Thanks Lee. I feel like any of us who grew up pre-internet are maybe not as particular about video quality. Like you say, the evolution from the analogue we flew say 4 years ago to today is remarkable and appreciated by anyone flying that long. People newer to the hobby may have higher expectations. Someone starting out on FatShark digital will likely experience a similar evolution in digital quality.
Most fair impartial observation based review yet. Thank you!! The one thing I would want having used one now for 2 weeks...is an in built second HDMI out port would greatly improve the use of this system...just a built in splitter with one HDMI output port...to run a second HDMI cable to a monitor or goggles or to a field recorder, for a ride along or streaming to HD video in RAW straight from the module...Of course larger sensor HD cameras and more powerful HD VTX's would be awesome.
Sharkbyte is best looking through your goggles, DVR doesn’t do it justice. They really impressed me I think the camera is the weak point which is good because it can be improved with better cameras. The range and penetration on 200mw is better than my 500mw analog using the same antennas.
Being someone who flies mostly whoops and micros, I didn't invest in the DJI system (also my gf already balks at how much my FPV habit cuts into our cocktails budget), and I'm really excited by this new Shark Byte system, since with the smaller board it will integrate perfectly into my preferred quads. Plus, it works with my existing goggles, and frankly, doesn't look as goofy as the DJI goggles! Also, I feel better giving my money to a company that's played a HUGE role in this hobby from the beginning, and interacted with the community throughout it all. The fact that other companies can make cameras for it is a big thing too, and I suspect it won't be too long before one of them comes out with their own VTX that works with this module; I reeeaaally like this approach, as opposed to DJI's 'you MUST use ONLY our stuff' dictum. The fact that they didn't incorporate a simple module bay in their goggles was a turn-off for me, too. Anyway, just my 2 simoleon's worth.
What a brilliant way to review the system. Thank you so much for doing this. I was actually saving for a DJI system but was recently swayed by a set of virtually new FS HDO and True-D 4.0 for £220 - I have a lot of analogue equipment. which influenced my decision. I think Shark-Byte, especially as it develops will be a fantastic upgrade for someone like me. Great stuff. Thanks
This is the best, most honest review I have seen on this. I have new hdo2's but have been looking at DGI. I fly mostly whoops and sub 250 quads. The smaller VTX has me very interested in this over DGI. I am not looking for more range just a better image. At the early price I saw of 250.00 for this I would have jumped on it with the smaller VTX. With the current 350.00 buy in price and $50.00 for the small VTX I am thinking I might wait to see if DGI releases a new version or a smaller VTX. Winter is setting in so my flying will be limited to mostly in door for the next 3-4 months, so I am prepared to wait it out a bit. Thanks for the great review and info on the Shark Byte!!
Excellent and informant on the sharkbyte system, I am one of those flyers with a big investment in analogue, and having just bought a HDO 2 headset, I think this will be the way to go for me.
I have DJI goggles. I never had fat sharks. Started with box goggles. But I got analog adapter for dji. And it looked great in goggles. And analog allot cheaper to put in builds.. But dji system works great. Great range. Go pro picture quality. Always..no break up. It is better than fat shark bite frost. Tough to be in your shoes...I entered hobby perfect timing.and I liked box goggles.. for 250.. frostbite bit expensive. For not much improvement? You have great goggles. Perhaps use for another year? Dji might get cheaper? And byte frost will get cheaper and better... like I said your in tough spot.. just my two cents.. God bless
An excellent review Lee [as usual]. These look really promising if I had not already had a pair of DJI RE goggles. Seems to hit the nail on the head for many sitting on the fence regarding whether to pull the trigger on these. Again...Excellent review.
Fat Shark OLED goggles cost more than the DJI goggles. When one considers all the add-ons one needs to make the Shark Byte work as best it can, it would seem wiser just to get the DJI FPV system and have the best by far.
This math only works for new FPV pilots. You also need to take into account that each HD model needs 100-170 each to add the camera and ait unit... Happy flying
I’ve had mine almost a month and I do like it. Haven’t used DJI yet. I know I’ll switch if I end up trying it. I just hate DJI goggles, big and bulky and not a fan of the goggle design as well. Wish it was much smaller like FS.
Thanks for the great review. The other great advantage not mentioned in the video is that eight of us using Shark Byte and Analogue, can fly at once with this system while only two dJI pilots can fly simultaneously. That's the deal breaker for me as I love to fly with my mates sometime 10 or 12 of us. DJI is quite unfriendly.
Thanks for posting dude, I appreciate your opinions on the matter. Maybe I am just a FatShark fanboy or I am cheap as I have been holding out on going digital FPV. Wow, I liked how it handled the low light, bummer about the feedback in the sky, but acceptable. I find myself often flying in overcast or low light so it is important to me. Looks like this is perfect to add to my Fatshark T2s and the smaller VTX is gonna be sweet. I do think this will work out well for my flying styles / locations and I don't have a load of money for this hobby :-) This is giving me ideas of mounting it and my transmitter antenna on my roof and plugging it into my desktop display, hmmm flying from the comfort of the shed...
Thanks Lee great scale comparison it makes me feel optimistic about the flexibility of this system HDO2’s have focal adjustments ,unlike DJI,which is good for my old eyes 😎
Fair review. Good to have some competition. DJI fits in 3" quads and performs well but that whopp board will be interesting. Can't help being underwhelmed by Shark Byte but look forward to future iterations.
Great Review Painless! I have heldout and felt fatshark would come out with a system that would work with their Goggles and Glad i waited i have quite a few quads and this setup makes the most practical sense to me.
I have memories of the adhesive copper sheet wrap that came with qx350 to shield your gopro from interfering with the GPS a "few" years ago. I suspect a similar solution would work. A bit of copper sheet to create a faraday cage around the top of the vtx should do the trick.
