At the IBC2017 exhibition in Amsterdam next month, Magewell – an award-winning
developer of innovative video interface devices – will launch the Flex I/O HDMI 4i2o,
the second card in the company’s new Flex I/O family of versatile PCI Express
input/output cards. The new model will be showcased in Magewell’s stand (8.A84) at
the event, where the recently-announced Flex I/O SDI 4i2o will also make its
European debut.

Building on Magewell’s hallmarks of superior quality, reliability and feature-richness,
the Flex I/O series extends the benefits of the company’s popular capture devices to
output and playout applications while filling a market need for high-performance,
easy-to-use output cards at affordable pricing.

Combining outstanding channel density with exceptional flexibility, the first two Flex
I/O models each feature four input channels and two outputs. Setting the Flex I/O
family apart from other interface cards, all inputs and outputs can be used
simultaneously with independently differing resolutions, frame rates and processing
settings. Each input channel can also be routed to multiple software applications in
parallel, enabling concurrent tasks such as live streaming, recording and playout, all
from a single card.

The Flex I/O HDMI 4i2o, which will be shown publicly for the first time at IBC, features
HDMI connectivity and supports HD and 2K video with up to eight channels of
embedded audio per input or output. The Flex I/O SDI 4i2o, previewed at the NAB
Show earlier this year, captures and outputs video up to 2048×1080 over 3Gbps SDI
interfaces, plus up to 16 channels of embedded audio in each SDI signal. SDI input
channels, as well as the two outputs, can be paired for dual-link SDI connectivity.

Like Magewell’s renowned capture cards, the Flex I/O family features 10-bit, FPGA-
based video processing, providing high-quality up/down-conversion, video
adjustments, graphic overlay and more while maximising CPU availability for third-
party software. Drivers for the Flex, I/O cards, will be available for Windows, Linux
and Mac operating systems. Support for popular APIs such as DirectShow and V4L2
enables extensive software compatibility, while a comprehensive SDK will allow third-
party developers to directly take advantage of the cards’ full advanced feature set.

“As our first cards with output capabilities, the Flex I/O family opens up new markets
for Magewell while enabling users, developers and integrators to take advantage of
our proven performance and reliability for a much broader range of professional use
cases,” said Fei Ma, Chief Technical Officer at Magewell. “The addition of the Flex I/O
HDMI 4i2o to the product line lets customers benefit from the cards’ superior channel
density and flexibility while giving them a choice of their preferred signal
connectivity.”