Blackmagic Design UltraStudio 3D Overview

Blackmagic Design UltraStudio 3D is a Mac-compatible 3G/HD-SDI capture & playback device that connects to your computer via Thunderbolt and supports two streams of 1080p HD video for stereoscopic 3D workflows. The compact, handsome, machined-aluminum device includes all necessary capture/playback software and drivers, so setup is a breeze.

The device captures uncompressed 10-bit 4:4:4 RGB and 4:2:2 YUV video from any deck, broadcast router, or video camera with SDI output, and plays it back to broadcast-quality SDI monitors. With both dual- and single-link 3G-SDI supported, resolutions up to 2K are supported, for feature film work. The Thunderbolt connection supports data rates up to a blazing 10 Gb/s, which is plenty fast to effect a direct high-speed connection to your video editing software’s real-time effects processing, even for dual-stream stereoscopic productions.

UltraStudio 3D also features an HDMI 1.4a input for capture and an HDMI 1.4a output for monitoring via an HDMI-enabled television, computer monitor, or projector. RS-422 deck control is included for controlling HDCAM SR, Digital Betacam, HDCAM, D5, DVCPRO HD, and other VTRs. For genlock, the device accepts a blackburst or tri-sync reference signal.

All UltraStudio 3D files are open standard DPX and QuickTime format, so you can edit with just about any software, including Apple Final Cut Pro, The Foundry’s Nuke, eyeon Fusion, Digidesign Pro Tools, and Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop, and After Effects. UltraStudio 3D is qualified by Apple for Final Cut Pro compatibility, so you can batch capture from decks and play back FCP timelines with RT Extreme real-time effects. Other supported Final Cut Pro features include 10-bit rendering, 16-channel audio, deck control, and support for ProRes, JPEG, DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO HD, and 8- & 10-bit uncompressed video.

Note:
Requires a Mac computer with a Thunderbolt port. Thunderbolt cable sold separately.

Work in 3D

UltraStudio 3D includes high quality HDMI 1.4a and dual HD-SDI connections for full-resolution frame-packed 3D capture and playback. Work in side-by-side, line-by-line, and top & bottom formats, even with previous-generation 3D devices. Blackmagic Design’s included Media Express software allows advanced dual-stream 3D workflows by capturing left and right eye to separate QuickTime or DPX files for a complete 3D solution

High-Quality Connections

UltraStudio 3D includes the highest-quality low-jitter SDI connections that instantly switch between all SD, HD, and 2K video formats. Connect all your I/O devices with single- and dual-link 3 Gb/s HD-SDI, HDMI 1.4a, and analog video in and out, as well as 16 channel SDI audio I/O, genlock for bi- and tri-level sync, and serial deck control. Connect to decks such as Digital Betacam, HDCAM, HDCAM-SR, Panasonic D5, DVCPRO HD, Sony PMW-F3, and more. UltraStudio 3D includes HDMI 1.4a out, so you can use any television as a broadcast monitor, dramatically lowering the overall cost of editing systems. HDMI out even lets you connect to video projectors for a theater-style screening room environment. UltraStudio 3D includes a breakout cable that supplies connections for analog component/S-Video and composite, analog audio, genlock, AES/EBU audio, and RS-422 deck control

Supreme Video Quality

UltraStudio 3D supports uncompressed YUV 4:2:2 and RGB 4:4:4 workflows up to full resolution 2K, so you can handle any job that comes through your door. Since all captured images are a pixel-for-pixel clone of the source, without any generational loss or damaging compression, you’re working at the highest quality possible. Get the sharpest green screens, cleanest compositions, and superior color correction. With mature drivers, the included award-winning Media Express software, plus a sophisticated SDK, UltraStudio 3D is an unparalleled solution

Thunderbolt Power

Built on Thunderbolt technology, UltraStudio 3D has a blazingly fast 10 Gb/s connection that’s up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0. That’s enough bandwidth for 2K RGB capture and playback. Thunderbolt also brings low latency and highly accurate time synchronization, so UltraStudio 3D is perfect for demanding stereoscopic 3D workflows. Thunderbolt’s daisy-chaining capability enables you to connect the device to high-performance storage that is in turn connected to your workstation or notebook. Now you can get all the workstation-class performance you love, even conveniently on your MacBook Pro

Broad Compatibility

With UltraStudio 3D’s third-party software compatibility, you can seamlessly edit on your favorite NLE software such as Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro. For compositing and broadcast design, UltraStudio 3D works with After Effects, Nuke, and Photoshop. Imagine color grading live on set with UltraStudio 3D and DaVinci Resolve on your MacBook Pro – and seeing a real-time preview live on a big-screen TV or projector. All UltraStudio 3D files are open standard DPX and QuickTime format, so they are compatible with all software. UltraStudio 3D even includes a developer SDK and QuickTime API so you can develop your own custom solutions

International Power Supply

UltraStudio 3D includes a universal power supply complete with a cable tie-down point and a set of international socket adapters for all countries. Take your editing suite with you anywhere without the need to purchase third-party adapters

Included Software, Drivers & Plug-Ins

UltraStudio 3D includes everything you need for editing, paint, or broadcast design. There’s a full set of drivers for capture and playback with real-time effects in Premiere Pro. There’s also a set of included Blackmagic Utilities: Disk Speed Test, LiveKey, and the Blackmagic software codec. Also included is Media Express software for batch capture and output to tape with frame-accurate deck control using AVI, QuickTime and DPX files. Media Express lets you use virtually any software for video work. Adobe Photoshop is the world standard for paint and image design, and UltraStudio 3D includes Photoshop plug-ins that let you grab frames from the video input or send frames to the video output – directly from within Photoshop itself. UltraStudio 3D also supports real-time RAM preview in Adobe After Effects

Blackmagic Media Express

Media Express lets you batch capture and play back 2D and dual-stream stereoscopic 3D in DPX, ProRes, uncompressed YUV and RGB, DVCPRO HD, and MJPEG files. You can even create your own playlist. Media Express also supports CMX EDL import and export, frame-accurate deck control via RS-422, and will even insert and assemble to tape. Media Express is fast, accurate, and easy to use and works on Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. Audio metering, real-time preview of clips, and dynamic playlist search are just some of its features. You can even grab still frames directly from your deck and save them as perfect digital-quality still images

Blackmagic Utilities

LiveKey lets you insert logos and other graphics in real time using SDI outputs by switching UltraStudio 3D into a standard-def or high-def keyer card. Disk Speed Test checks your disk array and gives you an easy-to-understand speed test with the results in video frames per second. The world famous Blackmagic Codec allows highest rendering quality on Intensity and unlike other products, only the Blackmagic Codec features correct anti-aliasing 4:2:2 color filtering, so RGB graphics convert to correct 4:2:2 YUV video space without aliasing problems