AMSTERDAM—The Vizrt Group’s NDI brand today released the fourth generation of NDI technology at the ongoing IBC 2019 convention at the RAI Amsterdam.

Deemed crucial by NDI to making software-defined visual storytelling (SDVS) accessible via IP-based video, NDI 4 merges live video and post-production with the ability to record almost unlimited NDI video channels, making IP-based multi-camera editing accessible.

"Our mission is to make video accessible to everyone and fun to use. It is clear that software-defined video is changing the way that video is produced. The fourth generation of NDI technologies look to use IP video to bridge the gap between live and post-production and thus create new workflows that have been previously impossible,” said Dr. Andrew Cross, president of R&D for Vizrt Group, parent brand of NDI.

NDI 4 makes continuous recordings readily available for editing and instant replay without stopping video capture, NDI said. Time-stamped recordings can be seamlessly imported as synchronized files into Adobe Creative Cloud with full synchronization in any video or audio format, including 4K UHD and above.

A new NDI 4 tool uses high-bandwidth NDI over a Wi-Fi connection in resolutions up to 4K UHD from an iOS-based mobile device. The aspect ratio, frame rate and resolution independent nature of NDI enables mobile devices to be used as sources and permits other NDI-enabled systems, including production switchers, to deliver content ready for viewing on mobile devices.

The latest NDI version also offers increased efficiencies across many areas that include improvements in video quality without an increase in bitrate.

NDI 4 offers:

• High-quality video, with support for alpha channel and a full 16-bit data path. Fully resolution and frame-rate independent, with full support for UHD and beyond;
• Full support for audio, with support for more than 64 channels of floating point audio, at all sample-rates;
• Support for extensible metadata and timestamps;
• Fully integrated high-efficiency integrated audio and video codecs allowing use within remote and wireless environments;
• Support for plug-and-play device discovery or the use of a discovery server;
• Unicast and multicast support, allowing use on local networks or cloud environments. Multipath modes allow bandwidth to be spread across parallel network connections
• Virtually unlimited numbers of record channels of NDI with negligible CPU usage;
• Full suite of tools, including video source monitoring, recording, desktop capture, full IP-based KVM, test pattern generation;
• New iOS apps that transform these devices into full frame-rate, wireless UHD cameras;
• Downloadable free SDK that allows use within software applications. SDK for embedded devices that includes sample FPGA designs for encoding and decoding streams;
• Cross platform SDK.

See NDI at IBC 2019 stand 7.C12.

To learn more and to access the NDI 4 SDK visit the NDI website.