Connecting To A Network - Blackmagicdesign ATEM Television Studio Installation And Operation Manual

Getting Started
19

Connecting to a Network

If you want to connect your ATEM switcher to a larger ethernet network, then you will most likely need
to change the network settings on your ATEM switcher. Most people simply plug their computer and
control panel direct to the ATEM chassis, however in some situations it can be very powerful to connect
via your network!
Your ATEM ships from the factory with settings to allow hardware control panels to simply be connected
directly with an ethernet cable. However your ATEM supports full ethernet IP protocols so you can place
your switcher and panel on your network or anywhere on the planet using the internet.
However it's worth noting that if you use your ATEM on a network, then you're also increasing the complexity
of the connection between your control panel and the switcher, so there is possibly a greater chance of
something going wrong. However ATEM can be used when plugged into a switch, and even via most VPNs
and over the internet.
To allow communication over ethernet, the IP addresses of the switcher chassis, broadcast panel and any
computer's running the ATEM Software Control Panel need to be configured correctly. The IP address used
for each device will depend on the IP address range of the network you're plugging into.
The ATEM switcher chassis always needs a fixed IP address so control panels have a stable location to
connect to. This means you need to find a free fixed IP address in the range of your network that you
can use.
The control panels can be set to DHCP or fixed IP addresses. Generally when used on a network, the
control panel would be selected to DHCP, so it is automatically assigned an IP address when connected to
the network.
For all devices to communicate, they must share the same IP address subnet, which typically means the first
3 fields in the IP address need to be the same. Each device must also use a unique IP address.
Please remember to set all devices to the correct IP address so they can all communicate. You will need to
set the IP address of the ATEM Production Switcher via USB using the ATEM Setup Utility. You will need to
set the DHCP or fixed IP mode on the ATEM Broadcast Panel and if using a fixed IP address on the panel,
set the IP address on the panel. You will also need to set the panel, switcher address to the new IP address
you have just set for the switcher.
Lastly, you need to ensure your computer is connected and working on your network. Then when you launch
the ATEM Software Control application, you will be prompted automatically to enter in an IP address for
the switcher if ATEM Software Control cannot communicate with the ATEM processor chassis. Use the IP
address you just entered in for the switcher processor chassis. Then the ATEM Software Control can find the
switcher and communicate.