USB Capture SDI 4K Plus

The Magewell USB Capture SDI 4K Plus is the professional 4K SDI capture device for broadcast and live production environments where a PCIe card is not an option — the only USB Capture SDI model that accepts 6G-SDI sources at up to 4096×2160 30fps and captures 4K at up to 30fps via a standard USB 3.0 connection, with a full 6G-SDI loop-through output maintaining the downstream signal chain uninterrupted. With a 640 Mpixels/s onboard FPGA processing pipeline — four times the bandwidth of the HD-tier SDI models — supporting all SDI standards from SD through to 6G, an SDI cable equaliser rated to 75m on 6G-SDI, 3.5mm analogue audio in and out alongside 8-channel SDI embedded audio, and compatibility with every major operating system and capture application with no driver installation required, the USB Capture SDI 4K Plus brings 4K SDI capture capability to any laptop or workstation. For remote production, OB workflows, broadcast monitoring and any application requiring 4K SDI capture without a rackmount server or PCIe infrastructure — this is the device. Supplied by iView Data, authorised UK Magewell distributor, with full UK warranty and same-day dispatch from UK stock.

Core Functions & Capabilities

• 6G-SDI Input & Loop-Through — 4K30 In, 4K In Chain: The BNC input accepts SD/HD/3G/6G-SDI signals at up to 4096×2160 30fps 4:2:2 10-bit, and the dedicated BNC loop-through output passes that full signal simultaneously to a local monitor, router or downstream device — inserting the capture device into any existing SDI signal chain without a splitter, without breaking the downstream path and without any impact on the signal being passed through.
• 4K SDI Capture at up to 30fps via USB 3.0: Captures 4096×2160p and 3840×2160p at up to 30fps via the standard USB 3.0 interface — no PCIe card, no rackmount hardware, no external power required. The 640 Mpixels/s FPGA pipeline handles the full 4K signal chain from BNC input to USB output entirely on the device, with zero host CPU involvement in video processing.
• Full SDI Standard Coverage — SD Through 6G: Supports SD (ST 259), HD (ST 292), 3Ga, 3Gb-DL, 3Gb-DS (ST 425) and 6G 4K (ST 2081) — accepting every SDI format encountered in broadcast infrastructure from legacy SD sources through to modern 6G-SDI 4K cameras and routers, all from the same BNC input with automatic format detection.
• 75m 6G-SDI Cable Equaliser: The onboard cable equaliser supports SDI cable runs up to 75m at 6G-SDI — enabling the capture device to be placed at the laptop or workstation end of an existing 6G-SDI cable run from a remote camera or router, without needing a distribution amplifier or reclocking device at the source.
• 640 Mpixels/s Processing Pipeline: Four times the onboard processing bandwidth of the HD-tier USB Capture SDI Plus — handling 4K scaling, cropping, de-interlacing, aspect ratio conversion, colour format conversion, frame rate conversion, flip and mirror entirely on the device. The full range of capture colour formats is supported: NV12, I420, YUY2, UYVY, RGB24 and RGB32.
• 3.5mm Audio In & Out — Alongside 8-Channel SDI Embedded: Captures up to 8 channels of SDI embedded audio and accepts additional analogue audio via the 3.5mm line input. The 3.5mm line output plays back SDI embedded audio to headphones or a monitoring amplifier — providing complete audio monitoring and capture without additional audio hardware.

Key Features

• Universal OS & Driver-Free Operation: Works plug-and-play on Windows 10/11/Server, macOS 10.9+, Linux (x86, x64 & ARM, kernel 2.6.35+) and Chrome OS — no driver installation required for basic use on any supported platform.
• Broad Software Compatibility: Compatible with Zoom Rooms, Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Google Meet, GoToMeeting, OBS Studio, XSplit, VLC, QuickTime, GStreamer and all DirectShow, V4L2 and AVCaptureSession applications — including vMix and Wirecast.
• USB Bus-Powered — No External Power Required: Draws max 4.3W from the USB 3.0 port — no power adapter, no mains connection. Deployable on any laptop with a USB 3.0 port in the field, in an OB truck or at a remote location without access to additional power.
• High Frame Rate HD Capture: Beyond 4K30, the pipeline delivers 1920×1080p and 1280×720p at up to 90fps — useful for slow-motion review, sports highlight production and any workflow requiring high-frame-rate HD capture from an SDI source.
• MWCapture SDK: Full SDK for Windows, macOS and Linux — enabling custom integrations, OEM development, signal status extraction, capture configuration and direct API access for enterprise broadcast and production deployments.
• USB Capture Utility: Free software for capture parameter configuration, audio on/off toggle, device name customisation, firmware upgrade and diagnostics on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Ideal For

• Remote & Laptop-Based Production — 4K SDI Without a Rack: Connect a 4K SDI camera, router output or vision mixer directly to a laptop via USB and capture 4K30 in OBS, vMix or Wirecast — delivering 4K SDI capture capability to field crews, remote producers and location teams without rackmount infrastructure or PCIe hardware.
• OB Trucks & Mobile Production — In the Signal Chain: Insert directly into the SDI signal path in an OB truck or flyaway kit — the 6G-SDI loop-through continues to feed the vision mixer or router while capture runs simultaneously for streaming, recording or remote production contribution, without adding a distribution amplifier.
• Broadcast Monitoring & Confidence Capture: Capture 4K SDI programme output or master control feeds for stream monitoring, quality control recording and compliance archiving — with the loop-through maintaining the existing signal path to downstream routers, monitors and playout systems.
• Live Sports & Events — 4K Camera to Production Laptop: Run a 6G-SDI cable up to 75m from a 4K camera or multi-viewer output to a laptop-based capture workstation — streaming or recording 4K30 SDI from pitch-side, stage-side or camera positions without a centralised server.
• Education & Lecture Capture — SDI Camera Sources: Capture SDI lecture cameras and production switcher outputs into lecture capture systems or OBS — with the loop-through feeding the room display or vision system simultaneously, and 4K capture ensuring maximum image quality for recorded and live-streamed content.
• Video Conferencing — 4K SDI Camera on Zoom & Teams: Use any 4K SDI broadcast camera as the video source on Zoom Rooms or Microsoft Teams — delivering professional broadcast-quality 4K video to remote participants from a USB-connected laptop with no specialist AV hardware beyond the capture device itself.

USB Capture Family — Which Model Is Right for You?

HD capture — no loop-through needed

HD capture — with loop-through & analogue audio

4K capture — USB 3.0 (up to 4K30 capture)

4K capture — USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (true 4K60 capture)

Multi-source switching

Magewell Part Number: 32100. Full technical specifications are available on the Specifications tab above. Supplied by iView Data, authorised UK Magewell distributor, with full UK warranty and same-day UK dispatch.