I have the DJI system along with along goggles. My biggest complaint about the DJI system is the lack of comparability INAV osd parameters. Not being able to see system messages is a major pain point. Not sure if beta flight is working better at this point. For something completely targeted at the more open source fpv market, it really doesn't support us at all. As much as I love the DJI image quality, I find myself more inclined to use my analog systems.
I would really like this for my whoops and micros. The image of my DJI goggles is great, but that's it. They're bulcky and are not as comfortable as my analogue ones. For comfort I prefer traditional goggles.
I sold my two analogue goggles to pay for the dji ones. People are saying the sharkbyte system is cheaper, but when paired with a suitable pair of HD goggles it ends up costing roughly the same amount. At that point you're better off selling your existing analogue kit and going for the objectively superior system. Shame it took fatshark this long to make a viable HD product, I was one of the people really hyped for it when the first version was announced.
DJI is great, but what if remote I'd goes through, does DJI have the capability to shut the air units down? I think I'll go with fat shark for now unless they have a great black Friday sale. Maybe, I might stick with analog, I've enjoyed for a couple years, that won't change.
Fantastic summary, thank you! Even as a DJI FPV fanboy I can appreciate this being a good system. I was surprised to hear the range stays about the same as analog. I only have Dominators V3 lying around. Tests with older goggles would be interesting. Let’s hope this competition makes DJI come up with a whoop board and cam too! Digital whoop DVR is missing in my life!
Your reveiw made me feel a bit better about Shark byte. I'm really hoping that it improves with time and sticks around. I have not went digital yet but I'm holding my breath a little bit because I can't stand monoplys on a product ,like DJI has on digital fpv. As a consumer and avid fan of fpv I like and I dare say deserve more choices.
Will menaceRC going to produce special antennas for it? Love the shark byte system. Hopefully Fatshark can persuade vendors to have BNF quads “shark byte-ready” on the shelves. Thanks for the video, Lee.
Well $#!^. I just dug my old (5year) gear out and getting "up to date". I've been reluctant to update my FatShark HD v1. I've always felt that the image quality was "eh"... I actually preferred to fly LOS. I haven't updated my goggles, but got a Cidora and was AMAZED at how great the image was. Got out my TBS Disco Pro and realized just how much the new cameras and VTXs improved the overall quality. I have not wanted to get any new goggles in hopes that this "holiday season" would show some new goggle gear. Seeing your scale with my FPV gear at the bottom end... I'm in Alaska, it is build season, not fly season. I'll keep holding off on FPV gear and hope that there will be some new hardware developments in 2021. The DJI is too bulky and expensive right now. The wife will divorce me if I spend that amount on goggles when the family could get a TV.
Great review and very helpful for anyone looking to decide which way to go. One aspect I didn’t pick up was the likely hood of interference with others flying analogue alongside. The DJI set up just about kills other analogue pilots nearby, does this have the same effect?
Great review and may push me over the edge to get it. Noticed that the HDMI cable blocks the headphone jack. Not an issue for everyone but may be for those that like to hear what's going on the craft.
From what I have seen DJI seems to not handle superfast motion as well as the sharkbyte system. Whatever codec sharkbyte uses it seems to handle motion better and smoother.
Quick observations; Wouldn't hurt if that HDMI cable they supply was an inch or so longer to allow a little more upwards angle for the patch antenna array.... Secondly, it goes to show how long Fat Shark have been thinking about going digital seeing as they included a HDMI input all the way back in the FS/Turnigy Genisis goggles... Which leads to my questions.... Still loving the view in my Genisis, but the fogging & size & no longer being backed up have me concerned... Where can I get new face foam for my Genisis goggles please? Annnd, I finally got to try out some proper goggles, Fat Shark HDO's & found I must have a very wide IPD.... I can see without aid in the Genisis, but in the HDO's the image just won't converge for me! Is there anything out there that might work for me with a lower-profile fitment that the big ol' box foggles, without breaking the bank, or is my head just to big??? OR, is this because Im finding I now need reading glasses in my middle age & now an extra expense? Thanks in advance once again Painless!
Will be great when more cameras are available. A micro camera with a m12 lens might improve the image. I find some of the colour and hazing a bit unnatural, but it's hard to tell if that is the dvr, the runcam nano, or the system in general
This is very interesting. For me DJI is too expensive and too heavy since I mostly fly whoop style quads. I was already considering buying the Skyzone O2x as a replacement for my eachine ev800D. Good to know I can plug in the Shark Byte module. And if they indeed come up with a board for whoops then it would be perfect for me I guess...
Sharkbyte does not work with Skyzone 02x and 02c... they dont have the HD decryption built into them. Was told this by Skyzone support when someone reported it not working.
@@bertbeinaaf8314 No, the hdmi port on those goggles worked supposedly- just not from rhe signal from the bytefrost-only got colored bars. When they asked skyzone Daniel from skyzone he said that the 02 series goggles dont have the hd decryption needed for sharkbyte. However, my 02xs work with my xbox one, which is also hd..... hmmmmm. Now you really have me wondering. Supposdly it is the hdcp chip in the o2s.
Been flying analogue for years. Do not want DJI for many reasons. But I am going to wait for this to mature a bit first. Wanting to see better cameras in micro and mini size and am worried about seeing the VTXs burn out for several of the reviewers already.
Got my DJI 6 months ago. Not one complaint. After getting tbs crossfire. I'm really happy. To me frostbite to expensive... and Dji soon have generation 2 goggles...I'm thinking?? First gen will get cheaper.. just a thought......💪💪👊👊
Fantastic review, Lee! Really spot on! 😃 It's going to be interesting if more companies jump into this system! Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Thanks for the review. I'm only starting out - have a tinyhawk 2 and some EV800DMs, and would love to move to digital. DJI looks like the only game in town though as (like you said) you have to have decent goggles to begin with before you can use Shark Byte and the thought of buying one system (analogue) just to be able to buy a bolt on system seems....wrong :) As a product this seems more aimed at retaining existing Fatshark customers than gaining new ones?
