CineLive

54 threads in the archive

Based on 54 threads · 23 cited

AI draft, not reviewedDraft, written by AI from the archive, every statement linked to its source — not yet reviewed.

Pack the sled in a Pelican 1650 or Storm IM2950 with custom foam, and keep batteries in your carry-on for flights 1 2. Older HD sleds take CineLive junction boxes without a cable swap, because the center post cable is identical 4.

The questions 7

How do I pack and case my CineLive rig for transport?8 threads · latest 2025

In short

Put the sled in a Pelican 1650 or Storm IM2950 with custom foam 1. Carry the arm and vest in a Pelican 1620 or a duffel, and keep batteries in your carry-on for flights 1 2.

How the pros do it

Use a Pelican 1650 or Storm IM2950 for the CineLive sled 1. Gen 3 base systems can leave minimal foam clearance on the sides, so check the fit for your base version before you buy 1.
The CineLive sled fits diagonally in a case 3. Cut the foam around that layout and re-cut it whenever monitor mounts or power solutions change 3.
Build the foam yourself with Kaizen foam, or order inserts through an online case builder 1. If you want to save setup time, leave the sled mounted with the monitor on in its foam-lined case 3.
Case the arm and vest separately in a Pelican 1620 wrapped in a duffel, though the opening width needs careful insertion 1. For local work a duffel is enough, and you only need rigid cases for shipping 1.
Protect the monitor with a soft cloth on the display, then a rigid board, then foam padding 2. Pelican lids can flex in the middle, so put only foam in that zone 2.
For flights, tape an internal photo in each case, put an AirTag in each, and carry an equipment list with serial numbers and dated photos 2. Plan a prep day after arrival, because flight vibration can loosen screws and connections 2.

Caution

Lithium batteries belong in carry-on luggage, because security interpretation of 'attached to a device' in checked baggage is inconsistent 2. Flight vibration can loosen screws and connections on the rig, so check everything before you shoot 2.

Opinions differ here

Some operators put sled and arm together in one Pelican 1730 3. Others spread the kit across cases, such as a Pelican 1650 for the arm plus a dedicated sled case, which lowers per-case weight and freight costs 3. The choice depends on travel mode, airline baggage rules and crew strength 3.

What changed

Earlier, in 2015, operators pointed to a Pelican 1650 or Storm IM2950 for the CineLive sled 1, today, in 2025, setups also include a Pelican 1615 Air for the sled or one Pelican 1730 holding sled and arm together 3.

Ask a follow-up

Are my older CineLive parts compatible with newer ones, and can I upgrade?5 threads · latest 2025

In short

Mostly yes. The center post cable is identical between the previous Pro HD and Cinelive electronics, so older HD sleds take Cinelive junction boxes without a cable swap 4. An old SD Cinelive can go HD, but it is expensive 5.

How the pros do it

Find out what you have, because the older Cinelive system is SD-based 5. Pinout information for those junction boxes is on the manufacturer's website 5.
If you run an older Pro HD sled, keep your center post cable and upgrade to the Cinelive junction boxes 4. That confirmation came from manufacturer support, not independent testing 4.
If you have an SD Cinelive, a full HD upgrade means replacing both the upper and lower junction boxes plus the cabling and connectors 5.
For a cheaper route, a third-party technician can add HD-BNC cables and outputs to your existing junction boxes instead of a full replacement 5. Several independent service providers do this 5.
Price new HD-capable gear before you commit, because upgrading SD hardware is expensive and new equipment may be better value 5. That thread is from 2015, so pricing may have changed 5.
If you are moving toward a Volt gimbal on a PRO sled, a used original M-2 gimbal with Volt and Control Box works with insert adapters (1.75 to 1.5 inch) for the PRO Post 6. Volt 3 is currently available only for Tiffen M-Series sleds 6.

Caution

Volt 3 is non-functional without power and cannot be used as a conventional gimbal, so it is unsafe as your only rig 6. Volt 2 still works in conventional mode when powered down 6.

Ask a follow-up

Where should I mount the level, receivers and boxes on my CineLive sled?5 threads · latest 2019

In short

The sources give no single CineLive layout, but each piece has a known spot 7 8. The level goes where the PDL sat, the Camin goes on a vlock or rods, and the inverters ride on your vest or harness 7 8 9.

