Blackmagic Just Made The Killer Video Deck For Streamers

Blackmagic has launched a new live video switcher with built-in streaming support, the ATEM Mini Pro, along with an update for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras that could make them more appealing for DIY studios. The ATEM Mini Pro builds on Blackmagic's existing ATEM Mini, adding in new features for both recording and streaming.

Out of the box, the ATEM Mini Pro looks much like its ATEM Mini sibling. The front panel has sizable buttons for picking sources, selecting video effects and transitions, and buttons for audio mixing. The Pro throws in record and streaming control buttons, too, along with output selection buttons.

The latter flip the switcher between the the cameras, program, and multiview, depending on what's connected at the back. There, you'll find four HDMI inputs for cameras and computers, an HDMI aux-out for program video, and extra microphone inputs. There's also a USB port, which Blackmagic uses for an unusual webcam out features.

That shows up as a regular webcam source when plugged into a computer, so that pretty much any video software will recognize the ATEM Mini Pro. Up to 1080p Full HD is supported, and it means you'll be able to pipe all of the sources through the switcher into apps like YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Zoom, Twitch, Periscope, and more.

An integrated hardware streaming engine via the ethernet port allows for more resilient direct streaming to YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch, meanwhile. Palettes in the ATEM Software Control can be switched between, and there's a data rate indicator to show just how much bandwidth you'll need for the current format and resolution settings.

On the effects and transitions side, there are options like dissolve, dip to color, DVE squeeze, and DVE push, which can all be triggered with a button-press. A still store for titles and graphics is included, too, and the video sources automatically re-sync so that there's no messing with different standards. In addition to streaming, a copy of the video can be saved to a USB drive for backup or export.

The Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro is on sale now, priced at $595.

As potential partners for the new ATEM Mini Pro, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and 6K models are getting an update today. It enables video and control via their HDMI ports: plug up to four into an ATEM Mini or ATEM Mini Pro and they can be used as streaming cameras.

The record light becomes a tally light, showing which camera is currently on-air, and the ATEM Software Control gets a camera control unit style interface for managing them remotely. It's possible to tweak iris and black level settings, as well as color tint, focus, gain, and shutter speed. It's possible to simultaneously ISO record Blackmagic RAW within the camera, for subsequent editing.

Blackmagic Camera Update 6.9 is available to download and install now.

Blackmagic's last video news of the day is a new software update for the HyperDeck Studio Mini broadcast recorder. HyperDeck v7.1 adds a new H.264 codec for true interlaced HD formats, together with a new AAC audio codec that will be directly compatible with YouTube.

Ethernet transfers have been boosted in speed, too, now supporting up to 110 MB/s. Individual files can be larger, too, at up to three hours. As well as the existing SD, 720p, and 1080p recording support, there's now 1080i HD true interlaced recording in H.264. With the dual media card slots, the HyperDeck Studio Mini will automatically continue recording from one card to the next as it becomes full, without pausing or losing video. The cards are hot-swappable too, so you can pretty much continue that for as long as you have spares.

The new software is available to download and install now.