The Portkeys HS8 is a powerful 8-inch high-brightness director monitor with HDMI and HD-SDI video input and output ports. Its maximum brightness is 1,100nits, it supports DCI 4K video signals at up to 60P
The Portkeys HS8 is an 8-inch director monitor with unique features that make it a game-changer for filmmakers and video production professionals. Built to survive the most challenging shooting conditions, the HS8 has a durable all-aluminum housing with a removable and replaceable protective glass in front of the display. With dimensions of 208 x 133.7 x 50.5mm and a weight of 675g/1.48 lbs, it’s a handy and compact monitor unit to share with your camera crew, focus puller, director, or client.
The HS8 features a generous 8-inch panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. The display has a maximum brightness of 1,100nits and a contrast ratio of 1000:1, which makes it ideal in any shooting scenario, from dimmed studios to bright daylight exterior shoots. Also, this 10-bit (8+2 FRC) panel reproduces precise and accurate colors out of the box with no color banding and a rich level of color details.
At the bottom of the monitor, you’ll find all the video and power input/output ports conveniently recessed to protect the connectors and prevent accidental damage. The Portkeys HS8 is highly versatile and features all the video ports you can expect from a professional monitor, including one 4K DCI 60p HDMI and one 3G-SDI 1080P60 video input port. Furthermore, there is one HDMI and one 3G-SDI video output port, which both support resolutions up to 1080P60. Cross-conversion is possible from HDMI input to SDI output and from SDI input to HDMI output. Lastly, you can output a 3D LUT via the SDI and HDMI output to maintain consistency throughout the video monitoring chain.
The Portkeys HS8’s bottom also features a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB-A port for future firmware updates and loading custom LUTs. Furthermore, you’ll find a DC 7-20V power input with a locking DC 5.5×2.1mm barrel connector to power the monitor for an extended time via a V-Mount/Gold Mount battery and the included D-TAP to screw-in DC power cable.
At the back of the monitor, you’ll find a dual Sony NP-F battery plate with hot-swap capabilities. With a maximum power draw of 20W, two Sony NP-F970 batteries can power the monitor for close to five hours.
But that’s not everything; what sets the HS8 apart from the competition and makes it unique is the addition of a removable and rotatable Sony NP-F power output dummy battery. This Portkeys patent design built-in Sony NP-F dummy battery plate with power passthrough(8V/10W) allows you to attach and power a wireless video receiver directly at the back of the HS8. You can rotate this battery power adapter 360° without any tools via the large yellow knob at the center.
Last but not least, the back of the monitor has VESA 100 x 100 mounting points. These mounting points allow installing the HS8 on a light stand or C-stand via an optional monitor mount.
At the top of the monitor, you’ll find four user-assignable buttons to quickly turn On/Off monitoring tools, an on/off switch, and a dedicated « video input » button to switch from HDMI to SDI input. A dual-function menu and scroll wheel allow you to navigate the HS8’s custom-made Menu and operating system efficiently. With the generous 8-inch screen real estate, multiple monitoring tools can be displayed simultaneously with a partial function display.
A professional director monitor needs to be flexible and versatile, as is the HS8, with its four 1/4″-20 mounting points and locating pins on each side of the monitor. This plethora of mounting points allows you to attach the monitor anywhere you want, whether it is a tripod, camera rig, or table stand, but you can also attach side handles directly to it.
The Portkeys HS8 also allows you to make crucial decisions on set and have confidence in your image with a full suite of monitoring tools, including:
