A Cloud Connection for NewTek NDI
By Jim Bask
For those wanting to connect equipment fitted with NewTek’s Network Device Initiative (NDI)and other IP Video products over a wide area IP video network can now use NDI.Cloud.
Gallery and IEC, makers of Sienna, a news, sports and live event and multi-camera production system which integrates NewTek equipment say that since the idea of NDI.Cloud was born, a primary objective has been to enable not just private connectivity between NDI sites within a single enterprise, but also to create a mechanism for ad-hoc NDI connections between different companies. They have provided an example. Imagine a coast to coast link up: In New York a broadcaster wants an extended interview with a Hollywood Actor. The broadcaster wants better-than-skype quality, which would normally require a satellite or other expensive connection. Fortunately, the New York broadcaster has an NDI.Cloud account, and they know of an independent facility in Burbank which also has an NDI.Cloud account. So, New York calls Burbank and arranges for the Actor to come to the Burbank facility. “Next, Burbank logs into http://NDI.Cloud and creates a Shared Group in their account, with a secure password. Burbank tells New York the shared group ID which takes the form 123-456-789 and also the password.
New York logs into their own NDI.Cloud account and joins the Shared Group as a Guest by simply entering the ID and password. “Now, with no further effort, an NDI Source featuring the actor in Burbank appears in the NDI devices in New York, ready for the interview. What’s more, an NDI feed from New York with the interviewer also appears in Burbank. This all happens across a 10MB public internet connection. Once the interview is complete, Burbank deletes the shared group and connectivity ceases. Similarly, New York could have left the shared group at any time. So both ends have complete control over sharing of their NDI sources. “The Shared Group concept is designed to echo familiar concepts like TeamViewer (for desktop sharing), and greatly enhances the existing NDI.Cloud facilities which are primarily designed for permanent connectivity between multiple locations with a single enterprise.” A public beta program for NDI.Cloud will open soon.