Magewell Pro Convert — Frequently Asked Questions

No. Pro Convert encoders and decoders are standalone hardware devices. They connect to your network by Ethernet and do the conversion themselves, so no computer has to stay running beside them. You set them up through a Web UI from any browser on the network, with nothing to install.

A Pro Convert encoder takes a video signal from an HDMI or SDI cable and sends it over your network as an NDI High Bandwidth stream. A Pro Convert decoder does the reverse: it receives an NDI or other IP stream from the network and turns it back into HDMI or SDI for a display, projector or switcher.

The Pro Convert for NDI decoders (such as the Pro Convert for NDI to HDMI) accept NDI High Bandwidth, NDI HX, HX2 and HX3, plus RTSP, HTTP, HLS, RTMP pull and push, and MPEG-TS over UDP, RTP or SRT. The Pro Convert IP multiview decoders (such as the Pro Convert IP to AIO 4K) add RIST and Zixi. Pro Convert encoders output NDI High Bandwidth only.

Pro Convert encoders send full NDI (NDI High Bandwidth) and nothing else: no NDI HX, SRT or RTMP. If you need those, look at the Ultra Encode range. Pro Convert decoders accept NDI High Bandwidth, NDI HX2 and NDI HX3, and the Pro Convert for NDI decoders also list first-generation NDI HX.

Most are. The Pro Convert NDI encoders and the Pro Convert for NDI decoders run from standard PoE (IEEE 802.3af), so one Ethernet cable from an ordinary PoE switch carries both data and power. A 5 V USB power adapter is supplied for switches without PoE. The exceptions: the Pro Convert IP to AIO 4K and IP to HDMI 4K need PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at) or their USB-C adapter, and the Pro Convert IP to USB has no PoE and takes its power from the computer’s USB port.

It depends on the model. For 4K at 60 fps, choose the Pro Convert HDMI 4K Plus or the Pro Convert 12G SDI 4K Plus: both encode up to 4096×2160 at 60 fps. The Pro Convert SDI 4K Plus takes 4K over 6G-SDI at up to 30 fps. The HD models, including the Pro Convert HDMI TX and Pro Convert SDI TX, work at up to 2K and 60 fps. NDI encoding is 4:2:2, 8-bit on every encoder.

Connect the device to a network with DHCP and it obtains an IP address automatically. Without DHCP, you set the address by hand in the Web UI. NDI devices on the same subnet find each other automatically; to work across subnets, plan for an NDI Discovery Server or manual source addresses. A dedicated network for NDI traffic is recommended, because it reduces packet loss caused by delay and jitter from other traffic.

Yes. NDI is a common standard, so a Pro Convert encoder appears as a source in NDI-enabled software such as vMix, OBS (with an NDI plugin) and NDI Studio Monitor, and in other NDI-enabled products. In the other direction, Pro Convert decoders can decode NDI streams sent by other makers’ software and hardware encoders.

Yes. The packet loss rate is shown in the device’s Web UI. Packet loss is mostly caused by network conditions, so if you see it, look at the network first. Putting your NDI devices on a dedicated LAN reduces loss caused by network delay and jitter.

Yes. Magewell Control Hub is software that manages Pro Convert encoders, decoders and audio converters from one web interface. It monitors device status, changes settings remotely and upgrades firmware in batches. Control Hub is licensed software, sold in several versions sized by the number of devices managed.

Magewell’s figure for its Pro Convert devices is a delay of about 70 ms when processing a 1080p60 signal in ideal conditions. Your result depends on the network and on what receives the stream: a hardware decoder generally adds less delay than software on a busy computer, and the video buffer setting in the Web UI can be adjusted to trade delay against stability.

The decoders do. Pro Convert decoders accept MPEG-TS over SRT, which is useful for receiving a contribution feed sent across the public internet. Pro Convert encoders do not send SRT; they output NDI High Bandwidth only. The SRT protocol itself provides for AES encryption, so ask us to confirm the encryption settings on a particular decoder before you rely on it.