BirdDog Flex 4K In and Backpack Converter Mini HDMI to NDI Encoder Decoder User Guide
- June 11, 2024
- BirdDog
Table of Contents
In and Backpack Converter Mini HDMI to NDI Encoder Decoder
User Guide
Flex 4K In and Backpack Converter Mini HDMI to NDI Encoder Decoder
Copyright
Copyright 2022 Bird Dog Australia all rights reserved. No part of this manual
may be copied, reproduced, translated, or distributed in any form or by any
means without prior consent in writing from our company.
Trademark Acknowledgement
Important Information
Legal Notice
To ensure account security, please change the password after your irstlog in.
You are recommended to set a strong password (no less than eight characters).
The contents of this document are subject to change without prior notice.
Updates will be added to the new version of this manual. We will readily
improve or update the products or procedures described in the manual.
Bestet for has been made to verify the integrity and correctness of the
contents in this document, but no statement, information, or recommendation in
this manual shall constitute formal guarantee of any kind, expressed or
implied.
We shall not be held responsible for any technical or typographical errors in
this manual.
The product appearance shown in this manual is for reference only and may be
different from the actual appearance of your device.
Due to uncertainties such as physical environment, discrepancy may exist
between the actual values and reference values provided in this manual.
Use of this document and the subsequent results shall be entirely on the
user’s own responsibility.
Regulatory Compliance
FCC Part 15
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for digital
device, pursuant to part 15 of the
FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment.
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if
not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a
residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the
user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
This product complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
- This device may not cause harmful interference.
- This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
LVD/EMC Directive
This product complies with the European Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EC and
EMC Directive 2004/108/EC.
Welcome to Bird Dog!
Thank you for purchasing your 4K FLEX IN/BACKPACK Converter. If you have any
questions regarding the unit, please contact your authorized dealer.
Using This Manual
Your 4K Converter is a powerful and sophisticated device, so please read this
manual before use and retain for future reference.
Tip
When viewing the diagrams in this manual, use the zoom controls in your
browser or PDF reader to reveal more detail.
First Step
Firmware Upgrade
Before you use your new converter, it’s a good idea to upgrade to the latest
firmware. We are always adding new features and improving the performance of
our products, so installing the latest firmware will provide you with the best
user experience.
To upgrade the firmware, please follow the Firmware Upgrade Instructions
located in your firmware download folder and perform upgrade process.
The latest firmware files are available for download here.
We’re Invested in Your Success
We pride ourselves on being approachable and easily contactable. We’d love to
hear from you.
Welcome to the Future
What is NDI®?
Your new camera has been designed to support the cutting edge NDI® video
transmission standard.
NDI® (Network Device Interface) is a high-quality, low-latency, frame-accurate
standard that enables compatible devices to communicate, and deliver and
receive high definition video over your existing Gigabit Ethernet network.
Operating bi-directionally, NDI® devices can be auto-detected, powered and
controlled over the same Ethernet cable used to send the video and audio. If
you have a Gigabit network, you have the potential for a streamlined,
interconnected, video production environment.
With the introduction of NDI® 5, you can now securely share network sources
between remote sites anywhere in the world – on a single network port. Even a
smartphone can be a NDI® source.
Transitioning to NDI® can also occur gradually. Existing SDI or HDMI signals
can easily be converted to an NDI® stream and piped where required on your
network and converted back only at the necessary endpoints.
Bird Dog has been on the NDI® journey since the very beginning, and your
camera is just one of our products designed to take advantage of the features
and potential of NDI®.
For more information on NDI®, please refer to this page on our website.
Getting to Know Your Converter
Thanks for purchasing your Bird Dog 4K Converter. Please take some time to
read this document to allow you to get the most out of your purchase and
familiarize yourself with the features available in the unit.
Physical Connectors
Powering Your Converter
This converter is equipped with a sophisticated system allowing power from
various sources:
PoE+ (Power over Ethernet)
PoE+ is a convenient way to power this converter as it allows both data and
power to be sent through the same standard Ethernet cable. To take advantage
of PoE+, the network switch that the converter is directly plugged into must
support PoE+(802.11at).
