Warren Baker (ClarkPowell) and Jeremy Morris (Vizrt) hosted a seminar titled “Recipe for Nice Bytes: Integrating NDI into Your Video Productions,” highlighting the versatility and reliability of NDI technology in video production. They explored practical ways to integrate NDI into workflows, including signal conversion, data transport, feed monitoring, content recording, and equipment optimization. Attendees also gained insights into the latest updates in NDI 6, which offer new features to improve video production efficiency.

 Learn more about NDI tools, or contact Warren Baker  & Jeremy Morris

Check out StreamGeek’s recent video on NDI Studio Monitor- a program that comes in NewTek’s free NDI Tools suite. This tool can be used to monitor and record all the NDI sources on your network. It also features PTZ Camera control, and functions as an excellent tool for trouble shooting.

Download NDI Tools HERE.

Check out StreamGeek’s video Below:

“The BEST NDI Tool – You’re not using!
The absolute best NDI tool available today is one that I don’t think people use. It’s called NDI Studio Monitor, it’s totally FREE and in this video I’m going to show you how it works.”

-StreamGeeks

Learn more about PTZOptics HERE.

Learn more about NewTek HERE.

NewTek recently released a great video detailing exactly how to download NDI Tools, and it couldn’t be easier. Check out the video, below.

NDI® Tools is a free suite of applications designed to introduce you to the world of IP—and take your productions and workflow to places you may have never thought possible. With a single download, you gain the ability to integrate more devices and applications into your workflow, insert more content into your shows, and expand video opportunities throughout your network.

NewTek

Download NDI Tools 4.5 HERE.

Here’s what they came up with!

1

NDI turns an Ethernet-based LAN into a video network. Unlike many other IP-based workflows, NDI does not require expensive networking and infrastructure investments. With a Gigabit LAN, you can connect your cameras, screens, control rooms, and your production facilities, and create a site-wide video ecosystem where everything sees everything—and any source can be used by anyone. With a high-bandwidth infrastructure in place, the capacity and the benefits are multiplied.

2

NDI simplifies IP-based workflows. It employs simplified configuration and management, bi-directional signal transmission and communication, extensive device networking and access, and refined encoding and communication methods to enable more powerful, more efficient and more versatile video transmission over IP on a less expensive, as well as a less complicated network infrastructure.

3

NDI links every device visible on the network. Network Device Interface technology makes every enabled device, connected source, and video signal on your network—camera, production switcher, replay system, computer, graphics machine, video calling system, etc.—visible and available as a source and/or destination for video over IP. NDI is also available as a royalty free Software Development Kit to any customer, manufacturer, or developer who wants to implement it into their products and workflows to accelerate their transition to IP.

4

NDI is used in switchers like Epiphan Pearl 2 or software vision mixers like OBS or vMix —This is why NDI was created—NDI exposes the inputs and outputs of every networked device and makes each available as a switchable source. This means you can access, route, and switch with every camera connected to a switcher in your facility, every shared computer on your LAN, every output signal from every device—any production component visible via NDI—increasing your live inputs exponentially without investing in a higher-capacity switcher or video routing hardware.

5

NDI enables bi-directional video and audio over IP. Emerging IP workflows marginalize gains by simply replacing SDI cabling with Ethernet infrastructures. Many methods comprise linear, one-way, point-to-point distribution of a single video output signal over IP to a single destination. NDI workflows permits multi-directional, two-way signal transmission over IP, to and/or from any NDI®-enabled device on your network. This means your switcher can simultaneously send its multiple input and output signals to the network for transport to multiple NDI destinations, and receive the input and output signals of every other NDI-enabled device over the network for use as sources.

6

NDI maximizes encoding performance and efficiency. Using common compression technologies for high-quality, low-latency IP transport can consume upwards of 50% of CPU processing power for a single video stream. NewTek’s powerful codec enables IP transport that’s so fast and so efficient, a single core of a modern CPU processor can accommodate multiple simultaneous, high-quality, ultra-low latency video streams over IP while using lower overhead. BirdDog’s revolutionary NDI hardware keeps latency ultra-low.

7

NDI handles up to 10x more video than alternate video transport methods. Transporting HD video over IP typically requires high-bandwidth, dual-10Gbit networking to accommodate just a few source. With NDI’s IP Workflows, it’s entirely possible to access double-digit HD video streams over IP using just a Gigabit network connection, with a bandwidth requirement of approximately 90-100Mbps per video stream for commonly used HD video formats and 200 -250Mbs for 4K.

