Teradeck Cube

Everyone has been talking about the Cube for a while as a cost-effective and expandable HD monitoring solution.  Seeing the Cube in person was critical because of all the criticism it gets because of the lag.  So here's what it is and how it works.

The cube is a WiFi transmitter that creates a hotspot.  Devices like a laptop or iPad can join that network to view the stream.  With the iPad, because the software needs to decode the video stream, there is a 3-frame delay to the picture, and a video I have will show what that delay is like.  With a laptop, because of the much more powerful decoding, the delay is closer to 1-1.5 frames.  There is also a separate decoder that will output HDMI to go directly to a monitor, with the same delay as the laptop's stream.

The cube can be adjusted by a laptop, and if I remember correctly, there is either a streaming option (viewable through VLC) or a web-viewing option.  Because the broadcast is digital, the Cube can transmit to 2-3 devices before it degrades or drops the signal.  It comes in either an SDI or HDMI option only; not both.  The Cube is also one of very few products to run off of the RED's rear AUX ports, highly simplifying the camera setup.  There's also an option to power it off DV batteries.  In its newest form, it can also live stream through a Sprint 4G antenna, directly broadcasting the signal to the web where anyone with an internet connection can watch.

So what's this all mean?  If your a director, get this now if you can manage the lag.  Walking around with an iPad for a monitor is so shiek; talk about impressing clients and watching an HD signal instead of SD from that 4K camera of yours.  If your an AC,  forget about it, just pull focus by distance.  At $1000, the Cube really seems like a great value, and now you can get a little Angry Birds in-between setups without anyone suspecting a thing.