Video Devices PIX-E5 User manual
PIX-E5 / PIX-E5H
Recording Field Monitor
User Guide
Sound Devices, LLC
E7556 Road 23 and 33
Reedsburg, Wisconsin USA
+1 (608) 524-0625
Toll Free: (800) 505-0625
Fax: +1 (608) 524-0655
www.sounddevices.com
Legal Notices
Product specications and features are subject to
change without prior notication.
Copyright © 2015
Sound Devices, LLC.
All rights reserved.
This product is subject to the terms and conditions
of a software license agreement provided with the
product, and may be used in accordance with the
license agreement.
This document is protected under copyright law. An
authorized licensee of this product may reproduce
this publication for the licensee’s own personal use.
This document may not be reproduced or distributed,
in whole or in part, for commercial purposes, such
as selling copies or providing educational services or
support.
This document is supplied as a technical guide. Special
care has been taken in preparing the information for
publication; however, since product specications
are subject to change, this document might contain
omissions and technical or typographical inaccuracies.
Sound Devices, LLC does not accept responsibility
for any losses due to the user of this guide.
Trademarks
The “wave” logo and USBPre are registered trade-
marks, and FileSafe, PowerSafe, Wave Agent, and
PIX-Assist are trademarks of Sound Devices, LLC.
Apple is a registered trademark, and Mac and OS X
are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the
U.S. and other countries. Windows is a registered
trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United
States and other countries. Gorilla is a registered
trademark of Corning Incorporated.
Symbol Description
> This symbol is used to show the order in
which you select menu commands and
sub-options, such as: System > Version
Info indicates you use the Control knob
to navigate the Main menu and select
System followed by Version Info.
+ A plus sign is used to show button or
keystroke combinations.
For instance, ALT+MENU means to hold
the ALT button down as you press the
MENU button. Ctrl+V means to hold the
Control key down and press the V key
simultaneously.
iA note provides recommendations and
important related information. The
text for notes also appear italicized in
a different color.
⚠A cautionary warning about a specic
action that could cause harm to you,
the device, or cause you to lose data.
Follow the guidelines in this document
or on the unit itself when handling elec-
trical equipment. The text for caution-
ary notes also appear bold and italicized
in a different color.
PIX-E5 User Guide • Rev 1-D • September 10, 2015
This document is distributed by Sound Devices, LLC
in PDF format only. E-published in the USA.
Manual Conventions
3
Revision History
This table provides the revision history of this guide, including cross-reference links to “what’s new”
and/or modied within the guide.
Rev# Date Firmware
Version
Description
1-A July 2015 v1.00 Initial Ofcial Publication for PIX-E5 launch
1-B Aug 2015 v1.01/v1.02 Updates that addressed the 4K speckling and added one feature:
• File deletion - See “Deleting Recorded Files” on page 45
1-C Aug 2015 v1.03/v1.04 Updates for PIX-E5H product launch & feature enhancements:
• HDMI Record Triggers - See “Setting up a Record Trigger” on
page 48
• Increased channels for HDMI I/O - See “Setting up Audio In-
put” on page 54 and “Routing Audio Output” on page 56
• QuickBoot Timer - See note in table located in “Top and Front
Panels” on page 7
• File List HH:MM:SS Duration - See “” on page 50
1-D Sept 2015 v1.05 Update with feature enhancements:
• LUTs - See “Using LUTs” on page 34
• Custom LUTs - See “Uploading Custom LUTs” on page 36
• HDMI Record Triggers for Panasonic - See “Setting up a Record
Trigger” on page 48
User Guide
4
5
Table of Contents
Overview of the Chassis 7
Top and Front Panels .............................7
Left Side Panel...................................9
Back and Bottom Panels .........................10
Right Side Panel ................................11
Menus and Navigation 13
Touch Screen and Tactile Controls .................13
Accessing the MAIN MENU Screen .................13
Toggling On-Screen Display Elements ..............14
Toggling Soft Key Button Functionality.............15
Monitor Soft Keys.............................16
Record Soft Keys..............................16
Using Soft Key Menus ...........................17
Configuring the On-Screen Display ................18
USB Keyboard ..................................19
PIX-Assist Monitoring Suite 21
Overview ......................................21
Assist Tools .....................................22
Using False Colors.............................22
Using Zebras .................................24
Using Zoom ..................................25
Using Peaking ................................27
Scopes.........................................29
Using the Waveform Monitor...................29
Using the Vectorscope .........................31
Using the Histogram ..........................32
