Magewell Eco Capture 12G SDI 4K Plus M.2

12G-SDI 4K60 Capture with Loop-Through, from an M.2 Slot

The Magewell Eco Capture 12G SDI 4K Plus M.2 is the most capable SDI card in Magewell's M.2 capture range. It captures a single SDI source at up to 3840x2160 at 60 frames per second via 12G-SDI, includes an SDI loop-through output, and installs into an M.2 slot on the motherboard without requiring a PCIe card slot. At £570, it delivers the full capability of a professional 12G-SDI 4K capture card in a form factor that opens up deployments where PCIe is simply not available.

What the Plus Designation Means

The Plus on this card indicates two specific capabilities above the standard Eco Capture SDI 4K Plus M.2:

• 4K60 via 12G-SDI: captures 3840x2160 at 60 frames per second, the current professional broadcast standard for single-cable 4K SDI transport
• SDI loop-through output: passes the incoming SDI signal to a second BNC output, enabling the same source to simultaneously feed the capture card and another SDI destination without a distribution amplifier

SDI Standards Supported

The card auto-detects and captures the full SDI signal range:

• SD-SDI for legacy standard definition sources
• HD-SDI for HD broadcast signals
• 3G-SDI for 1080p60 in a single cable
• 6G-SDI for 4K at up to 30fps
• 12G-SDI for 4K at up to 60fps

This backward compatibility means the card handles legacy SDI sources and current 12G-SDI 4K equipment from the same M.2 slot, without requiring upstream signal conversion when sources change.

SDI Loop-Through in M.2 Form Factor

SDI loop-through on a PCIe card is standard engineering practice: input and output BNC connectors sit side by side on the card bracket. An M.2 card has no bracket. Magewell's implementation of loop-through on the 12G SDI 4K Plus M.2 means that compact and embedded systems using this card can still route SDI signals through to a monitor, a router, or a second destination without adding a distribution amplifier to the signal chain. Simultaneous capture and monitoring from the same SDI source in an M.2-only system is a capability this card provides that no other M.2 SDI card currently offers.

Who This Card Is For

• Broadcast engineers who need 12G-SDI 4K60 capture in compact servers, embedded systems, or small form factor hardware where PCIe is not available
• AV integrators deploying SDI capture in dense rack configurations where M.2 slots are available but PCIe expansion is fully allocated
• Mobile broadcast and flyaway production teams using compact PCs with M.2 capability and SDI sources
• Facilities requiring SDI loop-through capability in hardware that cannot accommodate a standard PCIe bracket card

How It Compares to the Pro Capture SDI 4K Plus

The Pro Capture SDI 4K Plus (£771) is a PCIe x4 card rated for continuous 24/7 broadcast operation. For permanent broadcast infrastructure with hard uptime requirements, that card is the primary recommendation. The Eco Capture 12G SDI 4K Plus M.2 delivers the same 12G-SDI 4K60 capture and SDI loop-through capability in M.2 form factor at a lower price, for deployments where PCIe is unavailable. The two cards serve different physical constraints. The choice is determined by your hardware configuration, not by capture capability alone.

Software Compatibility

Compatible with vMix, Wirecast, OBS Studio, Adobe Premiere Pro, and FFmpeg. Supported on Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server; Linux kernel 3.x and above; and macOS 10.14 and later.

StreamKit and UK Purchasing

StreamKit is an authorised UK Magewell reseller. The Eco Capture 12G SDI 4K Plus M.2 carries Magewell's three-year warranty. UK orders ship free. UK-based technical support is available for pre-sales specification advice, including M.2 slot compatibility and PCIe lane verification for 12G-SDI 4K60 operation on specific hardware platforms.