User's Manual

Select the Control Panel
You can use ATEM Software Control’s M/E 1 Control Panel with any ATEM switcher. The panel is
compact enough to fit on smaller displays including on notebooks. If you have an ATEM 2 M/E
Production Switcher and a 1920 x 1080 or larger computer display, you can use the full size
M/E 2 Control Panel to see the full set of buttons at once. Simply maximise the control panel to
full screen, or resize the window until both panels are revealed.
Plugging in Cameras and Other Video Sources
Now you’re ready to plug in cameras! All you need to do is connect a cable from the camera
video output, either HDMI or SDI, and then connect it to an input on the ATEM switcher.
If you’re using ATEM 6.8 or newer, you can even plug in up to 4 Blackmagic HyperDeck Studio
model disk recorders and control them using the ATEM software control panel. This is a very
powerful feature that effectively gives you an entire videotape department at your fingertips.
HyperDecks are connected to your switcher via SDI or HDMI and controlled via Ethernet.
Fordetailed information about how to connect HyperDecks to your ATEM switcher and control
them using ATEM Software Control or by an ATEM hardware control panel, refer to the
‘HyperDeck control’ section of this manual.
Each connector on the switcher has an input label so you can see what camera or source is
what input when viewed on the multi view and the control panel. If all your cameras and sources
are using the same video standard as set in your switcher, you will see each of them appear as
you plug them in.
You don’t need to worry about genlock for your cameras and sources, because each input of
your ATEM switcher has a full frame resynchronizer. If the ATEM switcher detects that a video
source is out of sync, it will automatically enable the frame sync so the input is clean for use.
The frame sync function also allows consumer cameras to be connected to your ATEM,
andusing consumer cameras is a great way to get started because the latest HDMI based
consumer HD and Ultra HD cameras are now very affordable, and give quite acceptable
HDand Ultra HD. This lets you spend your money on more cameras, and then as you grow,
youcan start adding professional SDI based cameras.
You can control Blackmagic Studio Cameras and URSA Mini cameras
from your ATEM switcher via the SDI return feed
ATEM switchers feature a ‘ref in’ connection to offer low latency synchronization of feeds
between compatible equipment. If you are using an external reference source such as
Blackmagic Sync Generator or Blackmagic HyperDeck Extreme 8K HDR, connect the reference
signal from your sync source to the ‘ref in’ BNC connector.
21Getting Started