Using 4-Way Monitoring .........................33
Using LUTs .....................................34
Uploading Custom LUTs........................36
Using Markers ..................................37
Resetting Monitor Defaults .......................40
Storage 41
SpeedDrive.....................................41
SD Memory Card................................42
Metadata and File Name Format ..................42
File Name Formats ............................43
Formatting Storage Drives........................44
Working with Files ..............................44
Deleting Recorded Files ........................45
Transferring Files to a Computer ................45
Recording and Playback 47
Record and Playback Icons........................47
Recording......................................47
Choosing a Video Input Source .................48
Setting up a Record Trigger ....................48
Selecting a Video Codec .......................49
Setting PsF Options ...........................49
FileSafe......................................50
Viewing the File List ...........................51
Playing Back Recorded Files.......................51
Audio 53
Using the Audio Screen ..........................53
Setting up Audio Input ..........................54
Setting up Tracks................................55
Routing Audio Output...........................56
Adjusting Headphone Warning Bell Level ........57
Timecode 59
Setting a Timecode Mode ........................59
Toggling Drop Frame Timecode ...................60
Setting the Rec Run Timecode Value ...............60
System Functions 61
Time and Date..................................61
Setting the Date and Time .....................62
Updating Firmware .............................62
Checking Version and Serial Number...............63
Saving and Recalling Settings .....................63
Restoring Factory Default Settings .................64
User Guide
6
Specifications 65
PIX-E5 Specifications.............................65
Video .......................................65
Audio .......................................66
Storage......................................66
Timecode ....................................67
Power.......................................67
Physical......................................67
Environmental ...............................67
PIX-E5H Specifications ...........................68
Video .......................................68
Audio .......................................68
Storage......................................69
Timecode ....................................69
Power.......................................69
Physical......................................69
Environmental ...............................69
7
Topics in this section include:
Overview of the Chassis
Top and Front Panels
The PIX-E5 and PIX-E5H are specically
designed and built for the rigors of eld
production.
The chassis is made of high-strength,
thermally conductive aluminum. As
well as providing maximum durability,
the case doubles as a heat-sink,
providing excellent cooling of the inner
electronics.
By design, the PIX-E chassis gets very
warm, wicking away the heat from
the internal components. This design
ensures that the internal components
stay cool for years of trouble-free
operation in the most demanding
environments.
The top panel features the Power switch, a Power LED, a 1/4-inch, 20-threaded
mounting point, and two retainer clips used to secure batteries and the Speed-
Drive to the back of the monitor.
The front panel has a sunlight-readable, 5-inch LCD that is protected behind an
alkali-aluminosilicate sheet of Gorilla® Glass 2, chemically strengthened to be
scratch- and impact-resistant.
Beneath the LCD is a row of buttons, which includes an ALT button on the left,
a MENU button on the right, and in between them, 11 multi-functional soft key
buttons.
Top and Front Panels
Left Side Panel
Back and Bottom Panels
Right Side Panel
User Guide
8
ALT Button
Power Switch
Power LED
Mounting Point
Right
Retainer Clip
Soft Key Buttons
MENU Button
Left
Retainer Clip
LCD
Feature Description
Power Switch & LED Slide the Power switch to the right to turn on the device. While power
is on, the LED will illuminate green. When power is rst turned on, a
splash screen with the Video Devices logo will appear on the LCD.
iPIX-E monitors have a very powerful processor and operating system, so it takes up to 45 seconds
to boot the rst time. However, the QuickBoot™ feature reduces subsequent boot times to just a
few seconds. QuickBoot is enabled for two hours after powering down the monitor. Each time the
monitor is turned off, this timer is reset. During this time, boot times are reduced, but after two
hours, QuickBoot is deactivated and powering on the monitor will result in a normal, longer boot
process.
Retainer Clips The retainer clips snap into place to securely hold batteries and/or
the SpeedDrive™ to the back of the monitor. The right clip, labeled
with a battery icon, secures the right L-mount battery; the left clip,
labeled SSD, holds both the SpeedDrive and the left L-mount battery.
