Video Devices PIX-E5 Fit for 360 Designs 4K Virtual Reality Rig posted: 03/06/2016
Robust, Compact Recording Monitors Make On-Rig 4K Capture Easier for VR Production Pioneer
Founder and CEO of the San Francisco-based 360 Designs, Alex Klive sees a lucrative future for Virtual Reality (VR). Although it is still in its infancy, Klive believes 360-degree live streaming of sports, concerts and other live events is the next advancement for the entertainment industry. Founded in 2015, 360 Designs manufactures high-end professional 360-degree cameras, rigs, and live streaming solutions for VR. The company serves top broadcasters, and Internet and production companies, and has recently had its cameras at Coachella, a range of music and film events at SXSW, and the OSCARS capturing professional-quality VR video.
Klive's creative ventures also include web publishing, a Create your own TV Channel web application and an early crowdsourcing project to document the world in 24 hours at the turning of the Millennium. He has a background in reporting and videography, and turned to Video Devices and its PIX-E5 4K recording monitors when seeking a solution to help 360 Designs make VR production simpler and more reliable.
We were already familiar with Sound Devices audio gear, and discovered the PIX-E Series while looking for a robust, portable 4K capture solution, says Klive. We were attracted to the PIX-E5, in particular, because its small form factor can be integrated well with our high-end VR camera rigs.
360 Designs has been using large numbers of PIX-E5 recorders on its custom higher resolution VR rigs. We're able to build the recorders directly into the rig, typically using cheese plates, and use SDI to capture the uncompressed output from the cameras, adds Klive. We wanted reliable 4K Apple ProRes 422 HQ recording. In a standard configuration, we're capturing one 4K camera per PIX-E recorder, and we build custom wiring looms to bring SDI and power to each recorder. We've also created a remote control system that allows us to trigger all of the recorders at once. We really appreciate the file naming options with the PIX-E5, and the ability to save and load settings across different devices has been a big time saver. We're typically using a lot of recorders at once, so this aspect was key for us.
Klive says the optional SpeedDrive mSATA USB drives for the PIX-E devices have proved to be lightning fast and highly practical. We're now using them in our company as fast thumb drives, and have even used them for overnighting large files to clients and other team members.
Reliability, build-quality, and robust locking connections were what initially attracted 360 Designs to the PIX-E Series. We've since grown to appreciate the depth of the user interface and features, such as having real buttons as opposed to touch sensitive ones, says Klive. They are built really well. When you are running ten or more recorders at once, and every one is critical to your production, you really need that confidence. For field use, the PIX-Es are a tough product to beat.
360 Designs recently had a client that wanted to achieve very high VR video resolutions through a custom VR camera rig, and deliver test footage in a short timeframe. We employed a large number of Blackmagic Design Micro Studio 4K cameras, and by running the same number of PIX-E5 recorders, we achieved a perfect result without any trouble. We had used PIX-E5s before on smaller rigs, but configuring and running the number we did for this client was a challenge. I don't feel we could have done it reliably without the ability to save and load settings across the different recorders. The rig we used had to travel with all the recording monitors pre-mounted. We were very happy with how they performed on the project.
Beyond on-rig use, 360 Designs has also used its PIX-E5s in other applications, notably deploying them to record ISO feeds from each camera on a live 360 event production. The company also has used them for various monitoring applications.
Founded in 1998, Sound Devices, LLC, designs both Sound Devices audio products and Video Devices video products. Sound Devices offers portable audio mixers, digital audio recorders and related equipment for feature film, episodic television, documentary, news gathering, live-event, and acoustical test and measurement applications. Video Devices offers digital video monitors, recorders and related products that address a range of video productions, including fast-paced studio applications, live sports, and events, as well as mobile, TV, film, and documentary productions.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
Video Devices PIX-E5 Fit for 360 Designs 4K Virtual Reality Rig posted: 03/06/2016 
