Magewell Pro Convert SDI 4K Plus

About this product

If your 4K cameras speak SDI and your production software speaks NDI, this is the box that joins them. The Pro Convert SDI 4K Plus is a standalone SDI to NDI converter for production teams, venues and installers. It takes one SDI source, up to 4K at 30 frames per second over a single 6G-SDI cable, and puts it on your network as an NDI stream. NDI is a way of sending live video between devices and software over an ordinary Ethernet network. The box 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 and 6G-SDI, up to 4096×2160 at 30 frames per second. In HD it takes 1080p at up to 60 fps. Signals with 10-bit or 12-bit colour depth are supported.
• SDI loop-through. A second BNC passes the incoming signal on, so a vision mixer, router or monitor can stay connected and there is no splitter to buy.
• Cable length. It can receive 6G-SDI sent over up to 100 m of cable, which lets you place the encoder near the network switch instead of at the camera.
• 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, at 4:2:2 8-bit.
• Frame rate. The output frame rate follows the input, so a 4K source arrives on the network as 4K at up to 30 fps and an HD source at up to 60 fps. For 4K at 60 fps from SDI, choose the 12G model below.
• HDR. HLG, one of the HDR formats, is supported.
• Audio. 16 channels embedded in the NDI stream, so every channel embedded in the SDI signal reaches the network.
• 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 where the network calls for 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. If you need NDI HX, SRT, RTMP, RTSP, HLS, H.264 or H.265, look at the Ultra Encode range.
• Audio from the source. All audio is taken from the SDI signal, so a single BNC cable brings in picture and sound.

One network cable, tally and PTZ included

• 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 7 W, so an ordinary PoE switch port is enough.
• Tally. A tally light is supplied, so the camera operator can see when the shot is live. It plugs into the Mini-DIN 8 socket. Status LEDs on the unit also show preview and programme.
• 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, so the same network link carries video and camera moves.
• 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 a camera rig.
• Size. 117.5 mm × 66.7 mm × 23.4 mm.

Setting it up

• It sets itself up: it detects the input format automatically and takes its network address by DHCP.
• 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.
• It is designed for very low latency.

Where it sits in the range

The Pro Convert 12G SDI 4K Plus accepts 12G-SDI and takes 4096×2160 at 60 fps. If you only need HD, the Pro Convert SDI Plus takes up to 2048×1080 at 60 fps with loop-through. All models are on the Pro Convert encoders page.