For those who don’t know the tool: Mavis Studio is a touch-first live switcher for iPad that ingests cameras over NDI or a companion camera app, mixes audio, overlays HTML5 graphics, and outputs to stream, record, HDMI, or NDI.

The iPad gets a vision mixer job

Mavis ships a live production app for iPad that runs a Program and Preview workflow with an interactive multiview, source tiles, and a transition section that can take cuts or mixes between Preview and Program. The multiview is configurable, can be locked to hide setup controls, and can bank to a second multiview setup.

A show saves as a document that keeps the show assets and settings together, including imported media that gets stored inside the show document for faster playback.

Sources in, including remote phones and local NDI

You can bring in camera sources over NDI or by connecting up to four iPhones running the companion camera app. The app supports up to four NDI inputs, including NDI HX3 or full bandwidth NDI, and it includes an integrated tally system.

Camera discovery can happen through a cloud hub that helps devices find each other, or by finding nearby devices for local discovery. Nearby discovery uses the same underlying idea as AirDrop for bringing devices close to discover them, then letting the connection route over the most appropriate network path.

External cameras can also enter the chain via adapters that feed HDMI or SDI into a phone running the camera app, including Atomos hardware like Ninja Phone and Accsoon capture devices in the SeeMo line. That keeps the phone as the ingest point while still using larger cameras.

Players, layouts, and web graphics as a first class citizen

The built in Media Player can play videos, and the Image Player can show stills, with the option to auto play media when it appears on prgoram. Media control includes a jog wheel for frame accurate control.

Graphics can come from a Web Player that loads a URL and can be used as a keyed overlay, with HTML5 based graphics overlay support. The app also supports scene layouts, including preset and custom layouts, and layouts can use up to four layers plus a background. You can move, resize, and crop live video inside layouts, then cut layouts directly like any other source.

iPad web graphics come with platform constraints. iPadOS does not allow video playback inside these embedded web views, and heavy JavaScript pages can consume more system resources.

Audio is a mixer, not a checkbox

Studio includes a 16 channel audio desk with channel strips and controls that include faders, pan, gain, EQ, grouping, and master output control. Sources can present audio metering per tile, and grouping can act like VCA style control for managing multiple channels quickly during a show.

Outputs: stream, record, HDMI, and a flexible NDI send

Streaming can target YouTube and Twitch or other destinations using RTMP or SRT. Local recording writes the output directly to disk for archive or edit.

For hardware, the app can output over wired HDMI from the iPad. NDI output works as a send that can transmit a selectable source from the internal video matrix, rather than being locked to Program only. That allows workflows like sending Program, a layout, a media player, or a clean feed to another device on the local network while still running your main show.

If you rely on NDI, validate network stability, device thermals, and end to end latency before you bet a paid gig on it. streaimg is a harsh teacher.

Pricing, platform requirements, and what is still vague

The app is listed as a free download on the App Store with in app purchases. The listing shows four purchase options titled Remove Watermark at $24.99 and $79.99, and Remove Watermark + NDI at $39.99 and $129.99. The App Store listing also states that some features require an app subscription, but it does not specify durations for those price points.

The App Store listing states iPadOS 26.0 or later is required. It also lists compatibility for macOS 26.0 or later on Apple silicon Macs, and visionOS 26.0 or later.

https://mavis.cloud/studio

Suggested tags:

The post Mavis Studio turns iPad into a live switcher first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Blackmagic Design has released version 3.2 of its Blackmagic Camera app for iOS. The update introduces native live streaming directly to YouTube, Vimeo, and Twitch, without requiring additional encoders or third-party apps. The app continues to frame the iPhone as a production-ready camera interface with full manual control. Version 3.2 extends this idea to live workflows, letting operators start a professional broadcast straight from the app by entering a stream key for their chosen platform.

SRT for Professional Streams

Beyond platform streaming, the update adds SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) support. This protocol provides encrypted, low-latency transmission suitable for news, remote production, or event coverage over unstable networks. The app can now send SRT video directly to Blackmagic Streaming Decoders or any SRT-compatible receiver, positioning the iPhone as a viable field camera for broadcast environments. Support for custom RTMP and SRT servers allows integration with professional CDNs or in-house streaming systems. Or, you know, Vmix, Streamlabs, Facebook, and all the others.

