Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro ISO and ATEM Stream Bridge – A Closer Look

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by Mark ZdunnekAugust 11^th, 2020

Blackmagic Design recently announced its low-cost ATEM Mini Pro ISO live production switcher at $895, which intends to serve as a solution to integrating live production as seamlessly as possible into the post-production workflow. The ATEM Mini Pro ISO thereby builds on the previous flagship model of the entry-level series, the ATEM Mini Pro. It brings an H.264 engine to the product to record five streams simultaneously, which derive from the four clean HDMI inputs and the final program feed. It also sports DaVinci Resolve integration by offering an all-new save option of editable projects. Also newly available is the ATEM Streaming Bridge, priced at $245. Let’s take a closer look.

Post-Production Integration

For everyone familiar with the implications or limitations of being the director or technical director of a live or especially live-on-tape production, the editing integration of recorded live-feeds in saved DaVinci Resolve projects could be among the most anticipated functions you’ve been waiting for. This function offers immediate editing capability and fine-tuning in post-production, thereby additionally enabling detailed color grading and precise, sophisticated, and neat polishing of a live-on-tape recording.

ATEM Mini Pro ISO – Top Functions & Features

Aside from this feature, the ATEM Mini Pro ISO probably owes its name to the built-in recording feature that allows for separate recording of each input into distinct ISO files. Like the Pro version, the new product also supports four cameras or computers through its connectivity features. The product automatically performs re-synchronization and standards conversion of the signals in the background to work more professionally with the provided HDMI inputs.

Like the functions of its bigger brothers from the ATEM series, the ATEM Mini Pro ISO also includes a Multiview. This Multiview, of course, provides professional monitoring of the inputs, as mentioned above. On top of that, the switcher offers delay control (up to 8 frames) for its analog mic inputs. But this is just one of the audio features of the product: the in-built audio mixer also includes essential functions for professionals such as a compressor, limiter, a 6-band equalizer, and more.

The switcher’s internal media storage allows the user to save up to 20 exchangeable and selectable RGBA logos, opening plates, other graphics, or titles. Another useful feature that many users certainly would not want to miss is the Advanced Chroma Keyer that was built into the product as well. It offers a typical built-in solution for blue or green box/screen applications.

Streaming Intergration

As with the other ATEM Mini switchers, the Pro ISO features a USB-port so that typical streaming, meeting, or video software will recognize the switcher signal as a webcam feed, making all types of streaming efforts straightforward to integrate. This approach should work with meeting software like Zoom, WebEx, or GoToMeeting, as well as offering connectivity with software like OBS (Open Broadcaster Software), XSplit Broadcaster, Wirecast, or the extensively used vMix. Streaming to Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Livestream, Twitch, Skype, and others is also readily available.

Joining hands with the switcher is the ATEM Streaming Bridge that is a video conversion solution, offering the user the option to receive H.264 and convert it to an HDMI- and SDI-signal. This function is particularly useful when thinking about remote production environments, where the operator wants to send the signals to other destinations via the internet or utilizing local ethernet connection.

How do you like the new features of the ATEM Mini Pro ISO switcher?
What streaming software would you usually use lately to distribute your content?
How do you like that Blackmagic Design has come forward with three different ATEM Mini switchers and the ATEM streaming bridge within just one year?
Which of the products serves your needs the best, or do you instead customarily work with more advanced and sophisticated gear?