RØDE’s 1.4 firmware turns RØDECaster Video family into a multi‑camera 4K capture and NDI hub

RØDE has released firmware 1.4 for its RØDECaster Video family, and the update adds a major set of video capture and network features rather than a small maintenance patch. The most visible change is a 4K Capture Mode that converts a RØDECaster Video console into a multi‑camera UHD ingest and NDI distribution device while also writing isolated 4K files to an attached SSD.

In the new UHD capture mode each RØDECaster Video can accept up to four HDMI camera inputs at UHD (3840×2160) and record them at 30fps. The smaller RØDECaster Video S and RØDECaster Video Core are limited to three UHD inputs. Every incoming feed can be both pushed onto the local network as its own NDI stream and captured as a separate 4K file on the console’s external drive. As RØDE puts it: "Every HDMI source can be recorded as its own 4K file straight to the external SSD, in H.264 or H.265." NDI output routing is flexible too: each NDI stream can be turned on or off independently, and on the original RØDECaster Video the fourth NDI output can carry either the fourth camera or a multiview.

If you need higher frame rates rather than more pixels, firmware 1.4 also provides a parallel Full HD Capture Mode. That path runs everything at 1080p60, giving you 60fps across the system instead of the UHD 30fps setting. Both capture options use a single global frame rate for the whole device, so you choose either 30fps (UHD) or 60fps (1080p) rather than setting frame rates per input. There is no option for 4K60; the Full HD mode exists specifically to give users 60fps at 1080p.

On the network side RØDE describes the stream format as NDI HX, the compressed version of NDI designed for lower bandwidth than full‑bandwidth NDI implementations. That makes it practical to run multiple UHD streams over a typical production network, and it lets the video consoles act as multi‑stream sources for switchers, recorders or streaming appliances.

The console’s audio engine remains fully operational while the unit is in either capture mode. Each NDI output and each ISO video file is exposed as a routing destination, which means you can send different mixes to different network streams or bake custom mixes into the per‑camera files. One NDI output can carry a full programme mix, another can send a single microphone, and the ISO files themselves can receive unique mixes if you want separate stems alongside the camera recordings.

RØDECaster Sync has also been extended across the range of current consoles. The feature lets a RØDECaster Video model pair with a RØDECaster Pro II or Duo using a single USB‑C cable. The connection is made from USB port 4 or 5 on the video console to USB 1 on the audio console, and the Pro II or Duo must be placed into its sync mode via the prompt. Once linked, the two units behave as a single, shared mixer with a combined nine‑channel mixer view. That shared mixer can pull channels from either device, so when you pair a Video console to a Pro II you can end up with up to six XLR mic preamps available, or up to four XLRs when paired with a Duo. Recording controls, DSP and custom output mixes are consolidated: as RØDE notes, "hitting record on the audio console starts and stops the entire production," and all material is recorded to the SSD attached to the RØDECaster Video so audio and video remain together.

The 1.4 update also brings several workflow conveniences. The console can export an OTIO timeline for Premiere Pro, accept audio from USB‑connected webcams as an input source, and the RØDECaster App gains keyboard shortcuts to speed navigation and control. Those additions expand the console’s role beyond live capture and toward faster post‑production handoffs and simpler hybrid setups that mix camera, computer and webcam sources.

RØDE notes a few functional limits when the unit is in capture mode: "media and graphic playback, overlays, multi-camera scenes, and keying are all disabled in capture mode." Basic HDMI switching still works and is retained for monitoring purposes, but RØDE frames the capture modes as tools for recording and networked distribution rather than for producing a fully keyed, graphics‑rich live programme from the console itself.

Historically the RØDECaster Video could only send a single NDI stream; firmware 1.4 expands that capability so the original Video model can now push four independent UHD NDI sources onto the network, each individually enabled or disabled. For teams that want a full‑bandwidth production workflow the HDMI multiview and output routing make it easier to integrate the RØDECaster into a larger live‑production or studio environment while keeping the audio mixer central to the operation.

RØDE calls the firmware a free update. "The update is free." Firmware 1.4 is offered for the RØDECaster Video, RØDECaster Video S, and RØDECaster Video Core.

If you’re pricing the hardware alongside the software, RØDE’s stated retail positions at the time of the release are: the RØDECaster Video at $809 / €968.36 / £999, the RØDECaster Video S at $614.90 / €454.94 / £466.80, and the RØDECaster Video Core at $559 / €519.57 / £536 (GBP prices include UK VAT, EUR prices are CVP’s ex‑VAT figures). The RØDECaster Pro II or Duo needed to unlock the Sync combination is sold separately.

The 1.4 feature set shifts the RØDECaster Video family from being primarily an audio‑forward video console into a compact capture and network distribution tool that keeps audio routing, DSP and recording tightly integrated with multi‑camera video capture. For content makers who want per‑camera UHD files, dedicated NDI streams and an audio workflow that can follow the same recording controls, this firmware brings a compelling set of capabilities to the existing hardware base.

If you already own one of the supported RØDECaster Video models, the update is a free way to add those capture and network features to your setup; if you’re evaluating hardware for a compact studio the combination of per‑camera ISO recording, NDI HX outputs and the option to pair with a Pro II or Duo for expanded mic inputs may change how you plan signal flow around a small control room or live streaming desk.