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  1. Record
  2. MovieRecorder

MovieRecorder

Multichannel edit-while-ingest on one Mac
 
 
  • Fully configurable user interface 
  • NDI® sources
  • External audio sources (only on local sources, not supported with NDI®)
  • Effects and overlays (8-bit only)
  • HEVC (H.265) support
  • Save and restore configurations
  • "Express" version

 

Up to 16 HD Channels on one Mac!

Ten years after the release of the first version of MovieRecorder, we are bringing another major (r)evolution to ingest solutions with MovieRecorder 4 and MovieRecorder Express 4.

MovieRecorder 4 is even more flexible now. The new sleek user interface brings a lot of clarity, while the support for NDI sources, external audio with local sources, and effects and overlay features allow you to use MovieRecorder in more workflows and configurations. MovieRecorder Express is our “lite” version of our ingest solution, and is the most affordable broadcast video recorder on the Mac.

Watch 
MovieRecorder and Multicam Logger at IBC18
MovieRecorder and Multicam Logger at IBC18
Main features 
NEW Revamped User Interface.

We tried to make MovieRecorder 4's new user interface even easier to work with — and more flexible, as well.

The first thing you will notice, beyond its darker look, is that the size of the Viewers are now fully customizable. Select the number of Viewers you want to display at once, and then choose the layout that best suits your needs. MovieRecorder comes with a whole set of preconfigured layouts, but you can also customize them yourself.

All the overlays can now be turned off if you just want to preview the video and not be distracted by their presence.

There are even more additions, such as the ability to switch the position of two sources, or enable/disable/solo a destination on all Viewers at once.

NDI® Sources.

At NAB 2017, we announced the ability to output to NDI® with all our playout software, and it proved to be very successful, with a lot of customers embracing the new technology. It is only natural that we now support recording those sources in MovieRecorder. NDI® is an open, low-latency, video-over-IP protocol developed by NewTek™. It uses a simple gigabit ethernet cable to transmit video and audio over a local area network between multiple video systems. Now, thanks to NDI®, you can transfer HD and 4K video over a simple Ethernet cable. There is no need for additional routers or even SDI cables anymore,  further demonstrating the ease-of-use and reliability of our products. NDI® opens the world to a different way of doing video production and to an ecosystem of devices supporting the protocol.

NDI® is a registered trademark of NewTek, Inc.

External Audio Sources.

The ability to use external audio sources (including network audio such as Dante or MADI) instead of SDI embedded audio will help those who want to record the audio coming from an audio mixer without the need of expensive SDI embedders. MovieRecorder 4 supports all the audio sources that are available to the macOS. Coupled with the Audio Mapping available in the AVPresets, this brings a lot of flexibility to your Audio configuration. Note that this feature is not yet available for NDI sources.

Effects and Overlays.

You can now crop, deinterlace, rotate, and resize your video before it is encoded. We've had multiple requests for the ability to rotate the signal 90° for display on LCD monitors placed sideways, or to crop portions of the image. You'll also love the ability to overlay text, the current timecode, or even an image to your recording. As it's a "per destination" setting, you can have one signal recorded with overlays, and another as a clean recording. The multiple destinations available with MovieRecorder will be even more handy with this new feature!

HEVC Support.

With the advent of 4K, an even more efficient codec than H.264 was needed. This is why HEVC/H265 has been created. Files can be compressed to 40% of the size of an H.264 compression without losing quality. But that encoding efficiency required a lot of horsepower, and even the highest end Mac Pro was not able to encode to HEVC in real time. And for MovieRecorder, as we encode live, we need real time! 

With macOS 10.13, Apple has added the ability to use the HEVC hardware acceleration available on some computers (those running the 6th Generation Intel Core and over), allowing us to fully take advantage of the codec.

Save and Restore Configurations.

