Choosing HD Video Switchers for Webcasting--UPDATED!

Blackmagic Design ATEM 1 M/E ($2,370.25)

Similar to the above Blackmagic Design Television Studio but with a maximum of eight simultaneous inputs, the Blackmagic Design ATEM 1 M/E (below) features XLR audio inputs and outputs, instead of the TVS' AES/EBU connections. 

Blackmagic Design ATEM 1 M/E

The ATEM 1 M/E also has an always-on SD downconverted video output and three Auxiliary Ouputs, which allows you to output different signals to each. I've often been asked to send a different return feed to a projector than what is going to a webcast in order to avoid too much audience participation, and Aux outputs are the only way (other than adding a second video switcher) to accomplish this. No other mixer in this review has more than two Aux outputs. The additional outputs are also extremely useful if you want to record a clean program output (program minus the graphics), individual ISO camera feeds, or the computer presentation.

ATEM 1 M/E Production Switcher mounted in a Gator case below a Blackmagic Design SmartView HD monitor showing the multi-view display

If the computer or laptop you are using is fast enough and has either a supported USB 3.0 input or a Blackmagic Design capture card installed, you can record the archive through the software control panel (below). Otherwise you can use one of the program outputs and an external recorder for your archive.
Despite its low price, this video switcher has more features than the next two more expensive models and it takes until the Sony entry (costing $3,000 more) that we see another similarly equipped model.

ATEM software control panel Audio Tab displaying VU meters for each audio input and output

Datavideo SE-2000R ($3,360 rackmount or $3,840 SE-2000 broadcast panel)

Similarly quipped, these Datavideo models (SE-2000R below) have five video inputs, selectable between four HD-SDI inputs and two DVI inputs. The SE-2000R lacks audio inputs and the SE-2000 has4 channels of XLR audio inputs. One feature that I like about this model and all the ones to come on this list are that they all include direct tally light support. I own a compatible Datavideo ITC 100 intercom with tally lights so this is a consideration for me, although I should note that the Blackmagic Design models can support tally lights with an add-on GPI & Tally Interface and Blackmagic Design has their own solution, the ATEM Studio and ATEM Camera Converters, a tally solution that includes HDMI and HD-SDI video (with embedded audio) send and receive, and talkback, over optical fiber.

Datavideo SE-2000R (rackmount)

Unfortunately there are no Aux outputs on this model and I would prefer that the DVI multiviewer output was an HDMI output for more direct support with HDTVs, although this can easily be converted and several of the models mentioned later in this article also use DVI outputs for the multiview. I can't tell from the Datavideo documentation if the XLR audio inputs embed the audio in the two HD-SDI outputs or if you have to use the pair of XLR outputs for audio. This is the only model on this list that I have not hands-on experience with, mostly because overall this model doesn't feel as full-featured as some of our previous models and the ones to come.

Unlike the Blackmagic Design models, which separate the rackmount Production Switcher from the Broadcast Panel, the Datavideo switchers are not designed to be used together and each is a stand-alone unit with its own input and output connections. The Datavideo rackmount model lacks a T-bar for manual switches but can still perform switches with effects, like cross dissolves, to a user-adjustable duration by pressing the Take button. 

Panasonic AW-HS50N Compact HD/SD Live Switcher ($3,449)

This tiny switcher (below) offers five inputs, four HD-SDI and one DVI. On the output side it has two program HD-SDI outputs, an Aux HD-SDI output, a scalable DVI output, and a multiviewer DVI output. It lacks any audio controls but has a standard tally output. Don't be fooled by its small size--the HS50N might be all that you require and I really like the built-in upconverter available on two of the HD-SDI inputs, which all models on this list except the most expensive Roland model lack. Instead of a T-bar, the HS50N has a slider.

Panasonic AW-HS50N