Diferent network switches are capable of providing differing amounts of total
power to all connected devices. This
FLEX 4K converter uses approximately 14 watts in PoE+ mode to operate on its
own, and up to 30w when powering additional equipment.
DC In
Located at the side of the 4K converter is a DC connection port. This power
input socket is capable of accepting 12v DC power.
DC Out
Located at the side of the FLEX 4K converter is a DC Out connection port. This
power outlet socket is capable of delivering 12v DC power at up to 15w to
power external equipment. Please note that if your external equipment draws
more than 15w the FLEX 4K unit will power of automatically.
NP-Style Battery Plate (4K BACKPACK Only)
The Bird Dog FLEX 4K BACKPACK features a NP-style battery plate that allows
you to mount the Bird Dog FLEX
BACKPACK to another piece of equipment. The NP-style plate is designed to work
with most equipment but may not be possible to connect to all devices owing to
physical constraints. Please note the NP-style DV output voltage is 12v DC.
DC In
Located at the side of the 4K converter is a DC connection port. This power
input socket is capable of accepting 12v DC power.
DC Out
Located at the side of the FLEX 4K converter is a DC Out connection port. This
power outlet socket is capable of delivering 12v DC power at up to 15w to
power external equipment. Please note that if your external equipment draws
more than 15w the FLEX 4K unit will power of automatically.
NP-Style Battery Plate (4K BACKPACK Only)
The BirdDog FLEX 4K BACKPACK features a NP-style battery plate that allows you
to mount the BirdDog FLEX
BACKPACK to another piece of equipment. The NP-style plate is designed to work
with most equipment but may not be possible to connect to all devices owing to
physical constraints. Please note the NP-style DV output voltage is 12v DC.
IMPORTANT NOTE WHEN POWERING EXTERNAL DEVICES
BirdDog FLEX 4K and FLEX 4K Backpack deliver 12v DC outputs which can be
used for various purposes from powering cameras to screens to external
recorders. No warranty is given for the use of this feature with regards to
the suitability of your third-party equipment. It is advised that you should
carefully check the user guide of the equipment you wish to power to ensure it
is capable of accepting 12v DC input and if there are any warranty
implications for using 3rd party power sources.
Thermal Management
This product has been engineered to be actively cooled. In order to achieve
best thermal performance, the fan assembly has been carefully designed to
provide optimum cooling while remaining extremely quiet. It is normal for warm
air to pass through the vent voutlets. The main processor is capable of
operating up to 100º C / 212º F.
Operating Your Converter
Boot Up
When FLEX detects a power input, the Halo Tally light will illuminate orange
and the network activity indicator will begin to lash indicating that the
device’s detection of the computer network. After approx. 20 seconds, the Halo
Tally will lash Red and then Green, indicating the unit is completely booted
and ready for operation.
Web Configuration Panel In this release, the web configuration panel (Web UI) allows you to alter key settings of your converter, specifically A/V settings, and video frame rates, restarting the video processing engine, changing networking parameters and applying firmware updates.
Access via a Web Browser (URL)
To access the web configuration panel please point your computer web browser
to: http://birddog-xxxxx.local/“xxxxxx” is the serial number of the converter,
the serial number is printed on the box and on the main unit. Note the web
address is case sensitive and all lower case. Your computer will need to have
‘Bonjour’ services loaded in order to access the unit as described above.
Apple devices come pre-installed with Bonjour, while Windows devices need a
small plugin available here.
Access via IP Address
Your converter is configured to automatically receive a network IP address
from the computer network via DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). Most
corporate, education and home networks have a DHCP server present on the
network to allow this to occur. Usually your Internet Router provides this.
If your device receives an IP address automatically from this server (DHCP)
the IP address can be discovered in several ways, including Bird Dog Central
Lite available from here.