Often you will have different shows running in the same studio, with different requirements. The camera names will change, you may need to record to a different storage, or with a different codec, etc. Thanks to the “save and restore” feature, you will now be able to save multiple configurations and restore them in seconds. This will make your workflow much smoother. The feature can also be used if you want to keep a backup of a configuration before running tests on a new show, with new setups, etc

CC and Pro-codecs options now included in standard license

With MovieRecorder 4 the Closed Captioning and Pro-codecs options are now included in the standard license. If you want to record to an MXF wrapper, or if you want to record to AVC-Intra, AVC-Intra, DV/DVCPRO, DNxHD or IMX XDCAM, it is no longer necessary to purchase a separate option.

We have decided instead to offer two different applications: the exceptionally affordable entry-level MovieRecorder Express, with a more limited functionality and codecs set, and MovieRecorder, which offers all the advanced features that you may need for your production. We just want you to pay the right price for the features you need!

Up to 16 HD Channels on the iMac Pro
MovieRecorder is the most efficient ingest solution on the Mac, and here is what you will be able to do on the new iMac Pro 18 Core:
  • 16 channels of HD 30p (or 1080i60)
  • 8 channels of HD 60p
  • 4 channels of 4K 30p
  • 2 channels of 4K 60p
 
The amount of data that can be processed in real time is absolutely incredible, and it opens completely new perspectives.
Flexible TC input sources

MovieRecorder supports multiple timecode sources for your best convenience.

  • Mac Clock: That's the simplest timecode source, available with all Mac. ;-)
  • Audio LTC: Use an audio input on your Mac and we'll decode the TC
  • Embedded TC: Use SDI embedded TC (even if only one of your source has TC, you can share it with the others, so you only need one TC embedder)
  • Video device timecode input: Some video devices have a TC input connector
  • Timecode Systems products allow to retrieve timecode using WiFi, Network or Bluetooth. Read more about Timecode Systems...
Price per channel
$ 1.995
  • The Closed Captioning and Pro Codecs options are included in the standard license price. No additional options are needed.
  • Volume purchasing at discounted pricing is available (a 4 or 8 license pack on one dongle).
Available options
  • Dongle - Instead of a serial number, receive a dongle that does not require activation. Ideal when you want to move your license around from one Mac to another. One dongle can be hold up to 10 licenses. Dongle is supplied on S|.. and M|.. products, so you don't need to order a dongle with these.
  • SerialCommander - Control multiple VTRs from one Mac
  • GPICommander - Control the recordings using GPI
Accessory Products 

GPICommander

GPICommander is two things: a USB to GPI Converter and a software. You can send or receive GPI triggers using AppleScript, so it can be used with any macOS application. Since version 2.2, there is also a REST API available so you can send and receive GPI triggers very easily.

If needed, an SDK is available if you want to have direct access to it without AppleScript (it also runs on Windows then and it enables you to control the unit by writing C code.)

SerialCommander

SerialCommander is a single USB interface to four independent RS422 ports, communication unit. It is a small form factor box that you connect in USB to your Mac and it will add 4 RS422 serial ports on your Mac. The main use for that is to control multiple VTRs on one Mac, in order to record from them using MovieRecorder.

If you own an M|80 for example, with 2 SerialCommanders, you can control 8 VTRs on one Mac. This is ideal if you have a large library of tapes that you want to digitise. You will be able to capture from 8 VTRs at once, using just one Mac.

S|40 (Pack of 4)
$ 5.950

The 4 licenses will be provided on a Dongle (included in the price). The licenses are meant to be use on one single computer and thus can not be split.

S|80 (Pack of 8)
$ 10.495

The 8 licenses will be provided on a Dongle (included in the price). The licenses are meant to be use on one single computer and thus can not be split.

UPGRADES
Upgrade costs
  • Volume purchasing is available for upgrades too (check our online store).
  • M|family can be upgraded at a discounted price.

Downloads

Download MovieRecorder

  MovieRecorder 4
Version 4.3.9 - 31 August 2020

 

Useful Resources

  • Release Notes
  • System requirements: macOS or driver requirements may change between versions, so make sure to check.
  • Help Center: Includes a lot of useful information, sometimes not available in the user manual
  • User Manual
  • YouTube Channel

 

Installation instructions

Once downloaded, unzip the file, and drag and drop the Application "MovieRecorder" in your Applications Folder.

