[Feature/Product Request] ISO Recording for ATEM TV Studios

With the recent announcement of the ATEM Mini Extreme & Extreme ISO, I was wondering/hoping if Blackmagic could please bring some version of the ISO recording features to their mid-tier & higher-end ATEM switchers.

I know we could theoretically buy an ATEM Mini Extreme ISO, along with a bunch of SDI-to-HDMI converters, and start using the ATEM Mini Extreme ISO as our primary switcher, and thus get the ability to record clean feeds of all 8 inputs, plus the program feed, and get a DaVinci Resolve project file with all the transitions and stuff. However, there are still some features that our TV Studio Pro 4K switcher has that the ATEM Mini Extreme ISO does not have (capable of a 4K workflow and a much better physical control panel, just as a couple of examples).

I also know we could theoretically buy a bunch of HyperDecks to record each individual camera input, but buying 8 or 9 HyperDecks just isn't in our current budget. Plus, as far as I know, we still wouldn't get the DaVinci Resolve project file with that setup, to be able to more easily edit the live-switched production after the fact, so we would have to totally re-build the timeline from scratch.

So, here is my suggestion/request:

I know it's not possible to do any native recording on any of the ATEM Television Studio switchers, as they don't have any H.264 hardware encoders inside. So, would it be possible/feasible to create an ISO recording "companion" device for the TV Studio switchers with:

- 8 12G-SDI inputs & loop outs for the 8 inputs on the TV Studio switcher (connect cameras and other inputs first to this companion device, and then connect the loop outs from this companion device to switcher)

- (optional) 4 HDMI inputs & loop outs for the 4 HDMI inputs on the lower-end TV Studio switchers

- one 12G-SDI input & loop out for the program feed from the switcher

- Ethernet and/or USB port (data connection to switcher, to receive info for creating the DaVinci Resolve Project file)

- USB port for connection of a USB drive, and/or an SD card slot(s) or SATA SSD disc slot(s) - for storing the ISO recordings

- SDI and/or HDMI monitor out (with a monitoring UI similar to the new Web Presenter HD, except with details about ISO recording status)

- Capable of recording clean feeds of all inputs, program feed, and DaVinci Resolve project file data from ATEM switcher in H.264 (or even H.265), preferably at resolutions up to 2160p60.

- (optional) It would be even better if this device could also include the functionality of the Web Presenter HD, and be able to livestream the program feed via Ethernet/RTMP and/or USB webcam out as well. (RTMP livestream and USB webcam feed can still be maxed out at 1080p60, if necessary, like they currently are on both the Web Presenter HD and on the ATEM Mini Pro/Extreme.)


This device wouldn't need any of the switcher capabilities that the ATEM Mini Pro/Extreme ISO products have, so it could have a simplified front panel, similar to a HyperDeck Studio Mini or the new Web Presenter HD. And that would hopefully mean that it also wouldn't need as many or as complex internal components as those other devices, so I would hope that this device could possibly be priced somewhere in the sub-$1000 range.


(Note: I guess you could also make this device usable with the higher-end ATEM Production Studio switchers as well, but I would imagine that most people/organizations who can afford those higher-end Production Studio switchers can also probably afford a rack full of HyperDecks for their ISO recordings instead.)


Anyone else have any thoughts/suggestions/improvements on this idea? (And/or does anyone see any flaws or problems with this idea/concept?)

Thanks so much for your consideration and feedback!

- Philip

You can do it now. Just get a Constellation 4 M/E and a ATEM Mini Extreme ISO. 9 channel records in MP4.

these are not sofware only things, you need hardware resources in the FPGAs to implement these features.
those older devices may not have sufficient resources for that.