🩺 From the desk of Dr. NDI, a Reflection on IBC 2025By Roberto Musso, Technical Director at NDI
This year’s IBC was especially gratifying for us at NDI. I cannot help but acknowledge that NDI has now become a firmly established standard in the broadcast world. One of the most intriguing developments is how software is making inroads into a domain historically dominated by hardware. Broadcast has long been “hardware-centric,” but it’s now clear that live production solutions based on software, particularly when paired with NDI, are reshaping the industry.
As I often explain, what really matters is cost per output: whenever a broadcaster needs to generate a new output, a software-based solution often costs only a fraction of what a full hardware infrastructure would require.
NDI is ideally suited to software-based production infrastructures, and our licensing strategy has always been designed to aid software developers. The sheer number of applications supporting NDI is impressive, and during IBC I was able to see firsthand just how pervasive NDI is in software environments.
All my conversations with partners and users were overwhelmingly positive. It’s evident that the effort we’ve put over the years into sharing NDI documentation and opening access is yielding dividends.
I was also heartened by the growing interest in NDI Audio, I see a bright future for NDI in this domain.
We have made great strides with NDI, yet there is still much work to do to enhance the user experience. Innovation and improvement remain our mission, and IBC 2025 has been deeply inspiring.
Some 2025 Highlights & Observations:
To give this reflection more weight, here are a few recent developments and observations I’d incorporate, as “Dr. NDI”:
- Expanded ecosystem & new partner products: At IBC, we unveiled new NDI-enabled offerings, for example, RØDE introduced its first product natively supporting NDI (RØDE Caster). Panasonic also brought new NDI-ready gear, such as the AW-RP200GJ remote camera controller and the AK-UBX100 camera box.
- NDI 6.3 in beta & enhanced control: We teased the next version, NDI 6.3, which builds on the control layer introduced in 6.2, letting third-party applications manage interconnections between devices, leveraging the Discovery Server so that device compatibility is known even before establishing a link.
- Focus on synchronization & latency: As broadcast demands tighten, we are actively working to improve synchronization (especially for audio) and reduce latency. While true “zero latency” may not be achievable, pushing closer to it remains a priority.
- NDI as a general connectivity layer: We are evolving the perception of NDI, it is no longer just “video over IP,” but a connectivity technology enabling exchange of video, audio, metadata, and potentially control of devices or software.
- NDI’s 10-year milestone: IBC 2025 also marked the 10th anniversary of NDI’s debut. Over this decade, we have transformed from replacing a single video cable to being a universal language in the AV space. - Measurement, diagnostics, monitoring: Our partners in test & measurement are also embracing NDI. For example, Leader Electronics has showcased an NDI Checker software tool for signal troubleshooting and quality assurance.
- Audio integration & IP-native audio gear: The move of audio into native IP realms continues. Notably, Solid State Logic announced a System T Cloud update that supports native NDI audio.
🤔 What do you think are the biggest takeaways from this year’s IBC? Let us know in the comment section, we’d love to hear from you!
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