Make sure also to download and install the drivers for your video device:

  • AJA,
  • Blackmagic-Design
  • Deltacast (For the M|Family).

DEMO Limitations

In DEMO mode,MovieRecorder will burn a blue frame in the recorded file at some intervals. That's the only limitation and difference. After your test, you will keep on using the same application, just with the demo mode unlocked
 

How to unlock the DEMO version ?

Purchase a license through one of our resellers or the Softron online store, then just activate your serial number in the License window or plug your dongle in the computer.
 

Upgrade/Update instructions

Just download the latest version and replace your previsous version. It is always recommended to run extensive tests with your specific workflow and setup before putting a new version in production. You can use a free demo version for that on a separate computer. Previous legacy versions are available from the general downloads page.

You do not need to deactivate and reactivate your serial number when updating your Softron software. Read the following article to know when to deactivate.

This software uses code of FFmpeg, licensed under the LGPLv2.1 and its source can be downloaded here.

 

Resources

Resouces

Manuals & Quickstart
Resources 
PDF icon MovieRecorder 4 Quick Start Guide
PDF icon MovieRecorder 4 User Manual
hide

Product Features

Features

Main Features
Video & Audio
Playlist & Schedule
Media Management
Other Features
Codecs

Features and Technical Specifications

Technical Specifications

Features
Features 

SOURCES

Supports: MovieRecorder Express 4 MovieRecorder 4
Devices from AJA and Blackmagic-Design Yes Yes
M|family Yes but these bundled are provided with MovieRecorder, not with MovieRecorder Express Yes
NDI® sources Yes Yes
Direct Link Sources (from one of Softron's playout application) Yes Yes
Remotely Control other MovieRecorders Yes Yes
Record Multiple channels at once (Depend on the format, codec and the computer. Up to 12 channels on one Mac) Yes Yes
Max Resolution (Depend on the video device used) Up to 4K Up to 4K
Pixel Formats (Depend on the video device used) 8bit, 10bit or ARGB 8bit, 10bit or ARGB
Add Effects and Overlays No Yes - only in 8bit
External Audio Sources (instead of using the audio from the video device, use another audio available for the macOS) No Yes - on "Local Sources", not yet on NDI sources
Audio Mapping (done in the AV Presets) Yes Yes
Timecode Sources Video device timecode (LTC, RP188,...) or application timecode (Mac Clock, Audio LTC, Timecode Systems)


DESTINATIONS

Supports: MovieRecorder Express MovieRecorder
Record to multiple Destinations with different codecs using easy presets No Yes
MXF Support No Yes
Advanced codecs support NO (check list of supported wrappers and codecs in the next pane) Yes(check list of supported wrappers and codecs in the next pane)
Add effects (crop, resize, rotate) and overlays (text, timecode, image) on the recorded video No Yes
Closed Captioning Record (CEA-708 to a QuickTime CC track) No Yes only with 8bit sources
Looped recording (record permanently in the same file and go back to the beginning when it reaches the end of the file. Ideal for TimeShifting playout for example) Yes Yes
Custom naming (to automatically name your files with tokens) Yes Yes
Metadata (embedded in the QuickTime file or as a sidecar file) No Yes
Frame-accurate automatic split the recordings into chunks (support for 24/7 recording with no frames lost) Yes Yes
Frame-accurate manual split the recordings (create a new file manually instead of manually) Yes Yes
Support edit-while-ingest YES with MXF, Classic or Segmented destinations (compatibility depend on the editing software)


INTEGRATION AND CONTROLS

Supports: MovieRecorder Express MovieRecorder
Remotely Controllable using a REST API Yes Yes
Control with GPI triggers (Requires GPICommander) Yes Yes
Send GPI triggers (Requires GPICommander) Yes Yes
Control from Elgato's Stream Deck Yes Yes
Controllable via AppleScript Yes Yes
Trigger AppleScripts when start/stop record or on error No Yes
VTR Control and batch capture (using RS422 port on a device or our SerialCommander) No Yes Only record from tape, no record to tape available