Nice review. Well, I tested DJI goggle and the image is fantastic, no doubt, but, I wear glasses, so I unfortunately, I can't see the informations in the screen. It didn't fit well in my face, had a lot of leaking around my nose and I don't like the Box stlyle form factor. I seriously considering to buy a SB due to the factor that FS, SZ form factor goggles are better in my opinion. Ok The image isn't the same as a GoPro image, or a DJI image, but, as I can see in the videos, the image is a lot better than analog system and it is ok to me.
I think the scale you used should be contextualised in future. 1 - image quality, 2 - performance for racing/park flying, 3 - performance for 1-2km, 4 - performance 2-5km... and the averaged score. This will be interesting, because analogue will potentially score higher than the SharkByte once you get beyond 1km, which will be relevant to anyone flying fixed wing.
I like your comparison much better than others. I recently ordered the FatShark Attitude v6, with the SharkByte and RapidFire do think it will still be around the 7 mark? I’d appreciate your opinion. Thanks much for this comparison.
When you use shark byte with goggle's that don't have a native 16:9 screen like the HDOs, does the image get cropped down to 16:9 on the 4:3 screen (reducing FOV) or does it fill the entire screen just with cropped left and right sides? Would love to know the behaviour of it when plugged into 4:3 screens
Currently not unfortunately. I will be waiting for the price to drop. Total dji to fly $680 (goggles plus vista/camera which all come with antenna) Total shark byte to fly ($919 Rx module, camera, 500mw VTX, HDO2 goggles, 3x axii2 omni's) Obviously you can make shark byte cheaper slightly by going for whoops vtx which is limited to 200mW and cheap out on antennas. But with dji going to 1.2w and I don't see why you would want to cheap out on your HD image at this point I think the comparison is valid. Hopefully once some R&D is recouped the price will drop. Dji can easily eat these costs due to its large size.
The Runcam HD Racer 4 is close to Micro eagle V2 in low light performance but with better color fidelity and resolution to answer your question..I have been using Micro Eagle and Phoenix 2 with HDO2 since it first came out last october and got the Sharkbyte knowing it was improved over Byte Frost. I have about 20 flights with my SHarkbyte system and this review is SPOT ON to my experience!!! The new SB camera is well suited to winter HD flights near dusk, though a larger sensor and larger native aperture would greatly improve that, the current nano HD cam is really good in low light, but not as good as a nite owl or night eagle. Its more of a moonlight camera.
The one thing I would say on this is that when I was on analogue how many vtx's i was blowing up all the time. Now I have been on DJI for a year now I still yet to kill I VTX. I said that if skarkbyte was half as good as DJI and half the price it be a great to have been now I feel like its just not worth the money to go to. As you have a buy a heap of new VTX's and cam's to swap out if you was to switch over. You said that you be swapping between analogue to DJI but how many people would do that because I know I did not when I went DJI.
I dont think it needs to be half the price. Its total setup including the HDO goggles needed to be sub $650. Dji goggle plus airunit is $690. With HDO2 being $500 already the full digital Rx, cam and Vtx and 3x antennas coming in less than $150 is not really possible. Its new tech after all. Even if they managed to reduce HDO2 analogue goggle price by $100 and set the package cost at $250 like the early beta price. (Bear in mind rapidfire is $150) Even then that's $650 plus you need 3 antennas. Dji is just to big a company and unfortunately priced fatshark out of the market. Fatshark cant eat r&d costs or able to produce in house custom chips at fractions of the cost. There stuck at either giving up or charging more for a less impressive performance. I think this is ia why they have released the attitude V6. Original customers it's $320 upgrade. With the V6 goggles which are not oled but rated at 720p it's around $650 total.
@@lewisshipway7187 its 50/50 really. FPV is still a growing ecosystem. So you cant just look at who already has goggles and anyone entering the space will be looking at HD. So you have 2 target markets, the upgraders who yes, this system is appealing to and the newcomers, who could go with dji for a currently better experience, cheaper.
It depends on what you mean by 'long range'. DJI can do 4km at full power with default antennas, a 1.3Ghz or 2.4Ghz analogue system can do tens of Km..
can i ues the caddx vista with the Fat Shark Shark Byte RX5.1 5.8Ghz FPV Receiver Module Digital HD Video System for Fat Shark Dominator HDO2 Goggles Fat Shark Dominator HDO2 Goggles ?
Module a fine price but wish the boards were cheaper. $99 board and $50 for camera is more or same price as Vista with less than half the power and half the clearity 😭 ill still get it for my 2" whoop
very nice, as usual. Thanks! Dont forget, some People just hate DJI because of theire agressiv sale politics. Thats why alternatives are more than welcome :-) specially from fat shark
As usual a great and informative video. But I sort of disagree with buying into the whole Shark Byte thing. As back ground I'm just you're average flyer who flies mainly fixed wings but fly some quads now and again. I use Aomway Commanders V1S goggles which again are fine for what I do. For me to "Upgrade" my experience the Shark Byte looks like a great choice but back to my second sentence, I disagree for only one reason. That's price, why would I fork out £350 (It will be the same price regardless of the exchange rate) when I could save for another week and get the DJI goggles at a discounted price. If they kept it to £250 then yes I would buy them but unfortunately that won't be the case.
