Blackmagic Broadcast Videohub

Now you can eliminate complicated manual video patching forever! Videohub lets you connect all the equipment in your facility and easily change connections right from your computer’s desktop! Videohub is a powerful broadcast grade routing switcher that features up to a massive 144 inputs, 288 outputs, 144 deck control ports, and auto switching SD, HD, and 3 Gb/s SDI, all in a compact rack mount chassis only a few inches thick.

No Manual Patching!

In the past most studios have been forced to use manual patching to connect editing workstations and decks. However this can become too complicated for creative designers, graphic artists and editors to understand, plus it gets even more complicated as your studio grows. Manual patching also caused problems with limited SDI cable lengths, and patch cables quickly wear out, so you get glitches as other users bump them while patching.

Videohub eliminates this problem because everyone is permanently connected, and no cables need to be physically changed ever. All video connections are changed from an easy to use software application right from your computer desktop. Unlike manual patching, Videohub re-clocks the SDI video signal for long cable lengths. Plus unlike manual patching, you can send one SDI video connection to as many outputs as you like, so multiple people can access any SDI video source, all at the same time.

High end post production and broadcasters have understood the advantages of professional routing switchers for decades, and now with Videohub, everyone can afford these same workflow advantages.

Industrial Strength Routing Switcher

Blackmagic Design’s Videohub routers are not only based on a revolutionary design but they also have the most advanced electronics technology available today. All Videohub routers include SDI re-clocking so even the longest distance equipment from your router can be connected together. Combined with redundant power supplies, power fail protection and high reliability single PCB construction, Videohub routers are true broadcast quality.

SDI Re-Clocking

Videohub also includes built in SDI re-clockers on each SDI input which regenerate the SDI video signal. Every inch of video cable from your SDI video devices degrades the SDI signal. Expensive premium grade "digital" cables can help, however simply cannot eliminate this loss. With SDI re-clocking you can have a regenerated and clean SDI signal out to all the SDI devices in your studio. That means longer cable lengths, and no glitches in your video.

Simultaneous SD, HD or 3 Gb/s Video

Videohub makes it easy to run Standard Definition and High Definition equipment now and add 3 Gb/s SDI equipment in the future. That's because Videohub handles mixed SD, HD and 3 Gb/s SDI connections all on the same router at the same time. Videohub automatically detects when an SDI input changes, and instantly sets all SDI outputs connected to that input to match. SDI re-clocking and output SDI slew rates change automatically.

Independent Monitoring

Because most editors love monitoring direct from the router, Videohub has up to 144 independent SDI outputs totally dedicated for monitoring. Independent monitoring outputs are great when you need to quickly look at decks and other editing systems in your facility. You can also use the extra outputs to connect consumer VHS and DVD recorders via external converters.

Deck Control Routing

With up to 144 independent Sony™ compatible RS-422 serial control ports included, each editing system can control any deck in your facility. Each deck control connection is independently reversible via software control, so it’s easy to connect edit stations or decks to any of the deck control ports.

World’s Highest Quality 3 Gb/s SDI

With the exciting new 3 Gb/s SDI connections built in, Videohub allows twice the SDI data rate than normal HD-SDI. Use 3 Gb/s SDI for high resolution real time 2048 x 1556 feature film editing. 3 Gb/s SDI has full compatibility with SD, HD or 2K in 4:4:4 or 4:2:2 all with a single BNC cable. With 3 Gb/s SDI built in, you have full compatibility with all your current standard definition SDI and high definition SDI equipment, plus any new formats that come along in the future. With Videohub, your studio is future proof.

Network Router Control

Videohub uses software control panels that run on Windows™ and Mac OS X™. This lets you control the router from the same system you edit on. Videohub connects to any computer via USB and is then shared over your local network. Any computer can be the host, and simply connecting to the router via the USB 2.0 connection activates that computer as the host and allows other computers on your network to connect. Router labels can be changed from any computer and are fully unicode compatible for foreign language support.

Adding Videohub to your facility will completely change how you work. Videohub adds a level of integration between creative users that previously only the largest facilities could afford.

Connect your Editing Workstations

If you've had experience with routing switchers, you will know that they can be a confusing mess of connectors that even rocket scientists would have trouble understanding. Videohub is different and designed for normal creative users to get up and running in seconds. Each user's connections are grouped in simple 1-16 connector blocks on the rear panel, with each user having a video input, video output, monitoring output and deck control connector. Connect the inputs and outputs to your editing system's inputs and outputs and then deck control to your editing system's deck control port using a pin-for-pin DB-9 serial control cable. Now set the deck control port to input. It’s that easy.

Connect your Broadcast Decks

Connecting your broadcast decks is simple. Plug-in the video inputs and outputs, then connect the deck control port on the deck to the deck control port on the router using a pin-for-pin DB-9 serial cable. You can also connect older analog decks using an analog to SDI conversion, such as the popular Mini Converter Analog to SDI. That takes care of conversion from analog to digital and back, as well as embedding audio in SDI video connections.

Need Client Dubbing?

Adding consumer grade decks for client dubbing is easy, and you can use spare output such as one of the SDI monitoring outputs. You can add digital to analog conversion to connect video and audio to VHS and DVD recorders. Now you can dub from any source on the router, either from a deck or edit suite. You can even run client dubs while you're mastering to tape.

A flexible option for doing client dubs in your edit suite is to loop video from your in-suite monitoring to consumer decks. This allows you to start client dubs without even leaving your editing suite!

Connect to Everything, Everywhere

Videohub uses standard definition and high definition SDI connections, so you can connect any device used in television production. You can connect editing systems, decks and even equipment within telecine suites. Use the Videohub for connectivity within the telecine workflow, such as color correction noise reduction, frame stores and disk recorders. You can use two inputs and outputs on Videohub for routing dual link 4:4:4 video. Videohub can even be used in transmission and streaming control because IP based sharing can be used from remote locations.

Deck to Deck Dubbing

Often tapes need to be cloned by deck to deck dubbing, and if needed, compile a few masters quickly onto a single tape. Almost all broadcast decks feature a simple auto edit controller for deck to deck editing. Unlike other routers, Videohub can handle deck to deck editing by reversing the serial port connections on the recorder deck.

Say goodbye to complicated manual patch panels that are messy and complex to use. Once you’ve used routing in your facility and experienced how great it is to always have instant connections between equipment, you'll wonder how you ever did without it! Order Videohub for your facility today.

Flexible Router Control

If you've ever wanted total flexibility in controlling router connections, then nothing beats using software control panels. Each router destination output has a menu with all the source inputs listed. Simply select which source you want to connect to a destination, and the connection is made.

Serial ports are similar, however because they are bidirectional, connected ports dim until disconnected. Communication direction can be changed on any control port allowing editing systems or decks to be connected. You can also change settings on any shared computer, with each destination being locked simply by clicking the little padlock icon.

Multiple Router Views

Router control software features six separate control windows so you'll have amazing flexibility on how you use Videohub. Use the main router control window to see every connection on the router. If you're only using a few of the router outputs, then you can use the personal router window that lets you limit your view to the few connections you really need to use. This means you get a much smaller interface window that won’t get in the way of other software, such as editing or design tools.

Network Sharing

All communication between router software and the router is via your IP network, such as ethernet and even wireless. Videohub connects to any host computer via USB, and is then shared over the network from that computer. You don’t even need to run the Videohub software on the host computer as the network sharing is done at the driver level. Any computer can be the host simply by plugging in the USB from the router. This keeps sharing simple and eliminates the need for a dedicated host computer.

With video routing this simple, it’s time to get connected with Videohub and allow everyone to share decks and other resources in your facility.