Do any DeckLink PCIe cards support H.264 encode/decode?

Hi folks,

Looking at the DeckLink SDK documentation, for example with Section 2.6.7, pgs 193-203, I see several methods relating to H.264 and MPEG2-TS. I also see encoder-related methods in Section 2.5.35, pgs 137-158, including a couple of H.265-related methods.

This is a bit confusing to me because I don't see any reference to H.264 in any of the DeckLink PCIe card descriptions. Plus, MPEG2-TS is a network-related layer and doesn't have anything directly to do with SDI video (at least to my knowledge). The only Blackmagic product I am aware of relating to H.264 is the H.264 Pro Recorder, but that is a stand-along device and not a PCIe device that would utilize the DeckLink driver/API, and I assume, is not really software programmable.

So do any of the DeckLink PCIe cards support H.264 encode/decode? If not, what is the intended use for all of those compression-related DeckLink SDK API methods?

Thanks,
-Andres

[Cameron Nichols]

Hi Andres,

The DeckLink SDK Manual Section 2.6 refers to the Streaming Interface, this applies to the H.264 Pro Recorder. Sections 2.5.35 - 2.5.41 refer to the IDeckLinkEncoder* interfaces, these are applicable to the UltraStudio 4K Extreme (3) that supports realtime H.265 encoding.

There are no PCIe cards that support either the IBMDStreaming* or IDeckLinkEncoder* interfaces. Frames are delivered to IDeckLinkInputCallback::VideoInputFrameArrived callback with raw pixel format defined by section 3.4 Pixel Formats.

In order to use H.264, your application will need to integrate code to interface the DeckLink SDK with an H.264 codec. You may find FileCapture/FilePlayback SDK samples useful as a reference.

Regards
Cameron

Thank you for your reply Cameron. I was not familiar with the UltraStudio Extreme 4K (3) so I must check it out. I will also study the FileCapture/FilePlayback SDK samples as per your suggestion.

-Andres