World’s highest quality capture and playback card now supports new 3D workflow, includes premium hardware up, down, cross conversion and new 12 bit hardware architecture!

LAS VEGAS — (BUSINESS WIRE) — April 13, 2010 — Blackmagic Design today announced DeckLink HD Extreme 3D, a new model of its popular broadcast capture card with new 3D support, hardware up, down and cross conversion, 12 bit hardware architecture, 3 Gb/s SDI, support for up to 1080p60 in SDI, component analog and HDMI connections, as well as full SD, HD and 2K support for only US$995.

DeckLink HD Extreme 3D will be demonstrated on the Blackmagic Design NAB 2010 booth at #SL 6020.

DeckLink HD Extreme 3D is ready for 3D workflow using both interleaved/side by side and dual stream capture and playback. Interleaved 3D allows the left and right eye to be interleaved as fields into a single video connection and file, so customers can edit using current editing software.

Dual steam 3D allows customers to use the DeckLink HD Extreme 3D dual link SDI connections to capture and playback two streams, one for the left eye, and one for the right eye. The two streams are recorded into two separate media files. Dual stream 3D is higher quality because each eye is full resolution video, but dual stream is less compatible with current editing software. To solve this problem, Blackmagic Design’s Media Express has been upgraded to handle both interleaved and dual stream 3D for capture and playback of 3D media for a complete 3D solution.

With SDI, HDMI and analog video capture and playback, combined with balanced analog and AES/EBU digital audio, DeckLink HD Extreme 3D lets customers connect to all decks, cameras and monitors! DeckLink HD Extreme instantly switches between SD, HD and 2K, so is the ideal solution for all post production and broadcast users when working on design, editing, paint and effects tasks.

DeckLink HD Extreme 3D includes a new high quality up, down and cross converter so customers can edit in SD and play out HD, or edit in HD and play out SD. The cross converter lets customers edit in 720p and output in 1080i, or edit in 1080i and play back in 720p. The new up, down and cross converter uses the highest quality 10 bit processing and filtering.

DeckLink HD Extreme 3D is also based on a new internal hardware design with support for 12 bit SDI video and full support for video rates up to 1080p60 via SDI, HDMI and analog component. For developers, two DeckLink HD Extreme cards can be sync'ed together with a cable for dual card operation.

“We are so excited by the new 3D workflows and with DeckLink HD Extreme 3D, now there is an all in one solution to allow everyone to have access to the highest quality 3D workflows. I cannot believe how many advanced industry leading features are packed into this single product!”, said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design, “DeckLink HD Extreme 3D is the only way to get advanced 3D, 4:4:4 and 2K capture and playback, combined with conventional SD and HD at a price everyone can afford!”

DeckLink HD Extreme 3D Key Features

• 3G SDI (3 Gb/s SDI) in and out, supports SD, HD up to 1080p60 and 2K.
• HDMI 1.3 in and out, supports SD and HD formats up to 1080p60.
• Component analog in and out, supports SD and HD formats up to 1080p60.
• Component analog switches to s-video and composite.
• S-video and composite always down-converted when operating in HD video formats.
• 2 channel balanced analog audio in and out.
• 2 channel AES/EBU unbalanced audio in and out.
• Genlock/tri-sync input.
• Sony™ compatible RS-422 deck control.
• Supports uncompressed 8, 10 and 12 bit and compressed video capture and playback.
• Includes hardware up, down and cross conversion.
• Includes hardware SD and HD keying.
• Plugs into Mac, Windows or Linux computers.
• Supports Final Cut Studio, Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop, After Effects, Fusion and more.
• Includes free developer SDK for Windows, Mac and Linux.
• Includes free Media Express capture and playback software.

Availability and Price

DeckLink HD Extreme 3D is available now for US$995 from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide.