LukiLink project turns smartphones into an HDMI monitor

[BTM_Pix]

1 hour ago, IronFilm said:

Stop robbing blind those poor Japanese folks and start a thread about then!

Please. 

Pretty please. 

With a cheery on top.

I will definitely knock something up when I get back.

Providing EU customs don't seize me.

1 hour ago, IronFilm said:

I've noticed there are also versions on Aliexpress so you can stream it over mobile broadband, but I don't see the point in spending extra for that dedicated feature unless you did it a *LOT* , such as a journalist.  As you said, you could just use your phone instead for live streaming to the internet. 

All of them are able to stream to anything with an output to the internet via a router so its just a case of if you want to avoid that extra step.

Its good practice if you're using cellular that you have sims for two different networks to ensure you get coverage so having the inbuilt modem is ideal for that.

The Terradek versions from the Vidiu Pro up have a bonding capability which lets you use several different iPhones as one combined high bandwidth streamer.

1 hour ago, IronFilm said:

What is difficult to do about the set up?

How do you then view the stream on your tablet? With VLC or something else?

It was completely undocumented for one thing!

Its done via a web browser but the unit reboots every time you make a change (which is fine) but sometimes it was uncertain about if it was actually doing it and there are a lot of different parameters to tweak regarding the ip address and ports for streaming.

Yes, the stream can then be viewed by anything that can read a stream so VLC is the most ubiquitous one.

For my purposes, it can also be read by network capable switcher apps like Terradek's Live:Air for a mobile wireless multicam setup.

1 hour ago, IronFilm said:

OH WOW! That delay seems to be MASSIVE?  As in seconds and seconds worth of delay.

Also looks fairly large (not something all cam ops would want to hang from their camera...) in the person's hands (or just by looking at it in the above video, how it dominates the small a7S below it). 
 

There are a ton of variables that could be causing that with regard to his network infrastructure (its better to use 5.2ghz wireless) to his selected resolution, frame rate, bit rate, stream type etc etc. 

All of these systems have an inherent delay but its a case of choosing your poison depending on what your application is.

If its live monitoring then you'd lower the bandwidth, if its broadcasting then you might favour the quality etc.

For things like Live:Air each camera input has its own delay compensation control so its not a problem.

It is certainly bigger than the Terradek units and the battery and enormous aerials don't help. It can be run off a much slimmer USB power adapter though and the aerials are detachable. 

18 minutes ago, IronFilm said:

This guy has much lower latency than the Russian videos! (assuming he is Russian.... wild guesses here! Apologies if he isn't)
The hardware however looks the same in both videos, wouldn't want to pick the type with bad latency though :-o

And I noticed this video is using VLC (as I was asuming would be a good choice), but the Russian guy was not using VLC? Wonder if it is the choice of software here that is making the latency differences rather than the underlying hardware. (which might be the same for both)

Yep, there are a bunch of variables involved that mean people can get wildly differing results.

18 minutes ago, IronFilm said:

This guy reviewed a different HDMI transmitter, which is also rather cheap indeed, and he has a fairly good opinion of it (6 frames of latency is quite tolerable for many of us, or at least if we're not needing to focus pull):
 

Which is what makes something like this solution a bit easier, though less flexible as you need a monitor at the other end rather than a phone/tablet. And of course the network based solution using the encoder also means that multiple people on set can tune in simultaneously.

The hybrid solution is the one that I've been playing with which is an HDMI to FPV video converter which can then be picked up by either an FPV monitor (which are cheap) or via a UVC compliant FPV dongle for an Android phone (even cheaper) with similarly low latency but with very long range transmission. Currently, I'm having issues with the Android end of it but I'll get back into it when Lens Frenzy is over.

[IronFilm]

3 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

Providing EU customs don't seize me.

Not worried instead about the Japanese border guards letting you out of the country with your stolen goods?

3 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

The Terradek versions from the Vidiu Pro up have a bonding capability which lets you use several different iPhones as one combined high bandwidth streamer.

That sounds like a handy feature indeed. 
(but not one I'd pay $$$$$$$$$$$$ for!)

3 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

If its live monitoring then you'd lower the bandwidth, if its broadcasting then you might favour the quality etc.

Yeah for my purposes (judging at a glance where the frame line is for a shot) then even 720 resolution would be plenty!

 

3 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

Yes, the stream can then be viewed by anything that can read a stream so VLC is the most ubiquitous one.

Actually, discussing VLC just reminds me that I already pretty often will stream a movie from my PC over WiFi so that I can watch it in bed with VLC on my phone. 

3 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

And of course the network based solution using the encoder also means that multiple people on set can tune in simultaneously.

Yes I can imagine people (such as script/continuity/wardrobe/MUA/etc.... or me, sound!) who wouldn't normally get the luxury of a monitor on a low budget shoot would enjoy this being shared with them. So the network approach means I can share this gem around much further than usual. 

[IronFilm]

On 5/25/2018 at 1:12 AM, BTM_Pix said:

I will definitely knock something up when I get back.

 Providing EU customs don't seize me.

BTM_Pix, did you get back safely, or did EU customs grab you?

[BTM_Pix]

I actually got detained by police on my way out there when getting the connecting flignt at Amsterdam airport...

Turns out of been caught speeding by a traffic camera when I'd hired a car while working out there last year that hadn't been paid so they got me at passport control and I had to pay a sizeable fine before theyd let me go!

