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“Innovation” is a phrase that comes up loads within the tech world—the newest synthetic intelligence mannequin, the newest sensible gadget—however we not often encounter something really progressive.
A couple of months in the past I obtained an advert for a brand new product geared toward stay streamers and digital filmmakers and I instantly knew I wanted to do that product. it’s actually Revolutionary. A brand new tackle a venture that is important to most content material creators – one thing I’ve by no means seen earlier than.
That is a inexperienced display. I can now hear readers’ voices by way of my laptop display: “An progressive inexperienced display? SUB2r energetic inexperienced display – or AGS for brief.
What’s inexperienced display?
Earlier than we get into that, let’s get this out of the way in which: What’s a inexperienced display?
A inexperienced display is actually a big inexperienced background used so as to add digital results or backgrounds in pictures or video by way of a course of known as chroma key compositing. Inexperienced screens are primarily utilized in movie manufacturing or pictures studios. Nonetheless, inexperienced screens have gotten more and more common amongst on-line content material creators, stay streamers, YouTubers, and even those that ceaselessly conduct video calls or conferences by way of providers comparable to Zoom.
Whereas inexperienced screens assist obtain unbelievable ultimate merchandise with superior visible results, the expertise itself is pretty easy. Inexperienced screens are normally constituted of painted panels or coloured materials. If somebody actually wished to, they may DIY one. That is all it is advisable create film magic.
Properly, that is actually not the case all it is advisable.
The primary parts of excellent chroma key (i.e. eradicating the inexperienced display to insert a brand new background or impact) are gentle. You normally want at the least two lights to correctly gentle a inexperienced display background. After you have these lights, it is advisable know tips on how to arrange the lighting. In case your inexperienced display or topic shouldn’t be totally lit, your ultimate video product will look horrible. Inexperienced might bleed by way of and create a border across the topic. Shadows or different digital artifacts can seem and smash your in any other case convincing impact or background.
SUB2r AGS Inexperienced Display screen Worth and Specs
So, we’ve defined intimately what a inexperienced display is: a inexperienced panel or piece of cloth. How does SUB2r AGS innovate on this space?
Merely put: it solves advanced inexperienced display lighting issues. To my information, no different inexperienced display product can do that.
how? By constructing a lighting system contained in the 5×7 foot inexperienced display as a backlight, it ensures that the inexperienced display stays completely illuminated always with out the necessity for some other lights.
Mashable’s Matt Binder sits subsequent to the 5×7 SUB2r AGS.
Picture supply: Mashable/Matt Binder
Now you can buy the SUB2r AGS immediately from the SUB2r web site for $549, with the next specs:
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5’x7′ dimension inexperienced display
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Constructed-in lighting settings illuminate inexperienced screens
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Comes with stand and compact carrying case
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Distant management for altering lighting settings
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Energy your SUB2r AGS lighting by plugging it immediately into an outlet — Or take it with you and plug it into any USB battery pack
Now that in regards to the SUB2r AGS, together with its options and specs, let’s dive into my private expertise with it.
SUB2r AGS Inexperienced Display screen: What I Like About It
So, does the SUB2r AGS ship on its major promoting level? Certainly.
Utilizing the SUB2r AGS, I used to be capable of key out the inexperienced display completely with out having so as to add any further lighting to the inexperienced display background itself. Even with out lighting my topic (on this case me), the SUB2r AGS achieves an ideal chroma key impact. I can think about that this functionality may present use instances for digital filmmakers, permitting them to attain sure results whereas capturing whereas nonetheless profiting from a wonderfully lit inexperienced display.
There isn’t any drawback with the topic’s shadow showing on the display. The backlight brings the topic very near the inexperienced display, a lot nearer than some other inexperienced display product can obtain. That is extraordinarily useful for YouTubers and different creators who could also be working and recording in a really small house studio area.
Moreover, as a streamer, I exploit software program that immediately cuts out inexperienced screens, which is usually not as correct because the chroma key characteristic in devoted post-editing software program like Adobe Premiere or Closing Lower Professional.
Here’s a visible instance.
Within the clip above, the SUB2r AGS is ready up behind me. There are not any lights set for the stream. The one lighting comes from room lighting, a single bulb within the ceiling. My stay streaming program is ready as much as block inexperienced screens, however as you may see, with SUB2r AGS turned off, you may barely see the blue Mashable brand background.
Nonetheless, once I turned on the SUB2r AGS, I acquired precisely what I wished with out having to arrange any particular lighting for the shot.
That is what it appears to be like like when the room is totally darkish, no lights, and solely my face is illuminated by the pc monitor:
As you may see, SUB2r AGS nonetheless achieves excellent chroma key. I have not come throughout some other inexperienced display product in the marketplace that accomplishes this.
The SUB2r AGS comes with a distant management that turns the sunshine on and off, in addition to adjusting the brightness stage, permitting you to regulate how a lot the built-in gentle illuminates your inexperienced display. For the reason that lighting is in-built, I can strive the inexperienced display away from my desk the place common lighting is put in. It is easy to see how guerrilla filmmakers and others who discover themselves needing to make use of a inexperienced display in locations the place they can not set up or use a full lighting setup can benefit from this specific characteristic.
