Description

Small is the New Big.

With a footprint only slightly larger than a credit card, Flex are the world’s smallest 4K NDI Encoders and Decoders. Because sometimes the biggest things are also the smallest.

One Cable to Rule Them All. Now with added power.

BirdDog’s revolutionary Studio NDI gave the world NDI, Power, Video, Audio, Tally, and Audio Intercom all down a single Ethernet cable. Flex 4K IN and Flex 4K BACKPACK take it one step even further and provides an additional 15w extra power allowing you to use the DC output to power your monitor, recorder, or even your camera.

Cool touch thermals.

Sometimes the biggest features are also the least obvious. Flex 4K NDI has unmatched thermal design and whisper quiet fans to keep Flex cool and fresh even on the hottest days and in direct sunlight.

Halo Tally. It just works.

Flex’s revolutionary Halo Tally system is built right into the Flex Family and requires zero configuration when connected with any NDI enabled, software based, production system. The Halo Tally is designed to be seen by the camera operators as well as the on-air talent.

Adaptive bit rate. Slide your way to glory.

Full NDI^® is a variable bit rate codec. In normal circumstances BirdDog recommends allowing around 140Mbps in HD, or 6 streams per 1GbE cable with some headroom. In 4K it is recommended to allow around 300Mbps or 3 streams with some headroom to allow for any unforeseen spikes.

The Ultimate PTZ Sidekick.

 If you aren’t lucky enough to own a BirdDog PTZ camera with Full NDI natively then Flex can become the ultimate sidekick. Plug your PTZ camera into Flex via HDMI, attach the optional BirdDog PTZ control cable for full PTZ pass through control. This makes Flex the perfect upgrade for your PTZ camera while waiting for Santa to bring you a Full NDI BirdDog PTZ.

 G’Day Dante.

Flex 4K NDI family can support Dante input and output via the 3.5mm audio jack or the HDMI input on Flex IN and Flex BACKPACK. Flip Dante out of the NDI stream or embed Dante into the NDI stream. The choice is yours.

Dante support for Flex 4K NDI is shipping Q3 2020 and is a $69 USD add-on. Click here to register your interest – https://www.bird-dog.tv/dante/

100% Recyclable packaging. We love Pachamama.

 Every element of Flex packaging is 100% recyclable and we use soy based ink to further reduce our foot print. There are no printed manuals, you can download the most up to date version at any time from our website.

 RESTful API. DIY automation.

 Download the free BirdDog RESTful API and program your own automation for all BirdDog hardware endpoints, including cameras.

Camera Mount.

 The optional camera mount adds a 1-4”/20 female thread for mounting onto ball heads and magic arms to pimp your rig the way you want it.

Camera Mount is sold separately.

 Central Lite

Flex 4K Family includes free Central Lite NDI Routing software. Team up Central Lite with any NDI^® source, including all BirdDog hardware capable of creating NDI^® sources, you can now drive your NDI^® streams to any BirdDog Studio NDI or Mini to decode NDI^® back to SDI or HDMI.

Comms Lite.

Flex 4K Family includes free Comms Lite, your free Audio Intercom solution. With support for four BirdDog devices, plus a director, Comms Lite is a great way to start using Audio Intercom in your live productions.

TECH SPECS:

SUPPORTED VIDEO FORMAT

(UHD) 2160p 25, 29.97, 30

(HD) 1080p 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, 60

(HD) 1080i 50, 59.97

(HD) 720p 50, 59.94, 60

VIDEO I/O CONNECTIVITY

HDMI 2.0 Input (Flex IN, Flex BACKPACK)

HDMI 2.0 Output (Flex OUT)

AUDIO INPUT

HDMI:  2Ch, 48kHz

3.5mm AUDIO:  Microphone/line input

AUDIO OUTPUT

HDMI:  2Ch, 48kHz

3.5mm AUDIO:  Stereo Headphone/line output

VIDEO CODEC SUPPORT

NDI (Full bandwidth i-frame compression)

TALLY

Integrated Tricolour Halo Tally

PTZ Control

2.5mm 4-pole RS232 (VISCA)

NETWORK CONNECTIVITY

Ethernet RJ45 1000baseT w/integrated PoE (Power over Ethernet)

Embedded Web Configuration Panel

WEIGHTS & DIMENSIONS

Flex IN / Flex OUT

Size:  107×63×31mm

Weight:  140g

Flex BACKPACK

Size:  107×63×42.5mm

Weight:  150g

POWER

DC Input:  DC 12v (30w max)

PoE (Power over Ethernet):  PoE+ 802.3at
DC Output: DC 12v (15w max) via DC out connector or NP Style battery output (BACKPACK ONLY)