8K Capture & Playback with Blackmagic Design Decklink 8K Pro

by Richard LackeyNovember 16^th, 2017

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Blackmagic Design have announced the world’s first quad-link 12G 8K capture and playback interface, the Decklink 8K Pro.

Blackmagic Design Decklink 8K Pro

Just when we’re all getting comfortable with 4K, it looks like 8K is definitely on the roadmap now for a number of manufacturers (See yesterday’s video about the Sharp 8K camera). In fact, it seems 8K is the roadmap.

It’s easy to be skeptical, just as many were skeptical that 4K would take hold, but when Blackmagic Design gets on board, it’s time to sit up and take notice. Blackmagic Design are leaders, not followers and they turn niche, and emerging technologies into the mainstream norm. In past years I’ve had arguments on the exhibition booth with respected broadcast engineers who would deny that Blackmagic Design could possibly have 12G connectivity (while staring directly at a device with 12G connectivity) because 12G was not yet an accepted standard.

I am reminded of the forward thinking nature of this company every time I shake my head at a quad-link SDI 4K device from another manufacturer (many of them actually) who for some reason decided four cables were better than one.

Of course when talking 8K data rates, quad-link 12G is probably the only option on the table right now.

So lets take a closer look at the Blackmagic Design Decklink 8K Pro.

Blackmagic Design Decklink 8K Pro Specs

The Decklink 8K Pro is a PCI Express 8 lane generation 3 card, compatible with 8 and 16 lane PCI Express slots. It features four (quad link) bi-directional 12G-SDI connections and supports all SD, HD, Ultra HD, 4K and 8K DCI frame sizes in one interface. Color bit-depth is 8 and 10-bit YUV 4:2:2, and 10 and 12-bit RGB 4:4:4 with Rec. 2020 color. Supported frame rates are up to 60 frames per second in 8K and 120 frames per second in HD and 4K. The Decklink 8K Pro is Mac OS, Windows and Linux compatible.

SDI Video I/O

• 4 x bi-directional 12Gb/s SD/HD/2K/4K/8K. Supports single, dual link and quad link 4:2:2/4:4:4. 2D/3D switchable.

SDI Audio I/O

• 16 Channels embedded in SD/HD/2K.
• 64 Channels embedded in 4K/8K.

Sync Input

• Tri-Sync or Black Burst.

The Decklink 8K Pro is also very accessibly priced at only $645 which is less than the Decklink 4K Extreme 12G.

Is 8K the new 4K? Let us know what you think.