Datavideo SE-1200MU 6 Input HD Digital Video Switcher

I purchased this unit for live corporate events and I am very happy with it. Unlike the BMD units, the SE1200MU is input friendly and will take HDMI and SDI from pro and consumer cameras. I also wanted an image capture and freeze function and this has both. Once you get the network issues set the connection to the PC was great, I am using a touch screen ASUS laptop to control but just ordered Xkeys as a controller. DataVideo is releasing their own controller in April that look great and should only be making a complete system for under 2k. I have not loaded the latest firmware but hope the get the second HDMI working as it would be helpful to have an additional output. Until this purchase the only DataVideo products I have owned are the converters, that are great, and I will purchase more products again.

We were looking to put together a portable rig with similar functionality to a Tricaster Mini, but with more of a modular approach (and a mostly SDI workflow.) We purchased this from in August and have used it for 2 major events now (along with dozens of hours of testing and demos) so I feel comfortable writing a review. We're using it in higher ed at a university for event coverage, instructional segments, guest speakers, high-end lecture capture, etc. This switcher does a lot of things right - 4 SDI inputs, 2 HDMI inputs, 2 assignable SDI outputs and 1 assignable HDMI output. (There is a 2nd HDMI output but it is not currently in use. Datavideo engineering is working on a new firmware update that will use the multiview output on HDMI 2, freeing up HDMI 1 for assignable outputs.) As of right now, we have the multiview output on HDMI 1, but it would be nice to have a program out here assigned to a big consumer TV, so I look forward to being able to use HDMI 2 with the firmware update. Other things this switcher does right - the inclusion of HDMI inputs along with SDI inputs allows for mixing consumer-grade cameras with professional cameras. This is very handy in higher end where budgets are a concern, and HDMI-only cameras may be readily available. The HDMI inputs have scalers/framesyncs on them so they will take almost any signal with no issue. (I have used Panasonic P2 SDI cameras, Canon Vixia HDMI consumer-grade cameras, and a GoPro Hero 2 all in the same production, mixing the SDI and HDMI inputs with no issue.) GoPros are especially finicky with switcher inputs, and I was impressed that the switcher could take the GoPro on the HDMI input without the use of an external up/down/cross converter. We have also run a computer HDMI output direct in with no issues, but to get a VGA input you'll need an up/down/cross converter. (We have done both and it's a huge advantage being able to bring in the podium computer as an input.) With 6 total inputs you have plenty of flexibility for cameras, computers, roll-in decks/media players, etc. The Switcher also supports analog XLR stereo inputs that it will turn into embedded SDI audio (or HDMI) for running out to your favorite recorder. We are using an ATOMOS Ronin with it and it's worked perfectly. We have also done live streaming for a large event recently sending the switcher program out to our live encoder and the stream was rock solid. The switcher seems very robust and we've now used it for a 6+ hour production with no resets needed, no crashing, no glitches, etc. Each time we use it for a production I am enjoying it more and more. We have not done much with the built in keyers yet (other than a simple PiP effect) but it sports 2 downstream keys, a still store, a simple clipstore (100 frames of video according to the manual - enough for a looping animation) a chromakeyer, luminance keyer, etc. But again I haven't personally used those features. The multiview output is solid, exactly what you'd expect from any similar product. The virtual switcher controls act laid out exactly like a real, physical switcher, so if you're used to any type of traditional production switcher it's very intuitive. An SDI-workflow at this cost is truly amazing. However, there are a few downsides: There is currently no control surface for this switcher. It is meant to be controlled by software running on a PC. A laptop would work just fine but we're using it with a Surface Pro. The switcher is also meant to be network controlled but it didn't like our network. Datavideo tech support provided me with instructions to set up a static IP address between the switcher and the surface, connected with an Ethernet cable. This has worked 100%, but it did take a bit of setup and configuration to get running. Also, with no control surface you need to use mouse clicks (or touchscreen) on the virtual control surface in their software. For me, this is not ideal for switching a show, I like physical buttons. We purchased a programmable USB button panel (x-keys) and made our own control surface. However the Datavideo software doesn't currently use hotkeys, it's mouse clicks (or touch) only. Therefore when programming the keyboard instead of being able to use hotkey shortcuts (ie: shift-1 is preview 1, 1 is program 1 etc.) everything has to be programmed using the X-Y coordinates of the mouse. This works 100% but it will take some setup time to get it all configured. (And it's only necessary for our workflow, if you don't mind switching a show with a mouse or touchscreen then you can skip this altogether.) I hope that someday Datavideo releases a control surface for this switcher that can plug into the RS232 jack, that would truly enhance this already great product. Another small downside is that there are only 2 SDI outputs (both assignable.) If you've got dedicated monitors for preview and program (we do) you'll need to add a video DA to get additional program outs. We are using a Black Magic 1 in 8 out DA/reclocker with the switcher to give us tons of program outs so there's no need for looping through monitors (and potentially creating sync issues.) This switcher also caps out at 1080i, so if you're looking for a 4k workflow this may not be the right move for you. 1080i is just fine for our needs though. There is also no VGA or DVI output, which would allow putting the multiview on a computer monitor rather than a pro monitor or consumer TV. The internal audio controls are very limited, there are no faders or gain control on the stereo channels. Overall we're extremely happy with the switcher and Datavideo's engineers have been very helpful with questions. They are also communicative about upcoming features and firmware updates, since this is a very new product. (It debuted at NAB this year.) In our use cases so far it has performed at or beyond expectations.