Blackmagic Design‘s SmartView Duo comprises a pair of side-by-side 8″ LCD monitors – both with an auto-selecting 3G/HD/SD-SDI input – that are housed in a 3 RU-high, rackmountable form factor. Ideal for live broadcast and mobile video production, the slim SmartView Duo features integrated tally (input via a standard 9-pin D connector) that clearly shows video status by displaying a red, green, or blue ring that borders the screen in question.
The 800 x 480-resolution displays’ auto-switching SDI inputs accept an extremely wide range of digital signals, from standard-def 525i and 625i to full progressive high-definition 1080p60 and several flavors of 2K-resolution video. There’s a loop-out BNC for both inputs, with re-clocking of the signal. For screen configuration and settings, plus firmware updates, the SmartView Duo has both USB 2.0 and Ethernet inputs.
For the SmartView Duo, a sleek design pays practical dividends. The thinness of the dual-display panel (less than 1″) means it’s easier to install, transport, and ship. The lack of mechanical controls on the panel itself takes inadvertent adjustments out of the equation. The auto-image-flip feature means that the displays can be rotated upside down so you can achieve the best viewing angle.
- Perfect for Live Production
- SmartView Duo is perfectly designed for building a video wall for monitoring all sources going into live production switchers. Because it’s so incredibly thin, it’s also perfect for portable setups where you need to save space. Imagine having all your video sources displayed on large 8″ LCD screens so you can see camera focus and quality. Now you can build full live broadcast presentation monitoring that’s small enough to be fully portable. SmartView Duo is lightweight and thin, so it’s perfect for outside broadcast vans – or even installed into portable monitor racks to reduce the shipping costs of flyaway kits
- Monitor Everywhere
- Good-quality SDI monitoring is expensive and often makes it hard to put monitoring on all the devices in your racks or control rooms because costs add up quickly. SmartView Duo eliminates this problem and includes two large, beautiful 8″ displays in a compact 3-rack-unit size. You get full loop-through SDI connections and an Ethernet network connection for setup. SmartView Duo includes easy-to-use software for Mac and Windows, so you can see all the monitors on your network for remote adjustments. That’s perfect when you want to color-match all screens in a video wall remotely from your laptop. SmartView Duo even includes tally (see below)
- Wide SDI Compatibility
- SmartView Duo is designed to be used for broadcast as well as post-production, so it includes support for more SDI video standards, including SD, HD, and 3 Gb/s SDI formats. SmartView Duo allows firmware updating, making it easy to upgrade to new SDI video formats when they are invented. (Updates are free from the Blackmagic Design website.) SmartView Duo includes new advanced video standards used in post-production, including 1080-line progressive HD rates and even 2K formats over 3 Gb/s SDI video. All video formats can be connected and changed, because SmartView Duo simply switches in less than a second to the new format
- Broadcast and Post-Production
- In a busy facility you can never have enough monitors, and SmartView Duo is perfect when you need monitoring for all your equipment. Install SmartView Duo into your editing desks so you can keep track of decks and other video sources and create an exciting “mission control” environment which will blow your clients’ minds! SmartView Duo is perfect for in-rack monitoring so you always know what’s going on. Now with SmartView Duo, everyone can have that exciting “broadcast experience” of monitoring wherever it’s needed
- Incredible Design
- SmartView Duo features two fully independent 8″ monitors for incredible monitoring. Each monitor includes loop-through SDI video, which instantly switches between any SD, HD, and 3 Gb/s SDI source, even 2K formats over 3 Gb/s SDI. SmartView Duo includes no mechanical controls, so it won’t suffer from settings drift or damage related to mechanical controls. For matching multiple screens in master control rooms, SmartView Duo includes loop-through Ethernet for remote adjustment, even from a laptop computer. If you need to mount SmartView Duo in the extreme top or bottom of an equipment rack, SmartView Duo’s LCDs can be rotated upside down for the optimal viewing angle. SmartView Duo will automatically sense the rotation and flip both onscreen images. SmartView Duo even includes a choice of red, green or blue tally inputs
- Smart Ethernet Control
- There’s nothing more complicated than trying to match all your monitors by climbing all over your equipment and using little screwdrivers. Simply connect your SmartView Duo to your Ethernet network and use the included Mac and Windows software to adjust all your monitors from one central location. The Monitor Utility software uses Bonjour to automatically find all the SmartView Duo monitors on your network. You can save monitor settings from one monitor and copy to another, and when you’re working with lots of monitors, SmartView Duo even includes an identify mode to help you find the monitor you’re adjusting. SmartView Duo won’t suffer from drift because all adjustments are fully digital
- Integrated Tally
- SmartView Duo includes full tally features, so it’s the perfect companion for live broadcasters. Not a simple tally light, the monitors’ tally borders can be independently displayed in red, green or blue. Each screen features an independent tally in the three colors so you can signal to the user more than a simple on-air status. Tally is connected via a standard parallel pin connector on the rear of SmartView Duo, so you get full compatibility with any switcher or automation system
- International Power Supply
- If you’re traveling all over the world, SmartView Duo is perfect because it includes a standard 12V power supply with socket adapters for each country. Ideal for live-location use where you don’t have engineering support, a standard 12V power socket means you can get spare power supplies from any electrical store. To eliminate accidental unplugging of power cords during live production or at other crucial times, SmartView Duo includes a cable tie-down point, so everything stays perfectly secure
