AJA BRIDGE LIVE Operating instructions

Version 1.14
Published June 27, 2023
BRIDGE LIVE
Video I/O and Streaming Appliance
Installation and Operation Guide

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 2 www.aja.com
Notices
Trademarks
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
Copyright © 2023 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: [phone]
Support Website: https://www.aja.com/support/contact
Support Email: suppor[email protected]
Sales Email: [email protected]
Shipping Address: AJA Video Systems
180 Litton Drive
Grass Valley, CA 95945, USA

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 3 www.aja.com
Contents
Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Copyright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Contacting AJA Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 1 – Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
AJA and Comprimato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Encoding and Decoding Protocols Supported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Hardware Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Chassis Front. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Chassis Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Workow Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
REMI (Remote Production) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Contribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Streaming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Chapter 2 – Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
What's In the Box? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Quick Start Guide Login Credentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Installation Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Initial Hardware Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Mounting the Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Connect AC Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Initial System Access via Local Kiosk Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
EULA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Initial System Setup Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Basic Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Network Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
GPU and CPU Acceleration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Conguration Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
BRIDGE LIVE System Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Admin Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Factory Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Password Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Licensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
BRIDGE LIVE Software Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Upgrading BRIDGE LIVE from USB Flash Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Low Latency Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Low Latency Using VBR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Low Latency Using CBR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
NDI Discovery Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Using NDI Discovery with BRIDGE LIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
OS and Network Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Console Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
BRIDGE LIVE Files Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
System Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
System Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Manual Network Interface Conguration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Chapter 3 – Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

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Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Browser Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Logging in Remotely with a Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
BRIDGE LIVE User Interface Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Dashboard Interface Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Setup Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Admin Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Pipeline Conguration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
About Pipelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
General Procedure for Creating a Pipeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Add New Pipeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Naming the Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Selecting Input Stream Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Congure Input Stream Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Add New Output Stream to Pipeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Managing Pipelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
When to Reduce the CPU/GPU Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Clearly Naming Multiple Output Streams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Cloning an Output Stream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Output Stream Audio Conguration Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Cloning Output Audio Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Creating and Loading Preset Stream Congurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
JSON Created Pipelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Additional BRIDGE LIVE Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Output Stream Cropping and Padding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Logo Insertion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Verifying Pipeline Congurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Verifying the Conguration of Your Pipeline Remotely . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Chapter 4 – Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Encoding Incoming Uncompressed SDI to Various Stream Types . . . . . . . . 99
Input SDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Output Stream Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Output Stream Sink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Output Stream Video Conguration Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Decoding Incoming Streams and Outputting Uncompressed SDI . . . . . . 109
Input Stream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Conguring Input Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Choosing the Program Number. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Output SDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Muxing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Video. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Closed Captions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Alternative Methods for Verifying Pipeline Conguration. . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Using RTMP Server for Mac. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Capturing Outgoing Packets and Creating a Transport Stream . . . . . . . .113
Probes or Other Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Chapter 5 – Interoperability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Example of Streaming to YouTube. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Adding an Output Stream for YouTube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Audio Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
YouTube Studio Live Streaming Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Streaming to Wowza Live Video Streaming Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Destination Syntax Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Chapter 6 – Using the REST API . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Accessing the API Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Featured Curl commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

