Which one to buy? DJI Smart Controller or Crystal Sky Monitor?
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- Опубликовано: 7 янв 2019
- If you are new to DJI Drones, then this video may help with your decision.
You can get the Crystal Sky monitor here (TAXES, SHIPPING & DUTY are included in the price): click.dji.com/AImgf5R3cHnJeKv...
You can get the Smart Controller here (TAXES, SHIPPING & DUTY are included in the price): click.dji.com/AP4EGKY-3o-hG-J... 
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Great comparison!! You summed it up in your vid, while others sugar coated it because they got one early and free. ✌🏼😎👍🏼
Thanks for your good honest review, with a valid point regarding the future purchase of a DJI drone without a controller if one has already purchased a Smart Controller.
Jajaja!!! Awesome review Captain, the most honest and straightforward I have ever seen so far. I was thinking today about buying the smart controller but you just help me to make up my mind! To many DJI drones to have that remote for just one... I rather now to have the DJI CS, period! I’m not rich yet or waiting to inherit any kind of money to be buying future very expensive DJI drones. Let’s face it, 57% of the consumers buying drones nowadays do it for the pure joy of having it, 13% to make youtube videos,12% for movie making companies, 8% for search and rescue and 12% for land surveying, agricultural purposes, construction and property insurance. I will definitely not going to spend $1500.00+ or sometimes way more every year for just the pure joy... (unless I get a job with BBC)Lol!
Don’t get me wrong people, if you can afforded people, go for it, me.., just not possible, period.
Anyways..,you’re the Man Captain! And thank you again for this excellent review!!!
As usual, a very clear presentation of the issues. Both positive and negative, thanks.
I've owned a 2, 3, and I'm currently flying the 4Pro. I have lust for far more... and enjoy watching you try all kinds. Since I've watched thousands of videos, my standards have risen and I now want people to provide facts, speak clearly, and not wander in their presentation.
That's why I subscribed sometime ago.
Thank you greatly Craig!
Thanks Steve! Another great video. Just the facts and good ones!
Thanks Steve I've been watching reviews for 4 hours now and had planned on getting the controller but it seems to be out of stock. Surprise Surprise. But now after watching your video I think I will go with the 7.85 Crystal Sky Monitor at very close to the same price and be able to use it on all my Drones Thanks Again
Hey Rick, good call, much larger screen. I can see the price dropping on this device in the future by at least $200 (for certain on Black Friday 2019).
Having more than one DJI drone, then a Crystal Sky monitor makes more sense. I also prefer to be able to mount the display above the front mounted sticks and buttons (OK, so not possible for the Spark and Mavic) so I don't obfuscate the display when flying. As made clear, no changeable battery. When I'm out for a days flying, I'm out for at least four hours. The last thing I need is a controller going flat on me. I have a P4 Pro, and that will last long enough. There are enough issues with flying SUSVs safely without having to worry about controller battery life.
And I see one other question which needs to be resolved and I think it is also factor in decision equation. DJI app crashes sometimes (not too often luckily) - more on Android and less on IOS. I think Crystal Sky and Smart controller are both based on Android. So what happens if app crashes? On Crystal sky, ju just restart the app. But in case of Smart Controller, you need to restart whole controller (which means auto RTH and etc.) Right?
The Crystal Sky monitors are android based, and with the somewhat locked down application settings, it is a bit of a faff to update them or load on other applications (yep, thinking about apps like Litchi). Even with just the basic set up, I've had a pop up for insufficient memory just updating the OS, let alone the ball ache you have to do through to update GO, GO4 or Pilot. But I will pick the Crystal Sky, because I can use it with other drones. When you're spending this amount of cash, you need something to swap between drones, not something locked to just a couple with the promise of future interoperability.
I almost bought the smart controller before I watched your video, but now it’s either cs or the glasses. As I said before your vids are great, no sugar coating, and I appreciate that. New subscriber for that reason alone
Thank you and welcome to the Channel.
Another great review, keep them coming, thank you
Made up my mind for me. Just today I was dealing with the issue of my top of the line note9 screen going really dark because of heat and thought I would order the crystal sky and then this comes out! I’m presuming the crystal sky doesn’t suffer from that issue so it is what I’m going to get. Thank you for the great work.
