AJA BRIDGE LIVE Multi-Channel Video Encoding, Decoding, Streaming, and Transcoding for Live Video

BRIDGE LIVE is the turnkey, low-latency, broadcast-quality system for REMI, synchronous multichannel video contribution, remote collaboration, direct-to-audience streaming, and multi-bitrate, multi-format delivery.

BRIDGE LIVE was developed as a collaboration between AJA and Comprimato to deliver the performance, reliability and ease of use required for critical live encoding, decoding or transcoding needs. Equipped with 12G-SDI I/O plus the power and flexibility to enable real-time bi-directional encoding, decoding and transcoding for critical UltraHD and HD workflows, BRIDGE LIVE is an essential part of any modern live video production toolkit. A compact and rugged 1RU form factor with redundant power supplies and a three-year warranty means peace of mind for even the most demanding applications.

New for 2024 is the latest Rocky Linux 9 operating system and the addition of SRT v1.5.3 with hitless redundancy for critical signal delivery via ISPs. Also new is Dolby E pass-through, AAC-HE support, SEI Timecode Insertion, and NDI support.

Whether facilitating remote production, two-way interviews, live streaming of events, multi-camera synchronous backhaul with HDR, cloud contribution, program return, trust monitoring, collaborative production or ABR ladder profiles to drop off for OTT packaging, BRIDGE LIVE enables simultaneous, secure and stable workflows, whether on purpose-built dedicated lines or the public internet.

Features

• 12G-SDI/3G-SDI I/O supports multi-channel HD or UltraHD standard
• Bidirectional encoding/decoding/transcoding; NDI, H.265 (HEVC), H.264 (AVC, MPEG-4), H.262 (MPEG-2), JPEG 2000* (TR-01) and JPEG XS* (TR-07)
• Synchronous multi-channel/multi-system transport for SDI backhaul or cloud delivery
• Protocols: SRT, UDP, HLS, RTP, RTMP/S, MPTS (input)
• Transports: MPEG-TS, NDI, AVC-TS, Fragmented MP4
• Support for NDI multiple discovery servers
• Supports NDI groups
• Multi-bitrate/format distribution, ABR Ladder profiles for OTT hand-off
• Selectable profiles for 12-bit, 10-bit and 8-bit, 4:2:2 and 4:2:0 depending on the codec
• Unmatched metadata capabilities including MPEG-2 ANC, SMPTE 2038, ad insertion marks (SCTE-35/SCTE-104), CC/closed captioning (EIA-608/708, Line 21, H.264 SEI)
• Hitless Redundancy via ST 2022-7 and SRT 1.5.3
• HDR/SDR from SDI source to SDI destination in BRIDGE LIVE end-to-end configurations
• Remote WebUI or local GUI for easy administration, control and operation.
• Monitoring, control and automation supported via REST API or SNMP
• Ready-to-use 1RU rack-mountable, enterprise class form factor
• Dual 10 GigE interface for control and transport
• Dual power supplies for redundancy in critical applications
• Three year warranty

*JPEG 2000 and JPEG XS I/O options are available as purchasable licenses. Full NDI, H.265, H.264, H.262, HLS and RTMP I/O functionality is included with all BRIDGE LIVE systems.

Video overview

Watch this video to learn more about BRIDGE LIVE. It includes a look at BRIDGE LIVE’s real-time encoding, decoding and transformation capabilities between 12G-SDI sources and destinations.

Workflows can also be built using pairs of BRIDGE LIVE systems to enable end-to-end SDI workflows supporting HDR and/or Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport.

Simultaneous bidirectional encoding and decoding

BRIDGE LIVE supports simultaneous bidirectional encoding and decoding with UltraHD, HD and SD sources.

For example, with a pair of BRIDGE LIVE systems, a broadcaster can receive three incoming encoded HD camera sources from a remote location and encode them back to SDI for editing and production, while simultaneously sending an HD program back to the remote location.

NDI encoding/decoding/transcoding

BRIDGE LIVE supports NDI (Network Device Interface), the high-quality, real-time, low-latency live video standard developed by NewTek. BRIDGE LIVE can encode/decode up to 4x 60p HD NDI simultaneously or encode/decode 1x 30p UltraHD NDI to/from SDI. BRIDGE LIVE’s NDI functionality provides:

• SDI to NDI (encoding)
• NDI to SDI (decode)
• IP video streams to NDI (transcoding)
• NDI to IP video streams (transcode)
• Multiple Discovery Servers

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

BRIDGE LIVE offers broad NDI product compatibility between software and hardware transmitters and receivers.

