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BRIDGE LIVE
Multi-Channel Live Video for REMI, Contribution,
Collaboration, Streaming and Delivery
Installation and Operation Guide
Version 1.12
Published September 10, 2021
Page 2
Notices
Trademarks
Copyright
AJA® and Because it matters.® are registered trademarks of AJA Video Systems, Inc.
for use with most AJA products. AJA™ is a trademark of AJA Video Systems, Inc. for
use with recorder, router, software and camera products. Because it matters.™ is a
trademark of AJA Video Systems, Inc. for use with camera products.
Corvid Ultra®, lo®, Ki Pro®, KONA®, KUMO®, ROI® and T-Tap® are registered trademarks of
AJA Video Systems, Inc.
AJA Control Room™, KiStor™, Science of the Beautiful™, TruScale™, V2Analog™ and
V2Digital™ are trademarks of AJA Video Systems, Inc.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Copyright © 2021 AJA Video Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. All information in
this manual is subject to change without notice. No part of the document may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying or recording, without the express written permission of AJA
Video Systems, Inc.
Contacting AJA Support
When calling for support, have all information at hand prior to calling. To contact AJA
for sales or support, use any of the following methods:
Telephone +1.530.271.3190
FAX +1.530.271.3140
Web https://www.aja.com
Support Email [email protected]
Sales Email [email protected]
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Contents
Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Copyright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Contacting AJA Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 1 – Using this Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Guidance on Where to Start Depending on Role . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
How Chapters are Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chapter 2 – Introduction to BRIDGE LIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Seven Primary Use Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Encoding and Decoding Protocols Supported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Chapter 3 – Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
User Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Accessing the System Locally and Remotely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Logging In Locally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Username and Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Logging in Remotely with a Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Dashboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Dashboard Interface Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Beyond the Dashboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
System Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Stream Conguration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Chapter 4 – Basic Use Case: SDI to Streams Encoding . . . . . . . . 25
Creating a Pipeline to Encode Incoming Uncompressed SDI to Streams. . . . 25
Identifying Your Encoding Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Steps for Building an Encoding Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Verifying Pipeline Congurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Verifying the Conguration of Your Pipeline Remotely . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Example of Streaming to YouTube. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Adding an Output Stream for YouTube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Audio Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
YouTube Studio Live Streaming Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Streaming to Wowza Live Video Streaming Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Destination Syntax Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Chapter 5 – Basic Use Case: Streams to SDI Decoding . . . . . . . . 39
Creating a Pipeline to Decode Incoming JPEG 2000 to Uncompressed SDI . . 39
Identifying Your Decoding Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Steps for Building a Decoding Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Setting Up an NDI Input Stream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Input Stream Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Setting Up an HLS Input Stream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Input Stream Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Auto-Detected Video Streams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Input Stream Video Conguration Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Output Stream Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
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Chapter 6 – Basic Use Case: Simultaneous Bi-Directional Encoding
and Decoding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Remote Truck Role . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Production Studio Role . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Remote Truck: Dashboard View of Encoding and Decoding Simultaneously. 48
Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Remote Truck: Transmitting to Production Studio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Steps for Creating a Pipeline to Encode Uncompressed SDI Camera Feed to
Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Remote Truck: Receiving from Production Studio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Steps for Creating a Pipeline to Decode Incoming Stream to Uncompressed SDI
55
Production Studio: Dashboard View of Decoding and Encoding Simultaneously
60
Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Production Studio: Receiving from Remote Truck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Steps for Creating a Pipeline to Decode Incoming Stream to Uncompressed SDI
61
Production Studio: Transmitting to Remote Truck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Steps for Creating a Pipeline to Encode Uncompressed SDI Program Feed to
Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Chapter 7 – BRIDGE LIVE Features and Interface Deep Dive . . . . 72
Encoding Incoming Uncompressed SDI to Various Stream Types . . . . . . . . 72
Input SDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Output Stream Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Output Stream Sink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Output Stream Video Conguration Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Output Stream Audio Conguration Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Output Stream Metadata Conguration Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Decoding Incoming Streams and Outputting Uncompressed SDI . . . . . . . 84
Input Stream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Conguring Input Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Choosing the Program Number. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Output SDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Output Stream Cropping and Padding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Cropping Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Resize Method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Logo Insertion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Muxing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Video. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Closed Captions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Creating and Loading Preset Congurations for Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Alternative Methods for Verifying Pipeline Conguration. . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Using RTMP Server for Mac. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Capturing Outgoing Packets and Creating a Transport Stream . . . . . . . . 91
Probes or Other Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Chapter 8 – Initial System Setup and Conguration . . . . . . . . . 93
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
What's In the Box? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Chassis Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Chassis Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Chassis Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Rear Panel Power Supply LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Installation Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Initial System Setup via Local Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Cabling Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
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Power Up and Log In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
EULA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Conguration of Network Connectivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Conguration of GPU and CPU Acceleration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Conguration Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Password Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Licensing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Installing a New License Package. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Contacting AJA Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Upgrading BRIDGE LIVE from USB Flash Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
To Upgrade Remotely from a USB Flash Drive Attached Locally . . . . . . 10 4
To Upgrade Locally from a USB Flash Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Chapter 9 – Advanced System Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Advanced BRIDGE LIVE Conguration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Advanced Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Version Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Factory Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Factory Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Chapter 10 – OS and Network Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Console Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Default Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
BRIDGE LIVE Files Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
System Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Web Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Manual Network Interface Conguration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Virtual Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Adding New Virtual Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
IPMI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Chapter 11 – Using REST API . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Accessing the API Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Featured Curl commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Chapter 12 – Using SNMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Example of SNMP Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
SNMP Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Conguration of SNMP Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Chapter 13 – Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
What if BRIDGE LIVE fails?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
How do I access the system administration environment?. . . . . . . . . . .119
How can I collect BRIDGE LIVE log les?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
How can I change the default system password? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
How can I change the admin password? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
The UI shows that streams are working but I cannot receive any data on the
output. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
I see frame drops in the UI. What can be the cause? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
What information is needed for troubleshooting by Support? . . . . . . . .120
A list of possible error messages in UI:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Appendix A – Specications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
BRIDGE LIVE Tech Specs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Appendix B – Safety and Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
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Warranty and Liability Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Limited Warranty on Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Limitation of Liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Governing Law and Language; Your Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
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Chapter 1 – Using this Manual
Welcome
This manual is designed to enable the quickest path to productivity with
BRIDGE LIVE. An outline is presented below.
Guidance on Where to Start Depending on Role
If the system has already been set up by an administrator, then we advise
beginning at Chapter 2 or Chapter 3, and reading through Chapter 7.
If you are setting up the system for the first time, begin at Chapter 8 - Initial
System Setup and Configuration. For additional administrative functionality, see
Chapter 9, Advanced System Administration.
Chapters 10 through 13 are intended only for experienced System Administrators.
How Chapters are Organized
"Chapter 1 Using this Manual" : Guidance on where to start depending on role and
requirements.
"Chapter 2 Introduction to BRIDGE LIVE" : Provides a general overview of the
product and its capabilities.
"Chapter 3 Getting Started" : Accessing the system via browser or locally.
"Chapter 4 Basic Use Case: SDI to Streams Encoding" : Basics of outputting streams
from SDI Inputs.
"Chapter 5 Basic Use Case: Streams to SDI Decoding" : Basics of outputting SDI from
JPEG 2000.
"Chapter 6 Basic Use Case: Simultaneous Bi-Directional Encoding and Decoding" :
Walks through the steps of Encoding and Decoding simultaneously.
"Chapter 7 BRIDGE LIVE Features and Interface Deep Dive" : Covers the various parts
of the UI or feature set not yet covered in detail, and contrasting various settings
and options.
"Chapter 8 Initial System Setup and Configuration" : Host Name, Network
Connectivity, Licensing.
"Chapter 9 Advanced System Administration" : Advanced setup configurations and
software version management.
"Chapter 10 OS and Network Administration" : Console administration, web
administration, manual network interface configuration, virtual interfaces.
"Chapter 11 Using REST API"
"Chapter 12 Using SNMP"
"Chapter 13 Troubleshooting"
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Chapter 2 – Introduction to BRIDGE LIVE
Overview
BRIDGE LIVE is a broadcast-quality, low-latency turnkey system for REMI,
Synchronous Multi-Channel Video Contribution, Backhaul, Remote Collaboration,
Direct to Audience Streaming and Multi Bit-Rate/Format Delivery.
Equipped with 12G-SDI I/O plus the power and flexibility to enable real-time
bi-directional encoding, decoding and transcoding for critical UltraHD and HD
workflows, BRIDGE LIVE is an essential part of any modern live video production
toolkit.
Whether facilitating remote production, two-way interviews, live event
streaming, synchronous multi-cam backhaul, field contribution, program return,
confidence monitoring, collaborative production, ABR ladder profiles to handoff for OTT packaging, BRIDGE LIVE ensures simultaneous, secure, and stable
workflows whether over private lines or the public Internet.
NOTE: REMI is an acronym used in the broadcast industry for Remote Model Integration
and is sometimes called "at home" or "virtual" production.
Features
• 12G-SDI/3G-SDI I/O supports 4-channels of HD or 1-channel of UltraHD as
standard.
• Bi-directional Encode/Decode/Transcode; NDI, H.265 (HEVC), H.264 (AVC),
H.262 (MPEG-2) and JPEG 2000 (TR-01).
• Protocols; SRT, HLS, MPEG-TS, MPTS (input), RTMP/RTMPS (output), RTP, and
UDP.
• Multi bitrate/format content distribution, ABR Ladder Profiles for OTT handoff.
• Selectable profiles for 10-bit and 8-bit, 4:2:2 and 4:2:0
• Unmatched Metadata capabilities including:
• Ad insertion markers (SCTE-35/SCTE-104)
• CC/Subtitles embedded into H.264 SEI messages
• Closed Captions (EIA-608/708) conversion
• Line 21 captions
• MPEG-2 ancillary packet support, SMPTE 2038
• Electronic program guide (EPG) on input
• Metadata pass through
• Simple to setup and use
• Remote Web UI or local GUI access for administration, control and operation.
• Monitoring, Control and Automation supported via REST API or SNMP
• Turnkey 1RU rack-mountable, enterprise-class form factor
• Dual 10GbE interface for control and transport
• Dual power supplies for critical application redundancy
• Three year warranty
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Seven Primary Use Cases
BRIDGE LIVE is designed for seven main use-cases, described in more detail
below:
1. Live Direct-to-Audience Streaming
2. Reference Video for Remote Collaboration
3. Encoding for Remote Production
4. Remote Video Transport and Contribution
5. Simultaneous Bi-Directional Encoding and Decoding
6. Live Production Encoding
7. Encoding for Content Distribution
Live Direct-to-Audience Streaming
Encode for live streaming.
Stream live events through Internet streaming services such as YouTube Live,
Facebook Live, and Twitch.
Use multiple channels, formats, bit-rates, protocols and redundancy.
Implement multi-camera installations for streaming from a studio.
Transport stream to a partner.
Reference Video for Remote Collaboration
Production and Post: Connecting remote artists and clients using reference
quality video, or providing a high quality window into production for those who
cannot be on-set.
BRIDGE LIVE means the flexibility to leave media and equipment at the secure,
managed facility, and have creative talent work together remotely with reference
quality video.
BRIDGE LIVE compliments existing GUI driving technologies (e.g. RDP, Teradici)
by providing 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
turnkey BRIDGE LIVE, or via optional license JPEG 2000 (4:2:2, 10-bit), mean there
is choice and flexibility in how to approach your needs in terms of quality and
latency.
Encoding for Remote Production
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.
Remote Video Transport and Contribution
Reliably encode and transport video feed from live event, such as a sports
stadium, to production facility where it is decoded for remote production. Secure
and transport video feeds over public Internet. This transport method replaces
satellite connections for a fraction of the cost and with better latency.
For example, an SDI (source) to SDI (destination) hand-off via H.264, 4:2:0, works
well for the majority of users today, and for higher-end clients who may desire
JPEG2000 or H.264 4:2:2.
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• A single UltraHD channel can be transported with 1x 12G-SDI cable using one
of the SDI connectors.
• Four simultaneous HD channels (1080 60p) can be delivered with 4x 3G-SDI
connectors.
In this use case, one BRIDGE LIVE device would be installed at the production
facility and a second BRIDGE LIVE device would be installed at the remote
location.
Simultaneous Bi-Directional Encoding and Decoding
NOTE: BRIDGE LIVE supports simultaneous bi-directional encoding and decoding with
HD/SD, but not with UltraHD.
Receive up to three remote HD sources at a broadcast facility using the public
Internet and return one program feed to a remote location.
The broadcast facility receives the three incoming encoded stream sources from
the remote location and decodes them into SDI for editing and production, while
simultaneously returning to the remote location an encoded program feed.
The remote facility in turn receives and decodes the returned program feed for
program monitoring over SDI, while continuing to encode and transmit three HD
sources to the broadcast facility.
