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Blackmagic Design

StudioTech – Blackmagic Design ATEM 1 video switcher Part 1

Mark 8

CHECKOUT THE NEW TTFN FORUM ATEM SECTION

BlackMagic Design announced the ATEM range at NAB earlier this year. This announcement brings new price points to the market for hardware video switchers.

In this episode we take a first look at the ATEM 1 production switcher with a product unboxing video.

Follow us on Twitter to get updates on all our videos.

See all the Blackmagic Design ATEM Videos at www.ttfn.tv/atem

UPDATES (29 June 2011) after talking with Blackmagic Design:

  • The ATEM 1 and 2 M/E do NOT have H.264 output (but the Televsion Studio does). Both the 1 M/E and 2 M/E switchers send uncompressed 10 bit YUV.
  • Media Manager – Because you have every two interlaced frames forming a complete frame, you are actually looking at 6 seconds at 30 frames per second in 60i. You get 360 frames in 720p (again 6 seconds) and 900 frames in SD (that’s 30 seconds).

 

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8 comments
John Coles

Thanks a lot Mark! Now I want one!

My question is:
Is the control software controllable via AppleScript?

Thanks,
John.

PS
We asked BMD for an ATEM Television Studio to cover future Apple Keynotes and they said no. Shame but I want one even more now I have seen it!

Reply
    Mark

    Hi John, haven’t seen anything about AppleScript support yet! Had quick play with it this evening. First thing to know is that all inputs have to be the same resolution (720p or 1080I), you can’t mix and match.

    More in the next few days!

    Mark

    Reply
      John Coles

      I downloaded the software last night and doesn’t look as if it can be AppleScripted which is a bit of a bummer. I would advise you to use 720p it is better for web.

      I presume you are going to take the output of the ATEM 1 M/E in to a BMD Capture card in to Wirecast and use Wirecast to encode it?

      Thanks,
      John Coles.

      Reply
        Joe de Max

        John – Mixing progressive with interlaced is very complex, most switchers can’t do this.

        Reply
        Mark

        Problem with 720p is that most cameras don’t output 720p and as the ATEM doesn’t scale inputs 1080i it is.

        Yes going to use Wirecast (via sdi) to stream and record.

        Mark

        Reply
          Gerbrand Oudenaarden

          Hi Mark,

          thanks for the videos and this forum. I am very interested in the 2 ME switcher but as it isn’t on the market yet i enjoy scraping together every bit of information i can find.

          One more question. I also use Wirecast (on a macbook pro) (and FME on a rackmounted Windows encoder). I haven’t experimented yet with getting an HD SDI signal into a live stream. Are you willing to share how you ingest the HD-SDI into Wirecast? Decklink? Matrox?

          I ‘ve previously tried connecting our Sony EX3 camera via HDV to wirecast, but this really slows down wirecast, and makes the live stream very unstable.

          In the end I want to take an HD output of the 2 M/E switcher and use it for live HD streaming. I hope this can be done without carrying a (heavy) mac pro around.

          Thanks!
          Gerbrand

          Mark

          Hi Gerbrand,

          for Wirecast I built a Mac Pro system with Decklink Duo and Intensity pro cards. You can see my system build – Part 1 and Part 2 by following the links.

          You should suggest to Blackmagic that they add a Thunderbolt port. I have already suggested this! The portable solution I would probably go for would be a MacBook Pro and (soon to be Thunderbolt enabled) Matrox MX02.

          The ATEM 2 M/E does look like the switcher to have but another couple of months to wait yet!

          Keep in touch.

          Mark

santosh jaiswal

hi sir
I HAVE TWO ATEM 1 ME SWITCHER.the HDMI Multiview out, HDMI PGM out and the down convertered SD-SDI out IS 2/3 FRAM DELAY

Reply

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