BlackMagic Ultimatte 12 4K

Overview
The Ultimatte 12 4K has several new features that make it even more advanced and user-friendly. It now includes a 2.2 inch LCD screen for monitoring sources and accessing the hardware menu, which allows for easy access to settings and input status. The unit also has buttons and a rotary dial for menu navigation and selection. Additionally, the Ultimatte 12 4K has detachable rack ears and is slightly smaller in depth, making it a 1RU, 19″ rack mountable unit. It also has a lower power consumption of 45 watts compared to the older models 72 watts.

But the most impressive feature of the Ultimatte 12 is its advanced real time compositing processor with 12G-SDI designed for live keying. This high performance design allows for UltraHD and HD work with sub pixel processing for exceptional image quality. It also has a realistic augmented reality mode for compositing colored “glass look” objects, as well as one touch keying technology for automatic scene analysis and incredibly fast keys. With the Ultimatte 12, users can easily add augmented reality and virtual environments to any broadcast, making it a versatile and essential tool for live broadcast, television, and film production.

Included in box
Ultimatte 12 4K processor
SD card contains software and manual

About the BlackMagic Ultimatte 12 4K
The all new Ultimatte 12 is more than the world’s best keyer, it’s an advanced real time compositing processor designed for the next generation of broadcast graphics. Ultimatte 12 features entirely new algorithms and colour science that deliver true photorealistic composites. You get incredible edge handling, greater colour separation, amazing colour fidelity and better spill suppression than ever before, even in dark shadow areas or through transparent objects such as windows. The high performance 12G-SDI design gives you the power to work in Ultra HD and HD with sub pixel processing for amazing image quality. Imagine presenting the weather, sports, news and entertainment in a cinematic quality environment, all composited in real time.

Live Broadcast, Television and Film Production

Add augmented reality and virtual environments to any broadcast

Whether you’re working in broadcast news, sports, traditional television and film production, or even magazine style entertainment programming, Ultimatte 12 has the quality for incredibly life-like composites that place your talent into any scene. Ultimatte 12 can work with both fixed cameras and static backgrounds, or automated virtual set systems. You can also use Ultimatte 12 to layer computer generated augmented reality objects into a scene, complete with realistic transparency that your talent can walk behind. Ultimatte 12 is also perfect for on set pre visualization in television and film production because it lets actors and directors see the virtual sets while they’re shooting against a green screen.

Broadcast Quality Keyer

Add an Ultimatte 12 to every camera for the highest quality keys

When you’re working live and have multiple cameras shooting from different angles, it’s common for the green or blue screen to suffer from variations. The keyers built into live production switchers use the same keying parameters for all cameras, which complicates keying and image quality because each camera sees the green screen a little differently. Ultimatte 12 eliminates these problems with incredible new technology at an affordable price so it’s now possible to add keyers to every camera. That ensures you always get the best possible key. With the power of a dedicated keyer on every camera, Ultimatte 12 is perfect for live broadcast news, weather, sports, virtual studios and more.

Realistic Augmented Reality

Incredible new realistic layer mode for compositing coloured “glass look” objects

Adding translucent objects, such as coloured or tinted glass and computer graphics, is virtually impossible with a traditional keyer. That’s because you can’t subtract a blue or green screen out of a semi-transparent coloured object without changing the object’s original colour. Now, with Ultimatte 12, you get a revolutionary new “realistic” layer compositing mode that lets you add tinted objects on top of the foreground image for a whole new generation of realistic translucent glass look broadcast graphics. This means that when you look through the object, or your talent walks behind it, the tinted colours are accurately preserved, making the shot look completely realistic.

One Touch Keying

Automatic scene analysis for incredibly fast keys

When it comes to live production, you need to work fast. Ultimatte 12 features one touch keying technology that analyzes a scene and automatically sets over a 100 parameters so you get great keys without having to do a lot of extra work. The first step is to ensure your scene is well lit and that the cameras are properly white balanced, then you simply activate the auto key and Ultimatte will do all the work for you. One touch keying is dramatically faster and helps you accurately pull a key with minimum effort. That leaves your operators free to focus on the overall program with less distractions, while Ultimatte 12 takes care of the rest.

Advanced Image Processing

New algorithms and expanded internal colour space

Ultimatte 12 features new, incredibly advanced image processing algorithms and a huge internal colour space. It automatically generates internal mattes so different parts of the image can be processed separately based on the colours in each area. It’s like having the power of multiple Ultimatte keyers all working together on the same image. You get fine edge detail where it’s needed the most, like on hair, and smoother transitions between colours or other objects in the scene. Everything is handled by new math and sub pixel processing that’s designed for incredible quality and clarity in both HD and Ultra HD.

Incredible Colour Fidelity

Faithfully reproduce bright colours that were impossible before

With Ultimatte 12, you get new advanced flare, edge and transition processing so you can remove the background, without affecting the colours you want to keep. What this means is you’ll be able to retain and faithfully reproduce colours that are impossible on other keyers, such as a bright yellow dress in front of a green screen. Ultimatte 12 is smart enough to isolate and treat different parts of the image separately, while also keeping the colour transitions between areas smooth. You get the highest quality compositing, so the final output looks photorealistic. Unlike other keyers, Ultimatte 12 delivers crisp clear images with vibrant colours that pop.