In this use case, one BRIDGE LIVE device would be installed at the broadcast
facility and a second BRIDGE LIVE device would be installed at the remote
location.
Live Production Encoding
Encode SDI video for live production output, where video is delivered as the
intended or intermediate format, such as H.264/H.265, 4:2:0. If a backup is
needed, store locally with NAS or local HDD.
For example, Telcos, IPTV, Cable operators receive an SDI signal from a source
and they need simple MPEG-TS encoded with H.264/H.265 without ABR ladders.
The output could be sent for further processing, or streamed to their IPTV/Cable
network directly.
Encoding for Content Distribution
Encode processed and produced video channel for primary distribution to
partners (B2B) or for OTT (over the top) streaming. For example, you can run an
H.264 or HEVC hand-off with ABR (adaptive bit rate) ladder profiles encoding,
which can include pointing the ladder profile directly to a local packager or CDN.
Metadata
BRIDGE LIVE allows the pass through of metadata, and supports the following
metadata types:
• Ad insertion markers (SCTE-35/SCTE-104) pass through
• CC/Subtitles embedding into H.264 SEI messages
• Closed Captions (EIA-608/708) conversion
• Line 21 captions
• MPEG-2 ancillary packet support, SMPTE 2038
• Electronic program guide (EPG) on input
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Encoding and Decoding Protocols Supported
The following values are recommendations only. You can use lower values if you
need to. If you have good enough network throughput, you can use higher bit
rates.
Encoding
BRIDGE LIVE supports encoding from SDI to Stream, and from SDI to JPEG 2K
Stream (with optional license). See Table 1 and Table 2 below for encoding signal
specifications.
Table 1. SDI to Stream Encoding
Encode HD (1080p) UltraHD Supported Protocols
H.264 (AVC)
4:2:0, 8-bit
H.264 (AVC)
4:2:2, 10-bit (HQ)
H.264 (AVC)
4:2:2, 10-bit (HQ)
H.265 (HEVC)
4:2:0, 8/10-bit
MPEG2 4:2:0,
8-bit
MPEG2 4:2:2,
8-bit (HQ)
NDI 150 Mbps 250 Mbps SRT, MPEG-TS, RTP/
4 simultaneous
up to 60p
8 to 15 Mbps
4 simultaneous
up to 30p
50 to 75 Mbps
2 simultaneous
up to 60p
4 simultaneous
up to 60p
5 to 12 Mbps
4 simultaneous
up to 30p/60i
8 to 15 Mbps
4 simultaneous
up to 30p/60i
10 to 20 Mbps
1 up to 60p
40 to 75 Mbps
1 up to 30p
80 to 120 Mbps
1 up to 30p SRT, RTMP/S, MPEG-TS
1 up to 60p
35 to 110 Mbps
N/A SRT, RTMP/S, MPEG-TS
N/A SRT, RTMP/S, MPEG-TS
SRT, RTMP/S, MPEG-TS
SRT, RTMP/S, MPEG-TS
SRT, RTMP/S, MPEG-TS
UDP, UDP
Table 2. SDI to JPEG 2K Stream Encoding (Optional License)
Encode HD (1080p) UltraHD
JPEG2K TR-01
2013 4:2:2,
10-bit
4 simultaneous
up to 60p
80 -220 Mbps
1 up to 60p
up to 800 Mbps
Supported
Protocols
SRT, MPEG-TS
Note: No RTMP/S
Decoding
BRIDGE LIVE supports decoding from Stream to SDI, and from JPEG 2K Stream
to SDI (with optional license). See Table 3 and Table 4 below for decoding signal
specifications.
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Table 3. Stream to SDI Decoding
Supported
Decode HD UltraHD
H.264 (AVC)
4:2:0, 8-bit
H.264 (AVC)
4:2:2, 10-bit (HQ)
H.264 (AVC)
4:2:2, 10-bit (HQ)
H.265 (HEVC)
4:2:0, 10-bit
MPEG2 4:2:0,
8-bit
MPEG2 4:2:0,
8-bit (HQ)
NDI 150 Mb ps 250 Mbps SRT, MPEG-TS, RTP/
4 simultaneous
up to 60p
4 simultaneous
up to 30p
2 simultaneous
up to 60p
4 simultaneous
up to 60p
4 simultaneous
up to 30p/60i
4 simultaneous
up to 30p/60i
1 up to 60p SRT, RTMP/S, MPEG-TS
1 up to 30p SRT, RTMP/S, MPEG-TS
1 up to 30p SRT, RTMP/S, MPEG-TS
1 up to 60p SRT, RTMP/S, MPEG-TS
N/A SRT, RTMP/S, MPEG-TS
N/A SRT, RTMP/S, MPEG-TS
Protocols
(Can be decoded
back to SDI)
UDP, UDP
Table 4. JPEG 2K Stream to SDI Decoding (optional license)
Decode HD (1080p) UltraHD Supported Protocols
JPEG2K TR-01
2018 4:2:2,
10-bit
4 simultaneous
up to 60p
80 -220 Mbps
1 up to 60p
up to 800 Mbps
SRT, MPEG-TS
Note: No RTMP/S
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Chapter 3 – Getting Started
Overview
This chapter covers the following topics:
• User types
• Accessing the system and logging in locally and remotely
• Introduction to the Dashboard interface
• System Information
• Stream Configuration
User Types
There are two user types for each BRIDGE LIVE System:
1. Admin Username (“admin”) is used for local login, browser login and REST
API access. This is the user type we are going to be using in the examples
below.
2. Transcoder Username (“transcoder”) is used for CLI/SSH (CLI stands for
Command Line Interface, SSH for Secure Shell). This will be covered in
"Chapter 10 OS and Network Administration" on page 112 .
Accessing the System Locally and Remotely
There are two ways to access the UI:
1. Locally – being physically present within the server location and using kiosk
mode (where there is a monitor, mouse and keyboard connected to the
machine).
2. Remotely – using the assigned administration interface IP address in your
web browser to remotely connect via the network.
Logging In Locally
To log in locally, you will need to supply your own USB keyboard, mouse and
monitor connected through the Display Port.
Username and Password
The default username is "admin".
The password is unique for each system. Please see the QuickStart Guide that was
included in the box with BRIDGE LIVE. If you have misplaced it or it is unavailable,
please contact AJA Technical Support.
Forgotten Password
For forgotten default passwords, please contact AJA Technical Support.
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Logging in Remotely with a Browser
IM PORTANT: To enable remote login through a browser, the admin must have previously
setup the system's IP addresses. Until that has occurred, logging in remotely with
a browser will not be available.
Once BRIDGE LIVE has been setup and the system's IP addresses and port
numbers have been established, you can login through a browser by navigating
to the login IP address and port number to access the following login prompt:
Figure 1. BRIDGE LIVE Initial Login Prompt via Browser
Dashboard
Browsers
Unsupported Browsers
After entering a valid username and password, click Login. The Dashboard
displays showing the general user interface.
BRIDGE LIVE is enriched with an easy-to-use browser-based user interface
which can be used to set up and monitor pipeline tasks or provide access to
administrative tools.
Upon logging in via browser, you will arrive at the Dashboard. Likewise if starting
up BRIDGE LIVE locally, after logging in, the Dashboard will be presented. This
is where the main configuration takes place and where you can access data
monitoring tools.
Because BRIDGE LIVE is capable of outputting multiple stream types per input,
"Pipeline" is used to describe the set of parameters dealing with the overall setup,
from input source to encode, decode or transcode of output format(s).
Generally, good performance is observed with Chrome, Chromium, Firefox and
Safari.
Browsers change over time as new functionality is added. In some cases, if you
are using an older browser, you may experience some issues when trying to
administer BRIDGE LIVE through its UI. If that happens, you will be notified that
you are using an old or unsupported browser, as pictured in Figure 2.
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Figure 2. Example of an Unsupported Browser Message
Figure 3. BRIDGE LIVE Dashboard
Dashboard Interface Basics
The Dashboard provides an overview of system status. It also shows an overview
of performance and of the utilization of the system through the following
interface elements:
Left Column - Encode, Decode and Transcode Pipelines
Upper Left Quadrant - Interfaces (SDI, 10GbE, Loopback throughput). Reports
the data throughput transmitted (Tx) and received (Rx) for the selected
interface. For SDI, it reports what is detected and if it is used for output
streaming.
Upper Right Quadrant - GPU utilization/CPU utilization
Lower Left Quadrant - Services and devices status
Lower Right Quadrant - Memory GPU/System RAM
Lower Panel - Stream statistics including stream latency, FPS and FPS drops.
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Returning to Dashboard Home View
At any time, to return to the main Dashboard home view, click the AJA/
Comprimato logos in the top left area of the Dashboard interface.
The Left Column (Pipelines)
NOTE: A "Pipeline" is the overall setup, from input source to decode, encode or transcode
of output format(s).
Beneath the AJA and Comprimato logos, in the top left of the interface, is a
summary of the number of running Pipelines, beneath which are flags for Errors
(Red) or Warnings (Yellow).
Flags, Warnings and Errors
The Pipeline status indicators shown in Figure 4 below show the number and
types of errors, along with indicators for configured and applied Pipelines.
Hover the mouse over a half circle to see specific error messages for a Pipeline.
Figure 4. Pipeline status indicators
Below the errors and warning flags are the pipelines.
On the left side, each pipeline has a circular status icon. The left half of the
colored circle provides feedback on the incoming part of the pipeline, while the
right side indicates the status of the outgoing part of the pipeline.
Immediately to the right of the circular icon is the name of the pipeline. Further
to the right, when hovering the mouse over the pipeline, there is also a toggle
pipeline stop and start button.
Figure 5. Pipeline Stop Button
Figure 6. Pipeline Play Button
When hovering the mouse, along the right edge of each pipeline is a vertical
row of three dots. Clicking on the three dots will toggle the button to display the
following three options:
• Delete
• Clone
• Download
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Figure 7. Pipeline Delete, Clone, Download Buttons
Use these buttons for deleting, cloning or downloading pipelines.
Output Streams and Licenses
Beneath the name of the Pipeline is an indication of the number of output
streams associated with the Pipeline. For every stream, there is also information
on license status. Streams need to be licensed in order to run. For H.265, H.264
and H.262, BRIDGE LIVE will come with perpetual licenses.
Select a Pipeline to display the list of configured output streams for that particular
input.
Backing Up Pipelines
Once you have created all the pipelines you need, you can create a backup of
them. From the lower left corner, click the column of three vertical dots next to
"Add new pipeline" to open the Pipelines Management pop-up menu.
Figure 8. Pipelines Management Menu
Select "Download all as a preset." All of your pipeline configuration settings will
download as a "pipelines.json" file.
You can upload this file in the future to upload your pipeline preset using the
"Upload a preset" menu.
Additionally, you can delete all pipelines by selecting the "Delete all" menu.
Meaning of Colors
Both sides Grey -
No pipeline has been created (new system or all pipelines deleted)
The Pipeline has been stopped
Right side Grey -
The output is not configured
Red - There is an error causing the Pipeline not to work correctly (left side (input),
right side (output)).
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Yellow - Standby mode. For example, this can occur when a Pipeline is in SRT
mode and the stream does not have a subscriber. In that case, the stream is
not being sunk. However, when a subscriber is actively receiving the stream,
the signal will turn green. Another example of Standby mode is when a video
may be buffering while using HLS.
Green - The stream is working correctly (and in the case of SRT, is being
subscribed to).
Stream Licenses
If a license is granted, the status shows “Unlimited time” or the time for which
the stream is allowed to produce an output, according to loaded license files (see
"Licensing" on page 102). The status will be, for example:
• License: Unlimited time – a stream may produce an output for an unlimited
period of time
• License: Till 2021-02-21 23:59:59 – a stream will produce an output until the
displayed time point is passed.
NOTE: For your convenience, the status shows the time and date according to your
computer's time setting, not the BRIDGE LIVE system time, which may be
different.
For example, during installation, the automatic installer sets the time-zone to
America/Los Angeles, but you may be located in a different time zone. Also, you
might have offices in different time-zones and would prefer the servers to have
the same system time, potentially for monitoring purposes.
If the stream is not allowed to produce an output, the license status reads
“Blocked” or “Unavailable” and is shown red. BRIDGE LIVE will process the stream
as usual, the only difference is that the output will not be sent to defined output
sinks. This feature will help you verify your environment abilities, such as system
load limits, input stream compliance, and other factors, even if you don’t have
enough licenses yet. For that reason, the input and output stream status indicator
may be green even if the license status is not valid.
Possible invalid license statuses are:
• License: Blocked – there are licenses for the stream loaded in the system,
but the count of streams exceed the licensed number (other streams have
exhausted the available licenses)
• License: Unavailable – the stream needs a license which is not loaded (the
stream contains a feature of newer version of BRIDGE LIVE which isn’t included
in any loaded license)
Upper Left Quadrant – Interfaces
The first quadrant (upper left) refers to the I/O interfaces, whether that be SDI I/O
or 10GbE I/O.