My CS is getting hot, but than again I live in Indonesia with average temperatures of 32 to 34 degrees centigrade. But the CS is performing flawlessly. The internal fans can handle it with no problems.
I rather use my racing edition goggles, also thank you for being honest. Amongst RUclipsrs these days that's a rare trait.
I also have RE Goggles paired with Mavic2Pro. However, the range seems to be limited in 5.8Ghz, or Dual band (with or without Pagoda antenna). The best range I can get on my RE Goggles seems to be in Manual mode at 2.4Ghz - but even then I only get about 1mile before screen goes "grey" and freezes and the Remote loses signal (forcing me to turn off Goggles to RTH). What is your experience with Range on RE Goggles?
@@petefrayne6074 damn, 1600m range is what I got with the spark at occusync 1.0 but over the ocean. In Urban it was 500m. On the beach 1000-1320m before it greyed out completely and RTHed. I could have went further out in the ocean at 1760m as the signal came back but I didn't want to try it as w/ the results before
How far can you get w/o goggle mode?
Such a good review as always. I was going to run right out and get the new controller but after watching your review I'm seriously considering the bigger crystal sky. Thanks man!
I think you're the best because you keep it honest and most likely you're not under contract with DJI like some people are I won't mention names and I'm giving you a thumbs up for you not the controller
Why thank you greatly!
Hi Steve i have been watching your channel for sometime but i never subscribed, but i did today after watching this. Well done and honest opinion. Keep the good work man. Cheers from Kenya
Thank you & welcome to the channel!
Always great reviews! thank you.
Great video...many options to consider. I love my CS with the Mavic Pro.
Excellent video Captain D and you raise some very valid points. I have a CS + M2P and love the setup. Keep up the great videos, really enjoy your channel 👍🏻🇬🇧
Excellent points that I had not considered. Thanks.
All very well said, over priced yes, but so neat and convenient, mines just been shipped, can’t resist new tech 👍
Great video . LOVE MY CRYSTALSKY. works great with the zoom,spark
Thanks Captain. It’s like you were reading my mind.
Thanks Captain for this video! I will keep the Crystalsky 5.5 / 6 hours per battery and I have two of them! Also you can switch batteries during flight time!
Thanks for the compelling argument/features comparison for considering the venerable CrystalSky. Perhaps DJI is trying to tap into the Typhoon market with an integrated screen/controller. Kudos to you Captain Drone, for your thorough product assessments. Kept them coming!
So glad I already have the 7.85 CrystalSky now. It works with all three of the drones I currently fly and will most likely still serve me well with many more different models in the future.
You made several good point's regarding why the crystalsky is the way to go👍
Great review, keep them coming.
Cheers
Glen
Very informative,! As usual, you’ve done your homework. Thanks.
I have bought one - one simple integrated controller just pick up and get flying - no bulky crystal sky attachment - the smart controller can be bound to multiple controllers ONCE only so you don’t have to unbind rebind each time - smart controller can be charged via an alternate power sources whilst in use so no need to buy extra specific Crystal sky batteries etc if phantom 5 comes out you would sell say your Mavic 2 zoom bundled with the smart controller.
Thanks Nigel. I wonder what the limit would be of drones to bind to that could remain in memory without having to unbind? 2 drones, 3, 4, 250 drones? Hopefully they added the option that if it runs low on power and you have to take 5 or 10 mins to get external power while flying that it does not go dead. If they used the same tech as in the Crystal Sky, then there is a reserve battery dedicated to this. I would expect the price to drop on this device either by the summer or certainly by end year. Possibly even more so after the launch of the very expensive Phantom 5 (should it see the light of day this year).
got the crystalsky and its amazing
Thumbs up ere' Captain - great review on both and your thoughts on the Smart Controller! Many thanks for sharing the info :)
Thank you Autel for making a great product at a REASONABLE PRICE !
Hey Captain Drone!!! Very well done and very informative breakdown of all the choices features and drawbacks. And that’s why I subscribed to your channel nice job thank you!
Thank you for the sub and welcome to the channel!
CAPTAIN DRONE You bet and happy to be here!
Great comparison, facts and suggestions!
