Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Express Recorder 3G

An UltraStudio Solution Designed for Mobility and Modern Workflows

The UltraStudio Express Recorder 3G follows a simple logic: to offer a reliable, lightweight, and fast-to-deploy capture solution without compromising professional video standards. Its pocket-sized format allows easy integration into a mobile station, streaming setup, or on-site logging workstation.
Within the UltraStudio range, this model stands out for its straightforward and modern approach. It focuses on essential connectivity, with one HDMI input and one 3G-SDI input, while benefiting from a very fast computer interface via USB Type-C compatible with USB 40 Gbps. This is a relevant choice for users who want clean, stable, and compact acquisition.

What Are the Most Relevant Uses for the UltraStudio Express Recorder 3G?

This capture device is aimed at videographers, streamers, editors, broadcast technicians, and content creators who need to ingest an external video source into their computer with minimal constraints. It suits both studio production workflows and mobile setups for shoots, events, or lightweight control rooms.
Thanks to its HDMI and SDI inputs, it can receive signals from a camera, switcher, recorder, or professional video chain. Its compatibility with streaming, videoconferencing, ingest, and post-production software makes it a versatile tool for live broadcasting, capture for editing, quality control, or even AI-assisted image processing.

Broadcast Capture Easily Integrated into Your Video Chain

One of this model's major strengths lies in its ability to combine, in a very compact format, connectivity suited to diverse environments. The 3G-SDI input ensures natural integration into professional chains, while the HDMI input facilitates connection to devices more oriented towards light production, streaming, or content creation.

10-bit Video Quality and Advanced Signal Management

The UltraStudio Express Recorder 3G supports SD and HD signals with 10-bit capture over SDI. It handles various video sampling formats, including 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 depending on the standards and interfaces used, making it a serious solution for environments where color accuracy and conversion quality are important.
Compatibility with Rec 601, Rec 709, and Rec 2020 color spaces allows integration into varied workflows, from standard content to more demanding productions. Support for SDI metadata and closed captioning also represents an advantage in broadcast or institutional contexts.

Connectivity Designed for Modern Stations

With its USB Type-C interface supporting USB 40 Gbps, this device perfectly meets the needs of recent machines. This high bandwidth promotes smooth acquisition and rapid integration into mobile or fixed work environments without multiplying adapters or complicating the setup.
This focus makes it a particularly interesting solution for users of high-performance laptops who want to capture a clean video signal directly into their software, with discreet, easy-to-transport hardware that is quick to deploy.

Extensive Software Compatibility for Capture, Live, and Ingest

The model comes with essential Blackmagic utilities for daily use, including Media Express, Disk Speed Test, LiveKey, Blackmagic Desktop Video Utility, and the Blackmagic driver on Mac OS and Windows. On Linux, Media Express, Blackmagic Desktop Video Utility, and the Blackmagic driver are also provided.
Additionally, it is compatible with many recognized applications in streaming, ingest, and video production. For the user, this means flexible setup whether the need is for live streaming on OBS, multicam production in vMix, acquisition for editing, or integration into a more specialized workflow.

Integrated Audio and Professional File Formats

The UltraStudio Express Recorder 3G is not limited to video. Embedded audio via SDI and HDMI allows direct retrieval of channels included in the source signal, simplifying synchronization and reducing the need for additional cabling. For post-production environments, this is a real time saver.
Its support for numerous professional codecs, from ProRes to DNxHD and DNxHR, as well as HEVC, AVC-Intra, XDCAM, and uncompressed formats, enhances its versatility. It adapts to very different workflows, from quick logging to capture intended for color grading or high-quality archiving.

Technical specifications

Inputs

HDMI, 1x SDI, USB, USB-C

SDI video inputs	1 x switchable between SD and HD 10-bit	HDMI video inputs	1 x HDMI 2.0 Type A connector
SDI data rates	270 Mb, 1.5G, 3G	HDMI audio outputs	8 embedded channels in SD and HD
SDI audio inputs	16 embedded channels in SD and HD	Computer interface	1 x USB Type-C supporting USB 40 Gbps