Blackmagic Design announces DeckLink HD Pro

Uncompressed 4:4:4 12-bit HD & SD capture card with component video monitoring available in May for $2,495

Blackmagic Design today announced the DeckLink HD Pro, a new uncompressed high-definition capture card supporting up to 12-bit 4:4:4 quality. DeckLink HD Pro also features standard-definition compatibility and high quality 14-bit analog component output in both HD and SD operation. DeckLink HD Pro will be available in May from Audio Intervisual Design, your full-line Blackmagic Design reseller and integrator.

DeckLink HD Pro is fully Dual Link HD-SDI 4:4:4 based using 2 channel HD-SDI inputs and outputs. SDI connections can instantly be switched to standard HD-SDI 4:2:2 or standard definition SDI. Monitoring is built in, and uses 14-bit digital-to-analog conversion in RGB or YUV. Analog monitoring instantly switches between high-definition and standard-definition modes.

Audio connection is accomplished with 2-channel SPDIF/unbalanced AES input and output. Other connectors include audio word clock out, Genlock input with TriSync support, and Sony-compatible RS-422 9-pin serial control.

Although designed to work in formats as large and high bandwidth as 12-bit High-Definition RGB, DeckLink HD Pro also supports 8-bit and 10-bit in both YUV and RGB formats at both HD and SD resolutions. SDI and component video outputs automaticaly switch between HD and SD mode.

Highest Quality 12-bit 4:4:4 RGB

Dual Link 4:4:4 video uses 2 HD-SDI channels to carry full color resolution in RGB format. Most current HDTV and standard definition video formats use YUV 4:2:2, which effectively halves color resolution. High-end formats such as Sony HDCAM SR and Thompson ViperCam — as well as compositing and finishing systems including After Effects, Shake, Combustion, Flame, and Inferno — are capable of output to the higher quality 4:4:4 RGB format.

DeckLink HD Pro also supports bit depth up to 12-bits per sample. Until a couple years ago, most professional systems had to suffice with 8-bits per channel. In the past couple years, newer systems — including Blackmagic Design's other DeckLink products — raised the bar to 10-bit. By using 10-bits per channel, these systems were capable of varying the intensity of each pixel at 1024 different levels, or over 1 million color combinations. This is much higher than the 256 levels in 8-bit, or just about 1 billion colors. By adding support for 12-bit, DeckLink HD Pro goes a step further, allowing for up to 4096 levels of intensity, or over 68 trillion colors.

For monitoring your work, DeckLink HD Pro features both dual-rate HD/SD-SDI and component RGB/YUV analoug output. Digital-to-analog conversion for component analog output is accomplished using 14-bit converters, providing enough mathematical bandwidth to accurately convert 12-bit logrythmic output commonly used in feature film work. When working in standard definition mode, the extra processing provides 5x oversampling.

All these numbers translate into visible improvement when working with sophisticated graphics and visual effects. The combination of 12-bit sampling and RGB color space is an important advantage for professionals working on feature films, commercial spots, broadcast television, and other projects demanding high production values. Systems supporting 4:4:4 HD editing have typically been priced in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. A complete DeckLink HD Pro system from Audio Intervisual Design — including workstation, storage, and monitors — will cost only a small fraction of that.

Additional Features

All Blackmagic Design DeckLink cards include Deck Control, a simple utility for marking in and out on tape, and then batch capturing those segments using serial control.

Qualified Apple Powermac G5 systems are capable of realtime down-converted output to a standard-definition recorder and/or monitor.

DeckLink HD Pro is a PCI-X 133 MHz card, taking full advantage of the fastest PCI-X bus featured in the latest Apple PowerMac G5 and Intel Xeon processor-based systems. DeckLink HD Pro will also work with 33MHz or 66 MHz PCI slots in standard-definition mode.

About Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design manufacturers video interface cards for the Post-Production and Television Broadcast industries featuring high-quality codecs and broad compatibility. Their accomplishments include developing the first uncompressed 10-bit QuickTime drivers and codec for Mac OS X. Blackmagic Design's headquarters, manufacturing, nd development facility is located in the post production district of South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

About Audio Intervisual Design

Audio Intervisual Design sells and supports the complete line of Blackmagic Design professional video products and maintains complete systems available for demonstration by appointment at their Hollywood offices. For over 20 years, Audio Intervisual Design has been a reseller, integrator, and consultant to Production and Post-Production professionals in the Television, Motion-Picture, and Recording industies. Email us today or call (323) 845-1155 so we can discuss your questions and specific needs, arrange a demonstration, and customize a system for you.