The manufacturer should pay you. You showed off these ease of use of this device very well and probably sold a number of people on this. If it was in my budget at this time, I would be buying one because of this video. Excellent presentation sir.
I still can't get over how his 80's style provides the best review videos on the web. This was a piece of equipment I was considering for both my church and home. I'm sold on it noww.
The technology that is available to produce videos is amazing. It wasn’t that long ago that making a documentary was not for the faint of heart. Now, anyone with a smart phone, computer and a microphone can give it a try and reach a worldwide audience. Thank you for this review. What amazing technology! If your channel gets any more sophisticated, you are going to have to hire some more help. As it is, there is already you, Stanley the Knife and Mr. Scissors. Looking forward to your next video.
@@ExplainingComputers yeah my comment does seem a bit moany. It really was meant ot be a comment that sends praise. I greatly enjoyed your enthusiasm and humour. I do like all types of your videos. As for the single board computers it be nice to see them in action for projects, like your remote tank car you built? Have you considered doing youtube videos reading some of your old books? Be great to have your input or a series of videos as I find reading books a pain but love videos. Also your books not easy to get hold of now. MAybe make links to pdf files for a small fee?? I really appreciate your communication with us viewers and I am pretty crap at saying the right thing. I will try. Your videos and books inspire me and give me endless entertainment.
@@Tangobaldy Thanks for this feedback, most appreciated. Lots of things for me to think about here. :) There is some Pi project stuff coming up, and I must work out where my older (and less old!) books fit in with all this, and how the content can be accessed.
Do appreciate these forays into the behind the scenes technology. As you develop your production skills, you bring us along, too. Mark of a good teacher.
I used to design TV Production suites and studios in the 80s & 90s. This is just amazing! And the price is about 1/10 of the interconnecting cables I used to make up. Why it's simply magic... Black Magic ;) ! I couldn't resist. Thanks for this information.
Oh great.....Now I have to re-design my office, build a new desk, upgrade my other systems with better video cards, get a couple more cameras and figure out justification for buying one of these. Thanks a lot, Chris! Seriously, awesome review and I am looking forward to a whole series on how you are using this and why.
I have had the Pro version since the start of the lock-down and it's a superb bit of equipment and has allowed me to do professional live demos and training with very little problem.
That’s an incredibly capable and well built piece of hardware for $300. Good on Black Magic for designing and pricing it to be accessible to a large audience. YT, et al, has shown there are loads of talented and hard working content creators who understand high production value. Having solid affordable tools like this unlocks so much potential for video production that legitimately competes with very large media orgs.
''Very Star Wars...'' you took the words right out of my mouth. This is an extraordinary device, most of all for the lack of delay when switching between channels. Somehow now I get the feeling that I need one... Excellent review... thanks!
I feel so old. I have 3 generations of "prosumer" mixers, from composite to S-VHS to component video (720p). All of them are sitting in boxes in the attic since I no longer have the need to do any inline mixing or editing. Maybe video streaming will change that, but it will take a lot for me to spend yet more money on hardware when there are great software tools available for free. And it's good to see that companies are still bringing products to market and finding their niches. Great video as always!
I'm impressed by what this piece of kit can do, at a reasonable price, even if I'm not a content creator, and I do also admire how you manage to do this kind of Russian doll episodes where what you demonstrate is being used to create the video itself (what you simply called somewhat confusing at times) Don't see myself coming to grips with something like that, it's quite admirable.
Anyone remember Video Toaster that you could run on your Amiga back in the late '80s / early '90s? Yeah -- amazing how far technology has come since then! And how *cheap* it has gotten! You can buy this ATEM Mini for basically $300, and Video Toaster software and hardware cost a couple *thousand* dollars back in the day -- something like $10K in today's money! Really amazing stuff we have today!
I am so glad you made a video on this product Chris. I have been looking at it since I saw a preview of it on the black magic website. And you have made with your usual direct style a fully understandable operational review. I now know this is exactly what I need to record presentations and lectures when we go back to all being in an auditorium together.
A very Handy Device for content creators and streamers. I can not believe how far our technology has come in just a few years. And Christopher seem to enjoy this device as well. Now give it a Pet name befitting its usage.
Fantastic device indeed. Small and powerful. I remember the big consoles from TV stations back in the 80's. Basically the same functions in the palm of your hand.
This offers more than the 1980s era vision mixers ever did. In those days input sources were standard definition composite analogue and each one needed to be accurately timed by means of a reference (black and burst) signal. This device, being digital, accepts digital high definition signals that are completely asynchronous and synchronises them automatically. Furthermore, in the 1980s a DVE was a separate crate of digital electronics from the likes of Quantel or QuesTech, with its own control panel, that cost several times more than the vision mixer. I remember the QuesTech Charisma was such a device which, despite its eye watering cost, only came with enough processing power to manipulate the video in a linear fashion. If you wanted to wrap the video onto the surface of a sphere or torus you had to add the Curvy-Linear Effects Option (CLEO), which increased the cost by about 50%.
