Hi Ahmed,

You asked this before https://my.aximmetry.com/post/83-ndi-io-numbers-in-professional-software and others have asked this before too.

If you can detail how this would help with your use case, we can make a better judgment on how to change the license limitations in the future. Also, I will be able to add it to our request list.

Warmest regards,

This can Be useful in some workflow, for example 

• Free SDI outputs /Inputs from Ports Limits, so we can use 4 inputs and 1 NDI output
• Increase the number of inputs when using other software like zoom skype and obs Studio with NDI inputs 
• Safe a lot of time when configuring input /outputs in the software to solve licenses port limit error

To add to the thread, I agree that at the moment, the main (and almost single) advantage of the Pro license over Studio is the NDI/SDI input.

But on a single cheap home gigabit router, you will easily use more than 4 NDI sources already. You can go up to 8 HD sources.

Have a Skype/Zoom/Vmix call with 4 people isn't the territory of "broadcast territory", it's basic day-to-day use case for even a small setup, and if you want to integrate the contributors in a virtual set, it leaves you with no extra NDI outputs or inputs for a graphic or return feed.

With the regular free NDI tools, you can try and hack it to add 4 webcam inputs and an extra output screen capture, but then comes the question of value : why pay 1500€ more than Studio for Pro if I can almost get the same 4 NDI I/O "for free" and I have to hack it anyway to get an extra output or input.

A decklink mini recorder SDI card also start at 135€... hardly a big studio budget.

I feel the Studio license if amazing, the Broadcast has its own place if you need pro tracking devices and multimachines, but the Pro license is a bit in an awkward space.

I would find it way more appealing to have a minimum of 8 NDI input/outputs so that you can at least use it for a small HD conference call on a 50€ router without jumping through hoops, and it's at least double what you can do with the regular free NDI tools.

For what it's worth...

Thanks

Eric

Hi Eric and Ahmed,

Thank you very much for the detailed replies.

Do you want to have a "call" with more than 4 NDI sources simultaneously or do you want to easily switch between more than 4 NDI sources?
If you want to use more than 4 NDI sources simultaneously, do you want to show all of them in the same output video?

Warmest regards,

Hi, the call is only a quick example to show how quickly 4 shared NDI/SDI is quickly a big limitation even on a very small/cheap setup.

You could have a single camera with an SDI or NDI converter to have longer cables, you could have a laptop to play powepoints or videos via VLC, VMIX or OBS... and want to send it back to Vmix or else for broadcast/overlays transition... that means you cannot have a remote call with a gallery view and active speaker (let alone 4 contributors or more) or another video feed for a second virtual screen, or a second camera etc...

Where the comparison hurts, is that the free NDI tools let you already do more than what the Pro license can do. Similarly, Vmix can do in theory 1000 NDI inputs too for 350USD (1080p) or 700 USD (4K). The free OBS plugin can also do a lot more.

Removing or increasing significantly the NDI I/O limit to 8 or more wouldn't hurt the broadcast license (which has pro tracking support, multimachines etc) and would certainly justify better the price premium over the Studio licence and free alternatives, making it earn a bit better its "professional" tag.

Best,

Eric

I fully agree that the current input/output limitation is far too limiting for a software branded as “Professional”. I also understand the need for Aximmetry to segment the feature sets of their different license tiers, but the way even small productions use NDI has change a lot since 2020, mainly due to how the pandemic forced content creators to come up with new techniques to do more with less. Maybe the limit could be 4 SDI or NDI I/O plus 4 additional NDI only I/O? Maybe the NDI limit should also be on the number of desktop our source computers or applications instead of per individual NDI source? Multiple participants on Teams or Zoom as individuals ND( feeds is a good example of why this would be more fair and better reflect current production techniques. I would also suggest adding at least a few NDI I/O for the Studio license as well. 

Indeed, workflow habits have changed a lot in the past years, with NDI being integrated in many consumer conferencing applications and hardware, while SDI is still basically a broadcast only solution (with it's different flavours).

So, making a distinction between NDI and SDI to begin with would be a start.

While you can quickly get over 4 NDI sources with a very simple setup (1 powerpoint o video source, 1 output, 1 active caller + gallery), 4 SDI inputs means basically  4 production cameras, or 3 cameras and an output, which is totally different.

I also understand that Aximmetry must protect their different product tiers, and make money to keep developping the product, but you have to aknowledge what is already possible today with simple free tools too, and at least match it in value.

While I'm not here to tell Aximmetry how to run their business and dictate their price/feature breakdown, I would personnaly see it more appropriate to have something like the following :

Studio : HDMI + 4 NDI I/O (to roughly match what is already possible with free NDI tools - or at least 1 In and 1 out)

Pro : 4 SDI + Unlimited NDI (or at least 8x1080p, which is what a cheap 1Gb router can handle in most cases).

Broadcast : Unlimited SDI + Unlimited NDI + Pro-tracking + Multimachines etc...

For what it's worth.

Eric

Hi guys.

I can only second (or third? or fourth? :-)) what has been said in this thread.
Especially when we talk about video conferencing, at least a 'virtual webcam' output (as in free OBS) would be *extremely* helpful and a mighty addition to Axy. 
Sure, NDI out together with the NDI Webcam helps to get things going. But then again you have another software layer (NDI Tools) between Axy and your conferencing software.
Plus, the Studio version (which price-wise targets the lower budget video-conferencing market) does not have NDI.

In order to protect the current licensing scheme of having to go Pro for NDI, while at the same time offering more flexibility in producing content and getting new customers, a 'simple' virtual webcam out on *all* versions of Axy would be a great addition to this fantastic software!

Cheers & all the best.

Eric.

I agree with everything said here.   Especially the part where SDI and NDI are really two different feature sets and should not be grouped together in a licensing model IMHO.   I am a Studio license user  who does not use SDI cameras and I can't justify the step up to the Professional license just for NDI I/O .

Hi,

Hi,

Beginning with Aximmetry version 2024.1.0, it is now possible to rent SDI ports for both the Studio and Professional editions.:

Warmest regards,