Accsoon Cineview Master 4k review

We could all do with fewer cables in our lives. Less of a trip hazard, lower risk of damaging gear from unplanned snagging, easier rigging, and, for filmmaking, much-reduced restrictions when setting up monitors for clients, directors, and so on, who can view from another room or vehicle. From a simple logistics perspective think of all the cables that need to be stored, packed, transported, and maintained.

A number of companies have developed wireless technology to make this a reality, with new features appearing at a rapid rate. Whether you need some at the lower end or for larger budget projects, you will find something and Accsoon has products at various price points. Accsoon's Cineview Master 4k is their flagship transmission system aimed at the higher end but at less of an eye-watering cost.

I've used a good number of wireless video systems and was keen to spend some time with the Cineview Master 4k. I was not disappointed!

Accsoon Cineview master 4k: Specifications

Accsoon Cineview master 4k: Price

While it's still a fair amount of money, there can be no denying the value on offer here. I would go as far as to say that the combination, of build, features, and capability make this the best option on the market for video transmission. Add to this that for many people, the need to pack, charge, and even buy a dedicated field monitor and you get not simply a cheaper rig but an easier one to manage, assuming you don't use Android devices.

Accsoon Cineview Master 4k: Design & build quality

The Cineview Master 4k comes in a kit with the transmitter, receiver, cold shoe mounts, antennas, some cables, and instructions. Unlike some other systems, there is no field monitor in this kit, leaving you free to use an existing one, or use an iOS device for this, via the See app (more on this later).

You'd be forgiven for thinking that some corners might have been cut for Accsoon to manage a release at this price but I'm pleasantly surprised to say this isn't the case. The alloy casings, connection ports and controls all feel premium, instilling some confidence in their longevity and robustness on location. The rotary encoder and SDI ports have protective lugs too.

The design will be familiar to anybody who has used this type of device before. An array of antennas, simple controls and options for mounting and power. On that matter, there are threaded holes on the bottom side to attach to your rig. Accsoon also has a v-mount adapter as an optional extra which might be worth exploring, if you choose that as your power source.

Accsoon Cineview master 4k: Power

I really appreciate it when I can choose from a variety of powering solutions. Like many filmmakers, I rig up my gear to suit the job, rather than always sticking to the same configuration. Accsoon has made it easy to integrate the Cineview into any system, with V-mount or mains power on top of the NPF mount, my preferred choice for most situations and most of us have a bunch of these lying around. Plus if you don't they are one of the cheapest options.

The power draw of the Cineview Master 4k is pretty low at an average of 5 watts, so even a smaller NPF battery can keep you going for quite a while.

If you are using an iOS device as a monitor, connected via one of the included cables, your battery life will reduce a little but it's fantastic that it will charge your phone while in use and is well worth the trade-off.

Accsoon Cineview master 4k: Interface

The nature of this type of device means that controls are simple but that doesn't mean they can't be intuitive. The Cineview has a great user experience. All the ports are well-placed and accessible.

Controls consist of a power button, a small but bright screen, a rotary encoder, and a back button. The menus are minimal as you'd expect with not much needing to be set, other than connecting and groups, etc. The rotary encoder is used to highlight an option, is clicked to select it and the back button is used to return to the previous menu.

That's pretty much it but it all works flawlessly and the menus are clear and logical.

So, the big question here is your choice of monitoring solution. If you have a field monitor already, then you are sorted. Some transmission systems offer SDI or HDMI but the Cineview has both, so your current gear won't be redundant. However, if you don't have a monitor the likelihood of you needing one is far less than with other options. You can use your iPhone or iPad, thanks to Accsoon's wonderful See app. The app is available for Android devices too however it doesn't currently seem like it will charge those devices, which makes this capability far less valuable.

You can do this wirelessly or by cable which, as I mentioned before, will also charge your device, something that's really key to a long day on set.

Accsoon Cineview master 4k: Connections

I imagine the vast majority of users will most likely be connecting a camera to a single receiver, used for either a director or client. This works perfectly but there is a lot more available, as the Cineview can connect to up to five receivers, 1 wired and 4 wireless. I didn't get to connect to the maximum amount but tried three simultaneously with no measurable drop in quality.

I love the fact that the Cineview has both SDI and HDMI. This makes it so easy to integrate into any rig I want to use and this is a big part of the appeal for me. I need gear that adapts to the situation, rather than having one setup that I try to shoehorn into working. My main camera is a Blackmagic Pyxis, which doesn't even have HDMI out, so not having to have a converter is very welcome. I also use DJI's Focus Pro and using the Cineview I can hand the grip off to an AC for pulling focus, while I keep my eye on camera movement and composition. At the same time, a client can be safely out of the way but able to keep an eye on things via a separate connection with my iPad.

Accsoon Cineview master 4k: Performance

Ok, I've been talking this thing up so far but that means nothing if it doesn't work as advertised. Luckily, it does and rather well. Different use cases might need to favor different features but on the whole, everything here works flawlessly, so whether it's range or stability that is top of your list, you will be just fine.

Now, I think we all know that claimed ranges are based on optimal circumstances. Accsoon claims a max range of 2.5k but that's going to be line of sight, in a rural area, with no other signals to muddy the signal. This bares up under my testing. I tried a few scenarios to see what was possible. Vehicle to veil in both urban and rural areas I was getting 1.9k before dropping any frames.

With an interior shoot, I was easily able to transmit through multiple walls, three stories of a building and that was in built-up areas with at least 9 wifi networks in range. This is I think due to the Cineview's use of tribune wireless, adding 6ghz to the usual 2.4ghz and 5ghz.

Now, there are still many monitoring systems that run at 1080 and for most, this is totally fine. But for extra clarity, focus pulling etc, a 4K monitor can prove useful and the Cineview has this, depending on how you connect. You get 4K when using the HDMI port but this drops to 1080 60p via SDI. Nicely, the 4K can be transmitted to multiple devices simultaneously, so no one has to miss out.

Back to monitoring. The See app is fantastic. Of course, some of the results will vary depending on your phone/tablet but the app offers everything you'd need from zebras, peaking and framing guides, to the ability to view LUTs and even upload or record proxies.

All in all The connection is rock solid, the range is plentiful and the user experience is spot on. I do have a number of monitoring options but I have to say that using my phone or tablet is actually really useful. More so than I expected and I can see the appeal for the indie shooter, who can use that money elsewhere.

Accsoon Cineview master 4k: Verdict

The Cineview Master 4k is really an exceptional video transmitter. 4K at up to 60p, over a long distance, while remaining consistently secure and stable can't be sniffed at.

Everything from the build quality to the user experience is really very good and far surpasses what I would expect at this price and equals that of systems costing more than twice as much.

It's reliable, versatile, and has some extras that lift it higher than a lot of the competition.

Alternatives

DJI Transmission
The DJI is a great option. It costs considerably more but does have a combo option with the fantastic High-Bright monitor. Read the full review...

Accsoon Cineview Nano
For a more budget-friendly, simpler solution you can pair this with an iOS or Android device for easy monitoring.