1,800 views with in 24 mins of uploading - Just goes to show the absolutely awesome content that you put out is liked by so many people! - I hope you're doing okay Chris?
I used to develop video equipment for broadcasting use. Like video mixers and special Effekt boxes. This was years ago. Now you get all this in a mini box
There were similar equivalents though. Although the prices were astronomical. I remember Kenny Everet using flipping and sweeping swipes to great effect. Like making his characters swallow the previous scenes. That stuff was mind blowing at the time.
Looked like Christmas morning excitement. Such a cool device, wish I had a use for it. I checked Amazon here in the states, they had 7 available the first time I looked, now its 5 available. Love you videos
Man, that is a slick piece of technology! I kind of jumped at the price at first until I saw the range of effects and controls available. Something like this would be ideal for people that stream live on Twitch and other platforms, and of course, real time video editing for recording to a file. You get a LOT of flexibility for the price, and I would imagine there's probably more than a few things that weren't even covered here. Great presentation Chris.. thanks!😁👍
Your excitment comes through in the video and its realy great. It reminded me of a childhood imagination or day dream where I thought of doing a film about someone making a film of someone making a film... Your transitioning and screen switching was close to that feeling.
Highly relevant presentation of undeniably fascinating material! In my younger years, I was editing video on VHS tapes: the work console was almost as big as the original Austin Mini (without the wheels, of course...) and I couldn't have done everything this little module could do!
!!!WOOW!!! I have been asking myself for, long time, how the youtubers do all that tricks with the videos when they are streaming live and !!!surprise!!! the secret it is been revealed... Thank you very much for this video. I am going to buy this beauty of machine.
Reminds me of the Newtek Video Toaster from like 10-12 years ago. It was a video production studio for only $10,000, I think they featured it on the Screensavers. Now you can get all of that tech for under $1000.
man, that's a nice piece of kit right there,I'm impressed. I currently go between my two inputs on the monitor to bring up the server or gaming PC. If this thing had USB ports for each of those HDMI, it'd be a fantastic KVM too.
I love Sunday mornings with Explaining Computers. There's always some cool technology to learn about, and this time you've really astounded me. To think that a 4 input video switcher could be only $250 with all those features!! It is indeed a TV studio in your hand.
Oh the memories when I worked at a TV network in the post-production area! Massive switchers, patch bays... 1" open reel tapes and D3 1/2" digital tapes from Panasonic, all connected to some sort of Unix computer for editing... wave form monitors, chroma monitors... and all sorts of equipment that I can't remember anymore. Awesome piece of kit, kind sir!
Ha! Someone else who used D3. I attended the AJ-D350 maintenance course at Panasonic in Bracknell, UK. What a dead-end format that was. Digital composite had no future at all. It was purely a stopgap measure to allow "perfect" recordings of an imperfect analogue signal. Once it was accepted that digital component was the way forward we moved on to SDI and Digital Betacam, like everyone else.
@@johnm2012 I remember that as digital as it was, it was possible to adjust the gain of the signal. I loved those machines. But me being 17 or 18yo I didn't know better.
@@choro76 I was quite fond of the machines myself, knowing their internal workings quite intimately. They were beautifully engineered, with a metal threading ring and gears, while Sony made do with a plastic ring and nylon gears. And yes, I've extracted a digi-Beta cassette from a machine with a broken threading ring. They did make excellent recordings of composite signals and pre-read was a great gift to post production. The problem was with the composite signal itself. Once you've added the quadrature-modulated chrominance signals to the luminance signal there is no way of perfectly separating them again. Component sources were the only way forward. D3 was a good testing ground for the digital component format D5, which came too late and never really caught on.
@@johnm2012 at that time, the only thing I saw at most was the machine off of the rackmount for maintenance... For broadcast iirc they did use separate signals for video color as well as separate time code. Those were the times, indeed!
Once again, your timing in showing a new device fits well with what I’m looking into for my video needs! Thanks for showing this. It has given me a much better idea of what this device can do and how I might put it to use.
WOW! This is amazing! I have a setup based on OBS. It works, but takes an entire dedicated PC. I didn't know such a device existed. I have just fallen in love with BlackMagic Design. Resolve is incredible. But couped with a device like this? I just ordered an ATEM Mini. :) Thank you! "Long time viewer, first time poster.";) Really appreciate your videos!
I prefer the pro ATEM MINI PRO The Pro version adds advanced features: Direct recording to USB flash disks in H.264 Direct streaming via Ethernet to TH-cam Live, Facebook Live and other networks Multiview with 4 cameras, media, preview and program plus status of recording, streaming and audio
Indeed, as I mention in the video. As I only record to ProRes, the H.264 recording was of no relevance for me, and my online use will be for video calls/conferences. We all have different usage requirements. The ATEM Mini Pro ISO even records five H.264 streams and an edit file, allowing adjustments to be made to a live program after it has gone out. We can always spec up! :)
@@ExplainingComputers This strikes me mainly as a huge timesaver. You could do all the same functions in [long list of expensive software] on the PC in post, but why bother when this gadget will do it on the spot for less money and far less effort?
