Here's What Is Missing From the Blackmagic Update

If you want to accurately monitor your video image while you edit or color grade, you need a hardware converter that outputs a true video signal from your computer to hook up to a monitor.  You simply cannot accurate analyze video for color on a computer desktop.  While many companies make video output products, if you are working with Blackmagic Resolve software, you need to use Blackmagic Hardware to get that video signal out. It's one of the ways they make a living, since the software many use for color grading (Resolve) is of course available for free.

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Along with their exciting release of the Blackmagic Pocket 6K, Blackmagic also released an all new UltraStudio 4K Mini.  This is an exciting little box, giving a host of input and output connections, including 4K over SDI, HDMI for consumer boxes, and even a microphone port with phantom power, all in a small little box running a single tiny Thunderbolt 3 cable to your computer.

Even cooler, the Thunderbolt 3 connection puts out 45watts, so if you have this on set connected to a laptop it can prevent your laptop from loosing power (though it doesn't put out the 85W you would need to charge a 15" Macbook Pro).

However, it's $995. Which is a great price point considering all the features it offers, but some of us still love putting together truly independent style rigs. There is the $500 Ultrastudio HD Mini, but that is still a bit footprint. For affordable and small, we used the Blackmagic Mini Monitor, which is only $145. For that price, the device lets you plug a thunderbolt cable in one side and get an SDI signal out the other in a convenient small  package. However, it's still only available Thunderbolt 2. That is the final hole we're waiting for Blackmagic to fill in the ecosystem, a Blackmagic Mini Monitor for Thunderbolt 3. If it did 4k that would rule, but even in plain old HD we think there would still be value.

Now, if they wanted to go really crazy and combine an UltraStudio 4K Mini and an eGPU into one a one-stop box that you account to your laptop for real mobile power, we wouldn't complain about that either. But that seems unlikely. The real surprise is that we still don't have a T3 Mini Monitor.

Available now.

SDI Video Inputs

1

SDI Video Outputs

2 x program out, 1 x loop out.

SDI Rates

270Mb, 1.5G, 3G, 6G, 12G.

Analog Video Inputs

Component YUV or Composite NTSC/PAL. Component is switchable between SD and HD.

Analog Audio Inputs

2 channels of professional balanced analog audio with 1/4 inch Jack connectors.

Analog Audio Outputs

2 channels of professional balanced analog audio with 1/4 inch Jack connectors.

SDI Audio Inputs

16 Channels embedded in SD/HD/2K/UHD/4K.

SDI Audio Outputs

16 Channels embedded in SD/HD/2K/UHD/4K.

HDMI 2.0b Video Inputs

1

HDMI 2.0b Video Outputs

1

HDMI Audio Inputs

8 Channels embedded in SD/HD/UHD/4K.

HDMI Audio Outputs

8 Channels embedded in SD/HD/UHD/4K.

Mic Input

1 x XLR microphone input. 48V Phantom Power switchable via software control.

Sync Input

Tri-Sync or Black Burst.

Device Control

Sony™ compatible RS-422 deck control port. Serial ports TxRx direction reversible under software control.

USB

1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gb/s).

SD Card Reader

UHS-I and UHS-II compatible.

Computer Interface

Thunderbolt™ 3 (Mac OS, Windows and Linux) with 45W host charging capability.

Real Time Effects

DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro X internal effects. Premiere Pro CC Mercury Playback Engine effects. Avid Media Composer internal effects.

Colorspace Conversion

Hardware based real time.

3D Processing

Dual stream and frame packed capture and playback. 3D capture supported via HDMI input only.

Physical Installation

Requires a computer with a Thunderbolt™ 3 port. Please check support pages to see the full system requirements.