This section presents the NDI Bridge which you use for NDI contribution and lists best practices for Tricaster Now scenarios. The focus is

  • Effective integration of NDI Bridge for enhanced video production.

  • Seamless incorporation of remote NDI sources.

  • Technical setup, performance optimization and reliability across your Tricaster Now setup.

Adhering to these best practices gives the highest quality and effectiveness of a production that uses NDI Bridge.

Prerequisites

Windows 10 or Later

The NDI Bridge runs on Windows 10 or later only.

  • Use latest version. On your PC, in the Start menu type Updates then click Check for updates.

Client Hardware

  • Intel i5 2.8 GHz or similar.

  • 8GB RAM or better.

  • Graphics integrated (for example, Intel GPU) into a processor 1GB RAM.

  • NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 or better for higher workloads (see below).

  • Network Interface Card (NIC) 1Gbps or better.

Firewall Ports

  • On the client side, firewall ports must be opened for the outgoing (for client to Tricaster Now communication) as summarized in the table of section Firewall Ports, under One time Setup.

  • See the section Network Best Practices for further information.

NDI Bridge

NDI Bridge offers the ease of local access, on a global scale. It simplifies the management of remote sources, encompassing all the advantages of NDI technology. This includes support for alpha channels, Keyboard, Video, Mouse (KVM) control, Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras, tally lights, and extensive metadata. By integrating these features, NDI Bridge effectively reduces complexity, cost, and latency, no matter the distance or application involved. It's a comprehensive solution that bridges the gap between local and remote video production workflows.

Bridge Mode

Bridge mode is a powerful tool for connecting distinct NDI networks across any global location. It facilitates secure and seamless integration of multiple networks, offering comprehensive management of all audio and video streams, regardless of the number of sources involved. By utilizing a single public IP address as the Host, Bridge mode allows an unlimited number of networks to connect and share resources. This feature is particularly beneficial for large teams or collaborations, enabling them to connect and interact from anywhere in the world, eliminating geographical barriers in media production.

Local Mode

Local mode enables the aggregation of all sources on a network or group, with NDI Bridge functioning as an efficient proxy. In this mode, NDI Bridge intelligently processes and transmits only the necessary sources and streams. This targeted approach optimizes bandwidth utilization, ensuring that network resources are effectively managed and not overwhelmed by unnecessary data transmission.

NDI Bridge with Tricaster Now

<NDI Bridge-Diagram 1>

Designing your Contribution Set-up

NDI Feeds

Spec wise if you are planning:

  • To work with NDI High Bandwidth, more CPU and Network will be used in NDI Bridge Join (Client) and more Network will be used in NDI Bridge Host (TriCaster Now) 

  • To work with NDI HX, more GPU and CPU will be used in NDI Bridge Join (Client) and NDI Bridge Host will have average consume of resources

If you are planning to send more than 5 streams of HX across NDI Bridge Join, consider to use a NVIDIA Quadro instead of use the Graphics integrated of the client.

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WIP

Using a Single NDI Bridge  

App launcher for NDI bridge Only

Using Multiple NDI Bridges

Provide guideline on how to balance the load of multiple NDI feed to be encoded and decoded 

BRIDGE SCENARIOS

JOIN SCENARIOS

JOIN

JOIN-1  … JOIN-N

JOIN + LOCAL-N

HOST SCENARIOS

HOST + TRICASTER

HOST SEPARATED

ADVANCED

Overview

2 x HOSTS DNS ROUND ROBIN

2  x  HOSTS ELB + Scaling

  • Depending on NDI number of feeds you may need to run multiple NDI Bridge 

    • NDI HX

    • NDI HQ

  • How calculate number of Feeds manageable depending on GPU capability (remember NICE DCV use GPU) 

  • Bandwidth NDI Bridge

  • Bandwith NiceDCV

  • Inbound / Outbound Calculations

References