@@Reziac Yes, live production can save a lot of time -- the ability to switch between computer output and camera output in real time whilst recording is very handy. As is the ability to do frame rate conversion, saving a lot of file space and file transfer time. For me as a speaker, this is also a very useful tool allowing me to do more professional presentations via video, not now face-to-face conferences are not taking place.
I am happy for your upgrade to CB Productions. You are at version 2.0 with more excellent content to come with better production quality, not withstanding the marvelous work you have already done. I am pleased you are ecstatic about this addition. We all look forward to your videos with or without the upgrades.
This HDMI switcher looks pretty darn cool. Thanks for breaking it down so thoroughly, you showed off pretty much every feature I wanted to know about. Subscribed!
On the strength of your review, ordered mine from ProAV in UK. Only need half the functions but I recon it's a perfect gateway into media streaming and content creation which I could use for work. Had to look around for the £245 price as Amazon were charging Pro prices for this model.
The most fantastic thing with this switcher is you can input external stereo audio to it by hooking up an unbalanced mixer to any of the mic inputs on the back of it. So multicam music concerts with good audio is possible from home now. You can even hook up another switcher to it for extra cams. Even SDI to HDMI converters for long distances from an external cam or extra switcher works.
Wow, that thing is really cool. Currently I use an Elgato Capture Card, but if I had to buy another capture card, I'd probably buy this. This is truly amazing.
unless you want to use it in the pro field. it just half of af mide mixer, no extra function. Im currently panning a multicam setup. bmd ateam is no option, there is a lot missing compared to other bmd atem switchers. - multiple outputs - Intercom - CCU - T-Bar - multiple mixers - SDI inputs (HDMI i realy expensive an can only run for realy short runs. SDI Cables can be up to 120m.
Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve was the first video I watched on this channel some years ago, before watching the new Explaining Computers video became my Sunday morning ritual. If their hardware is as good as their software, it must be very, very good.
Pleased to hear of the ritual watching! :) The BMD hardware is very good -- cameras, switchers, recorders the lot. They are basically a video hardware company who do a bit of software -- which is how and why they can offer DaVinci Resolve for free.
@@ExplainingComputers That's great to hear, and smart business model. The more people who have become competent using their great software, the more who will likely purchase the quality hardware. I really can't afford the Pro model, but definitely want to buy the ATEM Mini. Thanks for another great heads-up!
A beautiful and fun piece of kit, Mr scissors, tropical elephant on a green background, and a star trek reference. I think you intentionally left out mention of SBCs to prevent sensory overload! Great vid :)
Nice! Reminds me of my professional tv days when we had a real switcher that looked like what you showed in the software. We also had separate machines for a DVE and an ESS (Electronic Still Store). I wonder if now they have an actual PC for the still store. Anyway, while the real switcher (made by Grassvalley) was obviously better, the ATEM Mini Pro is a great solution for mini-studio use!
Yes. Sadly the atem mini (pro/iso) misses a lot of the typical bmd atem features. One great feature of blackmagic is the use a sdi return feed to the cam. Sdi audio channel 15 is used for intercom audio, channel 16 for ccu and tally data. This feature is realy missing in the atem mini product line.
Amazing handy multimedia-mini studio editor system; anyone could have a tv streaming channel or incorporate into other analog video or wired tv video channel signal. Thanks for sharing this tip. :)
Excellent product. I have always loved making videos as a hobby and how to make special effects. I will probably enquire further on this product. Thanks for an interesting video.
Excellent! it would worth just for the chroma key functionality. As you said, it is a studio in a box. camera transitions, volume control, PIP, Chroma. For me i would get one to aid preparing online classes.
Thank you for the enlightenment. I feel like I was just dragged from the stone ages into the 21st century. What a wonderful piece of tech. Best wishes.
Great, now I need to cut another square hole in my physical control panel to accommodate this hardware....wait, let's first think up some excuses to justify the need for one..Cool one Chris, your enthusiasm on this item was noticeable. I'm sure it'll smooth out your video producing/editing experience onward. 👍
Very cool device! Thanks excellent video on the ATEM Mini. You do an excellent job of bring all types of interesting devices to the attention of your subscribers. Also, a great to talk way about how computers have revolutionized have video production. The device also gives a good example of how modern computing is an integration of hardware and software into a single package. As always, I am looking forward to next Sunday 's video. Keep up the excellent work.
Excellent video on a very interesting device. Even though I have no need for it, I had to watch until the end. And even considered purchasing the ATEM. Although, it would probably just sit on a shelf! :) Well done, Sir!
The best part of Monday morning is sitting in front of my PC with a steaming mug of black coffee and watching EC! Different timezone so I can't watch on Sunday. I really enjoy your SBC reviews and tutorials. As a Linux user myself it's great to see it being used on so many devices. Looking forward to next Monday! While I'm here, how about a review/tutorial of ChromiumOS (Neverware Cloudready Home?)