Depress the spring-loaded retainer clips toward the front of the mon-
itor to release the drive and batteries.
Mounting Point Centered on the top and bottom panels, a 1/4-inch, 20 threaded,
stainless-steel mounting point may be used to attach the monitor to
a camera or other production gear, such as the PIX-ARM.
LCD 5-inch LCD touch screen. 1920x1080 pixel resolution. Displays the
user interface, source video, and playback video, as well as operating
information when the on-screen display is active.
ALT Button Toggles alternative functions for the Soft Key buttons. It may be
used in combination with the Control knob to reset a setting to its
default. it may also be used to exit various screens and return to the
live video screen.
MENU Button Displays the Main menu. May also be used to exit various screens.
9
OVERVIEW OF THE CHASSIS
Feature Description
Soft Key Buttons Multi-functional buttons. Each soft key button’s function is displayed
as a label on the LCD directly above the button.
Left Side Panel
The left side of the PIX-E5 provides various I/O ports for audio and video. The
PIX-E5H is an HDMI only unit, so it does not have SDI ports.
Headphone Output
HDMI Output
Audio Input
HDMI Input
Headphone Output
HDMI Output
Audio Line Input
HDMI Input
SDI Output
SDI Input
Feature Description
Headphone Output 1/8-inch (3.5mm) unbalanced stereo headphone output.
HDMI Output Outputs HDMI video with up to two channels of embedded audio.
Audio Line Input 1/8-inch (3.5mm) unbalanced, line-level, 2-channel input.
HDMI Input Accepts HDMI (1.4a) signal with two channels of embedded audio.
iThe monitor does not record or display content encoded with HDCP
copy protection.
SDI Output*Outputs up to 8 channels of embedded audio.
SDI Input*
* Applies to PIX-E5 only
Accepts up to 8 channels of embedded audio.
User Guide
10
Back and Bottom Panels
The back panel features two battery mounts and a USB connector for mounting
a SpeedDrive. The bottom panels offers a 1/4-inch, 20-threaded mounting point
to secure the monitor to cameras and other devices.
USB Connector
Battery Mounts
Mounting Point
Protective Cover
Feature Description
Battery Mounts Located on the left and right side of the back panel are two mounts
for Sony® L-Series Lithium-ion batteries, or third-party batteries
compatible with the mount.
USB Connector Centered between the battery mounts on the back panel is the USB
connector for a SpeedDrive with installed mSATA drive.
iThe USB connector cannot be used with any USB-based drive.
Mounting Point Centered on the top and bottom panels, a 1/4-inch, 20 threaded,
stainless-steel mounting point may be used to attach the monitor to
a camera or other production gear, such as the PIX-ARM.
Protective Cover This removable cover is attached with adhesive to the monitor’s bot-
tom panel and protects the connection used for integration with the
optional PIX-LR accessory.
⚠Caution regarding battery usage: There is danger of explosion if the bat-
tery is incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the same or equivalent
type. Properly recycle batteries. Do not crush, disassemble, incinerate,
dispose in a re or expose batteries to high temperatures.
11
OVERVIEW OF THE CHASSIS
Right Side Panel
The right panel features a SD card slot, a Control knob, and ports for connect-
ing external power or a peripheral USB keyboard.
USB Keyboard Port
SD Card Slot
Control Knob
External Power Port
Feature Description
USB Keyboard Port Use this port to connect a USB keyboard for entering metadata and
remote control.
SD Card Slot Accepts standard SD cards (SDSC, SDHC, and SDXC) for loading
rmware as well as saving and loading setup les.
Control Knob Use the Control knob to navigate menu settings (by turning it) and
selecting menu options (by pressing it in). It may also be used for
scrolling across screen while in zoom mode.
External Power Port Use to connect the PIX-E PSU. It accepts 10-34 VDC, threaded co-
axial connector (pin positive, sleeve negative) with a 5.5 mm outer
diameter and 2.1 mm inner diameter.
⚠Caution regarding power supply: The PIX-E PSU must be connected to a
protective earthing connection to ensure safety. The power supply’s cord
acts as the disconnect device. The cord must be readily accessible and
remain readily operable.
