Sometimes customers ask us why we have so many various SDKs and what is the difference. I will try to make this a bit more clear in this post.

In fact, we have only two SDKs. Both SDKs are built on a single framework, which we call the Multimedia Component Framework. The framework is a set of COM objects, each containing a DirectShow graph within. When designing this architecture, our goal was to speed up development and make a single technology accessible from any development environment such as C++, C#, Delphi or VB6.

The two SDKs are Multimedia SDK and Vision Mixer SDK. DeckLink SDK is a trimmed down version of the Multimedia SDK. Playout SDK is the play-only version (for playout applications) and the planned Ingest (Capture) SDK is the write-only version (for media logging applications). In order for the differences in the various SDK editions to be transparent we keep a comparison chart in our wiki.

There is also some confusion in the way the SDK editions are versioned. For instance, Playout SDK is currently in version 3.0.2.1, while DeckLink SDK is in 1.3.2.1, and Multimedia SDK is 1.2.2.1. Please don’t worry - the versions of internal components are always the same in all editions of the SDKs.

The Vision Mixer SDK is available in only one edition and is based on the same technology as the Video Mixer DirectShow Filter Pro (with chroma keying, geometric transforms and transparency effects).

The Vision Mixer SDK and the Multimedia SDK family are compatible with one another. That is, the output from Multimedia SDK can be an input source for the Vision Mixer SDK - and vice versa. We now have shiny brochures about these products, where you will find an scheme of the various input/output features the SDKs have. Download one for Multimedia SDK and one for Vision Mixer SDK.

The SDKs are also compatible with our other products. Such as the QuickTime Source and Flash Source filters, or the DV codecs. A new addition to this line of optional plug-ins is the Flash Overlay filter released today.

Finally, I would like to thank all our customers for their enormous input. Our products are usually the result of what our customers say, as opposed to what we think is right. Without your feedback this whole product line would simply not exist.