@@ExplainingComputers Chrome OS (Cloudready) is a great way to revive an old machine and make it useful again. I'm thinking of converting the boss's laptop from Mint 20, she only uses mail and a browser for shopping :-)
Heh, since like early last week I have been watching a ton of videos on the Atem, particularly the mini Pro ISO version. Not that I can afford it right now, but it's amazing what it can do for the price. Recording 5 different video streams and audio channels separatedly and organizing everything automatically on DaVinci's timeline? What a workflow dream! xD
I still have my 1U unit predecessor (Television Studio HD) of this product. I may have to give it another look at as it hasn't been powered on for quite some time...
Having used seamless video switchers costing upwards to 50,000 dollars or more. I approached this with a rather closed mind, but considering the application, and functionality, it's not too shabby. I see some limitations, but there are plenty of work arounds. It would be nice to have a monitor for each camera feed as well an a monitor for the live feed out, but that could be addressed using a little additional hardware. This is pretty much made for a small one man production. It would be nice to be able to use a separate audio mixer and add the output to the main video feed. Video production in a studio is quite complex. People never see the magic that's happening behind the curtain and the people required to make that happen. I'm always looking at the mechanics of videos as well as the content. It's just a habit of having been in the business. Judging from the quality of your videos. I can imagine a good bit of your time is spent in post production. Perhaps this will allow you the opportunity to spend more time focusing on other areas of your life. There are of course just so many hours in the day. If I were making a list of the 10 best channels for quality of production. Yours would make the list. I can tell that you approached things as a student that's learning rather than someone that believes they can teach themself as they go along. I've had the opportunity to talk freely with directors and to humbly listen and learn from them. I'm passionate about EE, but also about Video and Audio production. I think this equipment is going to make life a lot easier for you. Well that's my rant for the day. I hope you have a great evening.
you might also want to review the software system named 'manycam', it provides a lot of the same functionality in a very cheap program. I use it during zoom meetings.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
The manufacturer should pay you. You showed off these ease of use of this device very well and probably sold a number of people on this. If it was in my budget at this time, I would be buying one because of this video. Excellent presentation sir.
I still can't get over how his 80's style provides the best review videos on the web. This was a piece of equipment I was considering for both my church and home. I'm sold on it noww.
Excellent price and functionality for this little device. I can't believe how fast the future is coming to us.
The technology that is available to produce videos is amazing. It wasn’t that long ago that making a documentary was not for the faint of heart. Now, anyone with a smart phone, computer and a microphone can give it a try and reach a worldwide audience. Thank you for this review. What amazing technology! If your channel gets any more sophisticated, you are going to have to hire some more help. As it is, there is already you, Stanley the Knife and Mr. Scissors. Looking forward to your next video.
Thanks Perry.
Such a pleasure to have a video that's not about another single board computer. Really enjoyed this video.
Thanks for this. I only cover SBCs a maximum of every other week! :)
@@ExplainingComputers yeah my comment does seem a bit moany. It really was meant ot be a comment that sends praise. I greatly enjoyed your enthusiasm and humour. I do like all types of your videos. As for the single board computers it be nice to see them in action for projects, like your remote tank car you built? Have you considered doing youtube videos reading some of your old books? Be great to have your input or a series of videos as I find reading books a pain but love videos. Also your books not easy to get hold of now. MAybe make links to pdf files for a small fee?? I really appreciate your communication with us viewers and I am pretty crap at saying the right thing. I will try. Your videos and books inspire me and give me endless entertainment.
@@Tangobaldy Thanks for this feedback, most appreciated. Lots of things for me to think about here. :) There is some Pi project stuff coming up, and I must work out where my older (and less old!) books fit in with all this, and how the content can be accessed.
Do appreciate these forays into the behind the scenes technology. As you develop your production skills, you bring us along, too. Mark of a good teacher.
THIS is how calling and streaming devices should be. It's filled with features and also simple enough to work straight away after plugging things in.
I could not agree more!
I had no idea something like this existed and i have no need for one however, i want one now XD
Roland makes them too (eg. Roland V40HD). Although theirs are much more expensive.
same
Male, in a nutshell, = lots of buttons, lights, and knobs = we like it so much
@@eng3d so true
INSERT "Fry's shut up and take my money" MEME HERE.
I use this piece of equipment for my work all the time, it is truly great value for money, an amazing product indeed!
Totally agree!
I used to design TV Production suites and studios in the 80s & 90s. This is just amazing! And the price is about 1/10 of the interconnecting cables I used to make up. Why it's simply magic... Black Magic ;) ! I couldn't resist. Thanks for this information.
Oh great.....Now I have to re-design my office, build a new desk, upgrade my other systems with better video cards, get a couple more cameras and figure out justification for buying one of these. Thanks a lot, Chris!
Seriously, awesome review and I am looking forward to a whole series on how you are using this and why.
I have had the Pro version since the start of the lock-down and it's a superb bit of equipment and has allowed me to do professional live demos and training with very little problem.
