Blackmagic Expands ATEM Line with Extreme Model and Mobile Tethering

The ATEM Mini Extreme is a powerful live production switcher. 

Responding to the ever-expanding needs of livestreaming over the internet, Blackmagic Design today announced their new ATEM Mini Extreme, which supports up to eight video inputs, 4 independent chroma keys, a 16-way multiview, and multiple media players that can be placed in both the foreground and background simultaneously. There’s also a new option to tether your mobile device when livestreaming from the field, making this the most powerful and extreme video switcher Blackmagic has ever made.

Based on the current ATEM Mini design and spec, the Extreme edition offers twice the inputs, more transition options, and multiview functions all with the mind of turning a home studio into a serious livestreaming broadcaster. And when coupled with Blackmagic’s ATEM software, users have the ability to switch between up to 16 multiview windows and create talking head style interviews with customizable windows that can be created and run from either of the Extreme’s dual media players.

The switcher’s buttons are also designed to glow RED like a tally light when the source is live on-air and white when on standby. Livestreamers can also remotely control their camera sources, like the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, with full control over shutter speed, iris control, black level, and even focus.  So if your talent moves out of focus, the ATEM can adjust the focus with a simple press and hold of a button. 

Other features include Gigabit Ethernet, up to eight HDMI inputs, two HDMI outputs, two USB-C connections, two mic inputs, and a single headphone output. Users can also record directly to an SD or flash drive via USB.

The ATEM Mini Extreme also comes with support for Blackmagic’s new Super Source, which lets you put four video sources in a live stack on-air with support for background and foreground graphics. So you can create a custom window for your interviews and power up to four independent chroma keys with virtual backgrounds.

Blackmagic also released an ISO edition of the Extreme, which provides livestreaming in ultra HD, editing and color correction on the fly, and the simultaneous recording of up to nine separate streams. Once recorded, it’s a simple matter of plugging in the hard drive to a laptop, where DaVinci can automatically sync each via timecode for editing.

The price of the ATEM Mini Extreme is $995, and it’s available now.

The ISO Edition will be $1,295 and will be available for order next week.

Additionally, Blackmagic has released a firmware update for the entire ATEM line, which supports streaming over any mobile device while on location or out in the field. The update also brings automatic data rate switching, so that the stream stays online during fluctuating connections. The version 8.6 update is available now.

Finally, Blackmagic has also redesigned the Blackmagic Web Presenter HD hardware for 1080p/60 and 12G SDI outputs. With the optional front LCD now standard, users have an easy-to-read video source that shows the livestream, an On-Air switch, time running indicator,  Audiometers, front USB C connection on the front to plug in an additional webcam or phone, and you can connect your clients to view a live edit via YouTube Live so they can see it as it happens. A clever feature for clients who are all over the world. The Web Presenter HD can also be daisy-chained for multiple live feeds over Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and others.

In the web presenter software, users can monitor the last six seconds of audio and video as well as the data rate of the last 60 seconds so you can see what the codec is generating and the quality of the stream.

The Web Presenter HD is $495 and is available now.