Magewell USB Capture SDI 4K Pro

About this product

When the camera or switcher output is 12G-SDI and the job calls for 4K at 60 frames per second in software, this is the external capture device for it. The USB Capture SDI 4K Pro takes an SDI video signal, the locking coaxial connection used by broadcast cameras and studio equipment, and delivers it to a computer over USB, so that software on the computer can record it, stream it or use it in a video call. It is a one-channel 4Kp60 capture device, and being external it lets you work on a laptop.

What goes in

• SDI video. One SDI input, taking signals up to 12G, 4096×2160 at 60 frames per second, 10-bit YUV 4:2:2. (12G-SDI is the version of SDI that carries 4K at 60 frames per second down a single cable, so there is one cable to run from the camera.)
• SDI audio. Up to eight channels of 24-bit audio embedded in the SDI signal, at a sample rate of 192 kHz.
• Line in. A 3.5 mm jack takes a two-channel line-level audio source, for example the output of a sound desk.

What comes out

• To the computer. Video at up to 4096×2160, with capture frame rates up to 240 fps and a capture colour depth of up to 10-bit.
• SDI loop-through. A second SDI connector passes the incoming signal on, at up to the same 12G 4096×2160 at 60 fps, so a monitor, switcher or recorder can keep receiving the picture while you capture. You can add it to an existing chain without a distribution amplifier.
• Line out. The same 3.5 mm jack can output the audio from the SDI signal.

Why choose it

A fast USB connection. USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 with a Type-C connector allows up to 20 Gbps. To use that speed, connect it to a computer port that supports it. Two cables are in the box: a Type-C to Type-C cable rated at up to 20 Gbps, and a Type-C to Type-A cable rated at up to 10 Gbps.

A wide range of capture modes. Capture modes run from 720×480 up to 4096×2160, and the input takes signals up to 12G. If you plan to capture an older SDI format, ask us to confirm it for your source before you order.

Built to stay on. It can work continuously, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, and it detects the input signal format automatically, so you can install it and leave it running. A status LED is on when the input signal is locked and pulses slowly while it waits for a signal, which tells you at a glance whether the source is arriving.

Cables. The two USB cables come with it. Use your own SDI cable for the source.

Compact. It measures 110.6 × 56.8 × 18 mm, so it sits beside a laptop on a crowded production desk.

Setting it up

• Connect the SDI source, then the USB cable to the computer. Optionally connect a monitor or other equipment to the loop-through.
• Installation is driver-free across the USB Capture family, and single-channel USB Capture devices need no additional power source. That means one cable to the computer and no adapter to pack.
• It works with Windows 10, 11 and Server 2016 to 2025, Linux on x86, x64 and ARM, macOS and Chrome OS, so you can move it between machines.
• Compatible software includes OBS Studio, VLC, XSplit, QuickTime Player, Microsoft Teams, Zoom Rooms and GoToMeeting. You can keep the software your team knows.
• Magewell’s USB Capture Utility lets you check and change capture settings, and an SDK is available for Windows, Linux and Mac for developers writing their own software.

Where it sits in the range

This is the SDI model for 4K at 60 frames per second. If your source is HDMI, see the USB Capture HDMI 4K Pro, which also handles 4096×2160 at 60 fps over USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. Other SDI models include the USB Capture SDI 4K Plus. All models are on the USB Capture range page, and Compare Models shows them side by side.