That’s an incredibly capable and well built piece of hardware for $300. Good on Black Magic for designing and pricing it to be accessible to a large audience. YT, et al, has shown there are loads of talented and hard working content creators who understand high production value. Having solid affordable tools like this unlocks so much potential for video production that legitimately competes with very large media orgs.
''Very Star Wars...'' you took the words right out of my mouth.
This is an extraordinary device, most of all for the lack of delay when switching between channels. Somehow now I get the feeling that I need one...
Excellent review... thanks!
I usually skip the unboxing part of videos, but never on this channel. It's just too entertaining:)
I feel so old. I have 3 generations of "prosumer" mixers, from composite to S-VHS to component video (720p). All of them are sitting in boxes in the attic since I no longer have the need to do any inline mixing or editing. Maybe video streaming will change that, but it will take a lot for me to spend yet more money on hardware when there are great software tools available for free. And it's good to see that companies are still bringing products to market and finding their niches. Great video as always!
I'm impressed by what this piece of kit can do, at a reasonable price, even if I'm not a content creator, and I do also admire how you manage to do this kind of Russian doll episodes where what you demonstrate is being used to create the video itself (what you simply called somewhat confusing at times) Don't see myself coming to grips with something like that, it's quite admirable.
Anyone remember Video Toaster that you could run on your Amiga back in the late '80s / early '90s? Yeah -- amazing how far technology has come since then! And how *cheap* it has gotten! You can buy this ATEM Mini for basically $300, and Video Toaster software and hardware cost a couple *thousand* dollars back in the day -- something like $10K in today's money! Really amazing stuff we have today!
I remember it, though I never got to use one. I had an Amiga though!
I am so glad you made a video on this product Chris. I have been looking at it since I saw a preview of it on the black magic website. And you have made with your usual direct style a fully understandable operational review. I now know this is exactly what I need to record presentations and lectures when we go back to all being in an auditorium together.
Thanks.
A very Handy Device for content creators and streamers. I can not believe how far our technology has come in just a few years.
And Christopher seem to enjoy this device as well. Now give it a Pet name befitting its usage.
Let's call it Samantha the Switcher!
@@ExplainingComputers Samantha the Switcher it is.👍
Fantastic device indeed. Small and powerful. I remember the big consoles from TV stations back in the 80's. Basically the same functions in the palm of your hand.
This offers more than the 1980s era vision mixers ever did. In those days input sources were standard definition composite analogue and each one needed to be accurately timed by means of a reference (black and burst) signal. This device, being digital, accepts digital high definition signals that are completely asynchronous and synchronises them automatically. Furthermore, in the 1980s a DVE was a separate crate of digital electronics from the likes of Quantel or QuesTech, with its own control panel, that cost several times more than the vision mixer. I remember the QuesTech Charisma was such a device which, despite its eye watering cost, only came with enough processing power to manipulate the video in a linear fashion. If you wanted to wrap the video onto the surface of a sphere or torus you had to add the Curvy-Linear Effects Option (CLEO), which increased the cost by about 50%.
@@johnm2012 "eye watering cost" LOL, True that. It gives an exact idea how expensive that equipment was. Ah... the good old analogue times.
EDIT:typo.
ATEN must be *so* very happy about the naming of this thing.
1,800 views with in 24 mins of uploading - Just goes to show the absolutely awesome content that you put out is liked by so many people! - I hope you're doing okay Chris?
Thanks Jay. I am doing fine. In fact better than I have been for some time. I he you are keeping safe and well.
Nice to hear :)
I used to develop video equipment for broadcasting use. Like video mixers and special Effekt boxes. This was years ago. Now you get all this in a mini box
Chris, this the 2nd device you have inspired me to buy, the first was a Raspberry Pi. Thanks, great video. Content is super.
Just ordered one of these to improve my online drum lessons, so excited for it to arrive and play with!
We are living in the future. The technology to make something like this in 1985 just didn't exist. I'm still blown away by the low cost.
There were similar equivalents though. Although the prices were astronomical. I remember Kenny Everet using flipping and sweeping swipes to great effect. Like making his characters swallow the previous scenes. That stuff was mind blowing at the time.
It's always great to see an appearance by Mr. Scissors!!
Looked like Christmas morning excitement. Such a cool device, wish I had a use for it. I checked Amazon here in the states, they had 7 available the first time I looked, now its 5 available. Love you videos
Man, that is a slick piece of technology! I kind of jumped at the price at first until I saw the range of effects and controls available. Something like this would be ideal for people that stream live on Twitch and other platforms, and of course, real time video editing for recording to a file. You get a LOT of flexibility for the price, and I would imagine there's probably more than a few things that weren't even covered here. Great presentation Chris.. thanks!😁👍
Your excitment comes through in the video and its realy great. It reminded me of a childhood imagination or day dream where I thought of doing a film about someone making a film of someone making a film... Your transitioning and screen switching was close to that feeling.
This is fortuitous. The church I attend recently got one and I am on the team that needs to learn how to use it. Awesome Video Chris!
Impressive. Another example of the ever falling price of amazing technology.
Highly relevant presentation of undeniably fascinating material!
