Blackmagic Design has always been a company to watch. They are known for two things, iterating quickly and their products being so in demand that they literally can’t meet orders. The opportunity to take a hands-on look at the ATEM Mini Pro was something I could not pass up. At the time I received it, the Mini Pro was the top tier switcher on the “mini” platform. However, while I was reviewing it, the Mini Pro ISO was announced. The Mini Pro is now the mid-tier of the “Mini” line.
Inputs
For those who have been hiding under a rock and haven’t heard of the ATEM Mini line, this video switcher has some pretty great specs. It’s a four-input HDMI switcher with; multi-viewer, recording, and streaming capabilities. Each input is scaled and will accept any format and frame rate in the HD spectrum with an HDMI connection. The scalers will not handle 4K UHD, which is fine because streaming 4k is simply ridiculous. Each scaler adds one frame of latency, and if you put that input in the DVE, it adds one more frame, making this a fast switcher for being so small. Besides, when it comes to streaming, latency is simply not an issue, because of the inherent lag in the medium itself.
As someone who has logged tens-of-thousands of hours on a “big boy switcher,” I expected to be underwhelmed by the Mini Pro. To my surprise, this thing delivers!
While the video inputs are impressive, Blackmagic Design (BMD) didn’t skimp on the audio for this switcher. The Mini Pro is equipped with a Fairlight audio mixer that features a parametric EQ, compressor, limiter, expander, and noise gate on every audio input channel. The Mini Pro can take audio from any of the HDMI inputs as well as the two 3.5mm mic inputs. With most small switchers, latency tends to be an issue, and keeping the audio and video in sync is a chore. The Mini Pro combats this by allowing latency to be dialed into the audio inputs, up to 8 frames.
Outputs
While the total number of outputs is not impressive, BMD covered all the essential bases with the Mini Pro. It can stream program out directly via an ethernet connection to all your standard streaming services. However, it can also stream via the USB connection, which allows the Mini pro function as a webcam, which makes it usable for video conferencing. Alternatively, the USB port can be used to record H.264 directly to Flash Disks. Also, while technically not an output, the ATEM Mini Pro can trigger recording in the company's Pocket Cinema Cameras that are connected to it, making it possible to get all the raw recordings right out of the cameras for a higher resolution post-production workflow.
Without a doubt, this product reduces the entry price for video production to the consumer level, without sacrificing on professional features.
In testing
As someone who has logged tens-of-thousands of hours on a “big boy switcher,” I expected to be underwhelmed by the Mini Pro. To my surprise, this thing delivers! It has all the power of a full production switcher, DVE, PIP, DSK, and keyers, and if you don’t know what those things are, you’re probably an audio guy. I tested the keyer, using a green screen and the most hostile and uncooperative environment I could think of; a spare bedroom with nothing but an overhead ceiling fan light. Was the key perfect? No. Was it good? Surprisingly, yes! Would I have used it in a live event? Absolutely! Given a properly lit scene, I can’t imagine not getting a usable key with this switcher.
Foibles
After an hour of testing, I noticed the unit got very hot on the bottom. It didn’t overheat or suffer any failure, but it would be a concern of mine moving forward because heat is the enemy of electronics, especially in the long run. Also, the buttons have enough room to shift, causing it to feel like you have pushed the button when you have only pushed it about halfway down. It feels like there are two positions; halfway down and fully down. I was concerned at first that this would result in false tactile feedback. Thankfully, this isn’t the case. The physical response of the unit is excellent, if you think you pressed the button, you did.
Conclusion
While 4K has come into its own, I prefer not being on the bleeding edge of video technology. Being one generation removed from the current is what I would call standard for most of the church world. Since the primary use is for this switcher is streaming, full HD just makes sense. Besides, 4K is going to be around a while, it’s not like anyone has 12K video cameras coming anytime soon.
One of the questions I did not ask in my product briefing was if this product could upgrade with a license key. Of course, at the time, there was nothing for this product to upgrade to. If this were an option, I think it would make the Mini Pro an unbelievable value. The only downside I see in this unit is the fact that BMD is iterating on this product platform so fast that their customers are suffering from a combination of whiplash and buyer’s remorse. If I had purchased this product a few months ago, I would be a little disappointed that the Mini Pro ISO was just released, and I would be looking to offload and upgrade. Not to mention, there is still some unused real-estate on the control surface, which leaves me to wonder how long before the next version is released and what features will it bring to the table?
I think it’s easy to see the real selling point for the “Mini” line of switchers is the value proposition. Nothing else on the market that I am aware of has this much power and a sub $1,000 price tag. The ATEM Mini Pro clocks in almost half that at $595, and still checks all the must-have switcher checkboxes. Without a doubt, this product reduces the entry price for video production to the consumer level, without sacrificing on professional features.
