Magewell Eco Capture HDMI 4K Plus M.2

About this product

When the source is a 4K camera or workstation output running at 60 frames per second, you want every frame. The Eco Capture HDMI 4K Plus M.2 takes the full signal, in a slot normally used for a solid-state drive. It is a one-channel M.2 capture card and a single channel 4Kp60 capture card: it brings one 4K HDMI source at up to 60 frames per second into a computer that has no room for a full-size PCIe capture card.

What goes in

• One HDMI 2.0 input. Up to 4096×2160 in 4:4:4 at 60 frames per second, through a 594 MHz HDMI receiver, which suits fine text and graphics from a computer source. DVI-D 1.0 is also accepted.
• HDR10. HDR10 sources are supported, so you can connect them as they are.
• Audio. Up to eight channels of 24-bit embedded HDMI audio at a 192 kHz sample rate, on the same cable as the picture.
• Custom EDID. EDID is the information a capture card gives the source about which formats it accepts. It can be customised on this card, which lets you steer a source to the format you want.

What comes out

• Uncompressed video to your software. The card hands frames to the computer at resolutions up to 4096×2160. Your software then handles encoding, recording or streaming.
• Frame rates. 4096×2160 and 3840×2160 at up to 60 frames per second, and 1920×1080 and 1280×720 at up to 120. The overall ceiling is 240 frames per second.
• Formats. NV12, I420, YUYV, UYVY, RGB24 and RGB32.
• Processing on the card. Scaling, de-interlacing, colour format conversion and frame rate conversion are done in the card’s own video pipeline (about 360 megapixels per second), which keeps the load off the computer’s processor.
• Several programs at once. Unlimited capture streams can be taken from the one input, so you can record in one program while another previews or streams.

A standard HDMI socket on your case

An M.2 card is too small to carry an HDMI socket. The card has a small 20-pin LVDS connector, and it comes with a cable and a 20.5 cm adapter that ends in a full-size HDMI socket. You fix that socket to the case and plug a normal HDMI cable into it.

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. Uncompressed 4K at 60 frames per second is a lot of data. 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, Wirecast, and other DirectShow or V4L2 software. It is also compatible with Magewell’s own Capture Express, Bridge for NDI and Plugin for Premiere.
• Power and heat. Maximum power consumption is about 6.6 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.

Why choose the 4K Plus

This is the card for 4K at 60 frames per second in a small computer. Its 0 to 60°C operating range suits equipment that runs warm, and it is built for round-the-clock use. If your source is 4K at 30 frames per second or lower, the Eco Capture HDMI 4K M.2 has an HDMI 1.4 input up to 4096×2160 at 30 fps and uses about 3.75 W. For 12G-SDI sources, see the Eco Capture 12G SDI 4K Plus M.2. The whole family is on the Eco Capture range page.