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Chapter 7 – Using SNMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
SNMP Disabled by Default. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Example of SNMP Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
SNMP Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Conguration of SNMP Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Chapter 8 – Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
What if BRIDGE LIVE fails?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
How do I access the system administration environment?. . . . . . . . . . .123
How can I collect BRIDGE LIVE log les?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
How can I change the default system password? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
How can I change the admin password? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
The UI shows streams are working but no data on output. . . . . . . . . . .124
I see frame drops in the UI. What can be the cause? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Information needed for troubleshooting by Support? . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
A list of possible error messages in UI:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Appendix A – Specications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
BRIDGE LIVE Tech Specs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
Appendix B – Safety and Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Warranty and Liability Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 6 www.aja.com
Chapter 1 – Introduction
Overview
BRIDGE LIVE is a broadcast quality, low latency turnkey system for REMI,
Synchronous Multi-Channel Video Contribution, Remote Collaboration, Direct to
Audience Streaming, and Multi Bit Rate/Format Delivery.
NOTE: REMI is an acronym used in the broadcast industry for Remote Model Integration
and is sometimes called "at home" production.
Equipped with 12G-SDI I/O plus the power and flexibility to enable real time
bidirectional encoding, decoding, and transcoding for critical UltraHD and HD
workflows, BRIDGE LIVE is an essential part of any modern live video production
toolkit. A compact and robust 1RU form factor with redundant power supplies
and a 3 year warranty means peace of mind even when dealing with the most
demanding applications.
Whether facilitating remote production, two-way interviews, live event
streaming, synchronous multi-cam backhaul with HDR, cloud contribution,
program return, confidence monitoring, collaborative production, ABR ladder
profiles to hand-off for OTT packaging, BRIDGE LIVE ensures simultaneous,
secure, and stable workflows whether over private lines or the public internet.
AJA and Comprimato
BRIDGE LIVE represents an exciting partnership between AJA and Comprimato,
both long standing industry innovators. The merging of AJA’s hardware
development and video I/O expertise with Comprimato’s transcoding and
internet transport know-how means customers can expect the versatility, speed,
and quality needed for that competitive edge. The unique fusion of company
talent between AJA and Comprimato ensures that BRIDGE LIVE delivers the
performance, reliability, and ease of use needed for critical live encode, decode,
or transcode needs.
Features
• 12G-SDI/3G-SDI I/O supports Multi-Channel HD or UltraHD as standard
• Bidirectional Encode/Decode/Transcode; NDI, H.265 (HEVC), H.264 (AVC,
MPEG-4), H.262 (MPEG-2), and with optional licenses JPEG2000 (TR-01), and
JPEGXS (TR-07)
• Synchronous Multi-Channel / Multi-System Transport for SDI backhaul or
Cloud Delivery
• Protocols; SRT, UDP, HLS, RTP, RTMP/S (output), MPTS (input)
• Transports; MPEG-TS, NDI, AVC-TS, Fragmented MP4 (input)
• NDI Discovery Server support
• Supports NDI Groups
• Multi bit rate/format distribution, ABR Ladder Profiles for OTT hand-off.
• Selectable profiles for 10-bit and 8-bit, 4:2:2 and 4:2:0
• Unmatched Metadata capabilities including MPEG-2 ANC, SMPTE 2038, Ad
insertion markers (SCTE-35/SCTE-104), CC/Subtitles (EIA-608/708, Line 21,
H.264 SEI)
• HDR/SDR from SDI source to SDI destination in BRIDGE LIVE end-to-end
configurations

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• Remote WebUI or local GUI for easy 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
Metadata
BRIDGE LIVE allows the pass through of metadata, and supports various codecs,
protocols,and transports:
• Generic SDI VANC metadata via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG-2 ANC)
• Closed Captioning (EIA-608/708 including conversion)
• CC/Subtitles embedding into H.264 SEI messages
• SDR/HDR Transfer Characteristics, Colorimetry + Luminance
• Timecode
• Ad insertion markers (SCTE-35/SCTE-104) pass through
• Line 21 captions
• Electronic program guide (EPG) on input
NOTE: “End-to-End SDI Transport” refers specifically to workflows where the first
BRIDGE LIVE is receiving SDI and sending IP video to a second BRIDGE LIVE, which
is receiving IP video and outputting SDI.
NOTE: End-to-End SDI workflows support HDR transport (SDI to IP to SDI), but this is only
possible when the IP Video format supports 4:2:2, 10-bit and as such, is a function
of using either H.264 (AVC) 4:2:2, 10-bit (HQ), or JPEG2K TR-01 4:2:2 and JPEGXS
TR-07, 10-bit.
Encoding and Decoding Protocols Supported
BRIDGE LIVE supports encoding from SDI to Stream, and decoding from Stream
to SDI. Encoding and decoding between SDI, JPEG2K and JPEGXS streams is
also fully supported (watermark removed), with installation of optional licenses.
Transcoding between any Stream input and Stream output is also supported.
See Table 1 "SDI to Stream Encoding" on page 8 and Table 2 "Stream to SDI
Decoding" on page 9 for detailed signal specifications. The table values are
recommendations only. You can use lower values if you need to, and if you have
good enough network throughput you can use higher bit rates.

