The Blackmagic Design Ultimatte Smart Remote 4 is a dedicated hardware control surface that transforms the intricate art of compositing and keying from a software-based puzzle into a tactile, responsive, and intuitive craft. Designed specifically for the Ultimatte real-time compositing processors, this console puts absolute command over the complex parameters of blue and green screen keying—such as clip, gain, spill suppression, and light wrap—at the operator's fingertips through a logical array of physical knobs, buttons, and trackballs. Its layout is a direct physical manifestation of the keying workflow, allowing a compositor or live graphics operator to make nuanced adjustments to foreground and background integration in real-time, reacting instantly to changes in lighting or camera movement during a live broadcast, weather report, or virtual production. The immediate feedback from physical controls enables a level of speed and precision that is difficult to achieve with a mouse and on-screen sliders, making it possible to achieve a perfect, believable composite under the pressure of a live telecast.

Beyond its primary keying controls, the Smart Remote 4 features a high-resolution built-in LCD screen that provides vital visual feedback, displaying waveforms, vectorscopes, and a clean feed of the key signal for critical evaluation. It also includes transport controls for playing back background plates and dedicated buttons for saving and recalling complete setups, which is essential for shows with recurring segments or multiple virtual sets. By externalizing the control of the Ultimatte hardware, this remote unit effectively expands the operator's capacity, freeing up screen real estate on the main production monitors and allowing for a more focused, ergonomic, and efficient workspace. For any facility relying on live chroma keying—from news studios to entertainment shows—the Ultimatte Smart Remote 4 is the critical interface that empowers artists to achieve cinema-quality compositing at the speed of live television.