Broadcast and Studio Video Capture: 4K, SDI, and HDMI Workflows

SDI vs HDMI in Broadcast

SDI is the standard connection in broadcast: locking BNC connectors, long cable runs, embedded audio and one cable per signal. HDMI is increasingly common, but SDI still dominates camera infrastructure. The Pro Capture SDI range covers it with PCIe cards. The Pro Capture SDI and Pro Capture Dual SDI capture one or two 3G-SDI channels and have a loop-through for each input, and their inputs receive 3G-SDI over cable runs up to 150 m. For 4K, the Pro Capture SDI 4K Plus captures one signal up to 4096×2160 as single-link 12G-SDI, dual-link 6G-SDI or quad-link 3G-SDI. For 4K over HDMI, the Pro Capture HDMI 4K Plus captures up to 4096×2160 at 60 fps.

High-Density Ingest

For multi-camera ingest, the Pro Capture Quad SDI captures four 3G-SDI channels simultaneously on a single PCIe x4 card, each up to 2048×1080. It is a normal-profile card, so it needs a full-height slot, and it has no loop-through outputs. If the cameras must also feed other equipment, split the signals ahead of the card. Several cards can be fitted in one system, and a rotary switch on each card sets its number so that software can tell them apart.

NDI in Broadcast

NDI is often used alongside SDI to move video around a facility on the network. The Pro Convert SDI TX sits at the camera position and converts a 3G-SDI signal to NDI High Bandwidth on the network, where vMix, OBS Studio or any other NDI-enabled production system can use it. It is powered over standard PoE, so one network cable does everything. Where many signals are converted in one place, the Modator 2U chassis holds up to ten hot-swappable converter and encoder modules with dual power supplies.

Software Compatibility

Pro Capture cards work with production software through the standard capture interfaces: DirectShow on Windows, V4L2 on Linux and AVCaptureSession on macOS. vMix, Wirecast, OBS Studio, XSplit and VLC are all compatible, as is other software built on those interfaces. For your own applications, the Magewell Capture SDK gives direct access to the cards.