Magewell Pro Capture Quad SDI review

This specification-led review covers the Magewell Pro Capture Quad SDI, part 11090 (SKU 110900000), using model-specific Magewell product and technical documents plus a U.S. authorized-dealer identity page. No hands-on test was performed. The decision it serves is narrower than the name may suggest: the card is for a workstation that needs four SDI capture inputs in one full-height PCIe slot, not for a display passthrough chain.

Four inputs, but no loop-through outputs

Magewell lists four SD/HD/3G/2K SDI inputs on four BNC connectors, with input resolution up to 2048×1080. The card carries embedded audio and the product page calls it a four-channel HD capture card. Unlike the single-channel and Dual SDI cards in this family, the Quad model's own interface and package information show no loop-through output. All four front-panel BNC sockets are input paths. A monitoring or downstream feed therefore needs to come from the source, a separate router/splitter or another device; do not buy this assuming it forwards the signal to an SDI display.

The 2K limit is also important. This model supports SD/HD/3G SDI and supported 2048×1080 modes, not 6G/12G 4K SDI. The manufacturer lists source color sampling and 10/12-bit input support, plus up to eight mono embedded-audio channels at 48 kHz on its SDI technical sheet. These format descriptions help screen a camera or switcher, but they are not universal promises about every source's frame rate, audio mapping, color range or synchronization. Match the actual SDI standard and timing at each source port.

Use the published rate limits carefully

The specification advertises capture rasters up to 2048×2160 and frame rates up to 144 fps, then notes that actual rate depends on PCIe bandwidth and the on-board video engine's pixel clock. Its example for 1920×1080 is about 80 fps. That is why this library's match plan is a conservative Windows/PCIe/OBS 1080p60 feed, not a claim that four cameras can all run at a maximum rate. The card is described as four-channel and has four inputs; for a demanding four-feed workflow, ask the seller or manufacturer for the exact combination of timing, pixel format, number of concurrent channels, operating system and application. Do not infer it from separate single-mode maxima.

There are SDI-specific restrictions too. Magewell says 3Gb-DS capture is limited to the first stream. In the documented dual-link cases, 10-bit 1080p50/59.94/60 YCbCr 4:2:2 is captured as 1080i; other color formats may be converted or subsampled. This is particularly relevant when several cameras or router outputs are configured differently. The model page establishes the four-input layout, and the technical sheet supplies the capture-rate caveats. Neither source establishes HDR recording just from 10/12-bit input.

Check the slot and case before planning four feeds

Quad SDI uses PCIe Gen2 x4 and a normal-profile add-in card, 112.15 × 102.92 mm without the bracket. Its maximum specified power draw is about 17.1 W. That profile is taller than the low-profile one-channel and Dual SDI cards, so check both chassis height and clearance around the fan and neighboring cards. Also confirm a compatible electrical x4 slot, motherboard lane sharing and airflow. The U.S. seller identity bridge identifies MFR 11090 / SKU 110900000, but the offer's physical revision and package contents still need checking.

Magewell's product page names Windows, Linux and Mac, Capture Express and compatible applications including OBS. The technical page lists Windows APIs, Linux V4L2 and macOS AVCaptureSession. A Windows OBS plan at 1080p60 is supportable for one input; Mac support is a general compatibility listing, not a model-specific mode matrix. For a four-input install, verify device naming and source enumeration in the current driver and application, and confirm how embedded audio from separate inputs appears in the selected software.

How Quad differs from the other SDI cards

The single Pro Capture SDI offers one BNC input plus one BNC loop-through and needs only PCIe x1 in a low-profile system. Dual SDI has two BNC inputs and two SMA loop-throughs, with short SMA-to-BNC leads supplied; it needs PCIe x4 but is low-profile. Quad doubles the input count again but gives up the local loop-through outputs and needs a full-height opening. An external USB model may be easier to install in a laptop workflow, but it does not replace this card's four-port density.

The manufacturer lists the Quad card itself in the standard package; it does not list a low-profile bracket, SDI leads or signal splitter. Confirm the precise U.S. bundle and seller's written warranty and return terms. This is a plausible fit when four compatible SDI inputs need to enter one workstation and the installation can provide the slot and downstream routing. If only one camera is in use, its unused channel density and full-height footprint may not solve a real need. If all four signals must record at high rates simultaneously, a mode-by-mode confirmation is more important than the “Quad” label.