8

There are 2 types of NDI. NDI | HX which is H264 compressed for lower datarates and is built into lots of different makes of PTZ cameras, like Datavideo, Lumens and Panasonic. Then there is broadcast quality full NDI with lower latency and higher datarates as well as 4K support. All BirdDog cameras and converters support full NDI.

9

Uses field-proven IP technology that’s already empowering millions worldwide. While others in the video industry are just now laying the groundwork for transitioning to IP, NDI was ahead of the curve. Starting with Newtek’s first software-driven live production system introduced in 2005, NewTek has been developing and innovating technology for IP-based workflows for more than a decade.

10

NDI future proofs video equipment purchases. Standards and formats come and go in the video industry, making facilities uncertain of which to adopt. NDI®, devices are not bound to a single proprietary specification, resolution, or format, and you are not required to conform to specific technical criteria. It’s a universal workflow that’s accessible to any current or future computer-based production component.

We couldn’t agree more, Holdan! Great list!

Read the original article here!

Learn more about NDI here!

NewTek has added another tool to their list of NDI tools, and this one is powered by NVIDIA GPU power, making it perfect for high quality, pristine streaming especially when it comes to eSports and virtual game streaming.

The tool in question is the NDI Screen Capture HX application. This is perfect for live presentations with on screen resources, video game streaming, eSports and more.

Check out some highlights from this article from NewTek to learn more.

Bergen, Norway and San Antonio, Texas—December 15, 2020—NDI^®, part of the Vizrt Group along with the NewTek and Vizrt brands, today announced the NDI^® Screen Capture HX app for NVIDIA GPUs. NDI Screen Capture HX works in collaboration with NVIDIA GPU–based PCs to capture screens and make them available as an NDI source on the network, eliminating the need for expensive video capture cards when sharing or streaming content from another computer.

NDI Screen Capture HX is optimized for NVIDIA GPUs, thereby removing all reliance on a PC’s CPU when capturing a screen. This delivers pristine video over the network, at resolutions up to 4K and frame rates up to 120Hz without compromise.

“Our mission is to make IP video easy to use and fun for anyone to make a great show,” said Dr. Andrew Cross, Head of R&D for the Vizrt Group. “Offering full NVIDIA GPU-accelerated support for NDI allows gamers to use applications like OBS Studio, XSplit, TriCaster^®, or any of the thousands of applications that support NDI.”

“NDI is helping gamers, creatives and enterprises tell stories online using the ground–breaking capabilities of NDI Screen Capture HX,” said Gerardo Delgado, Senior Product Manager at NVIDIA. “Using NVIDIA GPUs, Screen Capture HX delivers a real–time, no–compromise solution for network–driven content creation.”

NDI Screen Capture HX also allows users to run a PowerPoint presentation on one machine with embedded transitions, animation, audio, or movies included and use it on another machine as part of a live presentation, production, or web stream. The tool will also allow users to remotely control one machine using another on the network with full frame–rate video, even on 4K displays, with full support for moving keyboard, mouse, touch surface, clipboard, audio and video between machines.

Check out the full article HERE.

Learn more about NewTek HERE.

Check out some highlights from this article on Web RTC utilizing NDI to improve live broadcasts, below.

This pandemic we’ve all been living in these past few months forced many people and companies to change their daily patterns. Most of us have been forced by circumstances to stay and work from home for long periods of time. This clearly had an impact on the broadcasting industry in general. Just think, for instance, of interviews or any kind of live interaction in News or Talk Shows: without the ability to have guests (and often even hosts!) in the studios, production teams were forced to find solutions that would still allow them to do their job.

This may seem a relatively straightforward answer to us folks working in the real-time business. In practice, it’s really not that easy, and most comes from how production teams actually work with streams they need to edit and broadcast, and the tools they employ. As it often happens, I was actually enlightened by the smart people we interact with every day on Twitter. In particular, Dan Jenkins from Nimble Ape (and mastermind behind the amazing CommCon events, make sure you watch the latest Virtual edition that just ended!) made an interesting observation related to BBC News, and Sam Machin’s answer was revealing to me, as it introduced a new “player” I wasn’t aware of:

This was the first time I ever heard of NDI, and it was kind of a revelation: it reminded me how some choices are often driven by how easy they make it to keep on using your existing workflow. This sparkled my interest, and led me to contribute to the discussion, where I wondered how easy (or hard!) it could be to perform an RTP-to-NDI translation of sorts:

The mention of OBS was quite interesting as well, since our friends at CoSMo Software actually did implement a version of OBS capable of talking WebRTC. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a red herring, since as Dr. Alex clarified, OBS-WebRTC doesn’t support WebRTC input, which is what could have helped translating the incoming stream to NDI from there:

I was really curious to investigate NDI as a technology after these exchanges (especially considering I knew nothing about it), but then life and work got in the way, and I forgot about it.

