Tutorial: How to Use vMix 4K Virtual Inputs to Deliver a Multicam HD Stream from One 4K Camera

The Power of Virtual Inputs

Using vMix in my workflows allows me as a technical director to be able to single-handedly perform the roles that would otherwise take multiple operators in a traditional studio control environment. This ability to produce events solo is a huge competitive edge that simultaneously keeps my equipment and labor costs lower and generates a higher profit margin for me than if I brought in more dedicated equipment and operators.

For smaller conferences, often I will operate two cameras while switching on vMix. One camera is a close-up angle that I move when needed, and the other is a wide angle that I can switch to when I need to move the close-up. On its own, this is a very efficient workflow, but two cameras are twice as much equipment as one camera. Imagine the possibilities if you could get multicamera results from a single camera that you never need to touch. You don’t need to imagine any longer: With vMix, you can get a single 4K video camera to act as multiple virtual HD video cameras (Figure 6, below). By adjusting the Zoom and Pan controls in the Position Menu of a virtual input, you can easily create multiple HD punches from your source 4K input (Figure 7, below Figure 6).

Figure 6. A single 4K wide shot in vMix can become the source for multiple Virtual Inputs that simulate a multicamera HD shoot. Click the image to see it at full size.

Figure 7. Using the Zoom and Pan controls to create HD punches.

With vMix, as with comparable solutions, you have been able to switch in 4K for a few years, but if you set your workspace as HD and connect a 4K/UHD video signal, with a supported 4K video capture card, you can duplicate this single 4K camera input by creating multiple virtual inputs. Initially, each virtual input is a clone of the original 4K input, but this is where it gets exciting. vMix allows you to adjust the scale and position of each virtual input so you can create multiple HD punches from a single 4K input. 4K UHD resolution is 3840x2160 and is four times the resolution of 1920x1080 HD video, which means you can zoom into a virtual input up to four times for a lossless HD virtual source (Figure 8, below).

Figure 8. A single 4K wide shot transformed into a six camera-angle production that can be operated by a single operator. Click the image to see it at full size.

In practice, you would frame your wide 4K camera as you would any wide shot, and then each virtual input would be a different view within this wide shot. I often use this workflow for panel discussions and create several combinations of HD punches for single close-ups on each panelist and combinations of two- and three-shots.