In my younger years, I was editing video on VHS tapes: the work console was almost as big as the original Austin Mini (without the wheels, of course...) and I couldn't have done everything this little module could do!
!!!WOOW!!! I have been asking myself for, long time, how the youtubers do all that tricks with the videos when they are streaming live and !!!surprise!!! the secret it is been revealed... Thank you very much for this video. I am going to buy this beauty of machine.
Reminds me of the Newtek Video Toaster from like 10-12 years ago. It was a video production studio for only $10,000, I think they featured it on the Screensavers. Now you can get all of that tech for under $1000.
man, that's a nice piece of kit right there,I'm impressed. I currently go between my two inputs on the monitor to bring up the server or gaming PC. If this thing had USB ports for each of those HDMI, it'd be a fantastic KVM too.
I love Sunday mornings with Explaining Computers. There's always some cool technology to learn about, and this time you've really astounded me. To think that a 4 input video switcher could be only $250 with all those features!! It is indeed a TV studio in your hand.
Quite an impressive piece of kit inside such a tiny box.😲
Oh the memories when I worked at a TV network in the post-production area! Massive switchers, patch bays... 1" open reel tapes and D3 1/2" digital tapes from Panasonic, all connected to some sort of Unix computer for editing... wave form monitors, chroma monitors... and all sorts of equipment that I can't remember anymore.
Awesome piece of kit, kind sir!
Ha! Someone else who used D3. I attended the AJ-D350 maintenance course at Panasonic in Bracknell, UK. What a dead-end format that was. Digital composite had no future at all. It was purely a stopgap measure to allow "perfect" recordings of an imperfect analogue signal. Once it was accepted that digital component was the way forward we moved on to SDI and Digital Betacam, like everyone else.
@@johnm2012 I remember that as digital as it was, it was possible to adjust the gain of the signal. I loved those machines. But me being 17 or 18yo I didn't know better.
@@choro76 I was quite fond of the machines myself, knowing their internal workings quite intimately. They were beautifully engineered, with a metal threading ring and gears, while Sony made do with a plastic ring and nylon gears. And yes, I've extracted a digi-Beta cassette from a machine with a broken threading ring. They did make excellent recordings of composite signals and pre-read was a great gift to post production. The problem was with the composite signal itself. Once you've added the quadrature-modulated chrominance signals to the luminance signal there is no way of perfectly separating them again. Component sources were the only way forward. D3 was a good testing ground for the digital component format D5, which came too late and never really caught on.
@@johnm2012 at that time, the only thing I saw at most was the machine off of the rackmount for maintenance... For broadcast iirc they did use separate signals for video color as well as separate time code. Those were the times, indeed!
Once again, your timing in showing a new device fits well with what I’m looking into for my video needs! Thanks for showing this. It has given me a much better idea of what this device can do and how I might put it to use.
How can i import videos like pictures to input mini
A Star Wars and a Star Trek reference in the same video! Nice bit of kit, well presented.
WOW! This is amazing! I have a setup based on OBS. It works, but takes an entire dedicated PC. I didn't know such a device existed. I have just fallen in love with BlackMagic Design. Resolve is incredible. But couped with a device like this? I just ordered an ATEM Mini. :) Thank you! "Long time viewer, first time poster.";) Really appreciate your videos!
It sounds like you appreciate what the ATEM Mini can do! :) Good luck with it. I find it an incredibly useful device for all kinds of reasons.
I prefer the pro
ATEM MINI PRO
The Pro version adds advanced features:
Direct recording to USB flash disks in H.264
Direct streaming via Ethernet to TH-cam Live, Facebook Live and other networks
Multiview with 4 cameras, media, preview and program plus status of recording, streaming and audio
Indeed, as I mention in the video. As I only record to ProRes, the H.264 recording was of no relevance for me, and my online use will be for video calls/conferences. We all have different usage requirements. The ATEM Mini Pro ISO even records five H.264 streams and an edit file, allowing adjustments to be made to a live program after it has gone out. We can always spec up! :)
*checks price on amazon* Welp... I can't afford either of those.
@@ExplainingComputers This strikes me mainly as a huge timesaver. You could do all the same functions in [long list of expensive software] on the PC in post, but why bother when this gadget will do it on the spot for less money and far less effort?
@@Reziac Yes, live production can save a lot of time -- the ability to switch between computer output and camera output in real time whilst recording is very handy. As is the ability to do frame rate conversion, saving a lot of file space and file transfer time. For me as a speaker, this is also a very useful tool allowing me to do more professional presentations via video, not now face-to-face conferences are not taking place.
@@ExplainingComputers You can do all of this in software through obs, and much more and for free but you need source capture. Seems a neat device.
I have zero use for one of these, but enjoyed the video as always.
I hope you are back in full health now Christopher.
Thanks for this, I am indeed much better now.
I am happy for your upgrade to CB Productions. You are at version 2.0 with more excellent content to come with better production quality, not withstanding the marvelous work you have already done. I am pleased you are ecstatic about this addition. We all look forward to your videos with or without the upgrades.
