Blackmagic Design Raises Prices as AI Boom Drives Up Memory Costs

The AI boom is making life more expensive for video production professionals, and Blackmagic Design is the latest company to pass on some of the cost.

The manufacturer has raised prices on 36 products, citing higher costs for DRAM, flash memory, and SSD storage as memory manufacturers shift production toward AI data centers. The increases affect everything from capture cards and video switchers to media storage systems, with some products becoming thousands of dollars more expensive.

AI data center demand pushes prices up

Blackmagic Design CEO Grant Petty said memory costs have increased several times over the past year, forcing the company to adjust prices on products that use more of these components.

According to Petty, the company’s suppliers report that memory consumption is now 60% higher than it was at the peak of the COVID era shortages, while demand exceeds available supply by another 30%.

Blackmagic Design had managed to keep prices stable by using previously purchased components. However, those inventories are now being replaced with parts bought at higher current prices, leaving the company unable to absorb all the additional costs.

The impact is particularly noticeable in the company’s SMPTE 2110 products, which support professional video workflows over IP networks and often require substantial memory resources.

ATEM switchers and storage systems see steep increases

The new pricing affects a broad range of Blackmagic Design hardware, including products used in live production, broadcast infrastructure, and post production.

Among the biggest increases, the ATEM 4 M/E Constellation IP Plus rises from $12,995 to $19,960, an increase of $6,965. The ATEM 4 M/E Constellation IP also climbs from $7,995 to $10,845.

Storage products are affected as well. The Blackmagic Cloud Store Max 48TB increases from $21,995 to $24,245, while the 24TB model goes from $13,995 to $15,495.

For smaller production setups, the ATEM Mini Pro rises from $310 to $395, while the ATEM Mini Extreme ISO G2 increases from $1,995 to $3,090. The latter represents a $1,095 jump.

Several broadcast converters and recorders also see significant adjustments. The Blackmagic 2110 IP Converter 8x12G SFP increases by $910 to $3,575, while the HyperDeck ISO Recorder 100G rises by $1,040 to $6,035.

Existing orders are protected

Blackmagic Design says the revised prices take effect immediately through authorized resellers worldwide. The listed prices are in US dollars and exclude local taxes and duties.

Customers with existing backorders will still receive their products at the original order price. Petty also said the company would continue looking for less expensive components and pass on potential savings through special offers if costs fall.

The increases could affect budgets for studios, broadcasters, and creators planning equipment upgrades, particularly those investing in live production systems and high capacity storage.

With AI infrastructure continuing to compete for memory supplies, production teams may need to reassess their equipment plans. If a Blackmagic Design upgrade is on your shopping list, would you buy now or wait for prices to settle?

---