Blackmagic Design has released the ATEM Television Studio HD8 series of all-in-one live production switchers. The lineup and suggested retail prices are as follows.
- ATEM Television Studio HD8: 427,800 yen including tax
- ATEM Television Studio HD8 ISO: 569,800 yen including tax
The new ATEM Television Studio HD series is a professional live production switcher with a built in broadcast control panel. It has the performance to handle high-end work and is small enough to be used even in small sites where equipment racks and outside broadcast vehicles cannot be used. It has 8 SDI inputs with format conversion, 2 aux outputs, 4 chroma keyers, 2 downstream keyers, SuperSource, 2 media players and tons of transitions. Includes TV studio features including hardware distribution, recording, audio mixer, talkback, multiview and optional internal cloud storage. The ISO model allows all eight inputs to be recorded for editing.
Compact design with broadcast functions. Use ATEM Advanced Chroma Keyer, Fairlight audio mixer, DVE, still store for graphics and more. Many of the functions are accessible from the front panel, but even more functions are accessible using the free ATEM Software Control on Mac/Windows.
Select from transitions such as dissolves and effects such as dip to color, DVE squeeze and DVE push. You can also add a DVE to create picture-in-picture effects with customized graphics. Graphics with alpha channels can be saved in a media player for titles or graphics, loaded as live video inputs, and streamed live.
The switcher and control panel are integrated into a single unit, realizing compactness. Front panel buttons let you select sources, initiate transitions and set video effects. These buttons are the same high-end buttons found on expensive broadcast switchers. It also has a T-bar that allows you to manually control transitions. There are audio mixer controls on the front panel and a dedicated LCD with live meters.
With eight 3G-SDI video inputs, you can connect multiple cameras and capture performances from different angles. Camcorders with SDI outputs, such as the Blackmagic Studio Camera and Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2, work well in low light conditions. In addition, it is possible to use professional lenses, and it is said that it can shoot high quality images. All video sources are re-synced to the switcher, even if their video formats are different. It’s easy to set up on location and functions simply, so there’s no need to worry about technical issues.
It also features a variety of built-in professional video effects. Video effect transitions can be performed automatically using the T-bar fader or by pressing the AUTO button. There are various SMPTE wipes, as well as DVE effects that let images slide or squeeze offscreen when transitioning between video sources.
A built-in media pool stores broadcast-quality graphics and animations, which can also be played with a built-in media player. All media support RGB color space with alpha channel for transparency and layering. The media pool can store up to 20 HD resolution stills. Motion graphics clips used for animations and stingers can be saved at up to 400 frames at 720HD and 200 frames at 1080HD.
ATEM Television Studio features 4 powerful ATEM Advanced Keyers for greenscreen keying, perfect for news and on-set presentations. The chroma keyer is powerful, with features such as a color picker that can sample background colors and automatically generate key parameters. With precise control over edges and flares, and a color corrector for the foreground, you can match foreground and background layers to create seamless compositing. Keyers can also be used for pattern keys and DVE keys.
In addition to the DVE, ATEM Television Studio also includes a SuperSource multi-layer processor. With SuperSource, four DVE layers and one background layer are layered as one input source. SuperSource is ideal for multiple picture-in-picture displays, where multiple interviewees can be placed against a single stylish graphic background.
ATEM Television Studio HD features 8 independent 3G-SDI inputs, each with its own dedicated format conversion function. It can convert any 1080p or 720HD input source to the switcher’s video format.
ATEM Television Studio has nine 3G-SDI program outputs so you can send program return feeds to all your cameras. SDI program returns send tally, talkback and control information to the cameras so you can connect to all your cameras. There are also two aux outputs for stage monitors and master recorders. For camera monitoring, it is equipped with 3G-SDI and HDMI outputs dedicated to multi-view.
ATEM Television Studio HD includes a Fairlight audio mixer for complex live sound mixing. The internal mixer has enough channels for all SDI inputs, with extra channels for XLR, RCA and MADI inputs. Each input channel features a 6-band high-quality parametric EQ, compressor, limiter, expander, noise gate, level and pan controls. The audio mixer is powerful and can be adjusted from the front panel using dedicated audio mixer controls and LCD.
ATEM Television Studio HD features professional multiview so you can see all your video inputs, preview and program on a single SDI or HDMI monitor. A tally indicator that allows you to check the on-air status is displayed in each camera view. Each view also has customizable labels and an audio meter for each. Up to 16 multi-view layouts can be displayed simultaneously and can be customized freely.
ATEM Television Studio HD has a built-in hardware distribution engine for live distribution. Stream live to services such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch without dropping frames. Delivery can be done over an Ethernet connection to the Internet, or you can connect to your smartphone and use mobile data.
ATEM Television Studio HD supports recording to external USB flash disks. If you have an optional M.2 flash disk installed, you can record directly to internal cloud storage. Internal storage and any USB disk can be shared on a local Ethernet network, allowing other workers to participate in post-production tasks such as editing, color correction, and graphics preparation. All recordings are in H.264 format and AAC audio, so you get broadcast-quality video with small file sizes. It also supports append recording, so you can resume recording to the previously used file, so you only need to deliver one file.
The USB connection emulates a webcam so you can use any video software and ATEM Television Studio HD. Simply connect to your computer and work with any webcam-enabled video software. Compatibility with all video software is guaranteed, and full resolution 1080HD quality is guaranteed.
ATEM Television Studio HD ISO can record all inputs to separate video files for live event editing. You get separate timecode- and sync-matched files for each of the eight video inputs, plus a separate master video file for the program video. These files can be edited with any NLE software that supports multicam editing. A DaVinci Resolve project file is also saved and linked to each input’s video file. Switching live is converted into an editing timeline that can be easily opened with a click.
The ISO model supports DaVinci Resolve project files for full post production including editing, color correction, VFX and audio mixing. When you open your project, you’ll see your live production as an editing timeline. You can even relink to Blackmagic RAW camera files if you want to finish in Ultra HD.
Another big feature of the ATEM Television Studio HD ISO models is the ability to connect to remote cameras. Live stream your Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2, Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Pro G2 and Blackmagic Studio Camera 6K Pro cameras in H.264 directly to your switcher. Camera control and tally are also available. Program audio is also sent to the camera, making it ideal for live interviews.
ATEM Software Control allows access to all features of ATEM Television Studio HD, further unlocking the power of the switcher. ATEM Software Control’s user interface is a visual representation of a switcher, with parameter palettes for adjustments. ATEM Software Control allows live switching, audio mixing, in-camera color correction and media management. You can also build and use complex macros.
If you’re building a podcast studio or need more mics, expand your audio inputs with ATEM Microphone Converters. The MADI port connects to ATEM Television Studio, so you can daisy-chain multiple units for additional inputs without the need for complicated setups.
The 4 analog inputs on each converter are Mic/Line selectable and support phantom power. Very high quality, all channels have an extremely low noise floor of -129dBv, dynamic range of 131dB(A), low distortion of 0.002% and uniform error tolerance. Each input has 8 independent ADCs to extend the dynamic range together. There’s also an HDMI monitoring output with scrolling audio waveforms.
Blackmagic Design CEO Grant Petty said:
The new ATEM Television Studio HD8 switcher series packs a lot of features into an extremely portable design. It’s a high-end broadcast-class switcher, so users don’t have to compromise on quality. We do this by including a complete broadcast control panel, innovative audio mixing, distribution and recording capabilities all inside. A very exciting product!
