If only there were a small, single rack-space unit that could monitor four, eight, even 16 feeds…mmmmm…
The MultiView 16 from Blackmagic design does just that. It’s a 1RU device with 16 looping SDI inputs on BNC. It’s capable of a 2×2 out for 4 sources, 3×3 for nine, and 4×4 for 16. Output comes from a single HDMI or 2 x 6G-SDI and 2 x HD-SDI BNC’s. REF IN is available when used with other gear, and it’s controllable via RS-422, USB, as well as Ethernet. It also has a built-in switching power supply for multi country friendliness. (A quirk I found odd at first on unpacking was the fact that it did NOT come with an IEC cord or any of the funky voltage adapters of old. I felt slighted at first, but then it dawned on me — what cable do I have more of than any other just lying around? IEC. How many adapters end up gathering dust or in a landfill? Lots. So good for BMD for thinking down that road!) Its panel and chassis are extremely rugged due to machined aircraft aluminum. It has some terrific features and also some quirks.
—Jeff Gooch, from “Video Road Test,” PLSN, Sept. 2015, page 70