I am wondering if anyone tested all these systems for racing because I can't see how DJI can be more if a 2-3 because if the variable latency that can really Ness up your timing while analogue is a solid 7 because of solid latency but won't reach a 10 because of image quality. Where do shark byte rate in this scenario.. only se freestyle reviews out there. Nice review btw ☺️
@@Painless360 We could be blaming the SharkByte unit unfairly, too. I've had a Runcam camera Rf blast my GPS unit into uselessness the past. Some investigating with your friend with the high tech lab can confirm if it's cam, VTx, or both causing the issues.
Investigations continue. Last time it appeared to be a harmonic frequency from the original camera that was doing it. The GPS signals are so faint that it doesn't take much to overpower them.. I'll post when we know more.
What would be good to show is how DJI and SB acts when you crash a ways away, and your trying to find the quad. DJI goes black for EVER. I'm assuming SB comes back like analog. I've lost a quad because I couldn't get a picture back with DJI. If that's the case SB is better. Mine is on order.
I didn't hear mention of the fact that the SB system is compatible with existing analog systems...unlike DJI in particular with their 50mbps update....
Great video Lee.i would love either one of these especially dji.if you ever see an awesome deal for some then let us know pls mate as thinking grabbing a pair for the group even if I gotta put towards its worth it.we were all lucky to try z pair and was hooked instantly.
Nice review and summary if I had a set of hd02 I would probably go with the sharkbyte the form factor and fit of fat shark goggles works for me.But I don’t think there’s gunna be a huge jump in image quality for people like me using older goggles like my hd3.Im ready to take the jump and go all in with digital I’m close to purchasing the DJI system but I no the form factor of the goggles will not fit my face and I don’t want to be messing about bodging up wedges and foam chunks to stop light leaks on a set of 500 plus pound dji goggles.Come on DJI announce the hd goggles version 2 in a nicer fitting form factor plz.
2024 - Does the math still hold up, for this over DJI for someone who has HD02's? The speedy recovery and splash of missed packets appeals more then a hard step over the Digital Cliff.
Man, I'm so tempted to pick this kit up to try, I've already got HDO2's and Unmannedtech have these available on preorder for £250, much cheaper than buying DJI's system for me. Nice coverage man, cheers for sharing this with us.
Have you tried it on the hdos,and how was it,I think if they lower the price and put audio in it and up the vtx power it could be a really good product maybe they will,but untill then I think everyone will just stick with there analog are just go straight to dji,thanks for the review and stay safe.
@@Painless360 yeah I'm sure they do since the fov in the hdos is only 37,I have the hdos so just was curious on how the image was,when you adjust the camera to 4.3 on the sharkbyte.
I have Shark Byte and several DJI quads. Your analysis is spot on. In a world where DJI didn't exist we'd be drooling over this, but for now DJI is ahead. I do think the camera that comes with the Shark Byte module is a weak point, at least the one I received is. Fatshark's commitment to an open connection for third party cameras will hopefully bring some better options.
As usual, extremely well presented and informative! Thanks for all you do for the hobby! I have now pretty much switched all my gear to DJI from HDO2 analog but am still interested in the new Shark Byte system as it develops...
As always, another non biased yet very detailed review which is much appreciated. Thank you
Thanks Lee. I feel like any of us who grew up pre-internet are maybe not as particular about video quality. Like you say, the evolution from the analogue we flew say 4 years ago to today is remarkable and appreciated by anyone flying that long. People newer to the hobby may have higher expectations. Someone starting out on FatShark digital will likely experience a similar evolution in digital quality.
Most fair impartial observation based review yet. Thank you!! The one thing I would want having used one now for 2 weeks...is an in built second HDMI out port would greatly improve the use of this system...just a built in splitter with one HDMI output port...to run a second HDMI cable to a monitor or goggles or to a field recorder, for a ride along or streaming to HD video in RAW straight from the module...Of course larger sensor HD cameras and more powerful HD VTX's would be awesome.
I agree with the scale rating from what I have seen your spot on. Fatshark has some real positives more than I thought.
Agreed
Agree and we have same name
Sharkbyte is best looking through your goggles, DVR doesn’t do it justice. They really impressed me I think the camera is the weak point which is good because it can be improved with better cameras. The range and penetration on 200mw is better than my 500mw analog using the same antennas.
Being someone who flies mostly whoops and micros, I didn't invest in the DJI system (also my gf already balks at how much my FPV habit cuts into our cocktails budget), and I'm really excited by this new Shark Byte system, since with the smaller board it will integrate perfectly into my preferred quads. Plus, it works with my existing goggles, and frankly, doesn't look as goofy as the DJI goggles! Also, I feel better giving my money to a company that's played a HUGE role in this hobby from the beginning, and interacted with the community throughout it all. The fact that other companies can make cameras for it is a big thing too, and I suspect it won't be too long before one of them comes out with their own VTX that works with this module; I reeeaaally like this approach, as opposed to DJI's 'you MUST use ONLY our stuff' dictum. The fact that they didn't incorporate a simple module bay in their goggles was a turn-off for me, too. Anyway, just my 2 simoleon's worth.
What a brilliant way to review the system. Thank you so much for doing this. I was actually saving for a DJI system but was recently swayed by a set of virtually new FS HDO and True-D 4.0 for £220 - I have a lot of analogue equipment. which influenced my decision. I think Shark-Byte, especially as it develops will be a fantastic upgrade for someone like me. Great stuff. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
I really like the way you have scored all the different units, it gives one a perspective of all the different units.
Assigning arbitrary numbers for things that numbers don't really measure isn't information.
This is the best, most honest review I have seen on this. I have new hdo2's but have been looking at DGI. I fly mostly whoops and sub 250 quads. The smaller VTX has me very interested in this over DGI. I am not looking for more range just a better image. At the early price I saw of 250.00 for this I would have jumped on it with the smaller VTX. With the current 350.00 buy in price and $50.00 for the small VTX I am thinking I might wait to see if DGI releases a new version or a smaller VTX. Winter is setting in so my flying will be limited to mostly in door for the next 3-4 months, so I am prepared to wait it out a bit. Thanks for the great review and info on the Shark Byte!!
