AJA Multi-Channel Live Video for Remote Production (REMI), Contribution, Collaboration, Streaming and Delivery

BRIDGE LIVE supports simultaneous bi-directional encoding and decoding with HD and SD sources.

With a pair of BRIDGE LIVE systems, a broadcast facility can receive three incoming encoded camera sources from a remote location and decode them into SDI for editing and production, while simultaneously providing a program return to the remote location.

Starting with v1.12 software, BRIDGE LIVE includes support for NDI (Network Device Interface), the high-quality, real time, low latency live video standard developed by NewTek. BRIDGE LIVE can support up to 4 simultaneous 60p HD encodes/decodes or 1x 60p UltraHD encode/decode to/from SDI. BRIDGE LIVE’s NDI functionality offers:

• SDI to NDI (encode)
• NDI to SDI (decode)
• IP Video Streams to NDI (transcode)
• NDI to IP Video Streams (transcode)

Used in conjunction with BRIDGE LIVE’s broad codec and protocol support, collaboration between geographically separated (remote) NDI facilities can be realized.

BRIDGE LIVE provides broad NDI product compatibility across software and hardware transmitters and receivers.

Use BRIDGE LIVE in conjunction with multiple 3rd party systems and software to achieve your workflow requirements as they evolve.

For more details around how BRIDGE LIVE facilitates Remote Production (REMI), Contribution, Collaboration, Streaming and Delivery explore BRIDGE LIVE Workflows and Compatibilities further down this page.

SRT is an open source video transport protocol and technology stack, developed and pioneered by Haivision, that optimizes streaming performance across unpredictable networks with secure streams and easy firewall traversal, bringing the best quality live video over the worst networks. The SRT Open Source Project, supported by the SRT Alliance, is a collaborative community of industry leaders and developers striving to achieve lower latency internet video transport by continuously improving open-source SRT.

BRIDGE LIVE includes SRT (plus encryption) to ensure that end users are well positioned to deliver their streaming video content securely, with low latency and secure reliability.

BRIDGE LIVE fully supports both closed captioning and additional metadata which is often a neglected feature set with lower cost encoding devices.

BRIDGE LIVE supports:

• SCTE-35/SCTE-104 Ad insertion markers
• CEA-608/CEA-708 Closed Captioning
• Embedding Closed Captioning/Subtitles into H.264 SEI messages
• Metadata pass through
• MPEG-2 ancillary packet support, SMPTE 2038
• Electronic Program Guide (EPG) on input

BRIDGE LIVE capabilities can be optionally expanded to include high quality JPEG 2000 encoding and decoding.

JPEG 2000 (TR-01)

• 10-bit
• 4:2:2
• Up to 4 simultaneous 60p HD encodes (80-220Mbps) or 1x 60p UltraHD encode/decode (up to 800Mbs)
• SRT and MPEG-TS protocol support

BRIDGE LIVE supports workflows where it is necessary to receive contribution streams coming from various 3rd party encoders, IP cameras or AJA HELO, for conversion back/to SDI at a production facility.

For example, BRIDGE LIVE could be receiving UDP or HLS from AJA HELO, SRT from a Panasonic camera (e.g. AW-UE150, AW-UE100, AG-CX350, AJ-CX4000), SRT from a Haivision encoder (e.g. Mikito X4), and NDI (locally) from software such as an NLE, an NDI camera, or a hardware based encoder such as BirdDog (e.g. Studio NDI) or Magewell (e.g. ProConvert).

For Broadcast, BRIDGE LIVE provides an efficient mechanism for backhauling remote live SDI video sources to the media production facility, in order to be converted back to SDI and made available on the internal facility SDI router for ongoing production/transmission.

Traditional secure lines for remote production can be very expensive, with additional fees being levied for time before and after a production starts and ends. BRIDGE LIVE allows source cameras and local program out to be transported using publicly available internet, with no penalty for early or extended use during a production. BRIDGE LIVE also offers lower latency than traditional secure lines for time critical productions.

Production and Post: Connecting remote artists and clients using reference quality video, or providing a high quality window into production for those who cannot be on-set.

BRIDGE LIVE means the flexibility to leave media and equipment at the secure, managed facility, and have creative talent work together remotely with reference quality video.

BRIDGE LIVE compliments existing GUI driving technologies (e.g. RDP, Teradici) by layering on the reference quality video needed for creative confidence and client/executive sign-off. Choices between H.265 (4:2:0, 10-bit), H.264 (4:2:2, 10-bit) with turnkey BRIDGE LIVE, or via optional license JPEG 2000 (4:2:2, 10-bit), mean there is choice and flexibility in how to approach your needs in terms of quality and latency.

BRIDGE LIVE also offers the flexibility to tap video from on-set recording devices and stream the output of cameras (over a secure private line with encryption) providing a high quality window into production for those who cannot be on-set.

BRIDGE LIVE can be used to connect two geographically separated NDI production teams via Public Internet.

For example, a studio or event location could be sending the feeds from 3x NDI cameras to an NDI production or post facility, which can distribute those sources as both NDI and SDI, while also returning a program feed back to the studio location.

BRIDGE LIVE offers a comprehensive platform for live video streaming. Streaming support includes SRT, HLS, RTMP/S, RTP/UDP, and MPEG-TS. Using these standard protocols provides wide support for streaming services  such as Twitch, YouTube Live and Facebook Live.

BRIDGE LIVE builds upon the tried and tested approach of AJA’s HELO streaming device, while including flexibility for multiple inputs, broad format and bit rate support, as well as metadata and redundancy.

And, while streaming to CDNs for a direct-to-audience delivery, BRIDGE LIVE can simultaneously deliver different stream types to partners to re-transmit, transcode, or store.

For Studios and Broadcast applications BRIDGE LIVE facilitates primary distribution of finished and mastered content to partners for subsequent streaming to audiences.

BRIDGE LIVE can provide ABR ladder profiles or hand-off for OTT packaging. For example, encoding to H.264 or H.265 for hand-off with ABR ladder profiles, including pointing the ladder profile directly to a local packager or CDN.

BRIDGE LIVE can also provide multi-format/rate/bit rate material via HLS. The combined outputs within the HLS stream are presented as a “playlist”, meaning that devices (e.g. phones or tablet) or software (e.g. web browser) can pull a particular format, frame rate and bit rate based on the device characteristics and the current connectivity.

Telcos, IPTV and cable operators are often presented with an SDI source or a live event or live production, which is needed as a simple MPEG-Transport Stream with H.264/H.262 encode. The delivered stream may be required for further processing (storage, production), or else be streamed directly to an IPTV/Cable network.