 4:2:2 HD v210 support
A small percentage of customers have requested uncompressed support in the Shogun, especially for green screen and specific post-production tasks. We are happy to offer this group their request free of charge. Available via free firmware update end June.

Genlock
The Genlock connection on the back of the Shogun will be activated via free firmware end of May 2015 to allow synchronous playback across multiple video devices. Placing the Shogun as the ultimate portable 4K play-out deck for any broadcaster or event production house.

Atomos Announce ‘Bare Bones’ Models

‘Bare Bones’ comes to the entire Atomos Monitor Record Line – making Shogun $1,695, Ninja 2 $395, Ninja Blade $795 and Samurai Blade $795. Atomos estimate shipping in May.

Melbourne, Australia – 13th April 2015: The Atomos Shogun was one of the success stories of late 2014, making 4K affordable, manageable and accessible to more filmmakers and helping to accelerate the changeover from HD to 4K all while making production simpler and more affordable. A new variant of the Shogun called Shogun ‘Bare Bones’ will soon be available at an even cheaper price point of $1695.

The current Shogun model (MSRP $1995) includes not only the main Shogun unit but also over $500 of accessories to get users started right away (HPRC hard case, AC adapter, SSD media cases, D-Tap adapter, 5200mAh battery, battery charger, XLR breakout cable and SSD docking station). Customers and channel alike have requested a unit only with AC adaptor version, in order to utilise legacy equipment they already own from Atomos and camera products as well as making a second Shogun unit more affordable. In an effort to meet this request and drive 4K adoption even faster, Atomos have announced a ‘Bare Bones’ version of the Shogun that removes all accessories except an SSD media case and AC power supply, we have also included a high quality soft carry case for protection, all for the low price of $1695. The complete suite of accessories will also be available for $395.

“Shogun Bare Bones is all about accelerating the move to 4K at breakneck speed in combination with the amazing Japanese 4K high quality affordable cameras, allowing customers to utilise legacy Atomos accessories they already own.” said Jeromy Young CEO of Atomos. “We still expect the full Battle Ready Shogun loaded with accessories to be popular but now users can decide what makes sense for their first and second 4K camera rig.”

“We liked the idea so much we decided to extend it to the entire Monitor/Recorder range. Ninja 2 at $395 is a steal, it is our original flagship product and our most successful, Ninja Blade and Samurai blade have the 5” SuperAtom IPS 325PPI monitor, calibration, WFM, Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD and are bare bones for $795.

Atomos expect Atomos Shogun Bare Bones to be available from resellers in May 2015. The accessories and HPRC case will be available separately for $395 for Shogun and $195 for Ninja Blade and Samurai Blade.

Atomos Power Station Delivers Continuous Power from May 2015

Carrying massive batteries and chargers and multiple ones for different devices is a thing of the past with Power Station. Delivering continuous power for up to 5 devices as well as fast battery charging in a compact design.

Melbourne, Australia – 13th April 2015: In a footprint not much larger than 2 batteries, Atomos Power Station delivers power for up to 5 devices using our patent pending Continuous Power dual battery system, allowing users to hot swap batteries on the fly without interrupting power to their devices. Power Station is ready to ship and on display at NAB 2015 (Central Hall, C9530).

“This is Power to the People, solving power and battery for everyone.” said Jeromy Young, CEO and Founder of Atomos. “The Power Station is the Anton Bauer for the masses, solving the biggest hassle on set, running out of power; we have also added one of the fastest dual battery chargers in the industry all in one device.”

At its core, Power Station consists of 2 batteries mounted side by side that operate together using a continuous circular power system. When one battery gets low it can be removed and charged while the system switches across to the second battery uninterrupted. This patented design by Atomos is used to power up to 3 DC streams (for cameras, monitors, recorders or lighting) as well as 2 USB products such as smartphones or tablets. With a DC input as well, it doubles as a super-fast charger for your batteries – up to 3 times the rate of conventional chargers.

Connections and features at a glance:
2 DC out and included splitter cable to give connection for up to 3 DC devices.
2 USB terminals to power 1A and 2A USB devices for fast charging of USB cameras or to power any USB device.
DC input with fast charging capability to charge the connected batteries and provide continual AC power for connected devices.
Independent left and right LED front display to give a quick 5 step visual guide on the power remaining for each battery from 100% down to 10%.
Dummy batteries are available to power popular cameras including Sony A7s, Sony FS Series, Panasonic GH4, Nikon D810 and Canon 5DMKIII.
Total power capability up to 5A (DC plus USB), with maximum 3A for USB connections.

Atomos Power Station will have 2 models available tailored directly to the 2 different markets that the product serves, Power Station Video and Power Station Photo. The Power Station Photo (MSRP $295) includes the Power Station main unit, 2 x 2600mAh 2 cell batteries, DC splitter cable and 2 x DC battery adapter for Panasonic GH4 and Sony A7S (Canon 5D MkIII and Nikon D810 DC battery adaptors available as an optional extra for 29.95). And the Power Station Video (MSRP $395) includes the Power Station main unit, 2 x 5200mAh 4 cell batteries, DC splitter cable, DC battery adapters for Sony A7s, Sony FS Series, Panasonic GH4, Nikon D810 and Canon 5DMKIII. Both products will ship in quantity worldwide from May 2015.