Agreed. I like the looks of this system, but it's priced almost what a DJI system costs. I will continue to fly analog and wait to see what happens.
Great review as always. I'm glad that you were so honest and did not go overboard with how good the system actually is.
Finally a proper review. Thanks for uploading this P360!
Excellent and informant on the sharkbyte system, I am one of those flyers with a big investment in analogue, and having just bought a HDO 2 headset, I think this will be the way to go for me.
I have DJI goggles. I never had fat sharks. Started with box goggles. But I got analog adapter for dji. And it looked great in goggles. And analog allot cheaper to put in builds.. But dji system works great. Great range. Go pro picture quality. Always..no break up. It is better than fat shark bite frost. Tough to be in your shoes...I entered hobby perfect timing.and I liked box goggles.. for 250.. frostbite bit expensive. For not much improvement? You have great goggles. Perhaps use for another year? Dji might get cheaper? And byte frost will get cheaper and better... like I said your in tough spot.. just my two cents.. God bless
An excellent review Lee [as usual]. These look really promising if I had not already had a pair of DJI RE goggles.
Seems to hit the nail on the head for many sitting on the fence regarding whether to pull the trigger on these.
Again...Excellent review.
Fat Shark OLED goggles cost more than the DJI goggles. When one considers all the add-ons one needs to make the Shark Byte work as best it can, it would seem wiser just to get the DJI FPV system and have the best by far.
This math only works for new FPV pilots. You also need to take into account that each HD model needs 100-170 each to add the camera and ait unit... Happy flying
Totally agree. Spend most of yesterday racing it. Really like it for racing.
Best summery of SharkByte! Thank you
I’ve had mine almost a month and I do like it. Haven’t used DJI yet. I know I’ll switch if I end up trying it. I just hate DJI goggles, big and bulky and not a fan of the goggle design as well. Wish it was much smaller like FS.
Thanks for the great review. The other great advantage not mentioned in the video is that eight of us using Shark Byte and Analogue, can fly at once with this system while only two dJI pilots can fly simultaneously. That's the deal breaker for me as I love to fly with my mates sometime 10 or 12 of us. DJI is quite unfriendly.
Thanks for the comment. I'm guessing you have not seen any of my other content on the system.. Happy flying
Thanks for posting dude, I appreciate your opinions on the matter. Maybe I am just a FatShark fanboy or I am cheap as I have been holding out on going digital FPV. Wow, I liked how it handled the low light, bummer about the feedback in the sky, but acceptable. I find myself often flying in overcast or low light so it is important to me. Looks like this is perfect to add to my Fatshark T2s and the smaller VTX is gonna be sweet. I do think this will work out well for my flying styles / locations and I don't have a load of money for this hobby :-) This is giving me ideas of mounting it and my transmitter antenna on my roof and plugging it into my desktop display, hmmm flying from the comfort of the shed...
Thanks Lee great scale comparison it makes me feel optimistic about the flexibility of this system HDO2’s have focal adjustments ,unlike DJI,which is good for my old eyes 😎
Yoooo this actuallyy looks reaallyyy good! Another review I seen didnt even look like digital.... this is apples to apples! Thanks man!
I feel like a lot of people are dji happy and deliberately making shark byte look bad
Fair review. Good to have some competition. DJI fits in 3" quads and performs well but that whopp board will be interesting. Can't help being underwhelmed by Shark Byte but look forward to future iterations.
Great review, thanks for taking the time to do this for us.
Great Review Painless! I have heldout and felt fatshark would come out with a system that would work with their Goggles and Glad i waited i have quite a few quads and this setup makes the most practical sense to me.
I have memories of the adhesive copper sheet wrap that came with qx350 to shield your gopro from interfering with the GPS a "few" years ago. I suspect a similar solution would work. A bit of copper sheet to create a faraday cage around the top of the vtx should do the trick.
The latest VTX units have more shielding so should be better. I will be testing one of those soon...
Superb video, Lee! Nice going! 😎🤘
I have the DJI system along with along goggles. My biggest complaint about the DJI system is the lack of comparability INAV osd parameters. Not being able to see system messages is a major pain point. Not sure if beta flight is working better at this point.
For something completely targeted at the more open source fpv market, it really doesn't support us at all.
As much as I love the DJI image quality, I find myself more inclined to use my analog systems.
Great review
I would really like this for my whoops and micros. The image of my DJI goggles is great, but that's it. They're bulcky and are not as comfortable as my analogue ones. For comfort I prefer traditional goggles.
The sub250 gms quads with a light weight SharkByte camera and vtx will be great.
Thank you Lee
I sold my two analogue goggles to pay for the dji ones. People are saying the sharkbyte system is cheaper, but when paired with a suitable pair of HD goggles it ends up costing roughly the same amount. At that point you're better off selling your existing analogue kit and going for the objectively superior system. Shame it took fatshark this long to make a viable HD product, I was one of the people really hyped for it when the first version was announced.
DJI is great, but what if remote I'd goes through, does DJI have the capability to shut the air units down? I think I'll go with fat shark for now unless they have a great black Friday sale. Maybe, I might stick with analog, I've enjoyed for a couple years, that won't change.
Fantastic summary, thank you! Even as a DJI FPV fanboy I can appreciate this being a good system. I was surprised to hear the range stays about the same as analog. I only have Dominators V3 lying around. Tests with older goggles would be interesting. Let’s hope this competition makes DJI come up with a whoop board and cam too! Digital whoop DVR is missing in my life!