Access Without a Network DHCP Server
Some standalone or private networks may not have a DHCP server. After 30
seconds of waiting for an automatically assigned IP address, the device will
fall back to a default address which is: 192.168.100.100.
In order to access the web configuration panel on a network which is
configured to a different subnet, change your computers IP address to match
the Birddog unit’s IP address range. Once you gain access to the Birddog web
configuration panel choose your IP address to match the rest of the devices on
your network.
For instructions on setting your computers IP address, please consult your
computer operating system manual or IT support resources.
Password Management
Once you direct your web browser to the web conjuration panel you will need to
log in to change any settings.
Default Password
The web configuration panel is secured by a user-selectable password. The
default password is: birddog (one word, lower case).
To change the password, simply log in using the default password, navigate to
the network tab in the web interface, and select change password.
It is recommended to change this password in a network environment where your
device is shared with other users (e.g. not private), since this password
grants full access to the configuration settings and could interrupt a live
program.
Dashboard
The Dashboard summarizes the important settings for the converter in one
convenient location. You can also reboot the device or restart the video
processing engine.
Click this button to reboot the unit after changing key network settings or
the Bird Dog name.
Restart Vireo
Click this button to restart the NDI ® stream. This may be necessary after
changing key image settings e.g., resolution.
Network
Configuration Method
Here you can set the network configuration to either DHCP (default) or Static.
DHCP simplifies the management of IP addresses on networks. No two hosts can
have the same IP address, so assigning them manually can potentially lead to
errors. If your network is set up for DHCP, this is generally the best
configuration to choose.
DHCP Timeout, Fallback IP address, Fallback Subnet Mask
You can set the timeout period during which FLEX will look for a DHCP IP
address. After this period, the camera will default to the designated fallback
IP address.
This can be useful if you use your camera in other network environments. For
example, if a DHCP server is available in your normal voice or studio
application, FLEX will use the DHCP supplied IP address. If you then use the
camera in another application without a DHCP server, your device will always
default to the known fallback IP address.
NOTE: Do not set the fallback IP address the same as the device IP
address. It is recommended to keep the default fallback IP address.
IP Address Recovery
In the event that the device is not visible on the network, the network has
changed, or the static IP address details have been lost, reset the Birddog
back to its default settings by following the factory reset procedure.
Bird Dog Name
You can give your device a meaningful name to make identification easier when
viewing NDI® sources on a receiver such as a Tri Caster, v Mix or Studio
Monitor. Be sure to make the name unique, as no two devices on the network
should have the same name. The name can be any combination of a-z, 0-9, and –.
After renaming your device, navigate back to the System menu and click the
REBOOT button. The camera will reinitialize and you’ll be good to go.
PTZ
Birddog FLEX 4K IN and FLEX 4K BACKPACK can control external PTZ cameras from
RS-232 serial port using the Sony VISCA protocol.
The PTZ Control tab controls allow you to save and recall 9 camera presets.
Select the Settings tab to set your cameras VISCA address and Baud Rate
accordingly. By default, these settings are:
VISCA ADDRESS: 1
VISCA BAUD RATE: 9600
Once these settings are correct you can control your external PTZ camera
within any PTZ-aware NDI control application as if it was a native NDI PTZ
camera.
System
Password Settings
The Birdied is secured by a user-selectable password. To make changes to any
settings, you’ll need to log in.
The default password is birddog (one word, lower case). It is recommended that
the default password be changed, since the Bidi grants full access to the
camera configuration settings. You can change the password in the Password
Settings tab.
- Enter the current password.
- Enter the new password. It is recommended that you change this password to prevent unauthorized changes in a network environment where PTZ Keyboard is shared with other users (e.g. not private). Confirm the new password and click the APPLY button.
System Update
We are always adding new features and improving the performance of our
products, so installing the latest will provide you with the best user
experience.
To upgrade the firmware, download the firmware and follow the Firmware Upgrade
Instructions located download folder.
