Magewell Pro Capture Mini SDI

Single SDI Capture in a Half-Length Low-Profile Form Factor

The Magewell Pro Capture Mini SDI is built for one specific problem: getting professional SDI capture into a compact server or small-form-factor PC where a standard-length PCIe card will not physically fit. It captures a single SDI channel via a half-length, low-profile PCIe x1 card, rated for continuous 24/7 operation. At £199, it is the most affordable card in Magewell's professional PCIe SDI range, and for single-channel SDI in space-constrained deployments, it is the sensible starting point.

What It Captures

The Pro Capture Mini SDI accepts all three tiers of serial digital interface: SD-SDI, HD-SDI, and 3G-SDI. That covers standard definition broadcast signals, HD formats up to 1080p, and the 3G-SDI standard that carries 1080p60 or dual-link HD in a single BNC cable. Format detection is automatic: the card identifies incoming signals without manual configuration when you switch between sources.

Who This Card Is For

This is a specialist card for deployments where physical dimensions matter as much as signal quality:

• Broadcast and AV engineers building capture into 1U or 2U rackmount servers with restricted card slot depth
• Systems integrators deploying capture in compact or embedded PC chassis where standard PCIe card length is an obstacle
• IT teams adding SDI ingest to small-form-factor workstations where a full-length card is not an option
• Media operations running single-channel SDI capture in any environment where rack space is genuinely limited

FPGA Processing and 24/7 Reliability

Despite its compact dimensions, the Pro Capture Mini SDI uses the same FPGA-based hardware processing architecture found across Magewell's professional PCIe range. Signal processing, format conversion, and deinterlacing all happen in dedicated silicon rather than consuming host CPU cycles. The card is rated for continuous 24/7 operation, making it suitable for live broadcast ingest, permanent recording, and always-on monitoring applications where reliability over extended periods is a baseline requirement.

How It Fits into the Pro Capture SDI Range

The Pro Capture Mini SDI sits below the standard Pro Capture SDI in Magewell's lineup. The standard card uses a PCIe x4 interface and is suited to mainstream servers and workstations with standard-depth slots. The Mini SDI trades that broader compatibility for the half-length, low-profile x1 form factor that makes it the only Magewell PCIe SDI option for genuinely compact chassis. If your server accepts a standard-depth card, the standard Pro Capture SDI offers more interface headroom. If slot depth is the constraint, the Mini SDI solves it cleanly.

Software Compatibility

The Pro Capture Mini SDI is compatible with vMix, Wirecast, OBS Studio, Adobe Premiere Pro, and FFmpeg. Magewell's driver package is stable and actively maintained, exposing a standard capture device interface to the host OS and keeping integration straightforward across all major production workflows. Operating system support covers Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server editions, Linux kernel 3.x and above, and macOS 10.14 and later.

StreamKit and UK Purchasing

StreamKit is an authorised UK Magewell reseller. All Pro Capture Mini SDI cards sold through StreamKit are covered by Magewell's three-year warranty and include free delivery to UK addresses. UK-based technical support is available for pre-sales specification advice and post-purchase queries. You are buying from UK stock with no import delays or grey-market uncertainty.