Hi, I'm Robert from Magnanimous Media
and this is the Teradek Bolt.
The Teradek Bolt is a wireless video system that transmits 1080 p,
60 frames per second, 422 video,
up to 300 feet with zero delay. The zero-latency stem is great for focus-pullers
or director's monitors. The receiver has a durable ABS body, which allows for
signal reception. The Bolt has a milled aluminum chassis, with
multiple mounting options for 1/4-20 screws or
hot shoe mounts. The Teradek Bolt comes in two flavors:
the Bolt Pro and the Bold Standard, each with either
HDMI or SDI inputs. The SDI model has a 3G SDI loop-through,
whereas the HDMI version does not. The Bolt Pro can multitask to up to
four different receivers
at the same time. This means the director, the producer,
the script supervisor, and focus puller can each have separate monitors
receiving signal from the same transmitter.
Both Bolt Pro and Bolt Standard are able to automatically change channels to avoid any interference.
The Bolt Pro has a 60-minute
rechargeable lithium-ion battery, while the Bolt Standard does not.
The Bolt Standard has to be powered from an external power source,
so make sure you choose the right model for your production size. It draws
very low power
at only about 4 1/2 watts. Power is supplied through a Limo to
a 28-volt DC cable.
The receiver has dual SD-HD 3G SDI outputs,
or a single HDMI output on the ACMI Bolt system.
The receiver draws a little bit more power than the transmitter
at 6 watts; however, it still has low power consumption.
The 2.0 Firmware update from Teradek
added timecode support for the Bolt Pro SDI models.
This means that when embedded timecode is present in the video source,
it will be sent to the first connected receiver. The Red Epic, Scarlet,
Canon C500 and C300, Arri Alexa,
and Sony F55 have all been tested.
However, any camera with timecode sent and the SDI signal should work.
The Bolt's use of the broad 5 GHz spectrum allows for wireless signal less susceptible to interference.
The Bolt can coexist with both wifi and 5GHz cordless phones.
The transmitter and receiver should both be mounted vertically
with the antenna facing up in order to achieve the best signal transmission.
For best signal quality,
antennas should not be blocked, and signals should not be transmitted through
concrete or brick walls.
A clear line of sight between the transmitter and the receiver
is a must.
There have been over 5 Bolt systems tested
concurrently in the same facility. When using multiple
systems at the same time, it is recommended that each system be placed at least
a few feet away from each other
in order to prevent against crosstalk. To multitask multiple
Bolt receivers, you will need to pair the receivers to the transmitter.
To pair the receivers to the transmitter, you will need to download Bolt Manager,
a free download from Teradek's website. Once the program has been downloaded and
installed,
the pairing process can begin. (Note: before starting the pairing process,
it is important that both the transmitter and receiver have the same
region settings.
This can be found under the Settings tab under Bolt Manager.)
The pairing process is initiated by connecting your receiver to your
computer via USB
and connecting the power cable to the receiver.
Your computer will detect the receiver, and Bolt Manager will prompt you to
select
your Bolt Model. Choose Bolt Pro
SDI or HDMI RX,
what receiver, and then what revision the receiver is.
To find the receiver, look on the back of the receiver for the serial number.
The receiver's revision will be the final letter
after the numbers. For Revision A and B,
choose "Rev. B & under."
For all other revisions, choose "C & above."
The next step is to connect the monitor you will be using
to the Teradek receiver using your receiver's output: either HDMI or SDI.
You should also have your transmitter powered on.
Next, click the Scan for TX button in Bolt Manager.
This will cause the receiver to disconnect from the previously-paired transmitter
and begin scanning for a new one. The receiver will prompt you
via the monitor to "press button on Bolt transmitter for 5 seconds."
This is the Pair Mode button that can be found just above
the two horizontal blue lights that represent wireless connectivity.
A paperclip is the best way to reach this button.
After pressing the button for 5 seconds, the receiver will prompt you to
press
OK, again via the monitor. The OK button
is found in Bolt Manager. After pressing OK,
the receiver will pair with the transmitter, and after minute, the
receiver will tell you that it is now paired with the transmitter.
If you fail to receive any of these messages at any step in the process.
power cycle both the receiver and transmitter
and try again. Repeat this process for however many receivers you have
and you will be multitasking in no time!