Configurations Update
Remote IP List
By default, NDI® devices are visible to each other only when they’re on the
same VLAN. If you want visibility or control of a device on a different VLAN,
you can add it’s address manually as a Remote IP. You can upload and download
Remote IP Lists for sharing with other cameras. To upload a list:
- Click the CHOOSE FILE button to load your Remote IP List in UTF-8 encoded string format.
- Click the UPDATE button. Do not upload a blank list.
NDI Group List
Set the NDI® Group list. NDI® groups allow you to restrict communication to
only devices that belong to the same NDI® Group. NDI® Groups can be very
useful to control visibility and access in larger environments. You can upload
and download Group lists for sharing with other cameras. Groups also need
setting up in NDI Access
Manager, available in NDI Tools.
To upload a list:
- Click the CHOOSE FILE button to load your NDI® Group List in UTF-8 encoded string format.
- Click the UPDATE button. Do not upload a blank list.
Network Settings
Preferred Transmit Method
TCP TCP is the default method of transmission for NDI®. It operates well within local networks with predictable latency and limited jitter. Bird Dog recommends that TCP be used for typical applications, with alternative transports used only for specific reasons.
UDP
UDP is recommended for networks where there is extended latency. The nature of
UDP means that it does not receive confirmation of each packet being received
successfully vastly improving performance on busy networks. Using UDP can have
some consequences if there are other issues on the network such as jitter or
lost packets as it will not inherently re-sent a lost packet.
Multicast
Multicast is especially useful for use-cases that require a single source to
be received on multiple simultaneously. Utilizing Multicast onloads the
distribution of the NDI® A/V packets from the Birddog detox the network
infrastructure. You should take care to ensure your network is specifically
configured to support Multicast as using it on an ill-prepared network can
create unintended network problems.
MultiTCP
Multitype is a new NDI transport method that allows users to send NDI® video
over poor network topography such as WAN (Wide Area Networks) without
experiencing packet loss and lost frames. Historically, UDP transport was the
only option to send NDI video over a WAN, allowing the NDI® video to travel
without dropping frames but
resulted in dropped packets being missed which could cause unstable video. UDP
also places more performance demands on devices sending and receiving the
signal.
Multitype employs a new method of sending TCP packets whereby it opens a mass
of TCP connections over the WAN and uses them in a ‘round robin’ manner, this
allows each individual TCP connection enough time to acknowledge the receiving
packet, confirm nothing is lost and prepare for the next one before it’s sent
the next TCP packet in the round robin. This is similar to a RAID setup in
traditional storage.
NDI Discovery
If you choose to use a NDI® discovery server, you can configure it in this
tab. By default, NDI® utilizes men’s (multicast Domain Name System) to create
the zero configuration environment for discovery. Unless the network is
specifically configured to not allow mDNS, NDI® sources will be discovered.
The NDI® discovery service is designed to replace the automatic discovery NDI®
uses with a server that operates as an deficient centralized registry of NDI®
sources that requires much less bandwidth. NDI® discovery server also helps
with location of devices that reside on different subnets. The NDI® Discovery
Server is available in the NDI 5.5 version of the free NDI Tools (C:\Program
Files\NDI\NDI 5 Tools\Discovery\ NDI Discovery Service.exe).
- If you are using an NDI® Discovery Server, click the ON button.
- Enter the IP address of your NDI® Discovery Server.
- Click the APPLY button to save your changes.
AV
Device Settings
Audio Gain
Controls for adjusting the audio gain.
Encode Settings
Video Input Format
This converter is capable of accepting many different video formats to encode to NDI®. For the most part it is recommended to leave Video Input Format set to AUTO, you can manually override this setting and choose whatever resolution your source device is set to. This can be useful if there is an issue in synchronising video input resolutions.
Colour Space Birddog
FLEX has built in colour space conversion – some HDMI computer sources
provide video in RGB or YUV colour space while others provide the source as
YVU colour space, notably Apple Mac machines. If you experience inverted
colours on your computer-based input, swap YUV for YVU colour space.
