* Pricing is for US only. International pricing will vary.
BRIDGE LIVE is the broadcast quality, low latency turnkey system for REMI, Synchronous Multi-Channel Video Contribution, Remote Collaboration, Direct to Audience Streaming, and Multi Bit Rate/ Multi Format Delivery.
BRIDGE LIVE was developed as a collaboration between AJA and Comprimato to deliver the performance, reliability, and ease of use necessary for critical live encode, decode, or transcode needs. Equipped with 12G-SDI I/O plus the power and flexibility to enable real time bidirectional 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 robust 1RU form factor with redundant power supplies and a three year warranty means peace of mind even when dealing with 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 over 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 event streaming, synchronous multi-cam backhaul with HDR, cloud contribution, program return, confidence monitoring, collaborative production, or ABR ladder profiles to hand off for OTT packaging, BRIDGE LIVE ensures simultaneous, secure, and stable workflows whether over purpose built dedicated lines or the public internet.
*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.
Watch this video to learn more about BRIDGE LIVE. It includes a look at real time encode, decode, and transform 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 supporting HDR and/or Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport.
BRIDGE LIVE supports simultaneous bidirectional encoding and decoding with UltraHD, HD, and SD sources.
For example, with a pair of BRIDGE LIVE systems, a broadcast facility can receive three incoming encoded HD camera sources from a remote location and decode them back into SDI for editing and production while simultaneously providing an HD program return to the remote location.
BRIDGE LIVE includes support for NDI (Network Device Interface), the high quality, real time, low latency live video standard developed by NewTek. BRIDGE LIVE can support up to 4x simultaneous 60p HD NDI encodes/decodes or 1x 30p UltraHD NDI encode/decode to/from SDI. BRIDGE LIVE’s NDI functionality offers:
Used in conjunction with BRIDGE LIVE’s broad codec and protocol support, collaboration between geographically separated (remote) NDI facilities can be realized.
BRIDGE LIVE provides broad NDI product compatibility across software and hardware transmitters and receivers.
BRIDGE LIVE can take independent SDI source inputs and maintain 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 to a cloud instance of Comprimato Live transcoder software for delivery to various platforms / 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 be receiving SDI and sending to multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems outputting SDI, all in synchronicity.
For end-to-end SDI workflows, HDR is also supported.
Use BRIDGE LIVE in conjunction with multiple third party systems and software to achieve your workflow requirements as they evolve. Additionally, AJA’s own HELO Plus can be used for contribution or aggregation with BRIDGE LIVE.
For more details about how BRIDGE LIVE facilitates REMI, Contribution, Collaboration, Streaming, and Delivery, explore BRIDGE LIVE Workflows and Compatibilities further down this page.
SRT is an open source video transport protocol and technology stack, developed and pioneered by Haivision, that optimizes streaming performance across unpredictable networks with secure streams and easy firewall traversal, bringing the best quality live video over questionable networks. The SRT Open Source Project, supported by the SRT Alliance, is a collaborative community of industry leaders and developers striving to achieve lower latency internet video transport by continuously improving open source SRT. Encryption built into the SRT protocol ensures end users are well positioned to deliver their streaming video content securely, with low latency and secure reliability.
BRIDGE LIVE supports SRT v1.5.3, enabling redundant stream support over an ISP to ensure hitless delivery of the originating source.
BRIDGE LIVE fully supports both Closed Captioning and additional metadata which is often a neglected feature set with with other encode/decode solutions.
BRIDGE LIVE supports:
BRIDGE LIVE can be configured for low latency and/or high quality tasks. BRIDGE LIVE gives you the tools to move content and deliver according to your workflow needs.
BRIDGE LIVE supported Protocols
BRIDGE LIVE supported Transports
BRIDGE LIVE supported Audio
BRIDGE LIVE supports the following configurations for encoding and decoding between SDI and streaming formats as standard. Multiple streams/formats/destinations can be derived from a single SDI input.
NDI:
H.265 (HEVC):
H.264 (AVC):
H.262 (MPEG-2):
BRIDGE LIVE capabilities can be optionally expanded to include visually lossless JPEG XS encoding and decoding.
JPEG XS (TR-07)
MPEG-TS protocol support
$1,499 US MSRP per HD channel
$5,499 US MSRP per UltraHD/four-channel HD
BRIDGE LIVE capabilities can be optionally expanded to include high quality JPEG 2000 encoding and decoding.
JPEG 2000 (TR-01)
$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.
Administration, monitoring, and access to BRIDGE LIVE is supported via either a network browser or local DisplayPort. Indirect agnostic monitoring and automation are supported via both REST API and SNMP.
BRIDGE LIVE optional annual maintenance purchase provides:
Optional Annual Maintenance for BRIDGE LIVE is $1,995 MSRP per year
*Critical bug fixes will be provided for all BRIDGE LIVE customers at no charge.
BRIDGE LIVE can take independent SDI source inputs and maintain 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 to a cloud instance of Comprimato Live transcoder software for delivery to various platforms / cloud services as IP video.
For SDI backhaul or other site-to-site SDI workflows, BRIDGE LIVE’s bidirectional functionality means BRIDGE LIVE can act as an encoder or a decoder and do so simultaneously. As such, references to BRIDGE LIVE Tx or BRIDGE LIVE Rx are only descriptions of what the unit is currently deployed to do, versus an encode or decode only model of the product.
