H.264 for Blackmagic Duplicator 4K
When we launched the Blackmagic Duplicator 4K last year, it was received well and people understood the idea of doing live production and selling content to customers directly.
The problem is that we got ahead of ourselves. H.265 has not been adopted as widely as we hoped. So this year we are releasing a software update that adds H.264 to the Blackmagic Duplicator 4K. It's a free software upgrade and, because
H.264 is so popular, everyone you sell content to can read the files!
This software update is available now and you can just download it to get this new format. Now you should have confidence that when you give someone the media from the duplicator that they can read it!
Of course the H.264 files are bigger than the same video compressed to the more modern H.265, however for the duplicator, that's only a few dollars more for the blank media cost. We still hope that H.265 will become more widely adopted and
people can start using it more, however H.264 will do well in the near future!
Blackmagic Duplicator 1.1 update is available now as a free download from the Blackmagic Design website.
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The
Blackmagic Duplicator 4K, which allows delivery of Ultra HD content to consumers by recording files onto
inexpensive SD cards that can be distributed to customers the moment an event is finished. Featuring 25 built in SD card recorders, multi rate 12G-SDI connections and a
real-time H.265
encoder, Blackmagic Duplicator 4K is the best way to deliver Ultra HD content that customers can actually view on their 4K televisions and Windows 10 computers today.
The
Blackmagic Duplicator 4K lets content creators dramatically
increase revenue because it gives them a way to sell content right after a live event, while attendees are still excited about the performance, and before they walk out the door. Now customers can
sell concert videos to fans as they leave the venue, to parents after their children's latest performance or recital, after sporting events, conferences, sales seminars and more.
The
Blackmagic Duplicator 4K encodes video using H.265, which is
the new standard for Ultra HD delivery, and saves files in an open file format on to standard SD cards. The built in realtime H.265 hardware encoder gives customers incredible looking Ultra HD video,
even at high frame rates up to 2160p60. The H.265 video looks better than the older H.264 standard, and the files are small with data rates low so content can play back from standard SD card
media. With H.265, Ultra HD content is not much larger in file size than a HD file would be in the older H.264 standard.
Featuring 25 SD card recorders miniaturized into a single rack
unit, the Blackmagic Duplicator 4K uses standard, common SD cards that are readily available, super thin, inexpensive and very fast. Cards can be used for SD, HD and Ultra HD video up to 2160p60 and
are compatible with Windows 10 computers. With the addition of a USB adapter, SD cards can even be plugged directly into most consumer Ultra HD televisions for immediate playback of the
video.
The built in H.265 encoder is so efficient that a one hour Ultra HD program can easily fit onto a very inexpensive 8GB SD card. SD cards are also easy to label and completely re-usable so customers
can reformat unsold cards and record over them again at their next event. Unlike proprietary disc based formats like Blu-Ray, customers don't have to buy a slow and expensive player. Blackmagic
Duplicator 4K is the easiest, most compatible and cost effective way to distribute Ultra HD content to consumers today.
The front panel controls are designed to make duplicating content
as easy as possible and feature 6 large illuminated buttons for record, stop, lock, append, menu and remote. The lock button prevents accidental interruption of recording during an event, and
the append record button seamlessly combines recordings from different parts of an event into a single file.
This revolutionary new append recording feature is perfect for
events that have natural breaks, like weddings with a ceremony and reception in different locations. Append recording makes it easier for consumers to watch the final program because they only have to
play back a single movie file.
The
Blackmagic Duplicator 4K features advanced, multi rate 12G-SDI connections that can record all SD, HD and Ultra HD formats up to
2160p60. For larger events, multiple duplicators can be stacked using the SDI loop thru and RS-422 deck control. This lets customers encode and duplicate to an unlimited number of SD cards
in realtime. When recording is started or stopped on the first duplicator, the others automatically follow. There is also an optical fiber SFP socket for adding an optional SMPTE compatible
optical fiber SDI module when working in larger venues with long distances between equipment. Adding optical fiber SDI directly into the duplicators could be very useful when duplicators are set up
close to the merchandising stands away from the production area so that cards can be handed to customers for quick sale.
"Virtually all televisions sold are now Ultra HD models," said
Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design. "Manufacturers have moved away from regular HD and customers are buying new larger high resolution TV's. But the problem for consumers is that there's very little
content available so they can't take advantage of the resolution, color and detail that their new Ultra HD televisions can display. The
Blackmagic Duplicator 4K is the solution to the Ultra HD
delivery problem because it is an extremely affordable and convenient way to deliver Ultra HD content directly to consumers that they can play on their Ultra HD televisions today!"
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