Blackmagic Design ATEM 4 M/E Constellation 4K Plus

Blackmagic Design ATEM 4 M/E Constellation 4K Plus The ATEM 4 M/E Constellation 4K Plus is an ultra-high-density live production switcher engineered for high-end broadcast, stadium sports, large multi-camera concerts, and complex corporate production environments. Doubling the physical I/O capacity of the standard 4 M/E Constellation 4K model, the 4K Plus variant delivers massive signal routing, real-time video processing, and extensive digital audio mixing within a 4U rackmount frame. Expanded 12G-SDI I/O and Standards Conversion The chassis provides 80 independent 12G-SDI inputs alongside 48 assignable 12G-SDI auxiliary outputs plus 4 dedicated multiview outputs. Each individual 12G-SDI input features a dedicated hardware frame rate and format converter, allowing operators to mix and match disparate video standards up to 2160p60—including 720p, 1080i, 1080p, and Ultra HD formats—without requiring external cross-converters. All 48 aux outputs are fully routable to serve as discrete program feeds, clean feeds, stage display drives, ISO camera recording taps, or camera control signal paths complete with tally, talkback, and embedded timecode. Additionally, a front-facing USB-C port enables the system to function as a plug-and-play webcam source for high-resolution streaming encoders. Multi-Layer Effects Engine and Keying Architecture The switcher incorporates four distinct Mix Effects (M/E) banks, providing deep multi-layer composition across live productions. Its visual processing pipeline includes 16 ATEM Advanced Chroma Keyers, allowing up to 4 upstream keyers per M/E row for complex virtual studio compositing, foreground colour correction, and alpha matte refinement. Four Downstream Keyers are available for lower thirds, persistent station IDs, and bug overlays. Four independent 2D/3D DVE processors support real-time video scaling, positioning, borders, drop shadows, and 3D squeeze or swoosh transition effects. Two SuperSource multilayer processors each act as an additional multi-input video layer with 4 DVE picture-in-picture windows plus a background graphic for panel discussions and multi-box layouts. Four Ultra HD Multiview Outputs display up to 16 customisable windows per screen, giving operators up to 64 total monitored sources with tallies, VU audio meters, and custom labels. The media pool capacity supports up to 60 still frames and 400-frame motion graphic animations, playable via 4 internal Ultra HD media players. Fairlight Audio Mixing and MADI Connectivity Audio architecture is driven by an internal Fairlight digital audio engine capable of mixing up to 298 discrete audio channels. Every SDI input de-embeds 8 channels of digital audio into the mixing matrix, complete with 6-band parametric EQ, compressor, limiter, noise gate, and expander on every channel strip. Physical audio expansion includes two 64-channel BNC MADI inputs and four 64-channel BNC MADI outputs, enabling direct digital interconnectivity with external mixing desks and stage boxes. Balanced 6.35 mm TRS analogue audio I/O, a 5-pin XLR front headset jack, and an RJ12 port for third-party matrix talkback systems provide complete communications integration. Technical Specification Overview Feature Detail Video Inputs 80 x 12G-SDI (BNC, 10-bit 4:2:2, up to 2160p60) Video Outputs 52 Total (48 x Assignable 12G-SDI Aux, 4 x 12G-SDI Multiview) Webcam Output 1 x USB Type-C (Supports 720p or 1080p at program rate) Format Conversion Dedicated Standards Converter and Frame Sync on all 80 Inputs M/E Banks 4 M/E Rows Keyers 16 x Upstream Advanced Chroma, 4 x Downstream Effects Processors 4 x Independent DVEs, 2 x Dual-Layer SuperSource Units Audio Mixer 298-Channel Fairlight Engine with Parametric EQ and Dynamics MADI I/O 2 x 64-Channel MADI In, 4 x 64-Channel MADI Out (BNC) Talkback Systems 5-Pin XLR Front Jack, RJ12 Systems Port, SDI Embedded Ch 15/16 Chassis Stature 4U 19-inch Rackmount Frame See manufacturer website for specific product warranty information.