BRIDGE LIVE Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport functionality provides an easy and repeatable way to ensure synchronous SDI video sources can be fed to an encoding BRIDGE LIVE Tx, then be timestamped, transported, and ultimately output from the decoding BRIDGE LIVE Rx with each SDI signal in lockstep with each other.
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 be receiving SDI and sending to multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems outputting SDI, all in synchronicity.
For end-to-end SDI workflows, HDR is also supported.
Using two BRIDGE LIVE systems total:
One BRIDGE LIVE Tx (SDI encoder), and one BRIDGE LIVE Rx (SDI decoder) can preserve end-to-end synchronicity between up to 4x HD sources.
Using multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems:
Utilizing many Tx-Rx system pairs, numerous BRIDGE LIVE Tx (SDI encoders), and numerous BRIDGE LIVE Rx (SDI decoders) can preserve end-to-end synchronicity between multiple HD or UltraHD sources.
For example, two BRIDGE LIVE Tx units sending to two BRIDGE LIVE Rx units can preserve synchronicity across 8x HD, or 2x UltraHD sources.
4x BRIDGE LIVE Tx units sending to 4 BRIDGE LIVE Rx units can preserve synchronicity across 16x HD or 4x UltraHD sources.
If deploying a Many-to-Many scenario, a common reference/genlock must be used and supplied to all of the BRIDGE LIVE encoding/Tx systems (and the associated SDI source equipment). Similarly, a common reference/genlock must be used and supplied to all the BRIDGE LIVE decoding/Rx systems (and the associated SDI destination equipment).
Using three or more BRIDGE LIVE systems:
One BRIDGE LIVE Tx (SDI encoder) and two or more BRIDGE LIVE Rx (SDI decoders) can preserve end-to-end synchronicity between up to 4x HD sources – which are being received and decoded by multiple BRIDGE LIVE Rx units.
In this case, the multiple BRIDGE LIVE Rx systems could be in separate locations from each other, all receiving the same content simultaneously.
For example, the SDI outputs could be available for Ingest to storage at one location while at the same time being presented for live broadcast (via a switcher) in a separate location.
BRIDGE LIVE provides an efficient and easy-to-manage approach for bridging on-site signals to and from the Cloud. Used in conjunction with instances of Comprimato Live Transcoder, BRIDGE LIVE delivers a scalable and customizable solution for modern media delivery, and the advanced codec support saves bandwidth and provides immediate distribution with minimal latency. Thanks to its flexible architecture, the solutions can be used on any cloud provider, such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure.
Note: AWS references are examples. Comprimato Live Transcoder can be used as the receiver with other cloud providers/services.
For broadcast, BRIDGE LIVE provides an efficient mechanism for backhauling remote live SDI video sources to the media production facility in order 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 also offers lower latency than traditional secure lines for time critical productions.
BRIDGE LIVE supports workflows where it is necessary to receive contribution streams from various third party encoders, IP cameras, or AJA HELO Plus for conversion back/to SDI at a production facility.
For example, BRIDGE LIVE could be receiving UDP or HLS from AJA HELO Plus, SRT from a Panasonic camera (e.g., AW-UE150, AW-UE100, AG-CX350, AJ-CX4000), SRT from a Haivision encoder (e.g., Makito X4), and NDI (locally) from AJA BRIDGE NDI, or software such as an NLE, an NDI camera, or a third party hardware based encoder.
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 means 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 (4:2:0, 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)
BRIDGE LIVE 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.
BRIDGE LIVE 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 three NDI cameras to an NDI production or post facility, which can distribute those sources as both NDI and SDI while also returning a program feed back to the studio location.
BRIDGE LIVE offers a comprehensive platform for live video streaming. Streaming support includes SRT, HLS, RTMP/S, RTP/UDP, and MPEG-TS. Using these standard protocols provides wide support for streaming services such as Twitch, YouTube Live, and Facebook Live.
BRIDGE LIVE offers flexibility for multiple inputs, broad format, and bit rate support, as well as, metadata and redundancy.
Also, while streaming to CDNs for a direct-to-audience delivery, BRIDGE LIVE can simultaneously deliver different stream types to partners to re-transmit, transcode, or store.
For Studios and Broadcast applications, BRIDGE LIVE facilitates primary distribution of finished and mastered content to partners for subsequent streaming to audiences.
BRIDGE LIVE can provide ABR ladder profiles or hand-offs for OTT packaging. For example, encoding to H.264 or H.265 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.
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.
April 10, 2024
4K/UltraHD down-conversion and AMF support for ColorBox, BBC HLG LUTs v1.7 for FS-HDR and ColorBox, SRT bonding for BRIDGE LIVE, and more help M&E, pro AV teams harness emerging workflows. [Read the full story]
AJA's technical support is recognized as among the best in the industry, and together with support from Comprimato, BRIDGE LIVE Annual Maintenance customers have the best of both hardware and software expertise to ensure installations and projects are executed smoothly and with confidence.
BRIDGE LIVE hardware is also backed with a generous three year warranty as standard.
*Final additional stream count per output is dependent on settings and configuration. See Manual for more details.
*Only UltraHD 2160-line single link is supported, as defined in SMPTE ST 2081-1 and SMPTE ST 2081-10
*Only UltraHD 2160-line single link is supported, as defined in SMPTE ST 2081-1 and SMPTE ST 2081-10
180 Litton Drive, Grass Valley, CA 95945 USA
Phone: +1-530-271-3190,
Fax: +1-530-271-3140
Email: support@aja.com
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