I've mentioned this previously.

DJI needs to allow a 3rd Party or produce themselves... An 'affordable' standaloone 'external' Monitor for the many many customers that fly FPV quads.

Not everyone needs or wants to purchase the multi-purpose Smart Controller (RC) to simply monitor the image feed externally.

Highly useful for commercial clients as well as family, friends, colleagues, it would sell like hotcakes!

LETS MAKE THIS HAPPEN DJI!!

I'm sure DJI has noticed and will fix it. btw What do you mainly use this for?

Ain't gonna happen.  For reasons only DJI knows.

XxmW Posted at 11-16 02:22
I'm sure DJI has noticed and will fix it. btw What do you mainly use this for?

Essentially all of the above reason I mentioned in my initial Post!

Just make an usb-c to hdmi dongle that we can use with existing hdmi monitors that every studio doing commercial video shooting has plenty of. You can also get them from like $30.

fichek Posted at 11-16 16:17
Just make an usb-c to hdmi dongle that we can use with existing hdmi monitors that every studio doing commercial video shooting has plenty of. You can also get them from like $30.

DJI probably couldn't see the profit.  

I'm far from being a engineer but surprised someone hasn't come up with a work-around.

Yeah! We 100% need this for us pros. It sucks having to carry around a stupid smart controller all the time. Worst thing about this system. I think Fat Shark getting into the game will hopefully light a fire under DJI. This would be such an easy fix...

flyfpv2020 Posted at 11-18 11:24
Yeah! We 100% need this for us pros. It sucks having to carry around a stupid smart controller all the time. Worst thing about this system. I think Fat Shark getting into the game will hopefully light a fire under DJI. This would be such an easy fix...

Absolutely and spot on!

If you're a manufacturer and want to be considered professional, this is a no brainer.

The smart controller is over kill for use as a standalone monitor on the film set!

The best way to convert a drone hater into a drone lover is to show them the secondary monitor.  Oh wait, I don't have one anymore because fly DJI.

How about the zero response from DJI here. Typical. No response. No follow up. No ...s given. They're going to bring out a V2 and force you to upgrade and everyone should be really angry when they do.

fichek Posted at 11-16 16:17
Just make an usb-c to hdmi dongle that we can use with existing hdmi monitors that every studio doing commercial video shooting has plenty of. You can also get them from like $30.

Does this actually work? I'm sure literally every FPV pilot would be all over this if it were possible. I would LLOOVVEE if this actually worked

flyfpv2020 Posted at 12-24 22:44
Does this actually work? I'm sure literally every FPV pilot would be all over this if it were possible. I would LLOOVVEE if this actually worked

Does what work?

fichek Posted at 12-25 16:26
Does what work?

Your suggestion....

flyfpv2020 Posted at 12-28 00:25
Your suggestion....

I am not sure you've read my suggestion correctly? I suggested DJI make a dongle. No reason why that wouldn't work, we know it's possible with the DJI Smart Controller, just need a cheaper device with only the parts needed for HDMI out and no expensive screen or useless remote.

fichek Posted at 2020-12-30 18:40
I am not sure you've read my suggestion correctly? I suggested DJI make a dongle. No reason why that wouldn't work, we know it's possible with the DJI Smart Controller, just need a cheaper device with only the parts needed for HDMI out and no expensive screen or useless remote.

Makes all the sense to me

The problem, not sure but I believe, is that the software for rendering the video downlink runs on the smart device - the phone or ipad, etc. All the controller has is simply the demodulated signal from the aircraft and that's it. It's kind of just a glorified 2-way radio running in duplex, with a little bit of firmware in it to decode some of the telemetry from the signal (in the case of the controller for, say, the MA2 which has the little screen on it). So it's not just a matter of putting an HDMI port onto the controller. You need an entire hardware/firmware infrastructure there to turn it into actual video first before you can support output protocols like HDMI, etc.

That's probably how the smart controller is able to provide an HDMI feed - it has a pared-down Android device inside of it that's able to generate the video in the normal way with GO 4 and/or DJI Fly and from that they have an HDMI converter, etc.

Right now, the only viable solution I've found for decent FPV operation of a DJI aircraft without the smart controller is the DJI goggles connected via ocusync (or via USB cable with the earlier Phantom aircraft). The goggles have their own GO 4 - like firmware in them that allow decoding the video signal from the controller. The goggles are also the only means, period, of a visible video downlink outdoors in the daylight, as smart phones, ipads, external monitors, etc., are simply invisible in direct sunlight. It's nothing but frustration trying to use then in actual flights out in the field because of that. There are some devices out there with bright enough screens, but they're all too tiny (including the one in the smart controller) for real, positive, effective use for framing shots via FPV.

So what I've done is get a MP2 and switch to that for all my use, since I have 2 pairs of the goggles already. And they work via ocusync on the MP2.

My MA2 I'm not using until I get a smart controller and use my goggles via the HDMI output.