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Table 1. SDI to Stream Encoding
Codec/Quality HD (1080p) UltraHD Protocol Transport Metadata
NDI
UYVY 4:2:2, 8-bit
P216 4:2:2, 16-bit
4x up to 60p
105-165 Mbps
1x up to 60p
2x up to 30p
150-312 Mbps
NDI NDI
H.265 (HEVC)
4:2:0, 8/10-bit
4x up to 60p
5-12 Mbps
1x up to 60p
2x up to 30p
35-110 Mbps
HLS
RTP
SRT
UDP
AVC-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC metadata
via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG-2 ANC)
Encoding: SCTE-104 to SCTE-35 conversion
H.264 (AVC)
4:2:0, 8-bit
4x up to 60p
8-15 Mbps
1x up to 60p
2x up to 30p
40-75 Mbps
HLS
RTP
RTMP/S
SRT
UDP
AVC-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC metadata
via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG-2 ANC)
Encoding: SCTE-104 to SCTE-35 conversion
Subtitles embedded within H.264 SEI
messages
H.264 (AVC)
4:2:2, 10-bit (HQ)
4x up to 30p
2x up to 60p
50-75 Mbps
1x up to 30p
80-120 Mbps
HLS
RTP
RTMP/S
SRT
UDP
AVC-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC
metadata via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG-
2 ANC). Supporting SDR/HDR Transfer
Characteristics, Colorimetry and Luminance
Encoding: SCTE-104 to SCTE-35 conversion
Subtitles embedded within H.264 SEI
messages
H.262 (MPEG2)
4:2:0, 8-bit
4x up to
30p/60i
8-15 Mbps
RTP
SRT
UDP
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC metadata
via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG-2 ANC)
Encoding: SCTE-104 to SCTE-35 conversion
H.262 (MPEG2)
4:2:2, 8-bit (HQ)
4x up to
30p/60i
10-20 Mbps
RTP
SRT
UDP
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC metadata
via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG-2 ANC)
Encoding: SCTE-104 to SCTE-35 conversion
JPEG2K TR-01
4:2:2, 10-bit
4x up to 60p
80-220 Mbps
1x up to 60p
2x up to 30p
200-800 Mbps
RTP
SRT
UDP
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC
metadata via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG-
2 ANC). Supporting SDR/HDR Transfer
Characteristics, Colorimetry and Luminance
Encoding: SCTE-104 to SCTE-35 conversion
JPEGXS
4:2:2 10-bit
4x up to 60p.
Possible to
increase count,
depending
on remaining
resources
180-400Mbps
1x up to 60p
2x up to 30p
360-1600 Mbps
RTP
SRT
UDP
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC
metadata via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG2
ANC). Supporting SDR/HDR Transfer
Characteristics, Colorimetry and Luminance
Encoding: SCTE-104 to SCTE-35 conversion

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 9 www.aja.com
Table 2. Stream to SDI Decoding
Codec/Quality HD (1080p) UltraHD Protocol Transport Metadata
NDI
UYVY 4:2:2, 8-bit
P216 4:2:2, 16-bit
4x up to 60p
105-165 Mbps
1x up to 60p
2x up to 30p
150-312 Mbps
NDI NDI
NDI HX (1, 2, 3)
4:2:0, 8-bit
4x up to 60p
9-16 Mbps
1x up to 60p
2x up to 30p
19-30 Mbps
NDI HX NDI
H.265 (HEVC)
4:2:0, 8/10-bit
4x up to 60p
5-12 Mbps
1x up to 60p
2x up to 30p
35-110 Mbps
HLS
RTP
SRT
UDP
Fragmented
MP4, AVC-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC metadata
via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG-2 ANC)
H.264 (AVC)
4:2:0, 8-bit
4x up to 60p
8-15 Mbps
1x up to 60p
2x up to 30p
40-75 Mbps
HLS
RTP
SRT
UDP
Fragmented
MP4, AVC-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC metadata
via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG-2 ANC)
H.264 (AVC)
4:2:2, 10-bit (HQ)
4x up to 30p
2x up to 60p
50-75 Mbps
1x up to 30p
80-120 Mbps
HLS
RTP
SRT
UDP
Fragmented
MP4, AVC-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC
metadata via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG-
2 ANC), supporting SDR/HDR Transfer
Characteristics, Colorimetry and
Luminance
H.262 (MPEG2)
4:2:0, 8-bit
4x up to 30p/60i
8-15 Mbps
RTP
SRT
UDP
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC metadata
via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG-2 ANC)
H.262 (MPEG2)
4:2:2, 8-bit (HQ)
4x up to 30p/60i
10-20 Mbps
RTP
SRT
UDP
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC metadata
via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG-2 ANC)
JPEG2K TR-01
4:2:2, 10-bit
4x up to 60p
80-220 Mbps
1x up to 60p
2x up to 30p
200-800 Mbps
RTP
SRT
UDP
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC
metadata via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG-
2 ANC), supporting SDR/HDR Transfer
Characteristics, Colorimetry and
Luminance
JPEGXS
4:2:2 10-bit
4x up to 60p.
Possible to
increase count,
depending
on remaining
resources
180-400Mbps
1x up to 60p
2x up to 30p
360-1600
Mbps
RTP
SRT
UDP
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
MPEG-TS
End-to-End: Generic SDI VANC
metadata via SMPTE 2038 ANC (MPEG2
ANC). Supporting SDR/HDR Transfer
Characteristics, Colorimetry and
Luminance
Encoding: SCTE-104 to SCTE-35
conversion

