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Blackmagic Design introduces world's first PCI Express capture card (20/9/2005)

Today Blackmagic Design announced the world's first PCI Express (PCIe) based capture card with 10 bit SDI and high quality analog component/composite video connections for high end editing, broadcast paint, and effects called DeckLink Extreme PCIe.

DeckLink Extreme PCIe is a PCI Express version of the company's famous DeckLink Extreme capture card that features a new high speed PCI Express 1 lane interface running at 2.5 Gbps, which is more than 6 times faster than FireWire based solutions.

By using a compact 1 lane PCI Express interface, the new DeckLink Extreme PCIe card features high speed ideal for multi layer real time effects, compatibility with new high speed Windows PC motherboards, while allowing full compatibility with 1, 4, 8 and 16 lane PCI Express slots.

DeckLink Extreme PCIe connects to any standard definition deck in broadcast video, because it combines both 10 bit SDI and analog component video into a single compact low cost PCI Express card that only uses a single PCIe slot!

DeckLink Extreme PCIe includes extended features such as support for Windows XPª and DirectShow, as well as full custom drivers for Adobe Premiere Proª 1.5 with more than 40 real time effects and transitions in 8 bit, 10 bit, and DV.

Enhanced Quality and Connectivity for all Broadcast Decks

DeckLink Extreme PCIe features the highest quality 10 bit uncompressed SDI video connections making it the perfect solution for connecting to high end broadcast decks such as Digital Betacamª, D5, and D1. True 10 bit SDI capture retains all the subtle detail in images even during the heaviest multi generation rendering and video processing.

When connecting to decks such as Betacam SPª, DeckLink Extreme is the only low cost card to feature full analog component YUV video allowing crisp clean images that take full advantage of Betacam SP's 4:2:2 analog video path. With 6 separate analog power supplies onboard, DeckLink Extreme's analog connections have been specially optimized for the Betacam SP format.

Betacam SP uses digitally processed chroma time domain multiplexing and records color and luma on separate video heads for the highest quality on analog tape format. DeckLink Extreme is designed to capture the full analog signal from Betacam SP while retaining the deep color quality and low analog noise that is a trademark of this tape format.

DeckLink Extreme allows the life of this classic analog tape format to continue it's usefulness in postproduction and broadcast facilities, and then, instantly connect to more advanced SDI based decks when required, and all on the same hardware card.

DeckLink Extreme's amazing analog support also extends to audio. DeckLink Extreme provides full 24 bit based professional balanced analog audio on superbly robust XLR connections. Pro analog XLR based audio connections onboard are perfect for connecting to pro audio mixers or other outboard equipment.

Completing this suite of connections is full speed SPDIF/Unbalanced AES audio output for high quality digital audio monitoring, genlock input, and RS-422 serial remote.

Enhanced Functionality

DeckLink Extreme is much more than just an NLE card for use with Premiere Pro, as it also includes our acclaimed Blackmagic Deck Control application. This lets you mark in and out on tape, and automatically capture a selected segment from tape using the serial control port. All the deck control is automatic. You can then place finished renders back to tape from the comfort of your workstation when your job is finished.

Deck Control is bundled free and is great when you're doing web streaming, digital effects, color correction or broadcast design and you don't use NLE software. Deck Control allows you to complete your workstation without any third party extras.

DeckLink Extreme also includes our LiveKey application software. LiveKey lets you change the DeckLink Extreme into a live keyer that keys RGB based graphics over input video and outputs with the result showing on both the SDI and analog outputs.

That's great for adding a quick bug, or logo to your demo reels, and makes DeckLink Extreme the perfect partner in live broadcast situations.

"At only $895 this is an extremely exciting product, and has taken tremendous work to engineer an uncompressed video card with all these features and quality at this groundbreaking price," said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design. "Now Blackmagic Design has a great solution for the exciting low cost Windows PC's that feature both low price, and enough power for multi layer uncompressed editing with effects!"

DeckLink Extreme PCIe will be available in two weeks for Windows XP PCI Express based systems. DeckLink Extreme PCIe will be available from all Blackmagic Design authorized resellers worldwide, for a recommended retail price of US$895.

www.blackmagic-design.com

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