Blackmagic Forum

I still cant get over the inability to grab a still from any source on the ATEM switchers. I can't believe there hasn't been an attempt to add this most basic of features. I'm guessing I'm late to the game on this request. I didn't take the time to look if others have chimed in before me but I'm betting I'm not the only one who can't understand this gap in basic switcher functionality.

Yes, still frame capture has been a much requested ATEM feature (here is one such thread):
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=253

The soon to be released ATEM Mini will have support for this. From the product marketing page (https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/atemmini):

ATEM Mini can even grab stills from the video output and add them to the internal media pool.

Hopefully, this feature will be added as a firmware update for all of the ATEM models, not just the ATEM Mini. Since the ATEM firmware update adding support for the ATEM Mini hasn't been released yet, it's hard to say for sure at this point what it may contain for the other ATEM models.

Here is a screenshot of the Media page of the ATEM Software Control interface for what this will look like (note the Capture Still button toward the lower right corner):

I guess this function will trickle down all Atems with the new FW update to be released. But until it is released.. Just wait it out..

Xtreemtec wrote:I guess this function will trickle down all Atems with the new FW update to be released. But until it is released.. Just wait it out..

Been waiting since '11... just sayin'

kaerfull1 wrote:

Xtreemtec wrote:I guess this function will trickle down all Atems with the new FW update to be released. But until it is released.. Just wait it out..

Been waiting since '08... just sayin'

That is kind of weird.. The BMD Atem wasn't released before 2010 when Echolab went belly up..

The first ATEM models Blackmagic released after acquiring Echolab were the ATEM Television Studio and original 1 M/E and 2 M/E models in 2011 (announced at NAB in April and started shipping toward the end of the year):
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/ ... 0110411-09
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/ ... 0110411-10

The older Echolab ATEM units that were sold before the Blackmagic models were released actually did have the ability to capture stills into the media pool (as indicated on page 95 of this old manual):
http://difanet.jamu.cz/az_vyuka/manualy ... manual.pdf

This was one of a handful of missing features from the original line that Echolab ATEM users were complaining about when the first Blackmagic ATEM models were released. And while these kinds of missing features may be frustrating, it is also worth remembering the huge role that Blackmagic played in making switchers more affordable. When Blackmagic acquired Echolab in 2010, their switchers were priced at $20000 and $50000:
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/ ... 0100812-01

Then one year later Blackmagic introduces the ATEM Television Studio for $1000 which was an unheard of price for an HD video switcher at the time. Along with the 1 M/E and 2 M/E models for $2500 and $5000, respectively. So they slashed the prices of these production switchers to 1/10th of what they were.

Haha never knew they also sold the old echolab version for 1 year. Great info Dave.

When they released the 1ME around 2012, i bought it direct. Coming from Datavideo SD switchers. The Atem was such a leap forward!!

It feels weird that i bought my first Atem only 7 years ago. If i see what a company i build around it since then. And the gig's i have done since with Atems..

So, the update is released. Did anyone try it on one of the Atem Models?

Just updated my TV Studio HD. Very disapointed that capture frame to media pool is NOT available

Ian Morrish wrote:Just updated my TV Studio HD. Very disapointed that capture frame to media pool is NOT available

Yes, it looks like this may be an ATEM Mini-only feature for the time being as the Capture Still button does not seem to be displayed for other ATEM models with firmware 8.1.

I noticed that they did add various new still capture functions to version 8.1 of the ATEM SDK. But I'm guessing that the IBMDSwitcherStillCapture::IsAvailable method (which is supposed to be used to determine if the media pool has any empty spaces in it for still capture), will probably always return false for switchers other than the ATEM Mini.

That is a pity if that is the case.

This is really feature that all Atems will benefit from..

I just tried to update my Television Studio 4K to see if switchers with the advanced croma keyers got the update. In setup i noticed that after the update the switcher got 8.0.3 not 8.1 so no wonder that we don't see any new functions. Even if you update from a computer running 8.1 you got 8.0.3 on the switcher side if you doesn't have an Atem Mini.

Hakan Taube Lyxzen wrote:I just tried to update my Television Studio 4K to see if switchers with the advanced croma keyers got the update. In setup i noticed that after the update the switcher got 8.0.3 not 8.1 so no wonder that we don't see any new functions. Even if you update from a computer running 8.1 you got 8.0.3 on the switcher side if you doesn't have an Atem Mini.

This means there is no update for your mixer. The latest FW your mixer is supported is 8.0.3 then

Hello everyone. The ATEM 8.1 update supports only the ATEM Mini. However, if you have the mini and want other ATEMs to be controlled by the same software, you would need to run the update on all.

Regards, Gary

So how many people will purchase a Mini to feed the Prog out of their big ATEM into it and then its output back into the big ATEM as media source?

It would at least be nice to know if it was possible/planned in the future, for the more modern ATEM's to have this feature added by BMD.

I know that the ISO is cool and all, but is there any chance that BM will update software in Atem mini pro that creates project with cuts and overlays in top track like in ISO? Not the 5 stream record - just master. It would be much easier to fix something later if the transition or overlay is not baked in. Would like to get the new ISO but bought pro 3 month ago and need from it to pay itself before buying latest and greatest

Could you please add the ability to choose a BM Camera LUT via ATEM's software. Right now you have to walk to each camera, get behind it (which is cumbersome, especially if the camera is inside a teleprompter) and choose a LUT from the camera's display on the back.

It would save tons of time if you could do it either via ATEM software or at least iPad control software for the camera!

These feature request threads are just depressing. First, seeing how old some of these requests are for such basic and necessary things. And second, knowing that Blackmagic is unlikely to do anything about it.