Your reveiw made me feel a bit better about Shark byte. I'm really hoping that it improves with time and sticks around. I have not went digital yet but I'm holding my breath a little bit because I can't stand monoplys on a product ,like DJI has on digital fpv. As a consumer and avid fan of fpv I like and I dare say deserve more choices.
Will menaceRC going to produce special antennas for it? Love the shark byte system. Hopefully Fatshark can persuade vendors to have BNF quads “shark byte-ready” on the shelves. Thanks for the video, Lee.
Well $#!^. I just dug my old (5year) gear out and getting "up to date". I've been reluctant to update my FatShark HD v1. I've always felt that the image quality was "eh"... I actually preferred to fly LOS. I haven't updated my goggles, but got a Cidora and was AMAZED at how great the image was. Got out my TBS Disco Pro and realized just how much the new cameras and VTXs improved the overall quality. I have not wanted to get any new goggles in hopes that this "holiday season" would show some new goggle gear. Seeing your scale with my FPV gear at the bottom end... I'm in Alaska, it is build season, not fly season. I'll keep holding off on FPV gear and hope that there will be some new hardware developments in 2021. The DJI is too bulky and expensive right now. The wife will divorce me if I spend that amount on goggles when the family could get a TV.
Really good independent review 👍🏻
Ok that's all fine but lets get to the real important questions... will this fit in my Fatshark Zipper Case ? :D
Yes.
XD
Great review and very helpful for anyone looking to decide which way to go. One aspect I didn’t pick up was the likely hood of interference with others flying analogue alongside. The DJI set up just about kills other analogue pilots nearby, does this have the same effect?
It's different. I may do a follow up video about this..
Great review and may push me over the edge to get it. Noticed that the HDMI cable blocks the headphone jack. Not an issue for everyone but may be for those that like to hear what's going on the craft.
From what I think I read somewhere this system doesn't currently support audio yet
From what I have seen DJI seems to not handle superfast motion as well as the sharkbyte system.
Whatever codec sharkbyte uses it seems to handle motion better and smoother.
very, very nice review. Thanks.
Quick observations; Wouldn't hurt if that HDMI cable they supply was an inch or so longer to allow a little more upwards angle for the patch antenna array....
Secondly, it goes to show how long Fat Shark have been thinking about going digital seeing as they included a HDMI input all the way back in the FS/Turnigy Genisis goggles...
Which leads to my questions....
Still loving the view in my Genisis, but the fogging & size & no longer being backed up have me concerned...
Where can I get new face foam for my Genisis goggles please?
Annnd, I finally got to try out some proper goggles, Fat Shark HDO's & found I must have a very wide IPD....
I can see without aid in the Genisis, but in the HDO's the image just won't converge for me!
Is there anything out there that might work for me with a lower-profile fitment that the big ol' box foggles, without breaking the bank, or is my head just to big???
OR, is this because Im finding I now need reading glasses in my middle age & now an extra expense?
Thanks in advance once again Painless!
100% on the money, nice review, no vias.
Well done and thanks
At least you out antennas on the top of your when testing. Great stuff but Fatshark are not quite there yet are they 👍
Well said. This has been my biggest complaint about the majority of Shark Byte videos I've seen.
Will be great when more cameras are available. A micro camera with a m12 lens might improve the image. I find some of the colour and hazing a bit unnatural, but it's hard to tell if that is the dvr, the runcam nano, or the system in general
I appreciate the video and the scale...👍🏻🍻👊🏻
Looking at upgrading goggles looking at sharkbyte since I have a lot of analog and will start switching over slowly
Shark byte is gonna be Hella better when some odher camera drops
This is very interesting. For me DJI is too expensive and too heavy since I mostly fly whoop style quads.
I was already considering buying the Skyzone O2x as a replacement for my eachine ev800D. Good to know I can plug in the Shark Byte module. And if they indeed come up with a board for whoops then it would be perfect for me I guess...
My buddy builds dji whoops w AUW of 45 and 75g, his channel is RCRDPS
Sharkbyte does not work with Skyzone 02x and 02c... they dont have the HD decryption built into them. Was told this by Skyzone support when someone reported it not working.
@@philipeville9506 Really? So does this mean that the HDMI input of these Skyzone’s doesn’t work? 🤭
Or are there different types of HDMI signals
@@bertbeinaaf8314 No, the hdmi port on those goggles worked supposedly- just not from rhe signal from the bytefrost-only got colored bars. When they asked skyzone Daniel from skyzone he said that the 02 series goggles dont have the hd decryption needed for sharkbyte. However, my 02xs work with my xbox one, which is also hd..... hmmmmm. Now you really have me wondering. Supposdly it is the hdcp chip in the o2s.
I think i’m gonna ask some of the UA-cam reviewers in my Patreon list if they have an O2x/c and a SharkByte unit to test this
Been flying analogue for years. Do not want DJI for many reasons. But I am going to wait for this to mature a bit first. Wanting to see better cameras in micro and mini size and am worried about seeing the VTXs burn out for several of the reviewers already.
Got my DJI 6 months ago. Not one complaint. After getting tbs crossfire. I'm really happy. To me frostbite to expensive... and Dji soon have generation 2 goggles...I'm thinking?? First gen will get cheaper.. just a thought......💪💪👊👊
Where did you hear that DJI v2 is coming?
Fantastic review, Lee! Really spot on! 😃
It's going to be interesting if more companies jump into this system!
Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Great review thank u.
Thanks for review appreciate it :)
Nice,man!
Thanks for the review. I'm only starting out - have a tinyhawk 2 and some EV800DMs, and would love to move to digital. DJI looks like the only game in town though as (like you said) you have to have decent goggles to begin with before you can use Shark Byte and the thought of buying one system (analogue) just to be able to buy a bolt on system seems....wrong :) As a product this seems more aimed at retaining existing Fatshark customers than gaining new ones?
