Should I buy the Pro 2 with or without the Smart Controller?

anotherlab · Dec 31, 2019

DanMan32 said:
Are you sure of that (you're familiar with the chips being used) or just assuming?

Somewhere in-between. While it would be nice for DJI to publish the technical specs for how they implemented Ocusync, there are various resources that describe how Ocusync works and what sort of radio hardware is used on the Mavic Pros. This video (jump to about 9:40 to get the summary) has a good overview of how Ocusync works.

This Github repo has some technical information about the off the shelf Wi-Fi chips on the original Mavic Pro.

If those posts are correct and Ocusync is just a SDR running over Wi-Fi, it makes DJI's job easier. They don't have to design and source custom chipsets for their radios, that save them time and money. That also makes backwards compatibility that much easier since it's not based on custom hardware.

DanMan32 · Jan 2, 2020

Many times so called off the shelf chips are burned in at the factory with custom logic and might not be able to be changed in the field.
As a loose example, just ask HVAC repair people about ECM blower motors. They're customized by the motor manufacturer for the HVAC OEM.

anotherlab · Jan 2, 2020

DanMan32 said:
Many times so called off the shelf chips are burned in at the factory with custom logic and might not be able to be changed in the field.
As a loose example, just ask HVAC repair people about ECM blower motors. They're customized by the motor manufacturer for the HVAC OEM.

There are multiple sets of firmwares running here. The radio chips have their own firmware, and you have the custom protocols that DJI has implemented for Ocusync. By using standard Wi-Fi chipsets, DJI has saves the R&D time doing custom radio hardware (LightBridge) and can concentrate on just their secret sauce. Plus they get cost savings of not having to order custom for the silicon. They wouldn't changed in the field, DJI just treats as the wi-fi chipset as a blackbox, just like they do with the GPS chipset.

DanMan32 · Jan 2, 2020

Right, which would make them not backwards compatible or later be made compatible with new protocols.

anotherlab · Jan 4, 2020

DanMan32 said:
Right, which would make them not backwards compatible or later be made compatible with new protocols.

We already have the backwards compatibility now. The DJI Goggles are OcuSync 1 and work with the Mavic 2.

Compatibility with new protocols will be dependant on how much processing power is required to support a new protocol.

tiparoch · Jan 6, 2020

My 2 cents... Smart Controller vs. standard controller for M2.

Sure there are trade offs...

Pros:
-1 device to charge, not phone(I use a dedicated cheap Huawei phone) and controller
-no cables flopping around, waiting to come lose
-direct record images to on board micro sd
-super easy screen caps
-can easily do screen cap video recording (had tried on phone always a hassle)
- super easy playback, 4k (or close) HDMI output to 4k or 1k tv.
-very easy to view video from other devices, drones and Pocket Osmo ,... or...
-super easy to transfer images to phone and other devices. Using Bluetooth it is
sooo easy to send photos to your phone or other devices. After using for a while this almost alone is a deal maker for me.
- ease with social media...I would imagine, Im not a social media person but very easy it seems.
- quickest start up of any DJI drone ...I think... Though the Spark is fast.

Cons:
-expensive
-big, heavy
-miss the data screen in the standard rc, as a backup
-power hog, a bit
-slow to charge
- have to learn to be careful of the back button.

Overall I am glad I bought it. I took a trip to a very isolated group of islands. I may have grumbled about the weight at first...BUT... It was SOOO nice having the Smart Controller to move images and video around...but especially nice to be able to show people pics and video...without having to find a pc and a tv... This is a huge advantage you should consider as well as being able to move images around.

randy53 · Jan 7, 2020

Got the SC combo for Christmas when on sale and have been very pleased with it so far. I like the convenience and the bright screen. The M2 is everything I hoped it would be!

Nboost · Jan 7, 2020

I got the smart controller & it does has its advantages, but I have no confidence in it. I have had my screen turn grey & the app lock up several times. I never once had an issue like this with a phone & the other controller. I’m afraid to get to far away with the AC with the SC as it seems to crash a lot.

KSmavic2pro · Jan 7, 2020

I would no hassle and it works fine

tiparoch · Jan 8, 2020

Nboost said:
I got the smart controller & it does has its advantages, but I have no confidence in it. I have had my screen turn grey & the app lock up several times. I never once had an issue like this with a phone & the other controller. I’m afraid to get to far away with the AC with the SC as it seems to crash a lot.

Sorry to hear that. I actually had some trouble with mine. Then I sent it in to be fixed, DJI just gave me a new one for free. I have not had 1 single hiccup since.

randy53 · Jan 8, 2020

Have not had any issues with my Smart Controller thus far but I’ve only flown a couple of hours. Working too much.

ManuFly · Jan 8, 2020

Nboost said:
I got the smart controller & it does has its advantages, but I have no confidence in it. I have had my screen turn grey & the app lock up several times. I never once had an issue like this with a phone & the other controller. I’m afraid to get to far away with the AC with the SC as it seems to crash a lot.

it's a problem that I also read in the official dji forum ... did you fly with the latest firmware?

Nboost · Jan 8, 2020

ManuFly said:
it's a problem that I also read in the official dji forum ... did you fly with the latest firmware?

Yes I have the latest firmware but it did it with the prior firmware also.

thegeekunderground · Jan 9, 2020

I love my SC. Beautiful screen, ease of setup, and I have the ability to connect it to my TV to quickly show family members fresh (pre-post) videos. The only downside is the extreme cost and lack of cellular support (remedied by using my phone as a hotspot).

bondslex · Jan 9, 2020

I am a newbie to the Pro 2 and love the ease of the smart controller. I was able to get a great deal at djidroneservice.com and it made the purchase a no-brainer. I still have my Air that I will soon attempt to sell since I've only had it for about 6 months. Anyhow, I took my Pro 2 out for its first flight yesterday. It was easy to setup and will enjoy viewing the videos directly from the controller as noted above. I just installed the screen protector in case of any slips. Try out the smart controller and you won't look back.

new2mavic · Jan 9, 2020

Just yesterday, I found that the camera view is very jerky / choppy unless the scene changes very slowly.

Then I found that the problem is already known :

Before getting the SC, I was using a regular RC + iphone 11 pro. No issue at all. The processing power of the SC is just insufficient for it's application.

jumblemon · Jan 9, 2020

Mine isn’t choppy like that, it may be that he doesn’t have a fast enough SD card for 30fps/4K

bondslex · Jan 9, 2020

Perhaps-I did see that you must use specific cards for 4k video recording

new2mavic · Jan 9, 2020

jumblemon said:
Mine isn’t choppy like that, it may be that he doesn’t have a fast enough SD card for 30fps/4K

It is like that no matter whether you are recording the screen or 4K video . As said if the scene does not change fast its not that noticeable. This is the more typical scenario as one usually shoots subjects a lot further away. That why I didn’t notice it until now

mattemmi · Mar 2, 2020

Oh. I Almost forgot the benefit of being able to use the SC as a playback device. Pop the card in and connect to a 65” oled display for quick 4K preview or shot footage is part of my standard workflow. Much easier than using a laptop (especially given than I am iPad only).