Smarter Storage Feedback

External recording to SSDs remains supported via USB-C, but version 3.2 refines how the app reports media status. The update adds clear on-screen notifications if an external drive disconnects during recording, standby, or data upload. For mobile ProRes workflows, this is a practical safeguard against lost footage and unclear drive states.

Expanded Remote Control

Multi-view remote monitoring on iPad and Mac has been expanded. Users can now select the number of monitored angles, enabling more flexible layouts for multicamera setups. This builds on the app’s growing role as a companion tool for Blackmagic Cloud and DaVinci Resolve Camera projects.

Under-the-Hood Fixes

Blackmagic Design lists two key bug fixes: a corrected recording issue linked to auto white balance and intermittent audio monitoring dropouts. General stability improvements are included, though no details on performance changes were provided.

Availability

Blackmagic Camera for iOS 3.2 is available now as a free download on the App Store, with no subscription or in-app purchases. As with any newly introduced feature, live streaming and SRT workflows should be tested before critical productions to confirm stability and compatibility.

The post Blackmagic Camera 3.2: iPhone Streams Live, No Extra Steps first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Camera ProDock, a dock that transforms the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max into a professional production camera with broadcast-standard connectivity. Introduced on 10 September 2025, the ProDock effectively closes the gap between a smartphone sensor and an on-set camera rig, by providing the missing infrastructure: power, sync, storage, monitoring, and audio.

HDMI Output: Monitoring Without Compromise

The ProDock introduces a full-size HDMI Type A port, a notable upgrade from improvised Lightning or USB-C adapters that often lack reliability in production. This allows direct connection to on-set monitors, switchers, or EVFs, with proper locking cables and without the fragile signal paths associated with consumer adapters. For camera operators, this means the iPhone can finally slot into traditional video villages or live multi-cam environments without a mess of dongles.

Timecode and Genlock: The Professional Core

Two BNC connectors provide timecode input and reference genlock. For professionals, these are not optional extras but workflow-critical features. Genlock keeps multiple cameras frame-accurate, essential for live events, multi-camera narrative work, or LED-wall virtual production. Without genlock, subtle frame misalignment causes visible flicker on volume walls. Timecode ensures every recorded file is aligned to production clocks, enabling precise post sync without guesswork.

Blackmagic confirms that genlock is supported only on iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, leveraging new hardware capabilities in Apple’s latest devices. Earlier iPhones will support most dock features but not frame lock, limiting their usefulness in tightly synchronised multi-camera shoots.

Power Distribution: A Serious Rig Component

The dock includes a 12V–15V DC locking power input, the same style seen on compact cinema cameras. This allows the entire system (phone, dock, attached SSDs, and even accessories powered from the dock) to run from V-mount or Gold mount batteries on set. For mobile productions, it eliminates the typical bottleneck of smartphone rigs: USB-C power banks with consumer-grade cables. A rigged iPhone can now run an entire day’s shoot without swap-outs or dangling charging cables.

Storage Expansion: Beyond Internal Limits

The ProDock adds three USB-C ports. Two are USB 3.2 Gen 1 with enough bandwidth for external SSD recording. This enables high-bitrate ProRes workflows directly to external media, bypassing internal storage constraints and removing the constant need to offload mid-shoot. The third USB-C is USB 2.0, designed for accessories such as focus and zoom controllers. Blackmagic is clearly treating the iPhone not as a phone but as the imaging block of a broader system, expandable with modular components.

Audio I/O: From Consumer Mic to Professional Sound

Audio has not been overlooked. The dock integrates a 3.5 mm microphone input and 3.5 mm headphone output, standard but critical for set usability. This allows proper monitoring with latency-free analogue outputs, and direct input of powered microphones, recorders, or wireless packs. While serious productions may continue to dual-record on external mixers, the dock ensures that sync sound workflows are not compromised at the acquisition stage.

Rigging and Physical Design

Blackmagic has clearly thought about physical rigging. The dock includes 1/4-20 mounting threads on both top and bottom, ensuring easy integration into cages, arms, and standard rigs. It is not a consumer accessory designed for handheld casual shooting, but a unit intended to live inside a larger professional build. A status LED confirms genlock synchronisation, giving immediate visual feedback that the phone is locked to reference.