Interfaces drop-down selections:
• For SDI I/O, select AJA Corvid 44 12G BNC - 0
When we switch to the SDI I/O we can see any channels which have a live
signal, and the format of that incoming signal. See Figure 9 below.
• For streams I/O, select either:
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• Ethernet card 1 (eno1, 10 Gb/s) or
• Ethernet card 2 (eno2, 10 Gb/s) –This displays throughput per Ethernet card;
Ethernet Card 1 (eno 1), Ethernet card 2 (eno 2).
• For testing system throughput/latency, select Loopback (Io)
Figure 9. The Interfaces panel of Dashboard
Figure 10. The Interfaces panel drop-down menu
Upper Right Quadrant – GPU Utilization/CPU Utilization
The second quadrant (upper right) shows GPU/CPU utilization hardware
components. The GPU has 3 statistics. The blue line shows the level of GPU
utilization. NvEnc represents the work of the NDA chip.
When working with JPEG 2000, you may see the second quadrant chart go to
100% utilization. Generally, however, the CPU is not expected to go over 65%.
Hover the mouse over the lines in Memory GPU/System RAM to see how much is
being used and how much is available.
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Figure 11. GPU utilization/CPU utilization panel of Dashboard
Lower Left Quadrant – Services and Devices Status
The lower left quadrant, Services and devices status, reports statistics for services
that are running. It reports what is running, and it also displays the status of the
License server. In the example shown below, the License server is initialized.
Hardware temperatures are also reported.
Figure 12. Services and devices status panel of Dashboard
Lower Right Quadrant – Memory GPU/System RAM
The lower right quadrant, Memory GPU/System RAM, reports memory
consumption.
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Figure 13. Memory GPU/System RAM panel of Dashboard
Figure 14. Memory GPU/System RAM panel of Dashboard showing mouse-
over message
When you hover the mouse over the line in the graph, a mouse-over message
reports the amount of memory used followed by the amount of memory that is
available.
Lower Panel
In the lower panel of Dashboard, you can see a list of all existing streams – both
input and output. Use the Stream statistics radio buttons to filter by All, Input
stream only, or Output stream only. You can also search for a particular stream
using the search tab in the upper right section of the panel. See Figure 13 below.
NOTE: Pipelines that are still being configured and have yet to be applied will not display
in the stream statistics area.
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Figure 15. Dashboard Stream Statistics
In the event that an error occurs, the relevant line will turn red to notify you. Once
you hover over a line with your cursor, the system will give you an error message
as shown below in Figure 16.
Figure 16. BRIDGE LIVE UI - Stream Errors
Beyond the Dashboard
Besides the Dashboard, two other important areas of the interface are System
Information and Stream Configuration. Other areas of the interface are covered as
necessary in later chapters.
System Information
To view system information, hover your mouse over the Setup menu in the upper
right corner, then click System information. System information reports various
aspects of the system including software version, OS version, Installation ID,
Memory statistics, drivers, hardware and network information.
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Figure 17. Selecting System information from the Setup menu
Figure 18. System Information
Stream Configuration
The bottom left corner of the Dashboard has an Add new pipeline button for
adding a new pipeline. Selecting it directs you to the setup window. This is
the same window accessed when you want to change the configuration of an
existing stream. From the left column, click on a stream you want to change, and
the stream settings window displays as shown in Figure 19.
If you need to get back to the main Dashboard view, click on the AJA/Comprimato
logos in the top left of the application window.
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Figure 19. BRIDGE LIVE UI - Changing Stream Configuration
Figure 19 shows a dialogue window to select the input stream source type. You
can choose the input type – SDI input, RTP/UDP, UDP, SRT, NDI, or HLS. If you
select the SDI input, select the SDI card (AJA Corvid 44 12G BNC) and the Port for
the video input.
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Chapter 4 – Basic Use Case: SDI to Streams Encoding
Creating a Pipeline to Encode Incoming Uncompressed SDI to Streams
This chapter guides you through the basic steps for using BRIDGE LIVE to quickly
set up a stream that encodes uncompressed SDI to H.262, H.264, H.265 or JPEG
2000. The steps below use mostly default settings. More detailed information
about configuration options is included in "Chapter 7 BRIDGE LIVE Features and
Interface Deep Dive" on page 72.
Identifying Your Encoding Requirements
As you go through the steps in this chapter, you will make choices regarding
transport streams, protocols, and codecs to meet your encoding requirements.
These choices dynamically impact which specific sets of configuration options
become available as you go through the process of building a pipeline.
Before you begin, consider which of the following components match your
requirements:
Transport Streams Protocols Codecs
MPEG-TS
RTMP/S* (output only)
NDI
MPEG-TS PCR only
*RTMP/S works only with H.264.
**The JPEG 2000 I/O is available through an optional license that can be
purchased and downloaded for installation.
RTP/UDP
UDP
SRT
HLS
Steps for Building an Encoding Pipeline
Adding New Pipeline
From the BRIDGE LIVE Dashboard, click Add new pipeline in the lower left corner.
Figure 20. Add new pipeline button
Dashboard displays a page that presents Input and Output stream configuration
options.
H.262
H.264
H.265
JPEG 2000**
NDI
Naming the Pipeline
From the top of the Input stream configuration options column, click edit
name, found immediately to the right of the text "Name your Pipeline."
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Figure 21. The edit name button
The Edit pipeline name pop-up window displays.
Figure 22. The Edit pipeline pop-up window
Enter a name for your new pipeline in the Edit pipeline name field. For this
example, we are using "SDI to Stream" as the new pipeline name. Use a simple
name that your users will understand.
NOTE: There is a 24 character limit on the pipeline name. If you use more than 24
characters, an error message indicates you have exceeded the 24-character limit,
and you will not be able to save the name.
After clicking OK, the new pipeline will be shown in the left column of Dashboard.
Both half circles are gray indicating that the Pipeline is not active yet.
Figure 23. The left column of Dashboard showing the newly named pipeline
that you are setting up
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Selecting the Input Stream Source (SDI Channel)
Figure 24. Input stream source selection
Under the "Input stream source" heading, make selections for Type, SDI device,
and Port. In this example, the following selections were made:
• Typ e: SDI
• SDI device: AJA Corvid 44 12G BNC
• Port: Port #2
SDI Video Preview
When configuring or creating a pipeline for incoming SDI signals, there is an
video preview thumbnail window for confidence monitoring so you can be
sure which SDI video signal you have selected for encoding. The video preview
automatically displays an image and refreshes about one frame for every one or
two seconds. It is not intended for high fidelity monitoring.
If no image displays, check that the signal is actively being input to the selected
port.
NOTE: If you require reference-quality video monitoring, we recommend that you use
either an SDI monitor and/or a receiving client (host system) with a high-quality
GPU and Monitor.
Start Detecting Video Input Properties
To prompt BRIDGE LIVE to detect the incoming SDI signal and some of its
characteristics, click Start Detecting Input located above the video preview
window. The Input stream configuration options column updates to show a new
heading called "Auto-detected video streams."
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Figure 25. New heading "Auto-detected video streams" appears with some
characteristics of the detected video signal listed
Set as Input
Under the "Auto-detected video streams" heading, select Set as input. The
heading just above—"Input stream video configuration options"—expands and
now displays auto-populated characteristics of the detected video signal:
"Video #1: Uncompressed 1920x1080p @23.98Hz 4:2:2 10-bit"
Figure 26. Auto-populated characteristics of the SDI video input signal
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Adding the Output Stream
Next, from the lower area of the Output stream mapping column of the
Dashboard, click Add output stream.
Figure 27. Add output stream button
New fields display in the Output stream column on the right side of Dashboard
for naming and configuring your new output stream. Some of the fields of the
Output stream column are auto-populated, matching the detected Input stream.
Naming the Output Stream
Under the heading Output stream options, enter a name in the Name field. For
example, "SDI to H.264 Output," "SDI to H.265 Output," or whatever name will be
descriptive to your users for this specific output stream.
Figure 28. Output stream options panel, example 1
Figure 29. Output stream options panel, example 2
Selecting the Output Stream Type
From the Stream type drop-down menu, select the output stream type. The
default value is MPEG-TS. RTMP(S) is also available and will be discussed in
"Chapter 7 BRIDGE LIVE Features and Interface Deep Dive" on page 72.
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Figure 30. Selecting Stream Type MPEG-TS
In this example, we are using MPEG-TS.
Selecting the Output Stream Sink
Under the Output stream sink heading, select the Output stream sink type. In this
example, we are using RTP/UDP.
In this case, we are setting up a Loopback output stream for testing purposes. The
IP address is 127.0.0.1 (for localhost), and the Port is 5050.
The Ethernet card selection is Loopback (Io) connected.
Figure 31. Output stream sink configuration
Output Stream Video Configuration Options
Next, under the heading Output stream video configuration options, for Video
codec, select H.264.
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Figure 32. Multiple video codec selections available
The Frame size is auto-populated to reflect the detected input signal. The Scan
rate and other properties are also auto-populated.
Figure 33. Output stream video configuration options
Leave the remaining fields with their default values.
Click Save & Restart.
Figure 34. Save & Restart button
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BRIDGE LIVE takes just a few moments to process the settings. Once finished,
the left column updates to show your newly created Pipeline -- SDI to Stream.
The two green circle halves indicate that both the input and output sides of the
Pipeline are running with no errors.
Figure 35. The newly created Pipeline displaying in the left column
Verifying Pipeline Configurations
You can use a variety of methods to verify your pipeline configurations.
For an encoded stream using stream type MPEG-TS, you can use RTP/U DP, UDP, or
SRT to send the stream to an output stream sink device.
For RTP/UDP or UDP, BRIDGE LIVE needs to be able to send the stream directly
to the target location. If the target location is behind a router that blocks it, or if
the target location is in a network behind NAT (network address translation), your
target location will not be able to receive the stream.
For an encoded stream using stream type RTMP(S), the stream cannot do pointto-point. It has to bounce off of a server first.
Verifying the Configuration of Your Pipeline Remotely
With your pipeline now set up, you can verify that it is functioning correctly by
accessing the stream with off-the-shelf software for monitoring. In this example,
we will use VLC media player.
You can download VLC media player from the Video LAN Organization's website:
https://www.videolan.org/
Once you have downloaded, installed, and launched VLC media player on a
laptop or workstation, take the following steps in BRIDGE LIVE:
Output Stream Sink Configuration for SRT
Under the Output stream sink heading, select SRT from the Type drop-down
menu.
For the IP address field, enter the IP address for the computer you are using to run
VLC media player.
Enter Port number 5050 into the Port field.
Select Ethernet card 2 from the Ethernet card drop-down menu.
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From the lower right corner of Dashboard, click Apply configuration.
BRIDGE LIVE applies your configuration changes.
VLC Media Player for SRT
From VLC media player, select File > Open Network. The Open Source window
displays.
In the URL field, enter:
sr t://
Followed by the IP address and port number entered earlier under the Output
stream sink heading. In our example, the VLC URL field would look like this:
srt://198.169.208.120:5050
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Click Open. VLC will open a new window displaying the live stream of the SDI
source that you selected in your new BRIDGE LIVE pipeline. VLC may take a brief
moment to open the new window.
Example of Streaming to YouTube
NOTE: The last steps about the stream URL and key are critical elements.
In this example, we assume that you already have a Pipeline setup that has a
streaming output. We are going to add an output stream to that Pipeline for
streaming to YouTube.
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Adding an Output Stream for YouTube
Figure 36. Configuring a new output stream for streaming to YouTube
1. Click Add output stream.
2. Under Output stream options, provide a name for your new output stream.
3. Set Stream type to RTMP(S).
4. Under Output stream video conguration options, set Video codec to
H.264.
5. Set Frame size to your desired YouTube resolution, for example, 1920x1080.
6. Set Bit depth to 8-bit.
7. Set Color sampling to 4:2:0.
8. Set Video bit rate to the YouTube recommended rate of 3 to 6 Mbit for
1080p23.98 to 1080p30.
9. Set Scan rate to match the video input scan rate (can be half for high frame
rate inputs if desired).
10. Set Scan to progressive (YouTube prefers progressive video).
11. Under H.264 encoding options, set Coding to CABAC.
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12. Set Prole to Main.
13. Set GOP size to 2x the frame rate. For example, 1080p29.97 = GOP of 60).
Audio Settings
1. Under Output stream audio configuration options, click Change audio
mapping.
Figure 37. Audio Mapping RTMP to YouTube
2. Name your Output Audio settings.
3. Select AAC-ADTS under Audio codec.
4. Set Rate to 44100 Hz.
5. Set Audio bit rate to 128 kbit/s.
6. Click Save setup.
YouTube Studio Live Streaming Page
1. Go to your YouTube Studio live streaming page.
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Figure 38. YouTube Studio Live Streaming Page
2. Copy the Stream URL.
3. Paste the stream URL into URL address with stream key eld under
Output stream sink of pipeline Output stream mapping.
