Magewell Pro Convert 12G SDI 4K Plus

About this product

If your 4K cameras speak SDI and your production runs on NDI, this SDI to NDI converter bridges the two at the camera. The Pro Convert 12G SDI 4K Plus takes one SDI source, up to 4K at 60 frames per second over a single 12G-SDI cable, and puts it on your network as an NDI stream. SDI is the single-coax video connection used on professional cameras. NDI is a way of sending live video between devices and software over an ordinary Ethernet network. The box is a standalone NDI encoder that works on its own, with no computer, and its loop-through passes the SDI signal on at the same time.

What goes in

• SDI input. One BNC connector accepting SD, HD, 3G, 6G and 12G-SDI, up to 4096×2160 at 60 frames per second. Signals with 10-bit or 12-bit colour depth are supported. One input covers your HD cameras now and your 4K cameras later.
• SDI loop-through. A second BNC passes the incoming signal on, so a vision mixer, router or monitor can stay connected. You add NDI without rewiring what already works.
• Cable length. It receives 12G-SDI sent over up to 30 m of cable, and 6G-SDI over up to 80 m.
• Audio. Up to 16 channels of audio embedded in the SDI signal.

What comes out

• NDI High Bandwidth. This is the full-quality form of NDI, also called Full NDI. The encoder produces it at up to 4096×2160 at 60 fps, 4:2:2 8-bit.
• HDR. HLG, one of the HDR formats, is supported.
• Audio. 16 channels embedded in the NDI stream, so the sound arrives with the picture.
• NDI version. NDI 6.2 is supported.
• Resolution and frame rate. The output can match the input or be set to a custom resolution. The frame rate is the same as the input, or one half, one third or one quarter of it, which lets you send a lighter stream when the network needs it.
• Where it can be used. NDI Studio Monitor, OBS, vMix and any other NDI-enabled product.

Built for full NDI

• NDI High Bandwidth throughout. This model is dedicated to full-quality NDI. For NDI HX, SRT, RTMP, RTSP, HLS, H.264 or H.265, look at the Ultra Encode range.
• Audio from the SDI signal. Audio comes from the SDI signal only: all 16 embedded channels travel with the picture, so one cable from the camera carries everything.

Power, control and mounting

• Power. Standard PoE (IEEE 802.3af) through the network cable, or 5 V through the USB 2.0 Type-B port using the supplied 5 V / 2.1 A adaptor. Maximum consumption is about 8.5 W, so an ordinary PoE switch is enough and there is no mains socket to find at the camera.
• Tally. A tally light is supplied. It plugs into the Mini-DIN 8 socket. Status LEDs on the unit also show preview and programme, so the operator can see when the camera is live.
• PTZ camera control. A pan-tilt-zoom camera can be controlled through NDI using the VISCA, VISCA over UDP, PELCO-P or PELCO-D protocols, which saves running a separate control cable back to the desk.
• Mounting. An L-bracket is supplied, and there is a ¼-20 threaded hole, the thread used on camera accessories, so you can fix it to the camera rig.
• Size. 117.5 mm × 66.7 mm × 23.4 mm.

Setting it up

• It detects the input format automatically and takes its network address by DHCP, so it appears on the network as an NDI source once connected.
• Settings such as de-interlacing, scaling, frame rate and aspect ratio are changed in the Web UI from a browser, with nothing to install.
• Units can be registered with Magewell Control Hub and managed together. HTTP APIs are provided for control systems.
• Latency is very low, which suits live production.

Where it sits in the range

This is the SDI encoder in the range for 4K at 60 fps. The Pro Convert SDI 4K Plus accepts up to 6G-SDI, which takes a 4K input at up to 30 fps. If you only need HD, the Pro Convert SDI Plus takes up to 2048×1080 at 60 fps. For 4K 60 fps HDMI sources see the Pro Convert HDMI 4K Plus. All models are on the Pro Convert encoders page.