Black Magic UltraStudio is a professional video capture and playback solution designed by Blackmagic Design, a well-known company in the field of digital film and video technology. The UltraStudio series offers a wide range of high-quality and feature-rich products that cater to the needs of different media professionals. This family of products includes various models such as UltraStudio Mini Recorder, UltraStudio 4K Extreme, UltraStudio HD Mini, and more. Each model has its own set of features and capabilities, and they can be connected to a wide range of devices such as cameras, decks, and monitors. The Blackmagic UltraStudio is designed to provide users with high-quality video and audio capture and playback capabilities. It supports various video formats including SD, HD, 2K, and even 4K.
For comparison, the reference DeckLink HD Extreme showed latency of 2–3 frames in the same test:
We used our Live Source sample to receive the stream from the UltraStudio and used our Playlist sample to play out a different stream to the UltraStudio and to the monitor. As a result, a program like Ecamm Live most likely takes only a single field and therefore only gets the equivalent of 1920 540 true pixels rather than the full 1920 1080 progressive signal that the camera actually imaged.
It supports various video formats including SD, HD, 2K, and even 4K. It also offers flexible input and output options, including SDI, HDMI, analog, and more. This allows users to connect multiple devices and easily capture and playback video and audio content.
Review: Blackmagic UltraStudio Recorder 3G helps alleviate type 3 camera shyness…
This is my review of the new US$115 UltraStudio 3G Recorder interface, which supersedes the prior UltraStudio Recorder, which is not 3G. Blackmagic lent it to me for this review and I already returned it. The 3G portion and the Thunderbolt 3 connection give the new version greater features, such as more video formats, greater selection of color space, RGB video formats and lower price of only US$115 instead of US$145. Ahead are more details, photos, screenshots, what I like and what I wish it might do with future software/firmware updates.
“UltraStudio Recorder 3G lets you work anywhere because they are extremely compact and are powered from the Thunderbolt 3 connection,”
said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design.
“You can simply plug into any Thunderbolt 3 enabled laptop or a desktop computer and start working. With support for high bandwidth formats up to 1080p60 these are advanced video capture and playback solutions that are small enough to fit in your pocket. There is nothing more portable!”
Please note that although 1080p60 mentioned by Grant Petty is common among video gamers, the closest standard rate for conventional broadcast is ≈59.94 which is also supported by the UltraStudio Recorder 3G, as well as lower rates like (in descending order) 50, ≈29.97, 25, 24 and ≈23.976. On top of that, it also supports 1080PsF25 and 1080PsF≈29.97 via the SDI input, although not currently via the HDMI input.
Additional UltraStudio Recorder 3G features:
- High-speed Thunderbolt 3 port for high quality video processing.
- Built in 3G-SDI and HDMI connections .
- Uncompressed and compressed 10-bit 4:2:2 YUV or RGB quality.
- Supports DaVinci Resolve and all other video software.
- Developer SDK available to download free.
In addition to its capture and playback capabilities, the Blackmagic UltraStudio also offers advanced features such as hardware encoding and decoding, real-time effects processing, and professional audio monitoring. This makes it a comprehensive solution for professionals who require precise control over their video and audio content. Furthermore, the Blackmagic UltraStudio is compatible with popular software applications such as DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, and others. This allows users to seamlessly integrate it into their existing workflows and take full advantage of its capabilities. Overall, the Blackmagic UltraStudio series is a powerful and reliable solution for professionals in the film, television, and broadcast industries. Its wide range of features, compatibility with industry-standard software, and high-quality capture and playback capabilities make it a popular choice among media professionals worldwide..
Reviews for "Top 10 Uses for Black Magic UltraStudio in Video Production"
1) John - 1 star
I was really disappointed with the Black Magic Ultrastudio. It was advertised as a high-quality video capture device, but I found the video quality to be subpar. The colors were washed out, and there was noticeable pixelation even at the highest recording settings. The device also had compatibility issues with my editing software, which made the whole experience frustrating. I would not recommend this product to anyone looking for professional-grade video capture.
2) Sarah - 2 stars
I had high hopes for the Black Magic Ultrastudio, but it fell short of my expectations. The device itself is bulky and not very portable, which can be a major downside for those who want to use it on the go. Additionally, the software that comes with it is clunky and unintuitive. I struggled to navigate through the settings and ended up wasting a lot of time trying to figure out how to properly set it up. Overall, I found the Black Magic Ultrastudio to be more trouble than it's worth.
3) Mike - 2 stars
I regret purchasing the Black Magic Ultrastudio. Despite its claims of being a reliable video capture device, I experienced numerous technical issues with it. The device would frequently freeze or crash mid-record, resulting in lost footage and hours of frustration. The customer support was not helpful either and took forever to respond to my inquiries. Save yourself the trouble and invest in a different video capture device that actually works reliably.