4. Go back to the YouTube Studio live streaming page.
5. Copy the Stream key.
6. Go back to the RTMP URL address with stream key eld.
7. Add a “/” to end of the pasted URL address, then paste in the copied stream
key.
8. Apply conguration.
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Figure 39. YouTube Studio Live Stream Page Now Streaming
Streaming to Wowza Live Video Streaming Platform
If you wish to stream to Wowza, note that you can provide authentication
through the URL format.
Destination Syntax Examples
See the following destination syntax examples:
• rtmp://USERNAME:PASSWORD@address:1935/live
• rtmp[s]://[user:pass@]example.com:19xx/live/stream-key
Please see https://www.wowza.com/ for more detailed information.
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Chapter 5 – Basic Use Case: Streams to SDI Decoding
Creating a Pipeline to Decode Incoming JPEG 2000 to Uncompressed SDI
This chapter guides you through the basic steps for quickly setting up a stream
that decodes JPEG 2000 into uncompressed SDI. The steps below use default
settings. More detailed information is included in "Chapter 7 BRIDGE LIVE Features
and Interface Deep Dive" on page 72.
Identifying Your Decoding Requirements
As you go through the steps in this chapter, you will make choices regarding
transport streams, protocols, and codecs to meet your decoding requirements.
These choices dynamically impact which specific sets of configuration options
become available as you go through the process of building a pipeline.
Before you begin, consider which of the following components match your
requirements:
Transport Streams Protocols Codecs
MPEG-TS
RTMP/S* (output only)
NDI
MPEG-TS PCR only
*RTMP/S works only with H.264.
**The JPEG 2000 I/O is available through an optional license that can be
purchased and downloaded for installation.
RTP/UDP
UDP
SRT
HLS
Steps for Building a Decoding Pipeline
Adding New Pipeline
From the BRIDGE LIVE Dashboard, click Add new pipeline in the lower left
corner.
Figure 40. Add new pipeline button
Dashboard displays a page that presents Input and Output stream configuration
options.
H.262
H.264
H.265
JPEG 2000**
NDI
Naming the Pipeline
From the top of the Input stream configuration options column, click edit
name, found immediately to the right of the text "Pipeline."
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Figure 41. The edit name button
The Edit pipeline name pop-up window displays.
Figure 42. The Edit pipeline pop-up window
Enter a name for your new pipeline in the Edit pipeline name field. For this
example, we are using "JPEG 2K to SDI" as the new pipeline name.
NOTE: There is a 128 character limit on the pipeline name.
After clicking OK, the new pipeline will be shown in the left column of Dashboard.
Figure 43. The left column of Dashboard showing the newly named pipeline
that you are setting up
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Selecting the Input Stream Source (JPEG 2000 Channel)
Figure 44. Input stream source selection
For the Input stream configuration options, make selections for Type, IP address,
Port, Ethernet card. In this example, the following selections were made:
• Typ e: RT P/UDP
• IP address: Enter the IP address for the Ethernet card that is receiving the JPEG
2000 signal. Or set it to 0.0.0.0 (default). BRIDGE LIVE will interpret 0.0.0.0 as
being equivalent to entering the IP address of the Ethernet card.
• Source IP filter: Only multicast traffic originating from the specified IP address
will be received.
• Port: 5050
• Ethernet card: Ethernet card 1
• Compliance with: Auto-detected
Auto-Detecting Video Streams
Click Start Detecting Input.
The Input stream configuration options column updates to show a new heading
called "Auto-detected video streams."
Figure 45. New heading displays called "Auto-detected video streams"
Beneath the heading, what is shown is "Video #1: JPEG2000 1920x1080p @59.94Hz
4:2:2 10-bit.
Click the signal that is listed. The Input stream video configuration options
section expands and is auto-populated with the auto-detected video stream
properties.
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Figure 46. Input stream video configuration options Auto-populated and
Auto-detected JPEG2000 video streams
Adding the Output Stream
Next, from the lower area of the Output stream mapping column of the
Dashboard, click Add output stream.
Figure 47. Add output stream button
New fields display for naming and configuring your new output stream.
Naming the Output Stream
Under the heading Output stream options, enter a name in the Name field.
For Stream type, select SDI.
Figure 48. Output stream options panel
Selecting the Output Stream Sink Type
Under the heading Output stream sink, select AJA Corvid 44 12G BNC from the
SDI device drop-down menu.
In this example, we have selected Port #1 to output the SDI signal.
Figure 49. Output stream sink panel
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Output Stream Video Configuration Options
The Output stream video configuration options are pre-selected based on the
auto-detection on the input side. Uncompressed is already selected from the
Video codec drop-down menu.
Likewise, the frame size, bit depth, color sampling, scan rate, and scan
(progressive or interlaced) are pre-populated.
Figure 50. Output stream video configuration options pre-populated
Applying Configuration Settings
From the lower right corner of Dashboard, click Apply configuration.
BRIDGE LIVE applies all your configuration settings and initiates the new pipeline.
Figure 51. Apply configuration button
After BRIDGE LIVE accepts your configuration settings, the left column will update
to show the new pipeline. When both circle halves are green, the pipeline is
running correctly.
If you see error messages, look for error messages in red text in the Pipeline
configuration window to see where errors are occurring.
See also: "Chapter 13 Troubleshooting" on page 119.
Figure 52. Newly created JPEG 2K to SDI Pipeline
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Setting Up an NDI Input Stream
NDI is a flexible and versatile solution, allowing multiple video streams on a
shared connection. NDI supports high quality, low latency, frame-accurate video
over standard Ethernet networks. NDI stands for Network Device Interface and is
developed by NewTek.
Input Stream Source
1. Within the pipeline you want to work with, navigate to your Input Stream
source.
2. Select NDI as the Type.
3. Select a source from the Detected sources list. Your selection displays in the
Selected source eld.
4. Click Start Detecting Input. The detected NDI stream is listed under "Autodetected video streams."
5. Next to the listed auto-detected video stream, click Set as input.
Figure 53. Setting up an NDI input stream
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Setting Up an HLS Input Stream
BRIDGE LIVE supports input stream source type HLS (HTTP Live Streaming). HLS
is an adaptive bit rate streaming protocol. If multiple streams in the HLS ladder
are present, BRIDGE LIVE automatically selects the highest quality stream for
conversion.
For BRIDGE LIVE HLS input, H.264 for HD is supported via AVC TS segments.
Fragmented MP4 is also supported for HLS input, with H.264 supporting up to
HD and H.265 supporting up to UltraHD. HLS audio formats support covers EAC3,
AC3 and AAC.
Input Stream Source
Within the pipeline you want to work with, navigate to your Input Stream source.
Select HLS as the Type.
In the HTTP or HTTPS URL field, enter your HLS Stream URL. As long as the URL is
valid, BRIDGE LIVE will ingest the input stream and auto-detect the content.
Setting the Buffer Size for HLS
When configuring the buffer size, we recommend using a value that is seven to
ten times higher than the length of the HLS segment. When starting, you will
have to wait for the set amount of time for the video to buffer before you can see
any output. If the buffer size is too short, it may cause additional buffering.
Figure 54. Selecting HLS Input Stream Source Type
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In the example above, the HLS stream URL is:
http://10.8.250.1/hls/segs/master.m3u8
This URL is copied and pasted from the device that is generating the HLS stream
(in this case, an AJA HELO streaming appliance).
Auto-Detected Video Streams
To auto-detect the video stream, after you have entered the HLS stream URL,
select the green Start button in the lower right corner of the BRIDGE LIVE
interface. After a few seconds, BRIDGE LIVE will auto-detect the HLS video stream
and display a link under the heading "Auto-detected video streams" shown in
Figure 54.
Click the link. In this example, the link is "Video #1: H.264 1920x1080p @29.97Hz
4:2:0 8-bit".
Clicking the auto-detected video stream link simplifies the Input stream
configuration process because it automatically captures the incoming video
stream configuration properties.
Input Stream Video Configuration Options
If you do not select the auto-detected video streams link, under the heading
"Input stream video configuration options," set the video format to match the
settings of your HLS stream source. For this example, you would need to set the
video codec to H.264, the bit depth to 8-bit, and the color sampling as 4:2:0.
Output Stream Options
Create an output stream in the manner described earlier in this chapter. See
"Adding the Output Stream" on page 42. You could output to SDI, MPEG-TS, or
RTMP(S).
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Chapter 6 – Basic Use Case: Simultaneous BiDirectional Encoding and Decoding
NOTE: BRIDGE LIVE supports simultaneous bi-directional encoding and decoding with
HD/SD. However, simultaneous bi-directional encoding and decoding is not
supported with UltraHD.
Receive up to three remote HD sources at a production studio using the public
Internet and return a program feed to a remote truck.
The production studio receives the incoming encoded stream sources from
the remote truck and decodes them into SDI for editing and production, while
simultaneously returning to the remote truck an encoded program feed.
The remote truck in turn receives and decodes the returned program feed for
program monitoring over SDI, while continuing to encode and transmit up to
three HD sources to the production studio.
Overview
This use case describes a scenario in which two BRIDGE LIVE devices are being
used. One device is installed in a Production Studio while a second device is
installed in a Remote Truck.
Remote Truck Role
The Remote Truck has an HD camera feeding an SDI input to BRIDGE LIVE. The
BRIDGE LIVE device encodes the HD input to H.264 and sends it as a stream to the
Production Studio.
Simultaneously, the BRIDGE LIVE in the Remote Truck is receiving a program feed
from the Production Studio as an H.264 stream and decoding it for output into
HD for an SDI monitor.
Production Studio Role
The BRIDGE LIVE installed in the Production Studio is receiving a camera feed
from the Remote Truck as an H.264 stream input. The BRIDGE LIVE device decodes
the H.264 stream into HD for contribution to the facility SDI router.
At the same time, the Production Studio is feeding its HD program return signal
to an SDI input on its BRIDGE LIVE device, encoding it into H.264, and streaming it
to the Remote Truck.
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Remote Truck: Dashboard View of Encoding and Decoding Simultaneously
Figure 55. Dashboard View of Remote Truck Encoding and Decoding
Simultaneously
Cabling
Encoding
The Remote Truck BRIDGE LIVE has HD signals connected to SDI Ports 1 and 2,
indicated in Figure 55 above in the Interfaces area. However, in this example, we
will encode only the HD signal coming into Port 1, and transmit the encoded
H.264 signal through Ethernet Card 1.
Decoding
For the decoding Pipeline, the Remote Truck BRIDGE LIVE will receive H.264
through Ethernet Card 2, decode it, then transmit the Uncompressed SDI through
Port 3. Figure 55 above shows that Channel 3 (Port 3) is set for output.
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Remote Truck: Transmitting to Production Studio
Figure 56. Pipeline View of Remote Truck Encoding Uncompressed SDI to H.264
for Transmission to Production Studio
Steps for Creating a Pipeline to Encode Uncompressed SDI Camera Feed to Streams
Adding New Pipeline to the Remote Truck BRIDGE LIVE
From the Remote Truck BRIDGE LIVE Dashboard, click Add new pipeline in the
lower left corner.
Figure 57. Add new pipeline button
Dashboard displays a page that presents Input and Output stream configuration
options.
Naming the Pipeline
From the top of the Input stream configuration options column, click edit
name, found immediately to the right of the text "Name your Pipeline."
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Figure 58. The edit name button
The Edit pipeline name pop-up window displays.
Figure 59. The Edit pipeline pop-up window
Enter a name for your new pipeline in the Edit pipeline name field. For this
example, we are using "Tx to Production Studio" as the new pipeline name. Use a
simple name that your users will understand.
NOTE: There is a 24 character limit on the pipeline name. If you use more than 24
characters, an error message indicates you have exceeded the 24-character limit,
and you will not be able to save the name.
After clicking OK, the new pipeline will be shown in the left column of Dashboard.
Both half circles are gray indicating that the Pipeline is not active yet.
Figure 60. The left column of Dashboard showing the newly named pipeline
that you are setting up
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Selecting the Input Stream Source (SDI Channel)
Figure 61. Input stream source selection
For the Input stream configuration options, make selections for Type, SDI device,
and Port. In this example, the HD camera feed for the Remote Truck is connected
to Port #1 of the BRIDGE LIVE device. So the following selections were made:
• Typ e: SDI
• SDI device: AJA Corvid 44 12G BNC
• Port: Port #1
Auto-Detecting Video Streams
In the lower-right area, click Apply configuration.
Figure 62. Apply configuration button
The Input stream configuration options column updates to show a new heading
called "Auto-detected video streams."