Synchronous multichannel transport

BRIDGE LIVE can take independent SDI source inputs and maintain their synchronous relationship while transporting the content to endpoint destinations.

This functionality can occur between a pair of BRIDGE LIVE units for a synchronous end-to-end SDI workflow, often referred to as SDI backhaul or site-to-site SDI workflows.

BRIDGE LIVE's synchronous Multi-Channel capability is also supported for cloud contribution, whereby a BRIDGE LIVE system can transmit to a cloud instance of Comprimato Live transcoder software for delivery to various platforms/cloud services as IP video.

Additionally, Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport can scale from a single BRIDGE LIVE pair to additional BRIDGE LIVE pairs to enable workflows where multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems can receive and transmit SDI to multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems outputting SDI, all in synchrony.

For end-to-end SDI workflows, HDR is also supported.

Flexibility and interoperability in workflows

Use BRIDGE LIVE in conjunction with third-party systems and software to meet your workflow requirements as they evolve. Additionally, AJA’s proprietary HELO Plus can be used for contribution or aggregation with BRIDGE LIVE.

For more details on how BRIDGE LIVE facilitates REMI, Contribution, Collaboration, Streaming and Delivery, see BRIDGE LIVE Workflows and Compatibilities further down this page.

Ready for SRT

SRT is an open source video transport protocol and technology stack, developed and pioneered by Haivision, that optimizes streaming performance over unpredictable networks with secure streams and easy firewall traversal, delivering the highest quality live video over compromised networks. The SRT Open Source Project, supported by the SRT Alliance, is a collaborative community of industry leaders and developers striving to achieve low latency Internet video transport by continuously improving open source SRT. The encryption built into the SRT protocol ensures that end users are well positioned to securely deliver their streaming video content with low latency and secure reliability.

BRIDGE LIVE supports SRT v1.5.3, which enables redundant stream support through an ISP to ensure hitless delivery from the originating source.

Support for metadata, HDR, timecode and subtitles

BRIDGE LIVE fully supports both Closed Captioning and additional metadata, which is often a neglected feature set in other encoding/decoding solutions.

BRIDGE LIVE supports:

• MPEG-2 ancillary packet support, SMPTE ST 2038
• SDR/HDR transfer characteristics, colorimetry, luminance via SDI
• SCTE-35/SCTE-104 Advertisement Insertion Marks
• CEA-608/CEA-708 Closed Captioning
• Timecode
• Embedding Closed Captioning/Titles in H.264 SEI Messages
• Passing on metadata
• Electronic Program Guide (EPG) on input
• Insert SEI timecode

Transport, containers and protocols

BRIDGE LIVE can be configured for low latency and/or high quality tasks. BRIDGE LIVE gives you the tools to move and deliver content according to your workflow needs.

Protocols supported by BRIDGE LIVE

• HLS
• RTP
• RTMP
• RTMPS (output)
• SRT
• UDP
• MPTS (input)
• JPEG 2000 (VSF-TR01)
• JPEG XS (VSF-TR07)
• ABR Ladder profiles for delivery

Transports supported by BRIDGE LIVE

• MPEG-TS
• NDI
• AVC-TS
• Fragmented MP4

BRIDGE LIVE supported audio

• AAC-LC (ADTS, LATM)
• AAC-HE
• AC3
• E-AC3 (input)
• Dolby-E Pass-Through
• MPEG-2 audio
• NDI (uncompressed float)
• Uncompressed PCM (multichannel)

Supported encodings/decodings

BRIDGE LIVE supports the following standard configurations for encoding and decoding between SDI and streaming formats. Multiple streams/formats/destinations can be derived from a single SDI input.

NDI:

• 8-bit or 10-bit
• 4:2:2
• Up to 4x simultaneous 60p HD encode/decode or 1x 30p UltraHD encode/decode from/to SDI
• NDI inputs can be received, transcoded and output as IP video streams
• IP video inputs can be received, transcoded and output as NDI streams.

