AJA has started shipping the newly developed BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 high-density, IP video gateway for REMI, synchronous multi-channel video contribution. It enables up to 8 channels of bi-directional 3G-SDI I/O with support for popular IP video compression schemes and transport protocols from H.265 to H.264, NDI, and SRT.
   

Featuring eight bi-directional 3G-SDI connectors in a 1RU form factor, BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 doubles the 3G-SDI I/O capabilities of AJA’s BRIDGE LIVE. With an expanded channel count to provide video professionals with enhanced flexibility, the new solution decreases per channel costs for customers, while providing reliable encoding, decoding, and transcoding for critical live video environments.

Extensive support for industry-standard codecs and formats like H.264, H.265, NDI, SRT, and HLS ensures the device can support nearly any encoding/decoding/transcoding need that arises. BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 answers a broad range of live event production, remote workflow, multi-camera podcast, web-based programming, security and surveillance, and over-the-top (OTT) content delivery needs. Its synchronous multi-channel/multi-system transport streaming enables more efficient live sports and news broadcasts.

AJA BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 feature highlights include:

• Pure IP transcode capability expands the usage of BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 beyond SDI workflows. It enables conversion between any IP codec, such as NDI to/from H.264 with SRT or HLS encapsulation.
• 8 bi-directional SDI ports with multi-frame rate capability enable usage of 25/50 and 59.94/60 frame rates at the same time.
• Bi-directional NDI-SDI conversion enables users to receive NDI (Full and HX) and decode to SDI or input SDI and encode to full NDI. They can also integrate remote NDI and non-NDI equipment/facilities via RTP/UDP/SRT and tap directly into the NDI network for a conduit to content delivery networks (CDNs) or other delivery mechanisms.
• Synchronous multi-channel/multi-system transport supports the backhaul of multiple SDI sources, which egress at the exact same time from the remote location, and with a receiving BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8, ensures the SDI outputs are aligned and genlocked. This unique timing feature also enables production switching, multi-cam recording or other workflows where live sources are required to be timed together.
• HLS input and output provide more ways to deliver content that can be provided to a CDN and consumed by multiple devices and software, including for remote screening to iOS, iPadOS and/or tvOS. 
• A video preview feature provides a visual check so that operators can ensure they have the correct SDI input/content for encoding. It promotes basic confidence while providing customers who cannot “go live” to check their content with added peace of mind.