How the pros do it

Mount the Cinetronic CDL level where the earlier PDL sat on compatible sleds 7. Keep the logo facing up and stay within 2 degrees of level 7.
If you want more accuracy, put a dedicated digital level sensor near the post instead of relying on a monitor's built-in level 10.
For the Cmotion Camin receiver on a PRO Cinelive, use the cfast vlock for a quick release mount 8. Or use the rod connector on 19mm or 15mm rods 8. Your pick depends on whether it's a 2M, 3M or 4M 8.
For an MDR3 next to Cinelive electronics, expect clearance trouble, because the upper J boxes are bigger than earlier versions 11. A Preston MDR3 bracket also moves the MDR closer to the J box 11. Fix the cable problem with 90-degree connectors on the motor power and on-off cables 11.
Put gyro inverters, which weigh under a pound, on an AB plate clipped to your vest to cut cable strain 9. Or velcro them to the back of your harness with soft-side velcro so they come off easily when you dock 9.

Caution

One operator raised concern about torque and vibration stress on the sled when gyros sit directly on the AB battery mounts, with no test results given 9.

Opinions differ here

Some operators snap a smaller gyro and its inverter on one plate onto the battery mounts for a streamlined setup 9. Another operator worried that gyros on the sled AB battery mounts take torque and vibration stress, and the thread never settled it 9.

Ask a follow-up

How do I power Preston receivers and monitors from a CineLive sled?5 threads · latest 2015

In short

Run Preston gear from a 12V/24V-capable Lemo output with the sled in 24V mode and the Aux breaker engaged 12. Run monitors from a 12V output such as the left-hand accessory P-Tap, and meter every cable first 12 13.

How the pros do it

Know your plates: on a Gen 4 rack the bottom front and top back plates give 12V, and the bottom back plate gives auxiliary 24V 12.
For Preston, a 12V/24V-capable Lemo gets 24V only when the switch is on 24V and the Aux breaker is engaged 12. The MDR-1 needs 24V, and a dual-rated cable still delivers only 12V if the sled is set to 12V 14.
If the Preston stays dead, check the sled voltage setting, then the seating of every connector including the jumper block and centerpost cable, then the pin assignment 14. Meter voltage at each connector from the sled output through the junction box to the end of the cable 14.
For monitors, the left-hand accessory P-Tap always gives 12V 12. The upper junction tally Lemo also gives 12V, and on a typical 4-pin it is ground on pin 1 and 12V on pin 2, which can power a SmallHD DP7 Pro if wired correctly 13.
Meter any cable's actual wiring before you plug it into an expensive monitor 13. Preston and Teradek accessories regulate input up to about 31V, so 24V is fine for them 12.
Order the connections when video gear is on SDI: connect SDI first, then power cables, then batteries, and power the camera last 15. Reverse that order at wrap 15.

Caution

The auxiliary P-Tap on the right side of the lower electronics has been known to damage recorders, so use it with caution 12. Teradek devices use non-standard 2-pin Lemo polarity with pin 1 negative, so verify polarity with a voltmeter before connecting 15.

Opinions differ here

Some operators saw damage when 12V video accessories shared SDI with a camera running 24V, and recreated it with a CineLive sled and Teradek devices 15. Another operator ran a Teradek Bolt Pro from an Alexa 12V Lemo for three years without incident, which suggests it depends on the wiring setup 15.

Ask a follow-up

How do I wire tally from CineLive to my monitor?4 threads · latest 2023

In short

Run tally from the CineLive sled's LEMO output to a monitor with a tally input, like a Cinetronic Gen2 16. For SmallHD monitors, use a Y-cable from the 8-pin connector with an LED or a photosensor 17.

How the pros do it

For a Cinetronic Gen2, take tally from the sled's lower LEMO connector over a 2-pin or 8-pin LEMO 16. Gen1 monitors have no tally function 16.
Feed the monitor a tally voltage of 2 to 24 volts, since one thread gives 1 to 24 and another gives 2 to 24 16 18. The Gen2 shows tally as a red bar across the top or as red corners 16.
Check your monitor cable, because some have not all eight pins wired and tally will not work 16. Pin polarity on the 8-pin LEMO may also be reversed against the spec, and you can test that by flipping the internal tally connector on the monitor 18. The monitor also needs a video signal present before tally shows 18.
If nothing lights, put a 9 volt battery on the pins to test the monitor's tally circuit 18. A multimeter continuity check does not prove the sled is generating tally voltage 18. Test the sled before you modify the monitor 18.
For a SmallHD, run a Y-cable from the 8-pin CineLive connector to get power and an LED tally 17. That needs an extra cable from camera to top stage, or a photosensor to pick up the signal 17. A DP7 has built-in tally, or you can drive an external LED on the monitor frame via the monitor cable 17.
On a low budget, use a simple photosensor powered by a 9 V battery to detect and repeat tally 17. For live TV, run two tally systems, one for you and one near the lens for talent or prompter 17.

