Blackmagic-Design ATEM 1 M/E Production Switcher Review

Saturday, June 25th, 2011: I have spent the last week working with my new Blackmagic-Design ATEM 1 M/E Production Switcher demo system. I am using an i7-powered, Windows 7, 64-bit powered PC with 4GB of RAM as the host PC. I am using an Acer V243H LCD monitor to view the ATEM Software Control Panel interface to operate the 1 M/E. I also have a Viewsonic VT2430 LCD HDTV monitor connected via HDMI as the multi-viewer monitor to see all of my video sources plus the program and preview busses. Finally, I have an older Westinghouse LCD monitor that is taking the HD component video output from the 1 M/E to see the program output.

As video sources I have a Sony HVR-A1U HDV video camera coming in as HD-SDI via a Blackmagic-Design (BMD) Analog to SDI Mini Converter, a Sylvania blu-ray player/recorder feeding hi-def component video to the 1 M/E, the HD-SDI output from my NewTek TCXCD850 EXTREME demo system plus the HDMI output from my laptop PC, giving me a current total of four independent live video sources to work with.

My shop is full of SD analog video sources that have suited me well as NewTek VT[5] and TriCaster video and audio sources but are of limited use with the BMD 1 M/E Production Switcher. As time and budget permits, I will add one or two HDMI video cameras as additional video source plus the BMD SmartView Duo 8-inch SDI monitors for viewing the preview and program busses. Ultimately, I will have the ATEM 1 M/E Production switcher, Windows 7 host PC and SmartView DUO all mounted in a portable rack case. As other BMD items are released such as the 1 M/E Television Studio and the HyperDeck Studio, I will mount them in a separate case.

The 1 M/E Production Switcher is a solid-feeling, well-made looking piece of gear. While appearances shouldn’t make a difference in how well a piece of equipment actually works, the look and feel of the 1 M/E lends a sense of confidence and satisfaction. The 1 M/E is a 2U rackmount device but is only 2.5 inches deep. A large heat sink on the back of the 1 M/E draws heat away from the unit, eliminating the noise and potential failure associated with moving cooling fans. Given that I plan to enclose the 1 M/E and host PC in an enclosed portable rack, I may add some fans of my own to provide adequate airflow for the switcher and computer.

Like the other ATEM switchers, the 1 M/E requires either an external 1 M/E or 2 M/E Control Panel or a Mac or Windows PC to operate the unit. The 1 M/E and host PC connect via a standard Ethernet cable. You will also want to run a USB cable between both units when setting up the IP address for the 1 M/E. The 1 M/E includes a USB 3.0 port.

The ATEM Software Control Panel is comprised of three different modules: Switcher; Media and Settings. Only one module can be viewed at a time. The Switcher module is straightforward and easy-to-use. The left-hand portion of the screen is devoted to selecting your active program and preview sources. These include any live video sources you have physically connected to the 1 M/E Production Switcher plus internal video sources such as color bars, black, color background generators, and a pair of Media Players for playing back video clips, graphics and titles.

The center portion of the ATEM Software Control Panel contains the upstream keyers, which allows you to set-up chroma-keying, luma-keying, PIP effects and much more. The speed and type of transitions associated with your video sources and keyers are also located here. The right-portion of the screen works with the pair of downstream keyers as well as picking your wipe patterns and graphics used for keying. There is actually a lot more power associated with these two areas than this paragraph describes. Time permitting, I will write a more in-depth review of these controls after I have spent additional time working with the 1 M/E.

The other two modules found with the ATEM Software Control Panel are equally easy-to-use. The Media module allows you to load video clips, titles and other graphics into the two Media Players. The Settings module allows you to select the video resolution that the 1 M/E session runs at (1080i50, 1080i59.94, 720p50, 720p59.94 for HD and 625/25 PAL, 525/29.97 NTSC for SD). You also select which, if any, single analog video input you are working with (composite, Y/C or component).

I have spent only a brief time working with the upstream and downstream keyers with the 1 M/E. The four upstream keyers and two downstream keyers are the heart and power of the 1 M/E. You can set-up chroma-keying for green-screen work or luma-keying for graphics. While much more capable than generating just a simple PIP, the PIP effect is powerful and straightforward to use. You can resize and position a layer of video, such as a live camera, anywhere on the screen. You can add a border to the layer. Downstream keys or DSKs are equally easy-to-use and powerful. Selecting a graphic to be keyed from either Media Players is equally straightforward

As noted earlier, given the power of the 1 M/E’s  upstream and downstream keyers, I plan to write a more detailed evaluation of their capabilities at a later time.

My overall impression of the ATEM 1 M/E Production Switcher is extremely favorable. In its current form the 1 M/E is an excellent video switcher at an incredibly affordable price. With up to four HD-SDI/SD-SDI and four HDMI video inputs (with one of the inputs selectable as an analog video input) for only $2,495.00 plus $1,000.00 for a Windows host-PC and under $500.00 for a pair of suitable software-control and multi-viewer monitors, around $4,000.00 will buy you a lot of high-end switcher.

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Matt Drabick, DigiTek Systems