I know this is old but I definitely agree I never would have bought the smart controller unless I bought it in the bundle for roughly $400 instead of $750 current price
Yea the stand alone price is insane compared to the package price!
thank you...verry useful as always
Thanks Steve. Very loud and clear. NO, it is a waste of money. I am happy with my crystalsky. Use it with all my drones and has exchangable batteries. Better product I think.
That really does limit my drone use and I often go flying with my better half and she flys one of my DJI’s. So I’m thinking the Sky will be my best direction to go. I’m a stop and go flyer and don’t always fly the same drone depending on what I’m doing with it so having to pair the drone to controller every time I change drones would be a pain in the back side. Easy choice for me, as always Steve thanks for your time and information you give.
Thanks, Captain! I felt bad that DJI sold out of Smart Controllers yesterday, but now I don't feel so bad. I think I'll go with the Crystal Sky. Either way, you helped me out and I appreciate it.
TAX.... Thank you for speaking the truth so brilliantly. Good stuff!
Thanks for the great comparison!
Excellent points. Thank you.
Super informative and helpful. Well done.
Man! Seems like 9 out of 10 times when I Google something on drones I end up watching your video. Must be doing something right and I think you are. Thanks for this review, again. I'm off to get a 5.5 CrystalSky! 😎
Now that is very nice to hear! Enjoy the Crystalsky!
Thanks for the Intel Cap! Only after your video do I feel secure in my choice of the Crystalsky for our school's club.
Good video. I said a week ago on your 2019 predictions they would be launching this controller this year. :) Did not think it would be this quick. I understand the issue for people that have other product that it is not compatible with but it would just increase the cost even more to have it backwards compatible. This is technology. It is always changing and usually trickles down to the lower models as time goes on. Hopefully they make it easier to switch between drones like the way other controllers do. Time will tell.
Crystal sky U 7.8” using a MavMount to my controller with my Mavic 2 Pro... Love it!!!
Spot on comments Steve. Refreshing to hear an honest appraisal of this product. I've got a CrystalSky and will be sticking with it for as long as DJI provide updates. Once they stop updating it I'm selling my gear and moving to a cheaper platform, DJI is just far too expensive.
You nailed it!
Your right that’s is expensive!!! For me, I use my Epson Mavario glasses. I like them. You can fly it with “line of sight” and view it in the glasses. It works great 👍 with my Spark and my Mavic 2 Zoom.
Any lag with the zoom and smart controller?
Excellent video 👍
Thanks Captain, Good Analysis: CrystalSky gives flexibility. But most important it gives huge Battery capacity. On startup my CrystalSky tells me "7 Hours left". In Cold Climate reduced Battery capacity is the real "game killer". At launch of theDJI Smart Controller, the answer is easy: CrystalSky is still the best choise, when it comes to Getting the Job done.
Thanks for another great video! I think I'll stick with my iPad Mini and sun shade for now! It kills me to think of spending that kind of money for a monitor when my iPad is still so new, and like the Crystal Sky, it can be used for everything I fly! Cases are a big one for me too! I love the newer style Go Professional cases with the tray inside! Such a great place to put the iPads now in that lower area! Just a slick set-up!
Great points, thanks
Well said, and pretty much goes with what I believe to be the best path. I prefer the stand alone monitor due to its ability to work with any DJI drone I own and future models as well . Currently I find myself almost exclusively using my iPhone in VR goggles paired with the Litchi app to fly FPV . Forbidden ...yeah I know but so cool !
Thanks for this review, I was torn. But I think I know what direction to go. Take care.
Great. This always happens to me with gear. I bought crystal sky last month. My head almost exploded when I found out about this new controller. So far I love the crystal sky But . I hope that DJI doesn’t forget about crystal sky owner in future.
Awesome video!!
thanks for sharing this video, which one to choose
Thank you for your opinion since you fly a lot more than I do and lot more aircraft I think I’m probably going to get the crystal sky thanks for your helping .
Thanks for the info, Captain D. To this point, I have been a Yuneec Typhoon guy. I am considering a Mavic 2 zoom. I was excited to see the smart controller be launched. If I take the plunge, I will do the package "deal" with the smart controller. Let's face it, we are past the point of buying drones less than $1,000, so future compatibility should not be an issue.
