Route OBS Studio to Blackmagic DeckLink

This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to route a clean video feed from OBS Studio to a Blackmagic Design DeckLink card for professional broadcast environments. You will learn how to configure your hardware drivers, align OBS video settings with broadcast standards, and utilize the built-in DeckLink integration to output high-quality, low-latency SDI or HDMI signals to your external production switcher or monitor.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following installed and connected: * A PCIe Blackmagic Design DeckLink card installed in your computer. * The latest Blackmagic Desktop Video drivers installed on your operating system. * OBS Studio (version 20.0 or newer, which includes native DeckLink output support).

Step 1: Configure Blackmagic Desktop Video

Before opening OBS Studio, you must configure your DeckLink card to match your broadcast environment’s signal requirements.

  1. Open the Blackmagic Desktop Video Setup application on your computer.
  2. Select your DeckLink device and click the settings icon.
  3. Under the Video Input/Output tab, set your desired default video standard (e.g., 1080p59.94, 1080i50, or 2160p29.97).
  4. Save the settings and close the application.

Step 2: Match OBS Video Settings to Broadcast Standards

To prevent scaling issues, frame drops, or signal rejection by your broadcast equipment, OBS Studio’s canvas and output resolution must match the DeckLink’s output format.

  1. Launch OBS Studio.
  2. Go to Settings > Video.
  3. Set the Base (Canvas) Resolution and Output (Scaled) Resolution to match your target broadcast resolution (e.g., 1920x1080 for 1080p/1080i, or 3840x2160 for 4K).
  4. Set the Common FPS Values to match your broadcast frame rate. If you are broadcasting in fractional frame rates like 59.94, select Fractional FPS Values from the dropdown and input 60000 / 1001.
  5. Click Apply and then OK.

OBS Studio features a native tool designed to route video directly to Blackmagic playback devices.

  1. In the top menu bar of OBS Studio, click on Tools and select DeckLink Output.
  2. In the DeckLink Output configuration window, adjust the following settings:
    • Device: Select your specific Blackmagic DeckLink card from the dropdown menu.
    • Mode: Select the exact resolution and frame rate that matches your OBS video settings and broadcast hardware (e.g., 1080p59.94 or 1080i50).
    • Source: Select what you want to route to the DeckLink card. To send a clean program feed, select Program. To send a specific camera, graphic, or isolated feed, select Scene or Source and choose the desired item from the secondary list.
  3. (Optional) If your DeckLink card supports keying and you wish to output alpha transparency (for graphics/lower thirds), enable the Keyer option and set it to External.

Step 4: Start the Broadcast Feed

Once configured, you can initiate the video routing.

  1. In the DeckLink Output window, check the Auto-start on startup box if you want OBS to automatically route this video feed every time the software launches.
  2. Click the Start button.

Your clean video feed will now be active, routing directly out of your DeckLink card’s physical SDI or HDMI outputs to your hardware switcher, encoder, or broadcast monitor. To stop the feed, return to Tools > DeckLink Output and click Stop.