BirdDog Flex 4K NDI® Review

Yesterday BirdDog announced their brand new line of Flex 4K NDI devices. The Flex IN, Flex OUT, and Flex BACKPACK. The family of Flex devices are the smallest NDI on the planet and delivers an one cable solution including Tally, Audio, Video, PTZ Control, Audio Intercom and Power along a single Ethernet cable. Check out some of the highlights from Newsshooter's awesome review of the Flex 4K IN & BACKPACK. 

KEY FEATURES

• Halo Tally Light – 360 degree view
• PTZ Control via RS232 port
• Full NDI Encoding with Flex IN and FlexBACKPACK
• Full NDI Decoding with Flex OUT only
• 15w DC power out on Flex OUT and Flex BACKPACK
• Variable Bit Rate NDI – In both HD and 4K you can select the data rate to be anywhere between 60 and 360Mbps. Normally NDI is max 140Mbits in HD and 300Mbits in 4K.

 

"The Flex 4K In & Backpack are both very compact and lightweight. They are just a bit larger than a deck of playing cards.
Flex 4K In: 107 x 63 x 31mm
Flex 4K Backpack: 107 x 63 x 42.5mm
The construction is made of plastic but feels sturdy enough. There are two small fans in the unit which act as intake & exhaust but they are not audible enough to cause any issues on set."

Newsshooter

"The Flex 4K In & Backpack are almost identical, except for the Sony L style (NP) battery mount on the Backpack which allows it to be mounted directly onto a monitor like the Atomos Ninja V. The monitor is then powered by the single data cable using PoE.

If you want to use the Backpack on the monitor, you will need to use PoE so that the monitor receives enough power. Using the AC adapter won’t provide enough to run the Flex & monitor."

Newsshooter

"NDI has been growing in its maturity, and as more devices like the Flex become available, the wider the adoption rate will be.

Compared to traditional SDI routing, there are numerous advantages to using NDI and we will only see it become more common as time goes on. The Flex 4K units priced at $399 USD will play a big part in getting more consumers on board."

Newsshooter

Check out the full review HERE

Learn more about BirdDog HERE