This week, Blackmagic Design launched a new series of portable ATEM SDI live production mixers/switchers with 3G-SDI connections instead of HDMI inputs, starting at US$345. This is great for those producers who cannot stand using the HDMI connector doing a shoot. ATEM SDI switchers are quite powerful, with standard converters on all inputs, a built in Fairlight audio mixer with 6 band parametric EQ, compressor and limiter on all inputs, internal DVEs, chroma keyers, transitions and more. Although the audio input connections are unbalanced 3.5 mm, some users may choose to connect balanced mics to the cameras, especially since two balanced mics connected to a camera as “fake stereo” can be mapped as separate mono sources with the companion software. In some cases, this could eliminate the need for a physical audio mixer. Ahead are a video presentation featuring CEO Grant Petty and a list of detailed technical questions I sent to Blackmagic.

Questions I sent to Blackmagic:

1. I am glad to see that (if desired) the framerate setting can be set manually with the ATEM SDI series. With the prior (HDMI) ATEM Mini series, I believe that they match the switcher whatever is connected to input 1, both in spatial resolution as with framerate, and that the only way to change it manually is by creating and selecting an XML file preset with a particular name. Please clarify how this can be set manually with the new ATEM SDI series, assuming it’s different from the XML file approach.
2. I see that (like the prior HDMI ATEM Mini series), each input can be “standards converted” if the input source is different from the current switcher resolution and framerate. Does this occur even if the switcher rate is set (for example) for 29.97p and a particular source is (for example) 25p?
3. I imagine that during the process of doing a “deep” rate conversion as in the example posed in question 2 above, the latency will be greater. Please tell me how the switcher’s video latency can vary, from minimum to maximum, where minimum latency is when all source inputs matching the output perfectly (i.e. 1080p29.97 on all sources) and maximum needs to “standards convert” from a source like 1080p25 to 1080p29.97.
4. Grant mentioned how the new ATEM SDI can accept true interlaced sources but can only output progressive. That is very understandable and reasonable. The question is: In the case of receiving a true interlaced source of 1080i59.94 (true interlaced) and having the switcher automatically set the resolution based upon input 1, does the switcher then set the output resolution and rate to 1080p59.94 (progressive 59.94p, creating an extrapolated frame from each original field) or does it then set the output to 1080p29.97 (progressive, either blending the two fields or using a single field to create the 29.97 progressive frames)?

I will publish another article with Blackmagic’s responses shortly after receiving it.

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Many of the above manufacturers have sent Allan Tépper review units, including Blackmagic. Some of the manufacturers listed above have contracted Tépper and/or TecnoTur LLC to carry out consulting and/or translations/localizations/transcreations. So far, none of the manufacturers listed above is/are sponsors of the TecnoTur, BeyondPodcasting, CapicúaFM or TuSaludSecreta programs, although they are welcome to do so, and some are, may be (or may have been) sponsors of ProVideo Coalition magazine. Some links to third parties listed in this article and/or on this web page may indirectly benefit TecnoTur LLC via affiliate programs. Allan Tépper’s opinions are his own. Allan Tépper is not liable for misuse or misunderstanding of information he shares.