Caution

Check the cable wiring with a multimeter before you plug it into an expensive monitor 13. The upper junction tally output on a sled provides 12 volt power, so a wrong pinout can hurt a monitor 13.

What changed

Earlier, in 2013, tally went straight from the sled's LEMO into Cinetronic Gen2 monitors 16, today, in 2023, operators with SmallHD monitors use a Y-cable or photosensor and recommend rig-agnostic systems like Zalex for reliability 17.

Ask a follow-up

Can I power my ALEXA 35 from a CineLive sled?3 threads · latest 2025

In short

Yes. Put the Steadicam® PRO sled in 24 V mode and feed the camera over a 24 V cable 19. Plan your battery swaps, because the camera can power down when sled voltage dips 20.

How the pros do it

Switch the sled to 24 V mode and use a 24 V cable, because the ALEXA 35 is a native 24 V camera and needs no 26 V batteries 19.
One operator ran three 12 V Gold Mount batteries in series in 24 V mode and got reliable operation 19. Series gives longer runtime than parallel, because current draw is halved 19.
A 12/24 V XLR Gold Mount plate with a 24 V 4-pin XLR to CineLive cable is one viable setup 19. You can also power the camera battery slot directly 19.
Set onboard battery priority in the camera menu, which operators using Dragonfly and Betz Tools sleds say prevents power-downs during sled battery swaps 20.
Before you swap a sled battery, disconnect the sled power supply or the camera cable 20. Pulling the battery drops the cable from 24 V to 12 V, which trips the camera's undervoltage cutoff and blocks a restart from the sled 20.
Watch the two status lights on the right side of the camera: rear is onboard battery, front is block/sled supply, red is error, green is in use, blue is available but not in use 20. Under load with two motors, a measurement device and a wireless transmitter, the camera ran reliably down to about 24.6 V, so swap around 25 V to keep margin 20.

Caution

Third-party accessories powered from the camera's RS ports may not be protected for higher voltages, so verify them before you use them 21.

Opinions differ here

One operator runs the ALEXA 35 only from onboard batteries on a GPI Pro sled with Cinelive electronics, because it powered down without warning when fed from the sled 20. Others report reliable sled power in 24 V mode with series batteries 19, or fix the power-downs with onboard battery priority 20.

Ask a follow-up

How do I find and eliminate vibration in my CineLive rig?3 threads · latest 2025

In short

Strip the rig down one component at a time and test with an empty card between takes 22. Start with the camera power supply and battery brackets, the most common sources 22.

How the pros do it

Eliminate components one at a time and test with an empty card between takes, because every loose joint gets amplified at speed 22.
Power the camera from the sled and remove the battery bracket 22. Check the LF-cage mounting screws, since they loosen over time and even an empty BP-8 plate can vibrate 22.
Put soft hook-and-loop (pile side) on the Gold-Mount and AB battery plates at the sled 22. It eliminated vibrations in similar CineLive/Betz/Volt setups 22.
Check the center tube locking ring and the four small screws (about #4-40) under the topstage every day 22. Close the lever fully on ARRI base plates 22.
Check the Volt gimbal belt tension, because too low a tension generates vibration at speed 22. Switch the Volt off and see whether the vibration persists 22.
Fully seat the monitor and the batteries, then tap the powered-off monitor and watch its reflection 22. Swap hardened arm bumpers at the elbow and vest buffers for foam, hold the rig slightly farther from your body and take shorter steps 22.

Opinions differ here

Operators don't agree on the main culprit 22. Some point to the camera and battery configuration, others to arm and running technique, and others to Volt belt tension, depending on the rig 22.

What changed

Earlier, in 2015, the Cam-Jam yoke was praised for tighter retention than traditional brackets 23, today, in 2025, operators warn that an extended thin-aluminium Cam-Jam yoke can act like a tuning fork 22.

Ask a follow-up

Sources 23

All 23 sources

What operators found

Still argued about

Often in the same threads

Top Stage9, Low Mode5, Volt5, Docking Bracket3, ALEXA 352, Zephyr8, Artemis4, MDR5, Follow Focus3, FI+Z2, Monitor Bracket2

All threads

Ask about CineLiveThe answer cites the archive