Feature add-ons
Epiphan offers add-on features so you can do even more with your system. Pearl-2 offers two feature add-ons: the Dante audio feature add-on and the 4K feature add-on. To purchase, install, and activate an add-on, see "Purchase, install, and activate feature add-ons."
Where you see this symbol 4K in the guide, that means the feature or function applies only if you have activated the 4K feature add-on.
Current list of add-ons
Dante audio feature add-on
Pearl-2 supports Dante audio through the purchase of a license add-on: four channels (two stereo inputs) of Dante audio input, with firmware 4.24.6 or newer. Pearl-2 units ordered on or after September 1, 2026 include the Dante audio feature add-on, but it still needs to be activated. For details, see "Dante audio on Pearl devices."
4K feature add-on
If you have the base model of Pearl-2, you can add the 4K feature add-on. Pearl-2 units purchased after April 6, 2026 include the 4K feature add-on, but it still needs to be activated.
About 4K on Pearl-2
Pearl-2 supports resolutions from low-res SD to 4K, which means that you can use it to capture DCI 4K (Pearl-2 only) and 4K UHD digital signals. You need the 4K feature add-on to access this feature.
4K feature add-on
The 4K feature provides Pearl-2 with the following 4K features:
| Specification | Pearl-2 |
|---|---|
| 4K video inputs | 4 (2 HDMI and 2 SDI) |
| 4K Hardware scaling (4K down to full HD) | 4 |
| 4K video outputs (HDMI) | 2 |
| 4K video encoding | 1 |
Activating your 4K add-on might not be necessary with older versions of Pearl-2. As the first Feature Add-on, the 4K add-on was included automatically in some systems. If you purchased the full version of Pearl-2 or an early copy with firmware 4.0.0, the 4K add-on was included with your purchase and is automatically activated, so in those cases no action is required.
4K UHD vs. DCI 4K
DCI 4K and 4K UHD are just different definitions of a 4K resolution. 4K UHD (3840×2160) is the standard 4K resolution available on televisions and other common display screens. The 4K resolution of 4096×2160 (Pearl-2 only) referred to as Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) 4K, and is the resolution used almost exclusively for cinema-scale film production. It is rare to find this resolution outside of a cinematic context. Pearl-2 capable of supporting input and output at either definition with the Feature add-ons.