Anyway, Yes I got back with my swag but I'm away again and will be back tomorrow and I'll definitely write something up this week about the streamer

[IronFilm]

What is the really really short summary, is it worth getting? Any key gotchas to be aware of? Any pleasant surprises you discovered? Am thinking I'll get it sooner rather than later. 

 

34 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said:

Turns out of been caught speeding by a traffic camera when I'd hired a car while working out there last year that hadn't been paid so they got me at passport control and I had to pay a sizeable fine before theyd let me go!

Did that cancel out all your lens savings? :-o 

[BTM_Pix]

23 hours ago, IronFilm said:

What is the really really short summary, is it worth getting? 

The really short summary is that the really long summary will be posted later on today. 

23 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Did that cancel out all your lens savings? ?

It cancelled out all of the car hire savings I'd made that's for sure!

The lens budget is ring always ring fenced anyway

[Kisaha]

Yeahy! 

I received my Lukilink recently!

It is real, an actual aluminium black box.

The not so good part is that it already exists, and that it doesn't do anything for me as there is no software, and 1-2 apps I tried were keep crushing before connecting.

This guy says it all.

Glad that I received something of course, but feel sorry for people that bought 2 or more of those, or expecting something that works.

[BTM_Pix]

On 8/23/2018 at 11:58 PM, Kisaha said:

Yeahy! 

I received my Lukilink recently!

It is real, an actual aluminium black box.

The not so good part is that it already exists, and that it doesn't do anything for me as there is no software, and 1-2 apps I tried were keep crushing before connecting.

This guy says it all.

Glad that I received something of course, but feel sorry for people that bought 2 or more of those, or expecting something that works.

Thats a downer isn't it.

There was always the nagging suspicion there that they were just re-skinning an existing product, which is perfectly fine by the way if you are enhancing it with your own additional value through the app etc but I don't think they've achieved that here.

[Kisaha]

1 hour ago, BTM_Pix said:

Thats a downer isn't it.

There was always the nagging suspicion there that they were just re-skinning an existing product, which is perfectly fine by the way if you are enhancing it with your own additional value through the app etc but I don't think they've achieved that here.

It is disappointing for sure.

Actually, they have changed/add a thing or two, and the price is equal, or less to the Chinese product, so they did alright there, but they promised the app as well.

Right now I can't use it at all, and I am not interested on any other use. I just hope a 3rd party app will show up and save the day!

[Juxx989]

On 8/28/2018 at 12:51 PM, Kisaha said:

It is disappointing for sure.

Actually, they have changed/add a thing or two, and the price is equal, or less to the Chinese product, so they did alright there, but they promised the app as well.

Right now I can't use it at all, and I am not interested on any other use. I just hope a 3rd party app will show up and save the day!

Hey... any news good or bad on this product now (almost November 2018) I'm interested in this as I have Old Iphones that I could use for a Monitor....

Did they get their S#!T together 

Requesting an Update.

[Kisaha]

4 hours ago, Juxx989 said:

Hey... any news good or bad on this product now (almost November 2018) I'm interested in this as I have Old Iphones that I could use for a Monitor....

Did they get their S#!T together 

Requesting an Update.

..since I received it, it stays as a glorious paper weight on my left upper shelve!

I didn't manage to make it work. 

I will try again some other time I guess, maybe the apps will improve in time and solve the compability issues. Some say that the included cable is not working and have better luck with Samsung and branded ones.

There are a few people that say it works, but not as glorious as was described, it is not working for iOS, some people still haven't received it yet, and the "developing" team say that they will offer a specialized - and smaller - iOS version in December.

So far it is a total mess, and it is bigger than we/I was expecting it to be, but it could be useful if was working properly, but it is not.

[heart0less]

5 hours ago, Juxx989 said:

I'm interested in this as I have Old Iphones that I could use for a Monitor....

You could give 'FieldMonitor' a try. 

It's available on AppStore. 

[webrunner5]

7 hours ago, heart0less said:

You could give 'Field Monitor' a try. 

It's available on AppStore. 

I have Field Monitor. It works great. I use it on my iPad 2018. I use it with my Sony A7s. But i had to use the Sony hack to force my camera to have WiFi to stay on all the time. About drove me crazy at first trying to keep it connected.

[buggz]

Hmm, I have an 10.5" iPad Pro, I will have to check out this Field Monitor app...

[webrunner5]

2 hours ago, buggz said:

Hmm, I have an 10.5" iPad Pro, I will have to check out this Field Monitor app...

I had to go with a bigger Manfrotto Magic Arm to support the weight. I hang it off the 3/8 hole in the side of the tripod. Not sure I would recommend the one I have below. Get the one with the round knob you tighten. I seem to Never be able to get the one I have tight enough on average even though it is damn heavy duty. I have 2 smaller magic arms and they are too weak for the weight of a larger iPad. Mine is the 9.7". Probably a Mini iPad might work with a smaller arm..

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/325446-REG/Manfrotto_143N_143N_Magic_Arm_without.html

[Snowfun]

5 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

I had to go with a bigger Manfrotto Magic Arm to support the weight. I hang it off the 3/8 hole in the side of the tripod. Not sure I would recommend the one I have below. 

I have one of these. I’ve never worked out how a device which is basically only two arms manages to poke me in the eye, bruise my elbow, knee and shin and generally cause me intense vexation...

[leslie]

1 hour ago, Snowfun said:

I have one of these. I’ve never worked out how a device which is basically only two arms manages to poke me in the eye, bruise my elbow, knee and shin and generally cause me intense vexation...

you've not been married then ? ?