SpectraMap documentation

DeckLink SDI output

When the rig wants SDI rather than network video, SpectraMap drives Blackmagic DeckLink and UltraStudio hardware directly.

Before SpectraMap sees the device

Install Blackmagic Desktop Video and confirm the card appears in Desktop Video Setup. If Blackmagic’s own tool cannot see it, nothing else will. Set each connector to output rather than input — several DeckLink models default to input and produce no signal with no error.

Choosing a mode

SDI modes are fixed: 1920 × 1080 at a defined rate, not an arbitrary size. Pick the mode your processor expects, then make the canvas region match it. Unlike NDI, you cannot send an unusual resolution down SDI and hope.

Frame rate discipline

Run the whole chain at one rate. Mixing 59.94 and 60 in the same rig produces a dropped or repeated frame at a regular interval — subtle on a monitor, obvious on a large wall, and maddening to diagnose during a show.

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