Pixelhue P20-DS vs Q8
Side-by-side comparison of the Pixelhue P20-DS and Q8 - inputs, outputs, audio, fiber, Dante support, and processing capabilities. Both ship from Olympian LED, the authorized USA Pixelhue dealer.
Pixelhue P20-DS
P20 plus 12G-SDI output and 32x32 Dante audio. The broadcast-grade P Series for venues with SDI infrastructure or Dante audio fabric.
View P20-DS details →
Pixelhue Q8
Flagship modular seamless switcher. 6 input + 4 output hot-swappable card slots, up to 48x 4K inputs / 16x 4K outputs, 32x 4K layers, ST 2110 / 100G OPT / HDMI
View Q8 details →Side-by-side specifications
| Specification | Pixelhue P20-DS | Pixelhue Q8 |
|---|---|---|
| Model | P20-DS | Q8 |
| Form Factor | - | 7U rack-mount, fully modular (hot-swappable cards) |
| Best For | Broadcast, fixed install, Dante-equipped venues, productions needing 12G-SDI program out | Large-format concerts, broadcast trucks, corporate flagships, stadium IMAG, touring rigs, and any project where modular I/O flexibility and maximum layer count matter. |
| Inputs | 8x DP 1.2 / HDMI 2.0 (selectable per input, dual-channel embedded audio) 4x 12G-SDI (dual-channel embedded audio) 2x line in (3.5 mm analog) + Dante audio (32x32 AES67, dual-redundant) | 6x input card slots, each accepting one of: - DB 4xHDMI 2.0 + 4xDP 1.2 + 4x12G-SDI (12 inputs/card, 8 concurrent 4K) - DB 4x ST2110 (25G SFP28, primary + backup) - DB 8x ST2110 (100G) + 2xHDMI 2.1 + 2xDP 1.4 - DB 8xHDMI 2.0 + 12G-SDI Max fully loaded: 48 concurrent 4K inputs |
| Outputs | 8x HDMI 2.0 (4K, HDR, HDCP 2.2, dual-channel embedded audio) 4x 12G-SDI (copies HDMI program, backward to SD/HD/3G/6G) 8x 10G SFP+ OPT fiber (group-paired with HDMI + SDI) 2x Dante AES67 (32x32 channels, dual-redundant Gigabit) 2x line out (3.5 mm analog) 1x HDMI 1.3 MVR (multiviewer) 4x HDMI 1.3 AUX | 4x output card slots, each accepting one of: - DB 4xHDMI 2.0 + 4x12G-SDI + 8x10G OPT (SFP+, single-mode 10 km) - DB 4xHDMI 2.0 + 4xDP 1.2 + 8x10G OPT - DB 1xST2110 (100G, primary+backup) + 4x12G-SDI Plus main control card: 2x HDMI 2.0 MVR (independent or copy mode) Max fully loaded: 16x HDMI + 16x SDI + 32x 10G OPT outputs |
| Advanced Keying | Downstream Keying (DSK), Smart Key, Luma Key, Chroma Key | Downstream Keying (DSK), Smart Key, Luma Key, Chroma Key |
| Image Processing | Real 4K60p 4:4:4 — 8 / 10 / 12-bit FPGA | Real 4K60p 4:4:4 — 8 / 10 / 12-bit FPGA |
| Layer Capacity | Up to 12 DL layers (2x MAIN + 10x PIP) or 8 DL layers (4x MAIN + 4x PIP) | Up to 32x 4K layers in switcher mode. VPU: layer resource sharing between adjacent output cards. |
| Transitions | Seamless Take / Cut / T-bar, fade and cut effects | Seamless Take / Cut / T-bar, fade and cut effects |
| Multi-Screen | Virtual pixel mapping, mosaic, LCD bezel compensation, projector edge blending, Cut and Fill, multi-screen splicing for uneven divisions | Virtual pixel mapping, mosaic, LCD bezel compensation, projector edge blending, Cut and Fill, multi-screen splicing for uneven divisions, 3D format conversion (2D/3D) |
| Dimensions | 482.6 x 501.0 x 139.0 mm (3U rack) | 482.6 x 694.7 x 335.3 mm (7U rack) |
| Power | 100-240 V~, 50/60 Hz | 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz, 10-5 A. 2x primary + 1x backup power connectors. |
