As it turns out I am in the market for new FPV googles and these pop onto the scene.
I was excited at first, but, I think DJI has made some "blunders" which make it seem like they don't understand FPV.
As I understand it, the main selling points of this system are:
A: It offers HD FPV viewing at very low latency (and at a comparable or lower price than other approaches available currently.)
B: It offers long range FPV viewing again at very low latency (and, again, at a comparable or lower price than other approaches available currently.)
A and B above are wonderful and really caught my interest, BUT, here's why I won't be getting them:
1. In order to get the range, definition, and low latency you need to use the DJI camera/VTX module. Many FPV flyers have numerous drones, and the thought of adding a new camera and VTX to all of them is a problem. I only have one, but it's a three inch drone and I see no practical way of fitting the camera/module on it, (and I believe the trend in FPV drones is to get smaller.)
2. They don't have analog 5.8 receivers built in. If I want to use them with my present camera/receiver, I would need a ground station or some strapped on DIY receiver. This also applies to using them at an FPV event where I might want to watch someone else's video feed through my goggles.
3. They won't work with my Mavic Pro. My DJI choice in the past was the RE goggles which would work with my Mavic very well, but behave like a $75 set of box goggles on my analog FPV drone. I now have the option to get a DJI "system" that will work awesome on my FPV drone (if it would fit) but NOT on my DJI drone. If these offered decent 5.8 diversity receivers AND worked with my Mavic pro I might have pulled the trigger on a purchase.
4. You have to sign in, set up an account and "activate" them. (Granted I'm used to, but not happy with, this from my Mavic dealings, but I doubt that this will be loved by the FPV community.)
5. They are big. (They aren't as huge as the Goggles/Goggles RE, but, compared to a set of Fatshark HDO's, they are massive.) Watch top FPV pilots on YouTube and see how many use Fatshark (or equivalent form) goggles vs. larger units. FPV pilots prefer the small form on their face. As an aside, the "Antman" look may turn some people off, (but I don't have a problem with it).
6. You are really tied to DJI with this full system. FPV pilots tend to build their own drones using the latest and greatest components from different manufacturers. They are aren't going be pleased if they can't use the newest camera or VTX when it comes out.
I looked at the above reasons and determined that these aren't the answer for me. Now, although I'm sure that DJI will be sad that I'm not getting a set, in the big picture I don't make up their entire customer base. I then asked myself who would be the customer base for this system? My answer was long range FPV flyers who demanded an HD view in their goggles. Regarding the long range, my LOS limit is about 1500/2000 feet, so flying out 4 times that distance is currently illegal anyways, and, even if it weren't illegal, many of us FPV'ers would prefer to crash our drones nearby where we stand a fighting chance of finding them. Unlike a Mavic, you push FPV drones hard and crashing is virtually guaranteed. (The FPV order of operations is Fly/Crash/Repair/Repeat.) Regarding the HD view in the goggles, I'm are sure it's very nice, but FPV goggle view resolution isn't as important as one would think. During freestyle or a race you need to see what's happening, but even sub 720p resolution gets the job done quite well. If you want a decent film of your flight you tend to slap the latest and greatest lightweight HD action cam to your drone and not rely on your goggle footage anyways.
I wish DJI luck with this, and, I'm glad to see competition in the high end goggle market, but, I see a VERY limited market for it. Unless you are a hyper range FPV pilot who demands a 1080p goggle view, current offerings seem to better fit the bill at less cost with decent quality.
Peter T
I was excited at first, but, I think DJI has made some "blunders" which make it seem like they don't understand FPV.
As I understand it, the main selling points of this system are:
A: It offers HD FPV viewing at very low latency (and at a comparable or lower price than other approaches available currently.)
B: It offers long range FPV viewing again at very low latency (and, again, at a comparable or lower price than other approaches available currently.)
A and B above are wonderful and really caught my interest, BUT, here's why I won't be getting them:
1. In order to get the range, definition, and low latency you need to use the DJI camera/VTX module. Many FPV flyers have numerous drones, and the thought of adding a new camera and VTX to all of them is a problem. I only have one, but it's a three inch drone and I see no practical way of fitting the camera/module on it, (and I believe the trend in FPV drones is to get smaller.)
2. They don't have analog 5.8 receivers built in. If I want to use them with my present camera/receiver, I would need a ground station or some strapped on DIY receiver. This also applies to using them at an FPV event where I might want to watch someone else's video feed through my goggles.
3. They won't work with my Mavic Pro. My DJI choice in the past was the RE goggles which would work with my Mavic very well, but behave like a $75 set of box goggles on my analog FPV drone. I now have the option to get a DJI "system" that will work awesome on my FPV drone (if it would fit) but NOT on my DJI drone. If these offered decent 5.8 diversity receivers AND worked with my Mavic pro I might have pulled the trigger on a purchase.
4. You have to sign in, set up an account and "activate" them. (Granted I'm used to, but not happy with, this from my Mavic dealings, but I doubt that this will be loved by the FPV community.)
5. They are big. (They aren't as huge as the Goggles/Goggles RE, but, compared to a set of Fatshark HDO's, they are massive.) Watch top FPV pilots on YouTube and see how many use Fatshark (or equivalent form) goggles vs. larger units. FPV pilots prefer the small form on their face. As an aside, the "Antman" look may turn some people off, (but I don't have a problem with it).
6. You are really tied to DJI with this full system. FPV pilots tend to build their own drones using the latest and greatest components from different manufacturers. They are aren't going be pleased if they can't use the newest camera or VTX when it comes out.
I looked at the above reasons and determined that these aren't the answer for me. Now, although I'm sure that DJI will be sad that I'm not getting a set, in the big picture I don't make up their entire customer base. I then asked myself who would be the customer base for this system? My answer was long range FPV flyers who demanded an HD view in their goggles. Regarding the long range, my LOS limit is about 1500/2000 feet, so flying out 4 times that distance is currently illegal anyways, and, even if it weren't illegal, many of us FPV'ers would prefer to crash our drones nearby where we stand a fighting chance of finding them. Unlike a Mavic, you push FPV drones hard and crashing is virtually guaranteed. (The FPV order of operations is Fly/Crash/Repair/Repeat.) Regarding the HD view in the goggles, I'm are sure it's very nice, but FPV goggle view resolution isn't as important as one would think. During freestyle or a race you need to see what's happening, but even sub 720p resolution gets the job done quite well. If you want a decent film of your flight you tend to slap the latest and greatest lightweight HD action cam to your drone and not rely on your goggle footage anyways.
I wish DJI luck with this, and, I'm glad to see competition in the high end goggle market, but, I see a VERY limited market for it. Unless you are a hyper range FPV pilot who demands a 1080p goggle view, current offerings seem to better fit the bill at less cost with decent quality.
Peter T