Thanks David.
This is one of the things I like about your channel; I get to learn about tools I didn't know existed! Thanks!
This HDMI switcher looks pretty darn cool. Thanks for breaking it down so thoroughly, you showed off pretty much every feature I wanted to know about. Subscribed!
Pretty nice switcher. Imagine mixing this with a capture device. Having it output as a webcam is great for presentations.
That is quite the thing, and absolutely warranted this video. Thanks for keeping variety on the channel.
Thanks for watching!
Green screening an image source on to a video source is probably the best feature of this !
On the strength of your review, ordered mine from ProAV in UK. Only need half the functions but I recon it's a perfect gateway into media streaming and content creation which I could use for work. Had to look around for the £245 price as Amazon were charging Pro prices for this model.
We ordered I think from the same supplier! :) Enjoy your unit.
The most fantastic thing with this switcher is you can input external stereo audio to it by hooking up an unbalanced mixer to any of the mic inputs on the back of it. So multicam music concerts with good audio is possible from home now. You can even hook up another switcher to it for extra cams. Even SDI to HDMI converters for long distances from an external cam or extra switcher works.
It's true. I used to use the old big stuff at the BBC - no trouble with sync pulse chains these days !
You are creating wants in me I never thought I had.
We need something like this for our church!
Well Damn, That makes life a bit smoother for folks like you . The mix and green screen is slick.
Wow, I actually just setup this device myself the day you uploaded the video! Great work as always!
Looks like an excellent device, hopefully supply for these can meet demand!
Supply has so far been a problem . . .
Wow, that thing is really cool. Currently I use an Elgato Capture Card, but if I had to buy another capture card, I'd probably buy this. This is truly amazing.
Admit it Chris, you only bought this so you can play Energisers (13:15)!
Seems like an excellent reason. "Energise!"
I fell from the chair laughing on that! :-D I love this man!
decided to search for a game called 'Energisers' ; it's all exercise or team building : /
You could quite literally recreate the scene with only this and 2 cameras
@@rompdude don't forget a stir-rod and a glass of tang with some glitter in
Your video production is always top notch. Hey, if Blackmagic products help you make it happen, I'm convinced!
I want one --and I don't even have a true need for it. That ATEM MINI thing is awesome!
unless you want to use it in the pro field. it just half of af mide mixer, no extra function.
Im currently panning a multicam setup. bmd ateam is no option, there is a lot missing compared to other bmd atem switchers.
- multiple outputs
- Intercom
- CCU
- T-Bar
- multiple mixers
- SDI inputs (HDMI i realy expensive an can only run for realy short runs. SDI Cables can be up to 120m.
Chris, that is an awesome piece of equipment. I'm looking forward to your new videos using it.
Chris, I really dig your channel. Don't change anything! Fabulous presenter. Say hi to Stanley and Mr. Scissors for me. Cheers
Thanks! Will do! :)
Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve was the first video I watched on this channel some years ago, before watching the new Explaining Computers video became my Sunday morning ritual. If their hardware is as good as their software, it must be very, very good.
Pleased to hear of the ritual watching! :) The BMD hardware is very good -- cameras, switchers, recorders the lot. They are basically a video hardware company who do a bit of software -- which is how and why they can offer DaVinci Resolve for free.
@@ExplainingComputers That's great to hear, and smart business model. The more people who have become competent using their great software, the more who will likely purchase the quality hardware. I really can't afford the Pro model, but definitely want to buy the ATEM Mini. Thanks for another great heads-up!
A beautiful and fun piece of kit, Mr scissors, tropical elephant on a green background, and a star trek reference. I think you intentionally left out mention of SBCs to prevent sensory overload! Great vid :)
:)
Nice! Reminds me of my professional tv days when we had a real switcher that looked like what you showed in the software. We also had separate machines for a DVE and an ESS (Electronic Still Store). I wonder if now they have an actual PC for the still store. Anyway, while the real switcher (made by Grassvalley) was obviously better, the ATEM Mini Pro is a great solution for mini-studio use!
Yes. Sadly the atem mini (pro/iso) misses a lot of the typical bmd atem features.
One great feature of blackmagic is the use a sdi return feed to the cam. Sdi audio channel 15 is used for intercom audio, channel 16 for ccu and tally data.
This feature is realy missing in the atem mini product line.
Amazing handy multimedia-mini studio editor system; anyone could have a tv streaming channel or incorporate into other analog video or wired tv video channel signal. Thanks for sharing this tip. :)
Excellent product. I have always loved making videos as a hobby and how to make special effects. I will probably enquire further on this product. Thanks for an interesting video.
It would be fascinating to see a teardown of the ATEM Mini (especially the Pro) and see what processors are powering this device.
My guess would be not particularly powerful processors, but an FPGA with some dedicated video-processing blocks for handling the video.
Excellent! it would worth just for the chroma key functionality.
As you said, it is a studio in a box. camera transitions, volume control, PIP, Chroma. For me i would get one to aid preparing online classes.
