Blackmagic Design Finally Adds Camera to Cloud to URSA G2

It seems like not a day can go by without Blackmagic releasing some new product or update these days. While their Blackmagic Camera app has gotten several updates in the past few months, we’re excited to see some other new features coming to the rest of the Blackmagic-verse with this new Blackmagic Camera 8.5 public beta release.

This will be big news for anyone who’s already invested in (or interested in renting) the Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 camera as it will allow for a fully unlocked workflow with its connection to Blackmagic Cloud and DaVinci Resolve.

Let’s take a look at the full release and see how it might potentially help you with your own Blackmagic workflows.

Blackmagic Camera 8.5 Beta

For a company that only developed its first cinema camera just around a decade ago, Blackmagic sure has made a name for itself in the professional video space over the past years. With a full lineup of cameras that are targeted at beginners to the highest end of cinematographers, there are a lot of different cameras and features to keep up with.

Luckily, with this latest Blackmagic camera update, there should be improvements coming across the board with this beta update and future versions as well.

Here’s what’s new in Blackmagic Camera 8.5:

• Improved SDI output latency.
• Adds media pool file browser.
• Adds Blackmagic Cloud clip uploads.
• Adds direct uploads to DaVinci Resolve projects.
• Adds proxy recording for Blackmagic RAW and ProRes.
• Adds Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) streaming protocol.
• Adds the ability to update and manage the camera via Ethernet.
• Adds REST control API for remote control.
• Adds login and secure certificate support.
• Adds network time protocol support.
• Adds web media manager support.
• Adds file transfer protocol support.
• Adds selective tally color setting.
• Adds SMB file-sharing support.
• Improved lens compatibility.

Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 Update

Alongside this Blackmagic Camera beta update, Blackmagic has also rolled out some updates specifically for the URSA Broadcast G2 camera as well. The biggest new feature has to be the news that the URSA Broadcast G2 will now be able to directly upload footage to Blackmagic Cloud—which can then be transferred directly to your DaVinci Resolve projects.

This should be a huge deal for those looking to fully unlock their URSA Broadcast G2 cameras for real-time broadcast settings or fast-turnaround projects. The update is also set to add improved SDI output latency as well as new SRT streaming support for the camera.

The improved ISO, in particular, should help tally color from orange to yellow and should be a welcomed addition to the camera and its broadcast and video production capabilities.

How to Update

As with all Blackmagic camera updates—and most camera updates in general—all you have to do to update your software is download the installer, which you can find here. This installer will add Blackmagic Camera Setup software to your system so that you’ll be able to update the software and manage your Blackmagic Camera.

The installer can also add Blackmagic RAW Player, Blackmagic RAW Speed Test, Blackmagic RAW SDK, and Blackmagic RAW plugins. Also, keep in mind, that for updating Blackmagic Cameras from Camera 4.0 or above, it is advisable to export your presets and LUTs onto a card, as they will be removed during this update.