Discover the immense capabilities of the BRIDGE LIVE family by watching this video. It highlights the seamless real-time encoding, decoding, and transcoding functionalities between 12G-SDI sources and destinations, which include transcoding from one streaming protocol to another, such as NDI to JPEG XS.

With BRIDGE LIVE, you can craft workflows that utilize pairs of systems to enable comprehensive, end-to-end SDI workflows over IP networks or the public internet. Unleash your creativity with BRIDGE LIVE!

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The BRIDGE LIVE family supports the most widely used IP video encodeing formats and transport protocols to solve your workflow needs. The BRIDGE LIVE family supports conversion between SDI and numerous IP video and audio solutions, as well as pure IP conversion and distribution workflows.

For further details on how BRIDGE LIVE facilitates REMI, Contribution, Collaboration, Streaming, and Delivery, please explore the many BRIDGE LIVE example workflows located further down this page.

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BRIDGE LIVE can be configured to meet your IP video and audio transmission deliverables, whether it’s low-latency or high-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 Pass-through
• MPEG-2 Audio
• NDI* (uncompressed float)
• Uncompressed PCM (multi-channel)

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

BRIDGE LIVE supports 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.

H.265 (HEVC):

• 8-bit or 10-bit
• 4:2:0
• BRIDGE LIVE 12G-4: Up to 4x 60p UltraHD encode/decode to/from SDI
• BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8: Up to 8x 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 12G-4: Up to 4x 60p UltraHD encode/decode to/from SDI
• BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8: Up to 8x 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 12G-4: Up to 4x 30p or 60i HD encode/decode to/from SDI
• BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8: Up to 8x 30p or 60i HD encode/decode to/from SDI
• SRT, RTMP, and MPEG-TS protocol support

NDI*:

• 8-bit or 10-bit
• 4:2:2
• BRIDGE LIVE 12G-4: Up to 4x 60p UltraHD encode/decode to/from SDI
• BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8: Up to 8x 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

*NDI is available with an optional license.

BRIDGE LIVE fully supports Closed Captioning as well as additional metadata, which is often a neglected feature set compared to other encode/decode solutions.  

BRIDGE LIVE supports:

• 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 12G-4 and BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 support simultaneous bidirectional encoding and decoding from UltraHD (BRIDGE LIVE 12G-4 only), HD, and SD baseband sources. Both models support 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 12G-4, while BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 supports up to 8x HD channels.

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BRIDGE LIVE supports independent SDI source inputs and maintains synchronous relationships 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.  

Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport can be scaled up from a single BRIDGE LIVE pair to multiple pairs, enabling workflows where multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems can receive SDI and send SDI to multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems simultaneously. 

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

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BRIDGE LIVE capabilities can be optionally expanded to include visually lossless JPEG XS encoding and decoding.

JPEG XS (TR-07)

• 10-bit
• 4:2:2
• BRIDGE LIVE 12G-4: Up to 2x 60p UltraHD, or 4x 30p UltraHD encode/decode (up to 800Mbs)
• BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8: Up to 8x simultaneous 60p HD encode/decode (up to 220Mbs)
• IP to IP transcodes with JPEG XS are supported and can be scaled up depending on CPU & GPU resource availability

• MPEG-TS protocol support

BRIDGE LIVE 12G-4 supports up to 4x UltraHD 12G-SDI for UltraHD I/O in 1RU. Dual 10 GigE ports provide robust network connectivity, and dual power supplies offer added 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 the system features dual power supplies.

Administration, monitoring, and access to both BRIDGE LIVE models 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's 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

The BRIDGE LIVE hardware warranty can be extended to five years by purchasing and maintaining the annual Maintenance License. For further information, kindly contact us.

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

For broadcast, BRIDGE LIVE provides an efficient mechanism for backhauling remote live SDI video sources to the media production facility, where they are converted back to SDI and made available on the internal facility's SDI router for ongoing production/transmission. 

Traditional secure lines for remote production can be very expensive, with additional fees charged for time before and after production starts and ends. BRIDGE LIVE allows source cameras and local programs 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.

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Production and Post: BRIDGE LIVE connects remote artists and clients using reference-quality video, providing a high-quality window into production for those who cannot be on-site. This enables creative talent to collaborate remotely with reference-quality video, while ensuring that media and equipment are securely stored and managed at the secure facility. 

BRIDGE LIVE complements 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 a 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 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 can be used to connect two geographically separated NDI production teams via the public internet. 

For example, a studio or event location could send 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 facilitates the primary distribution of finished and mastered content to partners for subsequent streaming to audiences. 

BRIDGE LIVE can provide ABR (Adaptive Bit Rate) 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 select a particular format, frame rate, and bit rate based on device characteristics and connectivity.

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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 an H.264/H.262 encode. The delivered stream may be required for further processing (storage, production) or streamed directly to an IPTV/Cable network. 

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