Watch this video to learn more about BRIDGE LIVE. It includes a look at real time encode, decode, and transcode capabilities of BRIDGE LIVE between 12G-SDI sources and destinations.  

Workflows can also be built with pairs of BRIDGE LIVE systems to enable end-to-end SDI workflows via IP networks or the public internet, supporting HDR and/or Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport.

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The BRIDGE LIVE family of products, BRIDGE LIVE and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8, support the most widely used IP video compression schemes and transport protocols to solve your workflow needs. The BRIDGE LIVE family supports conversion to/from SDI to numerous IP video solutions and well as pure IP conversion and distribution workflows. 

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

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BRIDGE LIVE supports simultaneous bidirectional encoding and decoding from UltraHD (BRIDGE LIVE only), HD, and SD sources. Both models support up to UltraHD from IP-based sources.

For example, with a pair of BRIDGE LIVE systems, a broadcast facility can receive three incoming encoded camera sources from a remote location and decode them back into SDI for editing and production while simultaneously providing program return to the remote location. This example shows 4 channel capability on BRIDGE LIVE, while BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 supports up to 8 HD channels.  

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BRIDGE LIVE and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 support independent SDI source inputs and maintains their synchronous relationship while transporting the content to end-point destinations. 

This functionality can take place 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 send signals to a Comprimato Live Transcoder cloud instance, thereby ensuring multi-source synchronicity for delivery to various CDNs, platforms, and cloud services as IP video. 

Furthermore, Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport can be scaled up from a single BRIDGE LIVE pair to additional BRIDGE LIVE pairs to enable workflows where multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems can receive SDI and send to multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems outputting SDI, all in synchronicity. 

HDR is also supported for end-to-end SDI workflows.

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BRIDGE LIVE and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 fully support Closed Captioning as well as additional metadata, which is often a neglected feature set with other encode/decode solutions.

BRIDGE LIVE and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 support:

• MPEG-2 ancillary packet support, SMPTE ST 2038
• SDR/HDR Transfer Characteristics, Colorimetry, Luminance via SDI
• SCTE-35/SCTE-104 Ad insertion markers
• CEA-608/CEA-708 Closed Captioning
• Timecode
• Embedding Closed Captioning/Subtitles into H.264 SEI messages
• Metadata pass-through
• Electronic Program Guide (EPG) on input
• SEI (supplemental enhancement information) timecode insertion

BRIDGE LIVE and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 can be configured to meet your requirements, whether it’s low latency or highest quality signal delivery. BRIDGE LIVE gives you the tools to move content and deliver according to your workflow needs.

BRIDGE LIVE supported Protocols

• HLS
• RTP
• RTMP
• RTMPS (output)
• SRT
• UDP
• MPTS (input)
• JPEG 2000 (VSF-TR01)*
• JPEG XS (VSF-TR07)*

BRIDGE LIVE supported Transport Formats

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

BRIDGE LIVE supported Audio Formats

• AAC-LC (ADTS, LATM)
• AAC-HE v1& v2 (ADTS, LATM)
• AC3
• E-AC3 (input)
• Dolby-E Passthrough
• MPEG-2 Audio
• NDI (uncompressed float)
• Uncompressed PCM (multi-channel)

*JPEG 2000 and JPEG XS I/O are available with an optional license.

BRIDGE LIVE and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 support the following configurations for encoding and decoding between SDI and streaming formats as standard. Multiple streams, formats and destinations can be derived from a single SDI input.

NDI:

• 8-bit or 10-bit
• 4:2:2
• BRIDGE LIVE: Up to 4x simultaneous 60p HD encode/decode or 1x 30p UltraHD encode/decode to/from SDI
• BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8: Up to 8x simultaneous 60p HD encode/decode to/from 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, up to UltraHD resolution.

