Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro HDMI Live Stream Switcher (SWATEMMINIBPR)

I do live video for a living for large production companies, and bought this for my own small production company.Out of all the switchers I use professionally, the ATEM MINI PRO is, by far the best small scale solution at the pro level. We use them for video switching to projectors and monitors at entertainment and corporate events while simulcasting to live streams or tv.The learning curve is not difficult and operation is simple enough that a complete novice can take it out of the box, watch a couple YouTube videos and start streaming with it in a very very short time. With some practice, one could op it like a pro.Sometimes on corporate shows we leave these running for days at a time with no issues.With everything you need for polished, professional output, you can’t go wrong with this switcher, and you don’t even need to use software control from a laptop to do it. The Mini Pro can be used as a standalone solution. Transitions, audio mixing, and much more can be controlled right from the unit which is ready to stream via ethernet or record to any portable drive via the USB-C output.Use software control and you get some more cool features like drag and drop graphics and more. It also frees up an hdmi input if you were using one for graphics. You connect to the computer, phone, or tablet using the USB-C output AND either directly to the computer or through a router. Now the USB-C becomes two-way communications and using the ATEM Software Control, you send your graphics down that connection, freeing up an HDMI input! You can also set the colors, do more in depth audio tweaking, drag and drop graphics, up and downstream keying and more.Also he Mini Pro, unlike many of its competitors , has 2 stereo audio inputs, with noise reduction, eq, compression and more. You can also use the camera audio through the HDMIs. A very cool feature is you can set it to make camera cuts automatically to whomever is speaking, with it reverting to a different angle when no one is speaking.My typical small event and live edit set up is:ATEM Mini ProHDMI inputs 1-3: CamerasHDMI input 4: video playback, IPad. ( iPad can also be used as a camera)USB-C: graphics and Software ControlAll in all a great product.

These units are really amazing and have a lot of features. They're like a Cricket phone for audio-visual staff (volunteers) who are not technical or easily confused by too many tasks / demands during a livestream broadcast.Easy to accomplish the basics but has a lot of advanced features if you want to dig in and make things a lot fancier.One major note of caution: the picture in picture feature is essentially broken for practical use. The macro-workarounds are nice and all but the PiP has been lacking the feature to just save a custom sized PiP for a second HDMI feed to populate that PiP window. The PiP buttons cannot be re-programmed to run the macros for you either -- the buttons are hardcoded to the useless values supplied by the manufacturer -- these values yield a super tiny PiP box which is not broadcast ready. This issue has been known for years and is unaddressed by Black Magic.

Great little switcher. Definitely impressed with the capabilities of this atem mini pro.Being a pro Technical Director, directing shows on Grass Valley, Sony, and Tricaster switchers, makes me extremely critical of switchers and their form factor and functionality.Only a few buttons, and only hdmi inputs has its limitations. But using this switcher out the box, with the atem software that was already installed on my laptop, was able to do everything I expected and so much more. Was using it for a sub-switch for talent, controlling what they see on their screen like a down stage monitor, was originally using my 8th ME row with macros but was too many simultaneous clicks and I needed the row for other tasks. So I threw the atem mini pro in there, and was able to install switching software on tablet, and another person could easily do my sub switch from the tablet! Freaking amazing!When I saw that black magic added the multi view to the atem mini, to this new pro model, I immediately purchased it.It’s a small console, and everything has to plug directly into it, which makes a small console on a desk look sloppy. But has the power and functionality of the bigger atems all squeezed into this tiny package. I’m sold!HDMI isn’t a pro format. But this switcher is a pro switcher, with all the pro options of the more expensive Atems, packed into a little package. It actually has some features that the expensive atems don’t. The ability to record on 2 thumb drives with usb c dongle. And the ability to stream directly to web without using a computer.I’m happy. If you’re a pro or aspiring pro that uses console switchers and only need 4 inputs, this switcher packs a punch. Especially at this price point. On, some of my small jobs, I’m using this instead of my $50k tricaster because it’s smaller and quicker.

So far I've had 3 cameras hooked up to it during a Livestream and works flawlessly

I recently used this to broadcast live from a venue during my music video release party. It worked well with OBS and allowed me to broadcast directly to Facebook! I ran it with a Sony Alpha 7 IV and a Sony Alpha 7 III. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for an uncomplicated way to do a multicam broadcast.