User Guide
12
13
Topics in this section include:
Menus and Navigation
Whether working on the set or in the
eld, time is precious, and monitoring
live recordings often requires quick
adjustments in fast-paced workows.
The PIX-E5 and PIX-E5H feature an
on-screen display (OSD)and menus
in an easy to navigate structure, with
many options readily accessible via the
touch screen or multi-functional soft key
buttons.
The Main menu is one press of a button
away with easy navigation via the
Control knob or touch screen.
Touch Screen and Tactile Controls
Whether you want the quick efciency of a touch-screen interface or prefer the
tactile feedback of real buttons and want to keep the monitor’s screen free of
ngerprints, the PIX-E monitors offer a “best of both worlds” approach to user
controls.
All PIX-E LCDs are touch-screen enabled, but the monitors also feature tactile
buttons and a Control knob. Use the buttons to turn on or off monitor functions.
Elements of menus and dialogs may be selected or adjusted by touching the
screen or by using the Control knob, so you have the choice when it comes to
navigating through the user interface.
While directions throughout this guide describe how to use the Control knob for
navigation, touching the screen is often a quicker alternative.
Accessing the MAIN MENU Screen
The MAIN MENU screen displays an easy-to-navigate menu, organized with sub-
menus, options, and parameters.
To access the MAIN MENU screen:
XPress the MENU button.
Touch Screen and Tactile Controls
Accessing the MAIN MENU Screen
Toggling On-Screen Display Elements
Toggling Soft Key Button Functionality
Monitor Soft Keys
Record Soft Keys
Using Soft Key Menus
Configuring the On-Screen Display
USB Keyboard
User Guide
14
iIf you press and hold the MENU button, the Monitor menu appears across the
lower portion of the screen.
To navigate the Main menu with touch:
XTouch a menu item to access it.
To navigate the Main menu with the Control knob:
1. Turn the Control knob to move the highlight up or down the menu.
2. Press in the Control knob to access a highlighted option.
Sub-menus and their options are covered in more detail in sections related to
those settings; however, the Main menu is provided with brief descriptions in
the following table:
Main Menu Description
Help Displays a quick reference list of shortcut key combinations and their
associated functions.
Recorder & Drives Displays the settings relevant to recording and drive formatting.
Metadata Displays the settings relevant to le-naming metadata stored in recorded
les.
Video I/O Displays the settings that dene video input and output signals.
LUTs Displays the settings for conguring LUTs.
Audio Displays the settings that dene headphone warning bells and (optional)
PIX-LR setup.
Timecode Displays the settings that dene the timecode mode.
System Displays the system settings, such as date and time options.
Save/Load Settings Displays the options for saving customized settings to external storage
media and loading those settings or reverting the device back to its fac-
tory settings.
Toggling On-Screen Display Elements
The LCD displays a live or playback video image and the OSD, providing vital
information superimposed over the video.
The OSD is made up of two display elements, which may be viewed or hidden:
• Soft key labels — Located along the bottom of the screen, these identify
the current function of the soft key button directly below each label.
• Information bar — Located along the top of the screen, this bar is super-
imposed over the video image and shows transport status, the timecode,
ABS time, audio meters for channels 1 and 2, le name, a clock, and other
status information for a SpeedDrive and power sources. An alternative view
of the bar provides additional information, such as codec.
To show or hide soft key labels and/or the information bar:
XPress the Display soft key button. This button toggles through three display
options:
15
MENUS AND NAVIGATION
◦ Show both information bar and soft key labels
◦ Show soft key labels; hide information bar
◦ Hide both information bar and soft key labels
iHolding down the Display soft key button for at least one second will show alterna-
tive data on the information bar, such as the codec being used, and a le’s resolu-
tion and rate.
Area Displaying Information Bar
Area Displaying Soft Key Labels
LCD
Toggling Soft Key Button Functionality
The primary functionality of soft key buttons is to toggle on or off monitoring
tools, such as: peaking, zebras, scopes, and more.
However, soft key buttons are multi-functional; their alternative functionality
includes accessing the File List and Audio screens, and acting as transport con-
trols for recording and playback.
To toggle between monitor and record soft key functions:
XPress the ALT button. The displayed soft key labels above the buttons will
change, indicating their current function.
iThe Display soft key label remains on-screen regardless of which functionality is
set for the other soft key buttons.
