What is the Blackmagic Hyperdeck?
The Blackmagic HyperDeck Studio lets you record broadcast quality video files directly onto SD cards and SSD media. It supports recording to H.264, Apple ProRes or DNxHD files with either PCM or AAC audio.
When you've finished recording, media can be mounted on any computer to access the files using your video software. For ISO recording, there's a built in timecode and reference generators for syncing multiple units.
For more information about the Blackmagic Hyperdeck, have a look at their website.
Adding a Blackmagic Hyperdeck 'device' to the Automator
In the top right corner of the Automator, we see 'Devices' - this can be either in red or green depending on the status of the configured devices. Click it and select 'Add device'.
Next, select 'Blackmagic Hyperdeck' from the 'Device type' dropdown list, then give it a name.
Once the Hyperdeck device is selected and given a name, we will see all fields needed to configure it so it can be used with the Automator.
Basic device configuration
You can enable or disable the Blackmagic Hyperdeck and you can enter the hostname. Once these settings have been entered, the device should show as 'online' (green) in the top right corner.
Configuring actions
The next step is then to configure each Item and Block configuration with the (set of) functions you want to perform on the Blackmagic Hyperdeck when triggering the Item or Block - more on that in this article.
Available functions
The Blackmagic Hyperdeck integration includes 10 functions in total, covering clip loading, playback, recording, and device configuration.
Clip loading & playback
Load clip | Loads a clip onto the deck. (set Clip) |
Play | Starts playback. (set Loop, Single Clip) |
Stop | Stops playback. |
Recording
Record | Starts recording. (set Filename) |
Set record prefix | Sets the prefix used for recorded filenames. (set Prefix) |
Device configuration
Change active slot | Switches the deck's active storage slot. (set Slot) |
Change file format | Sets the file format used for recording. (set File Format) |
Change audio codec | Sets the audio codec used for recording. (set Audio Codec) |
Change video input | Sets the video input source. (set Input) |
Change audio input | Sets the audio input source. (set Input) |
Troubleshooting
If the Blackmagic Hyperdeck shows as offline in the Automator:
Confirm the hostname entered in the Automator matches the deck's actual network address.
Confirm the deck and the Automator are on the same local network.
Confirm the deck's Ethernet/network settings allow remote control (check the deck's own network configuration menu).
If a firewall or network security tool is active on either machine, make sure the connection isn't being blocked.
If the device shows as online but functions aren't being executed, confirm the correct storage slot is active and has media inserted — commands referencing a clip or recording will fail silently if the deck has no valid media loaded.
💡 As of Automator Stable v1.36.0 (1 September 2026), Clip on Load clip can be picked from a live dropdown of the files on the deck's disk, read when the device connects and refreshed each time you open the dropdown.