SOUTH MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - At the IBC in Amsterdam, Blackmagic Design showed DeckLink HD (www.decklink.com), an uncompressed 10-bit video PCI card priced under $2,000 that can handle both standard definition SDI video and HDTV video formats.
DeckLink HD can instantly be switched between SDTV SMPTE-259M SDI video and HDTV SMPTE-292M SDI video for 1080i/1080p/720p video editing and design. The card features HD/SD-SDI video and audio input and output, as well as a Sony-compatible RS422 serial deck control port. Also included is a second independent HD/SD-SDI output for video monitoring and consumer digital audio SPDIF output for audio monitoring.
The company notes that 10-bit uncompressed HDTV video is suitable for film online work. The $1,995 tool will allow for films to be edited and finished on Apple Power Mac G5 computers.
Blackmagic DeckLink HD uses the Blackmagic codec, which is a high-quality QuickTime codec for uncompressed video. When plugged into PCIX 100 MHz or PCIX 133 MHz slots, such as those found in the new G5 systems, DeckLink HD can immediately switch to full HDTV operation whenever the user requires. DeckLink HD can also be plugged into standard PCI 33 MHz slots for standard definition NTSC/PAL operation only.
Blackmagic DeckLink allows for complete connection to broadcast decks through three standard off-the-shelf cables. No external equipment is required for system setup, and when using DeckLink JPEG, no fast disk array is required, reducing costs even further.
Because JPEG is also supported in HDTV when running in the new G5 systems, users can do full resolution offline HDTV editing using a standard disk. Combined with the affordability of DeckLink HD, this allows low cost HDTV editing workstations to be setup for episodic television production, and feature film editing