Sound Devices PIX-E5, PIX-E5H & PIX-E7 4K External Recorder

Show: IBC 2015

Estimated Delivery: PIX-E5 & PIX-E5H – Available now, PIX-E7 – End of 2015

Price: PIX-E5 – £1400, PIX-E5H – £1200, PIX-E7- 1600

Sound Devices have recently rebranded their Video Recording options as Video Devices, and their stand was well equipped with a wide range of their ever increasing products. We were especially interested in the updated PIX series of video recorders with the PIX-E5 (SDI & HDMI), PIX-E5H (HDMI only) and the PIX-E7 (SDI & HDMI) with a 7″ screen. Recording ProRes only, in HD and 4K and in all variants up to 4444XQ down to 422 Proxy.

The 5″ compact design of this monitor is one of the smaller recorders on the market and very well built. 1920×1080 screen resolution on the PIX-E5 and PIX-E5H, and 1920×1200 on the seven-inch PIX-E7. The LCD is covered by Gorilla Glass 2 in-keeping with it’s hard wearing build but didn’t feel as sharp as some other monitors and recorders out there. It holds all the usual focus tools, with touch screen magnification enabling the user to move a zoomed in image. It’s buttons are located off screen which keeping the image less busy, helping with framing.

The new PIX-E records have no inbuilt XLR ports, instead taking audio over SDI. However they also had the PIX-LR on the stand, a new audio interface, this is a screw-on accessory that provides the PIX-E monitor with two XLR ports. As you would expect with Video/Sound Devices this is a well built and sound option with all the usual pre-amps, LED Metering, transport and gain controls.