Chroma Subsampling
This BirdDog converter is capable of operating in two Chroma Subsample modes,
4:2:2 and 4:2:0. According to the NDI speciication, when you are operating in
HD video resolutions the chroma subsampling should be set to 4:2:2 and in 4K
is should be set to 4:2:0.
The BirdDog 4K converter line allows you to override these recommendations
depending on your own needs. This can result in greater representation of
colours in your image, or less overall video compression. Generally speaking,
for video-sourced material in 4K it is recommended to use 4:2:0, but for
computer generated graphics such as gaming and presentations your chroma
subsampling should be set to 4:2:2.
Bitrate Management
Birddog Devices allow you to set your target NDI® output bitrate. This allows
you to select a level of compression that is more deficient on your networking
infrastructure (lower bandwidth) or higher image quality for critical footage.
The scale allows you to select anywhere from 60 Mbps to 360 Mbps.
By setting Bitrate Management to NDI MANAGED, FLEX will manage the target
bitrate in accordance with the NDI® standard. By selecting MANUAL, you are
able to manually select a target bitrate.
NDI Output Bandwidth
If you have selected a Manual bitrate management, you may set your target NDI®
output bitrate here. This allows you to select a higher bitrate stream for a
higher quality video if your network capacity allows. Select from 60Mbps to
360 Mbps.
NDI Audio
Select MAIN to enable NDI® audio only and ANALOG to enable audio in from the
audio input. Select MUTE to disable the NDI® audio.
Onboard Tally
Select whether the device Tally light is On or Of, and click Video Mode if you
wish the decode source Tally information to be passed through.
NDI Group Enable
This allows you to limit the visibility of the device to other devices that
belong to the same NDI® group. By default this setting is DISABLED. When
enabled the receiver device needs to also be set to the same identical group
name. Commonly this is done using the NDI Access Manager application provided
by New Tek free of charge. NDI® Groups can be very useful in larger
environments to control visibility and access amongst various groups.
NDI Stream Name
When your Birddog converter generates an NDI® stream, it can be identified via
it’s name on any NDI®-capable receiver. You are able to nominate the
NDI®stream name here to give you a more descriptive name of the source you are
connecting to. This can be particularly useful in multi-channel devices or on
networks where there are a large amount of NDI® streams.
Encode Screensaver
Assign a captured frame, black frame, or Birddog logo as a screensaver.
Capture Screensaver Frame
Click the Capture button to capture the current frame for use as a
screensaver.
Failover Source
If the generated NDI® stream is interrupted for any reason the receiver can
automatically switch to a nominated alternative NDI® stream. This is
particularly useful for live ‘on air’ productions where there can be no risk
of still frames or black being broadcast should any source no longer be
available. Select an available NDI® source for the failover function from the
Available NDI® Sources dropdown list. You can update this list by clicking the
Refresh button.
Factory Resetting Your Unit
If you have lost network settings or cannot ind FLEX on the network, you can
perform a network factory reset. Simply depress the reset button located next
to the RS-232 port for 5 seconds until the Halo Tally lashes red. The unit
will be accessible as per factory settings, approximately 10 seconds later.
Receiving NDI Streams
There are many applications that support receiving the NDI® signal that the
unit produces. Each application will vary slightly on how you choose your
source.
NewTek Studio Monitor
NDI® Tools is a free suite of applications designed to introduce you to the
world of IP video and is available here.
The included Studio Monitor application allows you to monitor many NDI®
sources on a standard Windows computer.
Once Studio Monitor is launched, right click anywhere in the interface and
select FLEX from the dropdown list.
Once connected to FLEX, a configuration gear icon is displayed on the bottom
right-hand side of the video display providing shortcut access the Web UI.
NDI® Tools is a free suite of applications designed to introduce you to the
world of IP video and is available here.
The included Studio Monitor application allows you to monitor many NDI®
sources on a standard Windows computer.
Once Studio Monitor is launched, right click anywhere in the interface and
select FLEX from the dropdown list.
