The Straight Scoop on NewTek NDI & IP Video from Dr. Andrew Cross

NewTek NDI (Network Device Interface) is on open standard for Video over IP that has the potential to revolutionize the industry. In this interview NewTek CTO Dr. Andrew Cross goes into what the key advantages are of NewTek NDI and the incredible workflows and potential cost savings it unlocks with 2-way communication over IP between networked devices including cameras, switchers, graphics stations, injest machines and more. So far Newtek has signed on Vizrt, Teradek, AJA, Deltacast, ChyronHego, Matrox, JVC, LiveU, Panasonic, Wowza and more. It should be noted that supporting NewTek NDI does not preclude vendors from supporting other IP initaitves such as Grass Valley lead AIMS (Alliance for IP Media Solutions).

Streaming Media by Adrian Pennington

Standardizing an industry move to video-over-IP is generating considerable confusion, but claims that NewTek NDI approach is the only one focused on IP's real-world capabilities.

Much of the debate surrounding the move from video-over-SDI to IP has been framed around 4K/UHD—that for 4K to work economically, IP infrastructure is a prerequisite. NewTek has a different take: It wants to move the industry from what it sees as the relatively narrow focus on 4K and other technical specs toward applications which genuinely take advantage of internet connectivity. “Contrary to popular belief, IP is not a cheap way of communicating digital data,” says NewTek president and CTO Dr. Andrew Cross (right). “The major benefit of IP is that it can connect any device with every other in the world. You can pipe it around, you can write applications and do things that were never thought of before. Crucially,the link is bi-directional. Where SDI signals flow downstream from a camera to, say, a monitor, with a true bidirectional IP link you have intelligence about the device it is connecting to. This is a rarely acknowledged but fundamental part of the change the industry is going through.” The concept has been familiarized at the BBC as object-based broadcasting, and Cross hints at working with the broadcaster on tests in this area. The idea is that any element of the signal—video, graphics, audio—can be split into its constituent elements and reconfigured at the receiver according to individual preference and environmental context. read more...