Magewell Adds 4K Models to Eco Capture Family

Magewell has announced two new models in the company’s Eco Capture family of ultra-compact, power-efficient M.2 video capture cards. Hot on the heels of the recently introduced Eco Capture AIO M.2 — which features selectable HDMI and SDI 1080p60 inputs — the Eco Capture HDMI 4K Plus M.2 and Eco Capture 12G SDI 4K Plus M.2 capture 4K video at 60 frames per second over HDMI or SDI interfaces, respectively.

Magewell’s Eco Capture cards offer systems integrators and OEM developers a space-efficient, high-performance video capture solution with low latency and low power consumption. Ideal for use in small, portable or embedded systems where full-sized PCIe slots are not available, the cards feature an M.2 connector and measure only 22x80mm. The new models are the first Eco Capture cards to leverage a PCIe Gen 3 bus interface, offering increased DMA bandwidth over earlier siblings.

The two newest models capture 4K video up to 4096×2160 (including 3840×2160 Ultra HD) at frame rates up to 60fps, with higher frame rates available at lower resolutions. The Eco Capture HDMI 4K Plus M.2 features an HDMI 2.0 interface, while the Eco Capture 12G SDI 4K Plus M.2 flexibly supports single-link 12G-SDI or quad-link 3G-SDI connectivity. Eight channels of embedded audio can also be captured alongside the video.

“We are constantly expanding our capture card lineup to meet our customers’ needs,” said Nick Ma, CEO and CTO at Magewell. “The Eco Capture HDMI 4K Plus M.2 doubles the capture frame rate over our previous 4K HDMI model, while the Eco Capture 12G SDI 4K Plus M.2 adds input flexibility for multiple 4K SDI connectivity standards.”

All Eco Capture cards are compatible with Windows and Linux operating systems and support OS-native APIs including DirectShow, DirectKS, V4L2 and ALSA. FPGA-based video processing enables high-quality up/down/cross-scaling, picture controls and colour space conversion without burdening the host system CPU. A comprehensive SDK provides developers with direct access to the full feature set of the cards.

Magewell will highlight the new Eco Capture models alongside other innovations in stand 7.A44 at the IBC 2023 exhibition in Amsterdam from September 15 to 18.

The Eco Capture HDMI 4K Plus M.2 is now shipping, with the Eco Capture 12G SDI 4K Plus M.2 expected to ship within the next 60 days.