[ INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT // EXPANSION CARDS ]
Blackmagic Design DeckLink Quad HDMI Recorder
Four-channel HDMI PCIe capture card for multi-source ingest and live production. This is a model-specific reference; verify the board revision and full specifications against the official sources before installation.
IDENTIFICATION: Match the silkscreen/model marking, part number, board revision and bracket to manufacturer documentation. Port direction, supported formats and driver behavior can vary by model revision and software release.
Capture, playback and compatibility specifications
| Exact model | DeckLink Quad HDMI Recorder |
|---|---|
| Bus / host interface | PCI Express 3.0 eight-lane (x8) interface, compatible with x8 and x16 PCIe slots; provide sufficient aggregate host bandwidth. |
| Capture / playback interface | Four independent HDMI 2.0b input connections; capture-only. Inputs are configured in Blackmagic Desktop Video and a compatible application. |
| Resolution and frame-rate envelope | Captures four independent HDMI 2.0b sources at the same time in any combination of SD, HD, Ultra HD, 4K or supported computer formats; use the manufacturer’s input-format table for exact timing/frame-rate limits. |
| Pixel format and codec handling | Blackmagic lists AVC-Intra, AVCHD, DNxHR/DNxHD, Apple ProRes and uncompressed 8/10-bit 4:2:2 among supported codecs/formats. Codec handling is through Desktop Video/host software; the card is not a standalone H.264/HEVC file encoder. |
| Host compatibility | Requires Blackmagic Desktop Video, compatible capture/live-production software, four correctly timed HDMI sources and a host that sustains their combined data rate. OS and app support are version-specific. |
| Limitations and installation checks | No SDI or analog inputs and no video outputs. HDMI source timings/EDID must be compatible; HDCP-protected signals cannot be treated as ordinary capturable video. Four high-resolution streams can exceed storage, memory or PCIe budgets even when all connectors fit. |
Integration notes and limitations
- Measure available PCIe lanes and sustained host/storage bandwidth; mechanical slot length alone does not guarantee the electrical link width needed by the card.
- Confirm that source timing, signal standard, cable, reference, pixel format, channel mapping and software configuration agree before recording or playback.
- Record driver/firmware versions, operating system, application, breakout/accessory part numbers and tested mode. Update only with a recovery plan for mission-critical rigs.
- No SDI or analog inputs and no video outputs. HDMI source timings/EDID must be compatible; HDCP-protected signals cannot be treated as ordinary capturable video. Four high-resolution streams can exceed storage, memory or PCIe budgets even when all connectors fit.
For codec planning, distinguish a video transport/interface and raw pixel format from a compressed media-file codec. A supported capture application may encode a file format that the card itself does not encode.
Manufacturer sources and support
- Blackmagic Design — DeckLink Quad HDMI Recorder manufacturer technical/product informationProduct-line technical reference; consult the exact model format and interface table for the required mode.
- Blackmagic Design — Blackmagic Desktop Video downloads and release notesOfficial support, driver or release-note resource; operating-system and software compatibility can change by release.
Manufacturer documentation for the precise hardware revision takes precedence over generic workflow or family-level guidance.