OTHER FEATURES

Supports: MovieRecorder Express MovieRecorder
Fully configurable user interface Yes Yes
Save and restore configurations (save the layout, source names, scheduled recordings,etc... and restore them at a later time) No Yes
Remote Source Slave mode No Yes
Scheduled Recording (repeated weekly, or specific date) Yes Yes


SHORTLIST of features ONLY available in MovieRecorder

Supports: MovieRecorder Express MovieRecorder
Multiple Destinations No Yes
Supported Codecs ProRes, H.264, Uncompressed Sames as Express + AVC-Intra, DV/DVCPRO, DVCPRO HD, DNxHD, FFV1, IMX, XDCAM
MXF No Yes
Closed Captioning No Yes
Metadata No Yes
External audio sources (including Dante, or MADI) No Yes
Add effects (crop, resize, rotate) and overlays (text, timecode, image) on the recorded video No Yes
Save and restore configurations No Yes
Trigger AppleScripts when start/stop record or on error No Yes
VTR Control and batch capture No Yes
Remote Source Slave mode No Yes


New in MovieRecorder 4 (compared to MovieRecorder 3)

Supports: MovieRecorder Express MovieRecorder
Fully configurable user interface Yes Yes
External audio sources (including Dante, or MADI) No Yes
NDI® Sources Yes Yes
Add effects (crop, resize, rotate) and overlays (text, timecode, image) on the recorded video No Yes
Save and restore configurations No Yes
Remote Source Slave mode No Yes
Manually split recordings No Yes

 

System Requirements
System requirements 
Compatible macOS

Version 3.0 to 3.1: macOS 10.8.5 to macOS 10.12.6*
Version 3.2 to 3.4: macOS 10.9.5 to macOS 10.12.6*
Version 3.5: macOS 10.10.5 to macOS 10.12.6*
Version 3.6 to 4.1: macOS 10.11.6 to macOS 10.14.6*
Version 4.2: macOS 10.12.6 to macOS 10.14.6*
Version 4.3: macOS 10.12.6 or later*
Version 4.4 and later: macOS 10.13.5 or later*

Required MovieRecorder Version by some macOS Version

macOS 10.13: Version 3.6 or later (For dongle compatibility)
macOS 10.15: Version 4.3 or later (For QuickTime Classic compatibility)

Recommended macOS macOS 10.14.6 or later*
Supported Mac computers Intel Processors: Version 3.0 and later*
Apple Silicon Processors: Version 4.4 and later*

WARNING: With Apple Silicon processors, some third party libraries may not be able to run natively, so will have lower performances. Other libraries may not run at all. Check the following article to know more

Recommended RAM 4 GB for the first channel. Then add 2GB per additional channel.
Supported Graphics Cards

A graphics card that supports Metal is recommended.

Supported Sources AJA, Blackmagic-Design, M|Family, NDI®
Hardware acceleration to encode in H.264 Intel Processors: With all Mac computers with i5 or i7 processors, running macOS 10.9.5 or later for one channel. macOS 10.13 or later is required for multichannel support
Apple Silicon Processors: All models support hardware acceleration, but they are more optimised for HEVC, so we recommend using HEVC whenever possible
Hardware acceleration to encode in H.265 / HEVC Intel Processors: With all Mac computers with 6th generation of intel processors (2016 and later). Running macOS 10.13 or later, only for one channel, multichannel possible with macOS 10.15 or later
Apple Silicon Processors: All models support hardware acceleration, and are optimised for HEVC
 
Compatible Storage Most storage that can sustain the required constant write speed (depending on the number of streams, the codec and format). For network attached storage (NAS), make sure to enable Macro blocks, and disable cache flushing. If you need to run tests, make sure to do long term tests.
Requires Monitor Connected (Open GL Active) Yes. Even if MovieRecorder should behave fine in most cases, it is recommended to keep a monitor connected at all times for best performances. Or you should make the macOS think that there is a monitor connected. Beware of some KVM switches that can cause interrupts in the signal.
Number of license required One complete license required per channel (source).