Workflow Impact

With the ProDock, an iPhone becomes more than just a B-camera or emergency backup. In LED-wall production, it can serve as a synchronised unit. In live events, it can deliver frame-accurate signals directly into switchers. In mobile documentaries or guerrilla-style shoots, it provides reliable media offload and power, avoiding the constant file management associated with internal storage.

When paired with the Blackmagic Camera app, which provides the same UI and image controls as Blackmagic’s digital cinema cameras, the iPhone rig offers a continuity of operation across mobile and professional cameras. Operators can adjust shutter angle, ISO, frame rate, and white balance with the same interface used on the Pocket Cinema Camera series. The ProDock then ensures this mobile footage can be integrated with studio-level gear without bottlenecks or mismatched sync.

Pricing and Availability

Apple’s online store lists it at US$299.95. Regardless of the channel, it is positioned far below the cost of a dedicated cinema camera accessory ecosystem, making it accessible for productions willing to leverage iPhone imaging hardware. And, to find your local pricing, here is a list of all Resellers: BMD Resellers.

Professional Caveats

The dock does not fundamentally change the iPhone’s image characteristics, it remains a smartphone sensor with smartphone optical limits, but it does ensure that once captured, the footage behaves within professional standards for synchronisation, monitoring, and post-production integration. New innovations should always be tested in controlled conditions before being deployed on live productions. The Blackmagic ProDock solves several bottlenecks for smartphone-based shooting, but only production testing will reveal its reliability at scale.

The post Docking Phone to Pro: Blackmagic Adds Pro Controls to Mobile with Camera App and ProDock first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Apple has updated its smartphone filming companion, Final Cut Camera, to version 2.0. The free expansion unlocks advanced recording capabilities on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, including ProRes RAW recording, genlock, open-gate capture, Apple Log 2, expanded timecode options, and full integration with Live Multicam in Final Cut Pro for iPad and Mac.

ProRes RAW on a Phone

The iPhone 17 Pro models are the first smartphones to support ProRes RAW. This format preserves unprocessed sensor data, providing extended dynamic range and grading flexibility. ProRes RAW files benefit from Apple’s Media Engine for export acceleration and storage efficiency.

Genlock: Frame-Sync for Multicam

Final Cut Camera 2.0 introduces genlock, allowing iPhones to synchronise with other cameras via a reference signal. This ensures frame-accurate alignment and removes the need for manual syncing.

Apple has also released a genlock API, already supported by Blackmagic Design’s Camera ProDock. The feature enables professional-grade techniques such as bullet-time rigs with multiple iPhones shooting in perfect sync.

Support for open-gate capture allows use of the iPhone’s full sensor area, beyond the standard 16:9 or DCI 4K crop. This offers flexibility for reframing, stabilisation and creative aspect ratios in post without quality loss.

Apple Log 2 and Timecode

Final Cut Camera 2.0 adds Apple Log 2, a flatter capture profile available in ProRes and HEVC, with extended colour representation and compatibility with LUT workflows. Timecode handling now includes Time of Day, Record Run, and external timecode input, offering professional clip management and multicam reliability.

The update adds manual controls for the new Center Stage front camera on the iPhone 17 line, including the iPhone Air. The square sensor records in both portrait and landscape orientation without rotating the device, a practical option for vloggers and journalists. Final Cut Camera now supports recording from the 200 mm Telephoto lens on iPhone 17 Pro at ProRes up to 4K60 fps. This extends creative framing options directly from the handset.

Rollout and Requirements

Final Cut Camera 2.0 will be available as a free App Store download later in September 2025. The app runs on iPhone Xs or newer with iOS 18.6 or later, though ProRes RAW and genlock require iOS 26 and an iPhone 17 Pro model. Parallel updates to Final Cut Pro 11.2 (Mac) and Final Cut Pro 2.3 (iPad) are planned to support these workflows, but Apple has not confirmed release dates.

For production teams, this update significantly broadens the iPhone’s potential. Still, as with any new recording format or feature, these workflows should be tested under production conditions before deployment.

The post iPhones Go “Pro” with Final Cut Camera 2.0 first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.