ARRI Hi-5 provides uninterrupted on-set connectivity for film crews
To provide reliable wireless camera and lens control in demanding situations on set, ARRI has released its “most sophisticated” hand unit on the market. The new ARRI Hi-5 replaces ARRI’s WCU-4, and will be a key component to the fifth-generation ecosystem of ARRI’s Electronic Control System (ECS). Together with a new radio system, new intelligent batteries, smart focus rings, and an iOS app, the Hi-5 will modernise on-set connectivity and simplify complex tasks for film crews.
ARRI Hi-5 features swappable radio modules, a feature that had previously not been available on a hand unit, according to the company. With an often congested 2.4 GHz ISM band and different frequency regulations in different countries, the new ability to exchange radio modules is a huge advantage, allowing crews to choose the module that best suits each shooting location, ARRI added.
ARRI will release three radio modules in the 900 and 2400 MHz ranges, using direct sequence and frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology to cut through interference. Together, they cover a multitude of shooting situations with an improved, robust and long-range radio link, while ensuring backwards-compatibility with existing camera equipment.
Other notable features include smart pre-marked focus rings, which communicate directly with the Hi-5 hand unit to become instantly recognised and mapped to the lens focus scale. Batteries for the Hi-5 are ARRI products based on the NP-L interface, and can be hot-swapped without powering the unit down.
