NDI® has changed the game in Pro AV as demand for high-quality, low-latency video has grown fast. We covered the development of the Network Device Interface (NDI) protocol for audio-video connectivity in a previous article — mainly that it allows video and audio signals to be transmitted over a regular Internet network, such as your office’s Ethernet or Wi-Fi. This eliminates the need for expensive, dedicated cabling and infrastructure.
Understanding NDI
Essentially, NDI makes audio-video workflows more flexible, scalable, and much more budget-friendly. It is a big shift from traditional SDI and HDMI systems, which are point-to-point and have resolution and cable length limitations. A crucial aspect of NDI is that it can handle multiple video streams concurrently over a single network cable. This simplifies wiring significantly, speeds up setup and changes, and opens up the possibility for any networked area to be part of a live production.
In this article, we’ll be delving deeper into the different NDI formats and the advantages they bring to the table.
Different versions of NDI are available, each designed to meet specific needs and bandwidth constraints.
AVer’s cameras support both NDI High Bandwidth and NDI HX (“HX” referring to High Efficiency) with excellent video quality, smooth control, and intelligent subject tracking. AVer’s NDI-integrated PTZ cameras seamlessly fit into NDI workflows and deliver lossless, low-latency video over standard networks. These cost-effective solutions are ideal for live streaming, corporate presentations, educational applications, and broadcasting.
NDI High Bandwidth delivers uncompressed or lightly compressed video with the highest quality and minimal latency. It is ideal for applications requiring pristine image fidelity, such as studio productions, live events, high-end corporate AV setups, and critical broadcast facilities. In these scenarios, every detail is crucial, and NDI High Bandwidth ensures nothing is lost in transmission, resulting in sharper images, accurate color, and a superior viewing experience.
AVer NDI High Bandwidth compatible cameras: TR535N, TR535.
NDI HX addresses bandwidth-constrained environments and uses efficient compression to maintain good video quality. NDI HX2 improves on the original HX with enhanced compression and is suitable for remote productions and corporate video conferencing. Building upon the foundation of H.264/H.265, NDI HX3 achieves lower latency and higher image quality through optimized compression parameters. This enhanced efficiency makes it well-suited for high-quality video applications in bandwidth-limited and challenging network environments.
AVer NDI High Bandwidth compatible cameras: TR535, TR535N.
AVer NDI HX3 compatible cameras: PTZ231, PTZ211, TR335N, TR335, TR315N, TR315, TR211, PTZ330UNV2, PTZ330UV2, PTZ310UNV2, PTZ310UV2, TR615.
AVer NDI HX2 compatible cameras: PTC310HWV2, PTC310UV2, PTC320UNV2, PTC320UV2, PTC330UV2, PTC330N, PTC310HN, PTC310UN, PTC310N, PTZ310N, PTZ330N.
NDI 5 expands NDI beyond local networks to include public networks and enables new remote and distributed workflows. NDI 5 introduced a suite of powerful tools and features that further enhance its capabilities. These tools include NDI Access Manager for source visibility control, NDI Remote for integrating remote sources like smartphones, NDI Webcam Input for using NDI video in applications like Zoom, NDI Bridge for long-distance network connections, and NDI Screen Capture for sharing computer-based content such as presentations, software demonstrations, and the like. With NDI 5, the scope of video production is significantly broadened, as it allows for even better experiences of seamless global collaboration.
NDI 6 represents the latest advancements in IP connectivity, most notably full HDR support and broader compatibility, as well as 10+ bit color depth for richer visuals. What’s more, the updated NDI Bridge utility simplifies remote production by facilitating secure, encrypted NDI streams over wide area networks (WAN). What this means is that it enables real-time collaboration without the need for complex configurations. All AVer’s NDI-compatible cameras have been upgraded to accommodate NDI 6.
The Upshot
NDI has become a transformative technology for video production and streaming. With an expanding ecosystem and more NDI-enabled products becoming available, it unlocks new opportunities across the broadcasting, education, conferencing, gaming, and security sectors. The three pillars of NDI technology — flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness — make it a vital component of modern virtual video production, especially in light of the ongoing development of cloud-based solutions that will further enhance remote production capabilities. AVer cameras further enhance these capabilities to enable users to produce high-quality videos with greater efficiency.
Note: NDI® is a registered trademark of the Vizrt Group.
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