Sony adds support for NDI to 4K PTZ camera

Customer demand has driven Sony to add support for NDI|HX to its latest 4K Pan-Tilt-Zoom camera model, the BRC-X400, in a significant step for NewTek’s video-over-IP software standard.

NewTek is collaborating with Sony to bring the BRC-X400, Sony’s latest 4K Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) camera to market with support for NDI|HX, the key technology behind the world’s largest and fastest growing community of IP video products. Sony is a clear leader in the global transition to IP-based technologies with decades of experience building revolutionary broadcast systems.

Customer demand for NDI led to a close cooperation between Sony and NewTek to add NDI|HX capability to the BRC-X400, Sony’s first IP 4K PTZ camera delivering 4K30p high picture quality, powerful 80x zoom in FHD with Clear Image Zoom, Tele Convert Mode and support vast range of camera control protocols including 700 Protocol, CGI as well as VISCA/VISCA over IP. The model comes with broadcast-friendly features such as tally lamps and genlock supports and ensure efficient live production set-up by power supply, image output, camera controls, all over a single Ethernet cable.

The true power of NDI is that it operates on standard gigabit networks and can be received and processed by software on computer systems, making this technology usable in almost any network environment today. Driven by the explosive growth of channels and online video distribution, this historic transition to IP-based video production led by NDI brings broadcast level quality to millions of users while helping broadcast networks and TV stations produce more content of higher quality in less time.

“With the industry clearly moving towards IP and computing-based technologies in practical, cost-effective broadcast applications, we see new and exciting opportunities for our customers. Sony support of NDI|HX in the new BRC-X400 4K PTZ camera was driven largely by customer demand for NDI,” said Hiroshi Kawano, president of Professional Products & Solutions Group at Sony Imaging Products & Solutions Inc. “We look forward to working closely with NewTek to extend the benefits to customers with our addition of NDI|HX.”

“This collaboration with Sony symbolises a significant step for the industry,” said Dr Andrew Cross, president and CTO at NewTek. “Sony is a clear leader in the global transition to IP-based technologies with a long history of building revolutionary broadcast systems. The world has moved to IP video and we are proud to be working with Sony to make their latest PTZ camera BRC-X400 connect with the millions of NDI systems around the world. We believe that Sony can empower users to build more agile, flexible and affordable systems that provide live productions with more freedom with its simpler connectivity and hassle-free operation.”

Sony is introducing the BRC-X400 with built-in NDI during NAB 2019, which is currently under way at Exhibit C11001 in Las Vegas