H.265 (HEVC):

• 8-bit or 10-bit
• 4:2:0
• Up to 4x simultaneous 60p HD encode/decode or 1x 60p / 2x 30p UltraHD encode/decode from/to SDI
• SRT, RTMP and MPEG-TS protocol support

H.264 (AVC):

• 8-bit or 10-bit
• 4:2:0 or 4:2:2
• Up to 2x simultaneous 60p 4:2:2, 10-bit HD encode/decode or 1x 30p UltraHD encode/decode from/to SDI
• Up to 4x simultaneous 60p HD encode/decode or 1x 60p / 2x 30p UltraHD encode/decode from/to SDI
• SRT, RTMP and MPEG-TS protocol support

H.262 (MPEG-2):

• 8-bit
• 4:2:0
• Up to 4x simultaneous 30p/60i HD encode/decode or up to 2x simultaneous 60p HD encode/decode to/from SDI with an HQ option
• SRT, RTMP and MPEG-TS protocol support

Hardware

BRIDGE LIVE simultaneously supports up to 4x 3G-SDI for multi-channel HD, or 2x 6G-SDI / 1x 12G-SDI for UltraHD I/O in 1RU. Dual 10 GigE ports provide network connectivity and dual power supplies provide peace of mind.

Management, monitoring and access to BRIDGE LIVE is supported via a network browser or local DisplayPort. Indirect agnostic monitoring and automation is supported via both REST API and SNMP.

Annual maintenance

The optional annual maintenance purchase of BRIDGE LIVE provides:

• Technical support for software and hardware via telephone, email and remote desktop
• Advanced replacement
• All new software features, updates and bug fixes*
• Priority Bug Fixes and Feature Requests

REMI (Remote Production) Synchronous Multichannel Transport

BRIDGE LIVE can take independent SDI source inputs and maintain their synchronous relationship while transporting the content to endpoint destinations.

This functionality can occur between a pair of BRIDGE LIVE units for a synchronous end-to-end SDI workflow, often referred to as SDI backhaul or site-to-site SDI workflows.

BRIDGE LIVE's synchronous Multi-Channel capability is also supported for cloud contribution, whereby a BRIDGE LIVE system can transmit to a cloud instance of Comprimato Live transcoder software for delivery to various platforms/cloud services as IP video.

REMI Synchronous Multichannel Transport for Backhaul

For SDI backhaul or other site-to-site SDI workflows, BRIDGE LIVE’s bidirectional functionality means that BRIDGE LIVE can simultaneously function as an encoder or decoder. As such, references to BRIDGE LIVE Tx or BRIDGE LIVE Rx are merely descriptions of what the device currently does, as opposed to an encoder or decoder model of the product.

The BRIDGE LIVE Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport functionality provides a simple and repeatable way to ensure that synchronous SDI video sources can be fed into an encoding BRIDGE LIVE Tx, then timestamped, transported and ultimately output by the decoding BRIDGE LIVE Rx with each SDI signal in lockstep with each other.

Additionally, Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport can scale from a single BRIDGE LIVE pair to additional BRIDGE LIVE pairs to enable workflows where multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems can receive and transmit SDI to multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems outputting SDI, all in synchrony.

For end-to-end SDI workflows, HDR is also supported.

One-on-one

Use of a total of two BRIDGE LIVE systems:

One BRIDGE LIVE Tx (SDI encoder) and one BRIDGE LIVE Rx (SDI decoder) can maintain end-to-end synchronicity between up to 4x HD sources.

Many-to-many example 1

Using multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems:

By using multiple Tx-Rx system pairs, multiple BRIDGE LIVE Tx (SDI encoders) and multiple BRIDGE LIVE Rx (SDI decoders) can maintain end-to-end synchrony between multiple HD or UltraHD sources.

For example, two BRIDGE LIVE Tx units transmitting to two BRIDGE LIVE Rx units can maintain synchronicity across 8x HD, or 2x UltraHD sources.

Many-to-Many Example 2

4x BRIDGE LIVE Tx units transmitting to 4 BRIDGE LIVE Rx units can maintain synchronicity across 16x HD or 4x UltraHD sources.

In a Many-to-Many scenario, a common reference/genlock must be used and supplied to all BRIDGE LIVE encoding/Tx systems (and their associated SDI source equipment). Similarly, a common reference/genlock must be used and supplied to all BRIDGE LIVE decoding/Rx systems (and their associated SDI destination equipment).

One-to-many

Using three or more BRIDGE LIVE systems:

One BRIDGE LIVE Tx (SDI encoder) and two or more BRIDGE LIVE Rx (SDI decoders) can maintain end-to-end synchronicity between up to 4x HD sources - received and decoded by multiple BRIDGE LIVE Rx units.

In this case, the multiple BRIDGE LIVE Rx systems can be located at different locations from each other and all receive the same content at the same time.

For example, the SDI outputs can be available for ingest to storage at one location, while simultaneously being presented for live broadcast (via a switcher) at another location.