But otherwise, don't expect a USB-c or HDMI video feed from a standard DJI controller for a long time, if ever. That would require a completely custom set of hardware and firmware embedded in the controller to render the downlink, telemetry, menu system, setting the options, etc. But that's already done in GO 4 and DJI Fly, so they're not likely to replicate that effort on their own custom hardware/software inside the controllers themselves. That doesn't make good business sense, given that they decided years ago to do it on smart phones and tablets with apps running on those devices instead.

luciens Posted at 1-5 05:46
The problem, not sure but I believe, is that the software for rendering the video downlink runs on the smart device - the phone or ipad, etc. All the controller has is simply the demodulated signal from the aircraft and that's it. It's kind of just a glorified 2-way radio running in duplex, with a little bit of firmware in it to decode some of the telemetry from the signal (in the case of the controller for, say, the MA2 which has the little screen on it). So it's not just a matter of putting an HDMI port onto the controller. You need an entire hardware/firmware infrastructure there to turn it into actual video first before you can support output protocols like HDMI, etc.

That's probably how the smart controller is able to provide an HDMI feed - it has a pared-down Android device inside of it that's able to generate the video in the normal way with GO 4 and/or DJI Fly and from that they have an HDMI converter, etc.

As I said, Apple has an adapter with an ARM chip in it that decodes video from Lightning port and outputs it via HDMI, it's doable and cheap. No reason why DJI couldn't do it.

fichek Posted at 1-10 03:54
As I said, Apple has an adapter with an ARM chip in it that decodes video from Lightning port and outputs it via HDMI, it's doable and cheap. No reason why DJI couldn't do it.

Well, they've already done that, with the Smart Controller. Which unfortunately is $750 and only works with the Mavic, Phantom 4 pro v2, etc., but it does more or less exactly that.

So from a business and logistics standpoint, to really do it with all the functionality needed to interact with the aircraft in the other controllers, they would basically just be replicating the Smart Controller in each one. And obviously that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, without just moving away from the whole 3rd party smart phone/tablet platform altogether. Which also doesn't make good business sense either.

What I hope is that DJI just keeps going with consolidation of everything on the Smart Controller. That way, they don't have to have all these different controllers running around, and they can move away from their current dependency on this awful smart phone hardware/operating system thing. That's a maintenance nightmare on a device that's just not designed for the duty DJI is putting it to use in. Smart phones are invisible outdoors, tiny little screens, constantly dead batteries, and they overheat, shut down, crash, etc. when the weather is too hot or cold. It's a platform without a future for aircraft video downlink and control, IMO.

So to me, the best idea is kind of where it looks like DJI is going with the SC: concentrate on just the hardware in the SC, running a DJI controlled/maintained version of Android with the DJI optimized GO 4 and Fly apps. And just have all their aircraft work with that one controller. Then, every aircraft also gets the HDMI support as an added bonus too.

That would be a lot easier from both a development and support standpoint, since they would only have the one hardware/operating system/software platform to deal with.

Agree this is the one big downside for me with my DJI FPV system (which I otherwise love).  These should be relatively simple either coming from the goggles (cheaper, since it could be a USB dongle) or a standalone reciever unit that acts as a spectator on one of the channels (similar to analog reciever Lumenier RX5GDR v2) - which would be a little more expensive but my personal preference.

These things would be hard to keep on the shelves as almost every user of the FPV goggles would pick one up, especially if there were the two options.

If a small FPV monitor watch is possible:

https://www.getfpv.com/topsky-2-fpv-watch-w-48ch-5-8ghz-receiver.html

Surely DJI can give us a HD handheld version for under $150.

It sounds like the new v2 FPV goggles will possibly enable USB video out to a phone in the same fashion as is currently possible to the Smart Controller.  If true, hopefully that also applies to a bigger screen like an iPad as well.

KlooGee Posted at 1-11 14:50
It sounds like the new v2 FPV goggles will possibly enable USB video out to a phone in the same fashion as is currently possible to the Smart Controller.  If true, hopefully that also applies to a bigger screen like an iPad as well.

That would be a step in the right direction - gets most of the viewing need.
Though I don't think I'd upgrade to v2 just for that - probably wait it out for a separate unit.

Where'd you see that?

djiuser_LmHu2Qjrzum0 Posted at 1-11 15:27
That would be a step in the right direction - gets most of the viewing need.
Though I don't think I'd upgrade to v2 just for that - probably wait it out for a separate unit.

Indeed, if that were the case I would be possibly persuaded to upgrade.

djiuser_LmHu2Qjrzum0 Posted at 1-11 15:27
That would be a step in the right direction - gets most of the viewing need.
Though I don't think I'd upgrade to v2 just for that - probably wait it out for a separate unit.

Bardwell talked about it in his video today.

yes, also other persons "mention" this in not direct way - for sure this option is possible in both V2 but also in V1 - so lets wait
I do wonder, if it will be usb cable only, or there will be wifi possibility too?

V1 goggles already output video stream via USB-C, that's how the Smart Controller works. I wouldn't be surprised if once this app was released it just worked with the current firmware.

fichek Posted at 1-12 02:15
V1 goggles already output video stream via USB-C, that's how the Smart Controller works. I wouldn't be surprised if once this app was released it just worked with the current firmware.

This would be very nice indeed but all prior comms from DJI doesnt indicate they will allow this to V1 due to HW limitation on V1. But I will still wish they would allow it. DJI can split the FW path of V1 and V2 sadly and it seems with the release FW thats already whats happening.