Strata Lite vs DirectorMonitor
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Strata Lite
Control your Blackmagic Design ATEM switcher remotely via Wi-Fi. This app offers basic control for program and preview buttons, with additional features like transition control and button remapping available on iPad. It connects directly to your switcher without needing a separate computer.
- Program and Preview bus control
- Cut and Auto transition control
- T-Bar control
- Remappable source button layout
- Connection indicator with auto-reconnect
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Strata Lite Remote for BlackMagic Design ATEM Switchers, including ATEM Television Studio, ATEM 1M/E, ATEM 2M/E, Production Studio 4K and 1M/E / 2M/E Production Studio 4K, TelevisionStudio HD and ATEM Mini Series. Strata connects directly to your ATEM switcher via Wifi and your switcher's network connection. It does not require a separate computer. LITE VERSION: The Lite version includes basic control of Program and Preview buttons on ATEM Switchers (on iPhone controls Program bus only). FEATURES (iPad version): * Control Program and Preview Busses * Cut and Auto Transition Control * TBar Control * Remapping of Source Button Layout * Connection Indicator with auto-reconnect Note that the iPhone version does not control preview or Auto, only cuts on the program bus. NOTE: It does not provide control of the second ME in ATEM 2M/E switchers, although it does control Program and Preview on the first ME of an ATEM 2M/E. This app is not designed for older ATEM Switchers not manufactured by BlackMagic Design. Strata requires iOS 8.1 or later and ATEM firmware version 3.4, thru 8.3 Firmware. NOTE: If you require more complete control of your ATEM switcher, including ME2 of the 2M/E, you should select Strata Pro from the App Store instead of Strata Lite. (Strata Pro provides control of ALL the main buttons on ATEM Switchers plus Midi Control and Macros). IMPORTANT: The control protocol uses UDP and is fairly intolerant to packet loss and network latency. It is very important to have a reliable, responsive WIFI network for Strata to work reliably. Wifi router performance varies between vendors, and best results have been shown with Apple Airport wifi routers. Some 3rd party routers have shown to be unreliable due to latency or UDP packet loss. Strata will now handle poor connections much more elegantly. See http://www.gallery.co.uk/livepad/support.html for more details on optimising your Wifi environment for Strata. Independent Review of this app at: http://www.studiotech.tv/st59strata/
DirectorMonitor
This app provides comprehensive monitoring and control for BlackMagic Design ATEM Mini video switchers. It allows users to view multi-view, program/preview outputs, and control primary and macro buttons, with advanced customization options for a streamlined workflow.
- Control ATEM Mini primary and macro buttons
- View ATEM MultiView, Program/Preview outputs
- Control ATEM Mini via MultiView panes
- Full HomeKit switch control
- Customizable control board
- Configure multiple ATEM Minis
- Manage ATEM storage and HyperDeck playback
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Introducing DirectorMonitor. The all in one solution for monitoring and controlling your BlackMagic Design ATEM Mini video switcher. Paired with the Accsoon SeeMo video capture terminal or other UVC device including HDMI Capture Cards to view the ATEM's MultiView, Program / Preview out or any HDMI video Source. Primary features include: - Control of ATEM Mini's primary control buttons. - Control of ATEM Mini's macro buttons. - Viewing any 1080p video source using the Accssoon SeeMo video capture terminal or connect to any HDMI Capture Card - The Video In is configured to recognize the ATEM Mini's MultiView to enable the following push button controls - Tap the MultiView pane to select the current Preview - Tapping the current Preview a second time selects it as the Program - Tapping the Preview pane performs a Cut with the Program - Tapping the Program pane performs an Auto transition with the Preview - Tapping the upper half of the Media pane performs the same Preview and Program actions as the other sources - Tap the lower left or the lower right of the Media pane to select the previous or next images of the Media pool, respectively. - Tapping the Live Stream or Recording Panel toggle each feature on or off. - DirectorMonitor give full access to turning HomeKit switch on and off - Display the Video In source at full screen and access the ATEM, Macro and HomeKit Buttons from a Sliding Panel. - Reorder and / or hide sections of the ATEM Control Buttons - Fully compatible with Split View, Slide Over and Stage Manager to fulfill your Multitasking needs. - Display any two panels in wide screen or a single pane if the App is setup to be taller than it is wide. - Customizable Control board for adding specific ATEM, Macro and HomeKit buttons in the order you wish. This also includes special purpose Action Buttons that can perform multiple operations include ATEM, Macro, HomeKit, Media Pool Selection, Apple Shortcut functions as well as special Application commands. - Configure and select up to three ATEM Minis. Each may have its own Customizable Control Board. - Display the Video In as a system wide Picture in Picture display to multitask with any iPad or iPhone App. - Access The ATEM's Storage to preview videos directly on the iPad or iPhone. Also perform video management by deleting from storage or copying videos to the device's Files App. - Configure up to four BlackMagic Design HyperDeck to control primary playback features in addition to video playback and video management. - Run DirectorMonitor on a Mac. Note for optimal results the additional hardware of an ATEM Mini video switcher and a Accsoon SeeMo video capture terminal are advised. For details on the BlackMagic Design ATEM Mini video switchers https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/atemmini For details on the Accsoon SeeMo https://accsoonusa.com/accsoon-seemob-ios-hdmi-adapter-black/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: DirectorMonitor at Free against Strata Lite's $4.99. DirectorMonitor also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months). Strata Lite's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (31% vs 0%). On ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
DirectorMonitor is free to download; Strata Lite costs $4.99 up front. DirectorMonitor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Strata Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.
Strata Lite ships an update every 5 months, DirectorMonitor every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and July 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Strata Lite | DirectorMonitor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.0 (30 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 30.6% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 30 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 102 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mark Gilbert | Odeon Software Inc. |
Customer experience
Strata Lite
DirectorMonitor
In-app purchases
Strata Lite
No in-app purchases
DirectorMonitor
- DirectorMonitor$19.99
Questions
Is Strata Lite free?
Is DirectorMonitor free?
Do Strata Lite or DirectorMonitor have ads?
Which is updated more often, Strata Lite or DirectorMonitor?
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