Melbourne, Australia - 19 March 2004 - Today Blackmagic Design Pty. Ltd. announced the immediate availability of a new kind of Apple Macintosh™ and Microsoft Windows XP™ compatible PCI capture card called DeckLink Extreme.
DeckLink Extreme is the first uncompressed 10 bit video PCI card that connects to any standard definition deck in broadcast video, because it combines both 10 bit SDI and analog component video into a single compact low cost PCI card that only uses a single PCI slot!
DeckLink Extreme includes extended features such as support for Mac OS X™, Final Cut Pro™, RT Extreme™, Windows XP™ and Adobe Premiere Pro™.
DeckLink Extreme features the highest quality 10 bit uncompressed SDI video connections making it the perfect solution for connecting to high end broadcast decks such as Digital Betacam™, D5, and D1. True 10 bit SDI capture retains all the subtle detail in images even during the heaviest multi generation rendering and video processing.
When connecting to decks such as Betacam SP™, DeckLink Extreme is the only low cost card to feature full analog component YUV video allowing crisp clean images that take full advantage of Betacam SP's 4:2:2 analog video path.
With 6 separate analog power supplies onboard, DeckLink Extreme's analog connections have been specially optimized for the Betacam SP format.
Betacam SP uses digitally processed chroma time domain multiplexing and records color and luma on separate video heads for the highest quality on analog tape format. DeckLink Extreme is designed to capture the full analog signal from Betacam SP while retaining the deep quality of color and low analog noise that is a trademark of this tape format.
DeckLink Extreme allows the life of this classic analog tape format to continue it's usefulness in post production and broadcast facilities, and then, instantly connect to more advanced SDI based decks when required, and all on the same hardware card.
DeckLink Extremes amazing analog support also extends to audio. DeckLink Extreme's full 24 bit based professional balanced analog audio on the superbly robust XLR connections. Pro analog XLR based audio connections onboard is perfect for connecting to pro audio mixers or other outboard equipment.
Completing this suite of connections is full speed SPDIF/Unbalanced AES audio output for high quality digital audio monitoring, genlock input, and RS-422 serial remote.
DeckLink Extreme is much more than just an NLE card for use with Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro, it also includes our acclaimed Blackmagic Deck Control application. This lets you mark in and out on tape, and automatically capture a selected segment from tape using the serial control port. All the deck control is automatic. You can then place finish renders back to tape from the comfort of your workstation when your jobs finished.
Deck Control is bundled free and is great when your doing web streaming, digital effects, color correction or broadcast design and you don't use NLE software. Deck Control allows you to complete your workstation without any third party extras.
When running DeckLink Extreme on Mac OS X the move to HDTV is made easier as its possible to playback DeckLink HD HDTV compatible media and Final Cut Pro timelines directly out to the standard definition video outputs on the DeckLink Extreme card. This is an amazing feature not found on low cost cards and is included free on all DeckLink models.
DeckLink Extreme also includes our LiveKey application software. LiveKey lets you change the DeckLink Extreme into a live keyer that keys RGB based graphics over input video and outputs with the result showing on both the SDI and analog outputs.
That's great for adding a quick bug, or logo to your demo reels, and makes DeckLink Extreme the perfect partner in live broadcast situations.
DeckLink Extreme supports both Apple Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows XP for incredible workflow flexibility. You can also instantly move DeckLink Extreme between systems and platforms allowing the flexibility to instantly reconfigure any facility as workflow's change.
DeckLink Extreme features blazing speed 66 MHz PCI perfect the latest computer motherboards. Fast PCI 66 MHz keeps the host system bus running at full bandwidth and reduces speed crippling PCI reconnects that plague other 33 MHz only video cards.
Cabling a complex post studio can add hundreds of dollars to system cost. DeckLink Extreme is the only card on the market that includes a long 2 meter or 7 foot long break out cable that connects direct to your broadcast deck. This saves hundreds of dollars on high quality cabling required for SDI video, pro audio, and accurate deck control.
"At only $895 this is an extremely exciting product, and has taken tremendous work to engineer an uncompressed video card with all these features and quality at this groundbreaking price." said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design. "Never before has the best video flexibility available been possible as a simple low cost package. This is a revolutionary moment for the television industry!"
DeckLink Extreme is available today for both Windows XP and Mac OS X from Blackmagic Design authorized resellers worldwide, for a recommended retail price of US$895. Please check www.blackmagic-design.com for more product details and reseller locations.
At only US$895 for the quality of uncompressed 10 bit SDI video, full component analog component or NTSC/PAL video, with HDTV playback to SD and real time effects, everyone can afford to upgrade to Blackmagic DeckLink Extreme.
Please check www.blackmagic-design.com for more product details and reseller locations.
Blackmagic Design manufacturers the world's highest quality video cards for the post production and television broadcast industries and it's DeckLink family of leading quality video cards has changed the industry and made HDTV more affordable for everyone.
Blackmagic Design has quickly moved to an industry leading position with the first uncompressed 10 bit QuickTime™ video card for Mac OS X, the first uncompressed real time effects on Mac OS X, the first 10 bit uncompressed video card to also offer compressed video modes, the first film Cinema Tools™ compatible film editing solution, the first full resolution HDTV real time effects, and the first film quality uncompressed 10 bit HDTV QuickTime™ card.
Blackmagic Design is the only company founded by leading editors and engineering people from the post production industry. This industry knowledge and experience from our Singapore post production operations is constantly fed back into our products allowing us to introduce the most amazing creative tools for the industry.
Blackmagic Design has sales offices in Los Angles, USA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and International Plaza in Singapore. Blackmagic Design's headquarters, manufacturing, and development facility is located in the post production district of South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Blackmagic Design press enquiries, contact Terry Frechette.
Topaz Tel: 781-388-7900 ext 216
Email: tfrechette@topazpartners.com