Upgrade Options

[araujofh]

Hello folks,

I remember reading a while ago at dvxuser.com that the Red camera was supposed to be upgradeable. Does that mean that we can upgrade processors as well when a new one comes out, or is it just firmware upgrades?

What sort of upgrade options are there for the Red?

[Jared VanLeuven]

I'm not sure anyone knows at this point, as the team at RED are doing everything they can to get RED ONE out the door. I do recall Jim mentioning a while back that he's building the camera to be relevant for a long time, even in tech years.

I'm sure there will be a few firmware upgrades just to get the kinks out after RED ONE launches. After that, it's anyone's guess at this point in time.

[Rick Darge]

I was under the impression that the sensor would be upgradeable as time moves on.. So when RED develops that 100K sensor, we'll be able to drop it like it's hot without having to buy a whole other camera

I think RED's approach is amazing.. I can't think of any other camera company or company in general that is giving us even the remote chance of that option

[MikeCurtis]

Sensor has always been said to be upgradeable...upgradeable how and in what way not defined. Since so much of the electronics are optimized for that 4520x2540 imager, I don't know how much they could change.

But if they came out with another sensor that was 4520x2540 and had 15 stops of lattitude and required sending it in for sensor swapout and firmware upgrade, I'd certainly be thinking about it...

-mike

[Jim Arthurs]

Mike, I like your new Avatar, but, for my money, I think you cropped the wrong face... :)

For reference for those who want to see what I'm talking about...

http://www.hdforindies.com/uploaded_images/IMG_1620-760270.JPG

[Steve Gibby]

From my 4/2/06 published interview with Jim Jannard:

Gibby – “What is the future of the RED Digital Cinema camera? What’s the next generation?”

Jannard – “Well, ideally this one camera will last somebody for decades. But in a world of fast-changing electronics, the more practical idea is to make this camera capable of accepting upgrades. Our goal is not to come out with a replacement model that has a completely new feature set, and that leaves the buyer of this first camera behind. The idea is that this camera is upgradeable as much as possible. As I said, the goal of RED is to not obsolete the camera, its to upgrade and update this camera.”

--------------------------

There it is...straight from RED #1. I don't think anything in RED's philosophy has changed since then...

[Steven Parker]

This camera will be kick-ass for quite some time.

My guess is the first 'upgrades' we see will be in storage options and RedCine.

[Jaime Vallés]

This camera will be kick-ass for quite some time.

My guess is the first 'upgrades' we see will be in storage options and RedCine.
I agree. I doubt the sensor will be improved upon anytime soon. The big improvements in the near future will be in a high-speed flash RAID that can record 4K uncompressed RAW on-board at 60p.

Seriously, if most digital screens in the world are right now showing 2K material and it looks great, it'll be a long while before anybody perceives 4K as being "too low-res". RED ONE is going to last for many years.

Then again, maybe RED TWO will record 4K in 3D... :eek:

[Brook Willard]

Guesses? Sensor, compression processor, lens mount [obviously], storage, firmware.

[Steven Parker]

Guesses? Sensor, compression processor, lens mount [obviously], storage, firmware.

Hey Brook--

You guessing in that order?

Software->Firmware->Hardware (in ease of impletation)...no? Storage/data rate will develop of its own accord, outside/alongside of the awesome advances made by the Red team...

Lens mount I'll give you... but only because I still have the occasional EPK/ENG job that wants a 2/3" lens...;)

[Brook Willard]

No, no order to my post.

[araujofh]

Hi guys,

Thanks all for your opinions.

[Jared VanLeuven]

RED TWO: 3-D and HDR! Heh, we're never satisfied! :)

[Sean Michael Johnston]

I predict that the first upgrades will have to do with increased data rates. Everyone keeps asking for 60fps at 4k. I think they will try to wring out every "bit" at the highest speed they can from the present mysterium sensor before they bump up to a higher res. This could become the ultimate high-speed camera.

[araujofh]

I predict that the first upgrades will have to do with increased data rates. Everyone keeps asking for 60fps at 4k. I think they will try to wring out every "bit" at the highest speed they can from the present mysterium sensor before they bump up to a higher res. This could become the ultimate high-speed camera.

That makes sense. That is one of the upgrades I would love to happen now.