Once connected to FLEX, a configuration gear icon is displayed on the bottom
right-hand side of the video display providing shortcut access the Web UI.
New Teak Tri Caster Series
New Teak Tri Caster series devices allow several NDI® sources to be received
simultaneously, the number of simultaneous connections depending on what model
Tri Caster you have.
To select the FLEX as a source on your Tri Caster, click on the configuration
gear icon below your desired source location. From the displayed Input Setting
dialog, select your camera source from the dropdown list.
Once connected to FLEX, a configuration gear icon displays next to the source
dropdown window that provides shortcut access the FLEX Web UI.
Glossary
Domain
A domain contains a group of computers that can be accessed and administered
with a common set of rules.
Domain can also refer to the IP address of a website on the Internet.
DNS
DNS (Domain Name System) is a system used by the Internet and private networks
to translate domain names into IP addresses.
men’s
mDNS (Multicast DNS) refers to the use of IP multicast with DNS to translate
domain names into IP addresses and provide service discovery in a network that
does not have access to a DNS server.
Ethernet
Ethernet, standardized as IEEE 802.3, refers to a series of technologies used
to connect computers and other devices to a LAN (Local Area Network) or wide
area network (WAN).
Firmware
Firmware is a class of software held in non-volatile memory that provides the
low-level control for a device’s hardware.
Gigabit Ethernet (GigE)
An Ethernet capable of transmitting frames at a rate of a gigabit per second.
A Gigabit capable Ethernet network is recommended for NDI production worklows.
IP
IP (Internet Protocol) is the communications protocol for the Internet, many
wide area networks (WANs), and most local area networks (LANs) that deines the
rules, formats, and address scheme for exchanging datagrams or packets between
a source computer or device and a destination computer or device.
LAN
LAN (Local Area Network) is a network that connects computers and devices in a
room, building, or group of buildings. A system of LANs can also be connected
to form a WAN (Wide Area Network).
Mbps
Mbps (Megabits per second) is a unit of measurement for data transfer speed,
with one megabit equal to one million bits. Network transmissions are commonly
measured in Mbps.
NDI
NDI (Network Device Interface) is a standard allowing for transmission of
video using standard LAN networking.
NDI® comes in two livors, NDI® and NDI|HX. NDI® is a variable bit rate,
I-Frame codec that reaches rates of around 140Mbps at 1080p60 and is visually
lossless. NDI|HX is a compressed, long-GOP, H.264 variant that achieves rates
around 12Mbps at 1080p60.
Packet (Frame)
A packet s a unit of data transmitted over a packet-switched network, such as
a LAN, WAN, or the Internet.
PELCO
PELCO is a camera control protocol used with PTZ cameras. See also VISCA.
PoE
Power over Ethernet
Port
A port is a communications channel for data transmission to and from a
computer on a network. Each port is identified by a 16-bit number between 0
and 65535, with each process, application, or service using a specific port
(or multiple ports) for data transmission. Port can also refer to a hardware
socket used to physically connect a device or device cable to your computer or
network.
PTZ
Pan, tilt and zoom.
RJ45
A form of standard interface commonly used to connect computers onto Ethernet-
based local area networks (LAN).
RS422, RS485, RS232
Physical layer, serial communication protocols.
Subnet
Subnet or subnetwork is a segmented piece of a larger network.
Tally
A system that indicates the on-air status of video signals usually by the use
of a red illuminated lamp.
TCP
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is a network communications protocol.
UDP
UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is an alternative protocol to TCP that is used
when reliable delivery of data packets in not required.
VISCA
VISCA is a camera control protocol used with PTZ cameras. See also PELCO.
WAN
WAN (Wide Area Network) is a network that spans a relatively broad
geographical area, such as a state, region, or nation.
White Balance
White balance (WB) is the process of ensuring that white objects and by
extension, all colour, in your video are rendered accurately. Without correct
white balance, objects in your video display unrealistic color casts.
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