Magewell Pro Capture Dual HDMI

About this product

Two cameras, or a camera and a presenter's laptop, are a common starting point for a stream or recording. The Pro Capture Dual HDMI brings both into a desktop computer or server through one slot, which saves you a second card and the slot it would occupy. It is a two-channel HD PCIe capture card that hands each source, uncompressed, to software on that computer, which then records, streams or switches them.

What goes in

• Two HDMI inputs. Full-size HDMI sockets (HDMI 1.4a, also DVI 1.0), each carrying its own embedded audio. Each input appears in software as a separate capture device, so you can treat them as two independent sources.
• Signal handling. Each receiver handles 8, 10 and 12-bit colour, supports a custom EDID (the data that tells a source which formats to send) and has an equaliser for cables up to 30 metres, which gives you freedom over where the cameras stand.
• Built for HDMI. Both inputs are HDMI. For component, S-Video or composite sources see the single-channel Pro Capture HDMI.

Resolution and frame rate

The card takes input resolutions up to 2048×2160 pixels and capture frame rates up to 144 frames per second, depending on resolution and PCIe bandwidth. As an example, it reaches about 80 frames per second at 1920×1080, so 1080p at 50 or 60 frames per second is comfortably within range. This is the HD model: for a 3840×2160 source, choose a 4K card from the Pro Capture range page.

Picture work done on the card

Video processing happens on the card, which leaves the computer’s processor free for your software. The card handles cropping, scaling (up or down conversion), de-interlacing, aspect ratio conversion, colour space conversion and frame rate conversion, all with 10-bit processing, so each picture arrives in the size and format you asked for. A PNG image can be overlaid as an on-screen display. One input can feed an unlimited number of capture streams at once, each with its own resolution, frame rate and colour format, so two programs can use the same source in different sizes.

Fits slim cases and towers

• Slot. PCIe Gen2 x4. It fits a slot that is physically x4 or longer; x8 and x16 slots also accept it.
• Size. A low-profile card, 115.99 × 68.88 mm without the bracket. A low-profile bracket is supplied, so it is ready for a slim chassis.
• Power. About 9.09 W at most in High Performance mode, or about 8.13 W in Low Power mode, taken from the slot, so there is no extra power lead.
• Several cards. A rotary switch on the card gives each one a number (0 to F), so several can sit in one computer and be told apart in software.
• Feeding a monitor. Both sockets are inputs. To feed a monitor as well, split the signal before the card, or choose the Pro Capture Dual SDI for SDI with loop-through outputs.

Works with the software you already use

• Operating systems. Windows 10, 11 and Server 2016 to 2025, Linux (kernel 2.6.35 and above, including ARM) and macOS.
• Standard interfaces. DirectShow on Windows, V4L2 on Linux and AVCaptureSession on macOS, so it works with OBS, vMix, Wirecast, XSplit and VLC among others.
• Magewell software. Magewell’s Capture Express program is included, which lets you start capturing straight away, and there is a Capture SDK for developers on Windows, Linux and Mac.

Where it sits in the range

Choose the Dual HDMI when two HDMI sources are the job. For a single HDMI source, the Pro Capture HDMI is a PCIe x1 card that also has analogue inputs. For four HDMI sources, the Pro Capture Quad HDMI is a normal-height card. For SDI with loop-through outputs, see the Pro Capture Dual SDI. All cards are on the Pro Capture range page.