You make some great points Steve. Since I already have the CS 7.85, it is academic for me but I think I would have bought the large CS anyway ... Mitch
Bought one love it ' is it expensive? Yes ' The mavic 2 pro is a premium drone and to me the smart controller just adds to the premium feel and function of it .
Any lag with this combo? Thx
@@thedronemediacomvancouver4976 not with the pro2 none . I have Heard that's there's some software issues with the mini 2 but it's a solid controller
@@stringsattached67 Thanks.. much appreciated
Good info thanks 👍🏽
I read here, there, everywhere, all saying “shall I buy it? Will you buy it.” Nope, I have the Crystal Sky! Also we’re going to be bombarded with unpacking videos, boring. And coz it has no case there’ll be adverts selling all sorts of cases, wet, dry, leather... Dji know I’m saving my pennies for the Phantom 5 + whatever. Nice vid. 😎
Yup.... It would be wise for many people to save their Money for the Phantom 5.... it is going to be pricey.
Great video! You bring up very good points. While I am sure the device has some awesome features, I think the price has me shying away from the new controller. Thank you!
Great point as far as future drones being available without the controller for a discounted price. If not, totally lame on DJI's part. Great comparison. Thank you.
Nicely done....
Thanks for the great comparison. One thing worth mentioning is the Crystalsky also has 2 SD card slots which allow you to copy your video to another SD card or just watch or edit your 4K video on the go. I also used my Crystalsky to watch movies on an airplane using headphones.
Very true!
I also got the M2P/Smart Controller bundle during the DJI Black Friday sale. Pretty decent price.
I jumped on that also, think it was a $400 savings
You’re so right....Other point is in case of failure of your screen, you loose the controller.
Ohhh.... Really good point. Darn, wish I would have thought of that one.
Exactly, one thing fails, then you lose two devices, your controller and the crystal sky
or if you drop it and crash your screen.Bye bye controller.
nice lovely video Captain
Crystalsky is much much better... grate video!
ultra is even brighter
I love my DJI CrystalSky 5.5" brightness monitor and 7.85" Ultra Brightness monitor with all kind of DJI drones. And there are many nice mounts for CrystalSky in the market. It's all.
Great review Steve, I'm gonna stick with my P4P..Had a P4A + with the built in screen and found I couldn't tether it to my phone along with the fact that 3rd party apps a no go..I like the freedom of using a phone or tablet, android of course..Thanks again !!!
Hi Steve, Thanks for a great video.
As another Canuck (from Ottawa) I agree with you that the CrystalSky is a more flexible product and like most people I’m sticking with my 7.8” CrystalSky monitor :)
Hey Great NEW LOGO
Love the info, nice concept but I’ll stick with my phone with the DJi controller😁
That's why they invented sunhoods for lol....awesome vid Cap!
Last point you mentioned its worth thinking, just like spark if we can buy with RC or without RC (atleast for those who have smart controller)
Meh, I'd rather go with the crystal sky. More outputs, plus I can keep the native controller of each respective drone and not have to pair it. I usually throw all my gear in a car real quick, I don't want to mess with pairing drones to controllers haha.
Thanks for the comparison. Great quality and content as always.
One thing to keep in mind about cost: with the Crystal Sky, you also have to buy a mounting bracket and battery, which puts the cost at $607, only $42 cheaper.
No mounting bracket required and the battery comes with it. Or were you referring to a battery charger... that does not come with it.
You make a lot of good points. Great content. I'll stick with the note 8. Use the 700 for more gear for mavic 2. Lol
I think the crystal sky is the way to go. I think it's a lot more practical. The removable battery is a great option. I had a controller issue today and wished i had a battery to swap out. Cheers mate
i think it is nice to have the smartcontroller for the phantom because it is way smaller then the original
My thoughts exactly on the hassle of binding each aircraft to the controller, I own the Mavic 2 Pro & Zoom. Now what might make it a little more worthwhile is when DJI follows through with the Dual Remote Controller Mode (Coming soon) stated on page 47!
For me I love the built-in screen on my P4P, also knowing that I don't have to charge the screen separately is a big plus for me, one less thing to charge.
However the flexibility of having a crystal sky monitor especially if you own multiple drones is priceless.