Figure 63. New heading displays called "Auto-detected video streams"
Beneath the heading, what is shown is "Video #1: Uncompressed 1920x1080p
@59.94Hz 4:2:2 10-bit.
Click the signal that is listed. The Input stream video configuration options
section expands and is auto-populated with the auto-detected video stream
properties.
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Figure 64. Input stream video configuration options and Auto-detected video
streams
Adding the Output Stream
Next, from the lower area of the Output stream mapping column of the
Dashboard, click Add output stream.
Figure 65. Add output stream button
New fields display in the Output stream column on the right side of Dashboard
for naming and configuring your new output stream. Some of the fields of the
Output stream column are auto-populated, matching the detected Input stream.
Naming the Output Stream
Under the heading Output stream options, enter a name in the Name field. For
example, "SDI 59.94 to H.264," or any name that will be descriptive to your users
for this specific output stream.
Figure 66. Output stream options panel
Selecting the Output Stream Type
From the Stream type drop-down menu, select the output stream type. The
default value is MPEG-TS. RTMP(S) is also available and is discussed in "Chapter 7
BRIDGE LIVE Features and Interface Deep Dive" on page 72.
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Figure 67. Selecting Stream Type MPEG-TS
In this example, we are using MPEG-TS.
Selecting the Output Stream Sink
1. Under the Output stream sink heading, select the Output stream sink type.
In this example, we are using SRT.
2. For IP address, use the IP address of the BRIDGE LIVE device installed in the
Remote Truck that you will be transmitting from.
3. For the Port number, use any available port. Here we are using port number
5050.
4. Select the Ethernet card that is being used to communicate to your
network.
5. For SRT mode, select Listener.
Figure 68. Output stream sink configuration
Output Stream Video Configuration Options
Next, under the heading Output stream video configuration options, for Video
codec, select H.264.
The Frame size is auto-populated to reflect the detected input signal. The Scan
rate and other properties are also auto-populated.
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Figure 69. Output stream video configuration options
Leave the remaining fields with their default values.
Click Apply configuration.
Figure 70. Apply configuration button
BRIDGE LIVE takes just a few moments to process the settings. Once finished,
the left column updates to show your newly created Pipeline -- Tx to Production
Studio. The two green circle halves indicate that both the input and output sides
of the Pipeline are running with no errors.
Figure 71. The newly created Pipeline displaying in the left column
The screenshot above also shows the Pipeline "Rx from Prod Studio" that will be
created in the steps described next.
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Remote Truck: Receiving from Production Studio
Figure 72. Pipeline View of Remote Truck Receiving H.264 from Production
Studio and Decoding into Uncompressed SDI
Steps for Creating a Pipeline to Decode Incoming Stream to Uncompressed SDI
Adding New Stream
From the BRIDGE LIVE Dashboard, click Add new stream in the lower left corner.
Figure 73. Add new stream button
Dashboard displays a page that presents Input and Output stream configuration
options.
Naming the Pipeline
From the top of the Input stream configuration options column, click edit
name, found immediately to the right of the text "Name your Pipeline."
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Figure 74. The edit name button
The Edit pipeline name pop-up window displays.
Figure 75. The Edit pipeline pop-up window
Enter a name for your new pipeline in the Edit pipeline name field. For this
example, we are using "Rx from Prod Studio" as the new pipeline name.
NOTE: There is a 24 character limit on the pipeline name.
After clicking OK, the new pipeline will be shown in the left column of Dashboard.
Figure 76. The left column of Dashboard showing the newly named pipeline
that you are setting up
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Selecting the Input Stream Source
Figure 77. Input stream source selection
For the Input stream configuration options, make selections for Type, IP address,
Port, Ethernet card. In this example, the following selections were made:
• Type: SRT
• IP address: enter the IP address for the Ethernet card of the BRIDGE LIVE
device that is sending the signal. In this example, it is the IP address of the
BRIDGE LIVE device located in the Production Studio.
• Port: 5050
• Ethernet card: Ethernet card 2
• SRT mode: Caller
• Compliance with: Auto-detected
Auto-Detecting Video Streams
In the lower-right area, click Apply configuration.
Figure 78. Apply configuration button
The Input stream configuration options column updates to show a new heading
called "Auto-detected video streams."
Figure 79. New heading displays called "Auto-detected video streams"
Beneath the heading, what is shown is "Video #1: H.264 1920x1080p @59.94Hz
4:2:0 8-bit."
NOTE: Auto-detect can detect the signal only if it is actually present to the device.
Click the signal that is listed. The Input stream video configuration options
section expands and is auto-populated with the auto-detected video stream
properties.
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Figure 80. Input stream video configuration options Auto-populated and
Auto-detected H.264 video streams
Adding the Output Stream
Next, from the lower area of the Output stream mapping column of the
Dashboard, click Add output stream.
Figure 81. Add output stream button
New fields display for naming and configuring your new output stream.
Naming the Output Stream
Under the heading Output stream options, enter a name in the Name field.
For Stream type, select SDI.
Figure 82. Output stream options panel
Selecting the Output Stream Sink Type
Under the heading Output stream sink, select AJA Corvid 44 12G BNC - 0 from the
SDI device drop-down menu.
In this example, we have selected Port #3 to output the SDI signal.
Figure 83. Output stream sink panel
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Output Stream Video Configuration Options
The Output stream video configuration options are pre-selected based on the
auto-detection on the input side. Uncompressed is already selected from the
Video codec drop-down menu.
Likewise, the frame size, bit depth, color sampling, scan rate, and scan
(progressive or interlaced) are pre-populated.
Figure 84. Output stream video configuration options pre-populated
Applying Configuration Settings
From the lower right corner of Dashboard, click Apply configuration.
BRIDGE LIVE applies all your configuration settings and initiates the new pipeline.
Figure 85. Apply configuration button
After BRIDGE LIVE accepts your configuration settings, the left column will update
to show the new pipeline. When both circle halves are green, the pipeline is
running correctly.
If you see error messages, look for error messages in red text in the Pipeline
configuration window to see where errors are occurring.
See also: "Chapter 13 Troubleshooting" on page 119.
Figure 86. Newly created H.264 to SDI Pipeline
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Production Studio: Dashboard View of Decoding and Encoding Simultaneously
Figure 87. Dashboard View of Production Studio Decoding and Encoding
Simultaneously
Cabling
Decoding
For the decoding Pipeline, the Production Studio BRIDGE LIVE will receive H.264
through Ethernet Card 1, decode it, then transmit the Uncompressed SDI through
Port 1. Figure 87 above shows that Channel 1 (Port 1) is set for output.
Encoding
The Production Studio BRIDGE LIVE has HD signals connected to Ports 3 and 4,
indicated in Figure 87 above in the Interfaces area. However, in this example, we
will encode only the HD signal coming into Port 3, and transmit the encoded
H.264 signal through Ethernet Card 1.
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Production Studio: Receiving from Remote Truck
Figure 88. Pipeline View of Production Studio Receiving H.264 from Remote
Truck and Decoding into Uncompressed SDI
Steps for Creating a Pipeline to Decode Incoming Stream to Uncompressed SDI
Adding New Stream
From the BRIDGE LIVE Dashboard, click Add new stream in the lower left corner.
Figure 89. Add new stream button
Dashboard displays a page that presents Input and Output stream configuration
options.
Naming the Pipeline
From the top of the Input stream configuration options column, click edit
name, found immediately to the right of the text "Name your Pipeline."
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Figure 90. The edit name button
The Edit pipeline name pop-up window displays.
Figure 91. The Edit pipeline pop-up window
Enter a name for your new pipeline in the Edit pipeline name field. For this
example, we are using "Rx from Remote Truck" as the new pipeline name.
NOTE: There is a 24 character limit on the pipeline name.
After clicking OK, the new pipeline will be shown in the left column of Dashboard.
Figure 92. The left column of Dashboard showing the newly named pipeline
that you are setting up
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Selecting the Input Stream Source
Figure 93. Input stream source selection
For the Input stream configuration options, make selections for Type, IP address,
Port, Ethernet card. In this example, the following selections were made:
• Type: SRT
• IP address: enter the IP address for the Ethernet card of the BRIDGE LIVE
device that is sending the signal. In this example, it is the IP address of the
BRIDGE LIVE device located in the Remote Truck.
• Port: 5050
• Ethernet card: Ethernet card 1
• SRT mode: Caller
• Compliance with: Auto-detected
Auto-Detecting Video Streams
In the lower-right area, click Apply configuration.
Figure 94. Apply configuration button
The Input stream configuration options column updates to show a new heading
called "Auto-detected video streams."
Figure 95. New heading displays called "Auto-detected video streams"
Beneath the heading, what is shown is "Video #1: H.264 1920x1080p @59.94Hz
4:2:0 8-bit."
NOTE: Auto-detect can detect the signal only if it is actually present to the device.
Click the signal that is listed. The Input stream video configuration options
section expands and is auto-populated with the auto-detected video stream
properties.
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Figure 96. Input stream video configuration options Auto-populated and
Auto-detected H.264 video streams
Adding the Output Stream
Next, from the lower area of the Output stream mapping column of the
Dashboard, click Add output stream.
Figure 97. Add output stream button
New fields display for naming and configuring your new output stream.
Naming the Output Stream
Under the heading Output stream options, enter a name in the Name field.
For Stream type, select SDI.
Figure 98. Output stream options panel
Selecting the Output Stream Sink Type
Under the heading Output stream sink, select AJA Corvid 44 12G BNC - 0 from the
SDI device drop-down menu.
In this example, we have selected Port #1 to output the SDI signal.
Figure 99. Output stream sink panel
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Output Stream Video Configuration Options
The Output stream video configuration options are pre-selected based on the
auto-detection on the input side. Uncompressed is already selected from the
Video codec drop-down menu.
Likewise, the frame size, bit depth, color sampling, scan rate, and scan
(progressive or interlaced) are pre-populated.
Figure 100. Output stream video configuration options pre-populated
Applying Configuration Settings
From the lower right corner of Dashboard, click Apply configuration.
BRIDGE LIVE applies all your configuration settings and initiates the new pipeline.
Figure 101. Apply configuration button
After BRIDGE LIVE accepts your configuration settings, the left column will update
to show the new pipeline. When both circle halves are green, the pipeline is
running correctly.
If you see error messages, look for error messages in red text in the Pipeline
configuration window to see where errors are occurring.
See also: "Chapter 13 Troubleshooting" on page 119.
Figure 102. Newly created H.264 to SDI Pipeline
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Production Studio: Transmitting to Remote Truck
Figure 103. Pipeline View of Production Studio Encoding Uncompressed SDI to
H.264 for Transmission to Remote Truck
Steps for Creating a Pipeline to Encode Uncompressed SDI Program Feed to Streams
Adding New Pipeline to the Production Studio BRIDGE LIVE
From the Production Studio BRIDGE LIVE Dashboard, click Add new pipeline in
the lower left corner.
Figure 104. Add new pipeline button
Dashboard displays a page that presents Input and Output stream configuration
options.
Naming the Pipeline
From the top of the Input stream configuration options column, click edit
name, found immediately to the right of the text "Name your Pipeline."
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Figure 105. The edit name button
The Edit pipeline name pop-up window displays.
Figure 106. The Edit pipeline pop-up window
Enter a name for your new pipeline in the Edit pipeline name field. For this
example, we are using "Tx to Remote Truck" as the new pipeline name. Use a
simple name that your users will understand.
NOTE: There is a 24 character limit on the pipeline name. If you use more than 24
characters, an error message indicates you have exceeded the 24-character limit,
and you will not be able to save the name.
After clicking OK, the new pipeline will be shown in the left column of Dashboard.
Both half circles are gray indicating that the Pipeline is not active yet.
Figure 107. The left column of Dashboard showing the newly named pipeline
that you are setting up
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Selecting the Input Stream Source (SDI Channel)
Figure 108. Input stream source selection
For the Input stream configuration options, make selections for Type, SDI device,
and Port. In this example, the HD program feed for the Production Studio is
connected to Port #3 of the BRIDGE LIVE device. So the following selections were
made:
• Typ e: SDI
• SDI device: AJA Corvid 44 12G BNC - 0
• Port: Port #3
Auto-Detecting Video Streams
In the lower-right area, click Apply configuration.
Figure 109. Apply configuration button
The Input stream configuration options column updates to show a new heading
called "Auto-detected video streams."
Figure 110. New heading displays called "Auto-detected video streams"
Beneath the heading, what is shown is "Video #1: Uncompressed 1920x1080p
@59.94Hz 4:2:2 10-bit.
Click the signal that is listed. The Input stream video configuration options
section expands and is auto-populated with the auto-detected video stream
properties.
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Figur e 111. Input stream video configuration options and Auto-detected video
streams
Adding the Output Stream
Next, from the lower area of the Output stream mapping column of the
Dashboard, click Add output stream.