Nice review. Well, I tested DJI goggle and the image is fantastic, no doubt, but, I wear glasses, so I unfortunately, I can't see the informations in the screen. It didn't fit well in my face, had a lot of leaking around my nose and I don't like the Box stlyle form factor. I seriously considering to buy a SB due to the factor that FS, SZ form factor goggles are better in my opinion. Ok The image isn't the same as a GoPro image, or a DJI image, but, as I can see in the videos, the image is a lot better than analog system and it is ok to me.
I think the scale you used should be contextualised in future. 1 - image quality, 2 - performance for racing/park flying, 3 - performance for 1-2km, 4 - performance 2-5km... and the averaged score. This will be interesting, because analogue will potentially score higher than the SharkByte once you get beyond 1km, which will be relevant to anyone flying fixed wing.
I like your comparison much better than others. I recently ordered the FatShark Attitude v6, with the SharkByte and RapidFire do think it will still be around the 7 mark? I’d appreciate your opinion. Thanks much for this comparison.
I've not tried it with the Attitude V6. It is a huge step up from traditional FPV. Happy flying
@@Painless360 oh that is great, thanks so much for your reply. I cant wait, these will be my first fpv goggle.
When you use shark byte with goggle's that don't have a native 16:9 screen like the HDOs, does the image get cropped down to 16:9 on the 4:3 screen (reducing FOV) or does it fill the entire screen just with cropped left and right sides? Would love to know the behaviour of it when plugged into 4:3 screens
last one
Already spent too much on rc this month but super tempting.. I already see an Orqa adapter/mount on thingiverse!
does it perform like a starlight camera? This is where DJI falls off and i break out analog.. hope its priced competitively.
Currently not unfortunately. I will be waiting for the price to drop.
Total dji to fly $680 (goggles plus vista/camera which all come with antenna)
Total shark byte to fly ($919 Rx module, camera, 500mw VTX, HDO2 goggles, 3x axii2 omni's)
Obviously you can make shark byte cheaper slightly by going for whoops vtx which is limited to 200mW and cheap out on antennas. But with dji going to 1.2w and I don't see why you would want to cheap out on your HD image at this point I think the comparison is valid.
Hopefully once some R&D is recouped the price will drop. Dji can easily eat these costs due to its large size.
The Runcam HD Racer 4 is close to Micro eagle V2 in low light performance but with better color fidelity and resolution to answer your question..I have been using Micro Eagle and Phoenix 2 with HDO2 since it first came out last october and got the Sharkbyte knowing it was improved over Byte Frost. I have about 20 flights with my SHarkbyte system and this review is SPOT ON to my experience!!! The new SB camera is well suited to winter HD flights near dusk, though a larger sensor and larger native aperture would greatly improve that, the current nano HD cam is really good in low light, but not as good as a nite owl or night eagle. Its more of a moonlight camera.
The one thing I would say on this is that when I was on analogue how many vtx's i was blowing up all the time. Now I have been on DJI for a year now I still yet to kill I VTX. I said that if skarkbyte was half as good as DJI and half the price it be a great to have been now I feel like its just not worth the money to go to. As you have a buy a heap of new VTX's and cam's to swap out if you was to switch over. You said that you be swapping between analogue to DJI but how many people would do that because I know I did not when I went DJI.
I dont think it needs to be half the price. Its total setup including the HDO goggles needed to be sub $650. Dji goggle plus airunit is $690. With HDO2 being $500 already the full digital Rx, cam and Vtx and 3x antennas coming in less than $150 is not really possible. Its new tech after all.
Even if they managed to reduce HDO2 analogue goggle price by $100 and set the package cost at $250 like the early beta price. (Bear in mind rapidfire is $150) Even then that's $650 plus you need 3 antennas.
Dji is just to big a company and unfortunately priced fatshark out of the market. Fatshark cant eat r&d costs or able to produce in house custom chips at fractions of the cost.
There stuck at either giving up or charging more for a less impressive performance.
I think this is ia why they have released the attitude V6. Original customers it's $320 upgrade. With the V6 goggles which are not oled but rated at 720p it's around $650 total.
@@craigjohnstone87 you have point but this more for someone who has the goggles already. But still not worth the cost.
@@lewisshipway7187 its 50/50 really. FPV is still a growing ecosystem. So you cant just look at who already has goggles and anyone entering the space will be looking at HD.
So you have 2 target markets, the upgraders who yes, this system is appealing to and the newcomers, who could go with dji for a currently better experience, cheaper.
Can you try it with the skyzone 030?
I’m pretty sure I have seen you use the 030’s
Hello, the new Fatshark Shark Byte support live audio?
👍
Good morning Lee, which system would you choose for long range? Is Analog still competitive ? Thank you, 👍
It depends on what you mean by 'long range'. DJI can do 4km at full power with default antennas, a 1.3Ghz or 2.4Ghz analogue system can do tens of Km..
can i ues the caddx vista with the Fat Shark Shark Byte RX5.1 5.8Ghz FPV Receiver Module Digital HD Video System for Fat Shark Dominator HDO2 Goggles Fat Shark Dominator HDO2 Goggles ?
Only cameras designed for the system will work. Happy flying
how the Shark Byte will work with antenna tracker for long-range in comparison with analog
does it transmit voice ? or only video as dji does?
So you can have regular analog and shark byte on the HD02 at the same time? Just switch when you wish?
Yes.
Module a fine price but wish the boards were cheaper. $99 board and $50 for camera is more or same price as Vista with less than half the power and half the clearity 😭 ill still get it for my 2" whoop
That is not expected pricing for the final kit. See my comments
an hd module is what iv been waiting for but 1 mile range isnt enough for me, so ill wait and see how the final version gets on.
Thanks Lee. So how far away from the video transmitter does the GPS have to be to work reliably? Thanks...
