Practical experience with the BlackMagic HyperDeck Shuttle II as an on-board recorder for cinema cameras

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2014Video Assist and Video Accessories forum

12 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.

The HyperDeck Shuttle II lacks automatic start/stop triggering with most cinema cameras, though it can be configured to trigger on timecode changes from RED cameras or when set to specific timecode modes on Alexa.
Recording only selected takes after the fact rather than continuous rolling prevents excessive footage accumulation that would require sorting later.
The device functions effectively as an HDMI to SDI converter with loop-through capability.
Mounting location significantly affects usability; positioning on a battery rack allows selective access to storage without constant bracket removal.
Compatible SSDs cost approximately one dollar per gigabyte, making storage expense manageable.
The recorder works in playback mode by default and requires pressing stop once to enter record mode.
The Shuttle II with standard uncompressed recording can be paired with batch compression software like Sorenson Squeeze to manage file sizes and clip selection.
Mounting the recorder on stabilizer rigs adds useful mass to camera builds while keeping them on shorter posts.

Auto start/stop does not work with Alexa cameras when set to always-run timecode mode, despite working with run-on-record timecode configuration.
The mini-DIN connectors create durability concerns with repeated connect/disconnect cycles.
No onscreen menu or clip control makes navigation difficult without transferring files to a computer.
The original model had limited compression and file size options compared to larger HyperDeck models released later.
SSD card access is blocked when certain monitor brackets are installed, requiring bracket removal for media management.
Some users reported occasional software crashes and playback issues, with no firmware updates received after extended periods of use.
Automatic recording would fill storage with unnecessary footage during camera rolling between takes.
Wireless remote control is not available as a standard feature.