Blackmagic Design has announced a new range of low-cost, portable video capture and playback options. The Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Express 3G family also supports USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 connections, making the devices compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux computers.
Supported video standards
Blackmagic Design has announced two products in the series. The UltraStudio Express Monitor 3G plays back to 3G-SDI and HDMI. The Recorder 3G captures from the same connections. As 3G devices, both support the 525i59.94 and 625i50 standards for SD video. For HD, they handle 720p, 1080i and 1080p up to 1080p60. Working with 3G-SDI sources, you can also switch between level A and level B. Both models support uncompressed and compressed 10-bit 4:2:2 YUV or RGB.
USB4 support
The previous UltraStudio devices connected only over Thunderbolt, which limited the range of computers they worked with. The new models support USB4 or Thunderbolt 4. That means video capture or playback plus power travel over a single USB cable. USB4 also delivers the bandwidth to handle high resolutions, deeper bit depths and advanced frame buffer formats such as 4:2:2 and 4:4:4.
Software support
Blackmagic Design says the devices work with all popular video software. You can use the Recorder 3G for live streaming through an app like Open Broadcaster. The Monitor 3G sends a clean feed from DaVinci Resolve for editing and color correction. The devices are also compatible with Final Cut Pro, Media Composer, Premiere Pro, Fusion, After Effects, Photoshop and more.
Perfect for working anywhere
“We know how important our UltraStudio models are to customer workflows, so we’ve been working hard to get them into more hands,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “By building these new models around USB4, we can keep them even more affordable so customers can plug into the computers they already use. They’re extremely compact, they power from the USB connection so customers can even run them from their laptop battery. They’re perfect for working anywhere!”
What we think
Blackmagic Design’s UltraStudio Express 3G devices are cheap, compact and easy to move between locations. Adding USB4 alongside Thunderbolt opens them up to a much wider user base. You can even run them from a laptop, with a single USB-C cable handling both video and power.
Software support is broad enough that most editors won’t have to change their setup. Whether you need to capture high-quality video or send a clean signal out for color grading, the Monitor 3G and Recorder 3G make a strong case.
Pricing and availability
The UltraStudio Express Monitor 3G and Recorder 3G are available now. Each retails at $175.
