Anyone who watched the Blackmagic Design NAB 2026 announcement video had to be impressed with the number of products they announced. Here are my key takeaways from the announcement. First, BMD has gone all in on ST2110 for media over IP; almost all of the products were built around leveraging this. Second Davinci Resolve got a big upgrade, which will just make it more useful in the creative space. Last audio consoles, yup, you read that right, audio consoles. I did not have that one on my NAB bingo card.
2110
Blackmagic continued to deepen its commitment to ST 2110, announcing a range of new products—including network switches, format converters, video switchers, and ISO recorders—built around the protocol. Pretty much new versions of products they have made in the past, but all based around the 2110 infrastructure. As a video person by trade, I found this announcement a little painful because I didn’t get into video to be a network engineer, but it seems a Network+ certification may be in my immediate future. Plus, it does make sense: a single cable carrying multiple streams in and out simplifies a lot of what needs to go into a video rack. Why run hundreds of coax cables when a dozen 100GB Ethernet cables will do the job?
This isn’t a toe-in-the-water move—Blackmagic is clearly committing to live audio.
The new equipment seems to prioritize heat distribution, which we all know has been a problem for many companies in the past. Physics dictates that all electronics and processing must deal with heat at some level, so going at it head-on is a refreshing change. All of the new rack equipment features large front intakes and fans on the back, providing the product with lots of straight-line cooling. The new designs have a unique front grille, giving all the Blackmagic gear a unified front look in the rack that is really aesthetically pleasing.
Resolve
I don’t think a Davinci Resolve update was really a surprise to anyone, but you may have been surprised by what was included with the update. The width and breadth of AI tools were really impressive. Beyond that, Blackmagic pretty much refusing to stay in their lane went right for the throat of the creatives services platforms, announcing integration for stills. The demo was pretty impressive, setting Resolve up as a turnkey software for most of your creative needs. Beyond that, utilizing a pricing methodology that still blows my mind, free. I have a copy of Resolve on my computer. I have only ever opened it to see what the fuss was about, but that price point will continue to make it an attractive alternative in the realm of monthly subscriptions.
Announcing Fairlight Live Audio consoles
In what I thought might be a sign of the apocalypse, BMD announced audio consoles. I guess this was enviable based on how powerful and feature-rich Fairlight has become, but I would be lying if I didn’t say I was caught a little flat-footed with this announcement. In true Blackmagic form, the consoles look pretty good. Clearly, there was some real intention based on how audio users like to work that went into the design, and I have to admit I’m impressed that they didn’t just stick their toe in the water with this; they went all in, announcing three new Fairlight Live consoles, including a 10-fader, 20-fader, and 40-fader model.
Resolve continues to evolve into a full creative platform—not just an editing tool.
Honestly, the refusal of Blackmagic to stay in their lane is generally a win for the end users --- especially those of us in the church market. The big companies that have dominated the creative service and audio spaces can’t be complacent at this point. I am a huge fan of competition, being the mother of innovation, and the Blackmagic Design machine has proven time and again it can iterate at a very impressive rate. They aren’t afraid to get a product close, release, and fix/improve it with firmware. Keep in mind, CEO Graham Petty said he was pretty sure they were just going to announce quality-of-life updates this year. I think he lost money on that bet. Like them or hate them, you have to respect the brand and the work this company has put in, and companies that don’t take them seriously do so at their own risk.