* We know that some of our users can not upgrade their macOS very often. This is why Softron tries to maintain compatibility with older versions of macOS as much as possible, but it is not always possible to achieve. Because Operating Systems are usually significantly improved over previous versions, Softron must use many of the more capable built-in functionalities inherent in Apple's latest OS releases. Failing to do so would mean that Softron software would essentially be blocked from using the new Frameworks provided in the OS. For this reason, Softron's free support is provided only on the current and previous macOS versions. Also, most of our tests will be done on these macOS versions, and only basic tests will be done on the previous OS. We will always try to help, but in some cases, the best solution is to upgrade your macOS to a more recent version.

Softron does not warrant that these recommended configurations will always meet specific user requirements. They are intended as guidelines and are based on extensive testing that Softron has done, they can be changed without notice. Hardware, drivers, software and operating systems change regularly and we advise users and prospective users to evaluate their requirements in their specific environment/workflow using Softron demo licenses that are available for downloading from Softron's web site.

Supported Inputs
Supported Inputs 

 

For more information on the supported devices, the number of possible inputs and more, check this Help Center article.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: When using AJA cards, there are specific setups, things to do and not to do that you should know before using them. Please read the article in our knowledge base that gives recommendations on using AJA devices with our ingest applications. You may also want to check if we did not issue a Warning for some cards or drivers.

 

Compatibility chart - AJA drivers

MovieRecorder Version First Supported Drivers Last Supported Drivers
MovieRecorder 3.0 until 3.1 10.5.2 10.6.1
MovieRecorder 3.2 10.5.2 12.2.2
MovieRecorder 3.3 12.1.2 14.3
MovieRecorder 3.4 12.3.7 14.3
MovieRecorder 3.5 and later 12.4.2 14.3
MovieRecorder 4.0 and later 12.4.2 latest
MovieRecorder 4.2 and later 15.0 latest

WARNING: Apple Silicon computers require AJA drivers 16.0 or later.

 

 

 

Compatibility chart - Blackmagic-Design drivers

Application Version First Supported Drivers Last Supported Drivers
MovieRecorder 3.0 until 3.1 9.9.3 10.3.7
MovieRecorder 3.2 and later 10.3.1 latest drivers
MovieRecorder 3.6 and later 10.9.3 latest drivers
MovieRecorder 3.6.1 and later 10.9.5 latest drivers
MovieRecorder 4.0 and later 10.9.5 latest drivers
MovieRecorder 4.2 and later 11.0 latest drivers

WARNINGS:

  • macOS 11 (Big Sur) requires Blackmagic-Design drivers 11.7 or later.
  • Apple Silicon computers require Blackmagic-Design drivers 12 or later.

 

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Deltacast cards are OEM cards that we use for some of our M|Family products. They are usually not available for end users. We only validate using the deltacast cards that we provide. Other models may work, but not all have been tested.

 

Compatibility chart - Deltacast drivers

MovieRecorder Version First Supported Drivers Last Supported Drivers
MovieRecorder 3.0 until 3.2 5.17 5.18
MovieRecorder 3.3 5.18 6.01.01
MovieRecorder 3.4 5.19v3 6.01.01
MovieRecorder 3.5 5.21 6.01.01 (but not 6.0 nor 6.01)
MovieRecorder 3.6 5.21 latest
MovieRecorder 4.0 or later 5.21 latest

WARNINGS:

  • macOS 10.15 (Catalina) requires drivers version 6.13 or later
  • Apple Silicon computers require Deltacast drivers 6.16 or later.
  • You should only download the Deltacast drivers from our website. Indeed we validate them with our applications before putting them online.

 

 

 

NDI Library version chart

Application Version NDI library
MovieRecorder 4.0 3.0
MovieRecorder 4.1 3.7
MovieRecorder 4.2 3.8
MovieRecorder 4.3 4.1
MovieRecorder 4.3.8 4.5.3

WARNING: Apple Silicon computers require NDI library 4.6 or later.

