Review: Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro ISO and Streaming Bridge
So what do you get if you stretch another $300 and move up from the Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro to the ATEM Mini Pro ISO? The previous $300 stretch (from the ATEM Mini) got you a multiviewer, streaming, and program recording. For $300 more you get the ability to record each of the 4 inputs as an ISO recording and streaming to the ATEM Streaming Bridge.
Adding the ATEM Streaming Bridge
Let’s stretch one more time and explore the $245 ATEM Streaming Bridge. Instead of streaming to a live stream destination, you can also stream your program output to a connected Streaming Bridge. The Streaming Bridge is compatible with the ATEM Mini Pro or Mini Pro ISO and can be connected directly with an ethernet cable, across a local network, or even over the internet to a remote location (Figure 5, below). On the output end, it has 2 HD-SDI outputs and an HDMI output for resolutions up to 1080p60. Pairing an ATEM Mini Pro with an ATEM Streaming Bridge opens-up so many possibilities of potential destinations. From local projectors and lobby HDTVs to remote control rooms, directors, and audiences, the ATEM Streaming Bridge workflow is the future of remote workflow production, today, and for a price to own that is less that what it used to cost to rent for a single event.
Figure 5. Initial setup and connection on the ATEM Mini Pro ISO is much easier than the old manual method on other ATEM models.
I have now reviewed all three models in the ATEM Mini line and I still can’t get over how much value has been packed into each model and the Streaming Bridge. It isn’t just that they cost way less than the sum of their parts, or in many cases even one of the components in workflows that it replaces several of, but it also offers features that you can’t get with components that are more expensive.
So whether you are planning to use an ATEM Mini to improve upon a webcam feed, mix multiple computer and video signals, record the program and ISO feeds, live stream to a remote audience, or send high-quality video signal to a remote broadcaster, the ATEM Mini line offers professional-quality and functionality at a single-use price. Sure, there are workflow considerations, but the ATEM Mini is an extreme example of just how far you can stretch your video production dollars.
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Blackmagic Design calls its PxP feature SuperSource and it used to only be available on their highest-end switchers, the ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K, ATEM 4 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K, and ATEM Constellation 8K. While much of the workflow is the same as we will discuss here, in this tutorial, we will be discussing SuperSource on the newest and more budget friendly ATEM Mini Extreme and ATEM Mini Extreme ISO video switchers.
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