NDI Support for Cost-Effective, Scalable AV-over-IP Production
Integrate NDI into your products and systems — software, hardware, and embedded — to build hybrid SDI/HDMI + IP workflows with predictable latency and flexible routing across studio, campus, or event networks.
Promwad design NDI solutions that reduce cabling and matrix infrastructure costs (CAPEX), enabling scalable video distribution over standard IP networks while meeting broadcast and Pro AV reliability requirements.
AV-over-IP advantage of NDI
Why Promwad
Promwad is an plug-in engineering partner for product companies and OEMs. We help you bring NDI to production-grade: stable, manageable, and ready for real-world networks and long-running workloads.
What makes our NDI work “production-ready”:
Broadcast + Pro AV expertise
Broadcast demands deterministic behavior and robustness. Pro AV demands flexibility, control integration, and easy operations. We design with both sets of KPIs in mind.
Engineering under real hardware constraints
We integrate NDI with awareness of CPU/GPU/FPGA budgets, NIC limitations, memory bandwidth, and thermal envelopes — especially critical for embedded devices.
System thinking, not “just a codec”
We look at the whole picture: network design, synchronization, QoS policies, monitoring, diagnostics, and operational workflows.
Time-to-market delivery
Fast path from PoC → pilot → industrial release, with transparent stages, risks, and acceptance criteria.
Protocols, Technologies & Standards
We implement NDI with the surrounding stack that makes it useful in production — discovery, routing, control, telemetry, and interoperability.
NDI ecosystem support
- Discovery & routing for scalable deployments
- Tally & metadata for live workflows, automation, and operator confidence
Video & audio building blocks
- PCM/AAC and other audio formats depending on your product stack
- Color formats, scaling, and pipeline optimization for your target specs
Interoperability and gateways
- Integration paths for RTSP/RTP, SRT, RTMP, WebRTC as “in/out” of remote production and streaming workflows
Control & management
- Production-grade logging, remote updates, and serviceability features
Network reliability & field readiness
- Unicast/multicast approaches depending on topology and operational needs
- Buffering and recovery logic to mitigate packet loss/jitter
- Consideration for Wi-Fi / 5G / edge conditions typical for events and temporary setups
Why NDI
| Production task | SDI / legacy pain | What NDI enables | Business impact (KPI) |
| Add new sources/channels in studios | New cabling, router/I/O expansion, patching; cost grows per source | Add sources over IP with lighter infrastructure overhead | Lower CAPEX, faster expansion, simpler scaling |
| Re-route and reconfigure layouts | Fixed paths + repatching slow changeovers and last-minute changes | Flexible network routing and quick reconfiguration | Faster changeovers, less downtime, better utilization |
| Ingest/playout under load (switching/graphics/replay) | Fragile integrations; latency/sync issues; manual troubleshooting | Predictable routing + telemetry-friendly monitoring/diagnostics | Higher reliability, less troubleshooting, stable on-air |
| Remote / distributed production | Logistics and cabling slow setup; SDI-heavy rigs don’t scale well | Network-based contribution and rapid reconfiguration | Faster setup, lower OPEX, scalable production |
| Scale preview + tally | Expansion needs extra hardware chains and cost | Scalable distribution + metadata support | Faster operator workflows, lower cost per source |
| Standardize corporate AV (rooms/campuses) | Room-by-room wiring; inconsistent ops; higher support load | Centralized distribution + easier routing/control integration | Simpler ops, fewer outages, scalable growth |
| Temporary events & pop-up builds | Tight timelines; changing layouts; equipment-heavy SDI builds | Rapid deployment over available infrastructure | Faster load-in/out, less gear, fewer last-minute failures |
| Feed recording & streaming stacks | Adapters/conversions add complexity and failure points | Gateway patterns into recording/streaming when needed | Faster capture-to-stream, fewer conversions, simpler ops |
Application Areas
NDI becomes valuable when it removes friction: fewer cables, faster setups, and easier scaling. Here are the most common scenarios we build for.
Broadcast
- NDI camera, encoder, and decoder devices in studio networks
- NDI ingest/playout pipelines (switching, graphics, replay)
- Remote / distributed production
- Multi-camera preview and tally workflows
Pro AV
- Events and temporary infrastructures
- AV control integration & BYOD environments
- Recording and streaming integration
Assess your NDI setup in 30 minutes — use case, network, and latency review with a clear PoC plan.
Migration & Transformation
SDI/HDMI → AV-over-IP with NDI, step by step
- Start with a pilot zone (a studio area, event segment, or building wing)
- Build hybrid routing (NDI edges with SDI core, or the reverse) where it’s rational
- Expand with confidence using measured network and operational KPIs
Hybrid workflows that make business sense
Cost optimization: NDI vs NDI|HX
Risks and how we close them
Our Case Studies
Quality & Delivery
We engineer NDI the way production demands: measurable, testable, and operationally ready.
Delivery path
Testing “like real life”
Compatibility matrix
Performance engineering
Operational readiness
Trusted by OEMs & Broadcasters
Promwad teams deliver R&D for broadcast, Pro AV, and OEM product companies — from embedded engineering to full system integration.
What you get as tangible artifacts:
- Architecture diagram and integration approach
- Risk assessment with mitigation plan
- Test plan and acceptance metrics
- Release roadmap with milestones
Let’s review your AV-over-IP scenario and calculate the economics
FAQ
What is NDI and why is it valuable as AV-over-IP for production?
NDI enables video and audio transport over standard networks, reducing dependency on point-to-point SDI cabling and making routing/scaling faster and more flexible.
NDI vs NDI|HX — how do we choose based on latency/quality/network?
Can we integrate NDI into existing SDI/HDMI infrastructure without downtime?
Yes. We design staged migration and hybrid workflows that let you integrate gradually while keeping production running.
What network requirements do studios and events need (gigabit, Wi-Fi, QoS)?
It depends on stream count, formats, and topology. We define practical requirements and QoS strategies during architecture and PoC.
How do you ensure stability under packet loss and network overload?
We combine resilience strategies (buffering/recovery) with network design (QoS, segmentation) and validate using loss/jitter emulation plus load tests.
What products can you integrate NDI into?
Cameras, encoders/decoders, gateways, software tools, and embedded devices — including products with strict compute and thermal limits.
How long does a PoC take and what do you need from our team?
Typically a short, focused sprint. We need your use case, target platform details, and success criteria (latency, quality, stream count, interoperability).
How do you test “production-grade” compatibility and quality?
With a compatibility matrix, real-network simulations, long-run tests, and measurable acceptance metrics aligned with your operations.
Can you build an NDI gateway to/from SRT/RTMP/WebRTC?
Yes — we can design gateways for remote production and streaming inputs/outputs, aligned to latency and operational requirements.