Magewell Pro Capture Dual SDI 4K Plus

Two Independent 12G-SDI 4K60 Channels on One PCIe Card

The Magewell Pro Capture Dual SDI 4K Plus provides two fully independent 12G-SDI capture channels on a single PCIe x8 card, each capable of 4K60 ingest, each backed by its own FPGA processing pipeline, and each equipped with an SDI loop-through output. At £1,527, it is the broadcast-grade solution for dual 4K SDI ingest in production environments where two simultaneous 4K SDI sources need to be captured reliably and continuously from a single server slot.

What It Captures

Each of the two channels supports the full SDI signal hierarchy independently:

• SD-SDI, HD-SDI, and 3G-SDI for standard and HD broadcast signals
• 6G-SDI for 4K at up to 30fps
• 12G-SDI for 4K at up to 60fps

Both channels operate independently. Each has its own format detection, its own FPGA pipeline, and its own loop-through output. Mixing signal standards between channels is fully supported: one channel can run 12G-SDI 4K60 while the other handles HD-SDI, without any conflict or performance compromise on either.

SDI Loop-Through on Both Channels

Each channel has its own SDI loop-through output on the card bracket, giving you four BNC connections in total: two inputs and two corresponding outputs. Each SDI source can be simultaneously fed to a broadcast monitor, a routing switcher, or any other SDI destination while being captured, without requiring a distribution amplifier in the signal chain at either capture point. In broadcast environments where source signals need to be monitored as well as recorded, this is a meaningful operational simplification.

Who This Card Is For

• Broadcast engineers building dual 4K SDI ingest into production and playout servers where both channels must run simultaneously without contention
• Live broadcast teams working with 12G-SDI cameras, multiviewers, and routers who need two independent captures from a single card
• Sports and event production facilities running simultaneous 4K SDI ingest from multiple camera positions
• Archive and acquisition operations requiring high-density 4K SDI ingest with minimal PCIe slot usage

Dual Independent FPGA Architecture

Both channels have their own dedicated FPGA. Running two simultaneous 12G-SDI 4K60 streams places significant processing demand on any shared silicon. The dual FPGA architecture eliminates that constraint: each channel has its own independent processing resources, and both can run at full 4K60 throughput simultaneously with no performance compromise on either. This is not a design detail that matters only on paper. Under sustained dual-channel 4K60 load, it is the difference between a stable ingest system and one that periodically drops frames.

24/7 Rated Operation

Like all Magewell professional PCIe capture cards, the Dual SDI 4K Plus is rated for continuous 24/7 operation. Thermal design and component specification reflect always-on broadcast ingest requirements. In permanent broadcast infrastructure where a card must run without interruption across long production cycles, this rating is a practical specification, not a marketing claim.

How It Compares to the Pro Capture SDI 4K Plus

The Pro Capture SDI 4K Plus (£771) provides a single 12G-SDI 4K60 channel with loop-through on a PCIe x4 card. The Dual SDI 4K Plus doubles the channel count on a PCIe x8 card at roughly double the price. One channel: single card. Two channels: dual card, one slot saved versus two separate single-channel cards.

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. Both channels present as independent capture devices to the host OS.

StreamKit and UK Purchasing

StreamKit is an authorised UK Magewell reseller. The Pro Capture Dual SDI 4K Plus carries Magewell's three-year warranty. UK orders ship free. UK technical support covers pre-sales and post-purchase queries across the full Magewell range.