H.265 (HEVC):

• 8-bit or 10-bit
• 4:2:0
• BRIDGE LIVE: Up to 4x simultaneous 60p HD encode/decode or 1x 60p / 2x 30p UltraHD encode/decode to/from SDI
• BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8: Up to 8x simultaneous 60p HD encode/decode to/from SDI
• SRT, RTMP and MPEG-TS protocol support

H.264 (AVC):

• 8-bit or 10-bit
• 4:2:0 or 4:2:2
• BRIDGE LIVE: Up to 4x simultaneous 60p HD encode/decode or 1x 60p / 2x 30p UltraHD encode/decode to/from SDI
• BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8: Up to 8x simultaneous 60p HD encode/decode to/from SDI
• SRT, RTMP and MPEG-TS protocol support

H.262 (MPEG-2):

• 8-bit
• 4:2:0
• BRIDGE LIVE: 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
• BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8: Up to 8x simultaneous 30p/60i HD encode/decode or up to 4x simultaneous 60p HD encode/decode to/from SDI with an HQ option
• SRT, RTMP and MPEG-TS protocol support

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
• BRIDGE LIVE: Up to 4 simultaneous 60p SDI HD encodes (80-220Mbps) or 1x 60p / 2 x 30p UltraHD encode/decode (up to 800Mbs)
• BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8: Up to 8 simultaneous 60p HD SDI encodes (80-220Mbps)
• SRT and MPEG-TS protocol support

$1,499 US MSRP per HD Channel

$5,499 US MSRP per UltraHD/four-channel HD

BRIDGE LIVE supports up to 4x 3G-SDI simultaneously 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.

BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 supports up to 8x 3G-SDI simultaneously for multi-channel HD in 1RU. Dual 10 GigE ports provide network connectivity, and dual power supplies.

Administration, monitoring, and access to both models of BRIDGE LIVE are supported via either a network browser or local monitor via the device's built-in DisplayPort. Indirect agnostic monitoring and automation are supported via both REST API and SNMP.

BRIDGE LIVE and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 optional annual maintenance purchase provides:

• Software and Hardware Technical Support via Phone, Email, and Remote Desktop
• Advanced Replacement
• All new software features, updates, and bug fixes*
• Priority bug fixes and feature requests

Optional Annual Maintenance for BRIDGE LIVE or BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 is $1,995 MSRP.

*Critical bug fixes will be provided for all BRIDGE LIVE customers at no charge.

For broadcast, BRIDGE LIVE and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 provide an efficient mechanism for backhauling remote live SDI video sources to the media production facility 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 charged for time before and after 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 production. BRIDGE LIVE and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 also offer lower latency than traditional secure lines for time critical productions.

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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 and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 mean 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 licenses for JPEG 2000 (4:2:2, 10-bit)* and JPEG XS (4:2:2, 10-bit)*, means there is choice and flexibility in how to approach your needs in terms of quality and latency. 

*(JPEG 2000 and JPEG-XS require an optional license available from AJA)

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BRIDGE LIVE and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 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.

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BRIDGE LIVE and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 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 multiple NDI cameras to an NDI production or post facility, which can distribute those sources as both NDI and SDI, while also returning program feedback to the studio location.

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For Studios and Broadcast applications BRIDGE LIVE and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 facilitate primary distribution of finished and mastered content to partners for subsequent streaming to audiences.

BRIDGE LIVE can provide ABR (adaptive bitrate) ladder profiles or hand-offs for OTT packaging. For example, encoding to H.264 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 tablets) or software (e.g., web browsers) can pull a particular format, frame rate, and bit rate based on the device characteristics and the current connectivity. 

Note that this is not a Push model. If conditions change (e.g. available bit rate), then the receiving device can elect to consume a different format/frame rate/bit rate. However, multi variants are chunked, so if a player switches to a different resolution, it must start downloading a new chunk, and this may result in a spinning wheel – since chunks are 10 seconds in length. The best way to deliver HLS with BRIDGE LIVE is to provide the pre-packed video to a CDN. This means many end-point devices can utilize the content simultaneously. HLS could be sent to a local network in a studio or on-set to enable iPads and iPhones to receive and monitor (provided the devices have network access to BRIDGE LIVE). However, in this situation, the number of simultaneous consumers will need to be kept low (under 10) to avoid exceeding the reliable operation of BRIDGE LIVE.

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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.

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