blackmagic design desktop video software

Blackmagic Desktop Video 12.0 Released

Blackmagic Design has just released an updated version of their suite of desktop video drivers for several of their hardware solutions to output proper video signals. Blackmagic Desktop Video 12.0 is available for download free of charge.

To be able to output a legal video signal from your computer, you will most likely need some kind of external hardware that supports correct 10bit Rec.709 video signals @50Hz. Blackmagic, of course, has a whole range of solutions on offer that can do just that (and more): Their Ultrastudio line of I/O devices, for example.

The latest Blackmagic Desktop Video 12.0 finally supports the latest M1-powered Macs and offers compatibility with many different hardware devices and applications.

Blackmagic Desktop Video 12.0

Blackmagic Desktop Video 12.0 supports DeckLink, UltraStudio and Intensity products on Windows, Linux and Mac platforms. However, there are some limitations under MacOS 11.0 Big Sur. The following list gives a detailed overview of which models the M1 Macs work with and which ones only work with Intel-powered Macs for now:

M1 and Intel Macs:

DeckLink Duo 2 / Quad 2 / Quad HDMI Recorder
Decklink 8K Pro / 4K Pro / 4K Extreme / 4K Extreme 12G
DeckLink Micro Recorder / SDI Micro
DeckLink Mini Monitor 4K / Mini Recorder / Mini Recorder 4K
DeckLink SDI 4K / Studio 4K
UltraStudio Recorder 3G / Monitor 3G
UltraStudio HD Mini / 4K / 4K Extreme / 4K Mini/ 4K Extreme 3
Intensity Pro 4K

Intel Macs only:

DeckLink Mini Monitor / HD Extreme 3 / HD Extreme 3D / SDI / Duo / Quad / Studio
UltraStudio Express / Mini Monitor / Mini Recorder
Intensity Pro / Shuttle Thunderbolt

Software compatibility

The new M1 Macs are also still a bit behind in terms of pro software that is compatible with these Blackmagic video I/O devices. The list for Intel-based Macs is much longer than the one for M1 Macs. So check that the software of your choice is on the right list before upgrading:

M1 Macs:

DaVinci Resolve 17.1 beta
Fusion 17.1 beta
Apple Final Cut Pro X
Adobe Premiere Pro 2020 beta
Photoshop 2020 beta

Intel Macs:

DaVinci Resolve 16 and 17 beta
Fusion Studio 16 and 17 beta
Apple Final Cut Pro X
Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2019 and 2020
Adobe After Effects CC 2019 and 2020
Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 and 2020
Adobe Character Animator CC 2019 and 2020
Autodesk Flame 2021
Avid Media Composer 2020
Avid Pro Tools 2020
The Foundry Nuke

Hopefully the list of supported software for M1 Macs will grow in the (near) future, but it's nice to see initial support for proper video I/O for these machines.

For all the details of this update (for Windows / Linux users for example) make sure to head over to Blackmagic.com in order to read the full release notes.

Link: Support Page

Do you use any of Blackmagics offerings when it comes to video I/O? Share your experiences in the comments below!