The Blackmagic Design Mini Converter UpDownCross HD is a compact and powerful full standards converter that will convert any SD or HD video format to any other SD or HD video format. PAL and NTSC are also supported. Sophisticated Teranex algorithms handle the up/down/cross conversion of the signal, hence their inclusion in the name of the device. Blackmagic’s Mini Converter has both an SDI and an HDMI input, as well as a reference input for synchronisation. In terms of outputs, there is one HDMI port, two SDI ports and an ‘SDI loop out’ port which transmits the incoming SDI signal directly and bypasses any conversion or processing. The Blackmagic Mini Converter comes with a 12-volt universal power supply along with a selection of adaptors.
Conversion is set via an 8 digit DIP code switch which is located on the side of the Mini Converter. The switch positions which define each output format are indicated via the diagram printed on the back of the casing. When conversion is switched off, the SDI and HDMI outs act as loop-through outputs. Small LEDs next to the input jacks light up when a locked signal is detected. If both the SDI and HDMI inputs are used simultaneously, the SDI input is prioritised. Last but not least, a USB-C port allows you to connect the device to a computer and run the dedicated software (available for both macOS and Windows) which can be used to change settings such as the aspect ratio of the video or update the Mini Converter's firmware.
The Blackmagic Design Mini Converter UpDownCross HD acts as a „digital translator“ via a single, continuous signal path. It can be used in many different contexts such as education, business presentations, promotions, conferences, places of worship, administration and exhibitions. This product will be of interest to any technician, producer and even home-user that has to deal – and sometimes struggle – with a wide variety of video equipment. By converting from HDMI to SDI and vice versa, consumer products can be easily used in conjunction with professional broadcasting systems. Since the Blackmagic Design Mini Converter UpDownCross HD will not leave you out of pocket, this powerful tool can also be a welcome addition for a home studio or other hobby-level application.
Founded in 2001, the Australian company Blackmagic Design is one of the world's leading pioneers and manufacturers of creative video technology. Known for its outstanding codecs, Blackmagic offers professional technology at affordable prices. The manufacturer demonstrated this in 2002 with the release of the DeckLink capture card. This enabled the editing of uncompressed 10-bit video material on a Macintosh OS X system. The products of the ATEM Live series are used in major productions worldwide. Grant Petty, founder and CEO of the company, describes the guiding principle of his company itself in the following words: "Blackmagic Design strives to make video of the highest quality affordable to everyone so that production and television can become a truly creative industry."
There are countless connector types and signal protocols in today’s world of audio and video production. Whenever devices cannot communicate with each other due to specification differences, converters such as the Blackmagic UpDownCross HD can be a great help. A good example might be when a camera with a fixed signal output is to be connected to an image mixer that works in a different format, or when a company laptop needs to be integrated into a video production system for a specific event. The Mini Converter will even allow a whole arsenal of different cameras to be operated simultaneously for a single broadcast or recording. Since the Mini Converter's HDMI input also handles somewhat outdated resolutions such as 1024 x 786, 800 x 600 and 640 x 480, even aging PCs can now be connected to modern playback, recording and mixing devices.