Great job Chris, love Sunday mornings. Thanks
Wow! That's a fantastic piece of kit Chris, something I'd love to have, if only I had a use for it.
Thank you for the enlightenment. I feel like I was just dragged from the stone ages into the 21st century. What a wonderful piece of tech. Best wishes.
Wow so much going in the device. Lots of cool feature. Thanks for showing such a cool device.
Great, now I need to cut another square hole in my physical control panel to accommodate this hardware....wait, let's first think up some excuses to justify the need for one..Cool one Chris, your enthusiasm on this item was noticeable. I'm sure it'll smooth out your video producing/editing experience onward. 👍
Great review and demo! I’d love more AV appliance type videos like this.
Very cool device! Thanks excellent video on the ATEM Mini. You do an excellent job of bring all types of interesting devices to the attention of your subscribers. Also, a great to talk way about how computers have revolutionized have video production. The device also gives a good example of how modern computing is an integration of hardware and software into a single package. As always, I am looking forward to next Sunday 's video. Keep up the excellent work.
Excellent video on a very interesting device. Even though I have no need for it, I had to watch until the end. And even considered purchasing the ATEM. Although, it would probably just sit on a shelf! :) Well done, Sir!
Looks like we can look forward to even more professional looking output from you Chris
Very concise explanation of the product features and capabilities. Thanks for another awesome video!
Thanks.
Chris gets a new toy & Stanley the Knife is jealous of Mr. Scissors getting so much screen time.
The best part of Monday morning is sitting in front of my PC with a steaming mug of black coffee and watching EC! Different timezone so I can't watch on Sunday. I really enjoy your SBC reviews and tutorials. As a Linux user myself it's great to see it being used on so many devices. Looking forward to next Monday! While I'm here, how about a review/tutorial of ChromiumOS (Neverware Cloudready Home?)
Thanks for this -- esp. the video idea.
@@ExplainingComputers Chrome OS (Cloudready) is a great way to revive an old machine and make it useful again. I'm thinking of converting the boss's laptop from Mint 20, she only uses mail and a browser for shopping :-)
I would love to see an interview using a product like this.
Love the ZX Spectrum inspired dead flesh keyboard.
Yes, it's very Spectrum -- with backlighting!
Excellent video Chris. A rather a good little device. Now I will have to wait and see if the price drops or I run into some extra disposable cash.
Great coverage of the Atem mini, seems to do almost everything
I have not found a button to make tea.
@@ExplainingComputers Maybe the pro version has that lol
EXCELENT explanation! That is EXACTLY what I was looking for! Thanks a LOT
Heh, since like early last week I have been watching a ton of videos on the Atem, particularly the mini Pro ISO version.
Not that I can afford it right now, but it's amazing what it can do for the price. Recording 5 different video streams and audio channels separatedly and organizing everything automatically on DaVinci's timeline? What a workflow dream! xD
I missed this vid but textbook stuff, you're ace at unboxing, you can tell you're as excited as a kid on Christmas Day :)
Brilliant review. It clearly solves a lot of problems I'm having... awesome. I must get one asap. Thank you so much for the content on this channel
No problem 👍
Thanks Chris for showing this device. Greetings from Poland
Greetings from the UK!
I still have my 1U unit predecessor (Television Studio HD) of this product. I may have to give it another look at as it hasn't been powered on for quite some time...
You have really outdone yourself on this one. absolutely fantastic...
Thanks.
That’s a very impressive little device!
It is indeed!
Having used seamless video switchers costing upwards to 50,000 dollars or more. I approached this with a rather closed mind, but considering the application, and functionality, it's not too shabby. I see some limitations, but there are plenty of work arounds. It would be nice to have a monitor for each camera feed as well an a monitor for the live feed out, but that could be addressed using a little additional hardware. This is pretty much made for a small one man production. It would be nice to be able to use a separate audio mixer and add the output to the main video feed. Video production in a studio is quite complex. People never see the magic that's happening behind the curtain and the people required to make that happen. I'm always looking at the mechanics of videos as well as the content. It's just a habit of having been in the business. Judging from the quality of your videos. I can imagine a good bit of your time is spent in post production. Perhaps this will allow you the opportunity to spend more time focusing on other areas of your life. There are of course just so many hours in the day. If I were making a list of the 10 best channels for quality of production. Yours would make the list. I can tell that you approached things as a student that's learning rather than someone that believes they can teach themself as they go along. I've had the opportunity to talk freely with directors and to humbly listen and learn from them. I'm passionate about EE, but also about Video and Audio production. I think this equipment is going to make life a lot easier for you. Well that's my rant for the day. I hope you have a great evening.
Thanks for this, a great post and nice feedback, appreciated. I do indeed hope that this box will save me a little time here and there.
@2:06 That shrink wrap isn't damaged, it's pre-ripped for your opening convenience. 😂
This seems like a great device.
you might also want to review the software system named 'manycam', it provides a lot of the same functionality in a very cheap program. I use it during zoom meetings.
As always, informative and fun to watch. Thanks!