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DJI Avata recently got a firmware update that upgrades the D-Cinelike H.265 video recording mode with 10-bit color (up to 4K UHD 60fps). Other improvements include the ability to set sharpness and noise reduction parameters for video recording, the ability to cancel the countdown for low-battery RTH by pressing the brake button, the ability to transfer data from the aircraft storage to the microSD card, and more. Let’s take a closer look at all these updates!
Please note, that the new Remote ID will require pilots in the USA to have their phones with GPS location tethered to the goggles.
DJI’s latest FPV drone – the DJI Avata, and the new DJI Goggles 2 were announced in August 2022. The drone brought a new camera and a much more compact, lightweight, and rugged body compared to the first DJI FPV drone. Recently, DJI also announced the O3 Air Unit which uses the same camera as the Avata and can be used to build custom FPV quads. At the same time, the company also announced the availability of the Goggles 2 as a separate product.
Just like with the Mini 3 Pro, the camera of the DJI Avata now also gets a 10-bit color and a few other new features and improvements with the recently released firmware update.
The new firmware was released on December 8, 2022, and the versions for all the devices are numbered in the following manner:
The most notable addition in my opinion is the 10-bit color, but other new features also sound useful. For instance, it is now possible to set sharpness and noise reduction parameters for video recording. With the 10-bit H.265 recording, DJI did not specify which subsampling they are using, but like in the case of the DJI Mini 3 Pro, I suppose it is 4:2:0.
Furthermore, Avata will now have the ability to cancel the countdown for low-battery RTH by pressing the brake button. It will also be possible to transfer data from the aircraft storage to the microSD card.
The full list of new features and improvements is as follows:
DJI also released important notes regarding the firmware update process:
The first new addition in the new firmware – the support for Remote ID requirements in the United States – is currently making rounds on social media and online forums. It seems that when flying in the US, the FAA requires any drone to know and report the location of the pilot at any time. When flying other DJI drones, the remote or the connected phone has to have GPS location turned on so that is not an issue.
With the DJI Avata, however, both the goggles and the controller do not have a GPS module, so the Remote ID now requires a phone with the DJI Fly app to be tethered to the goggles during the whole flight. This inconvenience came with the new firmware for the drone and the goggles, but it seems that it is possible to return to the previous version of the firmware – at least for now. With this requirement, DJI is only complying with the FAA rules and pilots outside of the US are not affected by this.
Let’s hope this will be handled better in the future – for instance by adding a built-in GPS location module to the goggles. What do you think about this? Can you confirm this if you fly Avata in the USA?
When it comes to DJI O3 Air Unit, the company never exactly specified in which codec, color, or subsampling the unit’s camera can record. The technical specs only state the resolution, framerate, and that an MP4 container is used. Seeing now that the same camera of the Avata can record in H.265 10-bit with D-Cinelike, it would be nice to see the same update coming to the O3 Air Unit as well. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
As usual, the firmware update mentioned above is available via the DJI Fly app free of charge. DJI Avata currently sells for $629 (around €580 including VAT in Europe) in the drone-only configuration. The bundles with goggles and the motion controller start at $1,168 (around €1,150 including VAT in Europe).
Do you have experience flying with the DJI Avata? Do you find the image quality coming from Avata sufficient? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Jakub Han is a freelance filmmaker based in Vienna. He is interested in new tech and trends in filmmaking and passionate about action sports and short documentaries. Jakub has over 10 years of experience with camera work and post-production.