Whether you're experienced with FPV drones (from the analog days) or just starting out in the hobby and picking up your first drone, digital HD vs. analog is the ultimate debate! much like Android vs iOS, opinions are divided here.
And while I agree that HD systems have revolutionized the FPV world and changed it forever, do you really need it for FPV flying? If you've ever seen Mr. Steele and his (older) videos, you probably know that you don't necessarily need digital HD to fly around and do rad tricks. It seems to work just as well with an analog system.
There are some obvious advantages to HD systems. Starting with the much better visibility and the possibilities associated with detail, especially when flying at close and medium range. HD systems have already come a long way and have now even established themselves in the FPV racing world. While the DJI system has not managed to become the next best thing for racing, HDZero and Walksnail have. The latency on the HD systems is getting shorter and shorter and they seem to be here to stay in the FPV world.
The new DJI O3 system also allows pilots to get great footage without having to use a GoPro. This makes it easier to stay under 250 grams. Of course, a GoPro is still the measure of all things when it comes to good image quality. But for most hobby purposes, the image from the DJI O3 Air Unit is perfectly adequate.
Analog systems dominated the world of drone racing for a long time and are still present today. The latency associated with analog systems is still the shortest in FPV video transmission, giving race pilots, hardcore freestyle pilots and long distance pilots the fastest response time and sometimes better range. This depends heavily on the system you are using. Analog VTX (video transmitters) are also sometimes extremely tiny. The same applies to analog FPV cameras. This allows pilots to realize extremely light builds, unlike the HD systems.
Many pilots from the older FPV days (including myself) still enjoy the analog technology on some of their drones. Not just for the enjoyment of something "familiar", but for another factor, probably the most important one: we already have our Fatshark video goggles and analog systems on so many quads.
Here is a small table to give you a quick overview of the differences.
| Analog | Digital HD | |
| System entry price | Low to medium | High |
| Quality of the signal | Low to medium | High |
| VTX price | Low | High |
| Susceptibility to disruptions | Medium-High | Low |
| Size | Tiny/nano | Relatively large |
| Reach | Medium-High | Low to medium |
| Latency | Low | Medium-High |
In this video, we pitted the best analog FPV camera to date (at the time of filming) against a Caddx Vista:
As mentioned earlier - if you already have many components and drones that use analog systems, you probably don't want to change your entire setup. But you could start gradually, as HD is here to stay and has many advantages. However, the transition period is not necessarily easy.
If you are new to FPV and want to start your adventure with freestyle, cinematic or long range, I strongly recommend you start with HD systems. There are quite a few on the market now and as mentioned before, these systems are the future.
However, it all depends on your initial budget. You can buy your first drone + radio + goggles in analog for as little as 300 EUR, while for the HD systems you will have to spend three to four times that as a starting price.
There are currently three established digital HD FPV systems. These include the DJI Digital FPV System, the Avatar System from Walksnail and HDZero.
If you are looking for an inexpensive FPV system with a wide range of products, you should opt for an analog FPV system. If you want to start directly with the best image quality and be prepared for the future, a digital HD FPV system is the solution.
Despite their shaky entry into the FPV world, HD systems have improved enormously and have found their place in the various areas of the FPV world. Whether you are a race pilot or a freestyle pilot, the most important thing with FPV is to have fun. It doesn't matter which system you use as long as it works for you and makes you happy.
For experienced pilots there is no real "need" to change anything. It comes directly from you and it also depends on you what you want to do with your equipment. Maybe now is the time to give Digital HD a leap of faith. Let us know on Instagram if you're flying analog or if you've already switched completely to Digital HD!
See you next time!
Your Lexie
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