Unveiling NDI's Innovative Metadata Research Facility
** revolutionizing live production and broadcast workflows, NDI is stepping up its metadata game. ** recent updates in documentation unveil the potential to harness bidirectional XML metadata exchange between NDI devices, facilitating new workflows, enhanced control, and smarter automation for live events and broadcast environments.
More than just documenting existing capabilities in tandem with Vizrt, the latest release introduces four new standard metadata elements. Some highlights include support for broadcast standards CEA-708 & SCTE-104 in collaboration with ToolsOnAir, the audio standard MIDI with LAMA, and the lighting control standard DMX, in partnership with SalrayWorks.
Geen Jung, CEO and founder at SalrayWorks, highlights the value of IP video, "far beyond simply transmitting video over UTP cables, it offers advanced functionalities such as seamless device connectivity, remote control, and firmware updates." Over time, NDI has nurtured an ecosystem that encourages innovation, as demonstrated in leaps forward in fields like lighting and audio for companies like SalrayWorks.
*[Enter the New Wave of Live Events]***
In the past, live events often demanded separate teams for video, lighting, and audio, adding complexity and cost, particularly for smaller organizations like churches or school sports events. Utilizing NDI-based setups to transport metadata, however, enables seamlessly remote management of each component within a single, unified workflow.
For instance, combining NDI with lighting systems enables real-time, remote adjustments from video preview screens, eliminating the need for a dedicated specialist, altering the landscape of live production environments, empowering broadcasters to handle complex operations effortlessly with professional-grade automation.
"NDI metadata allows us to incorporate camera tracking data within the same stream where audio and video are transported," explains Markus Rainer, software architect at Vizrt. "Ensuring that tracking data remains synchronized with the video frame, even in the presence of transmission delays."
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*[Metadata Lab: Turning Potential into Reality]***
The success of these partnerships prompted the launch of a new initiative, the Metadata Lab. Developers and brands who aspire to deliver metadata innovations like LAMA can now submit their metadata proposal at ndi.video/metadata-lab. The NDI technical team will evaluate proposals, collaborate with creators, and improve on submissions. Once ready, NDI will publish as an official NDI Metadata standard, fostering an ever-growing documentation to support new metadata integrations and unparalleled flexibility across the ecosystem.
As the world of live production expands with the integration of these metadata elements, broadcasters and production teams will access enhanced control and flexibility, unlocking a wealth of possibilities for the future of innovative live production.
Tips for Utilizing NDI's Metadata Capabilities:
- For starters, familiarize yourself with NDI's metadata support. A single NDI connection can send and receive XML-based metadata, empowering advanced control and monitoring.
- Set up NDI-compatible devices, ensuring compatibility across cameras, mixers, and other devices, enabling them to send and receive metadata along with video and audio streams.
- Use NDI Bridge to transmit NDI signals over the internet, facilitating metadata transfer between remote locations.
- Utilize XML metadata to integrate with other systems or applications, empowering automation and control based on metadata inputs.
- Consider taking AVIXA-certified courses to deepen your knowledge in designing and optimizing NDI-based workflows.
Events in the live production and broadcast industry are undergoing a significant transformation with the advancement of technology, particularly with the rise of NDI. The platform is stepping up its metadata game, as demonstrated by recent updates, introducing new workflows, enhanced control, and smarter automation.
NDI's partnerships with various brands, such as ToolsOnAir, LAMA, and SalrayWorks, are pushing the boundaries of IP video technology. These collaborations have introduced four new standard metadata elements, including support for CEA-708, SCTE-104, MIDI, and DMX, revolutionizing live events and broadcast environments.
The success of these collaborations has spawned the launch of a new initiative, the Metadata Lab. This platform invites developers and brands to submit their metadata proposals, aiming to turn potential innovations into reality. Once approved, these new metadata standards will be published as official NDI Metadata standards, further expanding the documentation and flexibility of the NDI ecosystem.
To fully leverage NDI's metadata capabilities, broadcasters and production teams should familiarize themselves with NDI's metadata support, set up NDI-compatible devices, use NDI Bridge for internet transmission, integrate with other systems or applications using XML metadata, and consider taking AVIXA-certified courses for optimal workflow design and optimization.