TBC. Stay tuned!
very nice, as usual. Thanks! Dont forget, some People just hate DJI because of theire agressiv sale politics. Thats why alternatives are more than welcome :-) specially from fat shark
As usual a great and informative video. But I sort of disagree with buying into the whole Shark Byte thing. As back ground I'm just you're average flyer who flies mainly fixed wings but fly some quads now and again. I use Aomway Commanders V1S goggles which again are fine for what I do. For me to "Upgrade" my experience the Shark Byte looks like a great choice but back to my second sentence, I disagree for only one reason. That's price, why would I fork out £350 (It will be the same price regardless of the exchange rate) when I could save for another week and get the DJI goggles at a discounted price. If they kept it to £250 then yes I would buy them but unfortunately that won't be the case.
I am wondering if anyone tested all these systems for racing because I can't see how DJI can be more if a 2-3 because if the variable latency that can really Ness up your timing while analogue is a solid 7 because of solid latency but won't reach a 10 because of image quality. Where do shark byte rate in this scenario.. only se freestyle reviews out there. Nice review btw ☺️
Tricky to answer as the technology of SharkByte is improving all the time..
Wooooo Lee my Viper box goggles has a MHDI in port would it work with them if i made a mount for it ?
It should!
@@Painless360 Gr8 do you still have a Viper to try it with ?
Sadly not.
Seveeeeennnn! 💃
Pickle my walnuts!
Maybe try your mu metal? Since that transmitter isn't shielded, there likely isn't much that can be done there.
Thanks for the comment. I've tried that :)
@@Painless360 We could be blaming the SharkByte unit unfairly, too. I've had a Runcam camera Rf blast my GPS unit into uselessness the past. Some investigating with your friend with the high tech lab can confirm if it's cam, VTx, or both causing the issues.
Investigations continue. Last time it appeared to be a harmonic frequency from the original camera that was doing it. The GPS signals are so faint that it doesn't take much to overpower them.. I'll post when we know more.
What would be good to show is how DJI and SB acts when you crash a ways away, and your trying to find the quad. DJI goes black for EVER. I'm assuming SB comes back like analog. I've lost a quad because I couldn't get a picture back with DJI.
If that's the case SB is better. Mine is on order.
Sharkbyte acts like analogue.. happy flying
I didn't hear mention of the fact that the SB system is compatible with existing analog systems...unlike DJI in particular with their 50mbps update....
It is - channel son this mapped to RaceBand.
Great video Lee.i would love either one of these especially dji.if you ever see an awesome deal for some then let us know pls mate as thinking grabbing a pair for the group even if I gotta put towards its worth it.we were all lucky to try z pair and was hooked instantly.
Any info on public availability of the system.. as i see currently everything is on backorder, at least in eu/uk.
Not yet. Stay tuned!
Nice review and summary if I had a set of hd02 I would probably go with the sharkbyte the form factor and fit of fat shark goggles works for me.But I don’t think there’s gunna be a huge jump in image quality for people like me using older goggles like my hd3.Im ready to take the jump and go all in with digital I’m close to purchasing the DJI system but I no the form factor of the goggles will not fit my face and I don’t want to be messing about bodging up wedges and foam chunks to stop light leaks on a set of 500 plus pound dji goggles.Come on DJI announce the hd goggles version 2 in a nicer fitting form factor plz.
There are lots of options for the foam for the DJI goggles now so getting a decent fit is a lot easier now compared to when the system came out..
2024 - Does the math still hold up, for this over DJI for someone who has HD02's? The speedy recovery and splash of missed packets appeals more then a hard step over the Digital Cliff.
See my Walksnail series... Happy flying!
When DJI's V2 goggles come out in January will they score 11? Lol 😆 I have read it may have a 150Mbps mode.
Since the V2 has been a rumour for over a year we'll have to wait and see.. ;)
@@Painless360 Part of me wishes it would stay a rumour. My wallet is going to hurt come January lol 😅
Man, I'm so tempted to pick this kit up to try, I've already got HDO2's and Unmannedtech have these available on preorder for £250, much cheaper than buying DJI's system for me.
Nice coverage man, cheers for sharing this with us.
Sorry if you've already answered this but does this display as 16:9 and chop off the top and bottom in the goggles?
it depends on the display - I covered this in the first video on the system.. Check it out
Have you tried it on the hdos,and how was it,I think if they lower the price and put audio in it and up the vtx power it could be a really good product maybe they will,but untill then I think everyone will just stick with there analog are just go straight to dji,thanks for the review and stay safe.
These are my HDOs in the video works really nicely. HDO2 give an even better image and wider FOV though.
@@Painless360 yeah I'm sure they do since the fov in the hdos is only 37,I have the hdos so just was curious on how the image was,when you adjust the camera to 4.3 on the sharkbyte.
Since you have HDO and HDO2, with Sharkbyte is their much difference between the two?
Both are great choices but you can 'see' better with the higher resolution and wider FOV..
I have Shark Byte and several DJI quads. Your analysis is spot on. In a world where DJI didn't exist we'd be drooling over this, but for now DJI is ahead. I do think the camera that comes with the Shark Byte module is a weak point, at least the one I received is. Fatshark's commitment to an open connection for third party cameras will hopefully bring some better options.
Thanks for the video. I'm still afraid when I pull the DJI trigger, they'll have an update.
Has anyone tried it on a set of Skyzone O30?
As usual, extremely well presented and informative! Thanks for all you do for the hobby! I have now pretty much switched all my gear to DJI from HDO2 analog but am still interested in the new Shark Byte system as it develops...
Performance over full 2s range.
only time you will fly with that is when other analogue users are around as dji interferes badly with anlogue users video.
Ha! Knew it was gonna be a 7 from footage comparisons I've seen over the past few weeks :)