Figure 112. Add output stream button
New fields display in the Output stream column on the right side of Dashboard
for naming and configuring your new output stream. Some of the fields of the
Output stream column are auto-populated, matching the detected Input stream.
Naming the Output Stream
Under the heading Output stream options, enter a name in the Name field. For
example, "SDI 59.94 to H.264," or any name that will be descriptive to your users
for this specific output stream.
Figure 113. Output stream options panel
Selecting the Output Stream Type
From the Stream type drop-down menu, select the output stream type. The
default value is MPEG-TS. RTMP(S) is also available and is discussed in "Chapter 7
BRIDGE LIVE Features and Interface Deep Dive" on page 72.
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Figure 114. Selecting Stream Type MPEG-TS
In this example, we are using MPEG-TS.
Selecting the Output Stream Sink
Under the Output stream sink heading, select the Output stream sink type. In this
example, we are using SRT.
For IP address, use the IP address of the BRIDGE LIVE device installed in the
Production Studio that you will be transmitting from.
For the Port number, use any available port. Here we are using port number 5050.
Select the Ethernet card that is being used to communicate to your network.
For SRT mode, select Listener.
Figure 115. Output stream sink configuration
Output Stream Video Configuration Options
Next, under the heading Output stream video configuration options, for Video
codec, select H.264.
The Frame size is auto-populated to reflect the detected input signal. The Scan
rate and other properties are also auto-populated.
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Figure 116. Output stream video configuration options
Leave the remaining fields with their default values.
Click Apply configuration.
Figure 117. Apply configuration button
BRIDGE LIVE takes just a few moments to process the settings. Once finished, the
left column updates to show your newly created Pipeline -- Tx to Remote Truck.
The two green circle halves indicate that both the input and output sides of the
Pipeline are running with no errors.
Figure 118. The newly created Pipeline displaying in the left column
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Chapter 7 – BRIDGE LIVE Features and Interface Deep Dive
Encoding Incoming Uncompressed SDI to Various Stream Types
BRIDGE LIVE provides four channels of HD or a single channel of UltraHD for SDI
input or output.
When it comes to deriving streams from incoming uncompressed SDI sources,
each SDI input can be output to multiple formats and/or destinations using H.264
(AVC), H.265 (HEVC), MPEG2, NDI and optionally JPEG 2000.
Regarding Containers and Protocols, BRIDGE LIVE supports HLS, SRT (plus
encryption), RTMP (output only), RTMPS (output only) (required for Facebook
Live), RTP, UDP, MPEG-TS and VSF-TR01.
Input SDI
All four SDI ports can be used simultaneously for 3G-SDI I/O. The SDI ports can be
used as all inputs, all outputs, or a mixture.
Alternatively, one SDI port can be used for 12G-SDI I/O, but doing so will disable
the remaining ports.
Output Stream Options
Supported Output Data for Single Program Transport Stream
BRIDGE LIVE supports the following types of output data in a single program
transport stream:
• Video
• H.262 – 4:2:0, 8bit, up to 3840x2160p60/i60
• H.264 CPU – 4:2:2/4:2:0, 8bit/10bit, baseline/main/high profile, up to
3840x2160p60/i60
• H.264 GPU – 4:2:0, 8bit, main/high profile, up to 3840x2160p60/i60
• H.265 GPU – 4:2:0, 8/10bit, main/main10 profile, up to 3840x2160p60
• JPEG2000 GPU – 4:2:0/4:2:2, 8bit/10bit, up to 3840x2160p60/i60
• Encapsulation – standard TR01 only
• SDI Uncompressed – 4:2:2, 10bit, up to 2048×1080p60/i60
• MPEG-2
• NDI
• HLS
• Audio
• AAC (ADTS, LATM)
• AC3 up to 6 channels
• AES3
• MPEG 2
• NDI
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• Uncompressed PCM
• Closed Captions – H264 insertion
• Metadata – LTC insertion, SCTE 35/104 conversion
Clearly Naming Multiple Output Streams
Figure 119 depicts the dialogue window for output streams settings. It also shows
the situation where there are multiple output streams already configured. When
adding an output stream, it is important to name it clearly to eliminate any
potential confusion as to what it is.
Besides the mandatory options to direct the output to a specific network
interface and a remote node, these settings have more attributes that impact the
quality of the resulting stream.
Figure 119. Output Streams Configuration
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Stream Type
NDI
SDI Inputs can be encoded to NDI for output to the network.
NDI Inputs can be received, decoded and output as SDI.
IP Video Stream inputs can be transcoded to NDI for output to the network.
NDI Inputs can be received, transcoded and output as IP Video Streams.
NOTE: NDI HX is unsupported at this time.
HLS (Input)
HLS sources can be input to BRIDGE LIVE, and then decoded to SDI for output.
HLS Input supports AVC TS segments and fragmented MP4.
HLS (Output)
HLS Output supports AVC TS segments.
SDI sources can be input to BRIDGE LIVE, and then encoded for sharing via HLS.
IP Video Stream sources can be input to BRIDGE LIVE, and then encoded for
sharing via HLS.
MPEG-TS
BRIDGE LIVE supports data transmission using MPEG-TS (MPEG Transport Stream)
container format. The transport stream is used in broadcast systems and is
designed to be used in terrestrial or satellite broadcast, for example. It can carry
multiple programs. Each program contains packets of video stream, audio stream
and metadata (if present).
BRIDGE LIVE supports receiving and processing the MPEG-TS streams, detects all
programs, and allows its users to choose them easily.
RTMP(S)
BRIDGE LIVE supports RTMP streaming (output only). RTMP output in BRIDGE LIVE
supports both streams with and without authentication. The protocol is used for
video, audio and data streaming over the Internet and serves as a bridge between
Flash player and a server.
BRIDGE LIVE supports RTMP (output only) in the H.264 video codec and the
AAC audio codec. Some services, such as YouTube, do not accept RTMP streams
without audio.
To set up an RTMP output stream, select Output stream options, Stream type as
RTMP and just beneath it, fill out the URL address. An example URL of a stream
with authentication is the following:
rtmp://user:pass@IPADDRESS/application/stream-key
If you have provided a valid URL, BRIDGE LIVE will produce an output stream
upon starting the configured pipeline using RTMP.
You can see how the UI looks without a configured URL address in Figure 120.
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Figure 120. Configuring RTMP
If you want to use a hostname instead of an IP address in the URL, you need to set
an appropriate DNS server. If it is in the external network, the set Default route
needs to have access to the Internet. Both can be done in the Setup. For more
information, see "System Setup" on page 97.
Total Bit Rate
Total Bit Rate and Data Quality
The overall amount of data that is transmitted is controlled by the total allowed
bit rate. This attribute combines the sum of video, audio and remaining bit rates.
Distinction between Total Bit Rate and Video Bit Rate
Total bit rate is the whole bit rate of the transport stream. Total bit rate contains
video, audio and metadata, plus possible padding.
Video bit rate, on the other hand, is the bit rate of the video only. This attribute
has a direct impact on the resulting quality – the lower the allowed video bit rate,
the less the quality of transmitted data.
You can limit the total video bit rate which will define which part of the total bit
rate is dedicated to video data. In some scenarios, it may be necessary to adjust
the total bit rate overhead over the video bit rate.
PCR Stream
Some receivers require PCR to be stand-alone and not to be in the video stream.
This control allows you to select whether the PCR stream should be included in
the video stream or be a stand-alone stream included in the total bit rate, under
its own PID.
EBP Length (Encoder Boundary Point)
Use the EBP setting to define the parameter for Encoder Boundary Point insertion,
which is often used in ABR streaming. This field is typically left empty.
Compliance With
This refers to the transport stream encapsulation standards, and it is relevant
to all stream types. If you are using an Evertz device, select the Evertz standard.
Otherwise, select Standard.
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Configure service description
To access this functionality, you need to be subscribed to a service.
This is for timing and synchronization for specific end point services for
streaming. Certain service providers may have some specialized version of
streaming that would require this level of setup, but this is not frequently used.
Cloning Output Streams
If you need multiple similar output streams within one pipeline, you can clone an
output stream that you have created earlier.
To Clone an Output Stream
1. Hover your mouse over the output stream that you want to clone. A clone
button displays.
Figure 121. Hovering mouse over output stream shows cloning button
2. Click the clone button. A copy of the output stream displays beneath the
original.
3. Make any modications you need to the copy of the original output stream.
Figure 122. The cloned output stream (copy #1)
Output Stream Sink
Configure Sinks
You can have multiple output stream sinks for each Pipeline.
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Type
• RTP/UDP
• UDP
• SRT
SRT Protocol for Reliable Data Transmission
BRIDGE LIVE supports data transmission using SRT (Secure Reliable Transport)
protocol. SRT is a video transport protocol that is intended to be used over
unreliable networks such as public Internet. It adjusts the packet loss, jitter and
fluctuating bandwidth in order to maintain the high quality of the transported
video stream. It has end-to-end security mechanisms to protect the transmitted
data, and it is easy to configure to work with network firewalls. If you wish to learn
more about the protocol, please visit the official SRT Alliance website:
https://www.srtalliance.org
BRIDGE LIVE supports 2 SRT modes of operation – Listener, and Caller. In other
words, this is simply the client–server model. The Listener unit is configured to
connect to its own local IP address that will be receiving data from the (external)
Caller unit. Therefore, the Caller machine is configured with the IP address of an
external (to it) unit where the data will be listened to.
NOTE: SRT is a connection-oriented communication and therefore cannot use multicast
IP delivery.
Configuring Output Side of SRT Transmission
When creating the pipeline’s output side, you can choose to send the traffic via
SRT in order to make the connection more reliable and prevent image loss during
transmission. In the Output stream sink section, you can select Type – SRT which
will add the SRT configuration options. See Figure 123. Similarly, as for Input
configuration, you can choose between 2 modes – Caller, and Listener.
Figure 123. Configuring SRT Output
SRT Mode
• Listener – IP:port of the local machine where an external Caller unit will
request a connection
• Caller – IP:port of the remote machine where the external unit is waiting to
receive data
SRT Overhead
In addition, you should define the SRT overhead parameter – a percentage
amount over Total Bit Rate that can be surpassed in order to achieve the lost
data recovery. As a result, the maximum used connection bit rate is equal to the
configured Total Bit Rate + SRT overhead. In general, this is the upper limit and
the connection does not require it for normal operation.
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IP Address
The IP Address to which you want to send the stream. While using SRT in Caller
mode, it is the address which is being called (sending to) and for the Listener
mode, it is the address which is being called (receiving a request from said
address to which the stream will be sent).
In this case, the IP Address of the local machine where an external Caller unit will
request a connection is Ethernet Card 2 (eno 2).
Port
Port 5050, 5051, 5052 and 5053 are all viable to enable easy traversing of firewalls
and other potential obstacles. It usually does not matter which port is used, it just
needs to match on both ends.
One Output Stream, Multiple Port Numbers
If you have 10 remote clients who all want to view the same SRT stream, you can
Configure Sinks to add 10 new sinks, incrementing the port number for each
additional remote client; for example, client 1 is assigned port 5051, client 2 is
assigned port 5052, client 3 is assigned port 5053, and so on.
Figure 124. The Configure sinks link
To Add a New Sink with a New Port Number
1. From the Output stream sink panel, click Configure sinks. The Output
stream sinks window displays.
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Figure 125. Adding port numbers
2. Click Add new sink. A new row is added for the new stream sink.
3. Edit the port number to match your port conguration plan.
4. Repeat as needed, then click Save changes. The new stream sinks are added
to the pipeline.
This is an efficient approach since it requires only one output stream and
BRIDGE LIVE does not need to do any extra encoding.
Two Output Streams, Multiple Port Numbers
If you have 10 remote clients who all want to view the same SRT stream, but 5 of
them require 15Mbps and the other 5 require 8Mbps, you would need to create
two separate output streams—one for 15Mbps and another for 8Mbps.
For each output stream, configure five sinks, each with a unique port number, to
correspond to the 5 remote receiving clients.
Encoding two output streams rather than one is more demanding on the
BRIDGE LIVE system. However, it meets the needs of the two sets of remote
clients with varying bit rate requirements.
Ethernet Card
Ethernet card 1
Ethernet card 2
Loopback (Io)
This list of selections can vary based on the configuration done during UI Setup.
Users might be able to select only one Ethernet card and Loopback based on how
BRIDGE LIVE is configured.
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Output Stream Video Configuration Options
Video Codec
When selecting which codec to use, one aspect to consider is the type of
equipment being used by the receivers. If their equipment does not support the
higher demands of the codec, that could present challenges, especially if the
receivers would be required to purchase new equipment in order to be able to
receive the signal.
Choose from settings for the chosen video codec that define quality vs. speed
difference.
NDI
NDI is a flexible and versatile solution, allowing multiple video streams on a
shared connection. NDI supports high quality, low latency, frame-accurate video
over standard Ethernet networks. NDI stands for Network Device Interface and is
developed by NewTek.