However the Crystal sky monitors are also old technology which makes them not very touch friendly and sometimes very buggy.
This new built in screen is running Android as well and I'm sure DJI would have upgraded the touch sensitivity and more.
But I won't know until I test for myself.
Pros and cons to every product in life, you just got to get what best suits your needs and the way you prefer to operate I think.
I can only speak for the 5.5 inch Crystal Sky, and must say it is super responsive and has not failed me yet.... I've only had it since late last year, so my long term test. Also, the chip in it is future proof as that is how DJI designed the Crystal Sky when they were first launched. If I know DJI well, as I think I do, you'll find the almost exact same chips in the new controller as are in the Crystal Sky.
Dee Jay Eye.... very good!
For me I would get the Smart Controller if you have a Mavic, Mavic 2 or maybe Phantom. Those drones doesn't take long to set up. Crystal Sky Monitor I seen it used with the Inspire
First off let me say thank you Steve, for a Honest review , as always! Ok, I'm feeling the same as most who commented! I was very excited soon as it came out but MAN am I so glad now that it was out of stock. Lol.... After watching and reading a ton of reviews the Crystal sky, large screen, extra Brite, sounds like the obvious winner to me. At least with that one I'm not binding each and every drone that I own from DJI, not to mention it has 2 SD card slots, so I can transfer video from one card to another(or watch back) unlike the controller which is dedicated to just 2.0 Occusyc drones, and only has 1 sd slot.. (What happens when occusyc 3.0 comes out?) And what happens if the sticks fail? You loose a monitor as well! Yikes! Also why aren't they offering a buy back of the controller that is now useless? Lol lol. That would just be good business I guess? Lol. Grrrrrrrr. I'll laugh my ass off if the phantom 5 comes out with ocusync 3.0 or 2.5.. lol lol. Btw. I love dji drones! I Just don't like there business practices! Or for that matter Apple as well! 🤟🤟 Thx again Steve!
Michael
Good points. If the monitor fails, well then your out an entire joystick. Also, the Phantom 5 may be very advanced and have its own super cool controller with display.
i love the
I love my Dji crystal sky 5.5! The best purchase i have made for my drone biz. dump the cell its worth the money. just update your equipment before you go fly. my equipment. inspire 1 v2 pro X5. P4Pro+, Mav Pro, My fave, Spark is the best bang for the buck. Osmo Pro, X5. Don't go cheap on the mount or cables. Don't forget the sunscreen.
Hi all, just thought I'd add my comment, being the owner of both the Crystal sky 7.85Ultra and 5.5inch units. The Ultra bright 2000nit 7.85inch Crystal Sky is by far a better brighter picture during bright sunny days. It's clear even in direct sunlight. You can see all of the transmitted video image from the drone, even the under exposed parts of the picture that on an IOS device is impossible to see. This really helps ensure the pictures you are capturing are correct. It will blow you away how bright and clear the image is on this larger brighter screen. Although the bigger brighter screen is by far the best to use it is sometimes not practical to cart around and attach to the Mavic 2 controller, it is a heavier larger device, also a mount and cable is required which can be fiddly setting up and packing up when in a hurry. I find when traveling I tend to use the 5.5inch Crystal sky which is not as bright but still very useable and much better than a smart phone. especially on hot days when Apple IOS devices will reduce screen brightness and throttle back CPU power to the point the DJI GO4 App stutters and the live view drops frames. The other thing to consider as mentioned in this video is battery life, I have 3 batteries for my Crystal sky's and they run for hours. Now, not sure if this applies to the new smart controller or not but one thing that bugs me with the smaller 5.5inch Crystal Sky is the Compass. Many of us are experiencing poor compass readings (Aircraft Heading direction indication erratic) and the compass in the 5.5inch Crystal Sky is just too hard to calibrate. Believe me we have tried re-calibrating the compass by SLOWLY rotating the Crystal Sky at different locations but still we get a very jittery aircraft direction indicator. Not good. Along with this I have found my crystal sky's (Both 5.5 and 7.85Ultra) crash / lockup causing me to have to re-boot the Crystal sky's during mid flight. Very scary indeed. I have the latest firmwares on everything.This has happened unexpectedly several times on different flights - Mavic 2 Pro, Mavic Air, and Mavic Pro so its not Drone related, it's the Crystal Sky Android system. To add, I have used an iPhone 6, iPhone 8plus, ipad mini 4 and never experienced this lock-up problem. So i wonder if this erratic compass behaviour and App crashing / lockup will occur with the new Smart controllers. Also, the Crystal sky's have been known to lag with DJI GO4 updated features when updates are released so keep that in mind. Anyway my advice for people considering the smart controller is to hold off and see if there are any issues with this product before buying. Another reason to possibly wait in my opinion, is the smart controller is way over priced. i agree with the video, it should be about $200 cheaper which in time I have no doubt it will be.