| Control | Front-panel keys + 5" LCD, PixelFlow software, U5 / U5 Pro console | 7" LCD front panel, PixelFlow software, U5 / U5 Pro console |
| Sync | Genlock IN + LOOP | Genlock IN + LOOP (Bi-Level / Tri-Level) |
About the P20-DS
The Pixelhue P20-DS is the broadcast / pro-audio variant of the P20. Same chassis, same compositing engine, same control surface — slot 3 swaps in the P_12G SDI Audio-OPT combo card that adds 4x 12G-SDI outputs and a 32x32 Dante AES67 audio interface (dual-redundant Gigabit Ethernet). The 4x 12G-SDI outputs copy the HDMI program (one per output group) and are backward-compatible to 6G/3G/HD/SD-SDI. Analog 3.5 mm audio is enabled on DS (P10/P20 reserve it for future firmware), with EDID-level audio enable/disable on every input and output. Inputs are the same as P20: 8x DP 1.2 / HDMI 2.0 (selectable per input) plus 4x 12G-SDI with loop, all supporting dual-channel embedded audio at 24-bit / 48 kHz. Outputs are organized into 4 groups, each with 2x HDMI 2.0 + 1x 12G-SDI + 2x OPT, all carrying the same program. 12-layer compositing (2x MAIN DL + 10x PIP DL, or 4x MAIN DL + 4x PIP DL). Advanced DSK keying — Smart key, Luma key, and Chroma key. Integrated multiviewer, real 4K60p 4:4:4 8/10/12-bit FPGA processing, BKG/LOGO storage, 4x AUX outputs, dual Gigabit Ethernet control, Genlock, up to 128 stored presets. The P20-DS ships at 10.7 kg net. Choose the P20-DS when you need broadcast SDI program outputs, Dante audio networking, or working analog audio embedding.
About the Q8
The Pixelhue Q8 is the flagship modular seamless switcher. Unlike the fixed-I/O P-series, the Q8 uses a motherboard + daughterboard slot architecture with 6 hot-swappable input card slots and 4 hot-swappable output card slots. Each input card can carry up to 4x HDMI 2.0 + 4x DP 1.2 + 4x 12G-SDI (12 inputs per card), or 4-8x SMPTE ST 2110 (25G/100G) inputs, or 8x HDMI 2.0 + 12G-SDI. Each output card provides 4x HDMI 2.0 + 4x 12G-SDI + 8x 10G OPT fiber, or 4x HDMI 2.0 + 4x DP 1.2 + 8x 10G OPT, or ST 2110 (100G) + 4x 12G-SDI. Fully loaded, the Q8 can handle up to 48 concurrent 4K inputs and 16 concurrent 4K outputs with 32x 4K layers in switcher mode. The main control card provides 2x HDMI 2.0 MVR outputs (independent or copy mode), 2x Neutrik Gigabit Ethernet, 2x Dante RJ45 (64x64 channels at 48 kHz, AES67 compliant, dual-redundant), 3.5 mm audio in + out, USB 3.0, and Genlock IN + LOOP. The front panel has 8x QSFP ports for source sharing between two Q8 units (up to 16 shared 4K sources), LINK IN + LINK OUT for cascading, a 7-inch LCD, and a power button. Advanced DSK keying (Smart key, Luma key, Chroma key), Cut and Fill, edge blending, 3D format conversion, 1024 presets, BKG storage (1 GB, unlimited images), and VPU (layer resource sharing between adjacent output cards). Real 4K60p 4:4:4 8/10/12-bit FPGA processing. PixelFlow software, U5/U5 Pro event controller, and Stream Deck (Companion integrated) control. The Q8 ships at 42.6 kg net (99.7 kg with flight case).
Not sure which to choose?
Our engineering team will walk you through the P20-DS vs Q8 trade-off for your project - inputs, screen resolution, audio routing, control surface. Same-day shipping on stocked Pixelhue from our Florida warehouse.
Talk to an Engineer