HLS
BRIDGE LIVE supports output stream type HLS (HTTP Live Streaming), an adaptive
bit rate streaming protocol. HLS supports both AVC TS segments with H.264 and
Fragmented MP4 with both H.264 and H.265. HLS supports audio formats EAC3,
AC3 and AAC.
SDI sources or IP video stream sources can be input to BRIDGE LIVE, and then
encoded for output via HLS.
Based on TCP, HLS is used to deliver content to end point devices such as phones
and tablets or applications such as web browsers. For browsers all that is needed
is the URL with the playlist extension. Safari has this support natively; Chrome and
Firefox have extensions available for HLS playback.
NOTE: HLS is not useful for contribution, backhaul or any other workflow that requires
low latency.
The best way to deliver HLS with BRIDGE LIVE is to provide the pre-packed
video to a CDN. This means many end-point-devices can utilize the content
simultaneously.
JPEG 2000
JPEG 2000 is an image coding system that uses state-of-the-art compression
techniques based on wavelet technology and offers an extremely high level
of scalability and accessibility. Content can be coded once at any quality, up to
lossless, but accessed and decoded at a potentially very large number of other
qualities and resolutions and/or by region of interest, with no significant penalty
in coding efficiency.
Two methods used to transport JPEG 2000 are VSF TR-01:2103 and VSF TR-01:2018.
H.262 Encoding Options
H.262 is the official name for MPEG-2. Since it is the oldest of the codecs and it has
been around for a long time, many people are familiar with it and know how to
work with it. It is known to be reliable.
• Profile: High, Main, Simple
• The Simple profile allows you to use only I and P frames, while Main or High
profiles support even B frames. All H.262 profiles are 4:2:0. The High profile
also supports Spatial and SNR scalability modes. For bit rates and profiles,
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you may decide to use an older profile because of compatibility with older
devices (especially older phones).
• GOP size – distance between two I-frames
• B count – number of B-frames between two P-frames
H264 Encoding Options
H.264 is newer than H.262, and it has better image quality and is more efficient.
• Coding – CABAC, CAVLC
• CAVLC is typically used for compatibility with old devices. CAVLC is an older
coding option and is easier to decode. However, for the same bit rate, it
produces lower video quality.
• CABAC is a newer coding option and is a bit harder to decode. It provides
the same quality of video as CAVLC while using 5% to 15% smaller of a bit
rate.
• Profile – Baseline, Main, High
• Similar to H.262 profiles, the higher the profile, the more capabilities it has.
The Main profile and higher allows B frames and CABAC. The High profile
supports 4:2:2 sampling and 10-bit depth.
• GOP size – distance between two I-frames
• B count – number of B-frames between two P-frames
H265 Encoding Options
H.265 supports UltraHD. It is newer and even more efficient than H.264. Its
efficiency is in decoding. (Encoding requires more computing power up front.)
• Profile: Main, Main10
• Main uses 8-bit encoding/decoding. Main 10 uses 10-bit encoding/
decoding. On a system level, 10-bit I/O is more resource intensive.
• GOP size – distance between two I-frames
• B count – number of B-frames between two P-frames
Video Bit Rate
Enter a bit rate to define how much of the total bit rate is dedicated to video data.
You can specify the units in terms of Mbit/s, kbit/s or bit/s.
Scan Rate
BRIDGE LIVE can either keep original frame rates or convert frame rates as
required.
Supported Frame Rate Conversions
BRIDGE LIVE supports frame rate 50% down-conversion capabilities, for example:
• 60p to 30p,
• 59.94 to 29.97,
• 50p to 25p
BRIDGE LIVE also supports frame rate 50% up-conversion, such as:
• 50i to 50p
Frame Rate Conversions Not Supported
However, BRIDGE LIVE does NOT currently support these frame rate conversions:
• 25 to 30,
• 50 to 60,
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• 23.976 to 24.00,
• 59.94i to 60p
NOTE: You can choose from only two different frame rate (fps) options on the output -
either (i) same as the source, or (ii) halved in rate.
Wrap Captions
The H.264 video codec supports wrapping closed captions. These are available to
be selected and wrapped to output in the video elementary stream only if they
are detected in the source SDI metadata stream as CEA 608 or CEA 708.
Output PID
In general, each elementary stream or table in MPEG-TS is identified by a packet
Identifier. You can specify the PID for your output MPEG-TS. Otherwise it defaults
to the source's PID.
Output Stream Audio Configuration Options
While configuring the output stream, you can choose which transmitted audio or
metadata channels you wish to include. The configurator is shown in Figure 125.
Figure 126. Audio Mapping
Cloning Output Audio Streams
If you need multiple similar output audio streams within one Audio Mapping, you
can clone an output audio stream that you have created earlier.
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To Clone an Output Audio Stream
1. Hover your mouse over the output audio stream that you want to clone. A
clone button displays.
Figure 127. Hovering mouse over output audio stream shows cloning button
2. Click the clone button. A copy of the output audio stream displays beneath
the original.
3. Make any modications you need to the copy of the original output audio
stream.
Figure 128. The cloned output audio stream (copy #1)
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Output Stream Metadata Configuration Options
Displays and manages all metadata conversions or pass-through, such as SDI
ancillary data to SMPTE-2038.
Decoding Incoming Streams and Outputting Uncompressed SDI
Input Stream
Input streams can be one of the following:
• NDI
• HLS
• MPEG-2
• JPEG 2000
• H.265
• H.264
• H.262
Configuring Input Streams
R T P/U D P, U D P, SRT Input Stream Sources
When configuring input streams of type RTP/ UD P, UD P, or SRT, you will need to
configure network settings.
There are only two circumstances in which you will need to fill out the IP address
and Port:
• When the input stream has a multicast address;
• When the input stream is of type SRT and BRIDGE LIVE is set as the caller.
Enter the IP address and port number that corresponds to where the input stream
is being sent.
For example, when BRIDGE LIVE is using the IP address 172.23.26.29, it would
receive a unicast transport stream at that IP address and port 5000. So the valid
input combination in BRIDGE LIVE would be an IP address of 172.23.26.29 (or just
0.0.0.0) and port number 5000.
NOTE: Entering the IP address of 0.0.0.0 for the input stream tells BRIDGE LIVE to use the
IP address of its selected Ethernet port where the signal is being received.
For SRT configuration, see "SRT Protocol for Reliable Data Transmission" on page
77.
MPEG-TS and MPTS are found in Input Stream configuration. This means that if
you have one transport stream being sent to one particular IP address and Port
combination, it can contain various programs. With MPEG-TS and MPTS, you can
differentiate whether it is just one program or if there are multiple programs. If
it is MPTS, there are more video streams, and you choose between the program
number that you want to decode and process. If it is single stream, then you work
with only one.
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Configuring Input Side of SRT Transmission
When you wish to configure SRT for use, select the Input Stream Type item called
SRT, as you can see in Figure 57. Before configuring the IP address and IP port,
select whether you intend to use Caller/Listener mode. This directly impacts what
IP you need to provide.
Figure 129. Configuring SRT Input Source
When you select SRT mode:
• Listener – IP:port of the same machine where the data is being received
(listened to) from an external source
• Caller – IP:port of the remote machine from where the data will be sent
It is necessary to define the SRT latency variable in milliseconds (ms). The
parameter is the time of intended delay of network packets (a buffer) that is
allowed for the connection to slow down the data in transmission in order to
provide a time slot to re-send lost UDP packets if they occur. This is what allows
SRT protocol to establish a reliable connection with the focus on removing video
disruptions.
Choosing the Program Number
When you wish to choose which program to use, you need to enable the Program
number configuration in Input stream configuration options. Once allowed,
you can select the program number from a drop-down menu. Current program
informs about the current configuration, while Configured program has to
be applied first in order to take effect. If you do not set up anything, the first
program in the list is selected. If a Configured program number is not present in
the stream, BRIDGE LIVE reports an error. Once you change the program number
and apply the configuration, video with another PID is detected (if present).
Figure 130. Configuring MPTS
Output SDI
You can send an output stream from BRIDGE LIVE using uncompressed SDI.
To configure the SDI output, set the Stream type to SDI first, then select the
correct SDI device and Port that you want to use.
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Figure 131. SDI Output Example
Output Stream Cropping and Padding
In order to address how you want BRIDGE LIVE to handle resolution change, use
the Cropping/Padding configuration window to adjust settings for the input
video and output video. Click Configure cropping and padding in the Output
stream video configuration options area to access the configuration window.
Figure 132. The Cropping/Padding configuration window
For the input video, you can adjust frame size, left/top cropping and right/
bottom cropping.
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Cropping Example
As an example, let's consider a case in which you want to crop an image with a
frame size of 1920 x 1080. You want to crop 30 pixels off of the left side, 30 pixels
off of the right side, 20 pixels off of the top, and 20 pixels off of the bottom. In
that case, you would enter the numbers as shown below. Select Scale for Resize
method.
Figure 133. Example of entering numbers into Crop number fields
• In the above example, the number "30" is being used to crop the left side. "30"
indicates the horizontal offset of the first pixel to be used from the input video
(0 by default). Use a negative value to create explicit padding.
• The number "20" is being used to crop the top. "20" indicates the vertical
offset of the first pixel to be used from the input video (0 by default). Use a
negative value to create explicit padding.
• The number "1890" is being used to crop the right side. "1890" indicates the
horizontal offset after the last pixel to be used from the input video (frame
width by default). Use a value greater than the width to create explicit
padding.
• The number "1060" is being used to crop the bottom. "1060" indicates the
vertical offset after the last pixel to be used from the input video (frame height
by default). Use a value greater than the height to create explicit padding.
For the output video, you can adjust the output frame size and resize method.
Resize Method
From the Resize method pull-down menu, available selections are:
• Scale: Resizes the configured input frame to the configured output frame and
changes the aspect ratio when it differs.
• Crop: Resizes the configured input frame to the configured output frame, but
keeps the input frame aspect ratio. The input will be automatically cropped
horizontally or vertically.
• Pad: Resizes the configured input frame to the configured output frame, but
keeps the input frame aspect ratio. The input will be automatically expanded
with horizontal or vertical black bars.
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Logo Insertion
You can insert a logo into the stream. You can configure it in the “Output stream
video configuration options” section by clicking the “Output stream video
configuration options” button.
Figure 134. Logo Insertion Button
Upon clicking it, we are presented with another pop-up window, in which the
user can set up.
Figure 135. Logo Insertion Configuration
First, a logo file in the .png format must be uploaded and selected. After that,
the user can choose to position the logo either in pixels, or set its positions using
percent. If for some reason a logo has to have adjusted scale, it’s possible to do it
using the Logo scaling option.
If you save a pipeline that uses the Logo insertion function and has some logo
uploaded as a preset, it will be saved with the logo file, too.
Muxing
BRIDGE LIVE is capable of muxing multiple streams such as audio inputs, captions
and metadata streams into a single output stream. The list of supported input
data is as follows:
Video
• 3G SDI
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• Uncompressed 4:2:2; 8bit/10bit, up to 1080i60/720p30; 4:2:2; 8bit/10bit, up
to UltraHDp60 – AJA Corvid 44 12G BNC
• Generic single program MPEG transport stream
• Encapsulation – standard TR01, Evertz TR01, MediaLinks TR01, legacy
NetInsight TR01
• High-bit rate JPEG2000 – 4:2:2, 10bit/12bit, up to 3840x2160p60/i60
• H.262 – 4:2:0, 8bit, up to 3840x2160p60/i60
• H.264 – 4:2:2/4:2:0, 8bit/10bit, up to 3840x2160p60/i60
• H.265 – 4:2:0, 8bit/10bit, up to 3840x2160p60
Audio
• AES3 uncompressed (SMPTE 302M)
• MPEG2 audio
• AAC (ADTS, LATM)
• AC3
• E-AC3
Closed Captions
• SMPTE 2038 (608/708)
• EIA-708 or EIA-608 (in SDI)
Metadata
• LTC timestamps
• MPEG TS PCR
• Ad-markers – SCTE104 (in SDI)
• Pass-through capabilities
Creating and Loading Preset Configurations for Streams
Presets
In order to avoid manually configuring Pipelines, you can save configuration
settings to a file. You can then load the saved configuration settings from the file
and instantly populate all the settings, saving time and potential configuration
errors.
Presets can also serve as a way to backup, clone or restore Pipeline configuration
settings.
These configuration files are stored in the .json structured file format.
To save as a preset
1. From the left column of Dashboard, click on the configured stream that
you want to save as a preset. The window opens showing the Input stream
configuration options and the Output stream mapping.
2. With the stream selected, or while hovering the mouse over the stream, a
vertical row of three dots displays along the right edge.
