Blackmagic Design has released two new switchers, the Television Studio HD8 and HD8 ISO, both of which come with a desktop mount panel design. These new devices have everything built into them, including inputs and outputs at the back and buttons and settings on the panel, making them one-stop solutions for controlling all aspects of production.
The Television Studio HD8 has eight 3G-SDI inputs, which can support up to 1080p60, a network switch, program return for all the SDI cameras, and two auxiliary outputs for sending signals to monitors or projectors. It also has a dedicated program output and multi-view on SDI and HDMI, built-in recording and streaming, and full control of program preview switching, AUX, macros, audio, and camera shading.
The Television Studio HD8 ISO model has all the base features but takes it a step further by offering ISO recording and streaming sources, enabling users to record all eight camera sources and a program feed and edit everything live using the auto-generated edit file in DaVinci Resolve.
Both models have standard converters on all inputs, redundant power options, and SuperSource built-in, and allow for adding M.2 storage, although it is unclear whether it will be user upgradable.
Overall, the new ATEM Television Studio HD8 switchers from Blackmagic Design offer a convenient all-in-one solution for production control, with additional features and options available in the HD8 ISO model. The prices may be a bit steep, but they are a worthwhile investment for professional productions.