An internal card with four HDMI inputs for multi-camera desks.
Typical price
£210 to £300
Why we pick it
- Typical price
- £210 to £300
- Works with
A card that fits inside a desktop computer and takes four HDMI cameras at once, so a rip camera, a face camera and a close-up all come in through one slot. It needs a free PCIe slot, so it won’t go in a laptop. Below three HDMI cameras, a USB capture stick per camera costs less.
Good for
- Three or more HDMI cameras
- Desktop computers with a free PCIe slot
Not for
- Laptops
- Single-camera streams
Our approved alternative for the same job: Elgato Cam Link 4K
The guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Three or four cameras on a desktop PC
You run a desktop PC with three or four HDMI cameras: an overhead rip camera, a face camera, a slab close-up and perhaps a wide room shot. One internal card brings them all in through a single slot.
It fits high-volume card breakers and collectables sellers who stream most days. On a laptop, or with one or two cameras, USB capture sticks give the same result for less.
PCIe slot, four inputs and Multiview
The card fits a PCIe 2.0 x4 slot (or a larger slot) and has four HDMI inputs. Each input takes up to 4K at 30 frames or 1080p at 60 and appears as its own device in OBS or similar software.
Multiview software can combine all four feeds into one source. The inputs take unencrypted HDMI only, so you can connect cameras but not protected media players.
Fitting the card and wiring four cameras
Power off the PC, fit the card in a free x4 or x16 slot, and screw the bracket down. Read your motherboard manual first: some boards share lanes, so a card in the wrong slot can slow a graphics card or an NVMe drive.
Run HDMI cables from each camera to the card, label both ends, and keep runs under a few metres. Put every camera on mains power with dummy batteries, then build one scene per camera angle in your streaming software.
Two Cam Link 4K sticks or two webcams
A 4K USB capture stick handles one HDMI camera and works with laptops. Two of those sticks cost less than this card and cover a two-camera desk.
If you haven't bought cameras yet, two 4K USB webcams need no capture hardware at all. With this card, a macro pad lets you switch between four angles at one press each.
£210 to £300 across daily shows
At £210 to £300 the card makes sense when it replaces three or four sticks and frees USB ports. If you stream daily, that cost spreads across every show.
Leave a gap above the card for airflow, and tie HDMI cables down so a pile of parcels can't pull one out mid-break.
Common mistakes
Each one costs you money or reviews, and each has a fix.
- A laptop has no PCIe slot. Buy USB capture sticks instead.
- Check the motherboard manual before fitting: a slot that shares lanes with your graphics card can slow it.
- Cameras on battery drop an input mid-show; run every camera from mains with a dummy battery.
- Label each HDMI cable at both ends so you can swap a dead camera fast.
- For two cameras, two USB sticks cost less than a four-input card.
Ranked in
Where it places in our rankings, and the reason.
Questions
Does the Cam Link Pro work in a Mac?
It needs a PCIe slot, so it suits desktop PCs. Check Elgato's current compatibility list for Mac support before you buy.
Can each input run at 4K?
Each HDMI input takes up to 4K at 30 frames. For smooth motion, run the cameras at 1080p at 60.
Do the cameras need clean HDMI?
Yes, the inputs take clean HDMI only. Turn off on-screen info on each camera so viewers see a clean picture.
Is it worth it for two cameras?
Two USB capture sticks cost less and leave the PC case closed.
Alternatives
Other picks for the same job, cheaper and pricier.
Elgato Cam Link 4K
A USB stick with an HDMI port that makes a mirrorless camera or camcorder show up as a webcam in streaming software. It takes up to 4K at 30 frames or 1080p at 60, from a USB 3 port. You need it to stream a real camera through a computer; a phone or USB webcam plugs straight in without one.
Typical price£85 to £100
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