Hi, good point raised re buying a phantom 5 or future mavic, if you already own smart controller... I think we know the answer. They might give you $200 discount off the second gimbal... lol. But, I really don’t see either option as attractive as the screen real estate and ergonomics of the iPad mini. It fits the controller like it was made for it...... as I’m sure you know, it has the slits in the arms and the USB port for that very product.
I think it is important to remember, flying a drone and filming are two separate disciplines. If you were flying a more High spec machine and lens it would be a two man job. Flying a drone visual line of sight means as well as flying the drone, you should be aware of the airspace in your vicinity at the same time as operating a gimbal to capture shots and observing instrument numbers, and it can be a demanding situation for one person. Add to that, you may need to enter a layer of menus via the screen to change one of the hundreds of possible settings during the flight. You really want the largest ergonomically sound screen possible. For me the larger screen on the iPad mini means less stress on the senses and that means I’m flying more competently.
If your flying for fun then you can be more chilled about the outcome of your flights. Put your phone in ‘do not disturb’ mode and save yourself a big chunk of currency towards your next drone. That’s my take on it Captain, thanks for the video and Safe flying
Wow your looking fresh today, must be the cold.. Im with you all the way and love the 2 crystal sky`s i have and ipads for backup.. so has to be a no for the new smart controller
Excellent comparison!!...I like how you pointed out the DJI Tax. So true!!! I'm going to stick with my Samsung Note 8 still the best to use with all DJI products.
Agree Note 8
you really use Note 8 and no issue, no app crash/freeze etc. nothing? I bought an iPad 2018 64GB which I use also for editing videos but I would prefer control my Mavic 2 Zoom with my S8+ ... I have read many threatening issue with android, but I would like to believe that if you use it with a strong and though hardware like S8+ has and not a mid-class Huawei or LG it should not occur crash/freeze whatever.Could you please tell me which android version you have now and your experiences? Many thanks in advance! :)
Flying with your own phone is a pain in the butt. Getting a great phone with big screen great processor can cost you more the controller with screen. I wish it worked with the Mavic Air too ...
awwesome review...! i have the CS/Ultra & soo far its been iffy with lag issues when using with my M2Pro...it just needs a newer firmware/software update to correct the current issues ones experiencing... im hoping that the new firmware upgrade for the Smart Controller remote will be compatible with current CS monitors....
Yikes! I wonder what the issue is. I have no lag using the CS with any of the DJI drones, then again I don't have the Ultra, so I wonder if it is a pixel/refresh thingy.
CAPTAIN DRONE Screen touch & sensitivity ,lag conductivity issues, frequent app crashes all software & monitor firmware are currently up to date, sent my monitor in to DJ to have it diagnosed and they sent it back saying there's nothing wrong with it ,but you but you can tell the differences compared to the regular issues. I did a lot of research on forums and a lot of people that own the high bright & ultra bright experience the same issues! Dont get me wrong; it's a great awesome monitor but I believe they can fix the petty issues by just updating to a better & corrective firmware and software update
Great job.....
You got to buy on of the crystal sky controller and you will have ton of likes and nice reviews
Although you said it works on all mavics and phantoms
I was waiting for the Smart controller for my Mavic 2 but is over priced so now I waiting to see if Apple releases a Ipad Mini 5 .
I prefer to use my iPad mini 4. Nice review Capi
Great Video!!! I use my Ipad Mini 4 with data service.. I think I'll stick to that for now, unless they drop the price or they force you to buy it with the future drones....
Black Friday 2019 will see this controller on sale ($200 off the price).
You can live stream with the crystal sky using HDMI out to like sling studio