A few weeks ago, though, a private chat with Dan sparkled that interest again. He mentioned how a video production company he knew was really struggling with getting proper live feeds from the Internet to be used in what they were producing every day. Once more, NDI was mentioned as pretty much a standard de facto in that line of business, and how a proper way to bring in WebRTC streams is still sorely missing, which forces editors to basically capture the source material in “hacky” ways.

As such, I decided to start looking into NDI, to figure out if the RTP-to-NDI translation I wondered about was indeed feasible or not.

Check out the full article HERE.

The hub for teamwork in Microsoft 365 crossed 75 million daily active users last month, beating Skype’s 40 million daily active users number from March. If Microsoft Teams and Skype users will be able to call and message each other by the end of this month, Microsoft also announced that Teams is getting Network Device Interface (NDI) support and Skype TX interoperability. These new features will make it easy for broadcasters to connect with external audiences using Teams, and the app may eventually match Skype’s persisting popularity in the media industry.

Coming soon, NDI for Microsoft Teams transforms a Teams meeting into a virtual stage by converting each participant’s video into a discrete video source that can be used in the production tool of your choice, OBS, Wirecast, Xsplit, StreamLabs and many more. This functionality enables you to use Teams meetings in other ways, including hosting a professional broadcast.
Meanwhile new interoperability of Teams with Skype TX devices—the devices commonly used in broadcast production today—enables production teams to connect in 1:1 calls for interviews and newscasts with professional capabilities including caller queuing and connection quality management.

Official Statement from Microsoft

If Microsoft Teams and Skype remain quite different, the two apps are starting to have a growing number of similar and overlapping features. As an example, you can share your screen with Microsoft Teams, which used to be a popular Skype feature. Teams also supports blurred and custom backgrounds in video calls, two features that Skype also has. So far, Microsoft has never indicated that Skype for consumers will eventually go away, even though Microsoft Teams will soon allow users to add their personal Microsoft accounts to chat with close friends and family. There’s definitely still room for both apps, but Teams is currently getting much more attention from Microsoft. Time will tell if Teams can become a popular consumer app after seeing unprecedented growth in the business world.

Read the original article by Laurent Giret here!

First Impressions:
We have been wanting to work with the BirdDog for a while, so we were excited to bring you this unboxing. At first glance we notice the variety of power options it has: AC power, POE or D-tap. The BirdDog also has SDI and HDMI i/o, and these can be used simultaneously, for instance by using the SDI input to receive your stream and the HDMI output for an external monitor. The large screen indicates camera ID, as well as preview and program. It also has an external tally output. The dual 1/4 -20″ screw mounts make this encoder mobile-friendly, and the SDI to HDMI cross conversions capability is great for any production. Finally, it includes a USB port which notably can be used for PTZ control via a USB to ethernet adapter.

Features:
SDI/HDMI to NDI (Network Device Interface) converter
SDI/HDMI cross converter
Onboard full screen and external tally light interface
802.3af/802.3at PoE (Power over Ethernet) compliant
SD, 720P, 1080i, and 1080p standards support
Power Options: D-Tap, PoE, and AC
Central management software interface (mobile and web)
HDMI 1.4 and 3G-SDI inputs and outputs
Plug-and-play operation
Compatible with NDI compliant equipment
Access video resources from anywhere in the facility
Easily integrate tally into productions, even outside the studio
SDI and HDMI outputs remain live and convert between SDI to HDMI for loop out or monitor functions

Click here to watch on YouTube.

On a laptop on the same network, Mr. Lomicka runs the NewTek NDI Studio Monitor application from NewTek’s free download NDI Tools Pack. NDI-aware devices and applications auto-detect any other active NDI sources on the same network, so the system running Media Composer is visible on the File menu for NDI Studio Monitor. With one click, the NDI stream can be selected for viewing and goes live on NDI Studio Monitor.

Among the workflow applications this offers is to speed up the review and approval process. A project does not need to rendered to a file and the file sent to the reviewer, uploaded to shared storage or walked over on thumbdrive. The editor can simply play it live in Media Composer with NDI on, and any networked system can view it. This also makes it possible to use Media Composer as a resource in live production, as there are many live production systems that are now NDI enabled, NewTek VMC1, TriCaster^® TC1, and 3Play^® 3P1 being examples. If an edited package is needed on quick turnaround, it can be created on Media Composer and played live to the switcher or production system as soon as ready….[continue reading]