FPV video quality question

[Chris J]

I'm putting a parts list together for my first build which will likely be something along the lines of a QAV-X. Before I start purchasing any parts (I currently have absolutely no drone parts or FPV gear) I wanted to ask about the very choppy and distorted video feed I've seen lots of quad racers and freestyle flyers deal with. I currently fly a Mavic and the video feed on that thing is fantastic, even at very long range...so why have I seen so many horrible FPV video feeds on the racers?

Are there proven FPV parts combinations that will allow me to avoid this problem altogether? If I have to deal with a crappy real time video feed, my personality is such that I'd fixate on that and not be able to enjoy the time flying.

 

[theGreenOrange]

It isn't perfect but you could use a Connex. It still loses some quality at dustance but shows up as digital block distortion rather than static. There is no perfect system right now. No matter what, it needs to be super low latency.

The CONNEX™ ProSight™ HD Vision Kit

 

[Chris J]

That's a real bummer, particularly because I know the technology exists as I've seen it in action on my Mavic. Is it perhaps that you can't have an interference-free video feed AND have it be low latency? I don't know what the latency is on the Mavic, but I suspect it wouldn't be ideal for a racer.

 

[theGreenOrange]

Yes, I believe it is related to latency. Probably because video compression takes time.

 

[Jtrjr]

Welcome, Chris! I also found this surprising. I am a P2, P3 and Mavic flyer as well. I'm pretty sure it is a latency issue but don't let that get to you. I've been flying race quads for a few months now (flying Phantoms a few years) and I'm having a blast. I've had my Mavic a month or so now and have only flown it a few times, I've been having too much fun with my FPV quads! The excitement of speed and maneuverability is a real rush! Good luck, I hope you stick around.

Jerry

 

[theGreenOrange]

Yeah, and it isn't as bad as it looks on YouTube.

 

[Chris J]

Thanks guys, I suppose I'll just jump into it and hopefully I can get over the video quality.

 

[Jtrjr]

That's the spirit, just jump on in! Personally, I think you're going to love it coming from the DJI world. Very, very, different!

Jerry

 

[TraumaChaser]

If you want longer range switch to lower freq sys or uhf. You are suppose to have a ham license for that crap but.......lol. IMO ham license way overkill for this hobby. Connex is not quite at the point where it's worth the extra investment. I actually think it's worse than the analog signal but I haven't personal flown with it. I base that on videos I've seen and reviews from people that have flown with it and chose to stick to analog.