Massive Next Generation Switcher
The ATEM Constellation 8K has been designed as a next generation switcher with both new technologies and a large number of features for handling the latest and most complex work. The massive feature set includes 40 inputs, 24 outputs, plus lots of DVEs, advanced keyers and multiviews, all in a design that's still fast and easy to use. A great example is the front control panel, which has been specifically designed to operate in a similar way to an ATEM Television Studio switcher. This ensures ATEM Constellation 8K is an easy upgrade as it will feel very familiar. Plus because you get 4 times as many features, they can all be combined to operate at 4 times the resolution allowing you to work in 8K.
Full Front Panel Switcher Control!
On the front panel, the large keypad allows selecting any of the 40 inputs plus these buttons are the same type as used on the professional control panels. Switching from the front panel is easy as you just select a source, then select cut or auto. There's even an alternative cut-bus mode for instant switching when pressing a button. Plus there are buttons for enabling key and media players. The full switcher features are available via the LCD where you can scroll the menus and operate the entire switcher! Of course the natural way to operate the switcher is using an external panel or the free software, but the front panel is great for emergencies, during setup and for smaller AV style jobs.
Includes Built-In Talkback!
The advanced design also includes professional talkback and because the switcher communicates via the SDI camera feed combined with the SDI program return feed, you don't need to run extra cables just for talkback. Program talkback is sent to and from the camera on the unused SDI audio channels 15 and 16, or channels 13 and 14 for separate engineering talkback com loops. The front panel has an industry standard 5 pin broadcast headset connector plus buttons to enable talkback communication. Then for large broadcast jobs, the rear panel includes an RJ12 expansion connector so you can connect to industry standard talkback systems such as ClearCom or RTS.
Super Bright LCD for Monitoring and Setup!
On the right side of the front panel there's a large 5 inch screen and menu buttons as well as a scroll knob for setting menus. The large screen also shows the current program output, audio level meters and the input label at the top of the screen is the current selected audio channel, which will indicate what audio source will be adjusted when turning the knob. The audio meters are true VU meters and feature the correct ballistics and colors so they conform to the VU audio meter specification. You can use the menus to operate the switcher, but these menus are also where you can change the switcher settings, such as television standard, multiview settings and network IP address.
Professional 12G‑SDI Connections
On the rear panel you see an array of 40 12G‑SDI inputs on the left and 24 12G‑SDI outputs on the right. These connectors are then combined into vertical groups of 4 when running in 8K as 8K uses Quad Link 12G‑SDI. There are also 4 Ultra HD multiview outputs. The BNC connectors are a custom Blackmagic Design part, engineered to allow longer cable lengths and increased reliability. One of the problems when starting 8K production is that not all your sources will be in 8K. That's ok, as each of the Quad Link 12G‑SDI inputs will also allow a single link Ultra HD or HD input to be up and cross converted for use.
Massive 156 Channel Fairlight Audio Mixer!
One of the unique features of the ATEM Constellation 8K is its very large Fairlight audio mixer. This big mixer has been included because its the switcher operator who gets all the video sources and along with that, the audio sources too. A big internal mixer makes it easy to work with all the switcher audio sources directly. The Fairlight audio mixer has all 40 inputs, plus the 2 ch analog inputs, the audio from the media players, audio from the talkback mix and 32 stereo channels from the MADI input. That's a big mixer with full access to all audio! Each input even has 6 band parametric EQ, compressor, limiter, noise gate and more.
Remote Control for Custom Solutions
The rear panel ethernet connection supports the ATEM switcher protocol for fast low latency switching. All the ATEM control panels and the free ATEM Software Control use this protocol and you can plug in the panels direct to the switcher so you don't need a network switch. However because it’s ethernet, you can plug into your network and control the ATEM remotely, even from overseas! Ethernet allows you to add as many panels as you like all at the same time, or custom solutions using the developer SDK. Many broadcast automation systems use serial control because it's simple and fast. ATEM Constellation 8K includes an RS‑422 connection and the protocol is documented in the instruction manual.
Innovative and Quiet Thermal System
ATEM Constellation 8K features an innovative cooling system that keeps the design small at only 2 rack units, so it can also remain portable. The 3 fans allow enough extra cooling capacity that they can reduce speed and run slow. This reduces fan noise and reduces fatigue. The internal heatsinks have also been custom designed so air flow is directed over components and airflow turbulence is reduced to further assist in keeping the noise down. All the air ducts and heat sinks have been custom designed specifically for ATEM Constellation 8K so the cooling system can be perfectly matched to this large switcher design.
Redundant International Power Supplies
The ATEM Constellation 8K features 2 power supplies and each power supply can operate the switcher by itself so 2 power supplies mean you get 100% redundancy. Each power supply even has a separate independent AC connector on the rear panel, so this means it’s possible to power the switcher from 2 different AC sources. If an AC source goes down, you still won't get a power interruption. This is extremely useful where one AC connection can be a different power phase, a generator or a UPS. The power supplies will automatically adapt to various voltages from 100V to 240V so the switcher can travel the world with you and continue to operate perfectly.
