Magewell Pro Capture Dual SDI 4K Plus
Capture two 4K SDI sources in one slot, whether each arrives on one 12G cable, two 6G cables or four 3G cables.
- ✓Captures two 12G-SDI signals, each as single-link 12G-SDI, dual-link 6G-SDI or quad-link 3G-SDI, so it suits whichever 4K cabling your equipment uses
- ✓Eight HD-BNC input connectors, with eight HD-BNC to BNC cables (17.3 cm) included so you can plug in ordinary BNC cables
- ✓Input resolutions up to 4096×2160 at 10 and 12-bit colour depth
- ✓PCIe Gen2 x8 card, 127.89 × 102.92 mm without bracket: two 4K channels from a single slot
- ✓On-card scaling, cropping, de-interlacing and colour conversion with full 10-bit processing frees your processor for the software
- ✓Up to 8 embedded audio channels at 48 kHz, so sound arrives on the video cable; closed captions via the SDK
- ✓Windows, Linux (x86, x64 and ARM) and macOS; maximum power about 23 W
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Magewell Pro Capture PCIe cards
The Pro Capture range of PCIe cards, section by section: HDMI, SDI, all-in-one, DVI and analogue, from single-channel cards to multi-input 4K models.
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4K SDI equipment does not agree on cabling: newer cameras and vision mixers send the picture down one 12G cable, while others split it across two or four. The Pro Capture Dual SDI 4K Plus takes two 4K SDI signals in any of those forms, so broadcasters, production companies and system builders can capture both with one card. It is a two-channel 4K capture card that fits inside a computer and makes both signals available to software on that computer at the same time.
Two signals, three ways to cable each
A 4K SDI picture can arrive on one cable or be split across several. The card captures two 12G-SDI signals, and you can connect each in one of these ways:
- Single-link 12G-SDI: the whole picture on one cable, the tidiest option where your source offers it
- Dual-link 6G-SDI: the picture shared across two cables
- Quad-link 3G-SDI: the picture shared across four cables, as used by older 4K equipment, which keeps that equipment in service
It is a two-channel card: the eight connectors are there to carry multi-cable 4K signals for those two channels. For more channels, fit a second card or see the Pro Capture range.
The connectors
There are eight HD-BNC input connectors. HD-BNC is a smaller version of the usual BNC plug, which is how eight inputs fit on one card. They are grouped by speed:
- Two accept SD, HD, 3G, 6G and 12G-SDI
- Two accept SD, HD, 3G and 6G-SDI
- Four accept SD, HD and 3G-SDI
Eight short HD-BNC to BNC cables (17.3 cm) are included, so ordinary BNC cables plug straight in and there are no adapters to order. All eight connectors are inputs. If a signal also has to feed a monitor or other equipment, plan for an SDI splitter or a spare output on the source.
Check the slot before you order
The host interface is PCIe Gen2 x8, so the card needs a slot that takes an x8 card. The board measures 127.89 × 102.92 mm without bracket, the same size as the Dual HDMI 4K Plus LT. Plan for a full-height slot, and ask us if space is tight. Maximum power is about 22.5 to 23 W depending on the cabling method.
Picture, sound and frame rate
Input resolutions go up to 4096×2160 pixels at 10 or 12-bit colour depth. Up to 8 embedded audio channels at 48 kHz arrive with the picture, which saves running separate audio, and closed captions are available through the SDK. 12G-SDI is the SDI rate designed to carry 4K at up to 60 frames per second on one cable. Capture frame rates go up to 144 fps, depending on PCIe bandwidth and image resolution.
Processing done on the card
The card does part of the video work itself, before the pictures reach your software. That keeps your processor free for recording, encoding or playout:
- Two video processing pipelines with about 720 megapixels per second of processing bandwidth, and full 10-bit processing
- Scaling, cropping and de-interlacing, plus aspect ratio, colour format and frame rate conversion, so the software receives the format it asked for
- On-screen overlay (OSD composition), where a graphic is laid over the picture
- Unlimited capture streams for the input channel, so you can feed more than one program from a source, and a latency of 64 video lines
Software and operating systems
Magewell supplies drivers for Windows 10, Windows 11 and Windows Server 2016 to 2025, for Linux on x86, x64 and ARM (kernel 2.6.35 and above), and for Mac OS X 10.9 / macOS 10.12 and above. The card is then used through the standard capture interfaces of each system: DirectShow on Windows, V4L2 and ALSA on Linux, AVCaptureSession on macOS. Software that uses those interfaces can use the card, and there is an SDK for developers.
For one 4K SDI channel on a low profile card, see the SDI 4K Plus.
Related Products
Further Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Two. It captures two 12G-SDI signals, each cabled as single-link 12G, dual-link 6G or quad-link 3G. The eight connectors carry the multi-cable signals for those two channels.
Use an SDI splitter or another output on the source. All eight HD-BNC connectors on the card are inputs.
Standard BNC cables can be used. The card has HD-BNC connectors, which are smaller than standard BNC, and eight HD-BNC to BNC adapter cables (17.3 cm) are included, so there is nothing extra to buy.
A full-height slot that takes a PCIe Gen2 x8 card. The board measures 127.89 × 102.92 mm without bracket.
It has 12G-SDI inputs and takes resolutions up to 4096×2160. 12G-SDI is the rate designed for 4K at up to 60 fps on one cable. Ask us to confirm the format for your source.
10 and 12-bit colour depth, with full 10-bit processing on the card.
Windows 10, 11 and Server 2016 to 2025, Linux on x86, x64 and ARM with kernel 2.6.35 and above, and Mac OS X 10.9 / macOS 10.12 and above. It is used through DirectShow on Windows, V4L2 on Linux and AVCaptureSession on macOS, so software built on those interfaces can use it.
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