The following sections provide more details about what soft key labels appear
for the primary monitor versus alternative record functionalities.
User Guide
16
Monitor Soft Keys
When soft key buttons are set for primary monitor functionality, the following
soft key labels appear and the buttons function as described:
LabeL Description
Display Hides or reveals OSD elements: soft key labels and/or the information
bar.
False Toggles on/off the display of the false colors exposure assist tool.
Zebra Toggles on/off the display of zebra stripes exposure assist tool.
4-Way Splits the screen into four quadrants, showing the video image in one
quadrant and three scopes—waveform, vectorscope, and histogram—in
the other three.
WFM Toggles on/off the full-screen display of the waveform monitoring tool.
Vector Toggles on/off the full-screen display of the vectorscope monitoring tool.
Hist Toggles on/off the full-screen display of the histogram monitoring tool.
LUT Toggles on/off the selected LUT.
Zoom2x / Zoom4x Toggles on/off the TapZoom functionality between different magnica-
tions of the video image: 2x (200%) or 4x (400%). This setting also
applies to zooming via use of the Control knob.
iIf TapZoom is disabled, the label for this soft key button will be NoZoom.
Peak Toggles on/off the display of peaking lter focus assist tool.
Marker Toggles on/off the display of guide markers over the video image.
iHolding down most monitoring soft key buttons for more than a second will
open a menu related to that button’s functionality.
Record Soft Keys
When soft key buttons are set for alternate record functionality, the following
soft key labels appear and the buttons function as described:
LabeL Description
Display Hides or reveals OSD elements: soft key labels and/or the information bar.
Audio Displays the Audio screen. Track arm status, track name, input source, input
gain, and input delay can be viewed and adjusted for every track. Also dis-
plays metering for all tracks.
Files Accesses the Files screen, showing les recorded on the PIX-E5 as a list of
clips.
Stop Stops the recording or playback. When stopped, the label appears with a
yellow background and a yellow square icon appears on the information bar.
While stopped, pressing Stop reveals the next le name in the information
bar.
Play / Pause Starts playback. During playback, the label appears with a green background
and a green arrow icon appears on the information bar. The timecode, abso-
lute time, and le name also appear green.
Pressing the button during playback will pause playback. While paused, the
Pause soft key label ashes, and the Pause icon ashes on the information
bar.
17
MENUS AND NAVIGATION
LabeL Description
Rec Starts the recording. While recording, the label appears with a red back-
ground and a red circle icon appears on the information bar. The timecode,
absolute time, and le name also appear red.
Using Soft Key Menus
Commonly used settings are accessed via Soft Key menus. These menus differ
from the Main menu because they do not take up the entire screen. Instead,
they are superimposed over the lower portion of the screen, allowing any live
video to remain visible. Also, unlike the Main menu, the Soft Key menus may be
accessed during playback or while recording.
To access any Soft Key menu:
XPress and hold the button for 1 second. The button’s menu, if available, will
appear.
Specic buttons that feature Soft Key menus include:
button Description
MENU Called the Monitor menu, it displays settings for headphones and the
LCD, such as brightness, contrast, and so forth.
False The False menu displays options for setting the false color mode.
Zebra The Zebra menu displays settings and related options for zebras 1 and 2.
WFM The WFM menu displays settings and related options for the waveform
monitor.
Vector The Vector menu displays settings and related options for the vector-
scope.
Hist The Hist menu displays settings and related options for the histogram.
LUT The LUT menu displays four options to choose from; these options will
vary based on Main menu settings congured via MENU > LUTs.
Zoom The Zoom menu displays options for enabling or disabling the TapZoom
feature via the touch screen and zoom functionality via the Control knob.
Peak The Peak menu displays settings and related options for peaking.
Marker The Marker menu displays settings and related options for setting up
guide markers.
iAccessing a soft key menu for a monitor function will enable that monitor function
if it is not already enabled. There is no such menu for the 4-Way soft key button.
Also, there are no Soft Key menus available when soft key buttons are set to the
record functionality.
The layout of these menus varies. The simplest menu will consist of a single row
of options. The active option is highlighted in green.
