Magewell Electronics

New High Dynamic Range ingest capabilities help users create visibly superior productions with increased contrast and richer colors

March 13, 2018 — Nanjing, China: Continuing to help content producers take advantage of the latest advances in video technologies, Magewell today announced the addition of High Dynamic Range (HDR) support to select HDMI models in its flagship Pro Capture family of PCI Express capture cards. The company will highlight its new HDR capabilities at the 2018 NAB Show, April 9-12 in Las Vegas, where Magewell will exhibit in booth SU6324.

HDR enables more natural-looking and compelling video imagery, with enhanced contrast range and richer color reproduction. When viewed on HDR-equipped display devices, HDR technologies can provide more detail in dark picture areas, brighter whites, an expanded range of mid-tones, and more vibrant colors than earlier video standards. When used with HDR-enabled video sources and software, Magewell’s HDR support will allow users to capture and record content compatible with the HDR10 open standard for consumer TVs.

“HDR can have even more impact on viewing experiences than 4K resolution, particularly at the typical distances between consumers and their display devices,” said James Liu, VP of Engineering at Magewell. “As more viewers discover HDR’s significant visual benefits and life-like images, demand for HDR-enhanced content will continue to accelerate. We’re pleased to help content creators add HDR to their production workflows with these new Pro Capture capabilities.”

HDR support will initially be available in Magewell’s Pro Capture HDMI 4K Plus, Pro Capture HDMI 4K Plus LT and upcoming dual-channel Pro Capture Dual HDMI 4K Plus models, all of which support resolutions up to 4096x2160 at 60 frames per second over HDMI 2.0 interfaces. Existing cards can be upgraded to support HDR by simply uploading a new EDID (extended display identification data) file.

HDR capture and recording will also require HDR-enhanced software applications. In addition to anticipated support from third-party vendors, Magewell will provide a sample application for testing and development, and plans to add HDR recording capabilities to a future version of its own Capture Express software. Captured files can then be played back on HDR10-compliant devices through compatible playout hardware or software.

The HDR enhancements for 4K, HDMI-connected Pro Capture Plus cards are available immediately to developers, with end-user software to follow. HDR support is also planned for Magewell’s 2K/HD Pro Capture cards through future driver and firmware updates, bringing the benefits of extended dynamic range to high definition productions.

For more information about Magewell, please visit www.magewell.com.

About Magewell – Founded in 2011, Magewell focuses on the core technology of video and audio processing. With guiding principles of continuous innovation and providing customers with outstanding support, Magewell has earned a strong reputation for the exceptional quality, performance and reliability of its I/O devices. Distributed globally, Magewell products are used in a wide array of professional video applications including broadcast, live event streaming, medical imaging, lecture capture, surveillance, video conferencing, gaming and more. For more information, please visit www.magewell.com.