Magewell Eco Capture 12G SDI 4K Plus M.2

About this product

Building a compact 4K recorder or streaming box, and the computer has no room for a full-size PCIe capture card? The Eco Capture 12G SDI 4K Plus M.2 puts 4K SDI capture in the slot normally used for a solid-state drive. It is a one-channel M.2 capture card that brings one 4K SDI source into the computer at up to 60 frames per second. SDI is the locking coaxial video connection used on broadcast cameras.

One channel, three ways to connect it

The card captures one channel, and its four input connectors let that channel arrive however your equipment delivers 4K, on one cable or split across several. That saves a converter in front of the card:

• Single link. One cable carrying SD, HD, 3G, 6G or 12G-SDI.
• Dual link. Two 6G-SDI cables that together make up a 12G signal.
• Quad link. Four 3G-SDI cables that together make up a 12G signal, as used by older 4K equipment, so you can keep that equipment in service.

Two of the connectors accept up to 12G-SDI and the other two up to 3G-SDI. For four separate HD cameras, see the Eco Capture Quad SDI M.2.

What goes in

• 4K at 60 frames per second. The maximum input is 4096×2160 at 60 frames per second, 4:2:2 10-bit.
• Audio with the picture. Up to eight channels of embedded audio at 48 kHz arrive on the same cable.
• Long cable runs. Up to 75 m for 12G-SDI, 80 m for 6G-SDI, 200 m for 3G-SDI and 430 m for SD, which lets you keep the computer well away from the camera.
• Need loop-through? See the Eco Capture SDI 4K Plus M.2, which adds an SDI loop-through output.

What comes out

• Uncompressed video to your software. Up to 4096×2160 at 60 frames per second, in NV12, I420, YUYV, UYVY, RGB24 or RGB32, so you can pick the format your application uses. Your software then handles encoding, recording or streaming.
• Processing on the card. Scaling, de-interlacing and related conversions run in the card’s own video pipelines (about 700 megapixels per second), which keeps the load off the computer’s processor.

How the connectors fit your case

An M.2 card is too small to carry BNC sockets, the usual SDI connector, so the card comes with short coaxial cables (14 cm) and BNC connectors for all four inputs: two rated for 12G and two for 3G. You fix the BNC connectors to the case, so plan for four panel holes close to the M.2 slot.

Fitting and setting up

• The slot. The card fits an M.2 2280 Type M slot with PCIe (Gen3 x4). It is the standard 2280 size, 22 mm wide and 80 mm long. Choose an M.2 slot that provides PCIe; slots that only take SATA drives are for storage. Check the host computer’s manual before ordering, or ask us.
• Slot speed matters. The card moves about 2400 MB/s per channel in a PCIe 3.x system, 1600 MB/s in PCIe 2.x and 800 MB/s in PCIe 1.x, so a PCIe 3.x slot gets the most from it.
• Drivers. Magewell supplies a Windows and Linux driver and an SDK, so install the driver as part of setup. Recommended systems are Windows 10/11 and Windows Server 2016/2019/2022/2025 (x86 and x64), and Linux on x86, x64 and ARM.
• Software you already use. Works with VLC, VirtualDub, OBS, XSplit, vMix, VidBlaster and Wirecast, plus Magewell’s own Capture Express, Bridge for NDI and Plugin for Premiere.
• Power and heat. Maximum power consumption is about 6.5 W, which is high for an M.2 slot, so allow for airflow. The operating temperature range is 0 to 60°C. The card is built to work continuously, 24 hours a day.

Where it earns its place

Choose this card when you need one 4K 60 fps SDI feed in a small computer and want the freedom to connect it as single, dual or quad link. Its 0 to 60°C operating range and 24-hour duty suit equipment that is installed and left running. For a 4K 60 fps HDMI source, see the Eco Capture HDMI 4K Plus M.2. The whole family is on the Eco Capture range page.