BirdDog NDI Encoders, Decoders, and Converters: Play, Play Pro, 4K HDMI, SDI & Quad Explained

An NDI production workflow solves distribution elegantly — but only if every device in your venue can speak NDI. BirdDog's encoders, decoders, and converters handle the two scenarios where that breaks down: displaying NDI video on screens that only have HDMI, and getting non-NDI cameras onto the network. Here's exactly what each product does.

🎬 Watch the full breakdown: BirdDog complete ecosystem on Video Guys Live →

Displaying NDI Video Locally — The Decoders

Once your production is on the NDI network, you need to get it back to physical displays: projectors, confidence monitors, lobby screens, in-room TVs. That's what the Play and Play Pro do.

BirdDog Play — HDMI NDI Decoder

Connect to your network via Ethernet, select any NDI source, output via HDMI. The Play decodes NDI video and outputs up to 1080p/60 — it can accept a 4K NDI source and downscale it to 1080 for the display.

Power comes via USB-C — which in practice means most modern smart TVs can power it directly from their USB port. No separate power supply, no additional outlet at the display location.

Best for: Confidence monitors, lobby displays, return feeds, in-room screens where 1080p output is sufficient and you want a clean, simple install.

BirdDog Play Pro — PoE, 4K/60, and KVM over NDI

The Play Pro steps up in three meaningful ways:

PoE powered — the network switch provides both the NDI signal and the power through a single Ethernet cable. No USB-C power required at the display. Cleaner installs, simpler cable management.

4K/60 output — full 4K resolution to connected displays, no downscaling.

KVM over NDI — connect a keyboard and mouse to the Play Pro's USB ports and you can control other devices on your NDI network remotely. This is the power of NDI's bidirectional capability: the Play Pro becomes a remote control terminal for any NDI-compatible device on the same network.

Best for: Permanent installations requiring 4K output, venues where clean single-cable runs are important, productions using KVM control over NDI for remote device management.

Getting Non-NDI Sources onto the Network — The 4K Converters

What about the cameras, camcorders, and devices you already own that don't have NDI? BirdDog's 4K converters encode HDMI or SDI sources to NDI, bringing them into your production alongside native NDI cameras.

BirdDog 4K HDMI Converter

Converts HDMI sources to NDI (encode) or NDI to HDMI (decode). Handles up to 4K/60 over HDMI 2.0. Connect any HDMI camera, camcorder, laptop, or media player to the network as an NDI source.

Encode use cases: Existing DSLR or camcorder, laptop presentation, media player, any HDMI device that needs to appear as an NDI source in your production.

Decode use cases: Drive a display or projector from an NDI source when a Play unit isn't the right form factor.

BirdDog 4K SDI Converter

The SDI version for professional broadcast gear. Features 12G-SDI ports for true 4K/60 conversion in both directions. Brings existing broadcast cameras, SDI routers, and infrastructure into an NDI workflow without replacing equipment.

Best for: Broadcast facilities, venues with existing SDI infrastructure, productions mixing legacy broadcast gear with modern NDI cameras.

BirdDog 4K Quad — Four Configurable SDI Channels

The most flexible converter in the range. Four 12G-SDI ports that are each individually assignable as either encode or decode — independently.

This means in a single unit you can have, for example:

• Ports 1 & 2: Encode — two SDI cameras converted to NDI sources
• Ports 3 & 4: Decode — two NDI outputs converted to SDI for projectors or monitors

The ratio is fully configurable. All four could be encode. All four could be decode. Any mix in between. For a facility that needs flexible signal routing without committing to a fixed encode/decode split, the Quad handles it all in one device.

Best for: Broadcast facilities, production trucks, larger venues with mixed SDI infrastructure, any installation needing flexible bidirectional conversion at scale.

How It All Connects

A complete BirdDog signal chain looks like this:

1. Cameras (native NDI or converted via 4K converter) → network switch
2. Production (Maki Studio, software switcher, or hardware switcher) → switches, routes, and encodes
3. Distribution (Play or Play Pro) → decodes NDI back to HDMI for local displays

Every device on the same network switch can communicate with every other device — that's the NDI model. The cameras don't need to know about the decoders. The decoders don't need configuration beyond "which NDI source do I display." The production system sees everything.

Questions about NDI converters for your existing equipment? Call 1-800-323-2325.