Powerful live event HD switching, supporting up to 40 individual 3G-/HD-SDI inputs built into 2 RU chassis, is at hand with the Blackmagic Design ATEM 4 M/E Constellation HD Live Production Switcher. Supporting 3G-SDI and HD-SDI signals, the switcher connects to a wide range of cameras and sources, delivering program output via 24 3G-SDI BNC outputs or a webcam output via USB Type-C. In addition, the switcher has four multiview outputs with up to 16 routable windows that can display inputs, keyed video, graphics, and stills from the media pool, as well as the program output. Each input connects to a built-in Fairlight audio mixer supporting up to 156 channels of audio.

The switcher features a reference video input, and each input features a frame synchronizer, frame rate converter, and format converter. This allows you to mix and match cameras, formats, cameras that do not feature genlock, and video input from computer sources. Upstream and downstream keyers and effects are supported. All this is done live and in real-time with no rendering required. You can control the switcher using the integrated front panel, optional Blackmagic ATEM panels, or via the downloadable control software.

The ATEM Constellation HD includes a wide range of broadcast-quality native transitions such as mix, dip, wipe, and more. All transitions can be customised in the system control menus with adjustments for border colour, border width, position, direction, and a lot more. The ATEM Constellation switcher includes a powerful digital video effects processor for DVE transitions, which can be used to squeeze the current picture offscreen revealing a new video under it. The DVE can even be used to create graphic wipe transitions. To eliminate errors, ATEM Constellation HD features a preview transition feature so you can set up your transitions before you switch it on air.

The ATEM Constellation features four independent DVEs that let you reposition graphics and create picture-in-picture compositions. You get amazing quality and the DVE supports the position, resize, and scale, all in real-time. The DVE lets you create professional picture-in-picture effects with customizable 3D borders, shadows, and lighting. DVEs can also be used to create amazing DVE transitions with squeeze and swoosh effects for adding excitement to your programming. You can even combine DVE transitions with custom graphics to create your own graphic wipe transitions. The 4 M/E model includes SuperSource processors for eight DVEs, creating a total of 12 DVEs.

In addition to the DVEs in the M/E rows, the 4 M/E model includes powerful SuperSource multilayer processors with eight extra DVE layers plus a background layer, all appearing to ATEM Constellation HD as an additional input source. Any switcher video input can be used for each SuperSource DVE, then it's all layered together over a media pool custom background. SuperSource is just like having an extra multilayer VFX switcher built-in. SuperSource is perfect for doing picture-in-picture displays for interviews because you can set up the effect while keeping the main DVEs free for other tasks.

Configurable to 16, 13, 10, 7, or 4 up view, it includes monitoring of program, preview, inputs, media players, DSK, and clean feed with optional labels and audio meters. The 4 M/E model features four multiview outputs.

To keep crews working as a single creative team, ATEM Constellation features built-in talkback. Talkback supports a 5-pin XLR headset connector, plus a rear-mounted RJ12 connector for interfacing with industry-standard talkback systems such as ClearCom or RTS. You get full talkback control, including program and engineering loops, sidetone control for hearing the headset mic into the headphones, and program mix. ATEM Constellation HD also supports SDI talkback that uses SDI channels 15 and 16 for 2-way communication with Blackmagic Design cameras. You can even use channels 13 and 14 for engineering talkback. It's even possible to mix the talkback mic into the program audio for voiceovers.

The built-in media pool stores broadcast-quality RGBA graphics and animations that can be played back instantly by the four media players. Media players simply appear as additional input sources on the ATEM Constellation HD, so you don't have to use extra SDI inputs for graphics. The built-in media pool holds graphics for use with the media players. The 4 M/E models can hold 60 stills and 1200 frame animations, with four video clips up to 1080p60. You can easily manage all your media using the included ATEM Software Control or download directly from Photoshop using the ATEM Photoshop plug-in.

For news or virtual set work, ATEM Constellation HD is perfect as it features lots of ATEM advanced keyers for high-quality chroma or luminance keying. The chroma keyer is incredibly powerful and features a colour picker to sample background colours for automatic generation of the key parameters. You get precise controls for edge and flare, and there is even a foreground colour corrector so you can match the "look" of the foreground layer to the background layer making seamless compositions possible. The keyer can also be used for pattern and DVE keying. You get 16 ATEM Advanced Keyers on the 4 M/E model.

With four upstream chroma keyers per M/E row, you get the perfect solution for building virtual sets. With so many ATEM Advanced chroma keyers, you can use a keyer per camera to create a seamless composition of the camera over the custom background. The 4 M/E model has enough keyers to generate a 4-camera virtual set. You can use external image processors for virtual sets, or you can even build a fixed camera virtual set by loading pre-rendered still image backgrounds from the media players and media pool. You can set up macros to change cameras and load the correct background into the media players. With so much flexibility, you can experiment to try out different studio setups.

With up to 20 multi-rate 3G-SDI input connections, depending on the model, the ATEM Constellation HD is compatible with all types of HD video sources. You can connect equipment in all HD television standards, including 720p, 1080i, and 1080p formats. Only multi-rate 3G-SDI allows switching between HD formats, so you can instantly adapt to the needs of the job you are doing anywhere in the world. The SDI inputs will also handle embedded audio and mix audio from all video inputs. Plus, the program outputs include talkback, tally, and camera control information. That means you can connect any of the switcher SDI outputs back to the camera for program return, camera control, and talkback.

The ATEM Constellation HD fully embraces live professional audio production. All SDI inputs are connected to a built-in Fairlight audio mixer that features a 6-band parametric EQ, compressor, limiter, noise gate, and expander on each input. On the ATEM 4 M/E Constellation HD model, there are two MADI outputs for breaking out channels 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the first 30 SDI inputs out to an external audio engineer, plus a MADI input for allowing an extra 32 external audio channels into the audio mixer. The Fairlight audio mixer even has additional inputs for mixing audio from analog inputs, talkback microphones for voice-over, and more.