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Figure 136. Initial display of vertical row of three dots
3. Click on the vertical row of three dots. Three buttons display, giving you the
choice of Deleting, Cloning, or Downloading the Pipeline.
Figure 137. Delete, Clone, and Download buttons
4. Select Download. A JSON le downloads to your computer that contains
all of the conguration settings. If your pipeline is named "SDI to H264," the
downloaded le will be named "SDI to H264.json." This is the Preset le. You
can view or edit it using a text editor.
To load a preset configuration
1. From Dashboard, hover your mouse over Add new pipeline from the lower
left area.
Figure 138. Add new pipeline
2. Click on the vertical row of three dots. Three buttons display, giving you the
choice of Delete all, Upload a preset, or Download all as a preset.
Figure 139. Three buttons displaying after clicking the vertical row of three
dots
3. Select Upload a preset. A navigation window displays.
4. Navigate to the .json le that you want to upload, select it, then click
Open. Dashboard refreshes to display the Pipeline populated with all the
conguration settings that were stored in the JSON preset conguration le.
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Alternative Methods for Verifying Pipeline Configuration
Using RTMP Server for Mac
A free application, Local RTMP Server for macOS, is available through GitHub. You
can use it to stream straight to a Mac host, reading it back with VLC and verifying
it locally to make sure RTMP is working. The application can be found through the
following link:
https://github.com/sallar/mac-local-rtmp-server
Capturing Outgoing Packets and Creating a Transport Stream
Another method for verifying the Pipeline configuration involves capturing
the outgoing packets from the BRIDGE LIVE server directly on BRIDGE LIVE,
downloading the PCAP (Packet Capture) file, and creating a transport stream out
of that data for inspection.
NOTE: Generating a PCAP file can be helpful when working with tech support on certain
issues.
Prerequisite
Before going through the steps of this process, it is a requirement that
BRIDGE LIVE is actively sending out a stream through a configured pipeline.
Generating a PCAP (Packet Capture) File
You can generate a PCAP file in the command line (SSH) as a sudo user.
• It is ideal to use a sample that does not contain any dropped packets.
• Capturing data using this method must use UDP or RTP. It will not work for
SRT.
WARN ING: When using SSH to access the BRIDGE LIVE system and run commands
as a root (sudo) user, please exercise caution. It is possible to severely or
irreparably damage the system if you are not clear on what you are doing.
Please seek appropriate guidance if you are uncertain about how to proceed.
Make Sure that SSH Daemon is Running on BRIDGE LIVE
1. From the Admin menu of BRIDGE LIVE, select Security. The Secure Shell
(SSH) and Password Management page displays.
2. Check that the status of SSH daemon is "running." If the status is "stopped,"
click Enable next to Manage SSH daemon. The SSH daemon status will
change to "running."
Figure 140. SSH Daemon is stopped
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Figure 141. SSH Daemon is running
Login to BRIDGE LIVE as Transcoder
1. Launch the Terminal app on a Mac or the Command Prompt on a Windows
computer.
2. From the prompt, enter the following UNIX command:
ssh transcoder@device_ip
For example, if the IP address of your BRIDGE LIVE unit is 10.6.0.18, you would
use this command:
ssh t rans c oder @10.6.0.18
You will need to enter the SSH password.
Run the Generate PCAP Command
The command that generates the PCAP file looks like this:
sudo tshark -f "dst port 50010" -i eno1 -w /tmp/input_sample.pcap -a dur at io n:60
This command as written above will capture every packet with set destination
port 50010 going through the interface (Ethernet card) eno1 for 60 seconds.
When executed successfully, it will create a file on the BRIDGE LIVE device located
at this path:
/tmp/input_sample.pcap
NOTE: Modify the command as needed to reflect your own port number, eno (Ethernet
card), and duration to match your pipeline configuration and requirements.
Download the PCAP File
1. Use sFTP (SSH) to login to BRIDGE LIVE.
2. Navigate to the /t mp path and download the .p cap le. For example:
get "input_sample.pcap" "F:\input_sample.pcap"
3. If you encounter permission issues, you could try using the following
command:
sudo chown transcoder /tmp/input_sample.pcap
Create a Transport Stream for Inspection
While the steps for doing so are not covered within the scope of this manual,
the next part of the process is to create a transport stream out of the data in the
.pcap file for inspection.
Probes or Other Tools
Some large organizations may have probes or other various tools that can be
used to verify the streams, and therefore may not need to visually see what the
stream looks like.
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Chapter 8 – Initial System Setup and
Conguration
Overview
The first boot will guide you through a short setup, which is largely a verification
of selected options. Important items to select are the network interface where
the video data will flow in and out.
See these chapters for more information:
"Chapter 4 Basic Use Case: SDI to Streams Encoding" on page 25
"Chapter 5 Basic Use Case: Streams to SDI Decoding" on page 39
"Chapter 6 Basic Use Case: Simultaneous Bi-Directional Encoding and Decoding" on
page 47
"Chapter 7 BRIDGE LIVE Features and Interface Deep Dive" on page 72
" Configuration Summary" on page 99 regarding configuration of a DNS server, if
needed.
You will also be prompted to select which network interface’s default gateway
will be used as a default route (likewise for every interface). Figure 3 on page 15
shows the Dashboard view, which is the homepage of the UI.
What's In the Box?
• BRIDGE LIVE Quick Start Guide
• BRIDGE LIVE appliance, including:
• pre-installed rack-ears
• rack rails
• two power cables
As you unpack the shipping box, carefully examine the contents. Make sure you
received everything and that nothing was damaged during shipment. If you find
any damage, immediately notify the shipping service and supply them with a
description of the damage. AJA will repair or replace damaged items.
If you find shipping damage, contact your AJA dealer or distributor for details on
how to have your BRIDGE LIVE repaired or replaced.
NOTE: Save packing materials and the shipping box. If your BRIDGE LIVE ever requires
service or you move your system, use the packaging materials and box for safe
shipment.
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Chassis Front
Figure 142. BRIDGE LIVE Chassis Front View
Chassis Power Button
The main power switch is used to apply or remove power from the power supply
to the system. Turning off system power with this button removes the main
power but keeps standby power supplied to the system. Therefore, you must
unplug all system power cords before servicing.
Chassis Rear
Figure 143. BRIDGE LIVE Chassis Rear View
Redundant Power Supplies UnusedUnused
Power Status
USB Ports (4)
IPMI
Display Port
Rear Panel Power Supply LEDs
On the rear of each power supply module an LED indicates its status as follows.
• Solid Green: When illuminated, indicates that the power supply is on.
• Solid Amber: When illuminated, indicates the power supply is plugged in and
turned off, or the system is off but in an abnormal state.
• Blinking Amber: When blinking, this system power supply temperature has
reached 63°C. The system will automatically power-down when the power
supply temperature reaches 70°C and restarts when the power supply
temperature goes below 60°C.
Installation Summary
1. Unpack the shipping box, removing the BRIDGE LIVE Quick Start Guide, the
BRIDGE LIVE device, pre-installed rack-ears, rack rails, and two power cords.
2. Mount the physical chassis as desired, using the provided sliding rails.
Cooling airow enters the chassis from the front, and exits from the rear and
top panels. Do not obstruct these air vents.
Dual 10Gig Ethernet
Streaming V ideo I/O
SDI Ch 4
SDI Ch 2
SDI Ch 3 S DI Ch 1 Reference
Baseband V ideo I/O
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3. Install the BRIDGE LIVE chassis into a standard 19-inch wide equipment rack,
allowing space for cooling airow. The chassis occupies only one vertical
rack unit.
4. Two rack rail assemblies are included in the rack mounting kit. Each
assembly consists of two sections: an inner xed chassis rail that secures
directly to the server chassis and an outer xed rack rail that secures directly
to the rack itself.
5. The rail assemblies are shipped with rack adapters installed for use with IT
(square hole) style rack frames. For IT racks, simply slide the unit into place,
as the rails will lock automatically. For use with a standard round hole rack
frame, you will need to remove the adapters using a small Phillips head
screwdriver.
6. Connect the two BRIDGE LIVE power cords to AC mains. For redundancy,
use both power supplies and connect them to separate branch circuits so
that the BRIDGE LIVE will continue to operate even if a circuit breaker opens
on one branch.
7. Connect a computer monitor (user supplied) to one of the rear DisplayPort
ports.
8. Connect a keyboard and mouse (user supplied) to available rear USB 3.0
connectors.
9. Power up the chassis. The system will boot up to the BRIDGE LIVE
application.
Initial System Setup via Local Interface
For initial setup, BRIDGE LIVE will need to be accessed locally via customer
supplied keyboard, mouse and monitor (via Display Port).
Once BRIDGE LIVE has been unpacked and safely racked-mounted, cables and
peripherals can be added; 10GbE cables for network connectivity, SDI cables for
baseband audio/video I/O, USB keyboard, USB mouse, monitor (via Display Port),
and dual power cables for redundant power supplies.
Cabling Guide
This section covers callouts for the connections, including which port to use for
media/control.
• 10GbE Ports 01 and 02:
• Left Port from rear is #01 – use this for media connectivity
• Right Port from rear is #02 – use this port for control/monitoring
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Figure 144. BRIDGE LIVE Rear Connectors
Redundant Power Supplies UnusedUnused
USB Ports (4)
IPMI
Display Port
Power Up and Log In
Power on BRIDGE LIVE (front right button). At the login screen, enter the system's
specific Admin credentials as shown below:
• Model: BRIDGE LIVE
• Serial Number: C5140A127A60026 - Example Chassis SN (15 Characters). See
QuickStart Guide for actual SN for unit.
• Username: admin
• Password: See QuickStart Guide for unique Password per unit
After logging in you will need to accept license agreements presented, and after
doing so you will arrive at the AJA BRIDGE LIVE interface.
EULA
When you login to the BRIDGE LIVE UI for the first time, you will be prompted
to read and accept the EULA. If you change the BRIDGE LIVE version using the
Version manager, found in "Updates" on page 100, you will be required to accept
it again.
Dual 10Gig Ethernet
Streaming Video I/O
SDI Ch 4
Baseband Video I/O
SDI Ch 2
SDI Ch 3 SDI Ch 1 Reference
Figure 145. EULA
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System Setup
To begin the system setup process, select Setup from the Setup drop-down menu
in the upper right area of Dashboard.
Figure 146. Accessing the Setup menu
Host Name
Set the System Hostname by entering a name in the Hostname field, then click
Next step.
Figure 147. Setting the System Hostname
Configuration of Network Connectivity
Configure each of the two 10GbE interfaces.
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Figure 148. Configuring network connectivity
Use For
Select one of the following from the pull-down menu:
• Don't Use
• Administration
• Input/Output
• Input/Output and Administration
NOTE: Typically Administration is applied to only one port. If applied to more than one
port, you will see a warning message (but not an error).
NOTE: With a dual NIC setup, you cannot have both NICs connected to the same
network.
Assign Address
Select one of the following:
• DHCP
• Static
• IPv4 Address
• Mask
• Default gateway
• Mask
• Gateway
Click Next step.
Configuration of GPU and CPU Acceleration
This section is informational only. It reports detected GPUs and CPUs for
acceleration of video frame decoding and encoding.
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Figure 149. Informational only – Configuration of GPU & CPU acceleration
Click Next step.
Configuration Summary
A summary of the final configuration settings of your device, including hostname,
network connectivity, CPU and GPU acceleration, and DNS settings.
Figure 150. Configuration summary
Default Route
This is used for setting up the BRIDGE LIVE system so that it communicates
correctly within your network. The default route determines which interface is
used by BRIDGE LIVE for outbound communication.
The Default route is also used for internal communication. It is typically the
address of another router, which treats the packet the same way: if a route
matches, the packet is forwarded accordingly, otherwise the packet is forwarded
to the default route of that router.
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Set DNS Manually for Whole System
You can manually set which DNS server should be used for your BRIDGE LIVE
system.
The BRIDGE LIVE server will send DNS requests to either the primary or secondary
DNS server.
DNS is a protocol which allows you to translate domain names (www.
domainname.com) into IP addresses.
Password Administration
Changing passwords for the two user types is done through the Password
management page, accessed through the Admin > Security menu.
Figure 151. Accessing password management
Updates
Setting Remote Shell Access
From the Password management page, you can enable or disable SSH access to
BRIDGE LIVE altogether by clicking the Enable button (if currently disabled) or the
Disable button (if currently enabled) underneath the Secure Shell (SSH) heading.
Remote secure shell (SSH) access is intended only for the transcoder user (console
user).
Password Management
Manage passwords for the admin user (web application user) and the transcoder
user (console user) by entering the current password, then setting the new
password.
To check for updates for AJA BRIDGE software:
1. Go to the AJA website and view/download the package for your particular
BRIDGE model:
https://www.aja.com/products/bridge-live#support
After unzipping the file, the download will be a .tgz file.
2. Stage the downloaded update on an accessible network location.
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