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 10 www.aja.com
Table 3. JPEG XS (TR-07) Encoding Efficiency Mbp
Format Minimum Maximum
720p 59.94 92 221
720p 50 77 184
1080i 29.97 104 249
1080i 25 86 207
1080p 59.94 207 497
1080p 50 173 415
2160p 59.94 829 1989
2160p 50 691 1659
Hardware Description
Chassis Front
Figure 1. BRIDGE LIVE Chassis Front View
Power Status
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 2. BRIDGE LIVE Chassis Rear View
SDI Ch 4
SDI Ch 3 SDI Ch 1 Reference
Dual 10Gig Ethernet
Streaming Video I/O Baseband Video I/O
Redundant Power Supplies UnusedUnused
IPMI
USB Ports (4)
Display Port
SDI Ch 2

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 11 www.aja.com
BRIDGE LIVE is equipped with:
• Two Redundant Power Supplies (IEC connectors)
• Two USB 3.0 (blue) connectors
• Two USB 2.0 (black) connectors
• Two 10Gb RJ-45 Ethernet connectors
• Three Display Ports for use with monitors
• One IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) RJ-45 connector
• Four bi-directional 12G-SDI connectors
• One Video Reference input 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.
Workflow Examples
REMI (Remote Production)
Since BRIDGE LIVE can be used as an encoder, decoder and transcoder, there are
many advantages to its use in REMI workflows.
Additionally, BRIDGE LIVE can take independent SDI source inputs, and maintain
their synchronous relationship while transporting the content to end-point
destinations.
This functionality can take place between a pair of BRIDGE LIVE units for a
synchronous end-to-end SDI workflow, often referred to as SDI backhaul, or site-
to-site SDI workflows.
BRIDGE LIVE’s synchronous multi-channel capability is also supported for cloud
contribution, whereby a BRIDGE LIVE system can send to a cloud instance of
Comprimato Live transcoder software, for delivery to various platforms / cloud
services as IP video.
Simultaneous Bidirectional Encoding and Decoding
BRIDGE LIVE supports simultaneous bidirectional encoding and decoding with
UltraHD, HD, and SD sources.
For example, with a pair of BRIDGE LIVE systems, a broadcast facility can receive
three incoming encoded HD camera sources from a remote location and decode
them back into SDI for editing and production while simultaneously providing an
HD program return to the remote location.

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 12 www.aja.com
Figure 3. Multi-Channel Synchronous Transport for Backhaul
Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport for Backhaul
For SDI backhaul or other site-to-site SDI workflows, BRIDGE LIVE’s bi-directional
functionality means BRIDGE LIVE can act as an encoder or a decoder, and do so
simultaneously. As such, references to BRIDGE LIVE Tx or BRIDGE LIVE Rx are only
descriptions of how the unit is currently configured. A single BRIDGE LIVE unit can
be configured for encode only, decode only, or a combination of both.
BRIDGE LIVE Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport functionality provides an easy
and repeatable way to ensure synchronous SDI video sources can be fed to an
encoding BRIDGE LIVE (Tx), then be timestamped, transported, and ultimately
output from the decoding BRIDGE LIVE (Rx) with each SDI signal in lock step with
each other.
Furthermore, Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport can be scaled up from a
single BRIDGE LIVE pair to additional BRIDGE LIVE pairs, to enable workflows
where multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems can be receiving SDI and sending to multiple
BRIDGE LIVE systems outputting SDI, all in synchronicity.
For end-to-end SDI workflows, HDR is also supported.

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 13 www.aja.com
Figure 4. Multi-Channel Synchronous Transport for Backhaul
Synchronous Multi-Channel Transport for Cloud Contribution
When using individual or multiple BRIDGE LIVE systems for contribution to cloud
platforms/services, the receiving side is supported by single or multiple instances
of Comprimato Live Transcoder software. From Live Transcoder, Synchronous
Multi Channel IP Video can be handed off to 3rd party services.
NOTE: AWS references are examples. Comprimato Live Transcoder can be used as the
receiver with other cloud providers/services.

