BirdDog: HQ Videos over NDI Network

The COVID pandemic will go down in human history as one of the most challenging times that we have endured. And yet despite all odds we have persevered, using technology to propel ourselves out of the mire of incapability. The lack of face-to-face communication during the pandemic led to the rise in communication via internet-based platforms like Zoom and Google Meet. Additionally, in the world of highquality television content, such as movies or telenovela, the restrictions of a traditional video environment combined with the need for production tracks and expensive studio equipment, made it difficult to produce new content during the pandemic. Also, with today’s viewers constantly craving for innovative and better quality TV, broadcasters found it challenging to scale up their content on an almost regular basis.

As such, many video service providers resorted to IP-based Video Production which did away with those hindrances, using Network Device Interfaces (NDIs) networks. The solution is able to integrate with any piece of video production software and provide high-quality video content worldwide without requiring hardware accessories like HDMI or SDI cable to deliver them worldwide.

At the forefront of this revolution is BirdDog, a Broadcast Equipment provider that utilizes an NDI-based network to give viewers and content makers worldwide, access to ultra high-quality videos.

Hardware like cameras and converters that the company provides become entry and exit points to the NDI world over which the clients can send any content they wish. Founded as a pioneering IP-based video production company, BirdDog developed an NDI based solution to get audio and video across any corporate network. As Dan Miall, Co-Founder and CEO of BirdDog, says, “Taking what we have available in the industry at the moment with NDI, using that to its absolute fullest, and then adding additional technology layers on top of that to create workflows for people, is really what BirdDog is all about.”

Additionally, the organization uses its cloud platform, Cloud Connect, to make the locally distributed videos in the corporate network easily accessible from any corner of the world.

The software allows one to access all parts of a client's video production using any mobile device or platform, be it iPhone or Apple TV. The user can even control a robotic camera remotely from any part of the world.

In addition to delivering the highest quality of audio and video on time anywhere globally, BirdDog also ensures that no one can steal those pixels while they are en route, by exchanging data via end-to-end encryption. To ensure that the client is comfortable with the level of security, the company allows them to control the entire data path of their pixels., and can prescribe exactly which server the data will go through. BirdDog designed all of its products to work as standalone devices and as part of a complete workflow. From camera to convertor to Cloud Connect, everything works together to provide a more significant sum of its parts.



BirdDog is not just taking existing technologies and putting them into a box it is also developing and pushing the envelope of what that technology can do. The example mentioned above of using NDI overlay and Cloud Connect to operate a robotic camera from any part of the world is proof. Summarizing this, Dan states the company’s mission as, “Our plan is to make video productions engaging and fun for the people producing them, and ultimately have the highest quality production delivered at the end of the day.” Using BirdDog’s NDI-based technology, many organizations have provided engaging, high-quality video content to their users worldwide. One such organization is the NBA. With a considerable following, the NBA had faced a problem while airing the season's last games in the NBA Bubble in Orlando. Although they had no difficulty conducting matches and maintaining scores, the challenge was making the whole process engaging to fans and maintaining that engagement. In the end, the games were streamed to the audience by a combination of Zoom, the NBA, and BirdDog. In addition, the organization produced hours of materials shared across several media outlets where fans could talk directly to each other as if they were present in the court. On the experience, Dan stated, “Bringing together the convenience of something like Zoom, the quality of the camera of BirdDog and the engagement of something the NBA demands, turned into something extraordinary.” As a result, BirdDog now has an ongoing engagement with NBA where each team has cameras and can communicate with their fans using the Zoom platform.

The company’s products are available in over 100 countries around the world. It has staff in North America, Latin America, and Europe. BirdDog is planning significant expansions in North America and recruiting more support officers, domain experts, and sales engineers for its offices distributed across the globe. The company is also thinking of creating a presence in India and tapping into the country's immense potential in video production and broadcasting.