The ATEM Television Studio HD features 8 independent 3G-SDI inputs, with each input featuring its own dedicated standards converter. That means it’s possible to convert any 1080HD or 720HD input source to the video standard of the switcher. That means you could have each switcher SDI input running a different television standard and all the inputs would just work.
SDI input audio channels 1, 2, 3, and 4 can also be manually routed to various embedded audio channels in the program and aux outputs. Plus, you can even router out audio channels 1 and 2 from the SDI inputs to the MADI digital audio output, so you can hand off the switcher input audio to an external audio engineer for mixing.
The ATEM Television Studio includes nine 3G-SDI program outputs, so you get enough connections to send a separate program return feed to all of your cameras. That’s important because the SDI program return is used to send tally, talkback, and control information back to the cameras.
You also get two dedicated aux outputs for driving stage monitors and master recorders. These aux outputs can be live-switched using dedicated buttons on the control panel. Aux 1 even includes an on-screen counter for presenter monitoring. Plus, you can manually route audio into all 16 embedded audio channels in the SDI outputs. For camera monitoring, there is a dedicated 3G-SDI and HDMI output for the multiview.
If you’re building a podcasting studio or you need more microphones, then the ATEM Microphone Converter allows audio input expansion. It connects to the ATEM Television Studio using the MADI port, so there’s no complex setup and you can daisy-chain units to add more inputs. Each converter has 4 analog inputs that are mic/line selectable and have phantom power.
The design features amazing quality with an extremely low noise floor of -129 dBV, a dynamic range of 131 dB(A), low distortion of 0.002%, and uniform tolerances across all channels. It even uses 8 separate ADCs on each input to collectively extend the dynamic range. Plus, it has a fun HDMI monitoring output with scrolling audio waveforms.
ATEM Television Studio HD supports recording to external USB flash disks. Or if an optional M.2 flash disk is installed, you can record direct to internal cloud storage. The internal storage plus any external USB disks will be available to share over the local Ethernet network, so other people can work on postproduction tasks such as editing, color correction, and graphics preparation.
All recordings are in H.264 format with AAC audio for broadcast-quality video and small file sizes. You can also connect multiple USB disks, so recording will continue if a disk becomes full. You even get buttons on the control panel to start recording, and you can see record status in the multiview.
You can use any video software with ATEM Television Studio HD because the USB connection will emulate a webcam. That means you can plug into a computer and use any video software that works with a webcam. The software is tricked into thinking the ATEM Television Studio HD is a common webcam, but it’s really a live production switcher. That guarantees full compatibility with any video software and in full resolution 1080HD quality.
Imagine doing a presentation from a professional broadcast studio to software such as Zoom, Teams, or Skype. For streaming, the webcam output also works with streaming software such as Open Broadcaster, XSplit Broadcaster, and more.
The ATEM Software Control app unlocks the hidden power of ATEM Television Studio HD by allowing access to all the features in the switcher. ATEM Software Control features a visual switcher user interface with parameter palettes for making adjustments. Although you can connect via USB, if you connect using Ethernet, you can run multiple copies of ATEM Software Control on different computers.
The software lets you live switch, mix audio, color correct in the cameras, and manage media. You can also build and run complex macros from the software. Plus, you can save the switcher state as an XML file for recalling jobs later. You can even control trigger external HyperDeck recorders.
ATEM Television Studio HD supports multiple languages in the menus and in the ATEM Software Control, so you can customize it to the language you prefer. You get support for English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, German, French, Russian, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Polish, and Ukrainian languages.
Simply go into the setup menu to change the language, or you can always switch to another language at any time in the future. Once a language is selected, the menus on all the LCDs will change to the selected language. Multiple language support means ATEM Television Studio HD is perfect for doing live production work anywhere in the world and with any crew.
The all-in-one design of ATEM Television Studio includes a built-in power supply, so you don’t have to carry around an external power brick. Simply plug it into any AC mains outlet and start live production. The international power supply automatically works from 100 to 240 VAC, so you can use it anywhere in the world. Plus, ATEM Television Studio includes both AC and DC power connections.
A broadcast-standard XLR 12 VDC power connection is included, which is perfect for backup power or for running on batteries. That means you can use it in extremely remote locations. Plus, if the internal power supply should malfunction, then you can simply connect an external DC supply to keep running.
With so many features built in, it’s vital that ATEM Television Studio can be easily repaired. Plus, there is already a lot of built-in redundancy, with 4 Ethernet connections, 9 program SDI outputs, 2 USB ports, and 2 power connections. However, if someone trips on a cable and breaks a connector, then you need to be able to repair the connector at low cost.
All the internal electronic PCBs are modular, so any qualified technician can buy a replacement and easily swap the board. This includes the connector PCBs, which can be purchased separately. All the technician needs to do is remove the bottom cover and replace the PCB. A large broadcaster could even buy the boards as a spare parts kit.