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 14 www.aja.com
Figure 5. Multi-Channel Synchronous Transport for Cloud
BRIDGE LIVE as a Receiving Hub
BRIDGE LIVE supports workflows where it is necessary to receive contribution
streams coming from various 3rd party encoders, IP cameras, or AJA products
such as HELO Plus, for conversion back/to SDI at a production facility.
For example, BRIDGE LIVE could be receiving UDP or HLS from AJA HELO Plus, SRT
from a Panasonic camera (e.g. AW-UE150, AW-UE100, AG-CX350, AJ-CX4000), SRT
from a Haivision encoder (e.g. Makito X4), and NDI from AJA Bridge NDI, software
such as NLE or Gaming PC, NDI cameras, or hardware based encoders such as
Birdog (e.g. Studio NDI) and Magewell (e.g. ProConvert).

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 15 www.aja.com
Figure 6. BRIDGE LIVE as a Receiving Hub
Contribution
Remote Video Transport
For Broadcast, BRIDGE LIVE provides an efficient mechanism for backhauling
remote live SDI camera sources to the media production facility, in order to be
converted back to SDI and made available on the internal facility SDI router for
ongoing production/transmission.
Traditional secure lines for remote production can be very expensive, with
additional fees being levied for time before and after a production starts
and ends. BRIDGE LIVE allows source cameras and local program out to be
transported using publicly available Internet, with no penalty for early or
extended use during a production. BRIDGE LIVE also offers lower latency than
traditional secure lines for time critical productions.

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 16 www.aja.com
Figure 7. Remote Video Transport and Contribution
Collaboration
Reference Video for Remote Creatives
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
layering on the 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.

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 17 www.aja.com
Figure 8. BRIDGE LIVE for Facility HD Streaming to Creatives and Clients
Secure Window into the Remote Set or Studio
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.

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 18 www.aja.com
Figure 9. Encoding for Remote Production UltraHD to H.265
Connecting Remote NDI Production Teams
BRIDGE LIVE can be used to connect two geographically separated NDI
production teams via Public Internet.
For example, a studio or event location could be sending the feeds from 3 NDI
cameras to an NDI production or post facility, which can distribute those sources
as both NDI and SDI, while also returning a program feed back to the studio
location.

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 19 www.aja.com
Figure 10. Connecting Remote NDI Production Teams
Streaming
Direct-to-Audience Streaming
BRIDGE LIVE offers a comprehensive platform for live video streaming. Streaming
support includes SRT, HLS, RTMP/S, RTP, UDP, and MPEG-TS. Using these standard
protocols provides wide support for streaming services such as Twitch, YouTube
Live and Facebook Live.
BRIDGE LIVE builds upon the tried and tested approach of AJA’s HELO Plus
streaming device, while including flexibility for multiple bi-directional transport,
broad format and bit-rate support, as well as metadata and redundancy.
And, while streaming to CDNs for a direct-to-audience delivery, BRIDGE LIVE
can simultaneously deliver different stream types to partners to re-transmit,
transcode, or store.

BRIDGE LIVE Video I/O and Streaming Appliance v1.14 20 www.aja.com
Figure 11. Direct to Audience Streaming for UltraHD Workflows
Delivery
Encoding For Content Distribution
For Studios and Broadcast applications BRIDGE LIVE facilitates primary
distribution of finished and mastered content to partners for subsequent
streaming to audiences.
BRIDGE LIVE can provide ABR ladder profiles or hand-off for OTT packaging.
For example, encoding to H.264 or H.265 for hand-off with ABR ladder profiles,
including pointing the ladder profile directly to a local packager or CDN.
BRIDGE LIVE can also provide multi-format/rate/bit-rate material via HLS. The
combined outputs within the HLS stream are presented as a “playlist”, meaning
that devices (e.g. phones or tablet) or software (e.g. web browser) can pull a
particular format, frame rate and bit-rate based on the device characteristics and
the current connectivity. Note that this is not a Push model. If conditions change
(e.g. available bit rate) then the receiving device can elect to consume a different
format / frame rate / bit-rate. However, multi variants are chunked, so if a player
switches to a different resolution, it must start downloading a new chunk and this
may result in a spinning wheel – since chunks are 10 seconds in length.
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.
HLS could be sent to a local network in a studio or on set, to enable iPad and
iPhone to receive and monitor (provided the devices have network access to
BRIDGE LIVE). However, in this situation the number of simultaneous consumers
will need to be kept low (under 10) to avoid over-taxing BRIDGE LIVE.