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Salvatore  
#1 Posted : Sunday, April 24, 2022 9:36:09 AM(UTC)
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Hey guys,
NDI adds the power to move video and audio between devices, anywhere around the world, in synch, at high quality and super low latency,
But how are your experiences with NDI? Do you use NDI in big deals without hesitation or do you rather rely on the tried and tested?
What are your experiences with NDI?
doggy  
#2 Posted : Sunday, April 24, 2022 11:00:24 AM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: Salvatore Go to Quoted Post

NDI adds the power to move video and audio between devices, anywhere around the world, in synch, at high quality and super low latency,



Don't think so, but local yeah
distrits  
#3 Posted : Monday, April 25, 2022 5:32:48 AM(UTC)
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Doggy,

do you mean it works ok just locally?

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paco3346  
#4 Posted : Monday, April 25, 2022 11:34:06 AM(UTC)
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NDI isn't meant for anything other than local use. The original protocol (non-HX) is uncompressed and uses ~100Mbps per 1080@60 stream so you'd have a hard time going across the internet if you tried, let alone having the bandwidth.

NDI latency across a good network can be as little as a few lines of video (<1 frame) but this tends to be true more for non-camera sources. Cameras tend to have their own latency of reading data from the sensor and then prepping packets for the network (but this same latency applies to hardware output like SDI).

That being said- NDI is generally stable and reliable in a well designed (switches that support QoS), dependable (enterprise grade), consistent network (as in not shared with a bunch of other devices that intermittently send a ton of traffic like file transfers).

NDI still exists but tends to be less present in large scale setups. This is largely because all other existing equipment that studios/venues have is SDI based so you'd need to convert from NDI to SDI to make use of it within an existing setup.

NDI is great for smaller, budget setups where interoperability with other industry equipment (hardware switchers, SDI routers, broadcast cameras) is less likely to be used.

I completely trust and use NDI for 4k feeds coming out of ProPresenter and out from vMix (for accessory video feeds, still prefer hardware for my main IMAG). I also still prefer SDI cameras as NDI cameras tend to be non-broadcast grade.
TobinT  
#5 Posted : Sunday, May 1, 2022 10:25:47 PM(UTC)
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It's like most standards it's reliability is dependant on the quality of the implementation.
I have used NDI on big shows, especially when doing cloud based productions. On real world events it's about choosing the right technology and solution for the job at hand.
As others have said NDI is not an inter-site transport protocol, it's predominantly designed for local network use.
Andreas O  
#6 Posted : Tuesday, June 14, 2022 6:46:25 AM(UTC)
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I love it, but it's a bit of an enthusiast's tool yet.

I've got a small-ish (4*7m) studio set up with a 98" TV, two monitors, a teleprompter and three Canon CR-N500 PTZ cameras and a separate control room in a side room. Everything's run on NDI. (Or NDI|HX in the case of the cameras) That's a very manageable setup with SDI, too -- until you start doing custom stuff. Let's say someone brings a laptop and they want to show something. That's an HDMI to SDI encoder (or a long-ish HDMI run) through the wall and into the capture card. For NDI, just install NDI Webcam Input on the laptop and run an ethernet cable to the wall port. Or, a HDMI to NDI converter that connects with PoE+ to the ethernet port along the wall. Either option, NDI or SDI; is quite convenient to put together on the spot, and safe for any laptop, company owned or not.

But let's say I wanted to put that screen capture up on the TV behind them, for the audience -- and on the teleprompter in front of them, as well as into VMIX. Ordinarily that would be a three-way SDI split from the source or an output from VMIX split into two destinations. Not hard to set up, but you'll have to have it lying around if it's a one-off, and you might need a commercial break to switch back to whatever you usually have on those monitors. With NDI, the TV and teleprompter are already set up for it with their own NDI decoders. Just match both decoders to the same encoder and you're good to go. Once the segment is done, just switch your TV and teleprompter's NDI decoders back to whatever you prefer. Powerpoint? No problem, just make the input an NDI source. A Teams call? No problem, Teams has integrated NDI quite well. Your PGM output, or VMIX remote call? Not a problem, all built in.

However. You are gradually introducing network complexity. If you don't have the proper backend, or if you're routing your camera(s) through the same network or running too many NDI output sources from VMIX, you ARE introducing risks of packet loss and stuttering as well as taxing your CPU. At worst, if you run your internet on the same line and network interface, you might even risk disturbing your live PGM output to your stream. That's obviously very bad, and it might not be apparent what's causing it, or you might cause problems only intermittently. (If for instance some background process on your PC kicks your CPU use up north for a few seconds)

Bottom line, if it solves problems for you, it's great -- if you are the network guy, or you have him on speed dial. If you don't, it's a bit of a risk and you have to be very precise and have good hygiene. Try to get a separate network set up for your NDI sources and get a good, PCI-E network card for your computer with two distinct interfaces for your NDI network and your Internet network.
ask  
#7 Posted : Thursday, June 16, 2022 8:41:01 AM(UTC)
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Panasonic has enough confidence in NDI to include it in their PTZ and ENG cameras, and also in two of their switchers. It is no longer an "enthusiast's tool". However as Andreas indicates...you need to be able to understand and manage your network.
thanks 1 user thanked ask for this useful post.
SPSTech on 10/27/2022(UTC)
mavik  
#8 Posted : Tuesday, June 28, 2022 9:23:30 PM(UTC)
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I 100% agree with what is said. NDI is reliable but more a network task than a video task.
I personally upgraded to a 10G network to have it out of the worry situation.
mjgraves  
#9 Posted : Wednesday, June 29, 2022 12:00:02 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: Andreas O Go to Quoted Post
I love it, but it's a bit of an enthusiast's tool yet.


Disagree. It's a serious tool, for serious people. It requires a solid grasp of managed networks.

thanks 1 user thanked mjgraves for this useful post.
SPSTech on 10/27/2022(UTC)
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