"Who's that Pokemon?" AREC Product Launch Webinar Recordings

Dear ADENA Partners, in case you missed our webinar, you can watch the recordings on our YouTube channel. The recordings are available in English, Spanish, and Russian, and you can access them through the links below.

Also, if you would like a personal demonstration of any of the new products or other AREC/RADA devices, make sure to request it through our website www.a-dena.com!

ADENA Hack: How to use NDI Bridge to convert Full NDI to NDI|HX

You may know that NDI exists in two main versions - Full NDI and NDI|HX. There are certain differences between these two versions - for example, NDI|HX sends compressed data and uses far less bandwidth. The differences make the two versions incompatible and typically devices would only support one version of NDI. AREC Media Stations with NDI support, including LS-860N and LS-US2N, were built to support NDI|HX, and so typically devices using standard NDI cannot be connected to them. However, there is a way to convert them via NDI Bridge, an essential tool that is included in the NDI package. To use it, simply download and install the latest version of NDI Tools from https://www.newtek.com/

Open the NDI Tools and select Bridge. It will open with a page similar to this:

While in this guide we focus on using the NDI Bridge to convert standard NDI to NDI|HX, the app can also be used to make your NDI sources available over the Internet and to connect NDI sources from other networks. To convert NDI signals, however, click on ‘Local’. Start by adjusting the name of your bridged connections in the ‘Bridge Name’ field. Next, click on ‘Encoder Settings’ and change the output mode to ‘NDI|HX’. All AREC stations, except the upcoming LS-410, use only h.264 video compression, so make sure to select it. You must also select the stream’s bitrate in ‘Quality’. Since 4Mbit is sufficient for Full HD, you can select ‘Low’. After adjusting these settings, press ‘Start’, and you will be able to see a list of bridged connections appear in your network. To use these bridged connections on AREC stations, open the ‘Administrator’ web page of your station, click on ‘Media I/O’ -> ‘Network Device Manager’ and scan for new devices. If your station is in the same network as your computer running NDI Bridge, you will be able to see the NDI|HX bridged connections appear in the list.

One important thing to note is that bridged connections use the computer running the app as a tunnel. Whenever another device is trying to pull an NDI source from it, its network traffic load will grow. You can monitor how much bandwidth the computer is consuming in the field called ‘Bandwidth’.

If you would like to know more about how you can use NDI or other technologies with AREC, please contact us at www.a-dena.com and we will be happy to assist you.

Case Study: AREC and Houses of Worship - Finnish Experience

Dear ADENA Partners, we start this year with a case study from a beautiful and modern Espoonlahti Church in Finland. Completed by our partner F-Musikki, this project highlights how AREC systems can be used to record and live-stream religious ceremonies and concerts.

Espoonlahden Kirkko, or Espoonlahti Church as it is known in English, is a Lutheran church that is known for its unique floor design. During church services, the sun shines on the altar wall and produces a spectacular visual effect. The church is also known for its organ, which was used several times for Kesäillan Urkumusiikkia, a series of organ concerts. These and other qualities of Espoonlahti Church made it an important landmark not only for the residents of Espoo, but also tourists. As such, it didn’t take long for the church to get renovated when signs of damage appeared.

The church’s audiovisual systems got an uplift as part of this renovation. Pandemic restrictions and the growing popularity of streaming made it clear that audiovisual systems are required for the growth of the church. Thus, the officials decided to obtain a streaming system and a set of network cameras to use for Sunday services, events, and organ concerts. Thanks to the advice of our partner F-Musikki, the church selected AREC for all its streaming needs.

Specifically, LS-860N Media Station was the chosen model. It is a four-channel device that is able to mix, record, and stream up to 4 video sources at the same time. This model is powered by NDI|HX, a technology that allows connecting all kinds of devices via the network with minimal latency. Through NDI, the Media Station is connected to the PTZ network cameras that were also installed for the church. LS-860N is able to receive their audio and video outputs, as well as control them. What makes the LS-860N particularly appealing to the church is just how user-friendly it is. Officials do not need to manage the device themselves since it automatically picks up events from the church’s schedule. In cases when they do want to manage the process, it is easy to navigate the menus and control the device via on-screen GUI and free-to-use software.

Newly renovated and technologically upgraded Espoonlahti Church is already streaming its events and ceremonies, involving both local and remote attendees. Is your church looking to upgrade its AV setup? Contact us at www.a-dena.com and we will find the right solution for you!