Question on how UltraStudio HD Mini works

Greetings everyone,

I'm currently putting together a small streaming setup for our organization. The present need is to stream 2 cameras but could change in the future.

I've been looking at the UltraStudio HD Mini but there is something that hasn't been totally clear to me.

If I were to connect two cameras to the HD mini, and from here connect the HD mini to my laptop VIA Thunderbolt. Would the HD mini act as an interface where I would be able to switch between the two sources on my laptop?

I guess what I'm in if I use OBS for example, with the HD mini alone would I see multiple Video sources appear is selectable sources? or is external switching hardware required for this type of application?

I have a feeling I might be misunderstanding what this piece of hardware is.

I appreciate any time you guys take to help me.

Carson

No, it won't do that.

First of all, the UltraStudio HD Mini only has one SDI input anyway (and no HDMI input), so you wouldn't be able to connect two normal, modern cameras without converting one of them to analog.

Second, the device only presents one incoming stream in any program I've tried it with (haven't connected an analog source, though!).

What I use it for, which is working well, is as an input/output device for Premiere Pro from a Macbook Pro. This gives me Key/Fill inputs to the switcher, which provides perfect keying with little setup and full colors.

I've also used it for highlight editing-while-ingesting.

If you want to be able to take in multiple separate video signals into a laptop, you could use a DeckLink Duo 2 (or DeckLink Quad) card inside a Thunderbolt PCIe enclosure. These cards have multiple independent video inputs, so you could capture from several SDI inputs simultaneously and have them show up as separate sources in OBS or other software.

I've successfully taken in 3 x live HD inputs simultaneously to a Dell Inspiron 15 7577 gaming laptop running Wirecast, which is vision mixing software - input 1 via a Blackmagic Mini Recorder (HD-SDI or HDMI input) into Thunderbolt 3 on USB-C connector (via a Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 converter - a relatively expensive little item!); inputs 2 & 3 via Blackmagic Ultrastudio USB3.0. It was a test for a rural slow TV project and I had Wirecast cycle between 3 x cameras at a fixed interval for several hours by creating a looped playlist.

It does need to be a powerful laptop to do this. A slightly less capable laptop running 2 x USB3.0 inputs a few years ago froze after an hour or so. If purchasing a Windows laptop for use with the Mini Recorder, ensure that Thunderbolt 3 is specified on the USB-C connector; I had to send back two laptops after making that mistake.

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