User Guide
18
Other such menus will feature settings in a nested tabular format. The tab of
the active setting is outlined in green.
You can use the touch screen or Control knob to navigate soft key menus.
To use a Soft Key menu:
1. Do either of the following:
XUse the Control knob by turning it to navigate tabbed settings and re-
lated options. Press in the Control knob to make a selection, and turn it
to adjust any values, such as sliders.
XTouch the screen to select a tabbed setting or related option. Touch and
swipe your ngertip along sliders to adjust any values.
2. When nished modifying settings, exit the menu by pressing the soft key
button again or touching elsewhere on the screen.
To reset the default of any Soft Key menu setting:
XWith the menu’s setting displayed, press and hold the ALT button while
pressing in the Control knob.
Configuring the On-Screen Display
The look of the OSD may vary depending on the conguration of certain set-
tings available in the Monitor menu. For instance, the brightness or contrast of
the display image might need adjusting. Or perhaps, the background for the
information bar and all soft key menus appears opaque instead of transparent
when superimposed over the video image.
To congure the Monitor settings:
1. Press and hold the MENU button for 1 second. The Monitor menu appears
superimposed over the lower portion of the screen.
2. Adjust the following settings as needed to achieve the look you want.
19
MENUS AND NAVIGATION
setting Description options
See-Thru Use this setting to adjust the opacity of soft key menus and
the information bar by increments of 25%. Set to 0% for fully
opaque and 100% for full transparency. This setting does not
affect the soft key labels, which are superimposed with a fully
transparent background. The default is 50%.
0 to 100%
Brightness Use this setting to adjust the brightness of the display image
by increments of 1%. The default is 0%.
-20 to 20%
Contrast Use this setting to adjust the contrast of the display image by
increments of 1%. The default is 100%.
0 to 200%
Chroma Use this setting to adjust the chroma level of the display im-
age by increments of 1%. The default is 100%.
0 to 200%
Backlight Use this setting to adjust the backlight level of the LCD by
increments of 5%. The default is 70%.
0 to 100%
iThe Monitor menu also provides settings for adjusting headphone source and lev-
els. For more information, see Routing Audio Output.
USB Keyboard
PIX-E monitors support the use of a standard USB keyboard connected to the
USB A connector on the right panel of the chassis. The keyboard may be used
to navigate menus, enter text, and perform various other functions.
context Key action
All
Shift ALT button
M, F12 MENU button
F1-F12 Soft Key buttons. F1 is the rst button to the right of the
ALT button, F2 is the next button to the Right, etc.
CTRL + R Record
Space Play/Pause
CTRL + S Stop
Esc Cancel / Go back
Live View Enter Enable TapZoom
Zoom mode
Enter Switch between horizontal and vertical positioning.
Up/Down arrow Reposition center point
Alt + Enter Exit TapZoom
Audio screen &
File screen
Up arrow Move up one track or le
Down arrow Move down one track or le
Enter Select track or le
Esc Exit to main screen
Audio screen
with track se-
lected
Up arrow Move one eld to the right
Right arrow Move one eld to the right
Down arrow Move one eld to the left
Left arrow Move one eld to the left
Enter Select eld for editing
User Guide
20
context Key action
Audio screen
with Delay eld
selected
Up arrow Increment delay by 10 ms
Down arrow Decrement delay by 10 ms
Enter Accept edits and unselect both the edited eld and the
track
Esc Accept edits and unselect both the edited eld and the
track
Audio screen
with Gain eld
selected
Up arrow Increment gain by 1 dB
Down arrow Decrement gain by 1 dB
Enter Accept edits and unselect both the edited eld and the
track
Esc Accept edits and unselect both the edited eld and the
track
Audio screen
with Source eld
selected
Up arrow Select the next source up
Down arrow Select the next source down
Enter Accepts current selection and unselect both the edited
eld and track
Esc Accepts current selection and unselect both the edited
eld and track
On-screen
keyboard dis-
played
Printable keys Are entered into the text eld
Enter Selects the currently highlighted button on the on-screen
keyboard
Esc Rejects edits closes the on-screen keyboard
Arrow keys Move the highlight on the on-screen keyboard
Backspace Deletes one character to the left
Del Deletes one character to the right
This manual suits for next models
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