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Always check the System requirements for multiple inputs. If most recent computers can now handle multiple SD inputs without problems, for HD, you will need a higher end computer, and for 4K, you may only be able to perform one video output.
Softron does not warrant that these recommended configurations will always meet specific user requirements. They are intended as guidelines and are based on extensive testing that Softron has done, they can be changed without notice. Hardware, drivers, software and operating systems change regularly and we advise users and prospective users to evaluate their requirements in their specific environment/workflow using FREE Softron demo applications that are available for download from Softron's web site.

 

Codecs & Formats
Codecs & Formats 

Supported Video Codecs

  MovieRecorder Express MovieRecorder Type of destinations
Apple ProRes 422 Family Yes Yes QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic)
Apple ProRes 4444 Yes Yes QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic)
Apple ProRes 4444 XQ No -
Apple ProRes RAW No QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic)
AVC-Intra 
(50 & 100)
No Yes QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic), MXF OP1a*
Avid DNxHD No Yes QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic), MXF Op1a**
Blackmagic RAW No -
DV/DVCPRO No Yes QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic), MXF OP1a*
DVCPro HD No Yes QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic), MXF OP1a*
H.264 Yes (but no Resize with 10bit sources) QuickTime (None, Segmented)
H.265 (HEVC) Yes Only with MovieRecorder 4, macOS 10.13 or later, and a computer with the 6th generation intel processor or later. Max 32 Mbit/s. QuickTime (None, Segmented)
HDV No Yes QuickTime (None, Segmented), MXF OP1a*
MPEG IMX (30/40/50) No Yes QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic), MXF OP1a*
Uncompressed Yes Yes QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic)
XAVC No Coming soon. MXF OP1a*
XDCAM No Yes QuickTime (None, Segmented), MXF OP1a*

* MXF destinations are only available with MovieRecorder, not with MovieRecorder Express

** MovieRecorder 4.0.8 and earlier used MXF OpAtom for the DNxHD codec. Starting with MovieRecorder 4.1, MXF OP1a is used.

 

Supported File Wrappers

  MovieRecorder Express MovieRecorder
MXF OP-Atom No No
MXF OP1a No Yes  With DV, DVCPRO, IMX, AVC-Intra, DVCPRO HD, XAVC, XDCAM, HDV. And for MovieRecorder 4.1 and later: DNxHD.
.mp4 .m4v Yes Yes Only with H.264.
QuickTime (.mov) - None or Segmented Yes Yes All codecs, except XAVC.
QuickTime (.mov) - Classic Yes Yes With Apple ProRes, DV, DVCPRO, IMX, AVC-Intra, DVCPRO HD.
Transport Stream No No

Read more about the different kind of destinations in an article of our Knowledge Base.

 

Supported Audio Codecs

  MovieRecorder Express MovieRecorder
AAC Yes Yes
Apple Lossless Yes Yes
Linear PCM Yes Yes

 

Note: Product specifications are not contractual and subject to change without notice. We always recommend running tests with the free demo version available on our website to make real sure that MovieRecorder will be able to encode to the codec and format you need.

 HEADQUARTERS
Softron Media Services, a division of
Softron Microcomputing S.A./N.V.
Avenue Molière, 470
1050 Brussels
Belgium

IBS (US Subsidiary)
2151 Village Walk Drive #4304
NV 89012
USA

  At GMT-8
USA - Nevada

Sales and Pre-Sales:
Phone: +1 (702) 330-3023

Technical Support:
Phone: +1 (702) 330-3232
 

 

  At GMT+1
Europe - Belgium

Phone: +32 2 588 1394

 

 

Softron has team members in all time zones of the world. They can answer your questions in English, French, Spanish and Dutch.

Most questions however are answered already in our knowledge base. Don't forget to consult it first. It might be a huge time saver.