Shadows and Transparency

Key and composite images with shadows and transparency

The improved flare algorithms in Ultimatte 12 can remove green tinting and spill from anything, which is one of the reasons why Ultimatte 12 creates true, realistic looking virtual environments. That also means you don’t have to worry about shadows or transparent objects with reflections. Ultimatte 12 automatically samples the colours, creates seamless mattes for walls, floors and other parts of the image, and then applies the necessary corrections. Shadows are properly mapped and composited onto the new background, spill is removed, and transparent objects are handled with perfection.

Dedicated Compositing Inputs

Ultimatte 12 features 7 different input connections with loop outputs that are used to composite different elements together. These include foreground and background, along with holdout and garbage mattes, as well as additional layer inputs for superimposing additional images over the composited image. Ultimatte 12 even lets you use sources that are not synchronized when working with static shots.

BG IN

Source input containing the new background such as a virtual set feed or matte painting.

BG MATTE IN

Used to displace opaque areas in the background so foreground elements can appear behind them.

G MATTE IN

Used when overshooting to composite a virtual set into the shot that is larger than the green or blue screen.

FG IN

Foreground input connector for attaching your source camera. This is the talent feed for your Ultimatte.

H MATTE IN

The hold out matte input is used to define areas in the image that are not to be composited.

LAYER IN

Downstream keyer input that allows you to superimpose additional sources over the foreground.

LAYER MATTE IN

This input connection is for the matte that coincides with the downstream keyer layer input.

PROGRAM OUT

Displays the final output with background, foreground and layers all composited together.

Advanced 12G-SDI

Designed for Ultra HD and compatible with everything

The advanced 12G-SDI connections on Ultimatte 12 go far beyond those found on other keyers. Only 12G-SDI gives you high frame rate Ultra HD via a single BNC connection that also plugs into all of your regular HD equipment. That means Ultimatte 12 is compatible with virtually all SD, HD, 3G, 6G and 12G-SDI equipment, and supports all HD and Ultra HD formats up to 2160p60. You can use Ultimatte 12 with your HD cameras today and switch to Ultra HD when you’re ready.

Connections
SDI Video Inputs 7, plus monitor in
SDI Video Outputs 9
SDI Video Loop 7 x reclocked SD, HD, Ultra HD for corresponding inputs.
SDI Rates 270Mb, 1.5G, 3G, 6G, 12G multi rate support
Reference Input Tri-Sync or Black Burst
Reference Loop Output Tri-Sync or Black Burst
Control Panel Connection Ethernet supports 10/100Mbps. Allows direct connection between Ultimatte 12 and Ultimatte Smart Remote 4.
GPIO 5 x GPI In; 1 x GPI Out; 1 x Tally In.
Standards
SD Video Standards 625i50 PAL, 525i59.94 NTSC
HD Video Standards 720p50, 720p59.94, 720p60
1080p23.98, 1080p24, 1080p25, 1080p29.97, 1080p30, 1080p50,1080p59.94, 1080p60
1080PsF23.98, 1080PsF24, 1080PsF25, 1080PsF29.97, 1080PsF30
1080i50, 1080i59.94, 1080i60
Ultra HD Video Standards 2160p23.98, 2160p24, 2160p25, 2160p29.97, 2160p30, 2160p50, 2160p59.94, 2160p60
SDI Compliance SMPTE 259, SMPTE 292, SMPTE 424, SMPTE 2081, SMPTE 2082
Video Sampling 04:02:02
Colour Precision 10-bit
Colour Space REC 601, REC 709
Software
Software Updates Using USB-C connection directly connected to Mac OS Xor Windows computers.
Configuration Ultimatte IP address is set via the Ultimatte setup utility connected via USB.
Control System
Control Panel Required Ultimatte Smart Remote 4
Power Requirements
Power Supply 2 x Internal 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz
Power Usage 100W
Physical Specifications
Dimensions 482x44x235mm
Weight 2.65kg
Environmental Specifications
Operating Temperature 0° to 40°C (32° to 104°F)
Storage Temperature -20° to 60°C (-4° to 140°F)
Relative Humidity 0% to 90% non-condensing.

New Features

Inclusion of a 2.2inch LCD which can be used to monitor sources, and access the hardware menu. The hardware menu allows access to the Ultimatte 12 4K IP settings, and includes input status for checking reference and video input connectivity.
Inclusion of buttons and rotary dial for menu navigation and selection.
Ultimatte 12 4K now features detachable rack ears.
Ultimatte 12 4K is slightly smaller in terms of depth, measuring approximately 222mm from the front of the rotary dial to the back of the BNC connections. It remains a 1RU, 19” rack mountable unit.
Ultimatte 12 4K has a power consumption of 45watts, versus 72 watts of the older model.

Advanced real time compositing processor with 12G-SDI designed for live keying

High performance 12G-SDI design gives you the power to work in UltraHD and HD with sub pixel processing for amazing image quality

Realistic Augmented Reality

Incredible new realistic layer mode for compositing coloured “glass look” objects
OneTouch Keying

Automatic scene analysis for incredibly fast keys
Shadows and Transparency

Key and composite images with shadows and transparency
Highest Quality Connections

Connect to SDI equipment in HD and Ultra HD
1 Rack Unit Size