Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 25, 2006. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The new DeckLink HD Extreme video card expands Blackmagic’s range and offers an inexpensive alternative for HD editing. The card has one HD-SDI input and two HD-SDI outputs, one for the image and the second for the key. It also has a component input and output in SD and HD. It inputs and outputs SDI signals in 4:2:2 format, while internal processing and conversion take place at 14 bit.
On the audio side, the card offers two channels of unbalanced and two channels of balanced Audio in and out. With SD-SDI it supports up to eight audio channels, and with HD-SDI up to twelve.
A dedicated power supply on the card minimizes disturbances such as SDI jitter, and via a USB port on the board the user can repair the firmware even when the card can no longer be addressed through the operating system. HD Extreme is available immediately and costs 995 dollars.
With Multibridge Pro, Blackmagic is presenting another model of its external video converters for PC and Mac. The Multibridge is connected to the computer via a PCI Express card, but can also run without this card. All the electronics are housed in the breakout box; the connection to the computer is necessary only for capturing or during playout. The two-meter connection cable merely routes the pins of the PCI Express connection out of the computer case and makes it possible to use the Multibridge like a PCI video card.
Without a connection to the computer, the Multibridge serves as a D/A and A/D converter for both SD and HD signals. In converter mode, the box can be addressed via USB to set video levels and Audio (De-)Embedding or to perform a firmware update. Multibridge Pro costs 1595 US dollars and is available immediately.
A third innovation is the „On-Air“ software for Multibridge Extreme. It allows it to be used as a live video mixer. The software enables dissolves between the two SDI inputs in real time with a few effects. The analog output of the box serves as a genlock signal for the two cameras. The software is expected to be available as a free download from next week.
Further links:
- Blackmagic DeckLink HD Extreme
Blackmagic Multibridge Pro
Blackmagic OnAir