Talking of portability, the built-in gentle on the SUB2r AGS could be powered by a USB battery pack, like those used to cost smartphones on the go. Likewise, a low-budget shoot may be capable to use this inexperienced display on set with out having to lug round—and spend time organising—a whole lighting package.
Subsequent, let’s deal with setup, which is an integral promoting level for anchors in inexperienced screens. For instance, the final really progressive inexperienced display product I encountered earlier than the SUB2r AGS got here from common streaming merchandise firm Elgato. Elgato has created a foldable inexperienced display that merely rolls up from the case when wanted. The case additionally acts like a stand, so set up solely takes seconds, and the inexperienced display takes up minimal area for streaming from smaller rooms.
Most simple inexperienced display kits that may be bought on Amazon and elsewhere normally encompass a inexperienced material piece and a tripod-like stand. I’ve used these earlier than. These inexperienced screens are normally appropriate for bigger studios as they’ve time to arrange after which depart all the pieces in as wanted. Nonetheless, for streamers with house studios, these inexperienced display packages are a ache. They take up loads of area, take a while to put in, after which break.
As for the SUB2r, it opens and unfolds immediately from the suitcase. From there, you simply clip on the 8 batons. These are designed to maintain the SUB2r AGS strong and permit some area between the inexperienced display and the rows of lights constructed into the again of the inexperienced display itself. Then snap the bracket on and the SUB2r AGS is able to use. After I seemed on the directions, it appeared like loads, however I used to be capable of have the inexperienced display on and able to go in about 5 minutes.
Folding the SUB2r AGS can also be pretty fast, though it does appear daunting at first because it requires a number of twists, turns and folds of the inexperienced display to get it again into the relatively small suitcase.
The SUB2r AGS is ideal for my closet-turned-home studio area.
Picture supply: Mashable/Matt Binder
SUB2r AGS Inexperienced Display screen: What I don’t like about it
There’s just one factor I actually don’t love in regards to the SUB2r AGS: the value.
The SUB2r AGS is kind of costly, retailing for $649, however at the moment promoting for $549 as of this writing.
When discussing pricing with SUB2r co-founder Richard Neumann, he acknowledged the problem and stated the corporate hopes to decrease the value in future iterations. SUB2r is a reasonably small however up-and-coming streaming equipment firm. Consequently, they value extra to make than the corporate would really like. SUB2r is at the moment growing two streaming cameras, however other than a couple of mounting equipment, the SUB2r AGS is the corporate’s major product proper now.
Trying on-line, it appears yow will discover prosumer grade inexperienced display kits full with lighting starting from $350 to $650. So, contemplating the lighting prices you may save and the comfort the SUB2r AGS brings, the $549 price ticket is extra affordable. That being stated, these kits are extra geared towards pictures studios or impartial filmmakers, so the value of the SUB2r AGS should be out of the vary of many streamers and YouTubers.
As a streamer, the SUB2r AGS has one other obtrusive drawback: its progressive competitor, the aforementioned Elgato foldable inexperienced display. The Elgato Inexperienced Display screen sells for about $160 and is clearly positioned as a wholly totally different product. However as a client, if I would like a inexperienced display, I’ll select these two merchandise. You may’t assist however evaluate the 2.
Facet view of the SUB2r inexperienced display.
Picture supply: Mashable/Matt Binder
SUB2r AGS has many benefits for filmmaking and pictures, however streaming usually requires as quick a setup and breakdown as potential. The Elgato Inexperienced Display screen solely requires the consumer to carry the deal with to unfold the inexperienced display from the housing. The SUB2r AGS is quick to arrange, however the Elgato display is far sooner.
Many streamers are additionally continually coping with area points and wish their setups to take up as little area as potential. The SUB2r AGS provides about 10 inches of depth to the inexperienced display, making the product look a bit like an outsized softbox to supply area for built-in lighting. This depth additionally helps act as a stand, so the SUB2r AGS really finally ends up requiring much less area than most different inexperienced display setups that use a tripod. Nonetheless, the Elgato Inexperienced Display screen beats all of that, with a casing that additionally doubles as a stand.
Is SUB2r AGS value it?
SUB2r AGS has tried one thing new and totally different with its merchandise, which historically encompass a inexperienced board or piece of cloth. It knocked it out of the park. It simply works.
Stay streamers and small creators ought to definitely take into account SUB2r AGS if it is inside their value vary. The selection between this and the Elgato inexperienced display will depend upon what’s extra vital to you: the SUB2r AGS’s built-in lighting or the Elgato’s compactness.
In the event you’re a photographer, filmmaker, or perhaps a long-form YouTube creator, SUB2r AGS is usually a very helpful manufacturing instrument for creating any kind of content material that requires totally different backgrounds or particular results.
It doesn’t matter what resolution you make about AGS now, primarily based on the distinctiveness of its inexperienced display, I believe SUB2r is undoubtedly an organization value watching within the subject of stay streaming and video content material creation.
